Chapter 11 (T) - Councillor Solaire

  The sounds of voices pull me out of a dream. It was a nice dream. There was candy everywhere. But… no candy for me, I guess.

  I open my eyes and blink the sleep from them as I stretch a bit. I’m still in my room, but this time, there’s nobody here. The voices must be coming from outside the room? No, listening closer, it’s outside the window. Dad’s talking to someone on the street below. ...I don’t really feel like getting up yet, so I guess I’ll listen in and see if they’re talking about something interesting.

  “...reports on where it came from?”

  “Nothing I’ve been informed of yet. It’s clear they have to be behind it, but we haven’t heard anything about where from, exactly.”

  “I see. That’s rather unfortunate.”

  “It is. But we’ll find them and make them pay, mark my words. ...What of Aldritch’s condition?”

  “I was informed mere moments ago that Councillor Aldritch has just awoken recently. By some miracle, it would appear his condition has stabilized. Had his magic been any weaker, his heart would have stopped beating several minutes before we reached him, at least.”

  “If only I’d been in town… I hear the fire beast practically landed right on top of him.”

  “Indeed it did. While he was indoors, no less. Princess Silvath’s wyvern aided in pulling him out of the rubble.”

  “I see. ...And what of your daughter, Councillor? I was told she overdrew her magic, killing the fire beast herself.” Aaand the conversation’s somehow shifted to me. Guess now’s as good a time as any to join in.

  I hop out of bed and lean out the window. “I’m doing fine!”

  Dad jumps, and spins to look up at the window behind him. “Wh- Oh, Tessa! You’re awake!”

  “Yeah, I just woke up a few minutes ago. Have I rested enough that I can come outside and have a life again?”

  Dad chuckles. “Yes, it should be safe for you to do as you please. ...Well, anything that isn’t magically strenuous, at least.”

  The pretty blonde lady next to him glares at me. “So, you were listening in on our conversation were you? Spying on secret government communications is tantamount to treason, you know.”

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  “I’d say that’s your fault for talking right under my window in the middle of town in broad daylight.”

  Dad sighs. “Solaire, will you please treat things seriously? Nothing in this conversation is remotely secret.”

  The lady- Solaire, I guess her name is- frowns at him. “What, and miss my chance to mess with your daughter?”

  Dad sighs too. “Must your first impressions always be so ridiculous?”

  “When I can afford to, yes.”

  I climb out the window, and hop down the branches of a nearby tree, down the road below. “So you must be part of the Knights’ Council, huh? You’ve got the same badge Dad’s got.”

  “You got it! I’m Councillor Solaire, head of Marilla’s Internal Relations.”

  “...I have no idea what that means.”

  “I make sure the other Councillors get along and actually do their jobs.”

  “Sounds like fun.”

  “It’s not! Anyway, you must be Miss Tessa Aranae, then?”

  “Uh, no. Well, sort of?”

  Dad speaks up. “Tessa’s surname is ‘Lynx’. That was her mother’s name. Tessa was a year old when Alice and I were wed.”

  “Oh, right. I do remember something along those lines, now that you say it again.”

  An idea strikes me. “Hey, so… You get to tell the other Councillors what to do, right? How about telling them to let me join?”

  Solaire laughs. “Well, you’re certainly direct about what you want!”

  Dad sighs again. He must do that a lot around us. “Tessa, you know you have to join the training program first, and pass all the examinations to join the Knights.”

  Solaire looks thoughtful “Under normal circumstances, that’s certainly true. But it’s not as though we haven’t granted special privileges before. Weren’t you one of them, Fernand?”

  Dad trips over his words. “I- Well, yes, but- Um-”

  Solaire grins. “Your daughter fought and killed a fire beast. Alone. It was blind, sure, but the reports say all its wounds were surface level. Miss Lynx here may well have saved the lives of dozens, or even hundreds of people living here in Mariville. Surely we can at least bring up her request at the meeting tomorrow, no?”

  Before Dad can answer, a chimera runs up. He’s got the badge on his chest, so I guess he’s a knight. “Councillor Aranae! I hope I’m not interrupting anything, but I have a message for you.”

  Dad turns to face him. “You may speak. What is it?”

  “That wyvern of yours showed up at the gates. It seems agitated about something. Tried to climb the wall to get into town when we didn’t let it through the gate! Would you come with me to the front entrance? We, uh… don’t want to get near that thing.”

  Dad’s expression grows extremely serious. “Greta showed up at the gates? Something must be wrong. I’ll be there immediately. Lead the way.” Without another word, he follows the knight off down the street.

  “Aaand I guess he ditched us.”

  Solaire chuckles. “Indeed he has. ...Well, I suppose I should stop putting off my own business now. Why don’t you follow him, and see what’s going on?”

  “Uh- Yeah, guess I’ll do that.” She smiles and nods at me before turning to stroll away. I take a deep breath, and take off for the gates of town.