Herald of Steel

Ptolomy was feeling incensed.

He didn't much care when Alexander disrespected him in private, as he knew he had no army, no money, and few loyal followers and thus was utterly dependent on the mercenaries and Cantagenans for protection.

But Alexander so blatantly insulting him, the king, right in front of his family finally managed to form a frown on the middle-aged's man forehead.

"Alexander, I would appreciate it if you could give our family some private time," Ptolomy asked Alexander, though the hard, frosty voice he said it with made it sound more like a command.

"Hehe," But Alexander only chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, I remember you promising me making me your most trusted general if I could get you Adhan. If that offer stands then it is natural our families should get to know each other."

After that, Alexander let out a sly smile and asked, "So, tell me, does your still offer stand?"

'Bullshit! You think I don't remember how you mocked my offer?' Ptolomy had the urge to lash out.

But could only give an awkward smile and promise, "Of course, you are. That's why I am depending on you to save my city from that rebel."

Both of them knew this promise was hollow and Alexander wondered how long would it be before Ptolomy found his replacement.

'I gotta make the most of the current circumstances,' Alexander promised himself.

"Are we sure Amenheraft is going to attack us? Maybe he is still in the city?" The mature, regal voice of the queen mother asked Alexander, still holding on to an imaginary thread of hope that the battle can be avoided.

"They can answer that," Alexander replied succinctly, only pointing at the twins who were glaringly at him hatefully.

This caused an awkward bit of silence at the dinner table as the six looked at the twins who helped the man they wanted to kill escape and now was coming to kill them.

The twins were also in the same uncomfortable position as the people they were sharing a meal with wanted to kill their father.

This strangeness could have been noticed by anyone with a modicum of social skills but only someone as crass and insensitive as Alexander could have called it out so openly.

"Haha, this is quite the unusual gathering I should say, Your Majesty why don't you formally introduce us," Alexander was genuinely interested to know how these people who should despise each other on paper were, at least, on the surface so cordial.

"Commander Alexander, this is my wife- Nanazin, and these are my three daughters- Afsarah, Afsanah. Afsahah." Ptolomy introduced the women Alexander had already guessed as his immediate family.

'Do both you brothers name your children by rhymes?' Alexander lampooned at the very similar names of the triplets and the twins.

Ptolomy then pointed his right hand and said, "This is the Queen mother, and next to her is my half-sister- Hellma. And you have already met my two nieces- Azura and Azira."

Ptolomy seemed content giving this concise introduction but Alexander wanting juicy gossip, dug deeper.

"It is my greatest honor to have a chance to meet such esteemed royals. Again, I am a humble mercenary named Alexander." He stated humbly.

Then he started asking the real questions, "Your Majesty, what's a queen mother?"

"It means the favorite consort of the previous king. Queen mother has..had served my father for twenty-one years." Ptolomy proudly claimed.

"Ohh? Shouldn't the preceding queen be the queen mother? How come the title belongs to a consort?" Alexander cleverly pointed out.

"The previous queen is dead." Hellma's mother had a sweet smile on her face as she said this.

"Oh! Did you kill her like you killed the previous king?" Alexander very lightly made a very serious accusation as he sent a small smile toward the redhead.

The reason for this bold assumption was Alexander believed this was likely the biggest reason she was locked up with the others for treason.

"Alexandeeerrr..." This slander instantly incensed Ptolomy, who stood up and roared in a full burst of fury so loud that his daughters even yelped in surprise, while the solid wooden table shook under the intense jolt.

But although the six women around Ptolomy showed some kind of shock and fear at Ptolomy's ebullition, one woman barely stirred- The Queen Mother.

Instead, she simply turned to gaze directly into Alexander's mirthful azure eyes with her bold matt-brown ones and then produced a soul-stirring smile, "Yes."

She confessed to double regicide so lightly that seemed like she was exhaling air.

Alexander was a bit surprised by the light tone the queen used to give the reply.

'Not twitching a single nerve at either the accusation or the confession. A fearsome woman.' Alexander determined as killing a king, who was seen as a god was a big taboo at the time.

"Mother..that's," Hellma quickly spoke up in shock, not at the act her mother had done but at how she had so easily and so openly confessed her grave crimes.

"Hehe, what's wrong with speaking the truth? As commander Alexander said, we will be working together for a long time and should treat each other like family. And there shouldn't be any lies between families," The queen mother even sent a flirtatious smile towards Alexander as she said this.

'Heh. Is this the famous honeypot? Does she think I am stupid enough to touch her with a ten-foot pole after she just confessed to killing a king and queen?' The smile only produced fear at the fearless woman in Alexander's heart, though he was also impressed by this woman's boldness.

"Haha, His Majesty told me the kind of animal his father was. Him dying is a boon for the human race. Please accept this cup in honor of your bravery." Alexander then raised and took a big gulp from his cup.

The queen mother had expected Alexander to further humiliate and mock her and Ptolomy for killing their kin.

So this 'kind' gesture caught the experienced, scheming woman a bit off guard.

'Fearless cub,' The queen mother judged Alexander, as few had the guts to toast a regicide so openly.

"Commander Alexander is open-minded and clear of the facts," The experienced vixen nodded appreciatively.

Alexander then sprung the trap, "But, I remember His Majesty saying that Agnirat city lord Inayah slowly poisoned the previous king that drove him mad. So was he mad or was he driven mad?" Alexander had a big smile that was not really a smile on his face.

And finally, this earth-shattering information managed to produce a bit of reaction from a veteran of court intrigue, not to mention the others' reactions, which ranged from pale white with terror to dark fury in indignation.

Hellma's mother sent a deathly glare toward Ptolomy as her face went stonecold, but only for a moment.

Not to insult Alexander's intelligence by outright lying, the woman quickly decided to spin the accusation, "Commander, Ptolomy is young to politics and doesn't know all the facts accurately. Yes, miss Inayah, I and Pasha Farzah poisoned the previous king." Not knowing what else Ptolomy had babbled about, the queen mother decided to reveal some genuine, shocking truth so as not to discredit her credibility in front of Alexander and appear like a fool.

"But our poisoning didn't cause the madness. We only started the poisoning because the king had gone mad." She claimed, which Alexander had no way to verify.

'Clever women, clever, clever, woman.' Alexander praised her for so easily escaping his trap.

"I see, I see. Yes, that makes sense," Alexander nodded and smiled.

Then asked, "Please send a sample of the poison to me as soon as possible. If you don't have it, I presume Lady Inayah should have some in stock."

"I will send it by tomorrow," The Queen mother agreed, being smart enough to understand that Alexander wanted it so that they couldn't pull the same trick on him.

"Excellent! I knew the Queen Mother was a woman of infinite virtues the moment I laid upon your grand magnificence." Alexander flattered.

"After all, few would have the guts to keep poisoning a king for years at the risk of being caught any day. Tell me, was it really out of fear for your life or just spite?"

"Spite of the moment you were sold as a slave to the royal palace!" Alexander's eyes turned into a thin crescent as he poked at the reverse scale of the woman.

This remark made her face turn so frosty that Alexander suspected even seven hells might have frozen over.

This revelation of dark history also snapped the other women who were still absorbing the shock of how their previous king might have been manipulated to become mad out of their thoughts and glare at Alexander for saying such a rude comment.

"Uncultured brute," Hellma burst out in anger.

But Alexander ignored the scowls and curses, and instead pressed on, as he was determined to show them his fangs so they would not backstab him the moment a chance appeared.

He chuckled and said, "I mean, you were sold as a slave right? Your skin tone is not from Adhania!"