Chapter 2859: Play (Part-I)
Date: Unspecified
Time: Unspecified
Location: Myriad Realms, Card World, Southern Region, Blossom District, Sky Blossom City, Headquarters
"Why the fuck did you eye me when you said that?"
City Lord Tess snapped without warning, her voice cracking through the room and startling Aurelia. She had arranged the seating so she could sit beside her mother as an equal. After all, she was the head of the Bright Lions Security Agency.
The officials and elders of the border city had been giving her the stink eyes for her audacity for a while now. She had brushed it off. But the moment her mother spokeâcalm, clear, yet carrying a sharp edgeâit stirred something deeper, like an old reflex she couldnât quite shake.
Aurelia knew the anger wasnât meant for her. It was aimed at the Saintes. Still, she didnât hesitate. Quietly, without drawing attention, she switched seats with her second-in-command, Jaya Keith.
"City Lord Tess Malvin, among the forces currently under our lord, only the Border City has been openly hostile to our Empire. Within your entourage, there are men who have killed our citizens forâ"
"Enough!" Tess cut Catherine off. She wasnât about to sit there and listen to her people being accused of war crimes for doing their duty. "If youâre going to make baseless accusations and twist the narrative, Iâm ready to respondâand to show you that your own backyard isnât as spotless as you make it out to be. But this is not the time or place for that. Letâs not waste our lordâs time on pointless banter."
Listening to City Lord Tess, her people were not pleased with her response. It felt restrained. She could have pushed harder, said more, but she held back. The grievance between the Border City and the Empire ran deepâfar too deep to let something like this slide.
Still, none of them blamed her. Their lord had made his intent clear: welcome the Empire and find a way to work together. There was little room for defiance. Tess was walking a narrow line, doing her best to defend her people without undermining their lordâs will.
Meanwhile, Aurelia, having already switched seats with Jaya, shook her head and moved againâthen againâtrading places down the row until she reached Corey, who refused to budge. Left with no options, she rose and stepped behind their lord, taking position as his bodyguard.
In truth, she was using him as a shield. She knew how ugly things could get when her mother was truly angry. A flicker of sympathy crossed her mind for the officials and elders who knew the danger but had to stand their ground beside Tess.
"Pointless banter? Maybe to you, but not for me and my people. We are willing to give up our sovereignty because we believe in the Lordâs vision. What have you given up? Nothingâ"
"We have given up nothing? How dare you say that? The fact that youâre breathing in this room with your head still on your shoulders shows how much weâve given upâ"
Tessâs entire body turned gold, light swelling around her as if it might burst. The air itself seemed to tighten but the elder beside her reacted at once, reaching out with his intent to steady her, pulling her back from the brink.
Seeing her mother rein it in, Aurelia let out a quiet breath.
Yes, she and the Border City had their differences, but she didnât want to see them lose their lordâs grace because her mother couldnât keep her temper in check.
Calming herself, Tess fixed Catherine with an unnerving, steady gaze. The other woman held a faint, knowing smile. "...When I said Iâd let bygones be bygones, I meant it. I wonât dig up the past. Iâll welcome the Empire with open arms. But donât test me again."
"Oh, get over yourself. This isnât about you, itâs about the Empire. I donât expect you to acknowledge it, but the truth is, the Empire is bringing a lot to the tableâand to our lordâs campaign. You, however, arenât showing us the respect we deserve. Every other leader, even those kids, brought their entourage inside, while I was told to leave mine outside. Does that seem fair to you?"
"Hey, who are you calling kids? Is this the change you spoke of? Iâm seriously disappointed. It feels like youâre trying to cheat our lord.
"Also, donât you dare talk about whatâs fair. Join us or donât join usâthatâs your choice. But, if you donât, weâre coming for you next. Isnât that why you are here before our lord?"
Aurelia was the only one who openly took offense at the Saintessâs words and didnât hesitate to call her out. But then, She also glanced at Saintess and her mother saying, "Let me make it clear: none of you is giving up anything. Every one of us is here to gain something. Donât you dare forget it."
City Lord Tess and Saintess Catherine both fixed Aurelia with sharp, unblinking glares. Neither of them appreciated how she had picked apart their words and twisted them, making it sound as though they believed their lord owed them for their sacrificesâfor his vision, for his campaign.
That wasnât the case. They were simply asserting their place, staking their authority within their lordâs dominion.
Yet with a single sentence, Aurelia had nearly painted them as enemies of the very state they were fighting over.
"I get that this is an assembly, but openly showing killing intent to a fellow member our disagreement is not appropriate and will not be tolerated."
I wanted to quietly listen and monitor the state of my forces but sensing the killing intent directed toward Aurelia by the border city officials and elders, I had no choice but to step up.
Yes, it was Aurelia we were talking about here, killing intent wasnât enough to shut her up. But she wasnât the only leader with their strength in the mortal realm in the assembly. Also, if stronger members can openly threaten weaker members, then the point of this assembly would be moot.
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