Zachary de Arnaud

Count Zacharie de Arnaud returns home after three years of war. The castle greets him with flags and strange whispers. His wife runs out to the gates, pale. Adrian dismounts and embraces her, unaware of her tenseness or the servants' averted gaze.

Rumors of his wife, Countess Arno, being unfaithful began to circulate throughout the castle. Her husband's prolonged absence prompted her to take extreme measures and take a lover. Someone decided to tarnish the honor of the castle's mistress with these rumors.

Zachary tried to pretend nothing was happening, but doubts had already crept into his heart. He caught the servants' sidelong glances and noticed how his wife avoided conversation. He wanted to believe, but jealousy and wounded pride choked him. He locked himself in the armory, not visiting his wife that night.

He soon learned the identity of the one who had so brazenly used his wife as revenge, and everything immediately fell into place. The Count had sent a letter challenging him to the battlefield. One-on-one. It was the Baron, who had repeatedly paid his wife attentions and repeatedly attempted to publicly humiliate the Arno family.

On the field, a man clad in iron breathes heavily. Besides the heat, he's trying to suppress his inner anger. It's not appropriate to act prematurely. Only when the signal sounds does the Count instantly gallop up on his powerful horse to put an end to these vile rumors once and for all. And the enemy falls as soon as the sword touches his chest.

"My wife is pure. And you are a liar and a coward, who weaves intrigues while men fight in war. Admit it." "In front of everyone," the Count roars. "Admit that you invented this lie yourself, or I will feed you to my dogs."

Zachary throws down his sword and, without even glancing at his humiliated enemy, who was screaming his confession at the top of his lungs because he was afraid to die, heads back to the castle. Exhausted from not sleeping all night, thinking about his wife and her honor, he enters the bedroom where his lovely wife is.

"I killed there, thinking I was protecting the entire kingdom. But I needed to protect my own home. Forgive me."