T/N: This Chapter was sponsored by Nepnep’s tears crying for it’s release and kimmyxd telling me to put him out of his misery and to post it.
Metion, no, Laban procured a horse and arrived at his family’s main house around lunchtime. The mansion belonged to Herodion, son of Ekenos, one of the five great wealthy families of the capital. Ekenos, who had died four years ago, had seven children: Herodion, Claudion, Belinos, Dunan, Sabina, Emerna, and Laban.
Ekenos had three official wives, and Laban was the only child born to the second wife. Due to her frail health, she had no children for a long time, and despite her rank as the second wife, she lived without ever raising her voice. The first wife, who had given birth to three sons, treated her like a servant. When Laban was born, she said she could die without regret. And in fact, she passed away shortly after.
Ekenos felt pity for his youngest son, who had lost his mother. So, unlike his other children, whom he raised strictly, he let Laban do as he wished. His brothers, who were nearly twenty years older, didn’t pay much attention to Laban, believing he posed no threat to their positions.
When Laban came of age, people said he did not seem like he was from the same family. Unlike his brothers, who had the typical arrogance and coldness of nobility, Laban got along well with the lower classes, did not shy away from physical labor, and enjoyed simple clothing and meals. Above all, he loved to travel. He would often leave without a destination and not return for a year. When Ekenos fell ill and longed for his cherished youngest son, hundreds of messengers scoured neighboring countries to find him. Fortunately, Laban returned in time to receive his father’s final blessing.
Although Laban paid no attention to family matters, the other siblings were not pleased that he was by their father’s deathbed. Fortunately, Ekenos did not favor the youngest son in the inheritance. It was a wise decision. If not, the brothers might have done whatever it took to exile or even kill him.
Laban had secretly returned to the family home, intending to meet the secretary, delegate the management of his share of the land, collect travel funds, and leave immediately. He almost succeeded. In the large estate, with its dozens of buildings, it wasn’t hard to avoid being seen by his siblings. However, just as he was about to leave the courtyard, he remembered his beloved horse in the stables, a horse that his father had cherished and passed down to him. Although he couldn’t take it with him due to the family’s crest being branded on it and its striking appearance, he wanted to bid it a final farewell.
As he entered the stables to give his horse a bit of herbs, someone appeared at the gate. It was a court official he recognized. He turned quickly, but it was too late.
“Isn’t it Lord Laban! Come quickly, Her Majesty has summoned you.”
It was too late for regrets. Queen Sabina had never summoned Laban to the palace before. This was only natural; the two were not supposed to meet again. Why was the queen calling him now? There could only be one reason.
Sabina had met Laban only once since becoming queen. It was during her first visit to the family estate, a year after entering the palace. At that time, she heard something unbearable, and in her fury, they never met again. Since then, Sabina had changed, and Laban must have as well. As the report of Laban’s arrival came in, she waited in her chambers, her stomach twisting with anxiety. She steeled herself. This was a matter of life and death. There was no time for reminiscing.
Laban entered the queen’s chambers with his eyes downcast. He did not want to face Sabina. However, when he realized Roandros was seated beside her, he immediately prostrated himself, bowed three times, and crawled on his knees to touch his forehead to the king’s hand. When the king gently pushed his head away, Laban withdrew and knelt down.
“I humbly wish infinite strength and victory upon Your Majesty. May the land you rule flow with rivers as sweet as honey, and may loyal descendants be born, while the fires of rebellion are extinguished. May the glorious star of Iskandar forever protect you, Your Majesty.”
Neither the person giving this grandiose praise nor the one listening to it so much as moved an eyebrow. Though it was customary, both knew all too well that there wasn’t the slightest sincerity in those words. Roandros did not hesitate to speak his first words.
“Laban, son of Ekenos, I have summoned you today. If you were not the queen’s brother, you would be in the hands of the executioner right now.”
“Regardless of my family, if I have wronged Your Majesty, I deserve punishment. Please enlighten this foolish subject.”
“Where is the prince and his mother?”
Laban remained silent for a moment, his head bowed. Sabina’s breathing grew heavier with tension. At last, Laban lifted his head.
“Your Majesty, I was greatly surprised upon returning to the capital today. How could we lose the kingdom’s precious prince for two nights without finding him? Surely the head of the guard should be beheaded, and the hands of the maids cut off for their negligence. How could they be so remiss in their duties, unafraid of punishment?”
Laban’s tone was so calm that it seemed as if he hadn’t understood the meaning behind the king’s questioning. Roandros furrowed his brow.
“Are you denying your actions?”
“There is no need to deny what I have not done. If I had hidden the prince and his mother, would I have come to the palace of my own accord?”
“Do you know why I suspect you?”
“I presume it is because I left the city gate last night.”
“Indeed. Then who was the woman who accompanied you?”
Laban bowed again and raised his head.
“Your Majesty, I must speak plainly, but please understand that discussing such matters in the queen’s presence is inappropriate. First, let me say that the woman is currently back in the capital.”
“What? Speak! Where is she?”
“The woman is a maid of Andora, a merchant in the capital. Her name is Shumi. We are acquainted, and I have long admired her beauty. Last night, I asked to borrow her for a short time, and Andora willingly agreed. I paid two Macarion gold coins for her. You can send soldiers to investigate, and it will be confirmed.”
Sabina’s face hardened. Roandros glared at Laban before responding.
“Why would you need to leave the city for such a trivial matter?”
“Shumi has a husband, so to avoid being seen, I had to take her far away. I chose a secluded spot, enjoyed her company, and sent her back. I returned to the capital late in the afternoon.”
Though it was an obscene story bordering on disrespecting the king, Roandros, having asked for it, could not reprimand him. The king’s face flushed red with suppressed anger.
“If you want to prove your innocence, the truth must be revealed. Where exactly does this Andora conduct business?”
“Andora runs a large brothel in the alley behind the Pigeon Well near the south gate. It’s a well-known place, so it won’t be hard to find.”
“What do you think should happen if I catch the one who hid the prince and his mother?”
“They should be executed by dismemberment, and their family members should also be put to death.”
“Indeed. You have been suspected of being that very criminal. Why then, are you not trembling with fear?”
“Your Majesty, as I entered the palace, I wondered why the queen had summoned me. I had already heard from my servants about the royal calamity. I knew she wouldn’t call me for a casual chat in such a dire situation. I considered the possibility that she might need my help, but I am the youngest of Ekenos’ sons, with little experience, so unless all my elder brothers were abroad, it seemed unlikely she would call on me for that reason. Then I realized the reason for my summons must be suspicion. I assumed that leaving the city last night was the cause. I feared I might die because of it, but even so, I preferred to clarify the matter rather than live my life as a branded criminal. If I failed to explain myself, I would rather die cleanly. With that resolve, I found peace in my heart and could remain calm under Your Majesty’s questioning.”
A brief silence followed, and for the first time, Sabina spoke.
“Your Majesty, didn’t I say as much?”
Roandros did not respond to her. Instead, he summoned a chamberlain.
“Go with Laban, son of Ekenos, and verify the truth of what he has said.”
The chamberlain bowed and left, with Laban following behind. Roandros departed through the door to the inner chambers without saying another word to Sabina. Left alone, she bowed her head and clenched the hem of her dress. A low sigh escaped her after a while, but it was not a sigh of relief.
Sabina could not feel at ease. Laban’s words were lies from beginning to end.
The very idea that Laban frequented brothels was false. Even though she hadn’t seen him for eight years, Sabina knew that much. Most of all, Laban had once again avoided her gaze. He hadn’t changed. Not even a little, from that day when Sabina had shattered his peace.
Sabina had entertained the faint hope that, with eight years having passed, perhaps their animosity had softened. Once, Laban had been her gentle younger brother. Having broken him, she had hoped time would have healed things without any effort on her part. If she had an excuse, it was that Laban had never tried to understand her feelings either. If he had, he wouldn’t have spoken so casually about his marriage and children.
Why had Laban lied? Sabina carefully traced the thoughts in her mind. He was definitely hiding something. But what? As the gatekeeper had confessed, and Laban had acknowledged, he had left the city with a woman the previous night. Who was that woman? Someone whose identity he was determined to protect, even at the risk of his life? Was she a noblewoman whose honor must not be sullied? A criminal who couldn’t be caught? Or a woman he had recently fallen in love with?
Whoever she was, there had to be a reason why Laban had to take her outside the city on that particular night, when security was so tight. He had to deceive the gatekeeper, and yet, to avoid a scene, he revealed his identity as the queen’s brother. Despite the risk of future suspicion. If the guard hadn’t reported him, Laban might have successfully fled. No, he had returned. Then he was dragged into the palace and lied. It was an incredibly calm lie. Roandros had been deceived. If it had been anyone other than Laban, Sabina herself would have been deceived as well—if he hadn’t been her brother, whom she could see right through.
Sabina suddenly recalled the lie Laban had told long ago. It was when she was around her early teens. She had developed a habit of stealing her aunt’s jewelry, sneaking into the room during festivities when it was empty, and taking one piece at a time to bury beneath the floorboards of her own quarters. Although her aunt threatened to cut off the thief’s wrist if caught, beating the innocent maids in the process, Sabina’s father could easily obtain jewels for her if she simply asked, so no one suspected her.
She had gotten away with it for years—or so she believed—until one day, after returning from a few days at a relative’s house, she saw workers tearing down the annex where she lived.
“What on earth is going on?” Sabina, terrified, didn’t even dare to call for her mother and instead asked the maids. They told her that the lady of the house had ordered it to be demolished and rebuilt because there were rats. The workers were already swinging their pickaxes, breaking the walls in various places. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before they discovered the jewelry hidden beneath the floorboards.
Sabina, pale with fear and unable to move, suddenly saw Laban rush into the annex with a dancing-like stride. Shortly after, there was a scream, and the workers came rushing out, saying Laban’s arm had been struck by a pickaxe. The child who was carried out looked as pale as a ghost. When her father heard the news, he ran over in a panic, and the work was halted. Since his precious youngest child had been injured, he became furious with Sabina’s aunt for causing such a commotion. The house remained abandoned for several days, neither torn down nor repaired. During that time, Sabina secretly retrieved the jewelry at night and threw it into the pond.
Was it all just a coincidence? She wondered but kept quiet. If she asked prematurely and it turned out to be nothing, she would only end up exposing her own theft. It was years later when she finally learned the truth. One day, as the two of them sat side by side on a bed, the conversation drifted to the jewels in the pond. Laban said, “That was the price for the whipping.”
Laban, who had a different mother and never received any warmth from Sabina, had deliberately injured himself with the pickaxe—not out of love, but out of a sense of fairness. He had known Sabina was taking the jewelry, but he thought she had good reason. He thought it unfair that she should be punished and acted impulsively to prevent an unjust outcome. It was in his nature to do such a thing.
Shaken from her old thoughts, Sabina shivered. Her instincts were screaming that she might be right, filling her with dread. It was something that should never happen. For her sake, for her family’s sake, and for the broken remains of their old relationship.
Could that woman really be Erectina?
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