The Eye of Chaos (Council of Champions Book One) ✔️

Chapter Twenty-One: Hope

            Cecilia faced the men, straightened her shoulders and pushed her hair back. She had one chance to do this right. Could she convince these men to become a rebellion army? It was time that these lands got new kings.

            She looked at the recently brought in Kaya and received a small smile. Kaya wasn’t one to simply stay quiet, but neither of them had much of a choice at the moment. So Cecilia took a deep breath and told them about Kei and how they thought he was the one who had killed Zellock.

            When she was finished there was a moment of silence where they simply stared at her apparently speechless.

            “How does that tell us where my daughter, Rose, is?” David asked. He was definitely a one track mind that guy.

            “I can’t say for certain, but I find it likely that Kei took her with him.” Cecilia clasped her hands together and circled her thumbs, and immediately regretted it.

            “Why would a rogue prince of Fileatte kidnap my daughter?” Cecilia clenched her hands together to stop her thumbs from fiddling and stared him in the eyes.

            “Sir, your daughter was being held captive in a castle by a madman. If you were in his place, would you have left a young girl alone in the castle?” This was the turning point of the conversation. If he agreed then she was through, if not then they were basically dead.

            The silence which followed her question felt like eternity. The men looked at each other and seemed to have quiet conversations. David continued to keep his eyes locked on her, Smith drummed the table impatiently, Dellock brought his glass to his mouth and gulped whatever was in it, and Gallaway kept his chin in his hands with his eyes wondering from each of the other four men.

            Cecilia felt tiny drops of sweat prickle down her back, and she prayed. Finally David stood up, and with a glance at his partners he agreed with her. “Is she in good hands?” Cecilia nodded, feeling a rush of hope spread through her body. “I feel ashamed for doing this, but it isn’t like we have another choice.” He sighed and with a last glance at Gallaway, continued, “We would like to hear what you have planned to get us out of this mess. Now that we have done what we came here to do, we are at a dead end.” He shook his head and scratched his chin roughly. “I know we must look like fools, but we really needed our children back. Girls from his harem, and boys from his mines.” He spread his hands in a helpless gesture. “Now we realize that by helping them, we just put them in more danger.” Then his eyes glinted and he pointed at Kaya. “Wait, what if we use her to bargain with King Bassel of Fileatte? Surely that would solve out problem.”

            “Unfortunately that’s not the way it would go.” Kaya spoke up for the first time, her eyes flickering from person to person. “First they would invade, then you would give me up. And if I know nobles as well as I think I do, you will all be killed so it looks like the King found the girl. They could make up whatever lie they wanted. Anyways, in the end Ghunyan will convince Bassel that I’m not worth the effort.” No one spoke, so Kaya continued. “I suggest that you and this ragtag group of villagers flee as quickly as possible. What are there, three hundred of you?”

            “Roughly, yes.” Smith looked extremely interested, though the word ‘flee’ had caused his lips to twitch.

            “There is a rebellion group not far from here. It’s a combination of all the countries. You just have to travel east until you hit the unknown lands. A couple miles deeper is a shelter for everyone who needs it.” Kaya grinned and crossed her hands over her chest. “I began building it a couple years back when my brother was banished. It’s now at least five thousand men.”