Chapter 16 - The Convoy to the Capital
By the time King Cassian and the full garrison of royal guards reached the ruined Old Cathedral, the fire had been contained, the mercenaries captured, and the missing merchant lords safely rescued.
Lord Aris and Dr. Malachi—still trapped in his chemically induced coma—were brought back to the royal keep under maximum security.
Three days later, a grand council was held in the castle hall.
"The evidence is indisputable," King Cassian said, holding up the captured journals and Lord Aris’s signed imperial correspondence. "Lord Aris was acting on behalf of a shadow faction within the Capital's High Court. If we keep them here in Oakhaven, the Imperial Court will simply send an army to silence us and retrieve the formula."
"Then what do we do, Your Majesty?" Captain Vance asked. "We don't have the military strength to fight the Imperial Empire."
"We don't fight them with armies," Elara said, stepping forward. "We present the evidence directly to the High Empress in the Capital before Aris's faction realizes he has failed."
"It's a suicidal journey," Vance warned. "The road to the Capital is three hundred miles through controlled territories, river pirate passes, and corrupt baron checkpoints. They will ambush us long before we reach the city gates."
"Not if we travel disguised as a common funerary convoy," Elara offered, her eyes gleaming with sharp intelligence. "No baron checks a grave-digger’s cart transporting common plague victims. I've traveled those outer roads for years. Nobody touches the dead."
Aurelia smiled, stepping beside Elara. "And I am coming with you."
"Aurelia, no, it's too dangerous," Cassian protested.
"Cassian," Aurelia said firmly, looking her brother in the eyes. "I am a Princess of this realm, but I am also a survivor of their horror. I need to stand before the Empress and tell her what her lords tried to do to me. I won't sit in this castle while Elara risks her life for our family again."
Cassian looked at his sister, seeing a strong, fearless leader where a frightened girl had once been. He took a deep breath and nodded. "Very well. Captain Vance will lead a team of six elite guards disguised as common undertakers. You will carry Aris and Malachi in sealed iron transport boxes."
"And what about you, Cassian?" Elara asked.
"I will remain here to secure Oakhaven, rebuild our defenses, and ensure the city stays safe," Cassian said, taking Elara’s hand. "Bring honor to our city, Elara. Show the Capital what kind of people live in Oakhaven."
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The next morning, before the sun crested the mountains, a modest black wooden wagon pulled by two heavy draft horses quietly rolled out of Oakhaven's gates. Inside the hidden compartments beneath the wooden floorboards sat the iron cages holding Aris and Malachi. Sitting on the front driver’s bench were Elara Veyne and Princess Aurelia, dressed in dusty travel cloaks.
Ahead lay three hundred miles of treacherous roads, leading straight into the heart of the most powerful empire in the world.
