Gellen's admission of what his brother was doing sent shockwaves through the courts and the city of Altor. Gellen's own crimes were dispelled quietly as a bounty was put on Forrest's capture.
Robert, Elena's father, was shocked by the news, which reassured Elena that he hadn't known about Forrest's actions when he had planned the failed marriage.
Jake had sent a list of people that Elena could offer an olive branch to, like she did with Gellen; these were minor nobles and some merchants.
Multiple sets of hooves pattered softly through the forest. They were outside the city of Altor and were in a forest near its high walls that protected it. Their rhythm is steady against the damp earth.
At the center of the small convoy rode Elena, her posture poised yet unhurried. She wore a flowing white blouse beneath a fitted black bodice laced with gold, and a long skirt that moved like shadow through sunlight—simple, yet noble, as if she belonged to the forest itself.
Her mount, Bor, was a black stallion marked by a striking white stripe down his forehead that split into three—one line running straight between his eyes, while the other two branched above them before rejoining the center. His dark mane shimmered faintly, the same shade as Jake's hair, a small reminder of someone waiting far away.
Bor was her trusted companion, raised and trained by Elena herself. Around them rode nine others: Leo, her steadfast personal guard; two merchants, two nobles, both draped in fine travel cloaks; and four guards keeping watch over the flanks. Together, they moved like a quiet procession beneath the whispering trees, the forest swallowing the sound of their passing.
"If I may ask, have you met with us, Lady Falmil? We are all honored to be in your presence, but we are confused as to why you are meeting with us." Janis broke the silence. Janis was a lean man with brown hair and eyes. He was a merchant with a too-perfect smile at all times.
The other merchant and the two nobles made a sound of acknowledgment while the four guards, one for each person, stayed silent, observing.
Elena chuckled softly, but there was weight behind the sound.
"You're not fools. You know why I asked for you. Forrest's rot reached far, and though you may not have wished it, you were pulled into his web."
Her tone softened as she continued, "I don't hold that against you. You were surviving a system built to swallow those without power. But that system is crumbling—and when it does, only those who adapt will endure."
Lord Halven frowned. "And you would have us side with you?"
Elena inclined her head slightly. "With House Falmil, yes. With me, if you're wise. Help me root out what Forrest left behind—his brokers, his enforcers, his coin trails. In exchange, your names will remain clean, and your families untouched. You'll be part of what comes next."
The other merchant, Merra, narrowed her eyes. "And if we decline?"
Elena smiled faintly, though her gaze was cold as steel. "Then, when the crown comes knocking, I'll make sure they have the right doors to knock on. I prefer diplomacy, but I'm not without options."
Her voice lowered, her horse snorting beneath her. "You all built your lives on reading danger before it strikes. Read me correctly now—I offer safety, not threat. But only to those who choose it."
A silence settled, thick with thought and fear alike; the wind howled slightly, a branch snapping in the distance, as they looked at her.
Leo finally spoke, his tone steady. "The Lady offers peace where others would offer a blade. You'd do well to listen."
Leo's and Elena's words hung in the cool forest air like smoke from a dying fire. The merchants and nobles exchanged uneasy glances, their cloaks whispering as the horses shifted beneath them. The forest was too quiet — as though even the birds were waiting for an answer.
Lord Halven was the first to speak. "You speak as though the crown listens to you, my lady," he said, voice sharp but trembling at the edges.
Elena tilted her head slightly, unbothered. "The crown listens to results, not words. I intend to give them both."
Her tone softened, but the steel beneath it remained. "My father may still sit in the Falmil seat, but make no mistake — it's my voice that will shape what comes next. You can fight to keep what little you have, or help me rebuild something worth keeping."
The merchant Janis rubbed the back of his neck, his usual smirk gone. "And what if we give you what you want? What guarantee do we have that we'll be spared when the courts start their cleansing?"
Elena smiled faintly. "Guarantees are for people who trust paper. I offer something better — debt. You help me cleanse what Forrest poisoned, and I owe you. A favor from House Falmil is worth more than a pardon signed in ink."
That made them hesitate. Favors could move armies or bury secrets.
The second noble, Lady Renna, adjusted her gloves. "You speak as though this corruption can be undone with words and good intentions. You're young, Lady Falmil — you've yet to learn how stubborn the roots of rot can be."
Elena's amber eyes narrowed slightly. "Then we burn the roots, Lady Renna. I've no illusions about how deep this filth runs. But I won't let it choke this city forever."
Leo, silent until now, stepped his horse closer, the weight of his presence grounding the tension. "You've all seen what happens when things fester too long. The Lady's not offering a crusade. She's offering a lifeline."
The merchant Merra exhaled through her nose, studying Elena with a wary respect. "And if we accept? What happens next?"
Elena met her gaze evenly. "You'll give me everything you know. Routes, names, payments, the hands that pass the coin, and the ones that sign for it. You'll continue your work as if nothing has changed, but your loyalties will be with me. I'll protect your interests and your families. But if I find you're still feeding the rot—"
She paused, letting her words settle like the edge of a blade. "Then House Falmil's mercy will vanish with my patience."
Silence again. Bor pawed the dirt. A crow cried somewhere far away, and a snap of a branch from something echoed.
Finally, Lord Halven bowed his head slightly. "You've inherited more of your mother's fire than I expected."
Elena gave a faint smile. "And my father's temper, if I'm provoked."
One by one, the others nodded. Reluctant. Fearful. But resolved.
Elena turned Bor toward the narrow forest path that led back toward Altor, her tone quieter but no less certain.
"Good. Then we begin today. You'll receive instructions through Leo. Move carefully, speak little, and remember — I'm not asking for loyalty born of fear. I'm asking for cooperation born of survival. There's a difference." Her tone became soft and warm, yet it was a knife in a sheath.
As she started forward, Leo followed beside her, his voice low.
"You handled them well, my lady. Didn't even draw your blade."
Elena's gaze stayed fixed ahead, her eyes sharp and calm.
"Words can wound deeper than steel, Leo. And the ones I used today will scar where they need to."
The caravan moved deeper into the forest, the rhythm of hooves and murmured voices blending with the rustle of leaves above. Shafts of pale light filtered through the canopy, painting the nobles and merchants in fractured gold.
Elena rode at the center, her voice calm as she spoke of reforms, routes, and promises — the future she intended to purge corruption from the courts. The others listened, uneasy yet intrigued. A calm silence formed between them, but the silence broke with an animalistic roar. Horses reared, nostrils flaring. Leaves burst from a nearby tree as a shadow lunged from above.
Leo was the first to react. "Ambush!" His sword flashed free as the guards scrambled into formation.
Elena turned, heart hammering — but before she could speak, a blur of silver and black shot from the trees.
Something slammed into her side — hard. The world spun. She hit the ground, the breath torn from her lungs, pain blooming through her ribs. Bor shrieked and reared, hooves slamming into the dirt.
For a heartbeat, she didn't understand. Then she saw him.
Jake.
His arm braced against the ground beside her, his coat torn, his teeth gritted. The smell of blood — sharp and unmistakable — filled the air. An arrow jutted from his side, dark feathers trembling with every breath he took.