At All Cost

𝑪𝒉. 1. 𝑨 𝑺𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒚 𝑲𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰𝒔 𝑵𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑯𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚

Place: Palace Dungeon, EmberFrost Castle, Timberest, Siog Riocht

Date: Wee hours Nollaig 6th

The room grew silent as the weight of what Escher just said filled the room.

Miri signaled for a guard she recognized. "Officer Cadail can you please take Riku back to my apartment and wait for my return?"

"Yes, my lady."

"Hi, Officer Cadail." Riku offered him his hand. "I remember you." He smiled at the officer.

"I remember you too.'' He chuckled. Taking Riku's hand they poofed away. Much to the surprise of poor unsuspecting officer Cadail.

Everyone else was quiet, lost in thought until West broke the silence.

"Hmm, three weeks I see. Come Princesa, let's go." West took her hand.

"What? Go where?" she asked him, confused.

"To pack your things, we are moving you to Elvenguard. Where I can protect you. Take whatever you would like with you. Or we can just get you all new things, your choice." His face was past serious. She hadn't ever seen him like this before.

"I can't just up and leave, I have to help however I can," she told him.

"I knew you would say that.'' he hung his head. "Why won't you let me protect you?" West grabbed both her shoulders and looked down again.

"Aw, look, their first lover's quarrel," Ren said. While he, Bast, and Teig snickered.

Miri looked at them and cut her eyes. Suddenly the wall in the other direction became very interesting to the snickering trio.

"Wait, wait, before anyone goes anywhere, we don't even know if there's going to be a war, or who it could possibly be against."

Flynn spoke up.

"Yes, I'm sure if someone was moving an army of enough troops to destroy Emberfrost we would know about it. It would take weeks to move a battalion of troops like that." Flynn spoke up as the voice of reason.

"Uh, do you not understand, this is prophecy level stuff here. We have had the amber lights all already. One more time and this winter prophecies are next." Escher looked at Flynn like he had messed up simple math.

"Commander we have rounded up all the prisoners." a guard reported to Teig.

"Good. Next, let's get a team in here to recover what's left of Frederico over there and see if the sages can determine what he was poisoned with."

"Yes sir.'' the guard bowed and left.

"Either way we need to speak to Brogan and my father. If there is going to be a war Elevenguard can help with sending troops and or supplies. Jaeger, Ren, Bast, stay here and help the men finish rounding up the escapees. Help however you can" West instructed. "And speak of this to no one."

"Yes, sire." the 3 men bowed and headed to help the guards.

"Teig, Escher, Flynn, come with us. Time to speak to the king."

The King pinched his nose. He was still in his robe when they made it into his office. "So let me get this straight, there was an attempted jailbreak, a poisoned, and smushed prisoner, and some prophecy about a war. What the hell goes on here when I sleep?'' He shook his head.

"We are running tests to see what type of poison Miri and Riku detected."

"Riku? Is he a new guard?"