---
Asher sat in his office, arms crossed, deep in thought. The scent of ink and parchment mixed with a light breeze from the open window. He was still recovering from the chaos of recent events, but peace was never something he got to enjoy for long.
Suddenly, the door opened and Lira entered, her face pale with a hint of nervousness.
"Asher," she said quickly. "We just received word... the King has crossed into our territory."
Asher looked up. "The King? What's he doing here without sending word in advance?"
"I don't know," Lira replied, her voice laced with unease. "He's already on the move, and we have no proper preparations—no ceremony, no guards arranged, not even a welcoming speech planned."
Asher sighed and leaned back in his chair. "If the King didn't have the courtesy to announce his arrival, then we won't bother with formalities either. Just do the best you can. Make it look decent, even if it's improvised."
Lira looked down, discontent written on her face.she expected to hear more from Asher but she had no choice but to agree"Very well… if you say so."
---
By late afternoon, the ground trembled slightly as the royal convoy approached Asher's mansion. Dozens of Luxurious chariots rolled through the territory, painted gold and red, pulled by black-armored horses with polished manes. Trumpets sounded in the distance.
The crowd outside stared in awe. Nobles and commoners alike whispered among themselves. It wasn't every day that the King himself came to visit a frontier territory like Asher's.
Talon and several ministers had gathered outside, standing on both sides of the red carpet hastily laid out. Some of them murmured in disbelief. "Three of the Kingdom's Top 10 are here…" one whispered "You hardly see two top of the kingdoms top ten together in one place" Garek said in disbelief.
Two of the top 10 warriors flanked the King's golden chariot—each of them legends in their own right. And behind the second chariot was another armored figure escorting the queen and the princess.
That was Cassandra—ranked number six in the entire kingdom.
She was hard to miss. A battle-hardened woman with short silver hair, piercing red eyes, and a long chain eating with pearls and diamond design . She wore a thin metal armor plate covering her upper body leave space for her two hefty chest and a short black combat skirt that showed off her strong thighs. Flowing from her back legs were two long sashes that fluttered like banners in the wind. On her left chest plate was a glowing insignia—an emblem marking her rank among the top ten.
As the chariots stopped in front of Asher's mansion, the King stepped out.
Asher emerged from the mansion slowly, his hands behind his back, face unreadable. The moment their eyes met, the King gave a soft nod and moved forward.
Inside the mansion, the King requested a private audience with Asher. Everyone was dismissed—guards, ministers, even Cassandra. Only the King ,the princess,the queen, Cassandra and Asher remained.
They spoke for nearly an hour.
"I came to ask for your help," the King said at last. His voice, though aged, still carried authority. "The royal family is under siege. Two of my wives have already been assassinated. My son is being hunted, and now I fear for my queen and daughter."
Asher narrowed his eyes. "And why come to me?"
The King hesitated, then added quietly, "Because I believe you are someone strong enough. Lord Eric—your father who was the second strongest in our kingdom—was a powerful man with the most defensive territory ."
Asher leaned back. "If this is such a threat, why not send them to the capital's inner sanctum? Why not assign them to the other top warriors?"
"I can't trust the security of any other estate other that yours," the King admitted, his voice cracking. "Someone from the inside is feeding the assassination guild information. They knew the layout of my wife's chambers. They knew the guard shift schedule. This is beyond coincidence."
"...So you want me to be the body gaurd of the Queen and the Princess. You want them to also stay in my mansion."
The King nodded.You will not be the only one guarding them, Cassandra here will also assist you;he said as he stretched his hands pointing to Cassandra who stood straight like a solider.
"And if I refuse?" Asher asked coldly.
"I'll beg," the King said—and to Asher's surprise, the man fell to his knees. "I'll kneel before you, Asher. Just… protect them. My daughter… my wife. You're the only one I trust."
This act shocked the the rest of the females In the room they have never seen the king so desperate before.
Asher said nothing for a short while. He stared into the King's desperate eyes. Something inside him softened. Perhaps it was pity. Perhaps it was honor.
"Fine," he said finally. "But this isn't about loyalty to the throne. I'm doing this because if your enemies are the ones I think they are... they won't stop at the palace."
The King gave a deep bow, tears barely restrained. "Thank you."
---
An hour later, Queen Flora and Princess Lily were left under Asher's protection. The soldiers returned to the palace, leaving the women behind. As the chariots vanished into the distance, the princess turned to Asher and, without warning, hugged him tightly.
"You know," she said, giggling, "I didn't recommend you to my father, but I'm really glad it turned out this way."
Asher awkwardly pushed her back. "You really shouldn't hug people like that." The queen said.
"Why not?" she pouted.
"Maybe she is jealous" Asher mocked.
Queen Flora, standing nearby with her arms crossed, scowled. "I didn't agree to this . I don't want to live under the same roof as this arrogant man. I'd have rather preferred to die than be left to see your face every day; but I didn't even had a choice."
Asher raised a brow and smirked. "That's a bit extreme, don't you think? Pride is good, but not when it turns into stupidity."
Lily burst into laughter. "He's got a point, Mother."
The Queen glared at her daughter but said nothing more.
Cassandra who stood their silently watching was shock and wonder what kind of man Asher is to make the king kneel and to casually talk to the royal family, something she would never have dared to do in her life.
Then Asher's tone then shifted as he asked, "Tell me… how exactly did the assassinations happen? What do you know about the one behind this?"
Flora turned serious. "It's a mystery. The two queens were found dead in their chambers. Both stabbed… clean wounds. No signs of struggle, no guards harmed. But here's the strange part…"
She paused.
"The wounds couldn't heal. No matter what magic or potion we used, they didn't close."
Asher's eyes widened slightly. "Anti-healing magic?"
"Yes," the Queen confirmed. "The dagger wounds glowed purple… the same energy as forbidden enchantments. Our royal healers were baffled."
A shiver ran down Asher's spine.
That kind of weapon was rare. Almost nonexistent.
There was only one person he knew who used daggers laced with anti-healing magic.
Korrin.
His clone.
His mistake.
His enemy.
Asher clenched his fist beneath his cloak, but his expression remained calm.
"Anything else?" he asked.
"The assassin left no trace," Lily added softly. "Only shadows. They say he was tall, cloaked… and his eyes… glowing red and silver white."
That was enough confirmation.
Asher forced a smile. "Thanks. That helps."
But in his mind, things were far from calm.
Korrin was back. And if he was targeting the royal family, then it was only a matter of time before his path crossed with Asher again.
And this time, it wouldn't be an easy win.
Because Korrin was the most powerful clone
---