The first to speak was none other than Balam. "Your Majesty, I seek justice. As much as I'm delighted about Nethermoor's situation, it doesn't change the fact that my lord interfered in my son's jurisdiction. Astaroth had firmly taken it upon himself to help Nethermoor with its crisis, yet he…"
Balam continued with a torn gaze. "This is a blatant mockery and a slap to my son's face. He has been very diligent in finding a way with the Magic Ministry's cooperation to end the eternal winter. But how will the realm and the citizens see Astaroth now?"
Gressil raised his hand.
"Sir Gressil?" he frowned.
"Well so to speak, my lord didn't exactly solve Nethermoor's problem. From the reports that I read, the Emberlain Kingdom's princess, Princess Clairette performed a spectacular dance which coincided with the sun shining in the sky for the first time in years."
Balam gritted his teeth. "A spectacular dance that could change seasons? Feels more like the Harbinger of Seasons Dance, does it not? What if my lord secretly knew about Princess Clairette's blessing and hence used her to make fame and glory for himself?"
Gressil said, "That's not possible. The blessed can only belong to one of the Great Three Families. The royal family isn't one of them, whether here or in the Human Realm."
"Which begs the question, how was Princess Clairette able to do it? Are the humans hiding something from us?" Orobas interjected as he narrowed his eyes.
A beat of silence settled over that perplexing question.
Malphas raised his palm.
"I second this notion. It seems too convenient. My lord brought Princess Clairette and insisted for her to stay until her convoy's arrival. At the same time, one of the worst crises of our realm that plagued us for two decades ended just like that? Though technically, she cannot be the blessed, who's to say if Emberlain isn't hiding some secrets of their own? If that's so, then this is a grave matter that cannot be overlooked, Your Majesty."
Nefarion's eyes slightly squinted at Balam and Malphas. "Nobody can manipulate the divine blessings to make somebody other than the Great Three to have that power. It's impossible. That's how it's been for centuries. Princess Clairette cannot have anything to do with it."
Malphas bowed. "It sounds impossible, but I cannot help but feel if this was all my lord's ploy to embarrass young lord Astaroth while solidifying his own position as the next King by being in cahoots with the human princess."
"Zesath doesn't have to solidify anything. He will be Rudaheim's next King."
Nefarion's words lit a fire where it hurt the most for Balam. But he couldn't outrightly defy the Demon Realm's King.
He forced his fury to take a backseat and pursed his lips. "It is as you say so, Your Majesty. Only…my lord will be the next King."
Zerath studied the infuriating difficulty with which Balam forced himself to utter those words.
"But my lord didn't just stop there! On top of stealing my son's glory, my lord also brought the culprit into the palace. Instead of throwing the ice demon into the prison as he deserved, he let him enjoy a warm night's sleep in Princess's chamber? Not just that, my lord even spent the night in her chamber!"
That remark immediately sharpened everybody's attention on Zerath. Even Nefarion's expression darkened.
Somebody defied an order I see, Zerath thought about Vespera without any change to his expression.
Malphas sneered. "Did the human princess perhaps seduce my lord? Quite bold and crafty to use her beauty like that."
Zerath's gaze dangerously cooled to the level of Eurus's ice itself. "Princess Clairette was the first to oppose this arrangement, Sir Malphas. I'd urge for the Minister of Knowledge to be properly educated himself before slandering a noble lady like that."
His expression tightened, but just as Balam, he was in no position to disrespect Zerath beyond a certain point.
On Nefarion's side, it was painfully clear how he was trying to rein in his boiling anger, but his clenched jaw gave him away.
"Zerath…Is this true? Did you really spend the night in the princess's chamber?"
He replied, unhurried. "It's true, Your Majesty. Considering the child's delicate situation, who was only comfortable with both of us around him, I decided it was for the best."
Nefarion's glare intensified. "That cannot be the reason to sleep in the Princess's chamber!"
"Nothing happened between us if that's what His Majesty is implying."
Gressil and Orobas slightly choked.
A vein popped on Nefarion's temple. "Zerath Rudaheim!"
His chilled roar shook the very air of the Council room, yet Zerath remained unperturbed.
"She is a human and no matter the circumstances, the distance between a human and a demon cannot be breached! Do you understand this could risk a political scandal? That Emberlain King could come at us because of this. Worse, it ruins your status as the Crown Prince. You didn't have to entertain the child's request. You're not his father to spoil him as if he were your son."
Balam now looked visibly satisfied with Nefarion's fury and disappointment with Zerath.
Zerath said, "He was scared, Your Majesty. Everything was very unfamiliar to him. He only wished to be around the people he knew, which happened to the princess and myself. I just did what I felt was right."
Seeing him undeterred in his stance, his gaze darkened. "So you won't admit to your mistake?"
"I've learned to stand firm on my decisions just how Your Majesty has raised me."
A heavy palm struck the council table and Nefarion blasted. "Since you've the time to waste in the human's chamber, I'll see to it you spend your days scrubbing the bloodied sands and filth of the training grounds like a servant. Let the soldiers mock their prince if they wish. It'll let you remember that you're not above the rules of our realm!"
"Understood, Your Majesty."
His calm response and refusal to throw a tantrum irked not only Nefarion but Balam's nerves too.
Draconis asked, "My lord would go so far to defend that child?"
"I'd like Sir Doloros to shed light regarding that."
Doloros leaned forward.
"I briefly examined the child early this morning. His internal mana is greatly destabilized. As a child who knew nothing about controlling his elemental powers, the eternal winter he unleashed upon Nethermoor has left his body stunted. The mana he used compensated to get its energy from his natural growth and aging. It was his fragile state of mind that caused the unfortunate circumstances."
Orobos tapped his fingers on the table as he said, "Understandable Sir Doloros, but this has caused far more repercussions than you think. Trade and transport with Nethermoor was severed for years. Supply and distribution chains fell apart. My ministry was forced to build alternate routes, and it came with a huge cost. We've suffered heavy losses, all because of one child."
Orobas glanced at Zerath with an acute gaze.
"I understand the argument that he was a helpless child who acted out of ignorance, but the losses are not so minor to overlook, my lord. If he was an adult, I would've gladly milked our losses out of him, but I cannot do that to a child now, can I? So my question is, who is to bear the responsibility if not the child?"
Zerath leaned forward, his gaze critical.
"The ones who took his mother away. They will give us the answers we need and compensate for all that we lost."