As Ubel emerged from the hall, he began his quest to locate Hamza, eventually finding him partaking in a repast on the roads within the realm of Straya. Upon apprehending him, Ubel declared, "I have a mission for you."

  Hamza regarded him, smirking sardonically, and inquired, "Sedition?"

  Ubel replied, "As always. You will depart with two hundred soldiers from my army to Osna. I desire that they believe Asmorg is marching on them. Converse with their queen, she will accord you an audience."

  Hamza queried, "Why do you think she will grant me an audience?"

  Ubel replied, "Because you are associated with sedition and lying."

  Hamza chuckled. Ubel continued, "Hamza, I want you to persuade the queen of Osna to ally with Ugor against Asmorg's army. Do you understand?"

  Hamza exclaimed in shock, "So that is the ultimate plan, after all."

  He swore, "I have never encountered someone as astute as you. I shall depart now."

  Ubel chuckled in amusement.

  Hamza went to the army and started selecting some of his soldiers. As Ubel traversed the kingdom, he happened upon the wife of one of his most trusted advisors, Freya Groms, seated outside with her progeny.

  He hesitated for a moment before approaching her and inquiring, "Might I impose upon you and request the pleasure of your company?"

  Freya regarded him with a cool, neutral expression as she replied, "Would it matter if I said no?"

  Ubel shrugged nonchalantly. "Not really, no," he admitted, his lips curving into a wry smile.

  Despite Freya's initial reluctance, she eventually allowed Ubel to join her. As he took his seat, he said, "I hope you are enjoying our company?"

  Freya did not respond to Ubel's question, remaining silent as she watched her children. Ubel turned his gaze to the children as well, and said, "What does it feel like to have children?"

  Freya looked at her children and said, "It is like being reborn. When you have children, you experience a love that is truly unconditional. It is the greatest adventure I have ever undertaken."

  As she spoke, Ubel looked at the ground, deep in thought. Freya noticed and asked him, "Do you not have children of your own?"

  Ubel shook his head and replied, "Do I appear to be the kind of man who is gentle enough to have children? No, I am far too consumed by the demands of my station to consider such things."

  "All kings have children to secure the royal bloodline," Freya pointed out. "Why did you not consider such a crucial aspect of your reign?"

  Ubel shrugged indifferently. "Do you truly believe I care about ruling?" he asked.

  Freya was taken aback by his words. "Then why are you doing all of this?" she asked. "Why did you kill your brother?"

  Ubel's expression grew cold. "My brother betrayed us, all of us," he said firmly. "It was necessary to eliminate him in order to protect the kingdom."

  Freya was silent for a moment before asking, "Then why are you invading these other kingdoms now?"

  "Vok is my homeland, my country," Ubel replied. "What kind of man would leave his country unprotected? I must do what is necessary to defend it."

  "But you are the ones attacking them," Freya pointed out. "They have not even thrown an arrow in your direction."

  "Sometimes it is necessary to initiate conflict in order to safeguard oneself," Ubel said. "They were planning to attack us in the near future. I am simply taking preemptive measures to defend my kingdom and my people."

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  "Pray tell, what about England?" Freya inquired, her curiosity piqued.

  Ubel's countenance grew sombre. "I am embarked upon this endeavour for the sake of my father," he intoned gravely.

  Freya's brow furrowed. "Than Graves?" she proffered.

  Ubel looked upon her with surprise. "You are acquainted with him?" he queried.

  Freya nodded. "I am aware of his existence," she replied. "I had mentioned to you that my mother hails from Vok."

  Ubel nodded. "And now you are apprised of the rest," he said, his voice infused with bitterness.

  "But your father had amicable relations with England," Freya pointed out.

  Ubel's visage grew grim. "That was my perception as well," he conceded. "However, my father was slain by the English. I was present, a mere child, when they invaded our hall and perpetrated a heinous act of murder upon my father and mother. Godwin and I were concealed beneath tables, and escaped detection. When they had departed, I approached my father. He was still alive, and implored me, 'Do not dare to succumb to death without avenging me.' Those were his final words."

  "Pray, how do you verify that it was the English who were culpable for your father's death?" Freya inquired, her voice suffused with scepticism.

  Ubel's eyes narrowed. "I trailed them, and beheld the flags emblazoned upon their ships," he said through gritted teeth. "In addition, their mode of speech revealed their origins. I have indelibly inscribed it upon my mind, and cannot expunge it from my recollection. It was the same accent that Grom utilised when he sought to poison me."

  Freya frowned. "If that is the case, then why did Godwin not seek revenge as you have done?" she asked.

  Ubel sneered. "He held that revenge is never a solution," he said with contempt. "He maintained that the past should remain in the past. He was soft, too soft and pliable. That is why I terminated him when he proposed surrendering a portion of our lands to the English. I could not countenance that to occur. First my father, then my mother, and now our lands? Not while I breathe."

  Freya regarded Ubel with sympathy. "I am sorry for your loss," she said with genuine remorse. "However, if I may offer a piece of advice..."

  Upon receiving a nod from Ubel, Freya continued. "Though you were to avenge your father, he will not be resurrected. The pursuit of revenge will not bring him back, and will only serve to perpetuate a cycle of violence. Perhaps it is time to relinquish the past and seek an alternative path forward."

  With those words, Freya arose and gathered her progeny, leaving Ubel alone with his thoughts. As he sat there, lost in contemplation, he knew that Freya's words contained a kernel of truth. Perhaps it was time to relinquish the past and move on, but the thought of abandoning his quest for revenge was a difficult one to bear. Still, he knew that he had to make a choice, and the gravity of that decision weighed heavily upon his shoulders.

  King Basil was still in the hall with Hilda, Jeffery, and Beylon. He requested that Trevor remove King Ajeer's corpse from the hall, and Trevor obliged. As they sat around the table, awaiting Ubel's return, the trepidation was palpable on their faces. They regarded each other with concern, and Jeffery finally broke the silence. "What now?" he asked.

  Beylon shook his head. "I know not. I am unable to even conjecture his next move. He has left us no alternatives."

  Hilda remained silent, her gaze fixed upon the blood of her spouse. King Basil looked at her, then said, "Perhaps our wisest course of action is to simply await him. He must surely have a justification for his plans."

  Jeffery scoffed. "Do you truly think that Ubel will divulge his ideas to us? He never does that!"

  King Basil's countenance grew angry. "He gave me his word," he said vehemently. "He cannot plan in solitude."

  "Your Grace," Beylon began, "I believe it is incumbent upon us to resist allowing Ubel to manipulate our minds. Let us remain calm, so that we may contemplate a solution."

  Jeffery nodded in agreement. "I concur. Perhaps we should petition the gods for assistance."

  The doors to the hall swung open, and Ubel strode in, an apple in hand. He deftly sliced the fruit into four pieces, placing each one with precision in front of each person in the room. He then took his seat at the head of the table, his gaze fixed upon the others.

  Hilda, Jeffery, Beylon, and King Basil all watched Ubel, waiting for him to speak. But he remained silent, his attention focused on the apple pieces in front of them. No one dared to touch them.

  Ubel, too, seemed to be studying the group, his dagger placed in plain view in front of him. Finally, he spoke. "So, what shall we do while we bide our time?"

  Jeffery, Beylon, and King Basil looked at each other, unsure of what to say. King Basil finally spoke up.

  "Waiting for what, Ubel? We are ignorant of your next move."

  Ubel looked at him in surprise. "How is it that you, of all people, are unaware of my next move? Hmmm?"

  King Basil reflected for a moment before answering. "I must confess, I do not fully comprehend. But what I do know is that the plan was not to slay Ajeer!"

  Ubel raised an eyebrow. "And yet he is deceased. His army is currently being ordered to march here in preparation to conquer Ugor. What part of that do you fail to comprehend?"

  Jeffery interjected. "What will transpire after taking over Ugor?"

  Ubel replied, "We shall set our sights on England!"

  At this, Beylon picked up a piece of his apple and began to consume it. King Basil then said to Ubel, "Are we to spare Osna?"

  "I believe that Osna is a small kingdom, yet I must confess that they could pose a threat to us," Ubel said. "I fought with them alongside my father in the past. They are barbarians."

  Jeffery inquired, "What will become of Asmorg after we take over Ugor? The king is deceased."

  Ubel looked at Hilda before responding. "It is true that Ajeer is deceased, but...do you not think that she could rule under our supervision?"

  Hilda remained silent, but King Basil took a piece of his apple and consumed it. Jeffery then asked, "What do you mean by 'our supervision'?"

  Ubel replied, "I have been contemplating the idea of uniting under one name, rather than remaining separate. We could be one kingdom, just like England!"

  They were all taken aback by the suggestion, and were highly interested. Ubel then added, "Pray tell, why do you believe that England is so formidable? They have never suffered defeat in war, and have never been conquered!"

  Jeffery replied, "It is because they are united."

  Ubel looked at King Basil and said, "You have a sagacious man here. I eagerly anticipate seeing him ruling alongside us. I am convinced he has a bright future."

  Jeffery smiled slightly and took the apple, consuming it.

  King Basil said, "I must confess, the slaying of Ajeer was a grave error. Having him with us in England would have been of great assistance in the fight. He possessed a wealth of experience and was well-versed in the land."

  "But alas, he is deceased now," Ubel said with a sigh. "A friend of mine once said, 'What has occurred in the past cannot be altered.'"

  Finally, Hilda took the apple and ate it. When Ubel saw that everyone had eaten the apple, he stood smiling while walking towards the doors saying poetically

  "And so, with the consumption of a simple fruit, Your true nature, dear friends, was put to the proof. Easily tricked and swayed, your resolve did loot, Exposing your true intentions, oh so aloof. But fear not, for in time, perhaps you'll renew, Your strength and your will, a brighter future to pursue."