This Time, I Let My Family Fall

When Princess Adelina returned to the capital from her lands, my younger brother flung his arms wide, planted himself in front of her carriage, and shouted for everyone to hear, "My father says we've got all the troops and supplies we need. Next month, we rise. Once someone else is sitting on the throne, I'll be a prince—and you'll be worth less than our family dog!" The entire Grand Avenue went deathly silent. I scrambled out, forced him to his knees, and pressed his head to the ground until his forehead was raw and bloody, covering for him by claiming he'd lost his mind. The princess's expression softened. When the King heard, he only docked Father a year's pay and let the matter drop. But my brother couldn't bear the shame of being dragged away in front of everyone. That night, he hanged himself, leaving behind nothing but a note written in blood and covered with my name. When Father and my elder sister found out, they had his body thrown out without a proper burial. They praised me for my quick thinking and said I'd saved the family. Even my wife, who had always been cold to me, turned gentle from then on. I never imagined that a year later, when I suddenly fell gravely ill, they would drag me into the family chapel while I was in agony, force me to my knees before my brother's portrait, and break both my legs. Father and my sister watched coldly. "Percival was just a boy trying to show off for the princess, and you drove him to his death! "You didn't really think you saved this family, did you? The Arkwrights have a war record to stand on. Even if His Majesty had heard, he would have laughed it off. Why would he punish us over a joke or two?" My wife wound the same white silk my brother had hanged himself with around my neck, her face like ice. "In your next life, don't be so full of yourself." When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the princess returned to the capital. My brother ran out laughing. I lowered my head, sipped my tea, and pretended I hadn't seen a thing. I was a disgraceful bastard son who had never once been acknowledged by House Arkwright. So if every last Arkwright went to the block, what did that have to do with me? Chapter 1 The moment Percival finished speaking, the entire Grand Avenue fell dead silent. Then a deafening wave of screams erupted. Princess Adelina pulled back the curtain of her carriage. Her expression shifted from shock to alarm and back again. A maid helped her down, and she stared hard at Percival. "Young lord, you must be joking." Percival flushed red, and then a smug look crept across his face. He planted both hands on his hips and raised his voice. "Who's joking? My father is the Grand General of the frontier. He's got a hundred thousand elite troops under his command, and he holds the defense of the North Gate. When the time comes, we'll march out through the North Gate and strike straight at the palace!" He turned toward Father and our elder sister, Cecily, who stood at the side of the street, and showed off, his voice grating with arrogance. "Father, Cecily, isn't that right?" My heart sank. Without thinking, I glanced at Father and Cecily. Father stroked his beard, shook his head, and laughed fondly. "This boy. We've spoiled him rotten at home. He'll say anything." Cecily folded her arms, her eyes full of indulgence, and lifted her chin at the princess. "My little brother is young. He just wanted to catch Your Highness's eye, that's all." Neither of them denied a word of it, and the people around us sucked in sharp breaths. "The Arkwrights have guarded the frontier for three generations. Their record is unmatched. Those hundred thousand Arkwright soldiers don't answer to the King. They answer to the general!" "And the Arkwrights hold the North Gate too. If they really meant to rebel..." "Shh, keep your voice down! That's the kind of talk that gets heads chopped off!" But not even the threat of the headsman's ax could quiet the uproar. The talk in the crowd grew wilder by the second. Some were already claiming the palace was crawling with Arkwright spies and that the King was a king in name only. Chapter 2 Father and Cecily kept smiling, as if nothing were wrong at all. In my first life, they had indulged Percival just like this. When I rushed out and dragged him to his knees, they even frowned at me in displeasure and accused me of ruining my brother's reputation. It wasn't until the King docked a year of Father's pay that their faces changed, and they finally scolded Percival for his nonsense too. I thought they'd understood how serious it had been. I never imagined that after Percival hanged himself, they would come to hate me. They bided their time for a whole year, just to strike when I was at my weakest—one fatal blow that left no trace. I turned my head to look at my wife, Lavinia, who stood beside me. A doting smile played on her lips, and those eyes, usually so cool and distant, had softened with a tenderness I'd never seen as they rested on Percival. A cold smile tugged at my own lips. In my first life, I'd never noticed she had feelings like that for Percival. As the rumors spun further out of control, my page, Theo, went red in the face with panic and couldn't hold back. "Lord Percival is only joking! All this talk of rebellion and troops is—" Before he could finish, Percival lunged over and struck him hard across the face. A red handprint bloomed on Theo's cheek, and he staggered two steps to the side. Percival lifted his chin haughtily. "Since when does a dog of a servant get a say?" He looked at me sidelong and laughed, his tone dripping with mockery. "Do me a favor, Benedict, and keep your people in line. Don't ruin our big plans." He paused, then raised his voice on purpose so the whole street could hear. "After all, your wife is Chancellor Wycliffe's daughter. We'll be counting on her family to bankroll the uprising." In an instant, every shocked eye on the street fixed on Lavinia. The Wycliffes were known far and wide as a family of spotless integrity and steadfast loyalty to the Crown. No one could ever have linked the name Wycliffe with treason. Yet now, with every eye upon her, Lavinia, usually so cold, smiled faintly. Her tone was exasperated and fond all at once. "All right, all right. The money's ready. It's just waiting for you to come and get it." At those words, the whole street practically exploded. I stared at her, and my mind went back to our wedding day. A good friend of mine sent a fine silver goblet as a wedding gift, and I accepted it gladly. She turned on me right there and, in front of a hall full of guests, berated me as greedy and grasping. "For generations, the Wycliffes have kept their hands clean. We never accept gifts! And now, because of you, a lowly bastard, my rule has been broken!" I was so ashamed I wished the floor would swallow me whole. I returned the gift that very night and never spoke to that friend again. Now Percival was announcing in the middle of the street that she was part of a rebellion, and she didn't say a single word about her family's principles. Seeing Lavinia's attitude, Princess Adelina actually relaxed. "I knew it. You're all joking." She shot Percival an impatient glance and turned back to her carriage, her voice cool. "Young lord, I don't care to hear jokes like that again. I hope you won't make them anymore." The carriage had barely started moving when Percival sprang forward and seized the reins. "Who's joking? What makes you think you can look down on me?!" His voice was shrill and piercing as he flung out words that stunned everyone. "When we storm the palace, I'll be the first to drive a blade straight into that old King's heart!" The whole street gasped as one, and a few of the more timid onlookers collapsed to the ground. All the color drained from Princess Adelina's face. She stared hard at Percival and hissed, "How dare you!" Thrilled to finally have her full attention, Percival looked smug. He spun around and pointed at me, shouting, "My brother Benedict is the Prince Regent's favorite! He's already dug up everything we need. What time the King goes over his state papers each night, who he meets with in secret—I know all of it!" Chapter 3 "Benedict is the biggest hero of our uprising." Instantly, the people around me scrambled to put distance between us, as if I had the plague. The officials present looked at me in a completely different way. The whole capital knew I was a favorite of Prince Regent Sebastian Valmont. I clenched my fists, blood rushing to my head. In my first life, I'd given everything to cover for them, and my reward was two broken legs and a silk sash pulled tight around my throat. In this life, I hadn't done a thing, and they were still dragging me down with them! I took a deep breath. My voice came out so calm that even I didn't recognize it. "My brother's joking. His Highness the Prince Regent has shown me immense kindness. If I were really plotting rebellion, wouldn't I just be asking to die? All this talk of troops and spying is nonsense." Percival glared at me viciously. "What are you so scared of? You're such a coward. How are you fit to be an Arkwright?" He took a step closer, raising his voice. "What about the time someone nearly assassinated the Prince Regent at the West Hill hunting grounds? Didn't you set that up?" Cries of shock rose all around us. One official drew a sharp breath and blurted out, "That's right! You were the one who talked the Prince Regent into going to West Hill to unwind! You said the autumn air was crisp and perfect for hunting, and that's what gave His Highness the idea!" "His Highness treated you like his most trusted man, and you did this to him!" Someone spoke up in outrage, and the resentment, fury, and shock in every face around me held me frozen where I stood. I glared at Percival. "So I set it up, and then I had you announce it in front of everyone? What would I get out of that?! A death sentence?!" Percival had no answer. He stamped his foot and turned to Father and Cecily with a wounded look. Father's face went dark at once, and he berated me. "If you did it, you did it. Doing something and not having the nerve to own it—you're a laughingstock! "You're so spineless. You don't have half your brother's backbone. How are you a soldier's son?" Cecily sighed too. "Benedict, you did plan it. Why keep making excuses now?" I looked at the two of them, cold to the bone. They had truly lost their minds. They'd go this far for Percival! "I didn't—" Before I could get the words out, Lavinia snapped, "Enough!" She grabbed my wrist so hard it felt like she was trying to crush the bone. She leaned in and hissed through gritted teeth, "Do you have to tear Percival down in front of all these people? You just can't stand to see him do well, can you? "Say one more word, and I swear I'll divorce you!" Seething, I tried to shove her away, but she had her servants drag me into the house instead. "Ridiculous! Tomorrow, I'm going back to my father's house. I'll come back when you've learned your lesson!" Percival huffed smugly and preened in front of the princess. "Scared now, aren't you? But if you agree to go boating on the lake with me, I'll ask my father to spare your life." He looked down and straightened his collar with a hint of boyish charm. He never noticed the cold, sinister look on the princess's face. "Lord Percival, I don't think there'll be any boating." She spoke calmly. The moment the words left her mouth, the tramp of marching feet came from both ends of the avenue, so heavy the ground shook. The Royal Guard poured in from every direction and sealed off the entire street. Their leader, Commander Thorne, looked utterly unmoved. "Which one of you is Percival Arkwright?" Chapter 4 Percival went pale and shrank half a step behind Father without thinking. Father inclined his head with an easy smile. "Commander, may I ask what business you have with my youngest son?" Commander Thorne gave a cold laugh. "Your family declares rebellion in the middle of the street, and you ask me what business I have?" Father froze for a beat, then burst into hearty laughter. He reached out and ruffled Percival's hair, his tone absurdly indulgent. "You've misunderstood, Commander. The boy's just playing around. Surely you didn't take it seriously?" He jerked his chin toward the princess. "My youngest has had his heart set on Her Highness for a long time. He was just looking for an excuse to get close to her. Every young man has to marry sometime, and this one's lovesick!" Percival lowered his head bashfully. "Father—" Lavinia stood beside Father and Cecily. The doting smile on her lips stiffened for a moment, and a forlorn look I'd never seen before flickered in her eyes. She quickly pushed the feeling down and stepped forward. "Commander, this is all a misunderstanding. Percival is young and doesn't know any better. He was talking nonsense. I'm truly sorry to have troubled you." Commander Thorne's face was thunderous. He stared at Percival and bit off each word. "Because you're young, I'll let today go. But if there's a next time, I'll have your head!" Princess Adelina couldn't hold back any longer. She whirled on Percival and glared at him in disgust. "You have no shame at all! Spouting nonsense about something this serious!" The crowd had been scared out of their wits, but now that the commander had let the matter drop, jeers broke out everywhere. "So he was just talking nonsense!" "He scared me half to death. I thought it was a real rebellion!" "That Arkwright boy is way too full of himself, joking about something like that!" "What an embarrassment. It's laughable!" Percival's face flushed, then drained of color, and tears welled in his eyes. Suddenly he bellowed, "I'm not joking! Our family really is going to rebel! "There's a royal robe hanging in our family chapel, and Father tries it on every day!" Commander Thorne's hand tightened on the hilt of his sword, his voice as cold as ice. "Men! Search the Arkwright house!" Father's face changed drastically. "Commander, my son's only lashing out because he's upset—" A blade came to rest against his throat. Father's voice cut off, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. Two guards seized Cecily as well. She froze where she stood, not daring to move a muscle. The whole street fell silent. No one dared make a sound. Seeing that he had everyone cowed, Percival looked rather pleased with himself. "Didn't the old King lose his royal seal a while back? It's in Father's study, in the hidden compartment on the third shelf!" Commander Thorne's eyes narrowed sharply, and he stared hard at Father. "The loss of the royal seal is a state secret. How does your son know about it?" Father's face went white as chalk, his lips trembling. "Percival, what are you saying?! There's no royal seal in our house!" Cecily was sweating bullets. She growled at Percival, "Percival, stop talking!" Percival only sneered. "What are you scared of? We've got a hundred thousand elite troops. Are we supposed to be afraid of one useless King?" The minutes crawled by. Half an hour later, the guards sent to search the Arkwright house returned. The officer leading them shook his head. Father let out a long breath. His back was drenched with sweat. He forced a smile. "Commander, I told you. My son was only joking—" Before he could finish, the rapid clatter of hooves drew closer. A palace official swung down from his horse and raised a sealed royal decree high in both hands. His thin, piercing voice split the air. "A royal decree! "The House of Arkwright has proclaimed rebellion in the open street and insulted the Crown with reckless words. This crime cannot be pardoned. The entire house is sentenced to death, the sentence to be carried out at once, without fail!" In front of me, every last trace of color drained from the faces of all three Arkwrights.