Heirs of Hyarch

Luck was with them so far, as there were no royal knights to be seen here.

It made a certain sense to Edeline that Lord Melyn would prefer men he knew and trusted directly to protect his manor, instead of those from a distant part of Hyarch. Had she been in the same position, she would have done the same. Myronel likely would as well...or maybe not. She could not speak to the sort of men he had met during his time fighting alongside the Royal Order of the Ruby Crown.

It was not even that heavy a guard either, not much more than what her father had arranged in Hallowscroft. A pair of men stood at the gates in front of the manor, while a few more could be seen patrolling around the outer wall. There were possibly a few more inside, she noted, but they would not be much help if a fight broke out here and now.

Whatever rebellion that Syrkonel was planning, Lord Melyn was not prepared for it. Edeline found herself unable to determine if this was good or terrible. It came down to how much of a thirst for blood the elves rising up held. She had seen such before, and it would not surprise her to see it here again.

Either way, it was time to make themselves known. Edeline and Myronel had been circling the streets nearby for a while now, observing the place. That could only tell them so much, and it didn't help the survivors of Lasfont at all. As much as she still would rather not do this, Edeline had to remind herself there were matters far larger and more important than just her.

Beckoning Myronel with a gesture, she walked forward across the road, weaving around a couple of peasants walking through. She came to a stop a few paces from one of the gate guards, who blinked in confusion at her approach. "Can I...help you?" he asked after a moment.

"Tell Lord Melyn that Lady Edeline Hallowscroft has arrived, and requests a private meeting with him on an urgent matter."

The man drew back, blinking even more. "Uh...are you..."

"Go pass the word along." The second guard walked over. "I'll make sure she doesn't go anywhere. If she's lying..." He thumped the end of his spear shaft on the cobblestones, making his point clear.

Edeline had expected it would take more persuasion than that to get to this point. Still, it would not so simple going forward. The business of a lord wasn't something Lord Melyn would just set aside for a pair of travelers showing up asking for an audience. Unless he was somehow unoccupied on this specific day, their meeting with him would have to wait.

At least the message had been given, and now came the waiting. Being out here on the street in the open with no weapon on either of them did have Edeline on edge, but it was better than drawing the attention a sword would bring. Even if she had come to rely more on her spells than her blade, there was something reassuring about the weight at her side.

Finally, after what was far too long for Edeline's liking, the guard re-emerged and ran over. "He will see you within the hour, once he has finished his current business. He wants you to come wait in his private study."

That was almost too fast and too simple, enough to leave Edeline deeply concerned about just what Lord Melyn knew. It was too late to back away from the meeting now though. "Very well, lead us in."

"This way then." The two followed the guard down the path. Unlike the previous noble manors they had seen, including their former home, the grounds of the manor were sparse with no flowers or trees. Perhaps that was an effect of the warmer climate of northern Hyarch, although Lord Melyn certainly could afford to pay gardeners to tend any plants he might want.

It was not just the outside of the manor that was plain. The entry hall was also sparsely decorated, having mostly bare walls and simple furnishings. There were even darkened squares on the walls that told Edeline where portraits had once been hanging. Only one remained, that of a confident swordsman standing at ease. Curiously, it did not seem that old a painting to Edeline.

If she had the time to study it further, she might have figured out a clue to who it was, but the guard escorting them was already moving briskly towards a door on the right. Leaving the painting behind, Edeline entered the study. It thankfully had a more functional decor, though something about it still felt lacking.

"Wait here." The guard turned and left.

They weren't expected to have to wait long, given that they'd been brought directly here instead of to a waiting room or parlor. There had also been no effort to determine if Edeline had been lying about who she was either, now that she thought about it. That would in turn mean...Aether, don't tell her that word of prior events had gotten here ahead of them.

"I do not like this," she muttered as she took a seat.

"What?" Myronel asked.

"Nothing." They had to assume someone might be listening in. It limited their ability to talk openly, which was the irritating part. She still wasn't quite prepared for this meeting, how to best phrase their request that ensured Lasfont would get the aid they need. All Edeline could do was mentally prepare herself for what came next.

Myronel gave Edeline a worried look, then settled down into another chair. It was a bit odd that the study had several chairs like this. Perhaps Lord Melyn did bring guests in here more often than would be expected. Their father had held private meetings himself more than once, although those took place in the usual room one might expect. Edeline supposed they ought to not complain.

Their wait did not last too much longer. A heavyset man entered the room, turned and nodded at someone outside, then closed the door. Edeline's first thought was that this was not the man in the painting. He was shorter and thicker, and his hair was a few shades closer to black.

"My apologies, Lady Hallowscroft. I was occupied with..." He trailed off as he took notice of Myronel. Edeline started to wonder if he recognized her brother before he spoke again. "Are you certain you wish for this...elf to remain here?"

If that was the problem, then Edeline's opinion of Lord Melyn was already poor. "I trust him with my life."

"Then I shall hold the same faith then." The man paused. "Anyway, introductions. As you probably have wagered, I am Lord Baustinius Melyn."

"Edeline Hallowscroft." Hopefully this would be the last time she had to use the full name.

"It is good to meet you at long last. Your father has always been a good and loyal man. Oh, and I did hear of the unfortunate illness that claimed the life of Lady Sophia. Her passing no doubt grieved you all."

Something about the way Lord Melyn said that left Edeline feeling like she was standing on a blade's edge. She couldn't point out just what, though, so she might was well continue regardless. "Her death was unfortunate, but life is often cruel."

"On that, we are in agreement." The lord's gaze briefly wavered away, to a blank spot on the wall. One where another portrait had once hung, Edeline noted. "Now, I know you would not have requested this meeting without serious reason. While I do have a guess as to why, I would rather hear what you would say."

"We traveled here seeking aid for the town of Lasfont." Edeline paused, trying to decide how much of the situation there she could describe. He would hardly believe that the trapped spirit of an ancient thaumaturge had been casting spells on the townsfolk there. "Terrible beasts besieged the town, and many of its people were lost."

"Where is Lasfont again?" Lord Melyn asked, "Forgive me, I am not learned in the names and places of everywhere in Hyarch. I would assume it is not too far from here."

Edeline admitted to herself she hadn't foreseen this possibility. Then again, she hadn't known of the town until fairly recently herself. "It is some distance to the northeast, close to the border between Hyarch and Remuat."

"That is quite a distance." His face grew grim. "What manner of aid to they require?"

"Simply put, there are too few survivors to maintain the town, especially since they have been cut off from their main source of water. It is a dry and warm region, even more so than here. For now, they are seeking to evacuate as many people as possible. But they will need wagons and horses, as well as the men and supplies needed for the journey." It sounded so easy to say, and yet Edeline knew they were asking a lot.

Lord Melyn tilted his head back, now staring up at the ceiling. "I will admit that was not why I thought you had come. For you to risk so much on behalf of this town...wait. You are aware that the king has declared you traitor?"

"I have heard such, yes." There was little Edeline could do to prevent the conversation from going to such topics, and abandoning the meeting now was out of the question.

"And still you came here, even as men of the Royal Order of the Ruby Crown patrol these streets." Lord Melyn studied Edeline carefully. "I can start gathering what men and supplies I can spare, but in return I must ask something of you."

She should have expected something of this sort. As for what Edeline could possibly do for Lord Melyn, there were no clear answers. She held no real influence in the kingdom now, and he certainly knew nothing of her skill at thaumaturgy. What did he even expect her to do?

"First, though, tell me what happened in Hallowscroft."

If that was it...no, it was not that simple. As was with Lasfont, Lord Melyn would not accept the truth of the Stormsage being sealed away in secret chambers below the town, or that the Stormsage had given her a task to seek out the Elemental Hex. However...the matter of what Kalvarel had been trying to accomplish could be discussed.

How she hated these continued games of deception.

"An agent of the Spellking tried to seize control of the town. Those plans were stopped thanks to the work of myself and a few others, although it cost many loyal men their lives. My father...was held captive for a time, and his health suffered for it. I had left him in the care of a healer, to hopefully recover as best he could."

"So it's worse than I had feared," Lord Melyn replied, "The Spellking now knows of that as well...curse him."

Edeline was immediately struck by a cold stiffness. She already knew the Elemental Hex was not well known outside of legends and old stories. That left only her parentage. Did...had the entire kingdom learned of it before she had? What had been the whole point of it all?

Somehow, she managed to remain outwardly calm. "What secret?"

"So you still do not know." Lord Melyn regarded her quietly. "Then I will speak plainly. The woman you thought of as your mother was not. Instead, you are the lost daughter of Princess Splendora of the House of Pelagoin."

Edeline hated that she'd been right.