Chapter 51: Emergency Meeting
The Imperial Council Chamber had been filled quickly after the first match had ended. The 15 noble houses took their seats, one seat vacant for the fallen house.
Empress Alexia sat at the head. To her right sat Princess Liona, her eyes still slightly red-rimmed despite her best efforts to appear calm. Chancellor Levenhart and Archmage Marcus stood behind the Empress, as was tradition for imperial advisors.
"This emergency council is now in session," Levenhart announced, his voice cutting through the tense murmurs. "The topic before us is the unexpected return of Grim Van Ambrose, heir to House Ambrose, previously believed deceased."
Lord Julius Luminaris was the first to speak, his aristocratic features set in a scowl. "Previously believed? The boy faked his death and hid for twelve years. That’s not ’previously believed.’ That’s deliberate deception of the Crown."
"A deception we apparently facilitated," Lord Terras countered, his face flushed with anger. "My son is humiliated, and I demand to know why imperial resources were used to protect a boy who should have faced justice twelve years ago for maiming my heir."
Empress Alexia raised a hand, silencing them both. "Let us be clear.... We had no knowledge that Grim Van Ambrose survived the incident twelve years ago. The body presented was examined and confirmed deceased by imperial physicians."
"Then those physicians were incompetent or complicit," Lady Mei of House Zhou said calmly, her fingers steepled before her. "Either way, we face a situation where a supposedly dead heir has returned with considerable power and unknown intent."
"His intent seems clear enough," Lady Seraphina of House Thorne observed dryly. "He registered for a tournament where the prize is a request the Empress cannot refuse. One doesn’t need to be a tactical genius to see the strategy."
Archmage Marcus stepped forward. "What concerns me more than his intent is his capability. The level of mastery he demonstrated over the Celestial Mist Sword Dao is that of the White Death."