7. sealed truth

 
 

PROLOGUE | STOLEN MOON | WANING CRESCENT | SACRED SANDS | FALLEN SELENE | EPILOGUE

Sealed Truth

Susanna asks her hostage what he is doing there as Morgana emerges from the kitchen. The soldier tells Susanna that she is very much in over her head. She then warns him that he is about to lose his unless he tells her what he is doing at the Manor. She then presses the knife in deeper. Basildes interjects and states that there is no need for violence.

Morgana begins to free Basildes and asks him if he is alright. Basildes reassures her that he is fine but asks who they are and why they came to such a dangerous place. Morgana states that it is a long story as Aletheia then emerges from the kitchen. Basildes looks at her curiously and says that he is sure it is. He then urges the soldier to tell these women what he knows.

The soldier complies and says that he is part of the Trionfi mercenary and he along with the others were summoned to the manner. Aletheia interjects asking who summoned them and if it was Velu of Charis. She is beginning to fear that he is involved. The soldier says that Lord Donofrey summoned them, he has taken over the Trionfi.

Susanna asks him if there are others that the Trionfi had kidnapped besides the priest. The mercenary says yes, that that the lord needed more than just mercenaries. Susanna is getting impatient and asks where the others are. Just then, a noise is heard from down the hall and Morgana says that someone is coming. Susanna motions for Aletheia to put the soldier to sleep. She does so and Basildes confirms that she is Princess Aletheia. He is incredulous and asks her why she is there but Susanna quiets him as she and Morgana push the soldier under the table cloth.

The four of them then sneak out of the room and into the foyer of the manor. They hear footsteps back where they came and rush up a staircase to the second floor. They make their way down a darkened hallway and Susanna states that they need to be on their guard when the floor breaks under their feet. Aletheia and Basildes fall through and into another hallway below as voices are hear in the dining hall next to them. The sisters signal Aletheia and Basildes to hide and the pair escape into a gallery before being seen.

THE GALLERY

The gallery is long and there are windows that overlook two small adjoining courtyards on either side. Aletheia states that they should try to find the sisters and they begin to look around the room for a way out. Basildes asks the Princess how is it that she has come to such a place and Aletheia pauses and says that she came looking for her uncle, Velu of Charis. Basildes is unfamiliar with the name. She then asks the Priest how it is that he recognized her with her. She has been careful to keep her hood up since the Ruined Keep.

Basildes states that he has known her since she was 5 years old. He knows her and what her Champion power is. Aletheia realizes that few knew that she is a Champion. He has not visited the capital in a while and understands if she doesn't remember him. He then reveals that he helped her father create the figure of the High Champion.

Just then, two guards are seen from the window making rounds outside in the courtyard and the pair duck behind some statues to avoid being seen. One statue is a bust that says Lord Velu of Charis. Aletheia looks up at it and it is clear that Velu is a human man.

The soldiers begin to move away and Basildes says that it should be safe to move down the gallery. Aletheia doesn't move. He asks her if she is alright. Aletheia begins to search the names of the other busts. She finds that the family of Charis all appear to be human. Aletheia looks around frantically and finally finds the bust of her mother, Theia of Charis. She is also without antlers.

Basildes says her name and Aletheia is quiet as the guards from outside walk past the windows again. The pair duck down and are quiet until they pass. Basildes stands and then asks the princess what is wrong. She quietly requests that he not call her that. She removes her hood as she begins to tell Basildes why she is there.

Aletheia admits to Basildes that she is not the true Princess of Selene. Her antlers prove that. Basildes protests that he thought her mother, the Queen, was elven. She states that it is what everyone believes but tells Basildes to look at the bust in front of him. It says Theia of Charis. Aletheia clarifies that it is the Queen. The Queen and her family weren't elven. Basildes is silent. He had suspected but never pressed the matter to the King as the Queen had already died when King Marcus came to him. Aletheia says that she heard a rumor and had to find out if there was truth to it. She admits though that she believed it from the start but hoped that she was wrong. She didn't want the truth to be her father's lie.

Basildes is pensive. He posits that perhaps there is truth in the lie. He tells her that he once knew a man that was a Champion before there were High Champions. This man held onto certain secrets that some could consider lies. These secrets were to protect himself but they also protected others. Although he did lie, he was true in many other ways. He looks at Aletheia, addressing her as the Princess, and states that he believes it is the same with her father. Aletheia is silent. He continues and says that he knows this because she is the reason that Champions exist. She seems confused and begins to speak but two guards open the far door.

The pair hide again as the soldiers begin to walk down the gallery toward them. Basildes signals to Aletheia toward a window leading to an open courtyard where they exit. Going up some stairs Aletheia sees an open door where two voices can be heard coming from it. Aletheia is intrigued and enters the open door. Basildes follows and they find themselves on the second floor of a library. Below them she is horrified to see the Black Jester arguing with an older looking man. Aletheia and Basildes look on as they overhear the Jester talking. He refers to the other man as Master Mithose. He is Owen Mithose and addresses the Jester as Lord Donofrey.

The Trionfi

Aletheia and Basildes watch as Donofrey is telling Owen that he is growing tired of his excuses. The Black Jester begins to talk about the production of weapons that Owen has been overseeing but Owen is pleading that the time frame is impossible. Donofrey reminds Owen that he has delivered so much where the other scholars had failed. He was able to modify the ballistas as he was instructed so he has faith in his skills and simply needs him to work faster in building the larger weapons. Owen pleads that even Malcolm had let him rest but Donofrey cuts him short telling him to be careful and not to mention him again.

Aletheia whispers to Basildes about the situation, that she knows the Jester and his role in her kidnapping several weeks ago. She states that him being alive makes their current situation even more dangerous than it already was.

Below them, there is a silence as Donofrey looks at his hand. It is completely diamond. He asks Owen if he has ever felt true pain. He turns and faces Owen. He then details how difficult and tiring it was to claw his way out of the Ruined Keep. He then places his hand around Owen' neck gingerly. A guard enters and apologize for interrupting. Donofrey lets go of his neck and asks the soldier if the Trionfi have returned with the priest. The soldier then states that he came to tell Donofrey that there is a cart and horses at the front of the manner but the two members did not check in when they returned. Aletheia and Basildes look at each other.

Donofrey is silent but he turns back to Owen. He relents and taps his face as he states that Owen can rest for now but will continue in the morning. He states that they will move on Selene before Winter. Owen complies in exhaustion and Donofrey tells the guard to take him back to the stables for now. Aletheia and Basildes watch as Donofrey leaves towards the entrance of the Manor.

STABLES
Aletheia anxiously states that they have to warn Selene. Not only is it unprepared for an attack but the Black Jester is extremely dangerous. Basildes tells her that he can send a message if they can return to the Monos Cathedral. He suggests that they need to find her friends and leave now. Aletheia agrees and the two follow the guard that took Owen Mithose. They head outside and over a bridge that leads to the balcony of the stables.

The Trionfi mercenary opens the door to the stables and finds Morgana and Susanna freeing the other captives. He draws his sword and Susanna picks up her spear but Aletheia comes up from behind and knocks him out. There is a short reunion as Owen hugs his daughters. Morgana is glad Aletheia and Basildes are alright and Susanna urges them all to hurry. They still need to escape.

Basildes helps some of the injured captives and asks if they were all kidnapped. Owen looks down as he explains that he is the only one left of the abducted scholars. One of the others prisoners states that they are residents of the Manor who had served Velu of Charis. Aletheia asks where Velu is and they explain that a man named Malcolm Moray had assumed his identity to overtake the Manor. After that he began to assemble the weapons with the group called the Trionfi. He had killed the real Velu before he and the Jester left a month ago. Only the Jester returned and has begun assembling the full force of the Trionfi.

Morgana says it looks like they are preparing for an attack and shows her the courtyard through the window where she sees artillery and ballista loaded onto carts. Aletheia tells them the Trionfi intend to attack Selene as soon as the remaining Trionfi arrive. They intend to do so before Winter. Susanna says that they better leave now before more soldiers come. The stables are locked so they must head back the way they came. Susanna takes point ahead of them and they all leave the stables.

They begin to head back down the bridge as two soldiers come through the doors. Immediately Susanna attacks and takes down one with her spear. The other draws his sword and retaliates but Susanna forces him back and holds him against the wall. She calls out to her friends move past and Basildes leads them over the bridge and into a hallway. He opens a door to the balcony and the courtyard below where the horse and cart sit next the manor.

Basildes jumps down to the cart and helps the other seven do the same. Morgana, Owen and Aletheia move past Susanna as she continues to fights the mercenary. He attacks her and she rolls back, sending him flying out the window to the courtyard below.

Owen and Morgana makes it to the balcony and jumps down to the cart. Aletheia follows when the door near her bursts open and knocks her back. Three Trionfi stand between them and the balcony. The one in front is the same one that Aletheia knocked out earlier. Susanna gets in front of her and they retreat back to the bridge.The three guards block their way and unsheathe their weapons. Morgana sees them from below and frantically shouts that she needs to help them but Owen protests.

Susanna and Aletheia are cut off in the hallway as the Trionfi approach. The two woman begin to move back when Susanna sees something from the window, making her eyes widen. She grabs Aletheia and wrenches her to the floor as fast as she can. Just then, large steel bolts shatter the windows and pierce the wood, splintering the bridge. A sound like deafening thunder is heard as the bolts tear through the bridge and break it in half. Morgana and the others look on in horror as the metal bolts clang away from the splintering wood. The volley of arrows stops and the structure collapses, dropping Susanna and Aletheia into the cobblestone below. The several struts of the arched bridge fall into the door of the stables, bashing it open.

Morgana tells Basildes to take the cart and wait for them at the entrance to the manor. She tells Owen to go with them and he says to hell with that, he will go with her. Basildes asks her what she will do and she is silent as she looks back toward the broken doorway to the stables.