The lotus symbol of the Jade Lotus Sect. It was a quiet statement of war, a premonition that the Sect's spies had already insinuated themselves at the highest levels of the court.
Elara accepted the letter from Bael's grip with composure. Her hand did not shake, yet the weight of the circumstances threatened to bury her. She broke the seal and unfurled the parchment. The words written there were simple but cold.
Your throne is a mere illusion. Surrender now, or your blood will stain the snow. The Jade Lotus is already within your walls.
Her hand squeezed tighter around the letter as her mind went into overdrive. The Sect, in fact, had taken the initiative to fight back, revealing their intentions before Elara could be prepared to. The princess's pulse beat faster but her features remained as blank and still as the Ice whose reign had spanned decades.
"General," she said, her voice sharp, "assemble the guard. Double the patrols around the castle. No one enters or leaves without my permission."
Bael bided his time and then his eyes flickered back and forth between both worry and trepidation. "Understood. But Your Highness, we need to act swiftly. [I] If the Jade Lotus has fallen into our organization, the contamination would need to be pushed out before it can be effectively damaging. ".
Elara's mind was already working through the possibilities. The Jade Lotus Sect is famous for its agents and assassins who excel in the dark and unseen. Their technique was to undermine states from the inside, to drive leaders against their own people.
"I'll take care of the court," Elara said, her eyes narrowing. "You focus on the soldiers."
Bael hesitated, but the persistent stare of Elara extinguished any demurr. "As you command," he said, then left to carry out her orders.
Having cleared the house, Elara faced her right handmaiden, a delicate pretty girl, Miri. "Prepare my disguise. We leave for the court in an hour."
Miri, always ready, bowed and left to do her job. Elara did not miss an opportunity and put on a simple travelling robe and disguised her regal clothing. Beneath her calm exterior, her mind was a storm. She could feel the weight of the imminent danger pressing in on her, but she refused to show it. If the Jade Lotus Sect managed to infiltrate the court, they would suffer for it in blood.
In the silent corridors of the castle, Elara walked with her companion, Miri, behind her. Her heart raced, but she kept her breath steady. They evaded servants and guards, both of whom appeared suspicious, or unwitting tools of the Sect's game. It was no longer the case, that with easy identification of who was honest, everything would be obvious.
Elara also realised that the Jade Lotus Sect would not dare to make its arrival openly obvious. They were subtle, patient. They would strike when she least expected it. But she wouldn't give them that satisfaction.
Geting close to the interior of the court, Elara moved unseen. Very unusually, in its usual bustling, noble and official throng that filled the spacious hall today the scene was unusually calm and quiet. On the opposite side of the room sat her father's throne, a symbolic representation of the power she vowed to secure. But, at the moment, it was only a goal, something to be achieved by the high minded, that wanted her to die.
Elara walked determinedly, her gaze sweeping across the assembled courtly crowd. She felt the room tension, a very subtle state of tension that matched her own. No one spoke a word as she entered, and she felt every set of eyes turn to her. In the silence, her presence commanded attention.
"I've received a letter," Elara said, her voice cutting through the stillness. "From the Jade Lotus Sect."
The nobles looked at each other and she noticed that fear crossed the surface of the faces of a few, but they quickly concealed it.
The Sect has come before this court, Elara declared, her gaze burning.. "And I know they're not alone."
A murmur rippled through the room. But Elara had no time to waste on diplomacy. Her eyes landed on the (unidentifiable) expressions before her and she understood—among them was the traitor.
Strained as she waited, long silence filled the room. No one spoke. At long last, she told her dearest confidantes, the late Lord Alistair- who has been serving the retinue of the former lord in the last decades. He was a political veteran, shrewd and, when it was needed, ruthless. But today, Elara saw something in his eyes—a glint of fear she hadn't noticed before.
"You," Elara said, pointing to him. "Come forward."
Lord Alistair came to a halt with mouth set, but not a sound came out. The air hung thick with unnatural silence in the room while the nobles watched on.
"Do you know what the Jade Lotus Sect is capable of?" Elara asked coldly, her voice steady. "Do you think they're here for tea and conversation?"
Lord Alistair swallowed visibly. "Your Highness, I… I don't know what you mean."
Elara took a step forward, her eyes narrowing. "You may not have known, but you're part of the game now. If you like it or not, it's all your life is lost unless we discover who is responsible for this treason.
She stopped, preparing how her words would hit. "There are no secrets left. No one is beyond suspicion. Not even you, Alistair."
The room remained still, but the tension was palpable. A tiny hole began to seep slowly in the court door and Elara's eyes followed it. Her senses heightened.
U standing at the brink of the shadow an elongated veiled shape appeared in the void. The assassin was stealthy, concealed, but the essence of the Jade Lotus Sect was left on his back as if part of his very biology.
Princess," the man whispered gently, adding, "and mocking. "It seems the game has begun."
Elara's heart stilled. She felt the force of the assassin's potency in the room, the omnipresent, insidious and slowly encroaching threat of danger. But she didn't flinch. She met his gaze with the cold determination of someone who had already decided their fate.
"The game is far from over," she replied. "And I am the one who will finish it."