ROTHER'S PLANS- 1

Chapter 5: Rother's plans-1

Mark was well aware of everything his son Rother had done. He also knew that it was only because of his decision to make John the crown prince that Rother had taken all these steps. But in the name of a Father's love and in hope that eventually his son would walk back on the path he used to he couldn't do anything.

Rother didn't go for directly killing his brother John because he believed that even if he killed his brother, who was chosen as the crown prince, there was no guarantee he would be chosen as the crown prince afterward. He feared his father, Mark, might choose one of his other siblings as the new heir. So, he decided to get rid of all his other siblings first, who might later become a variable in his plans.

Now, the only one standing between Rother and the throne was John. John thought the same, but Rother's actions were unpredictable. John was preparing to confront his brother, but what happened next came as a surprise to John. Rother got his father, Mark, the Emperor, and his mother, the Empress, assassinated in the same way as his siblings. This was a completely unexpected move for John. Even though he was preparing to confront his brother, the situation he now found himself in was beyond anything he had ever imagined.

Within days, many of the nobles of the Empire who supported John died in the same manner as the Emperor. News of assassins hidden even in nobles' castles spread. Conspiracies among the people suggested that now Prince Rother could kill anyone at any moment, and no evidence would ever point to him.

The Church, an independent body from the Empire, criticized these acts as evil practices under the misguidance of the Embodiment of Evil. But soon, even those priests died in the same way. Slowly, people realized that speaking against Prince Rother would bring a death sentence without any trial.

Even among the nobles of the Empire, this belief spread. Gradually, even nobles who were loyal to Prince John shifted their loyalty to Prince Rother. As a result, Prince John began losing ground in the power struggle. High-ranking ministers and dukes started showing their support for Prince Rother. Despite the threats and danger, some nobles remained loyal to Prince John, believing in the late Emperor's decision and the righteousness of Prince John, convinced that 'GOOD WILL PREVAIL OVER EVIL.'

The Empire was soon divided internally. Even the Emperor's courtroom was split between the supporters of the two princes. Even though the Empire was without an Emperor, Everything remained still.

It was the calm before a storm.

Prince John put all his effort into finding even a single piece of evidence pointing to his brother for the murders of the Emperor and Empress. But no amount of effort brought forth any evidence. The crimes committed by Rother were so perfect and well-planned that even John had to admit that his brother was the greatest genius he had ever seen.

And then the day finally came—the day every person in the Empire prayed would never come. They believed that when both princes confronted each other for the throne, rivers of blood would flow through the Empire. But their prayers were in vain, as if this confrontation was destined.

In the courtroom of the Empire, Crown Prince John stood on the red carpet leading to the throne. Ministers and high-ranking nobles sat on huge chairs placed on either side of the walkway.

Three steps down from where the throne was, stood his brother Rother, looking at John with a taunting smile and a sneer. The courtroom was filled only with his brother's supporters; none of John's men were present. John realized his supporters had not been informed about this sudden meeting.

As the council setteled,

Rother began, "Several months ago, my late father, one of the greatest Emperors in our Empire's history, made the decision to appoint my younger brother John as the crown prince. I was shocked by the Emperor's decision. But I told myself that my father was a great Emperor, and if he made this decision, there must be a reason for it. I taught myself to be patient, but if only I had known..."

Rother started sobbing, tears falling from his eyes. He continued, "If only I had known that this decision would lead to my father's death, I would have rebelled against the Emperor. And before I could process my younger brother John's appointment as crown prince, I heard about the accidental deaths of my siblings, which were later confirmed as assassinations. I wanted to find those responsible and punish them myself, but before I could do anything, rumors spread that I had killed my own siblings.

I saw my brother John working tirelessly to find the culprits behind our siblings' assassinations. I believed in my brother's capacity to uncover the truth and clear my name, so I refrained from taking any action myself."

"But I never knew that the culprit himself was trying to play the hero. Being the crown prince wasn't enough for him. He feared that how I rother was removed from the position of crown prince someday that same might happen with him, so he assassinated all my siblings who were potential heirs and if that wasn't enough his fear lead him to murder my parents.

When my parents were assassinated, I started my own investigation. I have collected enough proof to support what I am about to say.

"After weeks of investigation, I found evidence and concluded that the head of the Chaos Army is none other than my brother John himself. He had our siblings assassinated, fearing that the Emperor might change his mind and appoint another sibling as the crown prince. But even that wasn't enough for him. He wanted to be a hero in the eyes of the people, so he had our parents assassinated and planned to frame me as the culprit. We thought he was uncovering the truth, but he was working to cover his own crimes."

Rother fell to his knees, crying, "If only I had known my brother's sick mentality, I could have saved our siblings and parents from this demon."

John, standing on the red carpet, was so shocked his eyes felt like they would pop out of his head. He was speechless against this well-planned and convincingly told story of his elder brother. Despite his long preparation to confront Rother, all his efforts now seemed in vain.

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