𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐒// 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐨 𝐑𝐨𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐀𝐔

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟕// 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

Nico scanned the table of Council members. Reyna was to his left, reading some papers, while Octavian sat two seats down from her, looking bored. The door opened, and Abaddon entered the room, blonde hair gleaming in the torchlight.

"Thank you all for attending this meeting. We have things to discuss." The Shade king sat down and rested his elbows on the table, eyes gleaming dully in the torchlight. "Our first topic is the Winter Solstice celebration. It is only two weeks away. Do we have everything we need for this year's festival?"

"Everything is in order," reported a woman two seats from Nico's right. A smile tugged at her red lips. "This year will be exciting."

"Good work," Abaddon said. "Now, on to other matters. We--"

"Um, my lord, if I may." Nico straightened in his chair under Abaddon's weighted gaze. "I would like to inquire about our prisoners, specifically the Aureole prince and general."

Abaddon narrowed his eyes. "Go on."

"What do you plan to do with them once we have all the information we need to attack the Aureole palace?"

The king thought for a moment, then said, "I plan on holding onto them for a while longer, in case there is any other information that we need concerning the Aureoles."

Octavian snorted. "If they make it that long."

Rage crashed over Nico, and he clenched his teeth, shocked at the sudden rush of emotion. He took a deep breath and said, "When do we plan on attacking the Aureoles?"

"A few weeks after the Solstice," General Ramirez-Arellano answered, turning to Nico as she said it. "Hopefully, we can catch the Aureoles off-guard."

Octavian tapped the tabletop. "Until then, we continue to interrogate Prince Solace and General Yew for the information that we are after, so we have the best chances of succeeding in the battle." He turned to King Abaddon, blue eyes glinting. "When it comes to interrogation, the prince has been especially difficult, but when we escalated the pain and fear in the interrogationn tactics, he gave us the information we wanted. I say we make the interrogation tactics more drastic, and keep the pressure on him until he cracks." A glare tossed in Nico's direction. "With no interference."

Nico glared back and growled, "Forgive me for believing the Prince was in danger of drowning."

"Tell me, di Angelo, why would you have cared if the prince had drowned?"

"Because then we would have lost a vital source of information. We didn't kidnap him for nothing." Di Angelo rested his hands on the table. "Besides, torturing him to the point of insanity would get us nowhere."

"Ah, but would it really get us nowhere?" Octavian leaned forward, lacing his pale fingers together. "I say the information we need is more important than the prince. We should take what we need, and if it kills him, well, those Aureoles will have a lot more important things to worry about than a dead prince."

"Or an insane prince," a lord added.

Octavian smirked. "Exactly." He turned to King Abaddon. "My lord, what is your decision?"

King Abaddon said, "If escalating the interrogation gets us what we need, then very well. The prince's or general's well-being do not matter when it comes to the intel needed to invade the palace." Nico opened his mouth to protest, but King Abaddon silenced him with a glare. "It does not matter, di Angelo. They are the enemy."

Nico took a steadying breath, forcing his anger deep down, then said, "And when we are no longer in need of any more intel, what do we do with the prisoners?"

"Killing them would be the best," Octavian said. "By then, if we had succeeded in our plans, the Aureole palace would have fallen. There would be no point in giving them back."

A lord snorted. "We should make a game out of it. Execute them for sport, as a celebration of our victory over the Aureoles."

"And if we don't conquer the Aureoles?" Nico dared to ask.

The lord chuckled. "Easy. We kill them as a way to exact revenge for not conquering the Aureoles." Laughter echoed through the Shade Council, save for Reyna and Nico, who shared an uneasy glance. Princess Hazel was staring at the table, chewing her lip frantically.

King Abaddon grinned. "I have a better idea. Let's make it a game-- but for the Winter Solstice festival." He turned to Octavian. "Could we attain the information we need in two weeks?"

Octavian grinned. "We don't need that much more, acutally. Give me two weeks, and I'll have that prince singing like a bird."

Nico clenched his knuckles until they were white.

"Good." Abaddon turned back to the lady who was planning the festival. "An execution wouldn't be too grim?"

The woman laughed. "Not at all. I could have a platform set up for it and everything."

King Abaddon smiled at the rest of the council. "Any oppose?"

To Nico's shock, Princess Hazel raised her hand, eyes gleaming with worry. "Father," she began, "I believe we should give the Aureoles their prince and general back. And what is the point of invading the Aureoles, anyway? Don't we already have enough land and resources?"

King Abaddon's mouth twisted into a sneer. "Growing a soft spot for the Aureoles, are you? You sound like di Angelo."

"Father--"

"Are they any other opposers?"

Under the table, Reyna grabbed Nico's hands, preventing him from raising them. She shot him a glare before he could speak.

"I'm afraid you are outmatched, Princess Hazel." A laugh from the King; his gold eyes gleamed with excitement. "We will apply more pressure to the Aureole prince and general until we have the information we need, and on the Winter Solstice, they will stain our floors red!" Cheers erupted around the table.

Nico stared at his hands, swallowing his nausea.

☀️☀️☀️

Kayla Knowles stiffened as the Shade Council erupted into cheers, fear threatening to root her to the spot. She backed away from the council room's door, slipping into another hall.

She had the information she needed. Now was the time to run.

Kayla navigated the Shade palace halls, her mind spinning with the words she had overheard. She knew the risk of sneaking into the Shade palace, but was grateful she had taken it. Now she had to get back to the Aureoles as fast as she could; she had overstayed her mission, after all.

She bolted out of the exit and found her horse where she had left it--several blocks from the palace, tied to a tree. Relieved her horse hadn't been stolen, she mounted and raced off for the city gates.

This information changed everything.