Chapter 246: The Return of the King
Dragging the bag with Snow White inside, Jon casually pulled it along the ground as he strolled forward. With every soldier he passed, he insisted they give the Queen a good kick. By the time he reached the end of the tower, the bag was covered in dusty bootprints.
Just as he stepped out of the Iron Tower, a group of royal guards rushed toward him, panting heavily. They halted abruptly when they spotted him.
"Gabin, where is Her Majesty the Queen?" one of the guards asked urgently.
Jon was still disguised as one of the Queen's personal guards, a man named Gabin.
He glanced at the bag beside him and cleared his throat. "Her Majesty is handling urgent matters inside the tower. Why don't you tell me what's going on? I'll pass the message along."
The man didn't respond right away. Instead, he blinked at Jon with a strange glint in his eyes.
Jon froze. Did he see through the disguise? He hadn't bothered to absorb Gabin's memories since this wasn't part of a main quest. It was just a convenience.
What happened next nearly made him vomit.
"Gabin, what's with you today? Normally, you'd flirt a little when you see me," the guard said with a bashful smile.
Jon clenched his fist to his lips, holding back the urge to retch. He quickly responded, "Uh... Her Majesty gave me a very important mission today. Why don't you go find her in the tower instead?"
Disgusting, he thought. Turns out Gabin is a ***... and that hideous Queen is into this stuff too? Ugh.
As Jon turned to leave, the guard added, "Actually, it's good news! His Majesty the King is returning!"
Jon raised an eyebrow. "The King? Wasn't he off waging war? That campaign should've taken at least a month."
The guard replied, "He was, but when he heard about the prison break at the Iron Tower, he got worried about Her Majesty's safety and rushed back!"
Jon frowned. "He just left the army behind?"
"That's what true love looks like! Their bond is just like ours, Gabin, so romantic!"
Ugh…I'm going to be sick!
As if this guard wasn't nauseating enough, now the King was pulling the same crap. Leaving a battlefield for love? Even if the Queen were a beauty, this kind of behavior would've been called desertion for anyone else.
"Alright, noted," Jon muttered. "You tell Her Majesty yourself. I've got this... garbage to deal with."
He glanced at the bag and walked away.
The guard shrugged. "What's up with him today? So cold."
Soon after, Jon arrived at the palace gates. The whole area was bustling with activity in preparation for the King's return.
A guard spotted him dragging the large bag and stopped him. "Gabin? Why are you alone? Where is Her Majesty? And who's in the bag?"
"Her Majesty is still handling important matters in the Iron Tower. She asked me to come ahead with a message," Jon said smoothly.
The guard frowned. "What could be more important than welcoming His Majesty back? He'll be arriving any moment. Get Her Majesty here, now!"
"Arriving now?" Jon blinked. "Shouldn't it take him a few more days to get here?"
"The messengers said he's trying to surprise Her Majesty!"
What a moron, Jon thought. Does he even understand what kind of position he holds? Trying to play Prince Charming...
"Fine," Jon replied. Then, glancing at the bag, he added, "Her Majesty has also issued an order. This prisoner is to be executed by hanging. I'm the assigned executioner."
"What?! But with the King returning..."
"Are you questioning Her Majesty's command?" Jon interrupted coldly.
The guard's face went pale. He quickly lowered his head. "No, sir. Of course not."
In this kingdom, the Queen's authority rivaled, even surpassed, that of the King. Despite being the sovereign, the King was infatuated with his wife and always deferred to her. The Queen's popularity among the people was immense. Given a choice, most subjects would side with her over the King without hesitation.
Jon took the opportunity to ask for the King's estimated time of arrival. He planned to execute the Queen right as the King entered the city, just to see the expression on the man's face.
To ensure maximum impact, he used his disguise as one of the Queen's personal guards to gather the citizens at the main gate. The execution platform was set up right there, in full view of anyone entering the capital. It was a public display designed for one specific audience: the returning King.
When asked for clarification, Jon simply stated that it was by Her Majesty's decree. If that didn't work, he had a backup plan, Polyjuice Potion. He could temporarily become the Queen herself... though the thought of drinking a potion brewed from her hair made his stomach turn.
Fortunately, the Queen's authority was absolute. No one dared question orders coming from her or her guards. Everything went smoother than expected.
Finally, the time arrived.
Jon dragged the bag up onto the execution platform. He timed it perfectly.
A voice rang out: "His Majesty the King has arrived!"
As the words echoed through the air, a gallant man in ornate armor rode into view atop a majestic white horse, flanked by royal guards. The crowd parted to make way.
But as King Kirk entered the city, he immediately sensed something was off. In the past, his arrivals and departures were celebrated with red carpets and showers of flower petals. But now, there was none of that.
He spotted the gallows. Jon stood atop it, smiling calmly, a large bag in his hand.
"Your Majesty!" the palace guards bowed in greeting.
"Rise," the King said quietly. "Where is the Queen?"
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