Aleph's rejection consumed Rachel. The humiliation was even greater for having failed to follow King Hayden's orders to drive the knight away from Leticia. Rachel, driven by a mixture of anger and a desire for revenge, decided to act on her own. In the dead of night, after making sure Hayden had dismissed the guards from the hallway, she went to the king's chambers.
"That damn knight rejected me!" she raged, without preamble. "Sir Aleph spurned me!"
"If the direct approach didn't work, use more subtle methods," Hayden advised with a cold smile. "Have him expelled from the castle! Destroy their friendship..." Then he thought, "If Laurenn considers this knight unsuitable for Leticia, he will prevent him from accompanying her. And then I can place one of my own men by her side."
"He will be expelled, whatever it takes," Rachel declared, her eyes shining with fury.
Rachel left the king's chambers before dawn, the plan for revenge taking shape in her mind. Hayden, however, watched her departure with a calculating gaze.
"I hope she doesn't do anything stupid," he murmured thoughtfully. "Otherwise, I'll have to get rid of her too."
The next evening, Rachel followed Aleph to his chambers. She waited for him to enter and lock the door. Meanwhile, Laurenn was studying in his room, focused on a scroll full of notes. An unexpected knock on the door interrupted his studies. Surprised by the late visit, he opened the door and was met with a shocking scene.
Rachel stood at his door, in tears, her clothes and hair disheveled, her makeup smeared by her crying. She threw herself into Laurenn's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"What happened? Who did this to you?"
"He... he attacked me!" Rachel babbled between sobs. "Sir Aleph... he broke into my room... forced himself on me... I... I can't even speak..."
"Aleph?!" Laurenn exclaimed, incredulous. "Are you sure, Rachel?"
"Absolutely! I can't be mistaken..." Rachel insisted, her face bathed in tears. "Expel him from the castle, Laurenn! He cannot go unpunished!"
Laurenn led her to the sofa, offered her a glass of water, and covered her with a blanket, sitting beside her.
"Can you be alone for a few minutes? I need to resolve this immediately."
Rachel hugged him. Laurenn, however, did not see the cold, calculating smile of satisfaction that formed on her lips, confident that everything would go according to plan.
"Wait here, Rachel," he said kindly. "I'm going to sort this out right now."
As soon as Laurenn left and closed the door, Rachel's posture changed completely.
"He has no alibi," she murmured with a cruel smile. "He was locked in his chambers. No one will be able to defend him."
Laurenn questioned the knights about Aleph's whereabouts. Some informed him that he had retired to his chambers, while others claimed to have seen him training with Hector. Determined to clarify the situation, Laurenn headed to the training center, mulling over the strangeness of the situation. Something seemed out of place.
At the training center, Aleph was teaching combat techniques to Hector. As Laurenn approached, he looked dejected, leading Hector to assume it was about some reprimand from King Hayden. Trying to cheer him up, Hector invited him to join them.
"Prince Laurenn, join us! We didn't even notice the time pass," Hector invited enthusiastically.
"How long have you been training?" Laurenn asked, worried.
"More than an hour, I think... Sir Aleph is showing me some interesting techniques," Hector replied, gesturing with his sword.
A wave of relief washed over Laurenn. Aleph was not the culprit, which avoided disastrous consequences. However, the problem of the attack on Rachel remained. He considered a few hypotheses but chided himself for doubting her. How could he investigate the real culprit, if one even existed? He remembered Aleph's warning, which he had dismissed at the time. His anguish was evident.
"What's wrong, Prince Laurenn?" Hector asked, noticing his state.
Laurenn recounted what had happened.
"I don't know what to say," Hector replied, stunned, putting his hands on his head.
Hector, no longer able to hide the truth, revealed Rachel's dubious behavior to Laurenn, describing her secret meetings with various people. He explained that his hesitation in sharing the information came from the difficulty of finding the right time and way to broach the delicate subject. Aleph, seeking a practical solution, suggested:
"Use the laws of the kingdom to your advantage."
He then explained to Laurenn that, according to the law, false accusations of assault and defamation were crimes punishable by severe consequences, including imprisonment and banishment. The idea was for Rachel to confess the lie, avoiding further damage and trouble for everyone involved.
Laurenn, torn between disbelief and the need to act, returned to his room, uncertain if he should put Aleph's plan into practice. Rachel awaited him, apparently distressed. The tension in the air was palpable.
"Have you expelled Aleph from the castle yet?" she asked.
"Why the interest in his expulsion? The correct thing would be to put him on trial. But Aleph has an alibi."
"Impossible! I saw him go into his room."
Rachel realized her slip. The contradiction between her statement and her previous accusation of being attacked in her room did not go unnoticed by Laurenn. He decided to use the ruse Aleph had suggested, albeit a little differently than planned.
"According to the laws of the kingdom, you can no longer be my fiancée," Laurenn declared.
"What do you mean?"
"The future queen cannot have had previous romantic relationships."
"No one told me about that!"
"Unfortunately, it's the law. Would you prefer to withdraw voluntarily? If the truth comes out, it will be difficult for you to secure another marriage."
Rachel's fury intensified. Not only had she failed to harm Aleph, but now she was the one being discarded. Laurenn, struggling to contain his nervousness, awaited her response. To his surprise, Rachel began to laugh.
"Good thing I got rid of you! I couldn't stand your sappy lines anymore, you idiot prince!" she raged, slapping Laurenn and storming out.
With the door closed, Laurenn trembled. Maintaining the act Aleph had suggested had been a challenge. He brought a hand to his eyes, holding back tears.
"I was a fool for not realizing and for not being able to handle this on my own," he lamented.
Shaken, Laurenn felt the weight of the relationship destroyed by his inability to handle the situation. Rachel's manipulation and the revelation of her true nature left deep scars.
Rachel marched furiously to King Hayden's chambers, pounding on the door without any ceremony. The disrespectful attitude inflamed the king, who pulled her inside violently.
"What is this insolence?! Do you know what time it is? What if someone saw you?" Hayden hissed, holding her tightly.
"I want to call off the wedding! I couldn't get that man expelled, and Laurenn found out... certain things," Rachel replied, breathless.
"Explain yourself!" Hayden growled, his fury growing.
In a fit of rage, Hayden grabbed Rachel by the neck, squeezing hard. She struggled, gasping for air, begging for mercy in a thin voice.
"Incompetent! You can't get rid of a simple knight and you still make a fool of yourself?!"
He threw her away from him. Rachel fell to the floor, coughing and wheezing.
"Get out of my sight if you value your life! I don't want to be bothered with getting rid of a corpse," Hayden roared, his voice thick with contempt.
The next morning, during the council meeting, King Hayden announced Rachel's withdrawal from the royal wedding, informing them that she had left a letter and returned to her family.
"Majesty, this is an opportunity to strengthen political ties with a marriage to the nobility of another kingdom," suggested the foreign relations counselor.
"I disagree. We must prioritize internal politics. We face an economic crisis and need to encourage national production," argued the finance counselor.
The counselors awaited Hayden's decision. He, seeking to avoid strengthening Laurenn's political position, declared:
"I agree with focusing on internal politics. I will evaluate the candidates suggested to me."
The news excited the counselors, who saw a chance to present their daughters as potential brides for the prince.