"The people? Which people? Or when you say people do you just mean the selfish, power-hungry imbeciles that resent our mother?" Questioned Astrid.
Baran Marsh grew bold at the sight of Gwynevere's support. "The Empress is unjust! She is biased towards the lower classes and is willing to put the well-being of her people at risk simply so she could indulge in a petty game with Sindaria."
Baron Marsh wasn't the only one who had a burst of confidence. After listening to them bicker for a while, Ri-is decided it was time to put an end to things.
"A petty game? How dare you. You forget that King Sana has been actively antagonizing, baiting and attacking her and Solaria for years! It was Sindaria that had continuously colluded with Solarian enemies to prevent my mother's rise to power, It was Sindaria that attacked us six years ago, nearly costing us Princess Hecate's life! It was his underling that took my hand from me in the Archery Hunt! Have you been plagued with amnesia? Is that why you completely missed each time Sindaria sought to destroy us?
Or is it that you're simply blinded by the notion that if you go crying to the High Council you'll be rewarded for your troubles with a hefty position and the reinstatement of your treasonous companions my mother banished when she took the throne? You come to us with claims of unjust treatment and yet all you seek is to benefit from this war.
"On the contrary your Highness. I am not the blind one." Baron Marsh pointed mockingly to his right eye, the same eye that Ri-is always had covered with an eye patch. "You are. The nobles here have served this land for ages before the Empress came along and threw us out. We are the reason that this land remained standing even under the Demon General's rule. It was because we sacrificed our fortunes and children to keep this land from falling apart. I find it highly insulting that you, who had yet to even be born when all of this took place, can sit before me and tell me that I am not allowed to seek retribution for the dishonour and shame the Empress so graciously bestowed upon us back then."
Gwynevere nodded in agreement. "He is right your Highness. The Empress herself had only just reached adulthood when she took power and as a result, her reckless decisions and tyrannical actions have uprooted and destroyed countless lives. For years under her reign, they have suffered due to her obsession with the peasant folk. She has neglected her duties as a ruler and now she seeks to plunge Solaria into war again for what? Because her pride was hurt? Because you were hurt? Please, Sindaria hasn't made any attempts at attacking Solaria these past six years and now just because they were present during the archery hunt, you want to push the blame for Illya's inability to host the event onto them. All because it's a convenient enough excuse that allows Illya to satiate her destructive desires. We are not—"
BAM
The door slammed open to reveal Albus followed by a chained Nasmira and Dante. "Sorry to burst in so suddenly but I couldn't help but overhear your argument."
Upon seeing Albus, Astrid stood and went over to him. "Where are the kids?" She whispered.
"Safe. They're in the infirmary," he said reassuringly.
Turning his attention back to Gwynevere and the others, he threw Nasmira and Dante at their feet. "It seems these two have been operating an illegal spirit asylum in unclaimed land outside of Solaria. According to this man, it appears to be an establishment run by several nobles that had been previously purged from Solaria. They've been dealing in the black market enslavement of various creatures as a quick way to gain money."
Baron Marsh cowered behind Gwynevere, biting his lip and averting his eyes like he had just been caught. The High Council exchanged glances. Albus' discovery clearly threw a wrench in their plans.
"You expect us to believe you've detained these two becau-"
Albus cut Gwynevere off. "If you don't believe me, you can simply investigate for yourselves. The soldiers have already found its location and would be more than willing to show you the way."
Gwynevere's wrinkled face flushed with rage. "YOU DARE TO-"
SLAM
In an uncharacteristic burst of rage, Ri-is slammed his hands down on the table, knocking over the cups of tea. Silence flooded the room once more as he raised his head and glared at Gwynevere with determined defiance that even he didn't know he had.
There was a golden flicker in his eyes as a faint glow grew in intensity. "I've heard enough," he said with a calmness that his eyes betrayed. "You say that aaaall of your hard work in 'protecting' Solaria was taken advantage of and then you were tossed aside? Don't make me laugh."
The rustling of leaves drew everyone's attention away from Ri-is' icy gaze. Vines began to creep from beneath their seats and curl around their ankles in a sinister threat. The plants that hung as decoration quickly outgrew their baskets and unfurled onto the ground as their massive forms could no longer be contained.
Baron Marsh stood in a panic and rushed for the door, tripping over himself in the process. He reached out for the handle only for the vines to slither their way up the wall and block the door entirely.
"Where were you when our people were enslaved? When our divine guardians were forced to do the Demon General's bidding? Where were you when my mother—your empress had to clean up the mess you all let ravage Solaria? Tell me Baron, where were all of these esteemed nobles you speak so greatly of when our people were dying?"
As soon as he felt Ri-is' eyes settle on him, Baron Marsh scrambled to his feet and started pulling at the vines on the door. In his desperation to get out, he had completely ignored the thorns that covered the vines. By the time his hands were rendered nothing more than a trembling, bloody mess, Favian and Andauran were pulling him away from the door, pleading with Ri-is to let them go, but Ri-is wasn't done.
"Did you forget that too? Then let me remind you where you were. While my mother roused the people to fight back, while she fought to free Solaria you and those other greedy pigs sat in your manors feasting and indulging yourselves in the luxuries you only got because you sold your people into slavery just so the Demon general would spare you! Those common 'peasants' you despise so much were worked to exhaustion while you gained easy labour from fatherless children that had no choice but to steal, beg and kill to protect their families! LOOK AT THOSE RUINS IN THE WEST! A whole land of fae was destroyed so YOU AND THE DEMON GENERAL COULD REVEL IN UNDERSERVED POWER!"
The vines climbed the walls high and high until plants threatened to suffocate every inch of the room. They wrapped themselves around Baron Marsh's legs, digging into his skin and dragging him to his knees before Ri-is.
"You have the nerve to say to our face that the woman who fought for Solaria's freedom WRONGED YOU?" His voice rose and sent ripples of shi bouncing off the vined walls of the room. "The only reason any of you want to claim that you've been mistreated is because she put an end to your exploitation of Solaria's citizens."
Gwenyvere raised her hands attempting to pull Baron Marsh up to his feet but before she could, the vines that held him down flung him to the door. As the vines blocking the door receded, Baron Marsh crashed into it hard enough to shatter through it. Dazed and frightened, the Baron pushed himself off of the ground and stumbled out of the debris, smearing the blood that streamed down his legs all over the place as he did so.
"Solaria is my mother's empire. We will not allow you to take advantage of it. Leave."81Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRkNX9hMY9B
