Chapter 311: What Is Your Decision?
Carmela entered the council room with Marius by her side, and as they stepped further, her piercing eyes swept across the long table, where a diverse assembly of men, women, and mixed creatures sat with an aura that defined power. The air in the room seemed to shift as the runebound council members turned their attention towards them, and Carmela wasn’t surprised by their indifferent reaction concerning her presence, as she had other things planned for this people.
"Noble members of the runebound council," she addressed them all with a regal poise, "As the Queen of the southern Kingdom’s magical equilibrium, your presence here ensures the harmony of the realm." She lifted a finger as a sense of elegant gesture, a slow, witty smile adorning her lips as she eyed the members who rose to offer their greetings, and she could sense that most of their attempts were forced.
The runebound council varied in species and origin. Each had a runic mark, a symbol of their commitment to the delicate balance between magic and the mundane. Carmela could almost guess the reason behind this ’unwelcomed, but have to pretend to be polite’ visit. They did not look happy, which was a hint that they had figured out one of her misdeeds, but whichever one they managed to lay their hands on, she was ready to handle the matter discreetly.
As she took her seat with Marius staying by her side, one of the members abruptly rose from his chair, whilst she addressed Carmela directly, "My Queen, as you must have heard by now, the runebound councils have sensed a disturbance in the magical current tied to the blood moon. Dark magic has been used to temporarily seal the phase of the blood moon, and it is my unfortunate duty to question whether it was your doing. As keepers of the bridge between our realm, we demand an explanation for this breach."
"If an explanation is what you seek, then I’m afraid I have none to disclose." She responded with a calm but assertive tone, "I assure you, I have not tampered with the blood moon. Although it is bold of you to step into my fortress and lay such accusations against your Queen, I choose to believe that there is some misunderstanding going on? What makes you think it was my doing and not a natural occurrence from the cosmos?"
"The blood moon cycle has been disrupted," another one said, "the dark magic woven into the blood moon’s energy carries a signature that echoes your own. We would not dare to lay unnecessary accusations, but we are duty-bound to uphold the celestial cycle. There’s news that we are likely to get attacked by the people from the North, we sense a foreboding war, and interfering with the blood moons course will only create complications. The repercussions of such forced interference could be catastrophic."
"Before you incur another one of those heart attacks, I suggest a thorough investigation be made." Marius spoke up, whilst he leaned forward, "accusations without proper inquiry would be fatal to all of you, neither will it serve the interest of our Kingdom. As for the North, it is only right for us to strike, as they are after a possession that isn’t theirs to keep. However, while you jobless runebound spent time picking up accusations, the Queen here has been dutifully working on a potion that could strengthen the longevity of her people."
"Did he say longevity?" Collective murmurs were spread amongst the runebound members, bewildered to know that their Queen had actually been doing something beneficial for once. The skepticism in their gaze was yet to fade, as if they could not believe it without proof, but the sound of Carmela clapping her hands made them pause in their deliberation.
The door suddenly opened, revealing a group of servants who walked in. Each held a tray of goblet, and when they were placed in front of each runebound council member, their eyes narrowed at the crimson-red liquid inside. Carmela leaned forward and proposed, "I am committed to the realm and its equilibrium, and that is why I went to the extent of creating a potion that would erase the fate of our kind getting burnt by fire. What you see in front of you is the key to surviving against the enemy. When they attack with fire, we’ll already be immune to it."
Her eyes darted between the members as they exchanged awed looks, whilst her lips curled slightly, "if you drink the content in front of you, you will become immune to fire. But... there’s another thing," she added, gaining their attention once more, "you will support me. When I introduce the potion to the people, I’ll need you to stand as a model so their faith in me will grow and expand like the stars above. Do you support me, or should I take the potion and we can all call it a day?"