บททั้งหมดของ THE BASTARD SON OF THE VIKINGS : บทที่ 51 - บทที่ 60

CELEBRATION, CHAOS AND DEADLY STRIKE Rumors did not arrive gently.They slammed into the camp like a war drum.Lucia’s son heard it from three mouths before he believed it.“Vanguard has a son.”“He conquered a city.”“Almost as large as Palermo.” “And he’s returning.”The words followed him into the tent, into his bones, into the silence that settled afterward.Lucia’s son sat alone on a low stool, elbows on his knees, hands clasped so tightly his knuckles had gone pale. The fire before him had burned down to embers, but he did not notice. His eyes were fixed on nothing.Enzo watched him for a long moment.“Say something,” Enzo said finally.Lucia’s son did not look up.Enzo stepped closer. “You’ve been through worse.”A sharp breath escaped Lucia’s son, almost a laugh, but it held no humor.“Have I?” he asked quietly.Enzo frowned. “This is just another rumor.”Lucia’s son shook his head slowly. “No. This one has weight.”He stood abruptly and began pacing, boots scraping the dir

THE RUINED KIDNAP The night was a knife-edge. The moon hid behind clouds, leaving Palermo in a shadowed haze. Not a sound stirred beyond the faint whistle of wind through the alleyways. Lucia’s son pressed himself against the rough stone wall, his cloak damp with sweat, eyes scanning the palace ahead. Enzo crouched beside him, low as a shadow, his knuckles white on the hilt of his dagger. “All clear,” he whispered. “For now.” Lucia’s son nodded, his pulse hammering. “Remember. Precision. Silence. One wrong move, one sound… and it’s over before it begins.” The men shifted around them, flattened against pillars, statues, the faint outlines of carts and barrels serving as cover. Every movement was deliberate. Every breath calculated. A flicker of movement drew their eyes to the kitchen doorway. A maid appeared, a basket in her hands. She hummed softly, oblivious to the world beyond her chores. Lucia’s son tensed. He watched her step too quickly. Her elbow knocked against a sta

PREPARATION OF WARLucia’s hands clenched into fists at her sides. Her mind raced. Vanguard had a son? How could she not have known? The thought struck her like a whip. “He never mentioned… never told anyone.”Her eyes flashed with a dangerous gleam. “The fool,” she spat, teeth clenched. “He must have hidden him. Planned this in secret. He didn’t want me…or anyone..to know. Soldiers… chariots… he’s coming for his father. And rumors… his men must already know. His father is… captured.”The messenger gulped. “Yes, Empress. He’s marching fast. He’s… he’s furious. They say he knows what you’ve done to Vanguard.”Lucia’s jaw tightened. Fury and calculation warred across her face. Her mind moved faster than the messenger’s breath. She took a step closer, voice low and deadly.“Get me Enzo. And gather the men. Now. Every able soldier, every trained fighter. We prepare, and we prepare before he reaches the walls. Do you understand me?”The messenger nodded frantically. “Yes, Empress! Righ

THE BARGAIN Severo took a step forward, His gaze steady, controlled. “My father,” he said, “a man whose name alone brings fear to men and kings alike… captured… humiliated… by a woman.” He let out a small exhale, almost reverent. “I had to see a woman capable of such a feat. Palermo… this city of trembling men… retaken, restored… by you. I wanted to see it with my own eyes.” Lucia’s eyes widened a bit, a flash of surprise crossing her face before she masked it with ice. “You mean… you didn’t come for him?” she asked, tilting her head, voice low, testing, like a predator circling prey. Severo’s shoulders squared. “Not yet,” he said firmly. “Not for him. I came… for you.” Lucia blinked, only once, slow enough for him to notice. She leaned forward, eyes narrowing. “For me?” she repeated, voice almost a growl. “The son of Vanguard… comes for me? And you call yourself fearless?” “I call myself… observant,” Severo replied, stepping closer. The air between them seemed to tight

THE DENOUNCE AND EXILE OF THE EMPRESS SON. You are no longer welcome in Palermo. From this moment, you are cast into exile. Far away. So far that even your shadow will never fall on my city.” She stepped forward, eyes burning into him. “I will rule Palermo without emotion. Without weakness. On no account are you to be seen within these walls again.” She turned slowly, addressing the hall. “Whoever sees him and fails to report it to me will be killed.” She lifted her chin. “I have spoken.” Silence swallowed the chamber. No applause. No laughter. Not a breath dared rise too loud. Faces were frozen in disbelief. Eyes widened. Mouths parted but produced no sound. Even the torches seemed to flicker uneasily, as if afraid. Then a whisper broke through the stillness. “She denounces her own son… even after he saved her from Vanguard’s grip.” The words barely carried, but they reached her. Lucia stopped. Her head turned slowly. “Who said that?” she asked. The hall shifted i