Sharp voices followed.
"How could you let this happen?" Viscount Karl Ramirez spat, his robes rustling with each furious step. "This is exactly why I was always against you."
"A girl like you has no place holding a command," barked Count Marcel Palpatine, his tone laced with scorn. "What experience do you have? What discipline? Reckless, careless—unfit."
Hendricus rose slightly from his chair at this, but Leesa didn't flinch. Her fists clenched behind her back, her knuckles paled from restraint, and her face was calm as frost.
"You lost the Crown Prince!" Marquis Simon Haley declared, eyes ablaze with indignation. "And you expect to stay here, to continue acting as if nothing has changed? I say this now—leave the palace at once! You've failed in your duty."
The words stung. Because deep down, Leesa had failed. She had promised to protect him, and she had looked away. Even if only for a moment. A single breath was enough to lose him.
Guilt wrapped cold fingers around her ribs. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came. Until—
Her eyes lifted. Cold, steady, sharp. "It is not your place to say whether I stay or go," she said, her voice low but unwavering. "The only command I follow is His Highness the Crown Prince's. Not yours."
A hush fell. Then she took a single step forward. Her voice cut clean now.
"And tell me this," she said, her gaze like a blade, "how did you even hear of this? The only ones who know of the Crown Prince's disappearance are present in this room—or are Their Majesties themselves. So, how did you learn of it, Marquis Haley?"
For a moment, no one spoke. The nobles glanced at each other, as though caught in their own trap.
"That's irrelevant," the Count snapped too quickly. "What matters is that you've failed—"
But his words were silenced by a roar.
"If you're here only to shout nonsense and sling blame like cowards, then get out!" The voice was thunderous, unmistakable. Elzar Amadori.
He was on his feet now, towering over the table, his eyes fierce with fury. "This is a war council. Not a fish market. You do not barge into a command chamber like drunkards in a tavern!"
"War council, you say? This meeting," the Count sneered, "was convened without the approval of the Council. Without the voice of the nobles. And yet here you are, locked away with soldiers and butlers, deciding on matters of state."
The Marquis stepped into the room fully now, his boots clapping against the stone. "Where is the Emperor? With whose permission is this meeting taking place, huh?"
A heavy pause followed.
Then Anton stepped forward at last, his hands behind his back, his voice calm and crisp. "Shall I fetch the Emperor, my Lord? I'm sure he'd be most interested to hear the names of those who tried to derail an active royal investigation."
That shut them up. And Hendricus, making use of his dangerously heightened and broad frame, slowly advanced toward them. With each deliberate step he took, the nobles retreated, graciously guiding themselves out of the room. Cries of "How dare you!" and "This isn't over!" echoed behind them, but the door soon shut with a finality that left only silence behind.
Sighs echoed softly across the chamber like the last breath of dying fire. The tension from the nobles' intrusion had yet to fully leave the room, but all those present slowly reclaimed their seats. For a brief spell, silence ruled. Each person was lost in their own troubled thoughts, the weight of Prince Flavian's disappearance looming heavy above them all.
Elzar breaks the stillness first. "This situation does not sit straight with me, Commander Leesa," he said, voice low, brows furrowed. "Something feels… off."
Anton nodded beside him, fingers laced thoughtfully. "Indeed. Are you certain, Lady Marlene, that His Highness vanished in the span of mere minutes? I find it difficult to accept."
"I understand your doubts," Leesa replied, calm despite the storm within. "I've asked myself the same questions over and over again. I cannot explain it cleanly. But what I witnessed… it defies logic."
Hendricus, young and ever earnest, leaned forward, confusion written plain on his face. "So then… what do we do?"
A beat passed before Leesa answered.
"Magic," she said finally, her tone turning steely with conviction. "It must be. No one could subdue Flavian in silence—not without some unnatural force. Unless he was drugged… enchanted… there's no other way."
Roman tapped the table once, thoughtfully. "Then… shouldn't we consult the Tower Master? If magic was involved, only a mage could verify it."
"Yes, of course," Anton agreed. "But who shall make the journey? The tower path is no easy road. Traps. Runes. Guarded Wards. It's not meant for casual visitors."
"I'll go," Leesa said at once, her voice firm, unflinching. "I've been there before with His Highness. I know the route. I'll manage." Leesa lied; she had never accompanied Flavian to the mage tower before, but she did know the route. She had heard Flavian talk about it tons. She was confident of reaching her destination without prior visiting.
"And I'll accompany you," Hendricus announced, his hand over his heart. "It's not a journey to take alone."
"No wait." Elzar raised a hand. "We can't rush into this. If Commander Leesa leaves, someone must remain to command the troops. We're vulnerable enough as it is."
Anton nodded sharply, taking over. "Then here's what I propose: Lady Marlene and Sir Roman will travel to the Mage Tower to consult the Tower Master. Sir Elzar, you'll remain and oversee the First Division. If anything worsens, we'll need a steady hand in command. Hendricus, you'll take charge of training and logistics for the Second Division during Commander Leesa's absence. I'll handle the Crown Prince's remaining duties from the courtly side."
The room fell quiet once again—but this time, it was a silence of resolve. This plan was sound. Efficient. Strategic. They all knew the stakes. The Crown Prince, the central pillar of the Empire's military strength, had vanished without a trace. The imperial family's reputation, already under pressure, could fracture if the nobility turned against them. Every moment mattered now, and the palace was no longer safe in the way it once was.
After a moment, they all gave solemn nods of agreement.
Before long, Leesa and Roman set out under the waning starlight, bound for the Tower that stood beyond the edge of the capital, veiled in enchantments and age-old secrets.
The others remained behind, resuming their roles, preparing their soldiers, and waiting… for a spark of truth to return from the shadows. Dawn was still a few hours away. But the long night had already begun.