Neidr had a dilemma. He didn't know how to get to the second prince, let alone kill him. If he didn't pluck this thorn soon however, the two princes would fight each to the death, leaving the third prince alone and strangely powerful. Although many nobles and their familes's retinue supported the third prince, the military saw him as a weakling and despised him. If that happened, then the armed forces would likely join the only strong military commander they saw in the upcoming conflict, the Iron Duke. Leaving the defense of Flirord to the students of Rotham and a ragtag group of retinue.

'Fuuuuuuuuuuck.'

In the original novel, Liam and his posse took control of Rotham, after the teacher left to fight the undead, and defended it as hordes of undead from over the mountain pass came in to invade Flirord. They would hold out long enough for a continental coalition to sweep upwards and cast away the invaders allowing the Liam and his group to discover the secrets of Rotham and smite Raphael. 

"Wait." Neidr narrowed his eyes. If that damn king didn't get sick, none of this would happen. Upon the crisis of the King's health, the Princes fought each other outright and Raphael invaded. 

The princes wanted the crown. 

Raphael wanted to make the king live forever in order to get a major backer.

The continent rose up against him because raising undead was a contrary practice to the church.

All of this sounded like it had nothing to do with Neidr, but his small Barony would be demolished in the aftermath, giving him no place to laze around. That was truly catastrophic. 

Neidr sighed, he needed a way to keep the king alive or kill the second prince. Killing the second prince was still much more likely than the former, though. Neidr took out a paper and a pen and started to write out plans. 

*** 

The smell of scorched flesh filled the room, blackened bodies lined the floor and an exhausted Liam huffed while John shivered in the corner. Liam looked over to him and said,

"John, you're going to have to explain this to me. Why do they all want you dead?"[Liam] John immediately began to ball, 

"It's that bastard Neidr's fault! I'm sure he told everyone my secret!"[John] Liam cocked an eyebrow, not at Neidr's involvement that was beginning to become a given, but,

"What secret?"[Liam] John sniffed, looked back and forth and kept his mouth shut.

Liam sighed and said,

"Ok, next time you deal with all the people trying to kill you."[Liam] If Liam learned anything from Neidr, shamelessness was a weapon. John began to cry and make a sad-looking face, Liam cleverly ignored him. 'So what if he cries? It's not a woman, why do I care?' Seeing Liam not give in, John looked around making sure no one else was around and crawled over to Liam before whispering in his ear.

"I'm the third Prince."[John] John felt that Liam was a reliable and good person. After he was kicked out of Neidr's room, he found Liam to be supportive and helpful. He could even sleep sounder when around him. Now that his life depended on this knight in shining armor, he felt it was only right to speak the truth. In his heart, Liam was a kind, cool-headed and understanding man. Liam blinked, 

"The third prince! The lecherous drunken fiend of Flirord? The man said only to be able to count the amount of women he lays with in one night and not a number higher?"[John]

John wanted to take back all of his praise. His eyes got red, and he beat against Liam's chest.

"Bully! Fiend! All wicked rumors! its all wicked rumors!"[John] Soon after Lizzy rushed in the room, hearing the commotion startled her and she feared for Liam's safety. However, what she witnessed....

Lizzy immediately screeched like a banshee and tackled John into the floor. The pair went rolling through the carnage in front of the dumbstruck Liam.

After a short moment of shock, he called out,

"Lizzy, what are you doing?"[Liam] Liam had more or less forgiven the girl, she really did seem to repent, but her relationship with John was getting stranger and stranger. Liam really realized that Lizzy really liked him when she rushed in accusing John of being a harlot trying to steal her man. Liam's ears got red just thinking about it. Although the issue was resolved, John was a boy afterall no matter how cute he was, Lizzy still treated the poor boy wearily. This was a little too much, though. Lizzy hissed back,

"What are you doing letting this hussy put her dirty paws all over you?"[Lizzy]

"Lizzy, that's the third prince."[Liam] 

"That was supposed to be a secret!"[John] screamed as if he were wronged, and Lizzy jumped back in instinctual disgust. She pointed towards John angrily and said,

"You said you were a woman! Have you deceived me just to get close to me? What filthy, degenerate tastes you have! All nobles are the same!"[Lizzy] John started to cry again, feeling very wronged and seriously misunderstood, he hollered out,

"You said you would keep that a secret if I helped you out with some things!"[John] Liam held his hand up and said,

"Wait, John's really a woman?I thought you were the third prince."[Liam] John couldn't take it anymore and hollered out,

"Dammit! I'm both! I'm the third Princess! Are you happy!"[John] Liam blinked as his head started to slowly move. A cute woman was the third prince? Or princess... That would explain the assassins, but what about the rumors of his lecherous ways? Unless... Liam swiftly grabbed Lizzy and started to run away. He wasn't worried earlier, he knew her disgust for noblemen. 

However, if it was a cute lesbian princess?

This was dangerous.

Seeing her hero dash away with another woman as if he was afraid that she would steal her away, John, or should I saw Amber was speechless.