In the Senate chamber.
The atmosphere was electric.
The huge hall, with high columns and dangling chandeliers, was packed with people sitting on semicircular benches, watching me like I was a walking charge.
I strode into the hall with purpose, Tia following behind. She was decked out in a maid's uniform, but her face was totally blank. Kyle was walking behind us, dragging the two assassins, who were bound and gagged, and their clothes were stained with dried blood.
There was a whisper in the hall.
"What's going on here?"
"Did you bring the prisoners?"
I raised my hand, my voice firm and confident:
Dear elders and family members,Just wanted to let you know that half an hour ago... I was targeted in an assassination attempt.
I went up to the elders' table and took out a small piece of metal from my pocket. It had the family crest engraved on it.
They said it was sent by one of the elders.
The hall was silent for what felt like forever.
Then elder Garim, an elderly man with a white beard who was known for being neutral, spoke up:
"This is a serious accusation, Dan... I understand that you say that one of us tried to kill you."
He said it slowly, looking at me with sharp eyes.
I said steadily:
"I'm not just whining... I'm presenting evidence, live testimonies."
I pointed to the two men tied up behind me.
"These are the guys who tried to assassinate me earlier, and one of them confessed that their messenger had a ring with the Noctein family crest.
Then another elder stood up, "Elder Mirsa," a stern-looking woman with an intimidating presence:
"A simple symbol isn't enough, Dan. Everyone in the family can wear old emblems or use forgotten seals. Are you seriously suggesting that we should just take the word of an assassin?"
She said it like she was trying to sound logical, but her tone hid something else.
I answered her calmly:
"That's why I brought them here to talk about it with you. Not to judge, but to tell the truth."
Another man got up, a family member, not an elder. He was a well-dressed young man with a monocle over one eye.
"If you insist on an investigation, that'll be fine, but the council will be keeping a close eye on things. No harm done to the sheikh's reputation until we have all the facts.
I looked at him and said:
"So, you're not saying there's no chance a traitor is among you?"
There was a brief pause, and then Garim said:
"The Senate is made up of elders, representing the old nobles, the higher branches of the family... We're not perfect. We only accept accusations in accordance with the council's etiquette guidelines."
I looked around. Most people looked away when I looked at them.
Then I said:
"Whatever... I'm not going to stay silent."
I looked at Kyle, then at Tia.
"These two people fought by my side and saved my life... "I'll only settle for fair treatment for them, and I expect you to honor that. I'm their eyes, and they're my personal knights. If they're touched, I'm touched."
A few of the elders said something quietly to each other, and then Elder Marcus said something.
"You're really mentoring a traitorous knight? you don't seem to be much different from your brother."."
I gave him a hard stare.
"When I needed help, Kyle and Tia were there for me, and honestly, I trust them more than anyone here."
Marcus said in a calm but firm tone:
"We're doing a special investigation into the assassins, and we'll talk about your protection later."
He gave me a long look and added:
"But remember... if you think you're back to ruling this family easily, you're dreaming."
There was a tense silence in the hall, and then you could hear footsteps coming from the marble floor. They sounded confident.
Everyone looked at the hall's door as it opened, and Elena—the eldest sister—walked in.
She was decked out in a long military coat, her sword at her waist, and her eyes said "royalty" and "danger."
One of the people there said in a quiet voice:
"young lady, we weren't expecting you."
She took slow steps until she was standing behind me, then put her hand on my shoulder and said in a calm but firm voice, "I'm here because someone tried to kill my brother:
"I'm here because someone tried to kill my brother, and that's more important than the Council's protocols."
She looked at me, then added:
"He could've died. But he survived. And he has proof."
Elder Garim said:
"Elena, we don't have real proof yet."
Elena cut him off, saying:
"Elder Gareem. We don't need proof, we need deterrence."
She looked at the family members one by one and then said:
"Whoever attacked my brother didn't just attack a person... he attacked the entire House of Noctaine."
Marcus said coldly:
"We get your anger, Elena, but we don't want to be ruled by emotion."
Elena walked over to the center table and said:
"We'll be keeping an eye on the investigation, and no one will get immunity. If anyone's against this, now's the time to speak up in front of everyone."
A few Elders exchanged glances, but no one said anything.
She gave us a playful smile, then turned to me and said:
"Dan, I'm back, but if you want to stick around, you're gonna have to put in some work. And I'll be here to make sure you do it right."
Then she whispered in a voice only I could hear:
"Just be careful, though. Some of them would rather see you in the coffin than on the throne.
[In a side corridor inside the palace after the session]
Elena stops at a long balcony overlooking the palace gardens. The air is filled with a light mist, carried by the cool breeze. I followed her without saying anything, not knowing what she was going to say, but I could tell that she wanted to talk away from the elders.
She said quietly, without looking at me:
"When I heard that they tried to kill you... I wasn't surprised."
I looked at her, surprised, but she kept going.
"These people don't want a guardian, they want a puppet. And you... you've never been one to act."
I smiled wryly:
"Yeah, and that's basically my ongoing problem."
She looked at me, her eyes were serious but her tone was a little less harsh:
"But don't think that just because I'm standing up for you, they'll stop. You've changed, Dan... there's something different about you."
I swallowed. I didn't know how to respond.
She looked at me for a long time, then said
She came closer and gently placed her hand on my chest:
"Stay alive, my little brother . That's all I ask."
⸻
One of the knights burst in, looking visibly upset.
He was out of breath when he said:
"Lady Elena... Young Master Dan... The assassins..."
Elena cut him off, saying:
"What's wrong with them?"
"They died... both of them. At the same time."
She moved quickly, with me following behind.
[Minutes later, inside the holding room for the assassins]
One of the assassins was lying on the floor, his face all purple and his eyes really big as if he was experiencing some kind of extreme horror.
The other had a tiny needle embedded in his neck, barely visible.
She stepped forward and took a look at the two bodies, her eyes showing she was an expert. Then she said in a low voice:
"This is a poisonous silence... a flawless method of assassination."
She gave me a cold look and said:
"There's someone inside who doesn't want us to know the truth.