“An outsider? Who is it?” Percival asked urgently. “Could it be that assistant general who came in at noon?”
Warrick frowned. “I’ve looked into that man. No background, no connections-just an old hand in the military. Been around forever, knows the ropes, but has no real pull.”
“It’s not him-it’s someone connected to him.” Huxley lowered his voice. ” Remember what Sir Austin said at noon? When he summoned that assistant general, he specifically mentioned the Ballard family.”
“The Ballard family?” Percival looked surprised. “You mean the Ballards from Oakvale? Are you saying they’ve already beaten us to it and met with the prince?”
“The prince hasn’t met with them, but according to my intel, this man, Jovian Ballard, spent two hours chatting with Sir Austin today. They talked and laughed like old acquaintances. Sir Austin even invited him to stay for dinner at the castle.”
Huxley’s face darkened.
He continued, “Look, the Ballards sent someone at a time like this. They’re obviously trying to sniff out information. Sir Austin ignores us completely but meets with Jovian privately-doesn’t that say something about where he stands?”
“This doesn’t make sense.” Percival frowned. “The Ballard family has no direct ties to the royal family, nor do they have business dealings with them. So why would Sir Austin place such importance on Jovian? Could there be something else going on?”
“I find it strange too,” Warrick agreed. The Ballards might have some sway in Oakvale, but in West Lucozia, they’re nobodies. If they had real pull, they wouldn’t be sending an assistant general to deliver their message. And knowing Sir Austin, he wouldn’t go out of his way for people like that.” 11
They were puzzled. They couldn’t understand why Austin would meet with Jovian privately. What could possibly connect them?
“Gentlemen, the details of how this happened don’t matter anymore. What matters now is how we handle this Ballard family member,” Huxley reminded them.
They had already met, eaten, and discussed everything important-lingering on Austin and Jovian’s relationship was pointless. Their focus needed to shift to extracting the intel they needed.
“Mr. Wentworth, you’ve always got plenty of ideas. What’s your take on this?” Warrick didn’t respond directly. Instead, he turned the problem over to those around him.
“Since we can’t get to the prince or Sir Austin, why not go after that Ballard guy first?” Percival stroked his white beard thoughtfully.
He continued, “He’s new to West Lucozia and in an unfamiliar territory, which makes him easy to deal with. We should invite him for a meal and learn more about him. What do you think?”
“Great! Let’s do it that way.” Warrick quickly approved the suggestion. Though he couldn’t enter the castle’s gates, dealing with an outsider like Jovian was clearly not a problem.
“But now the question is, who should extend the invitation?” Huxley asked.
“Mr. Prescott, isn’t that assistant general, Boston Graham, one of your subordinates? You could have him extend the invite and act as the intermediary. What do you think?
“Percival suggested.
“No problem. I’ll take care of it right away,
“Warrick readily agreed.
Boston was two ranks lower than him, and someone at that rank typically had no place in important meetings. But with Warrick personally arranging the invitation, he figured Jovian wouldn’t dare to turn it down.
Later that evening, Jovian left the castle through the back entrance after dinner. The castle was a hub of gossip, and he didn’t want to stay there. If word got out, the Ballard family would be thrust into the limelight. That was the last thing he wanted.
Although he had left the castle, he had already agreed with Austin to return to Oakvale together the following day. It would be good to look out for one another and make things more convenient.
On the way back to the hotel, Jovian and Boston chatted casually.
Jovian was grateful for his introduction, which had allowed him to meet Austin and earn his favor.
From Boston’s perspective, it was all about the influence of the Ballard family. Being associated with them was enough to open doors for him.
After all, opportunities to dine with Austin didn’t come around often. Even getting acquainted with him could make a big difference in what lay ahead.
As they were chatting, Boston’s phone rang, and he answered it. His smile quickly faded and was replaced by a grim expression.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Jovian quickly noticed the change in his expression.
“My superior just called and informed me that Sir Prescott wants to invite me for a midnight snack. He specifically told me to bring you along.” Boston looked uneasy.
Jovian frowned slightly. “Are you saying that he is coming after me?”
Though he had never met Warrick, he had certainly heard of him. Warrick was no pushover. Being invited to a meal out of the blue meant there was something more to it.
“Maybe you should return to the castle. I’ll tell Sir Prescott that Sir Austin wanted to keep you here. That way, you won’t get into trouble,” Boston suggested.
Though Warrick was powerful, he wouldn’t dare go against Austin.
Jovian shook his head. “What’s meant to happen will happen. If trouble’s coming, there’s no avoiding it. If I turn down this invitation, not only will I get in trouble, but it’ll make it hard for you to stay in West Lucozia, too.”
“But-”
Boston was about to say something, but Jovian cut him off, “Don’t worry. It’s just a meal. It’s not like I’m being led to the guillotine. What’s there to fear?”
He continued, “So, where are we supposed to meet? Let’s go now and avoid wasting time.”
Jovian wasn’t the type to back down at the first sign of trouble. If he did, what kind of leader would that make him? The Ballard family was one of the four ancient houses. They weren’t about to be scared off by some general.
