Chapter 21
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Beneath the Shadows of Status
Amarantha was attending a table of Sovereigns alongside another maid, named T4, who had red hair.
The men gathered there were Sovereigns from different houses in the regions near Rossent, the land where Rousth was located. They were important, though not on the level of the High Sovereigns.
As they spoke, Amarantha remained by the wall with T4, silent, attentive to everything they said.
"They say some of Fusuro's relatives arrived at the house in the capital."
"Yes, it's true. Casandra and Ronald are here."
"The 'joyful siblings,'" said another.
"They're both quite eccentric. They're called that because they enjoy anything that gives them pleasure and are always in a good mood."
"They're lunatics," another said with disdain.
He then added:
"In general, Fusuro's entire inner circle is full of madmen."
One of them drank a little wine before saying:
"Sons and daughters who grew up surrounded by arrogance, luxury, and privilege, shut away in a world of excess that never allowed them to know anything beyond their own bubble."
Another nodded solemnly.
"The House of Susaku is one of the most influential in the entire region of Penteros. But, seeing those heirs, I do not even want to imagine the course that house will take in the future."
Another took a sip of wine and remarked:
"In any case, they stand at the summit of power. All that remains is to hope that the day Fusuro and his cousins must take control of the lands of Hamerheit, they will not bring disastrous consequences upon the region."
"Let us hope so," another replied.
Amarantha merely listened.
After that, one of the Sovereigns shifted the tone of the conversation slightly.
"Even so, the event Fusuro is going to hold, though it is just another way for him to display himself, and though he is doing it more out of whim, fame, and status than for anything else, will bring benefits."
"Yes. They say foreign sovereigns will also come, and that will give us more opportunities to close trade agreements with regions beyond the seas."
Amarantha kept listening without moving.
"I have heard it will be three days of events. There will be theatrical performances, speeches, gladiatorial fights, and also public executions of enemies of the region."
"I see. Though the greatest spectacle will be the gladiatorial combats," said another. "On that, I do agree."
"Many important gladiators will come. It may be the moment to see who the greatest warrior of the age truly is."
"Cratius, Xeros, Repteros, Glatius, Norrum... and more. But only one will attain ultimate glory."
"That will be the main focus."
"I heard some of them are already in the region."
"That is correct," another replied.
One of the Sovereigns let out a laugh.
"Can you imagine being a gladiator? Blood in the arena, women, glory..."
Another laughed.
"Now you want to be a gladiator?"
The others let out a few chuckles.
"No. I would rather be what I am than a slave with glory, nothing more."
The conversation continued, and Amarantha kept listening beside the other maid.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
One of the Sovereigns said:
"Come in."
Then the supervisor of the maids entered, also wearing a mask.
"Forgive me for interrupting your conversation, lords... but I need to take one of the maids with me. As soon as another who is serving elsewhere becomes available, she will come and replace her. In the meantime, this maid," she said, pointing at L9, "will remain here with you."
"That is not a problem," said one of the Sovereigns.
"Yes, no problem," added another.
The supervisor turned her gaze toward the other maid.
"Follow me, T4."
The young woman lowered her head in acceptance and left behind her.
Amarantha remained there.
When both of them had withdrawn, one of the Sovereigns spoke again:
"By the way, now that I think about it, others from Fusuro's circle have also arrived."
"Do not tell me it is the Clobheis..."
"Yes, it is them."
"My God..." another murmured in distaste.
"They should not be allowed in here."
"And what do you expect? They are associates of the Susaku," another replied.
While they spoke of that, Amarantha kept the information to herself in silence.
After a while, the meeting ended.
Later, while walking down the corridor, Amarantha saw in the distance another maid entering the hall to which T4 had been taken earlier.
It was the hall where the Clobheis would be.
An instant later, the door closed behind her.
Amarantha watched it for a moment.
Then she continued on her way to carry out the instructions the supervisor of the maids had given her.
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Secrets Among Comrades
Later, in a tavern, Martha and Catherine were drinking together as they talked. At other nearby tables there were several men, but they all belonged to Reydem.
"You should have seen them," Catherine said with an amused smile. "They were enormous."
Martha took a drink, only half paying attention to her.
"Do not exaggerate either. I know them too."
"No, seriously," Catherine insisted. "I had never seen men like that before. So large, so broad... they are impressive."
Martha set the jug down on the table.
"The Torner and Rodem brothers have always been a subject of conversation. It is said that they are not entirely men, though they are surely nothing more than rumors. Perhaps that is why people talk so much about their size."
Catherine let out a mischievous laugh.
"Well, I imagine other things when people talk about their size."
Martha opened her eyes a little, startled.
"Catherine!"
She burst into laughter.
At that moment, a man from Reydem's circle approached the table.
"What are you girls talking about?" Omar asked.
Catherine answered at once, still amused:
"Well, Martha was just telling me here about how imposing the colossal brothers of the Violet Division are."
Martha frowned.
"What? I did not say that."
Catherine laughed again, and Omar smiled in amusement.
"So, talking about broad men..."
"I did not say anything," Martha replied. "She was the one who started it."
Even so, she ended up letting out a small laugh, just like the other two.
Afterward, regaining a bit of her composure, Martha looked at Omar and asked him:
"Anyway, leaving the jokes aside. How did things go in Ridereith?"
Omar shifted slightly before answering:
"We already left everything as you instructed. Patrick went to Rossent to meet with Victor, and I took care of reporting to the Sapphire bases in Ridereith. So far, we have not received any important information from the divisions. According to what has been reported, all interests remain focused on Kelendor."
Martha nodded slowly.
"I see. Just as Amarantha reported in her latest messages from the palace."
Then Omar took out some manuscripts and said to Martha:
"The rest is here."
Martha received them and said:
"I understand."
Then Catherine intervened:
"On the Violet Division's side, in Ferhenn and Demirath, they are also reporting that they have been able to continue the investigations without any trouble. No troop sightings have been reported along the perimeter."
Omar drank a little before saying:
"Then, from what I can see, so far we have managed to keep the kingdom's focus fixed on Kelendor. That has worked quite well in our favor."
Martha lowered her gaze slightly. Her expression grew calmer, though also more subdued.
"Perhaps... but at this very moment, who knows how many people are being subjugated over there."
Catherine and Omar looked at her attentively.
After a brief silence, Martha added:
"I was in Kelendor."
Both of them were surprised.
"Really?" Omar asked.
Martha nodded.
"It was a long time ago. I had only recently joined Reydem when we went there, because there were rumors about the location of some violet gold mines."
She picked up the jug and drank a little before continuing.
"We went to the lands of the Goulth, made up of native clans. They were strong people, well organized... but also very hospitable. They received us kindly."
As she said it, the memory of that hospitality returned to her mind, of the faces that had welcomed them without hostility.
"And right now they must be resisting Rousth's invasion," she murmured.
Omar frowned slightly.
"And what exactly were you doing over there?"
Martha shook her head faintly.
"I did not know all the details. At the time, I still had neither influence nor an important position. But, from what I understood, we were looking into something related to the Violet Division's investigations."
Omar remained thoughtful for a few seconds before speaking again:
"Sometimes I think there are too many things we do not know. For example, what truly lies behind their incursions."
Martha looked at him in silence.
"We know that they gather information, that they investigate dungeons, that they extract important objects... but not much more," he continued.
Catherine nodded.
"Yes. When I went once to meet at the secret base, I imagined it would be much larger, much more populated. But it was small, at least compared to everything people say about the number of people supposedly working there."
She paused briefly.
"It gave the impression that it was not really the main base."
Martha listened to her and then brought the matter to a calm close:
"We are intelligence agents of the organization. Our mission is to connect information between the divisions and the central base of Erthus."
She looked first at Catherine and then at Omar.
"What certain divisions may do in secret is perhaps none of our concern. We need only trust that we are all working for the good of our organization."
Omar let out a slow breath.
"Yes... you are right."
Then he rose from the table.
"Well, ladies, I must be going. I have to pick up a few things before returning to Drafta."
Martha stood up as well.
"I am leaving too."
Catherine made a displeased face.
"What do you mean you are leaving? Do not leave me alone."
Martha replied with a small smile:
"I must travel to the village of Disbrearth to meet with Torken and Félix. I need to deliver some important information to them. Since I will be meeting with them in the coming days, I should already be on my way."
Then, with a calmer expression, she said to them:
"I know I had you come all the way to Rinnerhot from very far away. Each of you has important roles within our intelligence network. However..."
Martha looked at both of them and said:
"I needed to see you and make sure that you are well."
Catherine said to her:
"You are always so sentimental," she said with a slight laugh.
Martha said, in a somewhat lighter tone, looking at Catherine:
"Besides, you will be here for several days. Take the opportunity to enjoy yourself. Perhaps you will find a Torner or a Rodem."
Catherine let out an amused laugh.
"You do not know what you would be missing."
Omar shook his head jokingly.
"Women..."
Catherine waved them goodbye.
"Bye, guys."
Omar left. Catherine remained at the table, still drinking.
Martha took a few steps and caught up with Omar before he got too far away.
"Omar."
He stopped and turned toward her.
"Yes, boss?"
Martha watched him for a moment before speaking.
"I know you have many questions. And although I do not know all the answers, I must admit that there are some things I do know that you do not... but I cannot mention them."
Omar nodded slowly, without taking offense.
"I imagined as much. It was to be expected."
Martha continued:
"And I appreciate that you understand. It is for the good of the organization. Just as you already handle information that others do not know, it is also important that it remains that way."
Omar listened to her in silence.
"What I mean," Martha added, "is that, sometimes, it is better to keep certain questions to oneself. Perhaps one day you will know some of the answers. I myself do not know many of the ones I have."
Then she lowered her voice a little.
"But questions give rise to doubts... and doubts often lead people to involve themselves where they should not."
Omar held her gaze and replied firmly:
"I understand, boss. Do not worry."
Then he added:
"I am loyal to our duty, and I know my role within the organization. That is enough for me."
For the first time in a while, Martha gave him a genuinely warmer expression.
"That is what I was hoping to hear."
Omar made a small gesture of departure and left.
Martha remained still for a few seconds, watching him walk away.
Then she raised a hand to her neck and, from beneath her clothing, pulled out a small amulet that she had kept hidden.
She held it between her fingers.
It was an amulet made by the Violet Division.
Her gaze lingered on it and, for an instant, the memory of Neteros surfaced in her mind.
She said nothing.
She simply contemplated it in silence for a few more seconds, as though that small object carried something that could not be explained with words.
At last, she tucked it back beneath her clothing, concealing it once again.
After that, Martha turned around and left the tavern.
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Decisions That Change Destiny
Mildred and Félix were walking through the forests on the outskirts of the lands of Rinnerhot, straying farther and farther from the visible paths.
After a while, Félix stopped and looked around.
"We will rest here."
"Understood," Mildred replied.
Shortly afterward, Félix told her that he was going to a secluded place to relieve himself, and Mildred stayed there, waiting.
A little later, Félix moved a prudent distance away and began to urinate.
Meanwhile, Mildred left her things there and then walked a little farther off, toward where there was a river, intending to look for water.
Then, all of a sudden, she heard a voice:
"Well, well... who do we have here?"
Mildred turned around and saw four men.
They were four bandits.
"We never imagined we would find a woman here in the forest," one of them said.
Mildred froze for only an instant and tried to run, but the four men moved in different directions and cornered her. She tried to escape, but one of them caught her, and then another grabbed hold of her as well.
"Let me go! Let me go!" she shouted.
The four of them held her, and then she began to scream:
"Félix! Félix!"
In the distance, Félix heard the cries for help and ran quickly in that direction.
The cries had also been heard by a hooded figure who was nearby.
Félix arrived where Mildred was. When he saw her surrounded by the four men, he drew his sword.
One of the bandits unsheathed a sword and went after him.
Then another also drew a sword and lunged at Félix.
Félix fought the first one, managed to disarm him, and slit his throat.
Then he dodged the second man's sword and, with skill, deflected another blow. He seized the opening and drove his sword into the man's chest, killing him.
When he was about to go after the third, he heard:
"Enough."
Both Félix and the third man stopped.
The fourth bandit had a knife at Mildred's neck.
Félix remained motionless.
Then the other man said to him:
"Throw down the sword."
Félix looked at Mildred's frightened face and let the weapon fall.
Then the bandit who was still free was about to hurl an axe at Félix, and Mildred cried out:
"No!"
But at that very moment, an arrow lodged itself in the neck of the man who was about to throw the axe at Félix.
Startled, the man who was holding Mildred blurted out:
"What the hell...?"
Then another arrow struck him in the neck.
He let go of Mildred and fell to the ground, bleeding out.
Félix remained still. Mildred did too.
Then someone hooded appeared with a bow, aiming at both of them.
The figure pulled back the hood and said:
"Mildred."
Mildred looked at her at once.
"Alexa!"
Félix stayed still, saying nothing.
At that very moment, Alexa turned toward him and aimed the bow at him. Mildred took a step toward her, but Alexa did not lower the weapon.
"Who is that man?" she asked, without taking her aim off Félix.
"Lower the weapon," Mildred said. "He is helping me."
Alexa took a better look at Félix. Her gaze ran over his clothing and stopped at the emblem on his armor.
"Mildred, step away from him."
Mildred stopped, confused.
Alexa kept aiming at him.
"You... who are you?"
Félix answered with apparent calm:
"I am only a man trying to help her."
"That is a lie," Alexa said.
Mildred grew even more confused, unable to understand what was happening.
Alexa kept the bow steady.
"We captured one of your men. We made him talk when we tortured him. He told us that you were moving toward Rinnerhot."
Félix remained silent.
"And that is why we came out looking for you. There should be no one else in these woods apart from you."
Félix remained silent, watching her.
Then Alexa added:
"Besides, the description he gave matches the armor you are wearing. It is the same one worn by the men who attacked the lands of Optlis."
She looked at him harshly.
"You... are from Reydem."
At that instant, Félix remembered.
He remembered the moment when he parted from Torken, when he said to one of his groups:
"I need you to make a detour to the village of Frontder. See if you can find our intelligence comrades and deliver this to them."
Then he had added:
"Watch your backs. Surveillance has increased in the sectors. Act discreetly."
And one of them replied:
"Of course, Félix. When have we ever failed you?"
The memory faded, returning to that tense moment in the present.
Félix understood then that they had been caught.
"Alexa, he has been helping me all this time," Mildred said.
But Alexa cut her off at once:
"Silence, Mildred!"
Without lowering the bow, she added:
"They are rebels. Murderers."
Then she looked at Mildred without ceasing to aim at Félix.
"We went out to look for the others from Reydem... and for you as well."
Mildred tried to move closer to Félix, but Alexa stopped her.
"Stay there, Mildred."
Then she said firmly:
"Your father wants you to come home. He is worried about you."
Mildred looked at her, stunned.
"My father will send me to the stable."
"He will not!" Alexa replied.
Mildred stood frozen.
"My father...?"
"Yes. Your father."
Mildred remained confused, not knowing what to believe.
Alexa, noticing a slight movement from Félix, spoke without taking her eyes off him:
"Stay right there."
Then she raised her voice and shouted:
"Over here! I found Mildred!"
Mildred remained motionless, caught between doubt and confusion.
She lowered her gaze.
"My father would never protect me..."
"Do not say that," Alexa replied forcefully. "Your father ordered us to find you. We have been looking for you for days."
"That is a lie!" Mildred said.
Alexa clenched her jaw.
"He is affected. He made many mistakes, yes. But he told us he will not hand you over."
Mildred looked at her with restrained anger.
"You do not know him... what do you know?"
At that moment, Félix took advantage of the distraction between them.
He moved suddenly and broke into a run.
Alexa reacted the moment she saw him. She drew the bow and fired at once.
The arrow that had been headed for his chest, because of Félix's quick reaction as he moved, ended up striking the outer part of his shoulder.
Félix let out a pained reaction, but he did not stop. He kept running among the trees.
Alexa went after him without losing a moment.
Félix ran among the trees, breathing hard, while Alexa pursued him without losing his trail.
In the distance, Mildred shouted:
"Félix!"
She also tried to follow them, but in her haste she stumbled and fell to the ground, hurting herself and remaining there injured for a moment, unable to catch up to them.
Meanwhile, Félix kept running through the undergrowth, his shoulder wounded by the arrow. Alexa continued chasing him until, among trees, bushes, and the uneven ground, she finally lost sight of him.
She stopped.
She took a deep breath, drew the bow taut, and began to move forward cautiously, aiming at the surroundings.
She knew he was still close.
A few meters away, Félix had hidden behind a tree. With a pained expression, he tore the arrow out of his shoulder and clenched his teeth to keep from making a sound.
Then he heard Alexa's voice:
"I know you are there."
Alexa moved forward slowly, circling one of the trees and carefully watching every corner, trying to find him from a distance.
She saw nothing.
And, at that moment, Félix suddenly appeared from behind.
They both collided and began to struggle.
Alexa was not a defenseless woman. She knew how to fight. She moved quickly, put him in a hold, and managed to bring him down to the ground. But Félix, even as he fell, still managed to grab her as well, dragging her down with him.
They rolled across the ground.
Alexa managed to raise herself a little and threw a punch at him. Félix took the blow, but answered with one of his own. The struggle continued through shoves, grappling, and desperate movements.
At last, Félix managed to get behind her.
He wrapped his arm around her neck and began to strangle her with all his strength.
Alexa tried to break free, struggled, tried to resist, but Félix squeezed tighter and tighter, giving her no room to escape.
Little by little, her strength began to give out.
Her movements grew weaker and weaker.
Until at last she stopped moving.
Félix released her and remained lying on the ground beside her, wounded and gasping.
For a few seconds, he did nothing.
Then he began to rise with difficulty.
At that moment, Mildred appeared among the trees, arriving from afar.
"Félix! Félix!"
But as she drew closer, she came to an abrupt stop.
She saw Félix badly wounded, his body bruised and his shoulder bloodied.
And beside him, she saw Alexa dead.
Mildred stood frozen, horrified.
She looked at him and said, her voice breaking:
"You... killed her..."
Félix looked at her, but did not answer.
Mildred took a step back.
Then she turned around and broke into a run, fleeing from him.
"Mildred!" Félix shouted.
And, forcing himself to rise despite the pain, he ran after her.
Suddenly, Mildred ran and ran, pushing through some bushes until she slipped down a sloping descent.
She fell to the ground, hurt and dazed. Half-conscious, she noticed that there were men moving around the area. At first, they moved stealthily, but when they failed to find Alexa, they began searching with greater desperation.
"Alexa!"
"Alexa!"
"Mildred!"
Mildred, aching with pain, began to move through the bushes and trees, trying not to be seen. She walked as best she could, looking into the distance, until, suddenly, something grabbed her from behind and clamped a hand over her mouth with force.
It was Félix.
"Silence, Mildred," he whispered to her.
She tried to break free, but Félix would not let her go.
"Listen to me, listen to me," he told her in a very low voice.
In the distance, one of the men shouted:
"I heard something over there!"
"Quiet... quiet..." Félix kept insisting, holding her pressed against the tree.
Mildred, her mouth covered by Félix's hand and held firmly against the trunk, felt her eyes fill with tears.
"Listen to me," he said again, almost in a whisper. "They are looking for you."
"The girl said that your father will no longer hand you over, so you can go back now."
He paused briefly, listening to the men's footsteps.
"You no longer need to go through all of this, so go home."
When he felt that the others had moved a little farther away, Félix released her slowly.
Mildred looked at him with a face full of hatred, pain, and confusion.
Félix said nothing more. With a disheartened expression, he simply turned around and began to walk away.
Mildred remained watching him as he withdrew. Then she also saw how the other men were moving farther away in another direction.
Alone in the middle of the forest, her breathing trembling.
On one side were the men calling for her to return.
On the other was the direction in which Félix was leaving.
And Mildred remained there, motionless, undecided and caught between two paths, not knowing which one to take.
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The First to Break
At night, two Sovereigns were walking through the corridors of one of the sectors of the palace of Rousth. The torches barely lit the walls and the floor of the place.
Both of them were annoyed.
"It cannot be that we are the ones who have to go looking for a maid to attend to our hall," one of them said irritably.
"Yes, this is unacceptable," the other replied. "Someone should have come a long time ago."
The first shook his head in annoyance.
"I will file a complaint with the stable. This level of disrespect is inadmissible."
They kept walking down the corridor toward the kitchen.
"There must be one there," one of them said. "We will tell her to come attend to us at once."
For a few seconds they walked in silence. Then one of them resumed the earlier conversation.
"Anyway... as I was saying, my son will soon be knighted."
The other looked at him with interest.
"So, in the end, it is already decided?"
"Yes. It was about time. I have set everything in motion so that he receives the recognition he deserves. I have no intention of letting him grow into one of those useless heirs who do nothing but squander their house's name."
The other let out a small laugh.
"Then at least one of the young men of this generation will be good for something."
"I certainly hope so," the first replied. "He has to learn from now on what it means to bear a name."
They finally reached the kitchen.
One of them pushed the door open while continuing to speak:
"As I was saying, my son will be knighted and..."
He fell still.
"Good heavens..."
The other frowned.
"What is it?"
He stepped in farther, and then he too stopped short.
"Damn it!"
Both of them recoiled at once, horrified by what they had just seen.
Inside the kitchen there were utensils scattered across the floor, and a knife covered in blood.
And in the midst of that scene lay the body of a red-haired maid.
She was dead.
She had mutilated both of her arms.
The mask lay off to one side, cut as well, as though in her final moments she had wanted to tear it apart along with everything else.
While blood surrounded her.
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Author's Note:
A new chapter will be published in 5 to 10 days. Do not forget to leave a like, comment, or follow me if you are enjoying the story. I would greatly appreciate it. Kind regards.