In the Throne hall of Elsem's castle, towering pillars cast long shadows across the stone floor. Guards stood rigid at each one, spears glinting in the narrow shafts of daylight.
At the center knelt Brimmah, wrists shackled before him. He kept his head bowed. Breath steady. Ache in his knees.
Queen Abigail sat elevated on the throne, councilors arrayed on either side.
"Knyyt Brimmah," called Abigail, voice clear and final. "You have been accused of conspiring as an Elmerian spy. I hereby deem you guilty of the charges levied against you."
Brimmah's heart dropped. A cold sweat streaked down his jaw.
The Queen continued. "Death would be too merciful for one who endangered the realm. Your secrets will be extracted first — slowly and painfully, if need be."
Whispers hissed through the chamber like wind through cracks. Satorii stepped forward swiftly.
"Your Highness, implore you to reconsider this verdict." She said firmly. "He ignorantly entangled himself in the Harry incident — nothing more. To condemn him as a traitor serves no justice."
Abigail silenced her with a sharp gesture, hand slicing the air.
The great doors groaned open. A small figure entered — Eielhart, a boy of 11 with dark bangs like Leonhart's over his brown eyes that resembled Abigail's. His footsteps echoed softly in the vast space.
A heavy-bearded councilman, Lord Rudeus — shifted uneasily. "This is no place for a child, Your Majesty."
"This "child" is Leonhart's heir." Said Abigail. "Surely you did not mean to suggest the new king himself has no place in his own court."
As young Eielhart came passing, a guard gave way, repositioning himself in front of Brimmah. A dagger visible at his hip — the blade within easy reach for Brimmah.
Eielhart drew close to his mother; he leaned in to whisper something only she could hear. Then he turned back.
On his return path, his gaze lingered on Brimmah. He slowed, curious, passing so near him. But Brimmah kept his head down.
Eielhart stopped before him. Their eyes met for a long moment.
"You pass," Eielhart said.
The boy dissolved like mist under sudden light — shadow vanishing, form unraveling into nothing.
Gasps rippled through the hall.
A one-handed, middle-aged Knyyt entered then, bowing to the Queen. "Did the illusion meet Your Majesty's satisfaction?"
"Most satisfactory, Knyyt Dravane." Abigail replied. She turned to the assembly. "No unmasked Elmerian spy would allow the future king to walk past with a blade within reach — not once, not twice. Restraint proves Brimmah is no spy."
Satorii exhaled quietly, shoulders easing.
Brimmah remained kneeling, pulse hammering, mind reeling from the vanished child and the sudden reprieve.
Abigail's voice sharpened again. "But his true crime stands: breaking law by allowing Harry Whyteleafe access through the catacombs during patrol. Such blatant disregard for Elsem's safety must be severely punished. Brimmah! I hereby strip you of the title of Knyyt of Elsem. Furthermore, I sentence you to 18 months of incarceration."
Esq grinned.
Satorii stepped forward again. "Your Highness, I offer to take responsibility for him. By the long-standing pact between the Crown and the Kaine Sect, I request he be bequeathed to our Kaine Order."
No one looked more stunned than Brimmah. His eyes flicked to her, disbelief warring with gratitude.
Esq ground his teeth. Beside him, General Tobii hissed, muttering, "that collection of indisciplined brutes the Kaines call a bloody order…"
Abigail studied Satorii for a long moment, then gave a curt nod. "So be it. Release him."
Guards moved; shackles clanked open. Brimmah rose slowly, legs unsteady, as the council already turned to heavier matters.
Outside the hall, Brimmah stood in the corridor's dim light, thoughts churning. He couldn't believe he was a free man again — just like that.
Inside the hall, voices rose. Councilmen flocked around the Queen's throne.
"Leniency in uncertain times is dangerous, Your Majesty." Esq complained, face twisted. "Spare a potential traitor now, and how can Elsem trust you to guide the realm until the boy-king comes of age?"
Old-man Boren nodded. "The realm needs a seasoned man of royal blood as regent. Experience, not sentiment, must safeguard the throne."
Satorii countered. "Succession is clear. The boy is king. His mother — closest to Leonhart — rules as regent until he comes of age. There is no need for debate where the path lies so obvious."
Esq sneered at her. "Your father would never have defended such weakness. Your youth — and worse, your womanhood — prove you have no place on this council."
Schar's intervened. "Restrain your tongue, Esq. Lady Kaine holds her seat by right and skill, not favor. I — too — stand with the Queen as regent."
General Tobii cleared his throat. "Word has spread of Frederich Kaine's proposal to the Queen at sea."
Rudeus inclined his head. "A union between Kaine and Whyteleafe Sects would be powerful indeed. But Frederich Kaine is not a man to surrender power once he grasps it. Such a marriage could distort the rightful line of succession."
Boren pressed on. "I have lived through three generations of kings. None here is more experienced than I. If Elsem seeks stability, I am best suited to regent the boy."
Esq nodded eagerly, though no others followed.
Valda cleared his throat. "Elsem's salvation may lie in another Eielhart entirely: Leonhart's twin brother. The true heir, long forgotten."
Boren' snapped at once. "Eielhart has been dead for decades."
"Speak of the dead no longer!" Schar followed after. Their sharp dismissal shifted the air.
Satorii glanced between their faces.
Abigail rose from the throne. "I have heard every voice. The council exists to guide kings and queens, not to command them. I will consider your counsel — but the boy is king, and until he comes of age, I will serve as regent. The matter is closed."
In the hallway outside, Brimmah loitered, uncertain what came next. Footsteps approached.
Frederich Kaine appeared. He stopped before Brimmah, a faint smile playing at his lips.
"Still loitering around the den of predators after barely escaping the axe. Bold or foolish?"