Arawn Dragon
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Chapter 139 “An unexpected change.” Part 3
🕑 Added 2024-03-28 00:07:29 +0000 UTCThe sun began to descend on the horizon while in both palaces of the kingdom of Balsahty, the servants vibrated with nervous energy as they made preparations for the royal couple’s early dinner.
“Where is the duke?” Queen Tathiana questioned as one of her servants gave her hair a little touch up, making sure everything was in order for the meeting with the king.
“Waiting at the agreed place," replied Tanya. “Everyone is ready and waiting for your orders, your majesty.”
“It’s time to get moving, then," The beautiful and elegant woman snapped her fingers and one of the assassins who was part of the group of informants that her family had created generations ago, appeared before her. The informant, dressed completely in black and with his face partially covered, knelt before the queen. “What has happened in the duchy?”
“After news arrived at dawn of the sighting of the demon king near the capital of Bhallys, the prince and his people set out on their return journey along with the saintess and most of the temple guards.”
“What is known about my father?”
“The duke and his army, in conjunction with some of the guards who stayed behind as representatives of the alliance, had to face a wyvern and a horde of monsters. I have understood that the orc that controlled the portal escaped on a black dragon, we suspect that it is the same one that went through the summoning portal along with the heroes. However, the wyvern and the rest of the monsters were neutralized, and the duke was just now finishing grooming himself after being secretly brought back, my lady.”
“What about Milo?”
“We only know that he entered the tower along with the heroes and some guards, but since no one else has been able to enter the tower after them, it is impossible for us to know his status. However, after comparing the situation with what happened in the past with other towers, we found a record of a similar situation in a tower that seemed more than thirteen hundred years ago in the kingdom of Solis and according to our informants, when the tower is closed you must wait until the warriors who entered it conquer it... or the group is eliminated so that the next party of warriors is allowed to enter,” noticing the sudden silence of the queen, the informant hurried to continue. “The fact that the access is still blocked makes us believe that they are still alive, so it is only a matter of waiting for the marquis and the heroes to finish conquering the tower so they can leave.”
The queen closed her eyes and silently caressed the jewel of the ring in her hand, waiting for an answer that never came.
Maybe he’s too busy to answer me. She tried to convince herself, but she doubted that was the case. Milo had always had a soft spot for her and Tathiana knew that if anything serious happened, he would let her know right away so she wouldn’t worry.
However, she had already gone more than twelve hours without hearing from him.
“We will continue with the agenda as planned. ” the woman assured. “And bring the Marquis of Tehro and his daughter to me as soon as my meeting with Medhas is over.”
“Yes, your majesty.”
Meanwhile, in the king’s palace, Medhas was sitting on his throne. His fist slammed against the arm of the king’s majestic chair, annoyed that he had had to send more soldiers than he expected to the kingdom of Bhallys and that the day had been filled with one incident after another.
“Does it make any sense that I heard about the death of the new saintess and the sudden destruction of the city of Cifha and yet no one knows what’s going on with that damn tower? At this point, I’ll have to dispatch more soldiers just to find out if Milo and the other court mages didn’t die at the hands of another horde of monsters! Send someone over there right away!“ Medhas growled, wanting to punch the incompetent guard who had come to give him a report.
“I’m surrounded by useless idiots! How can it be so hard to bring some order to this palace when Milo is not here?” He complained to his old friend and advisor, Vellan Allfel.
“I’m sure young Milo has run into his own collection of problems and that’s why it’s taken him so long to report, your majesty. Just give him some more time. Something urgent must have happened for him not to have reported.”
“I hope those brats didn’t try to escape!” he growled in response.
“I seem to recall that you yourself gave the order to put a tracking mark on the heroes before they left, your majesty.”
“Ah, that’s right! With everything that’s been going on in the last few days, I had forgotten. At least something is going as planned," he sighed, suddenly remembering that he had sent his eldest daughter to the kingdom of Bhallys the night before, behind his wife’s back. And he was sure the woman would arrive in a fury at any moment. By now, surely she must have rerouted our daughter’s carriage and taken her to safety inside my father-in-law’s duchy.
A problem for another day. He consoled himself. The only good thing about all this is that it will keep her busy while Lethicia returns after her meeting with the neutral faction. And with any luck, that would expand Lethicia’s and thus my future heir alliances.... I will finally be able to minimize Tathiana’s power within the kingdom.
Suddenly, the doors of the audience hall opened wide, and a guard rushed in.
“Sire, your majesty!” shouted the man, his face bathed in fear.
“But what is this insolence? Why have the guards guarding the door let you pass without announcing your presence or asking for my permission?” Despite the king’s scolding, the young warrior looked at him as if he were mad.
Allfel, wanting to avoid a disaster, interfered.
“What’s going on, soldier? Why are you interrupting the king’s hall like this and without permission?”
“My lord, the Duke of Lanish and his army have entered the capital and surrounded the palace. I fear he is planning an invasion.”
“What did you say?” Medhas’ face turned from white to red in a matter of seconds. “Guards! Guards!” He shouted at the top of his lungs, wanting to demand an explanation, but no one came to meet him.
Not even the two guards inside responded to his order.
At that instant, the Duke of Lanish, followed by an army of his best warriors, came through the gates, each and every one of them clad in armor.
And at the same time, the secret door through which Medhas sometimes entered or through which he sneaked his mistresses, suddenly opened, and Queen Tathiana, accompanied by her private guard and the Duke of Brincy, appeared.
“Oh! I seem to be just in time!” exclaimed the queen with a courteous smile. However, she was wearing the uniform of the commander of her father’s duchy army.
“What is the meaning of this?” The king demanded, his fists clenched as a small flare of fire erupted from within him, trying to look menacing.
All the soldiers in the room, with the exception of the one who had come to inform the king, drew their weapons and brandished them at him. Even the two who had earlier appeared to be protecting him.
But now, as Medhas watched them a little more closely, he realized that he did not recognize those faces.
“I think it’s pretty obvious," she replied with a smile, as she froze the king’s hands with a simple flick of her wrist. Freezing the small flame he had managed to ignite, along with his hope. “This, Medhas, is a rebellion.”
Three and a half hours earlier. In the duchy of Brincy, the kingdom of Balsahty.
“Tundra!” A wave of ice froze everything within five meters of her, including the dark mana crystals that covered the ground.
But despite having regained control of her body, the underside of her ice was black. Her heart clenched at the sight and she immediately closed her eyes.
Come on, Kalysto! Focus! She scolded herself.
[The skill Mental Defense has been activated.]
“Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! Ezhil purification! Mana detection!” She hurried to conjure, terrified at the thought of being contaminated by the black plague. And she checked her own body, looking for any diseased organs, but found none. “Purification! Purification!” she said again, pointing to the parts of her clothes splattered with blood until the stains were almost completely gone. “Purification! Purification! Inventory!” She added and pulled out two swords. “Dispel Ezhil! Dispel Ezhil! Purification Ezhil! Purification!” As soon as the ice and dark mana crystals evaporated, Kalysto immediately buried one sword in the monster’s torso, where according to her ‘Mana Detection’ skill its heart was, and with the other she slashed its neck.
