"Your Majesty, I think you shouldn't tell Caspian so early on that you want him to be your successor.
"Despite the expectations he'll have after you tell him about it, he won't be able to ascend to that high and mighty position so soon. If this goes on for some time, he'll surely start to harbor ulterior motives," Jerry said hurriedly.
"Four countries attacked Diatoran this time, and I had to head to West Aridlands alone. In such a dire situation, Caspian is the most suitable person to be king. This is why I've told many higher-ups about this," Balthazar said.
"The enemy troops have been repelled, Your Majesty. To ensure that Caspian does not harbor the desire to commit treason, you can tell him that the matter of who will succeed you will be discussed later on," Jerry said.
"You're joking. I've already promised Caspian that he'll be my successor, and he's not the only one who knows about it, either. What will the higher-ups think of me if I go back on my promise now?" Balthazar said.
"But what if Caspian really wants to be king earlier? He might really try to overthrow you!" Jerry said.
"That's enough. Stop. I believe in his integrity," Balthazar snapped impatiently.
Jerry was going on and on about Caspian, painting him in a bad light.
"You also noticed during the meeting earlier that Caspian was acting strangely. Please reconsider, Your Majesty," Jerry said.
"We have different opinions, but he's fought in so many wars and done so many heroic deeds. In this war, we were surrounded by four countries.
"Thanks to Caspian, I was unharmed. He led the charge in many battles and succeeded in repelling the traitors and enemy troops. I would've become a prisoner if not for him.
"After that, he killed Robert and Viktor. No one's achievements can ever compare to his. Personally, I want him to be my successor, but he's also the most ideal candidate judging from his achievements and deeds," Balthazar told Jerry about his opinion.
"Lord Caspian has achieved glorious achievements in war, Your Majesty, but his presence is too high-profile now. His reputation might even precede yours. What if he doesn't listen to your command?" Jerry said.
Balthazar gave serious thought to Jerry's words. The latter was not wrong. Caspian was becoming increasingly powerful.
"Diatoran has gained great momentum after our victories, so this is a great time to strike. Caspian is the head of the Five War Gods, but he seems to have changed after the battle in Southlake City.
"He's become less proactive and started to sing a different tune from yours, Your Majesty. I think he just doesn't want you to be the most powerful ruler in the world! Caspian must never be the successor to the throne."
Jerry fanned the flames further upon noticing Balthazar's hesitation.
"In your opinion, who else is suited to be my successor aside from him?" Balthazar asked.
"I'm not sure, either. We still have to observe the other Champions for a while longer. I think that you should issue a command to Caspian, telling him to start a war. He'll surely obey your command. If he shows signs of disobedience, we can push him to the sidelines." Jerry grinned.
"It's not as easy as you just put it. Everyone must agree to it before I can issue a command. I can't just decide on it while ignoring everyone else's opinions on the matter, can I?" Balthazar said.
"We can use this to test Caspian, Your Majesty," Jerry said.
"No. If I've already promised something, I can't possibly go back on it. This is not a joking matter!" Balthazar said sternly.
"After returning to Dhord City, I'll gather the Five War Gods and hold another meeting. Majority wins, so we can start a war if a majority of them agree to it."
"Caspian's loyalty must be tested, Your Majesty. He commands a massive army. It'll lead to dire consequences if he ever wants to overthrow you. You should remove his right to be your successor," Jerry continued.
"Henry is a traitor. He should be killed for that. Willow is the God of War's wife, too. If she agrees to save Henry, she's basically abusing the law to help her family," Marilyn said.
"You two should be blamed instead. If you had raised your kid well, why would he become a traitor?"
"What do you mean by that, Mom? What's the point of bringing this up now? Have you given up on Henry, too?" Donald asked.
"It's not that I want to, but I have no choice. Traitors are the enemy of Diatoran. Who can save him?" Marilyn said.
"There's one more thing. Willow said that she's willing to help Henry if he only thought about defecting to the enemy but hadn't done anything," Melinda said.
"What are you waiting for, then? Ask Alicia about what happened, quick!" Marilyn said hurriedly.
"I'll ask her now." Melinda gave Alicia a call.
When Alicia saw her mother was calling, she answered and asked, "How did it go, Mom? Can Henry be saved?"
"We have no way of doing that. I called Willow just now, but she refused to help us. I want to know if Henry has done anything against Diatoran. Has he just thought about it but not acted upon it?" Melinda asked.
"I don't know about that, either. I did see him and the Hudsons have a meal with Robert at the same table, though," Alicia said.
"So Henry really did act upon it? What should we do, then?" Melinda asked anxiously.
"But He didn't have the time to do anything else because he was busy trying to save me. He just wanted to defect to the enemy but didn't really do anything," Alicia told Melinda everything she knew.
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