A few minutes ago

“Your God speaks in riddles just as well as my Goddess.” Alice scoffed. She leaned back in her chair, unimpressed. “But since you’ve so kindly shared yours, I’ll read you mine.”

Her eyes focused on a pop up window no one else could see. Her eyes flickered, searching through her notification tab ability log until she found fate's prophesy.

“What mortals toil to the coiling thread.

Why weave the same when knots form in the line.

The loom feeds a snag in Fate looming.

So seek first those of second death.

Find tears in time before time unravels.

The weave undone. To walk away. To stay.

Embrace death by the first fallen leaf.

Tie ends or end in Void.”

Her voice didn’t have the weight of a literal god, but her charisma passive perk was a good mortal comparison. Julian had to repeat the words over with a clear mind, without Alice's personal inflections.

“Do you see?” The Guild Mistress refocused, shooting Rowen a scathing look. “You are a tear in the weave. There was no timeline in which you were meant to survive, and you being here might destroy us all. So think about that while you go live your Happily Ever After - However long that lasts.”

The fox kept a smile on their face, but their hands were clenched. “I see how you interpret this, but between the two I would say Shadow is more clear. So I will think on it while I go about living my life, and I will not let you continue terrorising the continent with your fears of ‘what if’.”

“You know I’m right,” said the celestial, her blue eyes flashing to the magical wall. “And so do they. What happens when things start to go wrong? Will they turn on you if the system fails them? Shadow just says that Shadow wont doom the world. He does not speak for all. What if Fate forsakes us? Everyone will know that you chose yourself over the world.”

“Enough.” Their Royal Highness snapped, their aura fluctuating behind a cold smile.

Julian felt pity for the old fox, seeing the words were having an effect on Rowen. The idea that his family and friends would be put at risk did play across his mind, but he refused to pander to the guild mistress before a second opinion.

Something about Alice just felt… chaotic. Where Gerda had all the answers and a carefully plotted plan that worked - Alice did not. Julian would trust Gerda before Alice any day. He was willing to bet money on the troll.

Julian wasn’t being entirely fair, he knew. There were reports that the Blackfog had managed to temporarily unalive some of the people on their long list; it wasn’t surprising with the amount of effort they’d put in, but they’d failed all attempts to permanently affect anything here. The Dark Enchanted Forest was stronger than ever, his sister happily married to Necromancer Chloe, and aside from the Sumbrian royals being a disaster - as usual - things were going smoothly.

Besides, if Alice had her way then his sister-in-law might not live very long. Chloe was a part of his family now, and that meant protecting her just as much as Julia.

The celestial shrugged. “You have been warned.”

“Then I guess it is my turn to warn you.” Rowen’s voice dropped ominously as the smile slipped from their face. “Mine and my own are no longer going to play a role in your plans.”

The fox shot Julian a look and asked, “You are keeping Guild Mistress Alice until the first leaf falls?”

That would be months away, and Julian didn't know what her trial was going to conclude - but he didn’t have time to reply as the celestial laughed.

“He’s keeping me until I escape.” She glanced around her, scrutinising the mithril enchanted room, “I give it three days.”

“You couldn’t escape the Sanctuary; do you think that Fate will help free you now?” Julian cocked his head to the side.

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“Who needs a Goddess to escape this?” Alice was unimpressed with what she saw and told him so. “You know I’m the highest level spy class on the continent? Even these won’t slow me down.”

She lifted the St. Veralyn’s Restraint Manacles on her wrists. They were still secure. The keys were still in Julian’s storage, and he checked to make sure they were there.

His small desire to release her was also still there, which was why he hadn’t handed over the key to anyone else. No sense tempting fate with someone less guarded.

“I’m saying this because I’m being nice. And I was hoping that explaining everything rationally would make you see things clearly. Ask your questions now, before I’m gone.”

The celestial lowered her arms back to the table and then huffed.

“We will be keeping her secured until the council determines her fate.” Julian said, answering Rowen’s original question.

Rowen considered. Then he smiled again, a very pointy-toothed grin. “I believe you, but why don’t we all take precaution and ask Miss Gerda what she thinks?”

Guild Mistress Alice sucked in a breath at the troll's name, her face twisting into an ugly fit of rage. “Let that monster try to stop me, and we’ll see who wins this time.”

“She’s bested you before.” Rowen pointed out, digging into the metaphorical wound.

“I can summon her,” Julian agreed. He would ask, but he wasn’t counting on her abilities; she might not say yes to scrying for them.

What he really wanted to hear was her opinion on Fate’s message. She was a bridge troll after all. Who better to ponder over a riddle?

“Then while you do that,” Rowen released the tension in their shoulders and pulled their sleeves straight before taking the seat in front of Alice. Their eyes glinted with playfulness and a hint of something darker. “I’ll start my own interrogation. I’d love to hear more about your time in Peldeep, Guild Mistress.”

Suddenly, the pressure in the room amplified. Rowen released their full aura, and it suppressed Julian so forcefully that he had to fight to breathe.

“Have fun.” Julian managed, before slipping from the room. The pressure lifted off his shoulders, but he was still sweating lightly at the brow and his heartbeat pounded against his chest.

The viewing area from the other side of the magical wall was teaming with conversation, more so than he’d anticipated. Usually interrogations were a close study and it wouldn’t do to miss anything. Not so today.

“I’ve already sent someone to let Gerda know you are summoning her.” Witch Agatha said. She pointed at Master Thomas, who looked ready to light someone on fire. “Now tell that one to calm down.”

Julian might have had reservations about Master Thomas joining the viewing room due to his personal connection with the celestial - but he’d invited all council members. There was no current verdict against the mage, and so he would watch and observe.

Besides, as powerful as the young man was, he was no match for Agatha or Lorthar, let alone both.

“Is no one else worried about what that woman said?” Master Thomas said, obviously continuing a conversation that Julian had walked in on. “I’m not saying we should knife Rowen in the back - but look at Peldeep law. We can urge Rowen to step down and act as if they are dead. Or abdicate. Or–”

“Or what?” Wizard Lorthar waved away the young mage’s concerns. “You want us to go after everyone on the Blackfog list and continue where they left off?”

“If the Continental Council ordered everyone on that list to stand down until fall - we could potentially prevent whatever disaster the Keeper of Fate is foretelling.” Master Thomas urged. “Without their foolish desire for bloodshed.”

“You would follow the direction of a god’s chosen who lost their way? One utterly untrustworthy and murderous?” Witch Agatha tsked. "Mages, bah, always overthinking things."

Wizard Lorthar chided, “Agatha, that was uncalled for. You know Thomas is speaking from concern.”

“He can speak at the Council.” She retorted. The meeting was in two days, the afternoon after the Masquerade, and perfectly timed to add her sentence to the agenda.

“I can speak whenever I please. And I will bring this to the council meeting.” Master Thomas huffed. The young man was clearly insulted, struggling to remain respectful to the older magic user.

Julian turned back to the interrogation hall to see Rowen standing with a fist on the table, looming over the calm and collected Alice. Their voice was a cutting whisper, “I have let your people live in my realm, and for this? You have forsaken them.”

“They are the hands and feet of Fate, and you know that I know that you have hired their services in the past.” The celestial turned, her eyes sweeping on everyone in the viewing room. Julian could’ve almost sworn she caught his eyes. “You all have.”

Witch Agatha tensed, and Wizard Lorthar sighed, impressed. “She’s really very good at that.”

There was a soft knock at the door.