Isolde, though visibly in pain, remained steadfast. "I'm not lying. You can torture me as much as you want, but that won't change the truth. Valeria is a traitor, and that's all I know."
Mervyln stared at Isolde with icy intensity, her eyes betraying no pity. However, after a heavy moment of silence, she sighed deeply and released the golden chains. The bonds loosened slowly, disappearing as if they had never existed.
"Very well, Matron Isolde," she said in a tense but controlled voice. "I will believe you... for now. But know that if I find out you've lied to me, no miracle will protect you from my wrath."
Isolde, still shaken, sat up in her seat, massaging her sore wrists. She nodded, her gaze remaining defiant despite the pain. "I confirm the power of your chains, Lady Mervyln. They are unyielding. I wonder what trick Matron Valeria could have used."
"Perhaps the use of a relic?" suggested Zesstra, her face serious and eyes narrowed in concentration.
Nerys, analytical, shook her head. "No, because if that were the case, there would have been a confrontation. Which there wasn't."
Xune added, "The fact is that something did happen. Maybe Matron Valeria discovered a relic whose formula eludes us."
At that moment, a sudden laugh echoed in the room. Almera burst into laughter. Mervyln, still on edge, turned to her, her face stern.
"Why are you laughing, Matron Almera?" Mervyln asked in a cold voice.
Almera looked at Mervyln with interest, an enigmatic smile on her lips. "For a moment, I could see Damaris, your mother, in your demeanor."
Selene shook her head, visibly exasperated. "There's nothing funny, Matron Almera. This is not the time for your games."
Mervyln briefly looked away, trying to hide the flicker of emotion that crossed her face at the mention of her mother. She clenched her fists, then looked back at Almera, her expression becoming impassive once more.
"Matron Almera," she began in an icy tone, "I would ask you to keep your unnecessary comments to yourself. We are here to solve a crucial mystery, and every second counts."
Almera, still smiling, looked at Mervyln with a calculating gaze. "My dear friends, why are you so worried about this situation? It's clear that Matron Valeria and Damaris have something in mind. But what's the point of worrying? They will come to us sooner or later. We should focus on strengthening our forces to crush them when they make their move."
Ysora frowned, clearly unhappy with Almera's suggestion. "Are you talking about waiting with our arms crossed? Shouldn't we try to understand what happened to better prepare ourselves?"
Viconia nodded. "Matron Ysora is right. If we don't know how Damaris escaped, we risk being caught off guard. We need to discover their plans before they come to fruition."
Nerys, thoughtful, added, "Strengthening our defenses is certainly a priority, but we can't afford to remain ignorant. There may be variables we don't control."
Almera shrugged, her smile persistent. "You can worry about all that if you wish. As for me, I prefer to conserve my strength for the crucial moment. They will come. We all know that. We just need to be ready to welcome them and annihilate them."
Mervyln took a deep breath. She turned to Almera, her gaze becoming more analytical than stern.
"Matron Almera, I understand your point of view," she began in a measured tone. "However, we can't simply wait and hope things go as planned. We need answers."
Ismara nodded, her brow furrowed. "Matron Valeria and Damaris are not opponents to be underestimated. We must understand their intentions and method of escape to counter them effectively."
Selene spoke up, her voice calm but determined. "I propose that we divide our efforts. Part of our forces can focus on strengthening our defenses, as Matron Almera suggested, while another part investigates Damaris's disappearance and Matron Valeria's plans. We have spies and informants who can provide us with valuable information."
Ysora nodded in agreement, then cast a dark glance at Isolde. "We must also consider the possibility that there are other traitors among us or within our ranks. If Valeria could orchestrate such an escape, she might have unsuspected allies."
Mervyln fixed her gaze on Ysora, her face impassive but her eyes burning with a disturbing intensity. She let Ysora's words resonate in the room, weighing the implications of betrayal. After a moment of silence, she spoke in a calm voice, laden with palpable gravity.
"You are right, Matron Ysora. We can no longer afford to take anything lightly. We must be meticulous and vigilant, as every move we make will be scrutinized and potentially exploited."
She then turned to the other matrons, her eyes passing from one to the next with cold determination. "We will proceed as follows: I will personally handle the investigation into my mother's disappearance and Matron Valeria's actions. Matrons Ismara and Ysora, I entrust you with strengthening our defenses and implementing countermeasures."
Selene, with her usual calm, nodded. "We must also mobilize our spies and informants, as I suggested. It is imperative to gather intelligence on Matron Valeria and Damaris's movements. We may have underestimated their network and resources."
Mervyln nodded in agreement.
The room fell into a heavy, tense silence. Mervyln, despite her apparent calm, radiated palpable authority and frustration. Yet, in this oppressive atmosphere, an unexpected smile broke the tension: Almera, once again, displayed a mysterious smile.
"You are all so concerned, so worried," Almera said, her voice soft but tinged with barely concealed irony. "You might be wrong about one crucial point."
All heads turned toward her, expressions of distrust and questioning marking the faces of the matrons. Mervyln, narrowing her eyes, stared at Almera intently. "And what do you mean by that, Matron Almera?"
Almera's smile widened slightly, adding a mischievous glint to her eyes. "You speak of Damaris, but you don't truly understand who she is. In my opinion, we won't have to look far to find her."
Ysora, visibly annoyed, frowned. "Explain yourself, Matron Almera. What do you mean by that?"
Almera was about to respond when the council chamber door suddenly opened, interrupting the exchange. A soldier, his face marked by urgency and tension, hurried forward. "Matron Mothers, urgent news!" he announced, his voice echoing in the room.