It was still dark outside when news of Lord Harlan's arrest began to spread like wildfire. I was pretending to study ancient economic texts in the library when the commander of the royal guard came to report to the king. Gideon rushed in, his face pale.
"Your Highness! There is a commotion in the east wing. Lord Harlan was arrested while trying to escape by ship! They say he was carrying chests full of gold and documents!"
I raised my eyebrows, trying to look surprised. "Lord Harlan? Isn't he the port supervisor? What happened?"
"Corruption, Your Highness. There are rumors about letters involving..." Gideon lowered his voice. "...another prince."
I nodded slowly and closed the book. "Then my suspicions about the port's poor performance were correct. I must see my father."
In the throne room, King Alistair was already seated. His face was paler than usual, and his eyes burned with cold anger. Before him, Cassian stood with tense shoulders while Finnian stood beside him, feigning concern.
"Irrefutable evidence, Your Highness," said the Trade Advisor, handing over a stack of letters. "Lord Harlan has embezzled at least a third of the port's revenue for two years. Among the documents is a letter confirming that Prince Cassian knew about this, as well as a request for a 'share' to fund a private army."
Cassian exploded. "That's forgery! I never approved stealing from the royal treasury. I only accepted voluntary donations for border defense!"
"Voluntary donations recorded as missing tax revenue?" Finnian interjected softly. "That's very unfortunate, brother."
Cassian turned, his blue eyes blazing. "You did this! You want to bring me down!"
"Calm down!" the king roared, followed by a terrible coughing fit. The room fell silent. Once his breathing returned to normal, he continued, "There's something else: There's a letter from someone unknown to Harlan implying extortion with a stamp similar to your house crest, Finnian."
Finnian's face turned pale. "Father, it must be a trap! Someone is trying to bring us all down!"
This is where I came in. I bowed at the door. "Father, with your permission."
All eyes turned to me. The king nodded wearily. "Aurelian, What is it?"
"I came because I heard some alarming news," I said, walking to the center of the room. "And I feel partly responsible."
Cassian hissed. "You? What do you know about this?"
"At Prince Finnian's hunting party some time ago, I mentioned my concerns about the poor performance of the eastern port," I began, my voice clear and measured. As a prince, even though my interests lie elsewhere, I feel it is my duty to study the sources of our kingdom's income. It's strange that the problem became so big without anyone noticing." I looked at the advisors, then at the king. "Perhaps the monitoring system needs improvement."
It was a subtle jab at the corrupt bureaucracy without directly accusing anyone. The king listened to me, his eyes narrowing.
"What is your opinion of these letters?" he asked.
I feigned hesitation. "Father, I do not wish to accuse my brothers without irrefutable evidence. But if the letters are genuine, then it is treason. If they are forged, then someone in the palace has access to the prince's seal and is trying to cause dissension in the royal family. Either way, it's troubling."
I had positioned myself as the voice of reason, concerned for the stability of the kingdom. The king nodded slowly.
"A wise thought," he murmured, surprising both Cassian and Finnian. "Lord Harlan will be interrogated. All documents will be examined by an independent advisory council. In the meantime, Cassian, relinquish command of the border forces until this matter is resolved. Finnian, confine yourself to your wing of the palace. And Aurelian..."
He looked at me for a long time. "You will take over the audit of the eastern port. Report directly to me on the necessary reforms."
It was a small but significant victory. It was the first time I was given official responsibility. I had also successfully neutralized my two rivals, at least for the time being.
"I am honored, Your Majesty. I will not disappoint you." I speak politely to make a good impression.
Outside the throne room, Cassian blocked my path. His face was full of hatred. "You're cunning. You planned all of this."
I looked at him calmly. "I only care about the kingdom, brother. As we all should," I replied innocently, like an angel without sin.
"Don't think you've won," he whispered harshly. "I have more allies than you think. And they don't like being insulted by the flower prince."
He left. Finnian approached, his thin smile back. "Good game, little brother. But be careful. Cassian is like a wounded bull, dangerous and unpredictable. And... whoever forged the letter implicating me is our common enemy. Maybe we should work together."
This was his offer. I smiled innocently. "Cooperation is always better than conflict, Finnian. But let's see the results of the investigation first. The truth must be our guide."
I left him, knowing that he would now consider me a serious threat, not just a nuisance.
The port audit task gave me legal access to the records and people I had been controlling underground all this time. I used this opportunity to "clean house." I fired the most corrupt officials (many of whom were Cassian or Finnian's henchmen) and replaced them with competent people I had recruited or who were neutral. I also officially implemented a structured and controlled "facilitation fee" system. Essentially legalizing and regulating what I had been doing secretly, with most of the revenue now flowing into the royal coffers instead of private pockets. Port productivity increased dramatically within weeks.
My first report to the King was full of graphs showing increased revenue and proposals to extend the reforms to other ports. The King, who always needed money to fill the royal treasury emptied by war and disease, was impressed.
"Someone finally took the initiative," he said as I stood alone in his private room, which smelled of medicine. "Cassian only knows how to spend money on the army. Finnian knows how to gather support but is too cautious. You... you deliver results."
"I only serve the kingdom, Father."
He looked at me with sharp eyes. "You've changed, Aurelian. Was it the accident, or something else?"
"The near-death experience opened my eyes," I replied honestly. "I realized that weakness is a luxury we cannot afford."
The king was silent for a long time. "The trials for the crown prince will begin soon. The first trial is military leadership. Despite being under investigation, Cassian is still allowed to participate. I will give each of you command of a battalion to quell a small rebellion on the western border. Whoever is the most effective with the fewest casualties will win."
That was Finnian's territory. He secretly supported the rebellion. I could expose his scheme, but that would make him an enemy worthy of death. Instead, I decided to use him.
That night, I sent a secret message through the tailor to the leader of the mercenary rebels: A former mercenary named Gorok. The message read: "Prince Finnian will signal a retreat when Prince Aurelian attacks. That is when you must surrender and reveal who paid you. The reward is amnesty and a sack of gold. Refusal means death."
I didn't know if he would agree. But people like Gorok usually valued money and their lives more than loyalty.
The military trials arrived. I was given command of an inexperienced battalion of soldiers. It was clearly designed to make me fail. Cassian got the best troops and Finnian got a balanced force.
At the border camp, I held a meeting with my officers. Many doubted me because I was a young prince with violet eyes and a weak reputation. I didn't try to convince them with speeches. Instead, I listened to their intelligence reports and gave simple, direct instructions, drawing on Viktor's knowledge of guerrilla tactics and psychology.
"We will not attack directly," I said. "We will surround them. Cut off their supply lines. Distribute leaflets offering amnesty to anyone who surrenders before the full moon." Send spies to spread rumors that their leader will flee with their treasures."
It was psychological warfare. And it worked. Within a few days, some of the rebels began defecting. Their leader, Gorok, sent a secret envoy and agreed to my offer.
When the battle finally took place, my troops took up defensive positions on the hills. As promised, Finnian's forces advanced. Gorok and his men began to retreat in an orderly fashion. Suddenly, Gorok turned and shouted, "We've been betrayed! Finnian sold us out!" He handed me a well-forged letter showing payment from Finnian's intermediary.
Chaos ensued. Finnian's troops, confused, retreated. My troops advanced and easily held off the remaining rebels, their spirits raised. Meanwhile, Cassian attacked from the other side and met stiffer resistance because the rebels thought he was a greater threat. He suffered significant losses.
The result was clear: Aurelian won with the fewest losses and captured the rebel leader. Finnian appeared either incompetent or treacherous. Cassian seemed to waste soldiers' lives.
At the post-battle meeting, Finnian's face was stony. He knew he had been duped but could not prove it. Gorok insisted that he had been ordered by Finnian's intermediary. Upon receiving the report, the king was furious.
Finnian was stripped of many of his administrative duties. His position was shaky.
While not victorious, Cassian had not lost significantly. However, he was now the only prince with a military record, albeit tarnished by the Harlan scandal.
On the other hand, I now had a military victory and administrative success. The nobles began to take notice. Some of the more pragmatic ones sent cautious envoys.
However, victory brought unwanted attention. One night, as I returned to my room from a meeting with my financial advisor, I sensed that something was wrong. A small vase on the table had shifted a few inches. The hair trap I had set in the drawer was open.
Someone had been searching for something.
I immediately checked the secret basement. It was undisturbed. But among the fake documents I had left as bait in my room, one letter was missing: the one mentioning the secret meeting with The Tailor.
That's dangerous. If they find the tailor, they'll find the purple web.
I have to act fast. I'll send an emergency code. A flower pot containing a specific purple flower is moved to the window. That night, the Tailor emerges from the tunnel with a tense face.
"They almost caught me," she whispers. "Someone from the king's secret guards. They're investigating everyone near the port."
It's neither Cassian nor Finnian. It's the king himself. He's watching me."