Truth of the Whisper

Chapter Two.

I felt like a doll.

The dress was light green, and while it brought out the colour of my eyes, green was also the colour of Assdirn Flenn. A statement. It was a damn statement to the other Lords.

It was to tell them, that I was – for now – in the hands of Assdirn Flenn.

I'd spent the past day in the library and I'd found out a few things. Disturbing things. I had found a book about the war and... needless to say, it confirmed Phylon's story.

Nyshard had been in Kalash shortly before the war had started. That was a fact. But in the war, he had fought alongside the other territories, in fact, High Ilryn and Wyntern Falls had been the first to come to aid the Isle of Gnys.

But that still left a bitter aftertaste.

Expecially, because he hadn't told me himself and especially, because he had been in Kalash for two years before the war had started.

Two years.

That was a long time.

And I didn't know how I should feel about that.

I straightened the fabric of my dress and took a deep breath to calm my nerves. All five Lords would be here for the Council meeting today. And maybe... even some of their advisors.

Maybe Brayhd, too. I took another deep breath and tried to tell myself, that I could do this.
But I was incredibly nervous. I felt like a mouse in front of five hungry cats.

Just in that moment, someone knocked at my door, and I nodded to the maid who had done her best to tame my long hair. She hurried to the door, opened it and Phylon stepped in, dressed in a dark green, almost black robe. "Are you ready, my dear?"

I swallowed hard and licked over my dry lips nervously.

But then, I nodded.

"You don't have to be afraid, even if you confront Nyshard about your father. He can't do anything; he can't hurt you. You don't have to be afraid of him, I'll stay close by."

Maybe it was meant to reassure me, but it only sent shivers down my spine. A show off. Nothing more. They wanted to show that they had the key. And like Phylon had told me, I was their citizen, and if they refused, I wouldn't be able to leave.

We walked along the corridor, and I instantly noticed the shield around the room, which should have probably kept their voices inside, but even with the shield in place, I was able to feel the auras inside. One of them was definitely Nyshard's, I think I would have recognised it everywhere, and the other one...

"Nyshard and Styslad seem to be right in the middle of an argument.", Phylon confirmed just what I was about to guess.

"Come", he said, nodded to the guard in his left, reached through the shield and opened the door.

The clashing of their auras was overwhelming, especially the darkness that surrounded Nyshard's. But the second he realised, that the door had been opened, he glanced at us out of the corner of his eyes, and pulled his aura back almost immediately.

Much to my surprise, the man opposite Nyshard, which must have been Styslad, did the same and looked at me, wide-eyed.

I felt a little breeze, and Phylon pulled the shield back which he had put upon me.

Styslad, an elderly, tanned man with brown hair and piercing light blue eyes took a step in my direction and shook his head, then he turned to Nyshard and spat "You damn bastard."

Nyshard didn't reply, instead, his deep blue eyes bore themselves into me, but his expression gave nothing away. It wasn't surprised or maybe even apologetic.