Elsewhere in the palace, while Sekt was busy plotting her downfall, Princess Yuriarna sat beside a window overlooking a beautiful garden.
The man across the table from her had long, wavy blond hair. His beautiful brown eyes seemed entirely unsuited for the angry look they held.
A chambermaid poured tea into their cups with a well-practiced hand before bowing lightly to the Princess and stepping back out of sight.
“Thank you, Ferna,” Yuriarna said. Ferna had been at her side ever since childhood.
After taking a sip of her tea, Yuriarna let out a deep breath and turned her attention to the man across from her.
“We almost had Dakares exactly where we wanted him. What are the odds that the ruler of Diento, where our spies were currently operating, would be killed? Do you think this was an attempt by Dakares to conceal the evidence of his treachery?”
The middle-aged man facing Yuriarna sat perfectly straight in his chair, wearing the crisp military uniform reserved for lieutenant generals.
Carlton du Frivtran—one of the kingdom’s three generals—paused for only a brief moment. “No, m’lady. The marquis was a major source of funding for Dakares’s camp, and a powerful supporter, so it’s hard to believe Dakares would kill him. As for the servants who provided statements about what they saw, we attempted to secure them as soon as possible, but we could only get our hands on one. I’ve already issued orders to hand the servant over to the Grand Duchy of Limbult.”
Yuriarna knitted her eyebrows and frowned. “According to the witnesses’ statements, the castle was attacked by elves. Was this just revenge for the marquis’s kidnappings? There are also reports that beastpeople were set free from various slave trading houses around town, so I wonder if they were working together. I’d heard that Diento is a rather sturdy fortress, so it’s hard to believe that elven soldiers could succeed in an attack all on their own.”
Yuriarna wasn’t looking for an answer exactly. Rather, she was letting her mind work through the problem. Her eyes narrowed as she stared into the steam rising from her cup.
Carlton wore a thoughtful expression. “The elves and beastpeople have relatively stable relations, so it’s entirely possible. However, without some sort of inside help, it would have been difficult to sneak in. The biggest mystery for me is how the beastmen were able to steal all that money and burn down half the castle’s main residence, all without any witnesses seeing anyone other than the elves. Perhaps it was one of Sekt’s people, trying to weaken Dakares’s position.”
“In any case, Rhoden citizens living near the elves must be trembling with fear. After all, even a massive fortress wasn’t enough to stop them from getting revenge. I fear our trade routes will become even more constrained. I can’t believe my idiot brother would do something so foolish! He’s trying to abandon a 400-year-old treaty!” Yuriarna let out a heavy sigh.
“However, this incident will greatly weaken the power of Dakares’s camp, sending even more nobles our way. Going forward, we’ll need to keep an eye on Sekt’s movements.”
“That’s true, I suppose. Sekt is also likely to use this situation to try and win over Dakares’s supporters. We should have proper talks with the elves to discuss the situation as well. Let’s start in the Grand Duchy of Limbult, since they’re the only ones who have any regular trade established with the elves.”
Yuriarna slumped her shoulders and picked up her cup, taking a sip of her herbal tea. The scent of it brought back good memories, putting a smile on her face.
“I wonder how Seriarna is doing…” Her older sister, Seriarna, had married into the Ticient family—the Grand Duchy of Limbult.
A sigh escaped Yuriarna’s lips as she turned to gaze out the window.
High above the castle, dark gray clouds had rolled in, blanketing the sky. The sound of heavy rainfall drew closer.