The first blood was spilled far from any battlefield.
It happened in Acre, just before dawn.
Betrayal in the Port City
A royal tax office burned quietly in the night, its guards found dead with their throats slit. By sunrise, pamphlets were nailed to the city gates bearing the seal of the Compact of the Old Blood.
"The King strips the noble of his rights,
the church of its authority,
and the cities of their freedom."
By noon, riots had begun.
Roland received the news in Tripoli.
Lucien slammed a fist onto the table. "They didn't just resist — they moved first."
Amalthea's voice was tight. "They planned this. Acre, Tyre, and even Jerusalem itself. Smaller acts — coordinated unrest."
Roland closed his eyes for a brief moment.
The Compact had chosen its moment well.
Foreign pressure.
Military strain.
Political uncertainty.
This was not coincidence.
This was war — just not the kind fought with armies.
The King's Dilemma
The council convened in emergency session.
Sir Aldric spoke first. "Give me authority and I'll crush this. Arrest every known conspirator."
Bishop Evrard hesitated. "Many Compact members are nobles and clergy. A purge could fracture the kingdom."
Lucien scowled. "Letting them live fractures it worse."
Roland raised a hand.
"No purges," he said calmly. "And no hesitation."
Everyone turned toward him.
"We will not become tyrants to prove we are kings."
Amalthea frowned. "Then how do you stop them?"
Roland opened a parchment map.
"We isolate them."
Cutting the Snake
Roland's response was swift — and precise.
Within days:
Trade privileges were suspended for Compact-aligned merchants
Noble levies refusing royal authority were disbanded by law
Royal courts replaced local noble courts in key cities
Grain shipments were redirected away from rebellious districts
Trusted governors were installed — temporarily
Not through violence.
Through control.
The Compact's strength — wealth and influence — began to wither.
And that frightened them.
The Attempt on the King
They struck back harder.
Three nights later, Roland walked the gardens of Tripoli's citadel with only two guards.
A shadow moved.
Steel flashed.
Lucien shouted.
The assassin was skilled — fast, silent, and close enough to kill a lesser man.
Roland reacted instantly.
Years of battle and instinct saved him. He twisted, taking the blade across his arm instead of his throat. Guards rushed in, cutting the assassin down.
The man died without a word.
But in his clenched hand was a ring.
The seal of the Compact of the Old Blood.
Silence followed.
Lucien stared at Roland's bleeding arm. "That was no warning."
Roland wrapped the wound himself.
"No," he said quietly. "That was desperation."
The Line Is Crossed
The assassination attempt changed everything.
Roland stood before the council the next morning, his arm bandaged, his voice iron-hard.
"They have chosen murder," he said. "Which means they have chosen to be enemies of the crown."
Bishop Evrard bowed his head.
Sir Aldric's jaw tightened. "Your orders?"
Roland did not hesitate.
"Arrest the leaders of the Compact. Public trials. Evidence presented. No secrecy. No mercy."
Amalthea exhaled slowly. "That will provoke unrest."
Roland met her gaze.
"So will weakness."
Justice, Not Terror
Within a week, the Compact's leadership was broken.
Some were arrested quietly.
Some fled.
Some were captured while trying to bribe guards or escape by sea.
In Jerusalem, Acre, and Tyre, trials were held openly.
Evidence was overwhelming: letters, bribes, foreign contacts.
A few were exiled.
Many were stripped of titles.
Several — the worst — were executed for treason.
The people watched.
And understood.
This was not tyranny.
This was law.
The Kingdom Stands
As the Compact collapsed, unrest faded.
Trade resumed.
Cities stabilized.
The army stood ready — loyal.
Roland stood once more on the citadel balcony.
Lucien joined him. "You could have ruled by fear after that."
Roland shook his head.
"Fear breaks kingdoms," he said. "Trust builds them."
He looked east, where the emir's lands waited.
The internal threat was broken.
Now only the external one remained.
End of Chapter 25
The Kingdom of Jerusalem had survived its first internal war.
But outside its borders, enemies watched closely.
And they had learned something important:
Roland could be challenged.
But he could not be easily removed.
Author speaking
Sorry I didn't post the next chapter. I want a vacation with my family so I spend some time offline.