NARRATOR

The news of Duke Thesio’s death during a hunt, supposedly devoured by wild wolves, spread like wildfire across the neighboring duchies and beyond.

Greedy eyes immediately turned toward the “poor” widow, left with little support from Thesio’s army but with an abundance of gold and land ripe for the taking.

It was like stealing candy from a child—she hadn’t even had time to conceive an heir, so the crown wouldn’t interfere, no matter how much she protested.

Ovidio Pensival wasted no time reaching out to Thesio’s general, enticing him with all kinds of promises to sway him to his side.

The man was fairly new, having only recently risen to his position after the previous general’s death. His loyalty lay more with money than with the woman who had climbed into his former master’s bed.

They planned to strike from within, with the general himself opening the city walls for Ovidio before any competition arrived.

A neat plan—except they didn’t realize they were already too late.

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