The rest of the morning passed without any surprise or event. After the maid left, Mordan himself arrived to inspect his "esteemed guests", accompanied by two senior members of the Council of Paladins. After their arrival, what had begun as a soulless customary exchange of formal pleasantries between foreign dignitaries, - gradually turned into a respectful but cordial version of small talk.
It was during these seemingly idle conversations that the Veridians unearthed an interesting truth. The Paladin Order- which was comprised of the highest-ranking Justicars, had been established to keep the sellsword knights of Valoria in line and preserve their humanity. Their morality however was not anchored in the state deity, Sol, the High King of Heaven; but in his 'Hand'- Vultar, the Wrath of the Noon. Vultar was the god of retribution, judgment, and the Iron Vigil- basically a deity of scorched-earth justice.
To the Paladins, the Stormholds of current era represented a failing dynasty. They believed the family had grown soft, drifting from the iron doctrines of Vultar toward the "weak" mercy of Sol. They laid the blame on the Stormhold women; - whose feminine influence, they believed, had eroded the city's strength. While Serana Stormhold still adhered to a righteous code of war, her daughter Selena had begun to display a darker, more unnerving talent for command. Her knack for psychological warfare and cunning maneuvers was, to the Paladins, the ultimate red alert.
"She is a source of corruption," Mordan's companions hinted darkly. According to them, they had repeatedly tried to warn Lady Serana Stormhold that her daughter was ensnared by the Gilded Liar, Phoros-Than, the prime prince of the High Pentarchy of the Abyss. When the mother ignored their counsel, the Paladins decided that only a trial could cleanse Valoria- and the continent as a whole- of this possible demonic incursion.
The growing shadow of doubt that crossed the Veridians' faces did not escape clever eyes of Mordan. He watched their thoughtfulness with a cunning satisfaction before taking his leave, glad to leave them in a state of growing internal friction and confusion.
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Alsnow was the first to shatter the silence. "What if they are right?" he whispered, his voice was trembling with clear anxiety, "What if she truly is a witch, and our Young Lord has been ensnared? We are being dragged into…."
He choked on his words as his eyes collided with Jax's. The warrior's gaze was glowing like burning coals.
"I only mean," Alsnow fumbled, "our Lord is young. It is not unheard of for a boy of his years to be swayed by an elegant lass, especially if she is in league with the Abyss..."
"Is this a test, Master Alsnow?" Count Leo cut in, in his razor-sharp voice, "Are you checking, in our Lord's absence, to see if we will turn tail and badmouth him the moment things get difficult?"
Alsnow fumbled and fell into a fit of nervous coughing. Baron Torin chuckled, though his eyes remained sharp, "Don't bully the Master so much, Count. He is simply concerned. Isn't that right, Alsnow?"
"Yes... exactly," Alsnow nodded, smoothing his robes, "I am a man of theory- a pedant, if you must. I believe in a natural order written by the Gods. If something diverts from that order, it is either divine intervention or demonic manipulation. And divine intervention usually comes with a clear, undeniable sign!"
"And what exactly are you projecting onto?" Torin asked, there was now a clear hint of irritation into his voice.
"I am saying," Alsnow spoke with renewed clarity, "that her talent is an anomaly. Given her age and upbringing, her surrounding and lineage- her knack for this particular kind of stratagem cannot be explained naturally. I cannot believe it is divine; I fear it is a demonic manifestation."
Leo stood up slowly, his face was cold and serious, "Master Alsnow, if you have second thoughts, you may take your leave now. We will provide any excuse necessary for you to return to Veridia safely, without any hinderance."
"Count Leofrick Vane-Ashbourne!" Alsnow's eyes glowed with burning anger, "I have served the Lord since no one dreamed he could be ever fit to claim a throne. If my Lord ordered me to poison every soul on this continent, I would obey to the letter. But I am not going to be a mindless drone of his. I serve him by reminding him when he is wrong- or at least trying to."
Leo walked toward him until they were eye-to-eye, "Then you are blind, Master Alsnow. Even our Lord's transformation- from the 'Idiot Prince' to the ruthless, cunning Lord of Veridia- cannot be explained 'naturally'. Personally, I do not care if he is an anomaly, a genius, or the Devil himself. I have pledged myself to him. I am what I am because of him. I will follow him without regret. Because I can sense it in me, I would only be a gainer in the end, by following him in whatever way he decides!"
"And I," Baron Torin chimed in, "have studied his every move since he came to his 'senses'. And I have realized that his decisions are never simple; they are layered. I have learned to trust his thoughts over my own."
"Also, don't forget," Leo added a final jab, "the boy who could resist the beauty and charm of the 'Pearl of Veridia' is not going to be swayed by just a pretty face or allure. If he decided to rescue her, he obviously had a reason, which is not solely driven by his personal feelings or emotions."
"Someone is coming," Jax interrupted. The room instantly returned to his holiday mood from the earlier heated mood; the tension evaporated as everyone adopted a mask of casual boredom.
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It was a senior Justicar who had arrived to invite them on a tour of the fortress. The group was accompanied by Sir Kaelen, and they spent the afternoon scanning the fort's overall architecture and defenses, gaining a tactical understanding of the layout before joining the Paladins for a formal State Lunch.
Later, as they were resting in their quarters, the door suddenly creaked open without any intimation or permission. The maid from earlier slipped inside, a triumphant smile was on her face. She handed them a scroll. Leo spread it across the table to reveal a meticulously detailed map of the entire fortress. It seemed, as the favorite maid of the Princess, she had enjoyed access to every corner of the stronghold.
With her guidance and the strategic minds of Torin, Leo, and Alsnow, they identified a hidden service path. The rescue operation was hatched- rescue Selena from her cell and smuggle her through the secret gates toward the Veridian border.
Ariana was standing behind Leo; her eyes were thoroughly scanning the map with deep focus. As the maid waited expectantly for their praise, Ariana, to everyone's surprise, spoke for the first time. Her voice was soft, cold, and carried a weight that silenced the room.
"Thank you, dear. I require only one more favor."
The room fell silent. It was the first time anyone had heard Ariana express interest in anything other than the view of the Azure Bay.
"My dear," Alsnow said in a voice which was laced with condescension, "do not trouble your head with this. These are high-stakes calculations. A single misstep does not just fail the operation and put all of our necks in the line, but it brings shame and a diplomatic catastrophe upon our Veridia as well."
Torin recalled his earlier discussion with Leo, that Ariana was an assassin sent by the Lord himself. He quickly placed a hand on Alsnow's shoulder to stop him from saying anything further and thereby antagonizing her, "Master Alsnow, let us not silence a sane voice. We might gain a perspective we've missed."
Alsnow grumbled but stepped back. Ariana continued as if she hadn't been interrupted, "Kindly arrange a forged letter from a High Official- someone with the authority to transfer Lady Selena from her cell. Have it ready by tomorrow evening. Additionally, secure a Justicar's uniform; the higher the rank, the better."
The specificity of the request stunned them. The maid stood silent as well, her eyes widened. However quickly her usual bright smile returned. She promised the items would be delivered by the following night and scuttled out of the room.
A heavy silence descended in the room.
Leo looked Ariana directly in the eyes, "Pardon me miss, but aren't you asking for things that are near impossible for a simple maid to obtain? Especially one whose mistress is a prisoner?"
Ariana met his gaze, her expression seemed to be completely unreadable, "Did you ever notice her flinching? Did she hesitate even once at my request as if it was an impossible task?"
Leo found no answer.
"You will have your explanations tomorrow at midnight, once the items arrive," Ariana said, her voice remained usual slow, icy pace, "Until then, I suggest the three of you memorize every inch of that map. Then, burn it. By tomorrow night, there must be no trace that we had managed map of the fortress."