Chapter 30 - Dining Hall
Looking at the finished letter, Lilly found the dichotomy between the flowery language and the illegible handwriting to be quite poignant.
Her hand was still holding around Adelia as she wrote, in the hope that it gave her some strength.
“What do you think?” Adelia asked, turning the letter around for Victor to read.
He exhaled a bit sharply at his first glance but then read on in silence. His expression didn’t change much, but he occasionally nodded in understanding. “It seems fine. I assume they will send General Dahn here in response, along with a long letter filled with questions.”
Lilly hoped he was right and that no show of force would be necessary. “That would be for the best, if you’re being honest.”
In her mind, the best-case scenario was that Elly came back right away and that she had been honest from the start. And there was still hope for that to happen, even if it was unlikely. She would be happy with just getting the general here, giving her the opportunity to find Eolande herself through the amulet.
Lilly looked at Adelia, filled with a sense of determination. “I’ll have the letter sent right away, then I’ll have to speak to the mayor and my captains. I might have to tell them the truth now and get them to lock the city down.”
Adelia nodded in agreement. “Yes, it’s time to tell everyone. You’ll need someone you trust to deliver the letter in person, though. Do you have anyone in mind?”
Lilly thought about the possible candidates, unable to find anyone fitting the bill perfectly. “Normally I’d ask Elly… She’s the only one I trust to be able to get away if it becomes necessary. One of the captains, perhaps?”
Claude cleared his throat again, preparing to speak, but he was interrupted by Adelia. “You’re not going, Claude. Just like Lilly has people she doesn’t want to risk, I have you.” Her words were determined, but her eyes were pointed at the table, not Claude.
Claude seemed surprised by her words, but his expression turned soft shortly after. “I doubt they would see me as anything but a pawn, so my safety would be all but guaranteed. I wouldn’t have offered if I thought I would be in danger.”
“You’re still staying here,” Adelia said firmly, not willing to budge on the matter.
Lilly was smiling, seeing how their relationship had improved so rapidly. “I’ll take the letter and Victor, then. You can see him at any time, but he’ll be locked up in the dungeon, at least in the short term. He’ll get the finest cell we have.”
Victor scowled at her, but he didn’t protest and rose from the couch willingly. “I’ll see you later then, Lia. This will all be over soon enough, don’t worry.”
Adelia nodded, giving a careful wave as Lilly brought him with her out of the quarters. “Good luck! And keep me informed, Lilly!”
“Will do!” Lilly replied, waving back with a brief smile.
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The dining hall seemed to be the best place for a meeting with all the captains and officials of the city, so now Lilly was standing in front of all of them.
The mayor, Pontus Altbeck, was sweating nervously as he scribbled on a piece of paper. The meeting hadn’t started, but he had been given some hints of the gravity of the situation.
There were twenty captains in the city, each one directly under Lilly’s command, and each one leading their own squadrons. They were the strongest military force in the city, trained and equipped with the best the city was capable of supplying.
They were all quiet, looking at Lilly with respect. She assumed it was because of her actions and not her position as their superior. She preferred it that way.
Daisy was also present, looking about as nervous as the mayor. She was just there to assist Lilly, taking notes and making sure everything was remembered.
“Everyone, I have some grave news,” Lilly started, addressing the small crowd. “ For a long time now, I have kept you all in the dark about the attack on the city.”
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Every set of eyes in the room was pointed at her, showing curious stares.
“It was all a plot to let the clan of assassins that attacked Selene infiltrate Dortfell, giving them the opportunity to hurt them from the inside. A plot set in motion by the king!”
Gasps were heard throughout the room. Expressions of shock and doubt could be seen on nearly every face.
“I understand this is hard to believe, but I have spoken to the leader of that clan of assassins myself. He confirmed it. And Princess Adelia, who is here visiting me right now, learned the same information in the capital.
You all know Eolande by now. Elly. My godmother, and one of the people I trust most in the world. She was once part of that clan of assassins long ago, and she told me all of this in secret.
The man I fought outside the city walls, disguised as Master Keldorn, was the mastermind behind that clan of assassins, but that’s not very relevant to this. He was mostly here to keep an eye on me and the flame.”
Mayor Altbeck had stopped writing and was now listening intently to Lilly’s words. Others were exchanging shocked glances, still in complete silence.
“Now, the reason I’m finally sharing this is that things between me and the crown have escalated. Elly’s husband, General Dahn, has sent a signal telling us he’s in danger. He is supposed to be imprisoned in the capital, so we fear it’s a trap of sorts. But Elly still left, trying to save him.
As you also know, Prince Victor has been here to investigate the death of ‘Master Keldorn’. He has found me innocent, confirming my words that the master was an ancient elven assassin. But at the same time, he accused Elly of tricking me into believing the king was behind this plot I’ve told you about!”
More shocked reactions were heard, most audibly from Daisy, looking at Lilly with worry. Her last words were a bit louder than the rest and spoken with a bit of hatred, so she made a note to keep her emotions in check.
“He made some convincing points, honestly. But I still believe in everything I’ve learned up to this point, and I see it as just another plot to cover their last one. So now he’s under arrest, kept as a hostage in case the crown has captured Elly.
I hope Elly is on her way back here right now, but otherwise, I have a letter ready to send to the king. That should bring you all somewhat up to speed. Any questions?”
A dozen arms went up at the same time, urgently wishing to clear things up. Lilly smiled, picking Mayor Altbeck first.
“Uhm, I feel like the most important thing was the attack. You’re saying the king chose to sacrifice Thundrel and Lady Selene for an underhanded advantage in the war?!”
His voice started off quietly but gradually turned into a shout near the end. His expression was one of outrage, surprising Lilly a bit. She had seen him as a calm person with a timid core up to this point.
“Exactly as you say, Mayor. His plans failed in the end due to my interference, but otherwise, he would have gotten away with it. I told you in my speech that I would hold those responsible for the attack accountable, and that was with the king in mind.”
“That bastard! What kind of king uses his people as disposable pawns?! Innocent citizens?!” Altbeck’s outrage was echoed by many people in the room, coming with exclamations of anger and agreement.
Lilly felt relieved seeing the emotions she felt were shared by others. ‘These people will fight with me. They will stand on my side against the king. Now we just need to be right about Elly…’
Myndia’s voice was filled with more passion than usual as she responded. ‘This is the spirit of Thundrel, Lilly! Did you think my people would let something like this pass without a fight? I’m sure Eolande has been honest with you, Lilly. Too many people have corroborated her story.’
Lilly nodded briefly, trying to swallow the doubt in her heart. Victor had painted a convincing image, and Lilly had experienced being tricked by the people closest to her before. Not at this scale, of course, but it still worried her.
Most hands had fallen after the mayor asked his question, but a few still remained. Lilly picked one of the female captains, ready to answer again.
“I’m sorry, My Lady, but… how certain are you that Prince Victor was lying?”
Lilly was afraid that question would come, but she knew it was good to address the doubts early on. “I would say about… 85 percent certain. It would take so much planning and such excellent acting to pull off a scheme like that, and for no obvious goal in mind. But a lot of coincidences, mixed with my own insecurities, gives me some reason to doubt…”
Lilly had crossed her arms subconsciously, showing her insecurities. But she felt sure about her actions today. “I was forced to act, and so I went with the most likely scenario. If I am wrong, I believe the king would forgive you all. You were coerced by a mad firebreathing girl into following orders, after all.”
Heads turned to the woman who had asked the question, making her nervously shake her head. “No, My Lady, I’ll fight with you! If anyone is to be forgiven for being wrong, it’s you! And if you’re right, then the king deserves what is coming even more, trying to fool you like this!”
Cheers of agreement sounded out, showing Lilly that everyone was united in this matter. It warmed her heart, and made her will to fight for them all even stronger.
“Well then, you all have a city to protect! Let everyone know what the king has done, and let nothing but the most trusted of merchants or adventurers into the city. In the meantime, I have a letter to deliver.”