Unbound Book 1: The Failed Duke

CHAPTER TWENTY SIX: THE WEIGHT OF THE CROWN

Everyone got into a defensive stance after they heard Lovelace.

Among all of them, it was Caleb who gave him the meanest look.

Lovelace saw this and said, "Don't feel too bad Caleb, I chose this spot because it was outside of Alva's realm. Since you were inside of it, you never would've been able to sense me."

Caleb ignored his comment, and placed both hands on his knives.

"Still the hair trigger you've always been I see."

Lucan looked to Lovelace and said, "Who are you?"

He placed his hand on his chest and said, "Who am I? Lovelace, Elliot Lovelace, and I'm the leader of The Old Blood."

"The Old Blood?"

Lovelace got to his feet and began to walk down towards everyone else. "As always, Duke Nothgard and his men do their best to pretend I don't exist."

He stepped down onto the floor of the training hall and said, "Not that I blame them. We are a reminder of the sins that Duke Nothgard committed over a decade ago."

Alva walked over and said, "Lovelace, that's enough."

He looked at her and said, "Oh Alva, the boy will learn about us soon enough. Wouldn't it be better that it happens sooner rather than later?"

Lucan walked forward and said, "What's going on?"

Lovelace put his hands together and said, "Curious aren't you?"

He motioned towards Stella and the others and said, "Then you'd better ask them."

Once he finished, Lovelace turned and began to walk towards the exit.

Alva saw this and said, "Hey! What do you think you're doing?"

As he walked towards the door, Lovelace said, "Simple, regardless of how truthful I am, Lucan will be hesitant to believe anything I tell him simply because he doesn't know me."

He stopped and looked directly at Alva. "Whatever he hears from you however, he's far more likely to believe. So long as you don't exaggerate things too much."

Alva grit her teeth, but otherwise remained silent.

"If there are no other questions for me, I'll take my leave."

He looked at Lucan and said, "If you want to hear my side Lucan, feel free to come and find me. I'm one of the easiest people to track down in this castle."

Once Lovelace exited the room, Lucan looked to Alva and said, "What's going on? Who are The Old Blood?"

Alva began to speak, but Stella interrupted her. "Lucan. My father's ascension to the throne wasn't the cleanest exchange of power. Because of his methods, a majority of soldiers within The Deck of Devils left. Those who remained are loyal not to my father, but to Lovelace."

"If that's the case, why did they stay as members of The Deck of Devils?"

"Because they saw the war my uncle was planning, and didn't want to be slaughtering the very people that they swore to protect."

*

Lovelace exited the training hall, only to see Judith.

She leaned against a wall as she wrote down something in a journal.

When Juliana heard the doors close, she turned to look at Lovelace. "How did it go?"

"About as well as could be anticipated."

As Lovelace walked past her, Juliana placed her book inside of her body and began to follow him. "What did you tell Lucan?"

"Nothing. I simply let him know that there's more to this story than he's being told."