Ryker drew himself up to his full height, his gaze meeting the Queen's, projecting competence and absolute conviction. He bypassed the customary preamble and went straight to the heart of the matter.
"Your Majesties," Ryker began, his voice clear and steady, carefully selecting his words to strike the necessary balance between moral urgency and political crisis.
"I stand before you to report that the detention and interrogation of the child subject, Lyra,as I have named her is a catastrophic failure of justice and security, ordered on fundamentally flawed premises."
He took a controlled breath. "General Thax's warrant authorized the torture of a child who is medically and magically incapable of providing the information demanded. She has endured hours of pain without breaking, not out of loyalty to our enemies, but because she suffers from total amnesia."
"We believe, based on non-invasive medical scans, that this amnesia is not trauma-induced, but is the intentional result of a sophisticated, high-level magical containment field surrounding her mind and core. The Elders are torturing a scapegoat—a child whose identity has been wiped clean by forces unknown—to cover up a weakness at the forbidden border."
Ryker finished his statement with a final, hard truth, meeting the King's tired gaze. "I risked insubordination because continuing the interrogation was not securing the Citadel; it was sacrificing an innocent life to maintain a political illusion, while simultaneously risking exposure to dangerous, unknown sorcery active within these very walls."
He then knelt again, waiting for the Crown's judgment.
The Queen's eyes narrowed slightly, not with anger, but with intense calculation. She glanced at the King, who leaned forward slightly.
"Captain Emrys," the King asked, his voice rough with lack of sleep. "Is the Commander's assertion of amnesia and unknown magical containment verifiable?"
Emrys stepped forward, her metal boots silent on the marble floor. "Yes, Your Majesty. My own sentry wards registered the unique signature when I ordered her transfer to the East Wing. And the head healer—our physician—has confirmed the memory void and the internal magical construct. This is not a simple prisoner; it is a dormant magical liability which requires immediate, specialized containment, not torture."
The Queen returned her attention to Ryker. "Commander Thorne, you acted without permission to override an Elder's warrant. That is punishable by immediate decommissioning and confinement. However, you did so on the advice of Captain Emrys, and your concern for justice appears genuine."
She leaned forward, her emerald dress rustling faintly. "I accept your assessment of the political risk. The General Staff must not know that their authority was directly challenged, and they must not know about this 'unknown sorcery.' If this becomes public, it implies the Crown lacks control over internal security."
"Therefore, the official order will stand, but its execution will be altered. General Thax is to be placated."
Ryker waited, barely breathing.
The Queen continued, "You will tell Thax that the prisoner finally cracked under pressure and gave a false, low-value confession—something plausible enough to satisfy the Elders' immediate need for a scapegoat, but useless for actual security. You will then execute the transfer you planned, claiming you are moving the prisoner to a more 'cooperative' interrogation site that Thax will have no access to."
She looked directly at Emrys.
"Captain, the 'contaminated research material' must leave the Citadel immediately. Commander Thorne, you will be in charge of this asset's containment and disposition. You are no longer serving the Elders. You now answer only to the Crown. Your new duty is to investigate this 'ancient containment lock' and stabilize the child, without raising any suspicion from the General Staff."
"And if you fail," the King added, his voice quiet but carrying immense weight. He swallowed a huge lump stuck in his throat as sweat trickled down his spine.
"The treason becomes real."