- ORIS, PRISON CAMP -
After the dust had settled all that was left was a gaping hole and a mountain of debris around the prison yard, more rumors of Darrel's earliest proclamation coming to pass spread around the guards and inmates alike.
A careless blunder on Seuvial's part had led to the escape of four inmates, injury of several guards, and significant damage to the prison yard.
Chunks of rock had scattered around the prison yard, and the foot of mount Oris had suffered damage and the scattered rocks did not spare the tents.
"Lieutenant, here's today's report." One of the guards from the second Warden's prison area came to Seuvial's tent with a scroll.
"Yes, bring it here." Seuvial beckoned to the guard wearily, the guard hurriedly presented the scroll to the Lieutenant and immediately took his leave before Seuvial could unfurl the scroll.
News of the predicament had already reached Moriandia, Seuvial sighed in disbelief as she wondered what the Captain would say when he returned.
'This was a far larger blunder than I expected.' Seuvial pondered. 'What were you thinking Muriel.'
Seuvial recalled her previous battle with Darrel and his party had gone, she knew that at the time she had the power to bring them all to their knees, everyone knew that especially Muriel. However, this very knowledge had been used as a bane on her, her overwhelming strength had become her most underlying weakness.
"Well played, dear cousin, well played."
The scroll dropped to the ground to lie next to the rest of the reports brought in during the last few days, Seuvial got up from her chair and went out to the rune prison cells.
All the guards standing at each entrance swiftly let her in as she made her way deeper into the catacomb of isolation.
At the bottom of the rune cell shaft was a prison that Darrel once occupied when he was first brought to Oris, a prison cell designed by Vedial for situations as specific as these where an individual of great power would be contained.
"Lieutenant? Is that you?" The silence was his only response as Seuvial slowly approached the individual's cell. "Are you here to free me now?"
"The Captain will be here in half a day, you would do well to preserve your words until he arrives."
Seuvial uttered with blatant spite on her face, Calestian's face was filled with horror as he witnessed his former mental walking away.
He screamed.
Calestian's screams were blocked by the thick walls of the rune cells, but the realization that his mentor had truly abandoned him cut deep into his heart. Calestian felt the favor that once filled him with pride and hope had been torn from his soul and left him empty.
Later that day two armored carriages approached the prison camp, Seuvial recognized her Captain's carriage, but the other carriage was unfamiliar. When carriages halted in the camp every guard paused in his work as they waited to salute the Captain, but the pause remained for a while as the Captain did not emerge from his carriage.
"Maybe he thinks he's lost." The Second Warden jested at Seuvial, but her poise remained unchanged as she waited patiently. "I thought Holy Knights were all about cheers."
The Second Warden was not entirely wrong, but it was a half-baked truth that the grownups told their children in song and story. Holy Knights were always confronted with the worst of mortality every day, things that only those with a strong mind and a pure heart could overcome.
Suddenly the carriage door was opened from within and a Royal Guard stepped out and walked toward LIeutenant Seuvial.
"The Captain requests your immediate presence, your Highness." The Royal Guard bowed as he presented the message.
Seuvial sighed.
She then walked up to the carriage and knocked on the door before opening the door and climbing up the steps and entering the carriage.
The Captain's visage was the first thing that Sevuial noticed when she sat inside the coach, he had the combined look of frustration and disappointment that even Seuvial could only guess its origin and direction.
"What did my father say?" Seuvial grit her teeth with a look of defiant surrender. As a Holy Knight, the Captain held authority over her, but Seuvial was a Royal, and when she assumed that station, she superseded the Captain, and only the words of the Emperor could command her now.
"From the Emperor." The Captain handed a scroll with the symbols indicating A.L as the name of the Emperor's lineage.
Seuvial unfurled the scroll to reveal the brief message that the Emperor himself had written as it read;
'In regards to the occurrences in Oris, I have regrettably come to hear of your hardships and it is with a heavy heart can I say this my dear child. Come home.'
The Captain only watched as Seuvial's eyes breezed through the message inscribed on the scroll.
"What of Calestian?" Seuvial asked as she rolled the scroll back to its former state. "I would rather leave him in your care while I travel back to Moriandia."
This moment seemed odd for the Captain as he watched Seuvial react calmly to the situation before her, many times had the Emperor called her back to the capital, but Seuvial had always declined his request and continued to do as she pleased.
"I will take it from here, your highness." The Captain assured Seuvial and then exited the carriage.
Seuvial sat quietly in the carriage as the guards packed all her belongings in the back, when they had finished one of the guards hollered to the driver and the carriage began to move. Regardless of how poorly things had turned out in the end, her work in Oris was done.