|Morning|69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ED3gw82JI
July • 15 • xxxx
By the time the sun had risen Illya and Callisto had long since made it to the oceanfront and Callisto had managed to take them across without being detected. They of course arrived well before Wild and the other knights did. Illya led them down to a secluded part of the docks against the large stone walls of Sindaria's borders. It was a system of tunnels that was dug out long ago during the Haan civil war so that the Haan conspirators that had allied themselves with Sindaria in preparation for a coup could easily get in and out of Sindaria's palace without tipping off the Haan Empire.
Illya had discovered it in the aftermath of the war when she had conducted her own investigation. So she knew that it lead directly to Sindaria's inner palace. In the darkness of the tunnels, it was hard to see. Had it not been for her heavy breathing, Callisto would have never known that something was off.
"Are you okay?" He asked.
Illya swallowed hard. "...yeah...just...I need to find a way to replenish the shi I'm losing quickly. I don't think I'll be able to hold out for much longer."
Callisto tightened his grip on her hand as she led him through the tunnels. "How do we know when you've reached your limit? Am I going to have to carry you back?"
"If...I lose enough shi my body is going to automatically enter survival mode. You wouldn't be able to get near me."
"What? Why?" Callisto pulled her back and turned her towards him.
"At that point, I won't recognize you. My entire conscious is going to revert to pure instinct and the only thing I'll be concerned with is finding the nearest, most powerful source of shi. I don't want to imagine what might happen if someone got in my way."
Callisto fell silent as an unspoken understanding washed over him. When it seemed as though they had reached a dead end, Illya knelt and scribbled in fresh runes over whatever had faded over the years. When she finished, the runes on the wall lit up and the path forward revealed itself as a hidden portal. As soon as they stepped through it Callisto turned to take a look at where they had just been only to see an undisturbed palace wall.
"Don't worry it's still there. The portal only shows one way. When we're coming back we just have to carve the same runes in reverse at the bottom of this wall," explained Illya.
Callisto took note of her instructions and they moved carefully so that they were just out of view of the biggest exposed space that was the inner courtyard.
"Something isn't right...why are there no guards here?" Callisto wondered aloud as they snuck closer.
"Looks like—"
"We were expecting you." Illya was cut off by the unmistakable sound of Li's ridiculing voice.
•~•~•~•~•~•~•
Having spent all night coming up with what he thought to be a decent course of action, Ri-is ordered a message to be sent to Sin to inform him of the situation and several more requesting the presence of members of the Eclipse Order. As expected, it didn't take very long for greedy nobles to come prancing into the palace seeking an audience. To make matters worse, Seibel informed him that they had brought along the High Council.
Ri-is never liked having the spotlight on himself. As he sat across from them with Diana and Astrid, he silently hoped that his nervous fidgeting wasn't as obvious as he felt it was.
Gwynevere wasted no time in getting straight to the point. "We've given Solaria enough time to correct things. Since you've all chosen not to and are unable to get the Empress under control, we have no choice but to step in and clean up your mess."
It was clear to everyone present that they thought Ri-is would be easier to handle than his brothers and Illya. Diana scoffed and glared resentfully.
"Be honest, the only reason you're here is because when these greedy rats came running to you, you decided that you weren't scared anymore since Illya isn't here. You thought it would be easy to pressure us into letting you take control didn't you?"
Anduran and Favian looked away in embarrassment. The noble sitting next to Gwynevere flinched under Diana's gaze. Clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Gwynevere's steely voice.
"I'm sorry, who are you again? I'm here to speak to the Prince, this doesn't concern Illya's bastard children."
A wave of anger crashed against Diana's chest. The whole room soured and no one dared to look Diana in the eyes. Fortunately for them, before Diana could destroy anything, Astrid slammed her teacup down on the table in front of them, jolting everyone back into reality.
"Lady Gwynevere, you would do well to remember where you are. I don't care how respected you think you are as an elder, as it stands right now you are the least deserving of any respect from us. Instead of insulting our sister and her right to defend her family, why don't you stop embarrassing yourself and say what it is you want so we can be done with this."
Gwynevere's face turned a deep shade of red, her veins nearly popping right out of her head as she erupted in anger. "Such impudence! I should have known to expect this kind of behaviour from the daughter of that savage! You—"
"Enough."
Silence consumed the room as shock settled on Gwyenevere's face. Ri-is very rarely raised his voice and had always had a rather subdued temperament. The times he had to be forceful were few and far in between, so whenever he did assert himself, it would come as a surprise to everyone who had only ever seen him as the quiet third Prince who preferred to keep to himself.
"If you want us to listen to anything you have to say, you'll stop acting like a child. This isn't a playground fight." Ri-is turned to the noble next to Gwynevere with a sharpness in his eye that would make Illya proud. "You, what's your purpose in calling upon the High Council?"
He shifted in his seat, doing his best to seem unintimidated. "I have...I'm...I've come today as a representative of the Solarian nobility to voice our concerns. I thought that it would be best if they were informed too since we had similar misgivings about the way things were being run."
"What's your name?"
The man frowned at Ri-is' question.
"I'm Baron Valdis Marsh."
Diana kissed her teeth. "So they sent a little Baron to do their dirty work...I guess if they were going to sacrifice someone it'd have to be someone of a lower class than them anyway."
Baron Marsh cowered in shame leading Gwynevere to pipe up again.
"The people of Solaria feel that we should be in control for now. So we're here to tell you to relinquish power to the High Council. We will reinstate the banished nobles and restructure the systems currently in place to include the nobility that Illya has neglected. As compensation for their years of mistreatment under such an incompetent Empress, we will be allowing them to take up new positions to help us manage Solaria. We ask that the rest of the royal family leave. Perhaps you could go live in your father's homeland in Seidon, I'm sure your aunt will welcome you. Frankly, I don't care what you do so long as you leave. It is the will of the people after all."69Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu9h9WMuFSs
