Worlds Apart

Honesty

"Aurora." Eadric warns before the silence lingers for too long.

"It's true. It was his drink that was poisoned, and it was poisoned by Lux Cantavit."

"Clear the room! No one but royalty and required personal stay." Apache announces, and just like that everyone but Apache, Eadric, Eerika and I clear the room with haste. Even Lakote is escorted out which pisses Eerika off greatly. Just what I need. She turns on me first.

"Do you have any idea how inappropriately you're acting, voicing your suspicions so brashly? Speaking in such a manner endangers our entire tribe of mass panic! You need to go." Eerika hisses, clearly fueled by nothing but her hatred towards me.

"Sure, no problem. And when the Desert Clan hears word that your Commander somehow survived and you'll have no plan on how to go forward without avoiding war, I'll be out safe, peaceful in the woods while mass panic does ensue and innocent lives are taken."

"You have no idea what you're talking about." Eerika declares, her eyes narrowed dangerously towards me.

"Maybe not, but I do know I'm the only one with answers regarding this," I say before motioning to Eadric's state, causing him to bristle. "The Desert Clan was responsible, and their numbers have grown extensively, their armies large and readied for battle. That's the only proper explanation as to why they came here in person with a new leader. She's calling the shots and I've seen eyes as feral as hers before. She wants his blood."

"If Lux Cantavit was really responsible for this, then why are you still here?" Eerika suddenly asks, causing me to scoff at her inability to analyze genuine information right in front of her. Really, these people know so little about actual strategy and war tactics, all they see is those to save and those to kill.

"Because they poisoned his glass, not mine." I answer after some time, only for Eerika's lips to spread into a cruel grin.

"No, I mean why are you still here. Cowards like you always run in the face of battle and you've certainly got the experience to do so."

I swallow at her mocking words, at the sly raise of her eyebrows as she surveys the room, as though daring anyone to respond. By the time her eyes are back on mine, I am ready to talk. "Because a coward like me also has basic intelligence and knows well enough that if I were to leave here now, with Lux Cantavit troops likely still roaming your lands, I'd be in immediate danger of being kidnapped and held as ransom as well as for information regarding your clan. If only you weren't so stupid you would've been able to see this yourself." I finish with a sarcastic, woe is me kind of voice.

That pisses her off well enough as next thing you know her hand goes to her blade, but Apache's is over hers in an instant.

"Your Highness, please. As disagreeable as the current circumstance may be, these events of late have proven we need Aurora here whether you've come to terms with such realities or not."

"Apache, I will pull rank if it comes to this."

"Then I'll pull mine."

We all look to the source of the noise, Eerika's challenging expression dropping as soon as she realizes it is her brother.

"Eadric-"

"I told you all, she stays. We need to appear as a united front while facing Lux Cantavit, especially while I still have yet to figure out what they've got planned for us now that this little endeavor of theirs has failed."

"Should we prepare for war?" Apache automatically questions.

I wince as a sharp pain suddenly emerges in my head as I recall the last time I heard Apache say such words. During the war against the Mountain. I recover quickly, however, forcing the memories to their proper space at the back of my mind as I force myself to focus on the conversation at hand.