'You're not welcome here'
Vance came just in time before chaos fell on Calser. With the help of Zhira, Vernon was able to send for a carriage to where the old advisor spent the remainder of the night until it was safer for Layla to travel. They pretended to be travelers looking for a place to stay after their ride got stuck in the deep snow.
Layla was taken to her room and attended by Dehstun and Christa. Since it had been hours from the last time she was given the sleep-inducing drug, the lady-in-waiting had been whining, sometimes whimpering even. The doctor said she'd come to before lunch, but there's a large bruise on her backside, and a small bump on her head. Evidence that she might've been shoved and hit her head which made her unconscious.
"But she'll be fine?" Maude fiddled on her necklace's pendant when she came to check.
"We won't know until she wakes up."
"Isn't there something you can give her to hasten it?"
Dehstun shook his head. "It's better that she comes to it naturally." Maude only nodded. She's an expert on military tactics, not medicine. All that's left for her to do was to wait and pray that the lady-in-waiting, and her daughter's friend, gets well. The mansion doesn't need another dead body behind the door.
****
It didn't take long for Stanwinx to find Alexander. As a close friend to his father, he had always looked after the duke in his own way, but as soon as he saw him in the drawing room just staring at the blazing fire, he knew.
Alexander might be seen as someone who loved to enjoy his privileges and his wealth in ways not even the wealthiest man in the capital couldn't, but he always took his responsibilities to heart.
"Was it a quick death?" Stanwinx passed behind him to sit on one of the stools near the window.
"No." Alexander took a deep breath; the dancing fire and floating embers kept him occupied. There was a long silence then another inhale before the duke opened his mouth. "It was…" he paused for a heartbeat, "… a long, slow death. Dehstun said that with the cold, Jyver would've probably been too numb to feel anything. But just—" he stopped and closed his eyes. He couldn't get himself to finish the sentence and Stanwinx understood. He'd been in the battlefield and have had countless of men die in his arms and other countless other men that he couldn't even get back to their families.
He knew how it felt to look at a dying person and not do a thing but wait.
"We found Amelia's carriage 'cause someone tipped us where Jyver was found. Apparently, Vance knew the way and because of that, we found Layla."
"Oh…" the duke said then another wave of silence crept under them. "Where did you and the old man meet?"
"We're war buddies." Stanwinx let out a small chuckle, reminiscing the past. "Before I settled in Thuenia, I was all over the continent looking for odd jobs and when I couldn't find any, I travelled to Pradour. There were small disputes at every corner. Everywhere ya look there's puddles of blood. I knew they'd always need new recruits, so I stayed. That's where I met him. I rose in the ranks pretty quick and was fortunate to ride beside him in battle. I stayed there for a good twelve years before I came back and joined your father."
"What was he like?"
"Ya'father?"
"Vance."
"Cunning. Calculative. He's smart, but not smart like those snotty heirs with their high noses." Stanwinx pretended to spit something to the side, "He was street smart. He knew us like he lived the life we had. No one saw him as an heir to the most powerful family in Pradour. He had a way with words, and we would blindly follow him to the depths of hell. A true commander, through and through."
"But you left Pradour and came here."
Stanwinx nodded. "If not for ya'father, I wouldn't."
"Do you think I'm a good ruler, Stanwinx?" Alexander shot a glance at Stanwinx with such confusion and sadness in his eyes that it was too painful for the Elder to watch. He tried to look away, but he also knew how much of a turning point this was for the young duke and how it could possibly shape him in the future. "I feel like I don't know anything that's going on. I feel… lost. Like I'm just holding onto this title for appearance's sake. Even you know a lot more than I do. I still need the elder's approval to do anything significant. I can't even find Amelia on my own. Whereas Elias not only found my knight, but also brought with him a piece of evidence."
Stanwinx stood from his seat and walked towards Alexander. He flinched when he heard the Elder call him, "My boy…" It's what his father used to call him, "These past few months it felt like you were always in a hurry. Always chasing after something. At first, we were happy because we saw ya trying so hard after years of being a pain the arse." The elder snickered as he leaned back, his arm extending behind Alexander. "But soon after, we saw your drive as an unhealthy obsession."
"Where's this conversation headed to?" Alexander's voice was sharp and edged with annoyance as his eyes shot with anger towards Stanwinx which made the mercenary knight shift in his seat.
"I know the duchess has feeling for you. I saw how she looked at you at her banquet. Every man that night wished someone like her would give them soft, longing gazes from the distance. Every time she saw ya coming she had this… smile, a certain glow. But, personally, my boy…" Stanwinx moved closer for a whisper, "… your grace, Duke Clement," he said it in a way that meant he recognized him as an authority above his, "I think ya need to take a step back from this… from her. Collect yourself and see the whole thing in a new, even wider perspective. This…" Stanwinx waved his hand grandly. "Everything that's happening right now is bigger than the both of us, and probably almost everybody else right now. It got to be. If ya want to be the man for her, ya have to become whole to support her. Do ya understand me, my boy?"
The answer to that was both a yes and a no.
*****
"You can't do this to Ancel, grandfather! How can you call everyone back when we haven't even found a single strand of his hair? You haven't given up on him, have you?"
"How can I give up on my own blood?"
"Then don't call everyone back!" She stumped her feet, waved her hand in huge motions.
"If we haven't found anything of his possession somewhere that means he's alive." Reignon dismissed his granddaughter's rage and sat calmly on the seat opposite of Vernon.
"Or dying in a dungeon somewhere!" Arabella's voice bounced off the wall of Vance's study. She angrily followed her grandfather there, demanding a fair enough explanation why they had to stop looking for her brother. She was shouting after him, speaking fast in a mix of Oaneti, a forgotten dialect of the old Osmeans, and Aunese, a foreign language from the south.
"Arabella, this discussion is over."
"No. It's not over until you continue searching for them and actually find Ancel!" She started pointing fingers. Her grandfather only gazed at her lazily, waving his hand to tell her to say what she wanted to say then leave. The Felfords head knew exactly how to deal with her attitude.
"I'll come with Lady Arabella." Elias butted in.
"Why won't you look at that, Arabella? Elias has volunteered to come with you," jested Reignold which annoyed his granddaughter even more.
"I'd rather go by myself than have this lump of flesh dragging me behind." The Mulford heir's built wasn't really the kind that you'd want to bring on a covert, one-with-the-shadows, kind of operation.
"Well, then off you go now. You don't want Ancel waiting for you, do you? Make sure to go beyond and under every nook and crevices. The palace is a maze." He gave his granddaughter the side eye and nodded. For a few seconds, Arabella looked at her grandfather with hate, but she later realized one crucial information—the brooch Elias gave him was an old design. Only Felfords assassin who remained with the family received a new one.
The lady assassin scorned. "I will not forgive you for this, grandfather," she said, her feet stumped heavily on the floor, but there was a light skip to her voice.
****
Silence covered the room. Elias looked at each ruler before him, unable to process the information they told him. At first, they wanted him gone, but the young heir insisted to stay, stating his position as heir to the Mulford name.
First, Reignold Whitt. Elias knew there's something extraordinary about his family but not to the extent that he was actually the head of the Felfords assassins. He thought they're just a family who's like his, bound by the duty to protect their duchy and its rulers.
When Arabella talked about looking for Ancel and even yesterday about a job and dying, he thought she was talking about knighthood. That maybe, since her grandfather was a former knight commander, and all of her brothers were knights, that she might've gone to train as one too.
But to be an assassin? A lady? Elias can only swallow his disbelief.
Not only that… The Mulford heir was also struck with the fact that the old man sitting in front of him was the Grand Duke of Pradour! That hell-hole of a continent—wars, slavery, trafficking, prostitution, corruption. Name it, and it's probably there.
Well, Vance left home before he was officially given the title, so technically he's not the Grand Duke but he was the heir. If only he didn't leave, he'd be the most powerful man in the Pradour. Even the emperor can't hold a candle against the Salwyns, that's why he had always kept them in check.
But the most shocking and controversial of all to Elias, was the fact that these three men only has one person in mind who would do such a thing and that's the air that supports the Great Dragon in the sky.
The Great Mother of the Empire herself, Empress Maeve-Olivia Rosenburg!
Elias asked how they can be so sure, but he was only answered with silence.
"Now's not the time for trivialities," Vance said.
"Trivial?! How can this…" Elias stopped to modulate his voice. "How can this be trivial?" He asked in almost a whisper. "Accusing the empress is already a ground for treason! If the opposing factions here about this, it can instigate a revolt! Why would the empress want to kill Amelia? And you mentioned about her finishing what she couldn't in the past? What past?"
The three men exchanged stares, but none opened their mouths. It was getting dark out and Elias' patience with these old men were running thin. Must he grovel before them? But before the young heir could open his mouth, a commotion sounded outside.
Curious, all four stood from their seats and walked to a nearby window overlooking the front garden. And there it was, a golden dragon soaring through the sky.
A pearly white carriage bearing a flag embroidered with a golden dragon with gold linings plowed through the snow-covered town. Royal knights lined up at the front and at the back of it. People preparing to celebrate Fyssus, the god of judgement who was foretold to bestow another year for mortals to live in accordance with the law of the Heavens, dropped what they were doing and whispered with another.
*****
Alone time with Stanwinx was surprisingly quiet. After saying his piece of mind, the young duke and his Elder sat in front of the fiery hearth in silence, until a commotion broke outside.
Curious, the two were forced out of their seats and into the nearest window. But the gates were too tall to determine who owned the flag on top of a grand looking carriage. Not a minute later, Maude came into the drawing room.
"Is Duke Vernon here?" the Marchioness asked.
"He's with Vance upstairs. Who's by the gates?" Alexander started to walk towards Maude and out into the hallway to the main entrance. As one of the highest ranking noble around, he's got every right to permit or decline whoever thought that coming this late in the afternoon, causing such an uproar, was okay. They have much to think right now than to—
"The emperor, the Great Dragon of the Empire, his Royal Highness, Emperor Augustine Rosenburg demands that this gate be opened this instance," shouted a man donning a thick, fur-lined coat with an embroidered sigil of the emperor's personal guards on its chest.
"What's the meaning of this? Why is the emperor here?" Stanwinx said from behind.
"Christa heard that there were rumors going around about the duchess' disappearance. It must've reached the emperor's ears already."
Why now of all days did the emperor had to show up? He could've just sent someone here and asked. Why come here himself?
Alexander's lips pursed. His clenched fists and fierce eyes stared back at the pair of eyes peeking from the carriage window.
"Who does he think he is just suddenly showing up here?" He said between gritted teeth.
The young Duke was about to storm out of the mansion when Vernon's voice boomed from behind them.
"Don't let Vance out of the door!" he shouted as he hurried down the stairs, his brows furrowed.
With the loudness of his command, the others also went out of their rooms and came down except for Reignold and Elias who was probably ordered by the Aclador Duke to keep the old man in as long as possible.
There was a sense of urgency and rage all mixed in Vernon's eyes as he walked past Alexander, his boots making impressions on the deepening snow, making it harder for him to walk faster. By the time he was at the gates, the gatekeeper had already opened it. He wanted to throw the poor man's soul out of the property, but he was just a paid commoner facing the ruler of the empire. How could he deny his emperor entry?
"This is as far as you can go." Vernon stood in the middle of the gate as the emperor's knights started to urge their horses to move. "One more move and I will personally see to it that you'll not be seeing the light of day when you get back to your quarters." He directed his words to the knights.
"A threat to the emperor's guards is regarded as a threat to the emperor himself. Are you declaring treason, Duke Mulford?" Count Morne stated.
Vernon stared at the emperor's aide hard, and then past him. The growing number of spectators have gathered around, clutching onto their coats and tightening their scarves. Their breaths visible against the cold evening air.
"Ratcliff." Called a raspy and rough voice when the carriage door opened. "I admire your loyalty to the crown, but that's not a way to talk to my dear friend."
"You're not welcome here," Mulford said with restraint.
"Duke Mulford, must I remi—" Ratcliff wasn't able to finish his sentence when Augustine raised his hand.
"Stop it, Ratcliff," he commanded. "You stay here with everybody and my good old friend Vernon here…" he walked towards the duke with a curt smile, "…will escort me inside." With a hand on the duke's shoulder, he leaned towards him a little and whispered, "Shall we? I know you don't want to make a commotion here."