Subtle Command

That night, two young men sat playing chess inside a secluded mansion in the Inner City.

On the left was Anders, who had visited the Ballard estate earlier. Across from him sat Matthias, a broad-

shouldered man dressed in richly adorned robes.

The gwas intense, with fast moves followed by moments of deep thought. About ten minutes later, Anders

finally conceded defeat.

“Anders, you've really improved since we last played. You almost hadthere,” Matthias said, stroking his

beard in mild surprise.

“You flatter me, Your Highness. My chess skills are nothing compared to yours. If you hadn't gone easy on me, |

wouldn't have lasted half as long,” Anders replied with a modest smile.

“You're as smooth with words as ever.” Matthias let out a hearty laugh with a look of smug satisfaction. Winning

was in his nature-whether in war or on the chessboard, defeat was not an option.

“Well, we've eaten, and we've played. Let's get to business.” With a wave of his hand, he signaled his men to

clear away the chessboard.

He wiped his hands before continuing, ” Anders, the situation in Oakvale is growing more volatile by the day. The

question of who will beccrown prince remains unresolved, and it's wearingdown. | can’t eat, | can’t

sleep-it’s maddening.

“You've pledged your support to me, so | need you to go all in. We must secure my claim before it’s too late.

Only then will | finally have speace of mind.”

“Your Highness, we're already giving it everything we've got. Of the eight great families, half are now on our

side. We've also won over many key figures in the government. Simply put, Your Highness has the greatest

influence among the princes,” Anders said, bowing his head slightly.

“This won't cut it.” Matthias shook his head. “The old foxes in the government are nothing more than

opportunistic turncoats. They sway with the wind and can’t be trusted.

“The so-called eight great families are just for show. They won't influence the outcome. The only ones who hold

the power to sway my father’s decisions and the entire government are the four ancient houses.”

He shot Anders a pointed look and added, 11 Your family has pledged support to me, but what about the

others?”

To secure the title of crown prince, Matthias needed the support of at least two, if not three, of the four ancient

houses. If he could rally all four, the title would be as good as his.

“I've already reached out to the Fallon and Ballard families,” Anders replied. “The Fallons have made their stance

clear. They're ready to seal a marriage alliance with my family, and the union will happen soon. As for the

Ballards, they need a few more days to think it over.”

“And the Spanners?” Matthias asked.

The Fallon and Ballard families weren't nearly as influential as the Spanner family. Hence, gaining the support of

the Spanner family was paramount.

“It seems the Spanner family has becquite close to Prince Nathaniel. I've tried visiting several times, but

they keep turningaway. It’s hard to win them over,” Anders said, shaking his head.

The Spanner family was influential and well-established. They didn’t need to rely on the Mosey family and were

immune to threats and bribes.

“It looks like Nathaniel still has a few tricks up his sleeve to win over the Spanners,” Matthias said thoughtfully.

After a pause, he asked, “Any news from Tristan’s side?”

“Prince Tristan’s been keeping to himself and rarely interacts with anyone. Among the eight great families, only

one or two are aligned with him. The rest are just opportunistic smaller factions trying to play both sides. They

won't amount to much,” Anders reported.

“He lacks both brains and brawn, and his health is failing. How does someone like him think he’s fit to be the

crown prince?” Matthias scoffed.

A sickly weakling like Tristan-who knew how much longer he would survive? The thought of him fighting for

power was laughable.

“Prince Tristan might not pose much of a threat, but Prince Nathaniel has strong connections and considerable

influence, especially from the Spanner family. He's a tough opponent,” Anders analyzed.

“Now, your top priority is to win over the Ballard family. We cannot let them side with Nathaniel, or we'll be at a

disadvantage,” Matthias warned.

With the Moseys and Fallons already on his side, securing the Ballards’ support would significantly increase his

chances of becoming the crown prince.

However, if the Ballards sided with Nathaniel, it would create a deadlock-two against two-with neither side

gaining a clear advantage. In that case, a fierce power struggle would be inevitable.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I'll make sure the Ballard family is on your side, no matter what it takes,” Anders

promised.

“Good.” Matthias nodded in satisfaction. ” Once it's done, all the credit will be yours, and I'll make sure you're

well rewarded.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Anders said respectfully.

“There's one more thing | need you to keep an eye on.”

“Anything, Your Highness.” Anders lowered his head slightly.

“You've probably heard about what's happening in West Lucozia. Rufus doesn’t have much tleft, and the title

will likely pass to Logan. I've already reached out to him-he’s shrewd but hasn’t made his position clear. Find his

weaknesses and see if we can turn them to our advantage.” Matthias narrowed his eyes.

“Logan Rhys?” Anders’ eyes widened in surprise before he nodded firmly. “I understand. I'll take care of it.”

“Go, and don’t disappoint me.” Matthias waved him off.

Anders nodded again before leaving. He knew convincing Logan would be much more challenging than getting

the Ballards on their side.

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