205: Chapter 205 Alice's Shock! The Court Meeting! The Dust Has Settled!

Imperial Capital, Seran City.

A royal princess's mansion.

Alice sat in her study, looking at the intelligence report just delivered by her aide, her face turning deathly pale within a few breaths.

"Garuvi committed treason? How is that possible!" She stood up abruptly, her voice filled with irrepressible shock.

She knew Garuvi's character well; the other party would never commit such an act of treason!

She looked at the aide, about to say something.

The old aide, who had served her mother for many years, gently shook his head and whispered:

"Your Highness, please calm down. This matter has already caused a huge uproar within the court. The death of a vassal marquis directly under the royal family is no small matter."

"I heard that His Highness Mason has already submitted a proposal for handling this, and the court meeting is about to be convened."

"If Your Highness wishes to know the details and subsequent handling, it is best to enter the palace immediately."

Upon hearing this, Alice took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down.

She knew her aide was right.

She put down the intelligence report, walked quickly out of the study, and instructed the attendant in the corridor:

"Prepare the carriage! Immediately!"

When Alice arrived at the royal palace, the court meeting was about to begin.

She hurried through the high palace gates and, guided by an attendant, sat down in an inconspicuous spot in the back row of the council hall.

The atmosphere in the council hall was grave and solemn.

It was a spacious and magnificent hall.

The high dome was painted with murals depicting the great achievements of the successive monarchs of the Augustus Empire.

In the center of the hall, a long table carved from a single piece of ebony occupied the main space.

At the head of the long table sat King Alaric Tudor. He was in his early fifties, his short hair combed meticulously, with a square face and high brow ridges.

Beside him sat Queen Elena.

When Alice's gaze fell upon her mother, even in such a tense moment, a subtle sense of emotion could not help but rise in her heart.

Her mother was over fifty this year, but time seemed to have been exceptionally kind to this noblewoman from the Otreal Empire.

She looked no older than twenty-four or twenty-five.

Her supple long hair was coiled into an elegant bun at the back of her head, her features were delicate and dignified, and she wore a silver-grey court gown, exuding an air of grace and luxury without losing her gentle temperament.

On the seats to the right of King Alaric, the three princes sat in order.

The eldest prince, Simon Tudor, was about thirty years old; his face was five or six parts similar to the King's, but his temperament was more gentle and introverted, with a scholarly air between his brows.

The second prince, Mason Tudor, sat below Simon. He was twenty-eight this year, with well-defined facial features, a sharp jawline, and a pair of grey-blue eyes that held the sharpness and calmness belonging to a soldier.

The third prince, Luka Tudor, was the youngest, in his early twenties, his face still bearing a trace of youthful innocence that had not yet fully faded.

Besides them, there were other royal family members and several important court advisors.

Once everyone had arrived, the court meeting officially began.

King Alaric's gaze swept slowly across the long table, finally landing on the second prince, Mason.

He asked directly:

"Mason, you have always been responsible for the affairs of the North. Speak first."

Mason nodded and began his statement:

"According to the summary of intelligence received from multiple sources, Marquis Lance has been confirmed to have died in the battle of Cangyuan City."

"His daughter, Blood Rose Knight Garuvi Lance, has been identified as the mastermind behind this incident and is currently on the run. The Governor's Office of Will Province is searching for her whereabouts with all their might."

"Currently, the Lance Family has two first-sequence heirs: the eldest son, Richter Lance, twenty-eight years old, and the second son, Xavier Lance, sixteen years old."

"According to the Imperial Nobility Succession Law, Richter Lance has a higher priority for succession and made key contributions in this battle to retake Cangyuan City."

"Therefore, having him inherit the title of Marquis of Cangyuan is an appropriate choice."

Speaking to this point, he paused and continued:

"Furthermore, due to the heavy losses suffered by the Marquis Lance's estate in this battle, the city defense force is severely insufficient. Currently, Cangyuan City has been temporarily taken over by the Ice Peak Fortress garrison dispatched by Duke Witton to maintain order."

"Duke Witton has proposed that it is necessary to negotiate peace with the Blood Barbarian Tribe outside Cangyuan City as soon as possible, and at the same time, agree to open border trade regulations."

"I believe this proposal is feasible."

After finishing, he remained silent for a moment to give everyone present time to digest, then added:

"The above is my preliminary opinion. The specific situation still needs further verification."

The council hall was quiet for a moment.

Several court advisors exchanged glances, but no one spoke first, instead looking unanimously at the King at the head of the long table.

King Alaric fell into deep thought.

The trade ban between the Empire and the Blood Barbarian Tribe was signed by his father decades ago.

The main purpose of that ban was to control the population growth of the Blood Barbarian Tribe by restricting the inflow of important civilian supplies used by mortals.

But now, the situation in the North had changed drastically.

The pressure from the direction of the Snow Plains Kingdom was increasing, and the Empire's main legions had to be concentrated on the western defense line of the North.

Under these circumstances, moderately relaxing the restrictions on the Blood Barbarian Tribe in exchange for temporary stability on the eastern border was, from a strategic perspective, a reasonable choice.

After all, it takes a long time for a population to be converted into fighting power.

And what the Empire lacked most right now was precisely time.

Thinking of this, his gaze involuntarily glanced at his second son, Mason.

He sighed slightly in his heart.

If Mason had succeeded in breaking through to become a Sky Knight last time, the current situation would be much easier to handle.

Unfortunately, there are not so many "ifs" in the world.

He withdrew his thoughts, no longer hesitated, and announced: "Then do as you say."

"Richter Lance shall inherit the title of Marquis of Cangyuan, and Duke Witton is permitted to conduct peace negotiations with the Blood Barbarian Tribe. Matters regarding opening border trade shall be drafted by the relevant committee of The Senate and submitted for approval."

As his voice fell, a slight commotion arose in the council hall; several ministers discussed in low voices, but no one raised any objections.

Seeing that the court meeting was about to end like this, Alice, sitting in the back row, could no longer sit still.

She stood up abruptly, ignoring the surprised gazes cast around her, and looked at Mason, saying:

"Brother, Garuvi she... did she really commit treason? I know her, she is not that kind of person..."

The gazes in the council hall focused on Alice in that instant.

Mason's movements paused slightly. He turned his head slowly to look at his younger sister.

After a moment of silence, he spoke, calmly:

"The evidence is conclusive. If you have any doubts about this, you can review the evidence file submitted by Richter Lance. Both witness testimony and physical evidence are present; there is nothing to question."

"But..." Alice still wanted to say something more.

Just then, a gentle and elegant voice rang out, unhurriedly:

"Alright, Alice."

It was the voice of Queen Elena.

She gently interrupted Alice:

"Do not bother your brother any further. He still needs to go to the Military Department and The Senate to deal with this matter."

She paused, then said:

"By the way, Lady Weilan sent a beautiful dress this morning, made of that moonlight brocade newly presented from the South this year; the color suits you very well."

"Come with me to see it in a while."

Upon hearing this, Alice looked around.

She bit her lip, and in the end, she bowed to Queen Elena and whispered:

"Alright, Mother."

The court meeting was adjourned.

The ministers stood up one after another, talking in low voices in twos and threes, and walked out of the council hall.

The princes also stood up one by one.

The eldest prince, Simon, left after whispering a few words with the King, while the third prince, Luka, yawned, stretched, and slowly strolled out of the council hall.

Alice stood in place, watching her brother Mason's back disappear at the door of the council hall.

She stood there in silence for quite a while before turning around and walking to Queen Elena's side.

Elena did not say much, just led Alice toward the depths of the palace...