The journey to the disputed land was tense from the moment they left Ralston.
The Ralston chief guard rode at the front, his soldiers following closely behind. Prince Stevenson rode beside Richard, Bryan, and Ryan, while Mrs. Agele sat quietly among them, her eyes fixed on the distant fields.
She had said very little since leaving the castle.
But the moment they reached the property, she froze.
Her eyes widened.
Before her stood a half-finished building, its walls already rising from the earth. Workers moved around the site carrying timber, stones, and tools. Beyond it, the familiar stretch of farmland that had once belonged to her late husband had been divided and marked with fresh wooden posts.
Mrs. Agele stared in disbelief.
"No…" she whispered.
Her voice trembled.
"This cannot be happening."
Richard dismounted first. He looked around, his jaw tightening.
Bryan followed, his fists already clenched.
Ryan stepped closer to their mother.
"Mother…"
She shook her head, tears beginning to stream down her face.
"This was your father's land," she said. "Your father worked this soil with his own hands. How can someone simply come here and take it from us?"
She covered her face.
"We are still alive. His children are still alive. I am still alive. How can they do this to us?"
Prince Stevenson looked toward the unfinished building.
His expression hardened.
"Where is Mr. Stone?"
The chief guard turned to one of the workers.
"You there. Where is the man who ordered this construction?"
The worker hesitated.
"I—I don't know, sir."
Richard stepped forward.
"You don't know?"
The worker shook his head quickly.
"Mr. Stone comes and goes. He was here earlier."
Bryan pointed toward the building.
"He has already started building on our father's property."
Ryan's voice was cold.
"Then tear it down."
The chief guard looked at him.
"Are you certain?"
Richard stepped forward.
"Completely."
Bryan's eyes burned with anger.
"He stole our father's land while we were grieving. He came claiming our father owed him money, and now he thinks he can take everything we have left?"
Ryan pointed at the structure.
"Destroy it."
The chief guard gave a slow nod.
"Men!"
His soldiers immediately moved forward.
The workers dropped their tools and stared.
One of them stepped into their path.
"You cannot do that! This is private property!"
The chief guard stopped.
"Private property?"
His voice was dangerously calm.
"Whose property?"
The worker swallowed.
"Mr. Stone's."
Richard laughed bitterly.
"Mr. Stone's?"
He walked toward the man.
"Tell your master that when he returns, he should come and explain to us how our father's land became his."
The worker raised his voice.
"We have orders to continue construction!"
"And we have orders to stop you," the chief guard replied.
The workers began arguing among themselves.
Several grabbed their tools.
One man pushed against a soldier.
The atmosphere exploded.
"Move!" one of the Ralston soldiers commanded.
"We are not leaving!" another worker shouted.
For a moment, neither side moved.
Then the chief guard slowly reached for the crest fastened across his armour.
He pulled his cloak aside.
The unmistakable crest of Ralston gleamed in the morning light.
Silence fell.
The workers stared.
One dropped the hammer in his hand.
Another immediately stepped backward.
"Ralston…"
The word passed through the group like a warning.
"The Duke's soldiers," someone whispered.
Panic erupted.
"Run!"
The workers scattered.
Some abandoned their tools. Others sprinted across the fields without looking back.
The Ralston soldiers advanced toward the unfinished building.
"Bring it down," the chief guard ordered.
Hammers struck wood.
Walls shook.
Timber splintered.
Mrs. Agele stood watching through her tears as the structure Mr. Stone had raised upon her husband's land began to collapse.
She wiped her face.
"This is our home," she whispered.
Prince Stevenson looked at her worried and
turned toward the falling structure.
"It is our father's land." she said to her children
Richard, Bryan, and Ryan stood beside him.
And for the first time since their father's death, they looked ready to fight for what had been left behind.
An hour later, the sound of approaching horses shattered the uneasy silence over the property.
Mrs. Agele looked up.
Several men were coming down the road—armed, angry, and moving with the confidence of men who believed they had nothing to fear.
At the front was Mr. Stone.
Behind him were his workers and a group of armed men carrying swords and clubs.
Mr. Stone stopped the moment he saw the ruins of the building.
His face twisted with rage.
"What happened here?"
His workers pointed toward the Ralston soldiers.
"That is the man who ordered it," one of them said.
Mr. Stone stared at the soldiers' armour.
Then he laughed.
A cold, mocking laugh.
"Ralston soldiers?"
He looked around at the fields.
"Impossible."
Everyone knew Duke Larry was away at the war front. He had taken his soldiers with him.
So who were these men?
"Do you think I am a fool?" Mr. Stone shouted. "Duke Larry is at war! His army is with him. You are imposters!"
The chief guard stepped forward.
"You should choose your next words carefully."
But Mr. Stone's eyes had already settled on Mrs. Agele.
Hatred filled his face.
"There you are."
Mrs. Agele instinctively stepped backward.
Mr. Stone suddenly charged toward her.
"You and your children have caused me enough trouble!"
He raised his weapon.
But before he could reach her, Prince Stevenson stepped between them.
The blade came down.
CRACK!
Prince Stevenson staggered.
The weapon had cut deeply into his right shoulder.
"Stevenson!" Richard shouted.
Prince Stevenson dropped to one knee, clutching his shoulder as blood quickly soaked through his clothing.
Mrs. Agele screamed.
"My prince"
Richard, Bryan, and Ryan rushed toward their mother, placing themselves between her and Mr. Stone.
"You will not touch our mother!" Richard roared.
The chief guard drew his sword.
"SEIZE HIM!"
The Ralston soldiers moved instantly.
Two men tackled Mr. Stone from behind while another twisted his arm behind his back.
His armed men attacked.
The quiet field became a battlefield.
Steel clashed against steel.
Workers screamed and scattered.
One of Mr. Stone's men swung a club at a soldier, but the soldier ducked and drove his shoulder into the man's chest.
Another soldier blocked a sword and kicked his opponent to the ground.
Richard fought beside his brothers, desperately protecting their mother.
Bryan struck down one of the attackers who tried to approach her.
Ryan grabbed another man and threw him into the dirt.
"Stay away from my mother!"
The struggle continued for several brutal minutes.
Then, one by one, Mr. Stone's men fell.
Some were disarmed.
Others were pinned to the ground.
The workers who had returned with him fled into the fields.
Finally, Mr. Stone was dragged before the chief guard.
The chief guard looked at the man who had dared to attack the family under Ralston's protection.
His anger was barely contained.
"You attacked a woman."
He stepped closer.
"You attacked a member of the family under Ralston's protection."
Mr. Stone spat blood onto the ground.
The chief guard raised his fist.
But before he could strike, Mrs. Agele spoke.
"Stop."
The chief guard turned.
Mrs. Agele was still crying.
Her clothes were dusty, her hands trembling, and her son's blood was still visible on Prince Stevenson's shoulder.
Yet somehow, she had found her strength again.
"Please," she said softly. "Let me speak to him."