The rejected crown (book 1)

Brewing war

Edweyn

Ser Edweyn rode eastward, the rhythmic pounding of his horse's hooves a steady companion as he journeyed under the heavy, darkening sky. The summons had come swiftly—Richard's orders never did anything but demand immediate attention. Unrest was brewing in the eastern provinces, or so Richard claimed. Whispers of a rebellion among a few discontented border lords reached the capital, and Edweyn was dispatched to neutralize the threat. But as always, Edweyn knew better than to trust Richard's motives.

The rebellion was nothing grand—just a few minor lords with too much pride and not enough sense, stirring trouble over taxes and old grievances. Edweyn was well aware that this wasn't about saving the kingdom. No, Richard's real intent was clear. He needed Edweyn away from the capital, far from Giovanna. The prince regent knew Edweyn's loyalty, knew that if he stayed in the capital, his actions might undermine Richard's increasingly ruthless grip on power.

"I have my orders, Ser Edweyn," Richard had said coldly, the words like iron. "Your duty lies in the kingdom, not in protecting personal allegiances."

Edweyn had bit his tongue, the words stinging his pride, but he had no choice but to obey. His loyalty to the crown had always been unquestionable, even if it had become more and more difficult to reconcile with his personal convictions. But now, as he rode away from the capital, away from Giovanna, the weight of that loyalty felt different. It felt like chains.

The road grew harsher as the terrain shifted into jagged cliffs and sparse, rocky outcrops. His thoughts drifted to Giovanna, who had been the light of his life for as long as he could remember. He had sworn to protect her, to stand by her side through everything. Her mother had trusted him with her safety, and though he had failed her in the past, he would never betray that trust. But now, in her time of need, he was far from her. He had allowed himself to be swept away by Richard's orders, too dutiful, too obedient, too blind to see the growing danger to Giovanna.

The memory of Jane's mother burning on the pyre haunted him, that image of flames leaping high into the sky, as Giovanna watched, powerless. The horror had pierced him just as it had her. Yet, in that moment, he had been silent, standing by and pretending that he had no part in the madness. The guilt gnawed at him. He couldn't help but wonder: Had his inaction contributed to the cruelty of the moment? Had he, by following orders, failed Giovanna just as surely as Richard had?

And now, Giovanna was on trial, accused of treason. A trial that he could not attend. A trial that he couldn't even stop, not without risking everything. His loyalty to the crown, his oaths to Richard—he could not simply abandon them. Not yet.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath, as the looming threat of rebellion tugged at his thoughts. What he had been told were isolated incidents—small acts of discontent among the eastern lords—had slowly morphed into something more concerning in his mind. These rebels were not likely to succeed, but the timing couldn't be ignored. Richard's desire to keep his enemies close, to root out any potential threat, was clear. If these lords acted out, it would give Richard a perfect excuse to tighten his control, to strike down any who might oppose him—including Giovanna. The rebellion would provide him the justification to further diminish her power, to quash any hope of her ruling with the people's favor.

His mind raced as he spurred his horse forward, reaching the small encampment of royal soldiers by nightfall. It was a modest camp, the air thick with unease. Fires flickered in the cold night, casting long shadows across the rocky cliffs. Men moved in tense silence, murmuring amongst themselves as news of the rebellion spread.

Captain Robert, an old comrade from many battles past, greeted Edweyn with a weary smile. "Ser Edweyn," he said, voice low but tinged with relief. "You've arrived just in time. The lords out here are stirring, but it's nothing we can't handle. They're still bickering amongst themselves."

Edweyn nodded, though his eyes didn't leave the horizon. "How bad is it?"

Robert waved a hand dismissively. "A few rebels, mostly disgruntled lords who want to make noise, but they don't have the strength to follow through. If we move quickly, we can suppress this before it spreads."

Edweyn's chest tightened. The rebellion was small—nothing truly threatening, at least on its own. But Richard would use it, twist it, make it the pretext for something larger. The opportunity to turn this small rebellion into a full-blown crisis was exactly what Richard needed. And once he had that, he could easily manipulate the people into turning against Giovanna. He could ruin her, just as he had ruined her mother.

"Have they sent any terms?" Edweyn asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Only demands," Robert replied, bitterness creeping into his voice. "They claim they're fighting for justice, for the kingdom's future, but it's all lies. It's all about their own egos and power. They don't care about the kingdom; they care about taking it for themselves."

Edweyn clenched his jaw. Richard had cultivated this chaos, fed it, used it as a tool to strengthen his grip on the throne. The rebellion, though minor, was only a stepping stone. Once it was crushed, Richard would tighten his rule even further, forcing the lords into submission. And Giovanna would bear the blame for it all.

"We ride at dawn," Edweyn declared, voice sharp. "We'll stop this before it reaches the capital. Richard may be behind this, but I'll make sure it's over before it has a chance to spread."

As he prepared for the ride ahead, something inside him shifted. He could feel the old loyalty tugging at him—the loyalty to the kingdom, to the crown. But it was different now. Giovanna was on trial, and he was here, miles away, obeying orders that no longer felt right. In that moment, the reality hit him. His loyalty to Richard had blinded him to the truth: It was not the kingdom he was protecting anymore. It was Richard's ambitions, Richard's lies, Richard's cruelty. And Giovanna, the very person he had sworn to protect, was being destroyed in the process.

As the soldiers gathered for the ride, Edweyn found himself thinking, for the first time, that perhaps it was time to abandon the prince regent. Perhaps it was time to stand for something real. To stand for the truth. He couldn't protect Giovanna from here, and as long as he served Richard, he never would.

In the stillness of the night, beneath a sky full of stars, Edweyn whispered into the dark. "Hold on, Giovanna. I will find a way to make things right. I will return. And I will make them all see who you truly are."