A heavy, uneasy air hung over the table like thick river fog. This was no ordinary lunch, but a state gathering where Solara hosted the leaders of two of its allied states. Walking away from such a meal without a word of justification or proper explanation would insult the guests deeply. Both Veridia and Valoria had every right to protest and pull back their support- especially Veridia, which funded much of Solara's scientific work.
The Grand Scholar knew this better than anyone in the room. Yet, she had walked out anyway. That meant only three things- one,- the crisis was too severe to care about bad manners; two,- she no longer respected her guests, or; three,- she trusted their friendship at personal level enough to overlook the rudeness. Lorian and Selena quietly turned these thoughts over in their minds, while the rest of the table sat in an awkward silence, stealing nervous glances at one another.
Guillaume was trying to recall a light and proper joke he heard the other day to tell now and break the ice; when the Grand Scholar stepped back into the hall. She had left in a panic, but she returned as if she had all the time in the world. Her face was pale, her eyes cast downward, and her lips pressed tightly together in deep worry. She seemed to be walking in a slow trance.
Near her seat, she seemed to snap back to reality and looked up at the people still waiting at the table. Catching Lorian and Selena's gaze, she forced a tight, apologetic smile.
"Please forgive my earlier behavior," Elana said in strained voice, "I sincerely beg your pardon for acting so poorly. I hope you can find it in your noble hearts to overlook this lapse and resume our meal- though I am afraid it has grown a bit cold."
Lorian was still piecing things together and stayed silent, so Selena took the lead. She set her silver fork down with a quiet, sharp click against the porcelain, tilted her head slightly, and met Elana's eyes with soft, steady composure.
"Please, Grand Scholar, no apologies are necessary among old friends," Selena began in her gentle, restrained tone, "as daughter of the Lady Justice Serana Stormhold, I know too well the heavy burdens carried at the head of a state. Though... I confess I have lingering unease,… concern, to be precise,… regarding your current state of mind."
She paused, letting a touch of hesitation soften her words so that it would sound like tender care rather than an interrogation, "These are troubled times, and we have all gathered here to stand together against the harsh winds that has started blowing from the north. I only hope whatever troubles you, is not bad enough to break the very harmony we came here to forge. If Solara's peace is tested, Valoria's oath of friendship dictates us to share the weight, rather than sit in the dark beside untouched plates."
Elana blinked in surprise at the polite yet firm rebuke. She closed her eyes and nodded slowly in respect. "Indeed, Princess Stormhold, you are right. As an apology for my earlier behavior, I will share the truth with you- not as a defense, but as a sign of trust. But I ask that we discuss it in private after the meal. What you choose to tell your people afterward is up to your own judgment."
Both Selena and Lorian gave silent nods of agreement. Once they finished eating, Elana kept her word, leading them to a quiet balcony for a post-meal walk.
"As you both know, Lieutenant-General Roul sent his men out this morning to check on the other delegates who were supposed to arrive yesterday," Elana began in hushed tone, "A short while ago, one of them returned. He had gone to check on the group from Sylvana and brought grim news."
Her face darkened, "The Sylvana convoy was ambushed and wiped out completely. No enemy bodies were left behind, but blood trails on the ground suggest the attackers suffered heavy losses too. They took their dead with them to hide their tracks."
"Wait... what happened to the High Druid Oakhaven?" Lorian asked, caught off guard, "I can't believe High Druid Colm could be taken down by a pack of assassins so easily- especially since he travels with Grove Wardens!"
Elana stopped and shot him a sharp, suspicious look, "How do you know the details of his guard?"
Lorian looked back at her, annoyed by the sudden distrust, "Every head of state travels with their elite guards. That is basic diplomatic protocol! Why are you questioning me over something so obvious?"
The Grand Scholar pulled back, crossing her arms, "Forgive me. These events have me on edge, jumping at every shadow."
Lorian offered a dry smirk, "Please get a grip, Grand Scholar, or next time you'll ask me how I know water is wet."
Elana's eyes flared with anger. Selena could not understand why Lorian insisted on being so blunt, but she stepped in to steer the conversation back on track, "So is it possible the other delegates were attacked as well, causing their delay?"
"I suspect as much," Elana said, turning her focus back to Selena, "I only hope my fears are wrong and their delays are normal. But the most pressing issue is the High Druid. If something happened to him, we are in great danger. I have sent men to collect the bodies and a team of magis to investigate the site."
"Why haven't you contacted the Elder Council of Sylvana to let them know?" Selena urged.
"It is not that simple," Elana replied, shaking her head "A single wrong word or false report could cause a huge misunderstanding. The Elder Council might suspect us at best, or turn hostile at worst. We cannot contact them until we have the facts."
"And how will you explain sitting on the news for two or three days?" Lorian asked casually, "Will you tell them you were busy choosing the proper font and color pallet of your presentation?"
Elana could not understand all the words but got the meaning. "You…." she fumed, biting her tongue to keep from starting a diplomatic fight.
Lorian however remained entirely nonchalant, "I may not be a master of court politics, but quick action matters. You could simply tell them what your scout found, assure them you are investigating, or..." he paused, "You could show your good faith by inviting them to join a joint investigation, and promise to keep the area sealed until they arrive. If my memory serves, there is a spell that traps a space in a time-bubble to keep it untouched."
"That is an S-rank spell," Elana muttered, her anger cooling into grudging respect.
"And Solara is the center of magic on this continent," Lorian smirked, "Surely you can spare a few archmages to cast it for a few days."
Elana stared at Lorian as if she wanted to burn a hole right through him, but she knew he was right. She gave a stiff nod and hurried off to give the orders.
Left alone on the balcony, Selena spun around to face Lorian, "Why?"
Lorian looked confused, "Why what?"
"Why did you keep poking the Grand Scholar? Provoking her like that was completely unnecessary!"
"Well... you see," Lorian smiled, "She insulted us at the table, so I figured I'd return the favor."
"Hush," Selena dismissed him, "I know you. You are stubborn and proud, vindictive and vengeful; but you aren't petty."
Lorian reached out, gently lifted her chin with his hand, and spoke in a low, teasing voice, "Oh... you know me so well?"
Selena's cheeks flushed bright red. She quickly looked away to hide her embarrassment, then changed the subject, "If the Sylvana convoy was attacked, and the others are delayed for the same reason... why were we spared? Because we traveled together?"
"Think about it," Lorian said, as his tone turned serious, "If assassins planned to hit every single delegate, they would bring enough force to handle each group. Since they knew our exact numbers, they would have arranged a proper force enugh to tackle both Valorian Paladins and Veridian Throne Guards at once."
"Yes..." Selena nodded, thinking it through before her eyes snapped back to him, "Wait, did you know something about this?"
"I had a bad feeling from the start," Lorian admitted with a small smile, "That's why I took precautions the moment we decided to come here."
Selena looked at him with glowing pride and satisfied eyes, though she quickly tried to hide it, "You know, now that you mention it, I felt it too. Remember when Lady Elana said she expected us to be late, but the others were supposed to arrive first? But…."
Lorian finished her thought, "…. But we are the closest city to Solara after Sylvana, so we actually should have arrived before Aethelgard, Glimmerfall, or Port Azure."
"Right? You noticed it too!" She laughed, giving him a playful punch in the stomach, "My smarts are finally rubbing off on you."
"And my idiocy on you," Lorian teased, ruffling her hair.
They both laughed, their talk easing into light banter. Cillian and Jax was standing guard just outside the stone archway, making sure no one interrupted them. Though they kept their faces stiff and professional, both guards secretly enjoyed listening to their leaders joke back and forth.
The light mood ended suddenly when Selena turned serious again. "Even so, you shouldn't have pushed Elana so hard. If our suspicions are correct, we can't give them any excuse to take action against us while we're on their home turf."
"I needed to test something," Lorian murmured thoughtfully.
"What?"
"A true mastermind doesn't lose their temper over a few sarcastic remarks. Someone like that hides their real feelings."
"Don't count on it," Selena warned, "It could be an act, or maybe she just genuinely hates you. And besides…. "
She stopped as Justicar Cillian stepped closer. He bowed politely to both of them and passed along a message from a Solara servant- the Grand Scholar requested the Lord and Lady in the court immediately. Nodding to each other, Lorian, Selena, and their guards followed the servant back inside.
The Grand Assembly Hall of Solara was a vast, circular room without a single banner or flag. The walls were built from pale, polished granite lined with glowing mithril veins that cast a soft light eliminating need of torches or any other light sources. Dark iron chairs sat on tiered stone steps rising from the center floor. Elana's seat sat at the very top, higher than the rest, while the remaining chairs bot on its left and right, sloped downward toward the doors.
Elana sat looking deeply worried. Most of the seats were empty, save for the five members of the Enclave, the three Arcane Watch officers, and four unfamiliar faces. They all had grim expressions on their faces as Lorian and Selena walked in.
At Elana's nod, the twelve people stood up to welcome them. Selena raised a hand to signal them to sit back, while Lorian asked bluntly why they, the guests, had been summoned to an official meeting of the state, that too at such an odd hour.
Elana requested them to sit before explaining. She informed them that the scouting teams sent out by the Arcane Watch had all returned, and they brought bad news.
"Were they all targeted?" Selena asked, "Is anyone safe?"
"And what about the High Druid?" Lorian added.
"As Princess Stormhold had suggested, I contacted the Elder Council of Sylvana," Elana replied, taking a deep breath, "I was relieved to learn the High Druid is safe. He was too weak that time for the journey, so he sent two trusted neophytes of his in his place. Both are dead. The Elder Council, especially the High Druid is heartbroken, as one of them was meant to take his seat. They are sending Grove Wardens to investigate alongside our team, and as you advised, our magis have locked down the area."
Lorian and Selena nodded, letting her continue.
"Jarl Borin Stoneheart was also attacked," Elana went on, "But surprisingly, he secretly brought a team of Iron-Forged Engineers disguised as guards. They overwhelmed the assassins, and the rest fled. He will arrive shortly. However..."
Lorian raised an eyebrow, "However?"
"Strangely, First Trader Zaira Zohanar of Port Azure was not attacked at all," Elana said, "She will be here soon as well. That makes her the first delegation left untouched."
"Wait," Director Yolande chimed in, "Lord Lorian and Princess Selena's group wasn't attacked either. That makes three."
"You forget, Maistresse," Thibaut corrected her, "They traveled together. No assassin in their right mind would dare attack the combined force of Valorian Paladins, Veridian Throne Guards."
"Not only that," added the third Arcane Watch officer, stepping forward. He bowed to Lorian. "Forgive me, Lord Lorian, but my men stopped a suspicious group near the border- a band of fierce half-orcs riding dire wolves. They didn't fight back, but they wouldn't give their names or reveal their affilation. Are they with you? If so, we can escort them here. If not, we will have to arrest them on suspicion of working with the attackers."
Lorian leaned forward in his chair with a slow smile, "You are..."
"Mareshal Guillaume de Saint-Clair, at your service, my lord."
Lorian smiled back, "You already knew who they were, didn't you? Otherwise, your orders would have been to wipe them out. Though, legally, you couldn't touch them since they hadn't crossed the border yet. Am I right?"
Selena pressed further, "You've had eyes on us the moment we crossed into the woods, haven't you?"
First Botanist Aveline's face turned stony. She opened her mouth to reply something, but a palace guard burst through the doors.
"General Marcus Ironclad of Aethelgard has just arrived," the guard blurted out, "and he insists on seeing the Grand Scholar right now!"
Elana's face drained of all color. She waved a trembling hand, telling the guard to bring him in.
The guard rushed out and returned a moment later with the Lord of Aethelgard behind him. General Marcus scanned the quiet court with a sharp, cold gaze and let out a harsh smirk.
"Well, my friends," Marcus rumbled, his voice echoing off the stone walls, "It seems there are still fools in this world brave enough to challenge Marcus Ironclad. Would any of you care to see one of them?"