Running through the hallway, Duncan and Vidia meet with Titus halfway through their journey. Beside him was a slightly tanned Elf sporting a complete Steeleaf armour. Geh, it's big sis Vilde!
Gulping quite audibly, Duncan nervously stood still, straighter than a soldier in military drills. "This is Duncan Argelam, reporting for duty Miss!"
Chuckling at the sight of Duncan saluting, Titus quickly covered his mouth once Duncan angrily stared at him. "Sorry, it was too funny not to laugh. Anyways, why're you here?"
Still pissed off at Titus laughing at his expense, he grumpily replied, "Well, mother called me back after catching the Human at the corner of the market. He had something weird in his hands, but it seemed to have fallen as he ran away. We'll search for it once we interrogate how and why they came here..."
Eyes raised, Titus looked at Duncan once again. "Seems to me that the mystery behind the raids is getting deeper and deeper..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Titus marched his way through, to discuss the brevity of the situation with Celestine...
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Inside the gigantic hall, Celestine Von Titania sat on her throne, regality radiating everywhere. Beside her were her retinue, nobles from all 10 houses. The wiry moustache Elf sat the closest to her, his face still red from all the anger that had accumulated from the 'discussion' they had days ago.
Striding to the center of the room, Vilde stood tall, crossing her right arm across her chest. "Captain Vilde Crowyll, reporting to her Highness! I have come here with my trusted Deputy, Vidia Eratyk, to report her arrest. Dame Vidia, please step forward and recount what you have done..."
Floating half a meter in the air, Vidia saluted to Celestine, before (face grave) recounting her arrest. "You see, your Highness, I was out today, on my day off, roaming down the streets, when I met..."
She recounted her account of how she saw Prince Duncan wrestling and subduing the suspect in a dark alleyway. Initially suspecting it to be Duncan robbing the cloaked figure, she later realised that it was instead Duncan subduing said individual on charges of grand urbicide.
But the shocking surprise was left for last
"And when we lifted its cloak, we were shocked to see that a HUMAN had managed to sneak into the inner Kingdom, using means unknown to us. I beseech your Majesty to look into this, and deliver your righteous judgment upon the heathen."
Bowing at the end, Vidia left the center stage, now finished with her part.
"How is this possible?!"
"Yes Lord Trukeya, how on Earadun did a Human trespass our Sacred land!?"
"You're Highness, we must launch an investigation right now!"
A hubbub rode in the atrium, as the nobles present began arguing over how a Human managed to get in. The fervour reached a peak when some of them began casting spells, outraged at being accused of being traitors. Just when they believed that a war was about to start, a quiet yet heavy thud reverberated across the hall.
"Silence! Instead of acting like children, accusing who betrayed whom, we should be more concerned with is what this Human wanted to do here. We have tried interrogating, even torturing, him, but having been implanted with several spells to ensure his silence, we cannot know what their plan is. As your Queen, I order you to investigate your territories, and sniff out the remaining dredges from their hiding holes!"
Eyes freezing, Celestine commanded them using her royal authority to stop their infighting, and start investigating why Humans have entered here, and what their goal is.
Hearing her command, the squabbling nobles came to a standstill. Gulping at her anger, they all bowed, before leaving the atrium, faces pale.
What no one noticed was that one of them bore a heavy face, eyes glinting maliciously as he exited the atrium...