The church was in a state of disarray.
With the second earthquake which was far worse than the first, the damages inflicted upon the building, the people who had been there for the celebration who had gotten hurt and much more troubling the sudden absence of the Pope was pushing tensions, fear and suspicions.
Nobody had seen the Pope since yesterday morning.
He had left the courtyard early into the celebration, not taking any of his priests, his trusted Bishop or even his Paladins with him.
The clergymen were all confused.
King Robert had demanded his presence and left an order that if he did not appear with the next 24 hours a search party would be initiated.
A bishop from the first faction protested the royal decree, calling it unsanctioned.
But a royal order could not simply be overrode by the Pope. Ultimately, the Holy Father had to present himself before the king's council.
The rest of nobility felt the same way.
As did everyone else who had been in the courtyard when the disaster had occurred.
After announcing the reemergence of witches in the kingdom and now a second earthquake at the holy temple, the people demanded answers.
Answers that none of the clergymen or Saintess Helena possessed.
------
Fear was spreading word by word throughout the city of Delgard.
And it was much more prevalent than the lockdown caused after the attack towards the Del Montague siblings.
After all, it was one thing to have criminals on the loose.
But demonic magic spreading was not something anyone knew how to protect themselves from.
All they could do was hope and pray.
But how long would that last if the Pope did not show up soon and make a statement to soothe their fears. Even though Lady Helena was the Saintess, she was but a young girl who had only come of age.
If the Pope could not help them then would the young Saintess take charge with the Goddess's sword?
Would the mysterious witch rise and show her face soon?
Would the Saintess confront her without the Pope?
Was there a battle impending in the heart of Elysium?
---------
Several miles away from the border and riding hard towards the capital city were the Aurors from north Imperium. After having investigated the area near Lake Joan, they concluded that a clash between holy power and a demonic entity had taken place.
The three who vanished needed to be found.
Which one among them was carrying holy magic and what had they encountered there?
Or did one of them practice the dark arts as well?
The Aurors didn't think so as they had all vanished together, leaving behind an expulsion of holy magic.
Regardless, they had been at the scene of the crime and thus needed to be interrogated.
A red haired woman and two men. Who were they?
And what was that sword one of the men had been holding? Could it be what they thought?
The border knights of Elysium had heard the Aurors explanation and thus agreed to escort them to the palace to meet with the king.
As they rode, the villagers and city inhabitants took notice, curious and wary of what they saw. They recognized the emblem of the Imperium knights who were riding alongside their kingdom's knights.
But who were the men draped in cloaks with their hoods lowered? What did the insignia on them represent?
Most people did not recognize the symbol, but as the knights passed through each city they over heard snippets of conversation which soon revealed them to be Aurors.
They saw the crystals around their necks. Occasionally glowing with soft power.
Gossip quickly spread.
What were the Aurors of north Imperium doing in Elysium!?
Surely this was a clear sign that something was wrong?
Had the blood thirsty Queen Matilda sent them?
Or had King Cromwell requested them?
The only times Aura Wielders came to Elysium was if there was an incident with demonic magic which the Pope could not tackle alone.
People grew scared.
This must be related to what was happening at the central cathedral.
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Back at the palace, after having been escorted inside and meeting with the two princes, Liam told his guards to wait at the communal barracks while he conversed with the royal family.
Prince Florentine had been puzzled. His brother still hadn't told him what secret he was keeping from him and that combined with the disaster at the church was tightening a knot of frustration in his stomach.
Being a trained knight who'd fought at the border, he could sense that danger was in the air.
Prince Constantine, who had been planning on visiting Alex and Felicia to find out where they had disappeared to, halted his steps when he heard that Liam had come to see him.
Both brothers stilled in alarm when they saw the Young Marquis draped in full armor.
"We need a private place to talk," Liam stated, pulling off his helmet. He looked at Florentine. "And I'll need your presence as well."
Florentine glanced at Constantine before looking back at Liam with furrowed brows. "Very well. I have been meaning to speak to you as well. Since my brother is a stubborn goat who refuses to answer my questions."
The three of them left the great hall and walked out of the palace towards the Keep.
Florentine led them inside the secondary war room before closing the door. The room was small with a black, rectangular table placed in the center and various weapons hung on the wall.
Taking their seats, Constantine spoke first.
"Liam, wait. Before you say anything I need to apologize to Florentine first." He looked at his younger, yet much larger brother. "I'm sorry for keeping secrets. You are not only a Cromwell but a knight as well. I should have told you this sooner. I should have told father as well. He should be part of this discussion. We all share the responsibility."