Rowan dropped his gaze to the floor, a knowing smile on his lips, "Forgive me for speaking out of turn, Marquess Jenkins, but… aren't you a little too early to jump to conclusions?"
He placed a hand on the table of the Marquess and the Duke. He tucked his chin and twisted his neck towards them. Unwavering eyes assessed Elliot Jenkins. He wasn't fond of the pirates but compared to the Nocti, he preferred the former. They stood out as the lesser evil between the two.
"Prime Minister, these are bandits that we speak of." Elliot countered, showing his palms, "For a group as powerful as the Nocti, only the Phantom Pirates could be at their level."
Murmurs of agreement echoed in the room. The Marquess had always been vocal about his opinions. A few members saw him as an unbreakable figure. Even at almost 55 years old, the old man stood with unwavering power. Others would have passed on the title already but he hadn't done it. As such, the younger generation looked up to him as their senior.
"That maybe be so, Marquess Jenkins." The Prime Minister lamented, "Concrete evidence is still better than presumptions. Is this hatred perhaps related to the time that the pirates broke into your house and exposed the stolen relief goods for Mulberry Town?"
The tide of discussion took a turn. The parliament had been divided into two groups. A few raised a different opinion. Yet, none of them interrupted the conversation. How could they dare?
If they became too obvious and offended the wrong person, they could lose their lands.
"I have clarified that matter, Prime Minister." The Marquess defended immediately. His hand clenched into fists, "The transport needed some help so I offered my home as storage. It worked out well because I also wanted to add my own food donations."
Rowan tapped his chin, "It stayed there for a week, yes?"
"Because—"
"I think we're going a little off track here." Alkas spoke up. She raised her chin and looked down at the two grown men, "Are there any evidence about the Phantom Pirates's involvement, Prime Minister?"
Her eyes narrowed. It seemed that the cleanup group had been tardy. They should have stood by when it happened. Perhaps they had fallen along with their comrades? That meant they had done a miscalculation.
More importantly, when did they plan to inform her of this? If the Prime Minister already knew about the incident, it could only be a matter of time before the parliament discovered her involvement.
Rowan stepped away from the Marquess and addressed the Princess. The cold golden eyes did little to waver him, "I am afraid not, Your Highness."
Jameson frowned, "Didn't any of them wake up?"
The Prime Minister spun on his heel, "A few did, Duke Hawkins. Regrettably, none of them seem to recall anything of the matter. That had been our last hope. We identified archers but didn't find their arrows—only scratches at the tower's top room. Why had they done such a thing to an empty tower? We may never know soon."
The Duke blinked, "How is that possible?"
"Celian Magic." The Princess supplied for the confused minds, "A person only needed to get their hands on the right item for such a spell. It was probably a memory erasing powder."
Her shoulders relaxed, hearing the news. The pirate's precaution had also worked in her favor.
The parliament flew into another uproar. Magic could only be the explanation. Life in Aurae had always thrived even without such a thing. Now that it presented itself, it only incurred chaos. Unkempt members spoke out of turn and shunned magic, forgetting that Alkas was in the room.
Hayden listened carefully. Cold fear dripped down his spine. What were the chances that a report about the Phantom Pirates reached the ears of this court? And could Tylen be involved? He could care less about the practice of magic in the kingdom....
… when it could also be the only thing that kept the Crown Prince safe.
"That sounds like something only the pirates can get a hold of." Marquess Jenkins insisted with the wave of his hand, "Celios is not forthcoming when it comes to sharing their magic. It would be chaos around here if they did. That narrows down the people that could have obtained it."
"Oh, Marquess Jenkins." Hayden voiced out, "I would beg to differ. Underground trading among the kingdoms is not unheard of."
Heads shifted in his direction, including the Princess's. She hadn't expected that Hayden would take the initiative and direct the attention to himself. For someone pretending to be another person, he surely took risks.
The Marquess scowled, clearly displeased by the intrusion, "That may be true, Your Highness, but if my memory isn't failing me, that pirate group is composed of civilians from the three kingdoms. The Nocti is the same. Since the latter are the victims, it eliminates them from the suspects."
"Let us not forget that these bandits have many enemies." Hayden defended. His muscled solidified on the armrests, "If concrete evidence against the pirates is absent, that also meant any use of magic, other than the powder, was also unfound. An item like that can be easily obtained from the right person and at the right price."
"Prince Tylen is correct, Marquess Jenkins." Alkas added to the argument. The corner of her lip curled upward, "Celios is also aware of this illegal trading. I shall send word that another case had appeared."
"I shall do the same for Teralyn to keep a lookout if a similar incident had occurred."
The Prime Minister hid a smile. In his eyes, the Princess had done well at siding with the Crown Prince. The core of power shifted towards them. The parliament expressed their approval at the alliance. Only the Marquess fumed in his seat.
Why did they need to arrange a marriage with Teralyn? If it were up to him, the sovereignty should remain from their own kingdom. Qualified candidates could be found in various lands of Aurae.
An outsider, who hadn't contributed to his own kingdom's prosperity, was unneeded.
Before Elliot could open his mouth, urgent knocks interrupt from the doors. The occupants gazed towards it. Interruptions rarely occurred unless absolutely crucial. Alkas rested her chin on the back of her hand, her elbow supporting it from an armrest. The Prime Minister headed for the entrance.
He cracked it open by an inch and hissed at the intruder.
A second later, his eyes popped out of their sockets. His hands and his legs trembled as the blood on his face drained away. A lump formed in his throat. Whatever he intended to say came out in chokes. He stepped back, his hand dropping from the doorknob.
Then, his head snapped to the Princess. A turmoil of emotions squeezed his heart.
"Out with it, Prime Minister!" Marquess Jenkins shouted, slamming his hand on the table. Rowan acted as if he'd seen a ghost.
The door opened.
The rest of the parliament realized what frightened the Prime Minister.
A young woman stood in front of a knight. The simple commoner dress she wore did little to deteriorate her delicate features and stature. She had a radiant glow to her. Her wavy bronze hair had been tied to a ponytail. What compelled them the most was her eyes.
The round hazel eyes drew them like a moth to a flame.
"Is that…" Jameson stammered.
Elliot glared at Rowan, "Prime Minister, would you please explain what is happening right now?"
"I am unsure of that myself, Marquess Jenkins." The Prime Minister gulped.
Another figure emerged from the doorway. Polished copper hair glinted against the lights. Worn out black trousers and tunic fit crumpled at excess fabric. Stone cold face, sapphire eyes swept across the room. They took everything in—from the shocked faces to the confused stares.
A hand on the hilt of his sword, Tylen entered first.
Hayden stood up from his seat but no one paid him attention.
Alkas kept an eye on both of them. Her lips hardened to a thin line.
The silence around them seemed to multiply in space. Any sudden sound would echo.
"Greetings," Tylen began to say. He bowed his head politely, "Pardon our intrusion."
"Young man." Marquess Jenkins rose to his feet, stomping the end of his cane on the floor. His knees wobbled from the motion, "Are you aware of your actions? One doesn't simply walk in the middle of a meeting."
The Crown Prince shifted his focus towards Elliot. He took a step forward, passing by the Prime Minister, "I would like to ask the same thing to Princess Alkas."
His head snapped at the podium. The indifferent expression on his face became bleak. He had waited for this moment. Now that he saw her face, inexplicable rage boiled in his blood. The feelings he had suppressed pumped out of his chest. Her golden eyes held no sympathy. She sat, unmoving and uncaring. She acted like her sister didn't just rise from the dead.
It gnawed the premises of his mind.
Tylen's voice dropped to a taunt.
"Are you, Princess Alkas, aware of your actions that night when your younger sister died?"