The news about Matthis getting arrested for embezzlement was not as shocking to the people of Valmest as much as the Second Prince announcing that Nyx was now engaged to him.

During the announcement the people had been too shocked to make sense of anything and Carlos had swiftly ended the public summoning there.

Nyx was silent about it as Carlos had in advance told her what this was.

"It’s only a brief engagement till the time you solidify you status here. Besides, how else could you use my name for your benefit?"

At that time, Nyx had asked him, "But... Why? You have to act like the Lord of the territory, and that could be done without engagement."

Carlos had looked at her with a smile back then, "Because I need your help too."

He didn’t expand over it, it was like he just wanted her around but for what, that was still a mystery.

Nyx, who had lived most of her life underprivileged and mostly condemned by her stepbrother had never in her wildest dreams saw this coming. Being engaged to a Prince, even for a few days was completely absurd, yet here she was in the glass conservatory of their new mansion sitting across from him for tea.

She knew the people wouldn’t like this, they hated Carlos and they would definitely try to make things tough for him because of that prejudice.

She kept thinking of why he would have done that? He could have just gone to the point of exposing the truth of Earl Kirkland and Matthis and arrested them but this engagement seemed more and more needless.

Why could he have thought of this? And moreover, what was he going to do about winning the Trial?

"What are you thinking so deeply about, Miss Nyx?" She blinked out of her thoughts as she heard Carlos.

She looked up at him sitting in front of her, practically glowing in the sunlight that stream from the ceiling. His golden hair was well kept and he was dressed in expensive outfit. Now watching him sipping the tea elegantly like this, Nyx wondered again, of why she was chosen?

His eyes lifted to her and she felt the heat crawling up her neck, she quickly averted her eyes to the tea.

She brought it up to her lips saying, "I-I was just thinking about how Earl Kirkland and my brother Matthis must be doing."

Carlos shrugged, "What’s there to think about? They are suffering and they won’t be interfering in your matters anymore."

Nyx stared at him again as he sipped his tea, the questions bubbling up to her throat trying to force themselves to her mouth.

"Do you want to go see them?" He asked and Nyx was taken aback.

She thought about it for a moment before she nodded.

After a few minutes, Nyx walked behind Carlos, towards the lone corridor at the back of the mansion. He reached the end of the corridor and stopped at the door which had two guards.

The two saluted him and he nodded before gesturing for them to open the door.

The door was opened and Carlos turned stretching his arm to Nyx.

"It’s dark down there." He said and she hesitantly slipped her hand in his.

It was a strange feeling, holding hands with a man.

Carlos walked ahead of her and she carefully walked down the dark stairs that were lit only by burning torches. The air was thick with the damp scent of earth, stone and some other stench that eerily felt like rotten flesh.

Nyx resisted covering her mouth as she watched Carlos go down looking unfazed.

After they had reached the end of the stair, Carlos handed her a kerchief.

"Keep this on and don’t look inside the cells, the signs of Earl Kirkland’s past cruelty might stand out." Carlos spoke.

Nyx pressed the kerchief to her nose and mouth, breathing in the floral scent as he led her down the dimly lit path lined with cells.

Nyx tried not to see inside the dark cells.

"The ones who were found alive were investigated, most of them were innocent or were here for minor crimes. They were already released, but some of them... Well..."

Carlos didn’t say anything else and Nyx understood. They were too late to save the rest of them.

Carlos stopped at the second last cell and Nyx turned her head looking at the one being held inside.

"There he is, your stepbrother." Carlos said gesturing towards Matthis.

Matthis jumped up hearing that and rushed to the iron bars.

"Your Highness! Your Highness! Nyx, my sister. Please, please... G-Get me out of here, please! I won’t repeat my mistakes and live as quietly as a mouse. But please... Get me out of here!" He cried.

Nyx frowned a little while Carlos spoke, "You are given a considerable clean cell Matthis."

"C-Clean?! You call this clean?! I-It stinks like dead animal in here and-and there are rats and insects... I-I can’t even sleep, the ground it all wet and sticky!"

Carlos hummed, "That’s too bad, then should I have you transferred into Earl’s cell? I’m sure he would love to have a chat with you."

Matthis shuddered hearing that and then looked at Nyx, pleadingly.

"Nyx, my sister... I know I haven’t been good to you, but please... I beg of you... I will never hurt you again but please... Please help me!"

Matthis cried and tried to reach out to her but Carlos pulled her back and away from Matthis glaring at him.

"Don’t dare touch her." He spoke with his eyes glowing like embers.

Matthis gulped and crawled back like a dog that was kicked.

Carlos then moved ahead and stopped before the last cell which was in the darkest place. Nyx could barely see the one inside.

"Robert Kirkland, are you alive or have you passed on?" Carlos called and then added in a low voice, "It won’t be as fun if you have died though."

"Fortunately for you, I’m still alive." Came a hoarse and weak voice from beneath.

Nyx heard the sound of heavy, metal chains rattling against the ground as Robert Kirkland walked in the little light.

Carlos smiled, "There you are."

Robert glared at Carlos before turning his eyes on Nyx.

"I see you have found a new man for yourself, Nyx." He started, "much like your mother who seduced the Baron."

Nyx frowned and Carlos scoffed before squeezing Nyx’s hand.

"Don’t be triggered, this is all he can do while he’s in there. His words mean nothing."

Kirkland snorted, "Says the man who can’t do anything without his mother’s help. Frankly speaking, Your Highness you are even more pathetic than Matthis, he was bold enough to do what he wanted but you... You’ve already been defeated by your stepbrother. Don’t you see it? The kingdom belongs to him. He is the new King..."

Kirkland laughed but quickly started coughing and wheezing as he doubled over. Once the fit was over, he lifted his head, his eyes carrying a malicious glint.

"You’re no better than us, Prince. It’s just a matter of time before Prince Eric proves that he’s the future of Sestia. Then you and your mother will be on the execution platform too, just like how you’ve planned for me and your heads will go flying too."

Kirkland laughed while Nyx stole a glance at Carlos’s face, expecting him to snap but he stood there with a stoic face before he scoffed.

"That’s the best you could manage in your state, huh." Carlos said and Kirkland looked at him with a smile.

"Your pompous attitude won’t do you any good, Prince Carlos. At the end, you will have to beg, Prince Eric for mercy... But will he grant it though?" Kirkland grinned as he inches closer to the iron bars separating him and them.

"I don’t think so," he said, "since you and your mother killed his mother so brutally."

Nyx stiffened hearing that while Carlos still remained impassive on the outside. On the inside though, he was fuming like a bubbling volcano. Ever since Kirkland had started talking Ruel had taken over to keep Carlos from exploding.

"How dare he! How dare this lowlife! Open the damn cell Ruel and beat him until he begs for death!" The real Carlos was howling and screaming from within.

Ruel remained composed even after the barrage of insulting words which for a moment even made Kirkland to falter.

After a few seconds of silence, Ruel tilted his head, "What’s wrong? Is that it?"

Kirkland frowned while Nyx stared at him in surprise. He didn’t seem angry at all.

"Wh-What? Are you trying to act like it doesn’t affect you?" Kirkland said and then chuckled, "Well, you-you were always said to be foolish though, that’s why the son of a Concubine is taking your place."

Nyx watched as a corner of Carlos’s lips curled up while his eyes slowly grew darker, as if in those red eyes someone had dropped deep black ink.

He leaned closer to the iron bars, looking down at Kirkland.

"Is that all you’ve got?" He asked and Kirkland felt a chill run down his spine.

Carlos chuckled as he leaned back and spoke, "The Trial and the lot can mean something to you and others but for me, it’s nothing. I am and was always the King of Sestia. And there is no proof needed for that."

Kirkland for some reason felt as if he was standing before something dangerous, something so evil that his instincts screamed at him to get away from him.

"Everything in Sestia belongs to me," he announced before wrapping his arms around Nyx’s waist pulling her close to him.

"Everything."