Eros

Breaking Point - 40

Farus Everflame was late for the council meeting, yet he was in no particular hurry. The king rarely came to the council meetings on time, if at all. He took the turn to the corridor leading to the war room, and faced Julian taking the turn from the other side.

"Greetings, your highness," Farus bowed his head before the king, giving a brief glance to the red-haired girl beside him. "apologies for my tardiness."

"Make certain it does not repeat." Julian said and tilted his head towards the war room. Farus straightened up and smoothed a crease in the cloth of his tunic. The three of them walked down the corridor.

Farus was rather surprised when the young woman followed them inside. The two other councillors rose from their seats and bowed upon the king's entrance.

"War-Councillors." Julian spoke, and looked to the woman beside him. "This is Vanessa Warhawk. She will be the Warhawk's representative in Veramora, now that the order is beneath my rule."

Farus had to bite his teeth together to keep his jaw from slacking. The Warhawks serve Julian? How dare they defy the Conqueror's treaty?

Farus introduced himself along with the two other War-Councillors, but his mind raced elsewhere.

"In Raul's absence, you may temporarily take the High Magus' seat." Julian gestured at the empty seat as he stretched back in his throne. Farus wanted to ask for an elaboration of the Warhawk joining Veramor's ranks, but the king spoke before he had the chance to.

"I want all the army, without an exception, based less than a league from the Aurum border. Do not move as a bulk. Each squad moves in a different path, or in a different time, and stays at a different place. Base the soldiers within the nearby cities, or even the skirts of the Damuzari Woods if you have to. I want this done as quickly and as quietly as moving an army can get."

The military instincts of the two other councillors got the best of them, and they jumped a salute instead of bowing. "Yes, your highness!"

Julian nodded once. "Very well. Councillors are dismissed."

Farus rose from his seat, bowed, and exited the war room. Once he left, he double-paced his stride, leaving the two other councillors behind him.

This is outrageous.

The information of High Magus Raul being sent to the Damuzari woods could wait until his contact's next arrival in two weeks. But this? The Warhawks broke the Empire's treaty, and Julian wants his whole army moved towards Aurum's border.

Ten years ago, the Conquered ceased expanding the Nasharian Empire and declared a truce that forbade war in all the realms of Aros. Even the Bladeweaver did not retaliate when Veramor retook the Twin Cities to not violate it. And now, not only that Julian intends war, his target is Aurum, the Empire's closest ally. Had his ego devoured his mind whole, or does he simply have no sliver of sanity left?

No, this could not wait even another day. He had no choice but to flee Veramor.

-

At Julian's gesture, Vanessa remained seated after the councillors left. He grabbed the wine bottle and one of the goblets on the table, filled it, and handed it to her.

"Thanks," She said, sipped from the wine, then cleared her throat. "Your highness."

Her limping manners must have amused him, for a small smile cracked his harsh mask. He drained a long drink out of the bottle, then looked at her again. His tongue lapped a red droplet from his bottom lip.

"If I told you that one of my three councillors is a spy, who would you suspect?"

Vanessa pouted in thought, and took another small sip of wine. "I don't know any of them well. But those two military men had this loyal enthusiasm towards you that is hard to fake. So I would suspect that fancy one, what's his name? Everflame?"