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He laughed, leading me to the chair.
As everyone settled in, I stood behind Levos steeling glances at Erendrial when I could without being detected. The king signaled for the room’s attention as the doors closed us inside.
“Thank you all for attending. I will get directly to the point. Today’s meeting will not consist of strategies for our attack against Otar and his forces, as previously discussed. After recent developments, I have decided that we will move forward with Lord Atros’s plan for the attack without any disagreement from anyone at this table, including our dark alfar guests,” said King Lysanthier.
“Pardon me king,” said Erendrial, “but this was to be a mutual arrangement when it came to the attack and how we should move forward with Otar and his remains. Lord Atros and I have come to an agreement that benefits both kingdoms and our desires to understand this enemy better.”
“There will be no more negotiations. If Otar’s body falls on our land then it is ours, and only ours, as stated in the treaty. All infantries will defer to Lord Atros for instruction from this point on,” said the king.
Erendrial leaned into the table, perhaps trying to work out where his negotiations had faltered. “We have complied with all your requests. This was to be a mutually beneficial arrangement,” said Lyklor.
“Yes, it was. Until a most interesting discovery has come to light, revealing your court’s true nature.” The alfar looked to one another, trying to decipher what they all had missed. “It has come to our attention that members of the dark court have been conspiring with my own subjects in order to gain influence and inside information regarding our private affairs.”
The light alfar gasped, looking at each other as if to accuse one another. I kept my eyes on Erendrial, gleaming at his undoing. He stared at the table, as if trying to piece it all together. His head rose as his attention locked onto my broken hand and then to my eyes. He leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together in front of him, still holding my eyes with his. I didn’t back down.
“Lord Atros has brought to my attention a blood contract that was forged between the dark court and a member of our own, Lord Filo Uytum,” the king continued. Filo looked panicked as the table turned to stare. “The contract allows safe passage for Lord Uytum to enter the Kingdom of Doonak. It promises marriage to a dark alfar of high standing and access to any resources the dark court has in return for compliance and full disclosure of any information pertaining to the inner workings of the light court.” The room quieted.
Erendrial’s eyes were still on me as he spoke. “And when was this contract discovered?” asked Erendrial.
“It was discovered in Lord Uytum’s private chambers, during our dinner banquet last night” replied the king.
Erendrial smiled. “Clever girl,” he said softly.
“Excuse me, Ambassador Lyklor?” said the king.
Erendrial’s eyes finally left mine, returning his attention to the king. He knew it was me. That this was all me. I reveled in that knowledge, yet something inside of me shook with fear.
“May I see the contract please,” asked Erendrial. A guard approached him with a yellow piece of parchment. He took a moment to look it over before handing it back. “I can assure you that I have never laid eyes on this contract. If there was an arrangement made with Lord Uytum and someone within my court, this is the first I am hearing of it. I have had no direct contact with Lord Uytum besides the interactions that have occurred in this room.” He was calm and smooth when it came to public speaking. If I didn’t know how deceptive he was, I might have believed him just now.
The king waited a few moments before responding. “Since there is no specific name on the blood contract, Lord Uytum, would you like to use your last moments to speak the name of your accomplice?” Filo looked terrified. He didn’t look at any of the dark alfar. I could only imagine he feared their punishment far more than anything the light alfar could do to him.
“I made the deal unaware of who I was communicating with. They never revealed their name or face. I have failed you, my King, and for that I beg your forgiveness,” said Filo.
The king looked unmoved. He flicked his first finger to signal to the guards. Two alfar approached either side of Filo. “You will have to face your fate for your treachery in whatever afterlife you end up, Lord Uytum,” said the king. One of the guards unsheathed a ulyrium sword, swinging the blade at Filo’s neck. With a hard thump, his head fell to the floor. I couldn’t help but jump.
Blood pooled at the base of the chair as his headless body slumped against the table. My mouth fell open. I had never actually seen someone beheaded before. I turned from the sight, meeting Erendrial’s eyes. He tilted his head as if to ask, ‘satisfied?’ I gave him a small smile, trying to hide my discomfort.
“Ambassador Lyklor, as you can see, we no longer trust your judgment in this matter. Please be comforted that Lord Atros is our most trusted general. He will lead us to victory,” said the king, standing from his seat. The other alfar stood in respect. “Please enjoy our hospitality before the battle commences two days from now. If any other foul play is discovered, you and your members will be dealt with accordingly.”
The king left while the other alfar stood around, still in shock at the betrayal. One of their own had made a deal to leave their court to work with the dark alfar. I waited by the wall behind Levos, keeping my head bowed and my eyes to the floor. He spoke to the other alfar as if he were just as surprised as they. Erendrial left the hall without saying a word to anyone. I smiled. Take joy in the little things, Gen.
Chapter 15
Levos didn’t leave my side for the rest of the day. He watched me curiously as I completed my chores in silence. Honestly, it was best that I kept my mouth shut. I was afraid of what might slip out if I got started.
I watched the other humans around me clean, cook, and tend to the alfar’s needs. I felt like I had been in a blindfold until this point. I was so focused on finding Lilian and my hopeless relationship with Gaelin that I missed the suffering that passed me in the halls every day. No wonder why they hated me. I was living the high life in comparison to what they had to deal with each day.
A young girl was cleaning the terrace outside one of the dining rooms. I noticed an alfar male watching her from the other side of the room. The girl acted like she didn’t notice his gaze, but I could tell she was fully aware of his intentions based on the straightness of her spine. The male finally approached her casually. He whispered something into her ear briefly before making his exit. The girl’s whole body went stiff. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she placed the duster down and followed him out of the room a few moments later.
In the fields, if the human boys didn’t work hard and fast enough, they would be whipped and beaten for slowing down the harvest. The female alfar took human lovers in their bed, but it wasn’t so excessive like it was with their counterparts. I stood on the edge of a field and watched as the boys labored for what seemed like forever without a single break. They looked tired and hungry. Their skin was tanned and blistered from the sun.
Every other thought in my head evaporated. I must have been standing there for a while because when I looked around for Levos, he was gone. I couldn’t just watch and do nothing, but what could I do to help them? I looked around and found a few pitchers of water and a cup leftover from the alfar’s lunch.
I took the cup and pitcher and made my way into the field. I went to the first young man and filled the glass with water and handed it to him. He looked at me with confusion and terror, then around to see if his overseer was watching.
“Drink, hurry,” I demanded.
He took the glass and threw it back. Streams of water poured from the sides of his mouth. He handed me the glass and considered me for a moment before nodding a thank you. I made my way to the next worker, offering what little reprieve I could. Once the pitcher was empty, I refilled it and went back into the field.