Codename Black: Rise of the Fallen Commander

Hale & Lancastriel

As Victoria and Alex approached the entrance of her family’s ancestral home, Victoria’s steps began to slow. Her usual confidence seemed to waver, and a visible tension settled over her as they neared the door. She shot Alex a nervous glance, her hand tightening slightly around his arm.

“Listen,” she said, her voice quieter than usual, “they're going to scrutinize every word and move you make in there. My family can be… intense. But don’t be afraid, okay?"

“Afraid?” Alex suppressed a smile, finding her attempt to comfort him amusing. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”

Victoria nodded, though her nerves didn’t seem to ease. With a deep breath, she led him through the grand doors of the mansion.

Inside, the entire Hale family stood in the center of the grand hall, as if expecting something monumental. The elders, with their stern faces, were already on edge. The rest of the family appeared impatient, as if waiting for Victoria’s explanation of the scandal she had caused.

Just as Victoria opened her mouth to introduce Alex, sudden recognition dawned on Sir Thomas’s face. His eyes widened, and he raised a trembling hand to point at Alex.

“Wait a minute!” he blurted out, stepping forward. “That’s… that’s the mechanic! The one who was staying with you! The amnesiac!”

The room erupted into chaos. Gasps and whispers swept through the hall, and suddenly, all eyes were fixed on Alex.

“You’ve brought him here?” Sir Thomas exclaimed, his face reddening with disbelief. “The man you’ve been hiding from us... your secret lover?”

“What a disgrace!”

“This is the man you’ve chosen over Dorian?” another elder demanded.

Victoria’s breath caught. She stood frozen for a moment before finally finding her voice. “I’ve been with Alex for a long time,” she began, her tone shaky. “The reason I didn’t tell anyone is that I knew how you’d react. I knew you wouldn’t approve.”

Her mother, Meredith, stepped forward, her face contorted with anger. “Victoria, we arranged for you to marry Dorian Blackwood to secure our family’s future. Do you even understand the position you’ve put us in?”

Victoria turned to face her mother, her eyes burning with frustration. “Very well. You pushed me into that engagement because you needed the Blackwood family’s influence,” she retorted. “But... that’s no longer necessary.”

The room fell silent, and her father, still trying to process what she was saying, frowned. “What do you mean?”

Victoria lifted her chin, her voice gaining strength as she continued. “Alex can handle everything that Dorian’s influence was supposed to achieve. He’s far more capable than any of you realize. He’s better than Dorian in every way.”

Her words only seemed to enrage her family further.

“You think this mechanic—this nobody—can protect us?” Thomas sneered. “This is insanity!”

But Victoria held her ground, turning to Alex. “You all think you know everything, but Alex has been nothing but loyal, strong, and capable. If any of you truly believe that I need Dorian Blackwood, then you’re wrong. Alex is more than enough.”

The family exchanged shocked looks, clearly not expecting Victoria’s bold defense of the man they had just assumed to be beneath their status.

Sir Thomas, however, remained unconvinced. He turned his sharp gaze on Alex. “You really think you can protect her? You think you can replace what the Blackwood family offers?”

Alex, who had remained silent throughout the barrage of insults and accusations, finally spoke. “I didn’t come here to replace anyone. I came to support Victoria. But believe me when I say I’m more than capable of handling whatever Dorian Blackwood throws our way.”

The tension thickened in the room as Victoria stood tall. With a quick glance at Alex, she made the boldest move yet.

"Besides, Alex isn’t just anyone," she announced, her voice cutting through the murmur of disapproval from the elders. “He’s actually the adopted son of Mr. Heinrich Lancastriel.”

Her statement hung in the air like a thunderclap. The room went deathly silent as the elders, her parents, and even the servants exchanged shocked and bewildered glances. The name Heinrich Lancastriel, the wealthiest and most powerful man they knew, carried weight far beyond what any of them could have expected.

Sir Thomas visibly staggered back, as if struck by the enormity of her words.

“W-what?” one of the elders stammered. “The Lancastriel family?”

Sir Thomas’s face paled. It was as though the air had been sucked out of the room. In that moment, everything they thought they knew about Alex had been flipped on its head.

Alex, who had remained composed, took a step forward. “It’s true,” he said firmly. “I am Heinrich Lancastriel’s adopted son.”

The collective gasp from the family was audible. Meredith looked as if she might faint from the shock, while Sir Thomas’s hands trembled slightly.

Meredith was the first to recover. She recalled, in that instant, a prophecy made when Victoria was born—one that had foretold that her daughter would marry a man of extraordinary standing, a figure who would elevate their family beyond their wildest dreams.

“Could it be?” Meredith whispered, her voice trembling as she turned to Sir Thomas. “The prophecy… This is the man the prophecy spoke of!”

Sir Thomas’s eyes widened, and for the first time, his hardened demeanor softened. A slow, disbelieving smile began to spread across his face.

“By God, it’s true,” Meredith muttered. “This was always meant to be.” She rushed forward, her hands clasped together in front of her. “Alex,” she said breathlessly, “we had no idea. Please, forgive us.”

The elders, too, seemed to change their tune, nodding their approval and murmuring words of welcome to Alex. For the first time, Victoria saw a light at the end of the tunnel.

However, there was still the matter of her engagement to Dorian Blackwood. “You have to cancel the engagement with Dorian,” Victoria urged, her eyes locking onto her father’s. “He’s not the man I’m meant to be with.” She looked lovingly at Alex. “Alex is.”

Sir Thomas hesitated, visibly torn. The family had invested much in securing the union with the Blackwood family, and the political and financial ramifications weighed heavily on his mind. But now, with the powerful Lancastriel name on the line, everything had changed.

Victoria sensed his internal conflict and pressed further. “Father, you don’t need the Blackwood family anymore. Alex can provide us with everything they offered... and more."

The room grew quiet again as all eyes turned to Sir Thomas. He glanced at his wife, who nodded eagerly. Finally, after a long pause, Thomas turned to Alex. “If we withdraw the engagement,” he began cautiously, “can you guarantee our family’s prosperity? That we won’t lose everything we’ve worked for?”

Alex's gaze was firm as he met Sir Thomas’s eyes. “As long as you respect Victoria’s wishes,” he said steadily, “I promise you, your family will prosper. You’ll have my full support, and I will ensure that no harm comes to any of you."