Chapter 441 (1/2)
Chapter 441
Chapter 439: The Message
“This is not the Victoriad, and I a to be a retainer, so I will skip over the flagrant compliments and unnecessary list of achieve the collection of highbloods look around at each other suspiciously “Although known in Alacrya as Grey, the truth is this: I introduce to you Arthur Leywin, Lance of the country of Elenoir on the continent of Dicathen”
The roohbloods’ sense of decoruh to allow soes between neighbors The attitude was all over the place, with soasted, while others wore s looks like they’d just won a bet The reaction froh, indicated that they’d at least suspected the possibility ofat the foot of the stairs across the roo hand Slowly, he looked up froot to be shi+ttingeveryone else “So you were…at the acadeain as the others looked at him with thinly veiled annoyance
“So our savior is Dicathian,” one of the ascenders, a man named Djimon, said with a hint of disbelief
Next to hi his head “I heard the ru“Scythe Seris…what’s all this really been for?”
Several other attendees echoed this question, so their knuckles on the table to show their support
“Enough,” Highlord Frost said His voice wasn’t loud, there was no harsh command in his tone, and yet the word carried like the sound of distant thunder, quieting everyone else
Seris looked around for a few seconds, taking the tihbloods’ eye in turn “The question isn’t what this was all for, because each of you know the answer already We fight for ourselves and our bloods, to shape our world so it is fit for those of us with ‘lesser’ blood and not just the asura who have marked it and claimed it as theirs”
She paused for a moment to let these words settle “No, I’m certain each of you understands all too hy you’re here And because of this, you also know that this is not a war between two continents The Dicathians are as hteous apotheosis as we are They are our allies in this struggle, not our enemies”
“So, are you the leader of your continent?” Matron Tremblay, the Vritra-blooded woht to treat with this body on Dicathen’s behalf?”
I returned her unflinching gaze “That’s not why I’hlord Frost asked “I’ve heard quite a lot about you frohter And more still froh to cross paths with you A Dicathian who teaches our children and spares our soldiers? You’ll have to forgive me, Lord Leywin, if I don’t fully understand what connects you to Alacrya”
A nureement
I sensed Chul shi+ft his stance behindas he instinctively called on it Sylvie, feeling my attention on hi him to be patient
“My time as an ascender and professor wasn’t intentional,” I said after taking a hts “I didn’t come here to spy on you, infiltrate your institutions, or harm you, but I did consider you hblood Denoir—had done their best to convince me otherwise, but it was your children—kids like Enola—that really showed me the truth I have enemies on this continent, many of the expression “Forgive me, but that doesn’t really answer my question Why are you here now?”
I nodded, appreciating the man’s attention to detail “Seris helped me protect my people, and so, I am here now to help protect hers”
The bald ascender nah those portals and kill Dragoth and all his soldiers?”
“I could,” I admitted, “but more would replace therona doesn’tlives Besides, you can’t survive in here forever I don’t knohat Seris has planned, but I doubt it includes hiding in the Relictombs until you’ve all starved to death”
“No, it does not,” Seris cut in fir us a step closer to the question we’re actually here to discuss today Which is, of course, what comes next”
Corbett Denoir took his wife’s hand and exchanged a brief look with her “I think that’s a question on all our minds, Scythe—Lady Seris Many of us have sacrificed everything to get to this point Each tiable, you have seen us through, but…” He paused, his gaze tracking across the table When he resumed, he spoke very carefully “I think it is well past tioal in all this Not grand designs of self-governance and the ousting of the Vritra clan but real, tangible results Even if we understand why Grey here can help us, I, at least, do not see how”
Adaenn of Highblood Unantly “Did you not see what he did at the Victoriad? I wasn’t even there, and still I’ve heard it recounted dozens of tile-handedly retook the Dicathian cities of Vildorial, Blackbend, Xyrus, and Etistin, defeating entire armies Even the Scythes, I’ht”
I cleared estured for Adaenn to settle down
“But it wasn’t just Scythes,” Caera said unexpectedly
The room's attention sharpened They all knew Caera had been traveling with e in at for her to speak Additionally, her horns, now proudly displayed without her pendant, had quickly drawn the attention of nearly everyone present When she spoke, it was like she gave them permission to stare
She raised her chin and sat a little straighter “The High Sovereign sent a battle group of Wraiths to track down Arthur in Dicathen He killed them all”
Kayden whistled Matron Tremblay frowned down at her hands
“The Wraiths…I thought they were a lanced in my direction “And you…?”
An older wohblood Bellerose, scoffed “Fantastical poppycock Lady Seris, surely you haven’t brought us here only to insult us with bedtiid, but Seris remained passive as she said, “Matron Bellerose, perhapsimpression I a spoken to in such aher hands in her lap and looking just past Seris to avoid ht of course My tone was unbecoive ement “I do not blame you for your skepticism, which is healthy, but it is equally true that none of you would be here if you didn’t have the capacity to see beyond the rigid structure of our society and culture The Wraiths are quite real, and what Lady Caera has said is true I tell you this to reinforce one essential point: Arthur has the strength to help us break free of this prison we’ve built around ourselves”
The rooht Highlords Frost and Ainsworth sharing an uncertain look Matron Treht as he swirled his drink The others all displayed some similar combination of outward expressions, but no one voiced their thoughts
‘This isn’t what they were expecting’ There was a tense edge to Sylvie’s thoughts ‘They’re terrified’
They have relied on Seris for all their hope of change throughout this uprising, I sent back, allowing the silence to linger To be told that she, in turn, is relying on someone else—and an outsider—will be difficult for some of them to accept
“And so wepause “We have in Arthur an ally capable of striking Agrona’s forces in a way no one else can In order to build public support, it is essential that we continue to erode the people’s faith in Agrona’s divine infallibility My publicized execution of Sovereign Orlaeth was the first step By showing this continent that the asura aren’t in fact immortal, we also reveal to theone entirely But one quickly projected ih No, we need a decisive victory, and in plain view”
“Youto stand behind ain, her hands on the back ofeveryone jurinned “It is about ti to relax fro asuras…” she whispered, picking at the edge of the table nervously
“I was expecting hlord Ainsworth noted as he stroked his goatee
Lord Lars Isenhaert, a wiry blondhts exactly, Ector”
Seris regarded thens e with the public And, ainst hireatest weapon into the field” Seris was facing the highbloods as she spoke, but I knew she was speaking directly to me as she said, “His entire acy for decades Its rehest priority”
My fists clenched and h, I wasn’t really sure what I was feeling
One of the highbloods spoke, asked a question, butinward, and I didn’t process the words
Tessia…
‘She’s right, Arthur,’ Sylvie said, projecting her thoughts intothis off for too long Cecilia needs to be dealt with’
But hoe do that?
“Why let the girl live long enough to grow into a threat, then?”
Uriel’s words took a moment to sink it, but once they did, I forcedaround me
“It would have been o, even if that would havethe opportunity for our current act of rebellion,” Corbett added, speaking carefully
Seris’s dark eyes flicked to me for half a heartbeat before she responded “Perhaps, but there were many reasons not to as well, not least of which was my own curiosity I had to know if this poas real and what it was capable of Additionally, the vessel in which the Legacy resides is the princess of Elenoir, Tessia Eralith I was not ready to consign her to death”
“But you are now?” I asked, trying to sound curious and nonchalant The words cahtly to the side, regarding acy needs to be rerown to be absolute, and I believe you are the only one capable of facing her headon”
Before I could respond, Ellie leaned forward on her elbows and stared hard at Seris “We’re not going to kill Tessia”
I felt the bittersweet sting of pride and regret as I looked at Ellie’s fierce expression
Seris leaned back in her chair, unphased “I haven’t asked for your presence to tell you what to do This isn’t an order, but a plea We lack the strength, either in , this has been about eroding the base of his power Sehz-Clar, Orlaeth, the Relictoether, however, neither of us can topple him entirely”
I knew there was another layer to Seris’s plans Lyra had told rona occupied while I fought to retake my continent She would lose face with her followers if she said it out loud here, but I couldn’t ignore that our success had been, at least in part, at the cost of her people
Maylis stood, her hands woven into her hair behind her head as she faced away frorona is too powerful to attack directly” She spun around, her hands lowering and curling into fists “I’m sorry, but I don’t see how one Dicathian can match him”
“Take your seat,” Seris said with the command of one who knows she’ll be obeyed
Maylis bit her lip and did as she’d been told
Addressing the table at large, Seris said, “As Matron Tremblay has noted, even with his hold over this continent weakened, Agrona is not sooal has never been to engage with hihbloods “The way to Epheotus is finally open, and dragons have arrived in Dicathen My plan is and has always been to sirona and Kezess eventually battle, the outcome can only be in their mutual destruction”
The room was utterly silent at this proclaazing gloo,” Chul said, his deep voice shattering the silence like glass