Chapter 16 Letters From Adamantia.
Chapter sixteen
Letters From Adamantia.
Selene Borealis
“An enchanted letter with House Ardens’ seal has arrived,” Rylan announced as he entered my private study.
“Thank you, Rylan. Has Arvid responded to my invitation yet?” I requested.
“No, Ma’am,” he replied as he handed me the letter.
“Let me know immediately if he responds,” I instructed.
“Of course,” he answered and hovered at my desk.
“Is there something more?” I questioned.
“You understand that I did what I thought was necessary to save your life, don’t you? You’re more than my general and future queen. I care for you. I’ve been with you since you were a child, and I was barely a qualified captain. My oath is to protect you at all costs,” he told me.
I sighed. I had struggled to sleep and had another night of no rest, and I was beginning to feel as bad as Heidi had thought I looked.
“I understand the decisions you made were to save me. I’d have preferred that you had focused your energies on saving Percy.
I was always going to be fine,” I argued.
I understood why he did what he did, but leaving Percy in the maze, allowing her to be taken.
I couldn’t forgive it. I couldn’t discipline Rylan for his decisions either, as technically they were all legal and in my immediate best interest, but that didn’t stop me from being angry, and he knew of my displeasure.
“Respectfully, I disagree. The paralysis came on unexpectedly fast. We had to emergency intubate you, Selene. You were unable to breathe! I thought I was going to lose you,” he replied sternly, and for a moment, I was five years old again, listening to a lecture on not running away in crowds.
I looked at him, and suddenly his features looked older, with defined lines around his eyes, more grey hair than I had remembered.
“I know you were thinking of my safety. But you should remember, going forward, that I value Percy’s safety and well-being above my own and above others.
If the choice is between the two of us, you must choose her.
Be thankful that I do not hold you personally responsible for her loss,” I replied.
It was as close as I could get to forgiveness.
He bowed in acceptance before he turned to leave.
The grey envelope of Ardens sat on my desk, the Ardens shield stamped into the enchanted seal. No doubt Adamantia was informing me of the state of Ardens Estate mansion and the mess of northern political affairs.
I wasn’t in the state of mind to give such things my attention, but I lifted the letter and broke the seal. I would read it but leave my response for a later date when I was capable of giving the situation with Ardens my full attention.
Dear Selene,
I write to you with some troubling news. We were finally able to release Kay (my new plaything) from her previous blood oath and entwine her in a new oath to myself and Ardens. She has revealed some rather troubling information.
Kay’s role was in intelligence and reconnaissance; as such, she was privy to highly sensitive information, which is why she took her original blood oath.
We have learned of an attack planned for the closing ceremony of this Royal Conference. The New Foundation has infiltrated every House and is poised for the kingdom's largest attack in history.
Moreover, the leadership of The New Foundation — I did not believe it at first, but I assure you I am certain that the girl believes this to be true — is the Flores coven.
I believe that this may give you some peace concerning young Percy’s safety. I doubt they would harm their own.
There is much work to do here; rebuilding has already started.
I will keep you informed of any major updates; however, I trust that you have more pressing matters to attend to at this time.
I ask that you do not forget the interests of your second House during the conference, and I hope that you continue to recover well.
Our love,
Adamantia it’s why we have so many stores now.
People were dying from hunger. That type of thing makes men desperate.
They’d do anything to feed their family,” he explained, and a dreadful understanding began to form within me.
“Flores was an invaluable asset?” I asked.
“You can imagine, I’m sure, what happened,” he said.
“I can, but I want to know what you know of it and why I have been uninformed of this,” I replied.
“Flores witches were abused, forced labour at first, but the abuses did not end there. Eventually, they began to fight back, and then they disappeared from public life. No more Flores witches travelled the kingdom offering help. They seemed to vanish. It was never really spoken about. I remember my mother crying over a friend of Flores she had known. Then nothing. It was like it never happened. As I grew, when Flores was spoken about, the narrative was that they simply chose to abandon us. I’m sure that’s what most believed.
There weren’t exactly many of them to begin with.
In further south Houses, it was common for them to never have even met a Flores witch; the winters didn’t hit them as hard as the central and northern Houses, but they didn’t produce enough to feed the whole kingdom.
Eventually, I think everyone just forgot, or wanted to forget. Evil finds its home in desperation.”
“The truth was simply forgotten,” I stated.
“As far as I can tell. I don’t think it was a cover-up or anything. I think just so few knew what was truly happening, and those that did turned a blind eye, so long as food was being produced.”
“Flores has not forgotten,” I told him.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
“The plaything that Adamantia insisted on keeping,” I told him.
“The New Foundation girl?” he asked.
“Yes, they broke the blood oath.” Rylan winced at this; breaking a blood oath was not an easy or pleasant task. “And the girl revealed that their leadership is the Flores coven and that an attack is planned to take place at the closing ceremony,” I informed him.
“The Flores coven?” he asked quietly, understanding immediately the need to keep such information private.
“Yes. This information does not leave this room. Do not bring it up to me or inform anyone else,” I commanded.
“Yes, Ma’am,” he agreed.
“I’ll need to inform Father of the planned attack, but the information regarding Flores stays between us.”
“Understood. Are things with the King strained?” he questioned.
“The King is to be treated as hostile. He has diverted resources from the search for Percy and made a crude attempt to manipulate me with false information. For what purpose, I don’t yet know. Proceed with caution,” I warned.
“My loyalty and that of your Royal Guard is firmly and only with you,” he reassured, “And Percy,” he added with a hopeful smile.
I smiled in return.
“Thank you.”