Her Eyes Burn Red (INCOMPLETE PROJECT)

Chapter 3

"Up you go." Barnebes sat Solin up to give her medicine he'd concocted moments ago. I stood at a distance, watching from the doorway with caution. I was afraid to enter, to have Solin see me in such a depressed state.

I couldn't stop thinking about what had been said. It bore at my insides, the guilt that I felt for Solin's pain. She was so weak, so frail and every second she suffered was a blade piercing my heart a million times over.

"Majesty, the council has been assembled." a young man stood nearby, waiting for me to follow. With a nod and act of reluctancy I walked away and left the chambers for the heated debates the council often brought us. 

"Vlad, so good of you to arrive." Bram snickered as I entered.

Everyone rose to their feet, I waved my hand out for them to sit. "Let's begin." 

"The six prisoners are pleading for another hearing. They want to speak with you about their true nature in the mountains." Noble Vonivich stood and held up a roll of paper; he was an elder man who'd once helped Bram learn the trade of blacksmithing and locksmithing. "I have gone myself and recorded their words, knowing that you would be occupied with her majesty's health."

"Tell me what they have said." I sat back in my chair, resting my chin against my hand. 

"One of them admits to having orders from Fibanck's lead enforcers to take note of the land and report back what he had seen." Vonivich unrolled the paper and cleared his throat, "He says; 'The orders I received were given to all of us. They will deny it's existence but if you questions others you have captured you will see my claim is true.'"

"And? Were the other prisoners questioned with this new information?"

"Only a few." A woman stood suddenly, she was tall and stocky like a young man but her voice was easy and gentle. "I am new to this council, milord, my name is Yuna Devrio; I train your soldiers."

"Speak then, what have you heard?" I asked her.

"Many have admitted to nothing close in proximity to that prisoners claim. But they have told me that they were convinced they were looking for another rather than you or her ladyship. None so far have made it clear what their intentions originally were but we have suspicion they were aimed to find us here."

I took observation of the tension in the room, how everyone looked at Ms. Devrio with worried eyes and bitten lips. "I say we continue to question them-" Vonivich said.

"No." I shook my head and stood, the others quickly sat down. "To question them is to spark their anger and disobedience. We need them to see our side and to trust that we are not going to torture them as they were made to believe. Fibanck beats information out of his victims, my wife is a living example of his wrath. I say we try another tactic, there must be more that we can try."

"I agree. Questioning them will do us no good." Bram nodded in agreement. But as he stood up a young woman came running in.

"Forgive my intrusion, your majesty. But it's important." She panted, looking nervous.

"What is it girl?" Bram asked, standing to get a better view of the situation.

"It's her majesty." she answer. In one movement I jumped out of my chair and ran to her, taking her shoulders fiercely. 

"What's wrong? Is it time?"

"No, it isn't. Barnebes wants to see you right away." she told me, pushing off my arms and taking my hands and pulling me out of the room. "I would hurry, things do not look very good."