Day after the attack, Royal Guard tower, meeting room, all the master mages were, plus Valtor, Emma and Aria, all sitting and discussing what had happened.
– I think of course, the attack was against Prince Nathan, my dear nephew, my daughter almost died in that attack, we have to do something. – Said the prime minister.
– The two mages I arrested ended up committing suicide in their cell, they preferred to die rather than tell who sent them or what their target was. – Said Otrera.
– I'm not sure it was an attempt against the princes, 300 elite assassins, 300, Nathan and Gale are just teenagers, they were after a bigger target, Otrera. – Morrigan said analytical. – And as for the dead, not even that helped them I used necromancy and forced them to speak, they do not know who is the contact of Madame Stroika, but that it is a plan that came from her. –
– I agree, 300 terrorist murders for a prince, I highly doubt it. – Ethan said, thinking about his nephew.
- But let's agree, he was under the protection of a legendary mage and other war heroes, perhaps it was necessary to fulfill the plan. – Pondered Kristen.
– I am very grateful to you Otrera for having saved my grandchildren, they are my greatest treasures. – Said Aria very emotional.
– Me too, thank you very much, Nathan is my world, my firstborn, my little prince. – Emma said, emanated by gratitude.
– Should we strengthen the defense of the princes? – Asked George.
– I think that's not the case, given the situation, I also think the target was another one, if they wanted to kill the prince he would be dead, they wanted to use him as a bargaining chip. – Alister said.
– It makes sense, not to mention that they were stroikan and Kora'q, in short, Madame Stroika was involved, this was already obvious and maybe that's what we should focus on. – Edward said.
– This is obvious, but who helped her infiltrate this much in the country? – pondered Teresa.
– The best thing is to leave security undercover for the prince, I indicate Melissa's team, they are stealthy and Nathan wouldn't even notice the presence of the four. – Margareth said.
– While you debate the details, Valtor, Morrigan and I need to talk with you in private ... Queen, if you excuse me! – Said Otrera bowing to the queen and standing up.
– Of course! – Said Valtor who also stood up.
The three went to Otrera's office.
– How can I help the Grand Mistress? – Valtor asked a little cynical.
– We want the truth… There is a detail that I left out of the meeting and I want you to explain it to us very well. – Said Otrera seriously.
– What would it be? – asked Valtor.
– Of this! – Morrigan said, she nails one of the daggers that the terrorists used in the table. – These knives are elite, ultra secret and are only used by a specific group of the common army that is under your command, only you have access to these "Luneanian" steel daggers. –
– How will I know? Are you going to say that no one has ever managed to rob Celestia's military stores? – Said Valtor.
– Of course it already happened in the past, but it's strange that out of 300, 120 had these daggers, it's a pretty big embezzlement of restricted-use weapons, don't you think? – Said Otrera.
– Are the rumors about the militias true, Valtor? They say that you maintain a small paramilitary army with the financial resources, even investigated for embezzlement you are being, under judicial secrecy. – Morrigan said.
– Now this is an outrage, I would never betray my mother and the nation. – Valtor said that he looked really offended.
– It may be, but we'll both keep an eye out, you know so well that the target was me, and only you, your sister, your mother, Morrigan and Edward knew where I was, and it's an impossible place to map geographically, penetrate then, only with very advanced features, Don't you see that everything points to you? – Said Otrera seriously.
– Otrera, look me in the eye… My daughter was there, do you absolutely believe that I would have endangered the life of the person I love the most? When she transitioned, I was in the hospital every day of recovery and every month of adjustment, she is my treasure, and I would never put her life at risk, I may lust after power, but not at the cost of my little one ... I swear by the twelve gods, by Zeuz and Herah. – Valtor said that he appeared sincere, swearing by the gods was something very serious.
– And that's why we give you the benefit of the doubt. – Said Otrera as someone who did not fully trust in Valtor, even with the promise.
Valtor leaves the room back to the meeting.
– And then? – Otrera asked.
– I do not trust him, but swear by the gods, this is very serious, do you think he would swear in false, something so sacred? – Morrigan said.
– And his daughter was there, I don't think he would risk his daughter either, not to mention the terrorists almost killed her, even so I don't put my hand in the fire. – Said Otrera.
– He was always cunning, always dubious, even for my taste he's very slippery... In Bricttany they talk a lot about the rumors of his militias linked to mobster groups. – Morrigan said.
– The Rizzos? – Otrera asked thinking about the attack on Thunderia.
– One of them, but I've heard that he's even linked to the stroikan mafia, either it's Fake News or he's very good at hiding evidence, no one's ever been able to prove anything. – Morrigan said cautiously.
– On second thought, he had an energy matrix reform, destroying the Thunderia plants would benefit the thermoelectric project in the deserts of the southwest of the country near his Wastegrounds... We better not take our eyes off him. – Said Otrera analytical.
– There's another thing, I did a survey, the guards on the shift that the prisoners rebelled and let go, there were six who were not from the Royal Guard, they were lieutenants in the common army, I pulled the plug and they all worked in the protection service of the Valtor, very suspicious. – Pondered Morrigan.
– It could be a coincidence and we could be getting paranoid or he's up to something. – Said Otrera.
– And there's more, between being corrupt with criminal connections and helping the nation's biggest enemy there's a pretty big vacuum, we have to consider that too. – Morrigan said.
Edward enters the room.
– Girls, I've known you for a long time to know what you have in mind, I don't think he has anything to do with it, his daughter was in the middle, and before he was a politician, he is a son of the crown, loyal celestian, don't you remember that M. Stroika is very good at infiltrating and turning one against the other, don't forget that's how she literally poisoned you, and you lost your daughter. – Edward said worried about the sanity of his colleagues.
– You don't need to remind me of that, believe me, this moment I'll never forget... But you have to be aware of everything, Valtor is not to be trusted. – Said Otrera seriously.
– For Helloise to get an insider who would steal the daggers to frame the Prime Minister and cause political instability would be relatively easy, wouldn't it, Morrigan? And look, I'm the dumbest of the three here. – Edward said, he trusted Valtor. – And we are talking about a man who, good or bad, fought in the war at the risk of his own neck. –
– It's a possibility, but we're not sure, we could be wrong, we could be right, but we need to keep an eye out. – Morrigan said irreducibly.
– If I were you two I would open my eyes, they went after me, nothing prevents them from going after you too. – Said Otrera.
– You have to agree that it is also the most obvious strategy to eliminate the three of us, so I reiterate that this is a Stroika thing. – Edward said.
– We know what that bitch is doing, but helped by whom? That is the question. – Morrigan said irritated.
– It's a complex situation, and it shows that no one is safe, the Stroika wants our blood. – Edward said.
– She hates us as much as we hate her, there is no limit to what she can do for revenge. – Otrera remembered that she had already felt it in her skin and not only with this attempt, but with the abortion that M. Stroika caused her, she would never be able to forgive M. Stroika for that.
– We just can't start distrusting each other, we need to stay united. – Edward said.
– Ever. – Said Otrera placing her hand in the center and the other two placing their hands in sequence.
So the legendary mages went back to the meeting, everyone had their own theory, their own suspect, things would get tense, apparently there was a traitor within Celestia's core, was that traitor to royalty? From the Royal Guard? From the common government? Many intrigues and mistrust arose after the attack.