Chapter 96 - The King in the North

King Roark Belmont.

The powerful figure that led the Frozen Kingdom into prosperity. Or so many people thought. Roark was overlooking the lands beneath him as he stood in the highest castle of the King's Crown peak. He thought of the memory of his dear wife as his aged eyes moved with longing.

'Annalise...do you know how much I want to be with you right now? So many things are happening, and I don't know how to pass through them. Where is your wisdom when I need it the most?'

A sigh could be heard as the powerful bearded man stretched. He was getting old, but still had the same power of LEGENDARY rank.

The thing that caused him the most stress was overseeing every single department to make sure things continued to go smoothly in the kingdom. But resources continued to dwindle with every passing day as the war raged on.

What tired him even more were the soldiers he was taking away from their families, with many of them never able to see their loved ones again.

'When does it all stop Annalise?"

The grand man seemed lost as he continued to gaze below. He thought about the only person that seemed to be lifting some of the weight and helping with the stabilization of the kingdom. It was at this moment that he heard the sound of footsteps that were very familiar

'Speak of the devil.'

The father smiled as he turned around and found his daughter entering the terrace. He looked fondly at this girl that didn't always show emotion on her face, but he knew how much she cared.

"Your trip was a success?"

"Relatively, Father. Although not without extreme complications."

Roark's face changed as he heard this. She was back here safe and sound with no commotion being caused. What could have happened? His face became cloudy as he asked,

"What went wrong?"

"On the way back here, there was an ambush waiting for me that consisted of an EPIC ranked powerhouse and a collection of rank S. Here is a memory stone that was able to capture the faces of these ambushers."

King Roark's face had become dark as he caught the Memory Stone that could record and replay a scene when a certain amount of mana was put in.

"A Shadow Guard that was lucky enough not to be noticed took this at the risk of their lives. Can you recognize the people on there?"

Her voice seemed to be getting colder and colder as she spoke, bordering on the line of disrespect that nobody should cross with their father. But King Roark was sullen as he saw the recording of a woman under the command of a special someone. He looked at the blank face of his daughter and was glad she was safe and sound as he asked,

"How did you make it out? And...what happened to the attackers?"

"If I told you a prince in shining armor appeared to save the life of the princess and kill those that wished her harm, would you believe me?"

The exchange between father and daughter stalled after this, with the daughter proceeding forward.

"When I was 11 years old, I came to you and told you that I didn't feel comfortable with how my own brother stared at me. You brushed it off as the ramblings of a child and told me to be more approachable."

Adelaide walked as she stood near her father, overlooking the buildings below them as she continued.

"When I was 15 years old, I began hiring even more guards to escort me after I was almost kidnapped. You allowed this and gave me more power as you didn't want that to ever happen again. I told you who the mastermind that orchestrated this whole act was, yet you did not believe me."

Her gaze turned from the buildings back to her father, the same voice ringing out.

"The years after that, I continued to protect myself and rarely left the kingdom, and here we are today. I am telling you once again. My own older brother, your son, orchestrated all of this to get his hands on me. I wonder what you will choose to do now, Father."

Silence pervaded the area as those that stood at the peak echelons of the Frozen Kingdom stood next to each other. A sense of anger and betrayal could be felt from the icy face of Adelaide as she laid out her grievances to someone who should have been her biggest protector. King Roark was looking down in sadness, his eyes not being able to meet the person next to him.

"He is my son."

The words were difficult to start, but he began anyway. "My firstborn son, and I thought he would change in time. I promised him the kingdom in the hopes of it. I also did my best to give you everything you wanted."

He gave a tired look to his daughter as he said this. "Under the veil of a thriving kingdom, the house that leads it is fractured with stupidity and unneeded conflicts. When was the last time you went to see your younger brother?"

Adelaide turned away after hearing this question. She recalled the face of someone she had hoped would stand with her at one point. "He was the biggest loss I have ever taken. Someone that I thought would be worth helping, and he too let me down."

"A horrible son, a calculating daughter, and another son that could never choose what he wanted to be."

A difficult decision seemed to have been made in the mind of the King, as he raised his chest up and commanded with a powerful voice.

"Very well, convene a Grand Assembly."

The tone was powerful, one that could not be questioned. The girl by his side bowed after she heard this.

"Yes, Father."

---

A commotion was occurring in the four floating peaks as the relevant people got word that a Grand Assembly was convening in a few days. Nobles panicked as they began preparing the moment they received notice, fearfully questioning what had prompted such an abrupt call for an assembly.

In a large manor at the center of Summit Peak, an extravagant prince was fuming with a face full of anger. He had made a bet and lost terribly. He thought the chance was too sweet to pass up, that his opponent would never make such a mistake like this in the first place. But it was actually a trap? She had played him?

"Haha, Hahaha!"

Rueful laughs came out as his head was raised up furiously. "Who? Who exactly did you whore yourself out to? Which powerful helper did you find for yourself, little lamb?"

He wondered about the defeat he had faced as his face regained its calm and he pondered. A setback was a setback, he would get over it. What he did from now would define how his plans continue to unfold. He could feel the communication medallion he received from a few special beings that had been ringing for a while. He moved around the room as he shifted from moods of pondering to rage.

The area was filled with anger and malice as the man paced back and forth. He felt as if a knife was closing in on his neck, and he did not know where it was coming from. She and everyone else in this kingdom had no idea of the things he was doing to keep them safe. They didn't understand now, but they would all come to be grateful in the future. As for this knife pressing down? Hmph, let's see just how sharp you are.