Chapter Nine · The Chancellor’s Hand

The arena floor still trembled. Stone dust hung in the sunlight. Injured soldiers were being carried away.

Far above, Ravok’s silhouette faded into a streak of light, then vanished.

King Eryndar emerged from the Throne Hall as the last tremors passed through the arena.

He did not look up at the sky.

He walked straight toward Syveris and the Royal Mages standing at the foot of the steps.

Syveris’s cloak still fluttered. The last traces of magic faded beneath his feet. The sigils on the stone floor shrank into thin lines, then went out.

“What happened?” the King asked.

Syveris bowed his head.

“The beast has escaped, Your Majesty.”

The King frowned.

“Why?”

“The cause remains unclear, but I will order an investigation at once.”

Wind swept across the high walls. A few small pieces of ash lifted, then fell. The King looked around the arena. All the guards knelt, their heads bowed.

Eryndar gave the order:

“Summon the court.”

At once, a Royal Mage raised his staff and sent a flare of light into the sky—the signal for an emergency summons.

The King turned and stepped back into the Throne Hall. Syveris and the Royal Mages followed.

Inside, golden light reflected off the marble floor. At the far end, the throne stood upon a jade dais.

Eryndar ascended the dais and took his seat. The emerald in his crown caught the light.

Behind him, two Royal Mages lifted their staffs. Light gathered between them, then rose into a thin magical veil that closed in a circle around the throne.

A short while later, the great doors stood open. One by one, the high officials hurried into the hall and took their places in two lines along the central aisle, facing each other.

One side wore dark silk robes. The other stood in cold, gleaming silver armor.

At the sight of the King, voices died. Heads lowered. No one spoke.

The King struck the arm of the throne once. A deep, thunderous note echoed through the hall. The court was now in session.

Syveris stood at the head of the silk-robed officials, nearest the dais. He stepped forward into the center of the hall.

“Your Majesty, the Silent Beast has escaped from the Ashen Dungeon.”

He paused.

“The beast was bound by three layers of chains and Aulith Fae binding magic.”

He raised a hand. A soldier stepped forward and placed a length of chain recovered from its anchor in the dungeon before the throne. One end remained intact; the other was rusted and eaten away.

“But... the guards confirm that when it broke free, its mouth was no longer sewn shut,” Syveris continued.

No one dared breathe. A duke leaned forward.

“How is that possible?”

Syveris did not answer immediately. He lifted the segment of chain, letting the light catch on its worn surface.

“The seal was opened before the chains were destroyed.”

The King turned to a Royal Mage.

“What could have broken the seal?”

The mage bowed his head and spoke softly.

“Only one instrument can nullify that magic. Voxath of Sonareth.”

Several officials glanced at one another, each searching the others for any sign that they knew of it.

“Voxath,” the King repeated. “The Sonareth instrument.”

The silence broke into murmurs.

“In the palace, only the Queen is of Sonareth,” Syveris said. “The last time she returned to her maternal clan was with Princess Lyra.”

The King rose abruptly. Both rows of officials stepped back, and the murmurs cut off at once.

“You mean the Queen is involved?”

The King slammed his hand against the throne. A bolt of lightning flashed from his palm and struck the floor.

“Impossible.” His voice thundered.

Syveris immediately knelt.

“I dare not assign blame. I only request permission to eliminate every possibility.”

Another official stepped forward.

“Your Majesty. If the Queen is innocent, transparency will protect the royal honor. If not...”

He did not dare finish the sentence.

The King swept his gaze across the hall, studying the faces of the officials. He drew a long breath, holding back his anger. Then he said through clenched teeth:

“Search the entire palace.”

He left the throne. His red cloak swept past the two rows of officials. No one dared raise their head.

Once Eryndar had left the hall, Syveris rose slowly. He did not brush off his knees. His gaze lingered on the doorway through which the King had disappeared.

The corner of his mouth moved slightly.

The order was carried out at once. The search was led by the Chancellor and the Royal Mages. They split up to search every room, each mage leading a small squad.

Bootsteps pounded through the halls as the entire palace descended into chaos.

“Nothing here! Nothing here either! Next room!”

Those voices filled every corner of the palace.

In the Turquias Chamber, the tea was still steaming. The Queen sat upright on a jade chair, a thin porcelain cup held between two fingers. One of her maids played the harp. High notes fell, one by one, like drops of water.

Immediately after the beast’s escape, Obewich had led Lyra to the Turquias Chamber on Her Majesty’s orders. “The Princess must be kept safe from any threat,” the Queen had told Obewich.

Lyra was standing behind the curtain, looking toward the Moontis Chamber.

“They’re coming,” she whispered.

Moments later, soldiers poured into the Moontis Chamber. Lyra’s heart pounded until her ears rang.

Through its window, she could see them scattering across the room, pulling open drawers, rummaging through cupboards, and searching every corner.

“Inside the wardrobe!” a voice shouted.

“The bedside table! Open every drawer!”

Lyra held her breath, gripping the edge of the curtain.

Do they know already?

I’m dead this time.

“Stand up straight.” The Queen’s voice was quiet and cold.

Lyra flinched.

“You are wrinkling the curtain.”

The Queen lifted her teacup to her lips and took a sip.

Lyra let go, but her gaze remained fixed on her chamber.

The sounds of searching surged, then thinned.

Drawers slammed shut. Something shattered.

Then silence.

“Go somewhere else.” The soldier’s voice drifted faintly from the opposite tower.

Lyra let out a breath of relief. She slid down to the floor, her back against the wall.

The Queen set the teacup down on its saucer.

“Obewich.”

“I am here, Your Majesty.”

“Take Lyra into the inner room to rest. It seems the beast has frightened the princess.”

Obewich stepped forward. He knelt on one knee and helped Lyra to her feet.

“Your Highness.”

Lyra said nothing. She let him lead her away.

I hid Voxath there.

But they didn’t find it.

Why?

As they reached the threshold, Lyra halted.

“...When you left my room earlier, nothing had been moved, right?”

Obewich paused, his expression calm.

“Nothing was moved.”

Lyra stepped inside. Obewich closed the door behind her. Then he returned to the Queen’s side.

Back in the main chamber, the Queen remained seated on her jade chair.

She lightly smoothed her right sleeve.

A faint streak of green light flashed, then sank beneath the silk.

“Pluck higher,” she said to the maid.

The harp shifted. Faster. Denser. The sound filled the room.

Just then, the two door attendants opened the main doors.

Syveris stepped in.

He bowed.

“Your Majesty. By the King’s order, I request permission to conduct an inspection.”

The Queen tilted her head. One hand rested lightly on the armrest. The other remained beneath her sleeve.

“Chancellor, please fulfill your duty.”

Syveris signaled.

The captain and his squad moved in to search. Obewich stood by the tea table, frowning.

“Careful.”

The soldiers moved carefully, none daring to step too heavily in the Turquias Chamber.

A mage stepped in and raised his staff. A ring of runes appeared in midair, slowly rotating as its light spread across the stone floor. It swept across the tea table, the wooden cabinet, then the painting on the wall.

It swept to the Queen’s sleeve.

She did not blink. Her fingers tapped rhythmically on the armrest.

The harp rose higher, faster.

The ring of runes wavered. The mage paused for a fraction of a second.

Syveris looked at him.

“Is there a problem?”

The mage hesitated, then shook his head. “Just sound interference.”

The light continued sweeping the room. It slid down the carpet and slipped into the door cracks. Then dissipated.

The captain returned and knelt.

“Chancellor, nothing was detected.”

Syveris stood still.

His gaze settled on the Queen’s right sleeve. The silk lay still.

He bowed his head.

“Apologies for the disturbance, Your Majesty.”

The Queen lifted the teacup and took a small sip.

“You’ve troubled yourself too much, Chancellor.” Her voice was gentle.

Syveris turned away. The last squad followed him out.

The doors closed.

The harp slowed.

The Queen set the teacup down. Her fingers tightened in the silk beneath her sleeve, unseen. A flash of green passed, then went out completely.

Syveris descended toward the Lapis Chamber on the second floor of the palace.

The King had already returned. The great doors had been left open. He stood with his back to the doors.

Syveris entered and dropped to one knee before him.

“The entire palace has been searched, Your Majesty. No physical evidence was found.”

The King did not turn.

“Very well. That’s enough for today. Proceed with the investigation carefully. Reinforce the wards around the palace. Double the guard. Do not let the beast cause harm.”

“As you command.”

The King asked nothing further.

Syveris remained kneeling. The King’s hand clenched.

“You may withdraw.”

Syveris stood, bowed with perfect formality, then left.

The doors of the Lapis Chamber slowly closed behind him.

As he walked down the corridor, he halted mid-step and glanced once more toward the Turquias Chamber.

The harp’s rhythm settled into memory.

Then he turned the ring on his finger, flicked his cloak, and walked on.