Soulbound: Dual Cultivation

Chapter 573: Unfaithful prince

The atmosphere throughout the capital of Lechia was unlike anything the citizens had experienced in years. From the outer districts to the inner noble quarters, whispers spread like wildfire through the streets. Merchants abandoned their stalls to gather in crowds, soldiers stood at attention with grim expressions, and nobles hurried toward balconies and windows overlooking the main roads. The entire city seemed to hold its breath as news traveled from one corner of the capital to another.

The prince had been captured.

Prince Khan of Lechia.

The heir to the empire.

The son of the Empress.

The future ruler of the kingdom.

The very man whom countless soldiers had sworn to protect with their lives.

Back then when the revelation that he had betrayed the kingdom struck the people, it was harder than any enemy invasion ever could. Many had refused to believe the accusations when rumors first surfaced back then. Some claimed it was enemy propaganda. Others insisted the prince was being framed by political rivals. A few even argued that someone of royal blood could never betray the empire that had nurtured him since birth.

Yet now there was no denying the truth.

He had been caught.

Not only caught, but captured while attempting to flee through a hidden route used by agents of the usurpers.

Witnesses lined the streets as an armed escort marched through the capital. The soldiers surrounding the prisoner were among the empire’s most trusted warriors, each one carrying an expression of disappointment rather than triumph. There was no celebration among them. No satisfaction.

Only sadness.

The man they escorted was not merely a criminal.

He was their prince.

Many of them had watched him grow from a child into a young man.

Many had trained under him.

Some had even admired him.

Yet now he walked through the streets with his hands restrained, his royal garments stained from weeks of travel and secrecy.

The crowds parted silently as he passed.

Some citizens shouted insults.

Others cursed him openly.

Several demanded immediate execution.

But there were also many who simply stared.

Their eyes were filled with confusion.

Disbelief.

Heartbreak.

An elderly woman began crying as the procession passed her.

A veteran soldier lowered his head and turned away.

A young boy who once dreamed of becoming a knight in service to Prince Khan watched with wide, confused eyes as his childhood hero was led through the streets like a common traitor.

The prince himself remained silent.

His face was pale.

His shoulders carried a weight far heavier than chains.

Though he tried to maintain a composed appearance, the shame in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

The journey through the capital felt endless.

Every street became another reminder of what he had betrayed.

The people.

The soldiers.

The kingdom.

His family.

By the time the procession approached the palace grounds, the news had already reached every noble house within the capital.

Hundreds of officials had gathered around the palace entrance.

Military commanders stood beside ministers.

Generals stood beside scholars.

Even servants and attendants watched from a distance.

No one spoke as the prince was escorted through the massive gates.

The silence was far more terrifying than any shout could have been.

The grand palace courtyard seemed colder than usual.

Every step echoed against the stone pathways.

Every pair of eyes followed him.

And at the very end of that path stood a woman.

The ruler of Lechia.

The Empress.

His mother.

For a brief moment, Prince Khan froze.

The countless accusations from strangers had not shaken him.

The chains around his wrists had not shaken him.

The possibility of execution had not shaken him.

But seeing her standing there nearly broke him.

The Empress stood proudly upon the palace steps, dressed in magnificent royal robes that reflected the authority of her position. Her posture was flawless. Her expression was calm. Her presence alone commanded respect from everyone around her.

Only those who knew her best could see the pain hidden beneath the mask.

Her eyes glistened slightly.

Tears threatened to form.

Yet she refused to allow them to fall.

Not here.

Not in front of the court.

Not in front of her people.

The Empress of Lechia would not break.

No matter how much her heart was bleeding.

As the soldiers brought the prince forward, she looked at him silently.

Neither spoke.

Neither moved.

Mother and son simply stared at one another.

The sight was enough to make many of the onlookers lower their heads.

The pain between them was almost tangible.

Countless memories flashed through the Empress’s mind.

She remembered the day he was born.

She remembered holding him in her arms for the first time.

She remembered teaching him how to walk through these very halls.

She remembered his first sword lesson.

His first victory.

His first mistake.

She remembered every smile.

Every laugh.

Every proud moment.

Every time she looked at him and imagined the future ruler he would someday become.

And now…

Now he stood before her in chains.

Accused of helping the very forces responsible for plunging nations into chaos.

Responsible for countless deaths.

Responsible for endless suffering.

The irony was almost unbearable.

Everything she had built.

Everything she had sacrificed.

Everything she had endured.

Had all been for him.

For his future.

For the day he would inherit the throne.

Yet somehow he had chosen another path.

A path she could not understand.

A path she could not forgive.

The question that haunted her refused to leave her mind.

Why?

Why had he done it?

Why betray Lechia?

Why betray his people?

Why betray her?

The throne was already his.

The empire would have belonged to him.

No rival existed who could challenge his claim.

No succession crisis threatened his future.

Everything had been prepared for him since the day he was born.

He had never needed to steal power.

He had never needed to seek allies in the shadows.

He had never needed to betray anyone.

Yet he had done exactly that.

The Empress stared into her son’s eyes, desperately searching for an answer.

Searching for some explanation that would make sense of this nightmare.

But none came.

Only silence remained between them.

Around them, the entire court watched with heavy hearts.

They saw not an empress confronting a traitor.

They saw a mother confronting her son.

And that made the scene infinitely more painful.

The Empress slowly clenched her fists within her sleeves, fighting back the storm raging inside her heart. Every instinct screamed at her to rush forward and demand answers. Another part of her wanted to embrace him and ask where she had failed as a mother. Yet the ruler within her remained in control.

Her expression never cracked.

Her voice never trembled.

But behind those calm eyes was a woman whose heart felt as though it were being torn apart.

She loved her son.

Despite everything.

Despite the betrayal.

Despite the lies.

Despite the pain.

She still loved him.

And perhaps that was what hurt the most.

The realization that even now, standing before the man who had betrayed everything she stood for, she could not stop being his mother.

The courtyard remained silent.

The prince stood before her in chains.