Afra Pov

-

I let out a long breath and sat down on the edge of my bed, rubbing my temple as I processed everything that had happened.

And disappointment from a man like Eval Morningstar was worse than outright rage.

My fingers drummed against my knee as my thoughts drifted toward Marsil.

How the hell do I fix this?

Elenora had already made a mess of things, but dwelling on her mistakes wouldn’t change anything. The damage had been done.

Marsil was out there, more than likely plotting against us now, assuming he hadn’t already decided to side with our enemies.

That last thought unsettled me.

Marsil had power.

No one could deny that.

But he was still growing, still learning. If he had more time, if he gained more strength… just what would he become?

Eval must have seen something in him that the rest of us couldn’t.

That much was obvious.

He was a man who calculated every move like a master tactician.

If he had personally ordered Marsil’s recruitment, then there was something special about him, something we were too blind to recognize.

I sighed and leaned back against the wooden wall of my room, staring up at the ceiling.

Eval was betting on Marsil’s future.

And now, thanks to Elenora’s reckless actions, that future might be turned against us.

I exhaled sharply, frustration gnawing at me.

I needed to fix this before it spiraled even further out of control. But how?

I needed to give Marsil something.

A reason to trust us. A reason to listen.

But what did he want?

I had only heard bits and pieces about him, his time in Grimrock Prison Mine, his escape, and the enemies he had made along the way.

He wasn’t a man who wanted power for power’s sake, at least not yet.

No… Marsil was someone who wanted control over his own life.

That’s it.

I sat up straighter, realization dawning on me.

Marsil had been tossed around, used as a pawn, hunted like an animal.

First, by the nobles and their lackeys in Freedom of Amber.

Then, by Elenora and her paranoia.

He wasn’t looking for a cause; he was looking for freedom.

And that… was something I could give him.

If I could convince him that aligning with Eval wasn’t about following orders but about securing his own future on his own terms, he might actually listen.

It wouldn’t be easy.

He had every reason to hate us right now.

But if I could offer him something real, something tangible, I might be able to undo the damage Elenora caused.

I would have to find him first.

And I would have to make sure that when I did, I had something worth offering.

-

Eval Pov

I stepped into the war room, my eyes immediately drawn to the massive circular table at its center. A large, detailed map of the continent was spread across it, marked with colored flags and various objects.

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Seven figures stood around the table, their blue robes signifying their allegiance to the Morningstar Act.

I exhaled, my gaze sweeping across the map.

Yellow flags. Too many of them.

They vastly outnumbered the blue ones.

"Other than four cities and fifteen towns, the general power and governance still remain under the control of the Freedom of Amber and the Nobles,"

As expected, none of them responded immediately.

They already knew the truth. Seeing it laid out so clearly, however, was another matter entirely.

I turned my eyes to the gathered leaders, my inner circle. These were the ones entrusted with overseeing the expansion of our influence, the ones tasked with ensuring the Morningstar Act’s vision became reality.

“What is our advantage over the enemy?” I asked, my tone firm.

A brief silence filled the room. They were weighing their answers, not wanting to give me a response that I already knew.

Finally, after five long seconds, a tall woman with sharp features and piercing silver eyes spoke up. Her voice was steady and confident.

“Quality individuals and powerful mages, as well as knowledge of magic.”

I nodded slightly.

"That is true. We have fewer numbers, but our elites are superior in skill and magical ability."

I let my gaze fall back to the map.

Wars were not won by numbers alone.

They were won by strategy.

By seizing the right opportunities.

By striking where the enemy least expected.

"The Freedom of Amber and their noble allies control much of the continent,"

"But their strength is also their weakness."

The silver-eyed woman, Lindervind, furrowed her brows slightly.

"You mean their reliance on the nobility?"

I smirked.

"Precisely."

The noble houses were powerful, yes, but their power was fragile.

It was built on a foundation of politics, wealth, and legacy rather than true strength.

The Freedom of Amber used them to maintain control, but in doing so, they had tied themselves to an unstable system.

A system that could be broken.

I pointed at a cluster of yellow flags.

“These cities and towns remain under their control not because of military strength but because of influence. The nobles act as their hands, enforcing their will. If we sever that connection, their grasp on these territories will weaken.”

Another one of the robed figures, a middle-aged man named Varric, rubbed his chin.

“You propose targeting the nobility directly?”

“Not just targeting them,” I replied.

“We must make them irrelevant.”

Silence filled the room as they absorbed my words.

“The people don’t follow the nobles out of love or loyalty,"

"They follow them out of necessity. Because they see no other option. The moment we provide them with an alternative one that grants them real power rather than submission, that’s when we start to turn the tide.”

Lindervind crossed his arms, a thoughtful look in his eyes.

"That would require a large-scale effort. The Freedom of Amber will not stand idle while we attempt to erode their authority."

I chuckled.

"Of course not. But we don't need to do this overnight. We only need to push in the right places. Collapse their foundations piece by piece."

Varric tapped the table.

"And Marsil? He is a variable in all of this. You entrusted Arfa with securing him, and now he is on the run."

The mention of Marsil caused a slight shift in the room’s energy. Some of them had reservations about him, understandable, given the recent events.

I expected Lindervind to tell them about what happened, but I did not expect him to be this fast.

I sighed.

"Marsil was never a soldier. He was never someone who could be forced into a cause. If Elenora had followed my instructions instead of acting on her own, we wouldn’t be having this discussion."

Lindervind frowned.

"Then what now? He could very well align himself with the enemy out of sheer resentment."

I shook my head.

"No. Marsil is not that kind of man. He doesn't serve causes. He serves himself. And that is exactly why he is still valuable to us."

A few of them exchanged glances.

I continued,

"He may resent us for now, but he has no love for the Freedom of Amber either. They tried to kill him long before we ever involved ourselves in his life. That hatred doesn’t fade easily."

I let my fingers hover over the map, tracing the areas Marsil might have fled to.

"He will seek power. Knowledge. He will seek to grow stronger because he knows that in this world, only the strong dictate their own fates. And when the time comes, when he realizes that we are the ones who offer him that power, he will listen."

Varric leaned forward slightly.

"And if he doesn't?"

I met his gaze.

"Then we will ensure that he never becomes an enemy worth fearing."

That was the reality of war. I would much rather have Marsil with me than against me, but I would not allow him to become an unchecked force wandering the world.

If he refused to stand by my side, then I would see to it that he never stood at all.

Lindervind nodded. "Then we wait. And watch. In the meantime, what are our next steps regarding the cities?"

I turned my attention back to the larger strategy at hand.

Of course Lindervind did not say what I told him to do, to track Marsil in this room.

“First, we will identify the weakest noble houses in these cities. Those with fragile alliances. Those whose people already whisper of dissatisfaction. We will not strike them down we will offer them something better.”

A younger man, someone new to my inner circle, hesitated before speaking. "And if they refuse?"

I smiled, though there was no warmth in it.

"Then we remind them what happens to those who stand in the way of change."