Chapter 240: 240:Finally.
King Neill had never imagined he would fear a muddy road.
Once, when he gave orders, armies had marched, entire cities had celebrated his arrival, nobles had bowed and merchants had competed for his attention. Something only royalty will ever get.
Now he was afraid of the road, afraid of the people walking beside him, afraid of every passing glance, and worse, afraid of being recognized.
The irony of his situation wasn’t lost on him.
Two days had passed since they abandoned the village. The wanted notices had become impossible to ignore
They were everywhere; towns, markets, roadside checkpoints. Their faces stared back at them from wooden boards and tavern walls.
The rewards had only increased.
The Dark Elf kingdom clearly wanted results. Which meant the former king and his family could no longer remain in one place.
So they walked, something they would never have done. The former queen no longer complained. The princess no longer spoke much.
They simply moved forward, almost mechanically. One step at a time, like the countless refugees surrounding them. That was their newest disguise.
Refugees.
Poor travelers fleeing the kingdom’s economic and political collapse. Their clothing was worn intentionally, hair dirtied and possessions reduced to what they could carry.
No one looked twice at them anymore. At least not immediately. They had managed to perfectly blend with the desperate crowd.
The former king hated it. Not because of the discomfort but of what he saw happening around him. For the first time in his life, he traveled among ordinary people.
Really travelled alongside them while not surrounded by guards as he took leisure in his wealth and status. He finally understood how difficult life could be.
Around him, children cried from hunger, families slept beside roads and elderly travelers limped through cold mornings.
This was a scene that had never truly formed in his mind, probably because he had never truly taken the time to understand.
Also, no royal reports had ever truly conveyed it and no minister had ever explained it properly.
The former king found himself strangely ashamed. Unfortunately, shame did not solve their problems.
Terah kingdom border finally appeared on the third day of their travels. The sight nearly brought tears to the former queen’s eyes.
Stone walls stretched across the horizon. Watchtowers rose above the landscape.
Banners bearing the crest of Terah Kingdom fluttered in the wind. The crest was a sword and a spear crossed.
They had finally found partial safety.
The former king wasn’t foolish enough to assume anything anymore. Still, crossing the border meant survival. For now, that is.
The refugee column moved steadily forward, consisting of hundreds of people mostly peasants with a few nobles riding in carriages. This basically created the perfect cover.
The princess lowered her hood further.
"Keep moving."
The former queen nodded discreetly. No one looked at the guards or acted suspiciously. They were just another group of desperate people seeking entry.
The checkpoint approached. They could all feel it physically as the checkpoint got closer with each step.
The former king could feel his heart pounding.
’Almost there. Just a little farther’
Slowly but surely the line moved forward. At the checkpoint, names were recorded, papers examined and travellers approved.
The border was so close now he could practically touch it. Then, his vision blurred. It was only briefly but that had been enough.
The former king had not eaten properly in days, had barely slept, and had walked farther than he ever had in his entire life.
His body finally decided it had had enough in the worst possible place. His foot struck a loose stone. The world tilted under him.
The former king stumbled forward, straight into a guard. The soldier grunted then immediately grabbed his arm to steady him.
For one terrible moment, everything froze.
The former king looked up. The guard looked down. Neither of them moved, then the guard frowned. His eyes narrowed as the suspicion in his gaze became more permanent with each passing second.
"You look familiar."
The former king’s blood turned cold.
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
The guard’s eyes narrowed. Around them, several other soldiers turned attracted by the commotion.
The former queen and the princess immediately understood what trouble they had fallen into.
Panic spread through the family.
The guard stared harder at the kings mud caked face. The mad had started to crack in some places.
Then suddenly, recognition appeared.
His eyes widened.
The guard’s grip tightened.
"Detain them and wash the mud off their faces."
The words struck like thunder. The former king closed his eyes. Around them, soldiers moved instantly.
The refugee crowd scattered in pani, no one wanted to be associated with the family in case it extended to them. Being arrested was something none of them wanted, the stories of what happens in detention were quite famous.
Panicked shouting erupted causing the soldiers to draw weapons. This forced the crowd further back, leaving the family open.
The former queen was restrained without much resistance. The princess struggled briefly before stopping. The former king did not resist at all.
He knew there and then that it was completely over. The kingdom that had once belonged to him was gone.
The escape was over and the hunt had finally come to an end.
.
.
.
Terah Kingdom’s royal palace.
The king was midway through an argument regarding grain transportation when the doors burst open without an announcement.
A messenger entered while breathing heavily.
The council chamber immediately fell silent.
The king frowned at the interruption.
"What is it?"
The messenger dropped to one knee.
"Your Majesty."
The room waited anxiously since the messenger looked almost disbelieving.
"Asylum seekers were detained at the southern checkpoint."
Nobody understood where his message was getting to and the king certainly didn’t.
"So?"
The messenger swallowed then spoke.
"We found them."
Silence filled the room.
Both the king and the council froze. Even the servants stopped moving.
"We found Gladia’s kingdom Royal Family."
The chamber instantly exploded as everyone asked questions at the same time. Shouts, demands, and confusion filled the room.
The king raised a hand and the room quieted immediately. His expression had become very serious.
"Is it confirmed?"
The messenger nodded.
"Confirmed, your majesty."
The king slowly leaned back. For several moments, he said nothing in both shock and disbelief.
Under all the emotions, he also understood exactly what this meant. The continent was going to change, again.
The missing piece; the people everyone was searching for and the entire reason the crisis existed. Now sat inside his kingdom.
His councilors looked increasingly alarmed and the king understood why. This wasn’t an opportunity, it was a massive problem.
Although he had planned to capture them, when he finally got his hands on the royal family, he couldn’t be more ready to shed them off his back.
Now he possessed something the Dark Elf Queen wanted and everyone knew what happened to people who interfered with things she wanted.
The king stood.
His decision came instantly.
"Prepare a diplomatic message."
Several nobles blinked.
"Your Majesty?"
The king looked toward them.
"I am not keeping them."
No one argued, not a single person.
The king sighed.
"Inform the Dark Elf kingdom. "
