The Archduke's Songbird-Chapter 324: Working Together

William watched Louis, his heart heavy with the weight of the unspoken struggle he saw in his nephew’s eyes. The boy he had helped raise, now a man facing the impossible choices of kingship, was torn between loyalty and suspicion.

"Louis," William began softly, meeting his gaze with steady resolve. "If I had any ill intention toward you, why would I kneel before you willingly? If I wanted to hurt you, I could have done so already."

His eyes shifted briefly to Harold, the knight who stood tensely by Louis’s side, gripping his sword as though ready to strike. William’s calm demeanor only deepened Harold’s suspicion, and the knight took an instinctive step backward.

Without breaking eye contact with Louis, William reached for Harold’s sword, smoothly disarming him in one fluid motion. Harold immediately moved to shield Louis, but William was faster.

"I hate that I have to do this, but there’s no other way," William murmured. Before anyone could stop him, he plunged the blade directly into his own chest.

"Uncle!" Louis’s voice cracked as he shoved Harold aside, his trembling hands reaching out toward William. His eyes widened in horror as blood darkened William’s tunic, staining the ground beneath him. For a brief, heart-stopping moment, Louis believed he had just watched his uncle die.

But William only smiled, even as he withdrew the sword from his body. The wound, gushing just moments before, began to close before Louis’s astonished eyes. The blood on William’s chest stopped flowing, and within seconds, not even a scar remained.

"These weapons," William said quietly, "won’t hurt me."

He tossed the blood-soaked sword to the ground, its dull thud barely registering in Louis’s ears. His mind struggled to comprehend what he had just witnessed. How could his uncle—who had always been a man of honor, a protector of the kingdom—be something so much more than he had ever known?

"Come with me, Louis," William said, his voice gentle yet firm. "We have much to do."

Louis, his mind swirling with questions, found himself taking an unconscious step toward William. It was a pattern as old as his childhood—wherever William went, Louis had always followed. Now, despite the doubt clawing at his heart, he could not break that instinct.

"I..." Louis faltered, his voice thick with emotion. His eyes briefly darted to Harold, who stood rigid with disbelief. "I need to speak with Cordelia first."

"Done," William replied with a knowing smile.

"Your Majesty," Harold interjected, his tone insistent, "he may have other plans. You can’t—"

But Louis wasn’t listening. His mind was elsewhere, consumed by the need to see his wife and hear the truth from her own lips.

"Get my horse," Louis commanded, his voice steadying. He turned to his knights, his resolve returning. "We need to deal with the ministers conspiring against me. First, I must ensure Cordelia is safe."

William chuckled softly. "You won’t need the horse. I’m faster."

Louis shot his uncle a bewildered look. "You used to love riding on my shoulders when you were little," William reminded him with a grin.

Without another word, William transformed again, his body morphing back into the form of the white wolf. Louis, caught between amazement and the familiarity of childhood memories, couldn’t suppress a smile. With a youthful exuberance, he climbed onto William’s back.

"You should reconsider, Your Majesty!" one of the knights shouted, his voice thick with concern.

Louis shook his head. "I trust my uncle."

In a blur of white fur and speed, William bolted toward the tower where Cordelia awaited. The night air rushed past them as William moved effortlessly through the dark streets, leaping over obstacles with grace.

As they raced through the city, William explained everything he had learned—the threats, the alliances, and the dangers that now loomed over Elodia.

Louis gasped as he realized they were communicating without speaking aloud. "I can hear you... in my mind."

"It’s the bond we share," William replied. "There’s much you don’t know yet, but we’ll have time to discuss it later."

Louis listened intently as William revealed the depth of the intrigue surrounding the throne, including Jessamyn’s departure and the search for Jerrick. "So, even the Archduchess doesn’t know where Jerrick is?" Louis asked, his brow furrowed in concern. "And she left Elodia despite being in danger?"

William nodded in his wolf form. Louis sighed heavily. "I suppose they’ll be all right. If Jerrick is truly Lycaon Wulfhednar, then we need to make Elodia safe for their return. I’ll give him the hero’s welcome he deserves."

William’s heart swelled with pride at Louis’s words. This was the future he had dreamed of—the Theodulf and Kaiser families united, working together to protect the kingdom they both loved. His nephew had grown into a man worthy of the crown, and that knowledge filled William with hope.

When they reached the tower, Louis rushed inside to find Cordelia. The relief on her face when she saw him was palpable. She explained everything, recounting how Jessamyn had intervened to save her from Celena’s treachery.

Louis, though still shaken by all that had happened, felt a renewed strength in Cordelia’s bravery. He asked her to remain safe in the tower until he could return, then left with William to confront the traitorous ministers.

Meanwhile, in the palace, Hamilton moved cautiously through the darkened halls, his senses alert for any sign of danger. He had just made a decision that could cost him his life—he had chosen to protect the innocent women and children he had found instead of carrying out his brutal orders. The gratitude in their eyes when he sheathed his sword had struck him deeply, and now, he was determined to see them to safety.

Even if it meant his death.

Hamilton’s hand rested on the letter Jessamyn had given him, the weight of its importance pressing heavily on him. If he could deliver it to the right person, perhaps he could change the course of events. But if he was caught—whether by his own men or enemies of Jessamyn—his life could end in an instant. 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

As he walked, his footsteps light and deliberate, he heard the sound of approaching footsteps from a corridor to his right. Two men. His instincts told him to be wary. Were they friend or foe?

Hamilton’s grip tightened on his sword as he prepared to face whatever was coming. His heart pounded in his chest, the tension of the moment thick as he waited for the figures to appear.