After hearing Nathaniel’s words, Tristan’s expression darkened. His brow furrowed as he sank into deep thought.
It seemed he had underestimated the situation. He had assumed it was just a simple rivalry between brothers; he hadn’t anticipated Seamus seizing the chance to further his own agenda.
Seamus already wielded considerable influence. Under the guise of supporting Matthias’ ascension to the throne, he had been forming alliances and recruiting talents. His influence had grown to rival the royal family’s.
If Seamus really supported Matthias’ ascension, he’d overshadow the king, and no one would be able to stop him. The worst-case scenario would be Seamus using Matthias as a puppet to overthrow the House of Linsor.
“Nathaniel, is everything you said true?” Tristan frowned.
“Absolutely. Every word,” Nathaniel replied solemnly. “Of course, if you don’t believe me, you can send someone to investigate.”
“I believe you. But… taking down Seamus won’t be easy. Do you have a plan?” Tristan asked.
“I’ve already sent someone to warn Matthias, but it hasn’t done much good. He believes I have an agenda and doesn’t trust me. Right now, the only option is for us to join forces and stop him from ascending to the throne. That’s the only way we can crush Seamus’s plot,” Nathaniel said.
His words contained a mix of truth and self -interest. While they seemed righteous, they also revealed his hidden agenda. At the moment, he couldn’t match Matthias’ influence.
But with Tristan’s help, their chances of success would be much higher. And once Matthias was out of the way, the throne would be his. He knew Tristan was no match for him this was the real heart of his scheme.
“I guess that’s our only choice.” Tristan nodded thoughtfully. To protect both the House of Linsor and his own interests, he couldn’t let Matthias ascend the throne.
“So, does this mean you agree?” Nathaniel raised an eyebrow.
“For both personal and political reasons, I can’t let Seamus’ plan succeed. But with just the two of us, we’re not strong enough to take him on. We’ll need to secure a few more powerful allies,” Tristan explained.
“Of the eight great families, four have already sided with the Moseys. We can still try to get the other four, but we’ll need your connections for that,” Nathaniel said.
“I know a few friends in the great families.
It shouldn’t be too difficult to persuade them,” Tristan said and added, “But rather than focusing on the great families, our priority should be the four ancient houses. Aside from the Moseys, there are also the Spanners, the Fallons, and the Ballards.
“The Fallons are closely tied to the Moseys. They’re likely already allied with Matthias, so winning them over will be difficult. For the time being, we’ll need to focus on the Spanners and Ballards.”
Nathaniel said calmly, “I have good relations with the Spanners, so I’ll talk to them. As for the Ballards, I’ll leave that to you.”
“Okay. I’ll visit the Ballards tomorrow morning and see where the Duke of Lachshire stands on this.” Tristan nodded and didn’t reject the idea.
If they could secure the Ballards’ support, it would be a huge advantage for them.
“I have one more favor to ask,” Nathaniel said after a moment.
“Just tell me. We’re in this together, and we should help each other out,” Tristan responded confidently.
“To stay ahead, we need a decisive advantage in intelligence, and that happens to be Grace’s specialty. Her Serenity Hall is one of the top three intelligence networks in Dragonmarsh. If we can get her to help us, everything will go a lot smoother,” Nathaniel explained.
Among the many royal siblings, Grace was undoubtedly the most outstanding. Unlike the rest of them, who focused on military or political matters, she had built an extensive intelligence network that spanned across the entire nation. She was certainly not someone to be underestimated.
“You want me to recruit her to our cause?”
Tristan asked, narrowing his eyes.
“You’ve always had a good relationship with her. If you ask, I doubt she’ll turn you down,” Nathaniel said with a smile.
“That’s not necessarily the case.” Tristan shook his head. “I know her well. She never takes sides in royal rivalries. Asking her to side against Matthias isn’t something she’d ever agree to.”
Grace’s intelligence network was unparalleled, but she was a woman of principle. She had always maintained neutrality regarding the rivalry among the royal siblings.
“All we need is for Grace to provide us with intelligence. We’re not asking her to take direct action. I don’t think that would compromise her principles. If it comes to it, we can offer a higher fee for the information,” Nathaniel reasoned.
“But…” Tristan frowned and hesitated.
“Think about the bigger picture,”
Nathaniel said earnestly.
After a moment, Tristan nodded. “Fine. I’ll give it a try, but I can’t make any promises.
Though reluctant to drag Grace into this, the current political instability and the growing tensions in the government left him with no other choice. As a royal heir, he couldn’t afford to stand idly by. He had no choice but to face some things head-on, even if he didn’t want to do them.
