Dame Luel entered the lower passages of the palace, flanked by two black coats. The black walls mirrored Luel's solemn mood. Indents in the walls had been blocked up after the fire. Sconces on the walls illuminated the hall in orange light.
Echoes of the nursery rhyme sung by happy children in the streets that depicted Ealria's devastating past, rang through her mind.
'…the White Witch's final act,
turning white stone black.'
The scar on her left arm twinged. The wound was her one and only battle trophy. Luel usually stopped herself from reminiscing about the siege of Wilbry. But on days like these she needed a distraction.
Her heart drummed a war dance through her veins. Her fellow sisters in arms, the proud Opelia knights, stood tall next to her. Everything happened at once. The siege tower wheeled into place. She climbed the ladder, her legs pumping with adrenaline. Luel unsheathed her blade and arced her sword towards a charging Caniry rebel. He fell. She spun and drove her sword into the enemy's gut. Her blade dripped crimson. Luel had earned the official title of Knight. Dame Luel, she liked the authority that her new title commanded. No longer would she be a street urchin from the western plateau.
A deep war cry pulled her back to the battle. Luel dodged, slamming against the parapet. A blade sliced through the top of her left arm. She recovered quickly, drove her blade upwards through his stomach and pushed him over the wall.
You fool. Never get distracted in battle. Luel chasitised herself.
It seemed obvious looking back. The White Enfir had created the Caniry rebellion to draw a significant portion of the Ealrian army away from the capital. At the time Luel couldn't believe the White Enfir had engulfed the palace in flames, killing the King and the high ranking nobles. The flames burned for five days. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Ruo and Eldir families took control of the west and north in an act of secession, creating new countries. Ealria survived due to General Galicu Dustel rallying the remaining forces and defending the eastern slither of the continent that has become modern Ealria.
The ride north, after the battle, was a miserable affair. The victory parade she had imagined was corrupted with weary glances and whispers of uncertainty.
Rumours began to circulate about the White Enfir, talks of women being too emotional to understand politics and war, normally shared in whispers, were being shouted from town squares. The louder the prejudice against women was shouted the more people began to listen. An undercurrent of unease fell upon the entire country.
Upon reaching home, all female knights were stripped of their weapons and titles. The last nine years of hard work were ripped away in an instant. Women all over Ealrian were denied an education and any position of power. Noble ladies were banned from becoming the head of their family, those who had held the position for years were dismissed without question.
The black guards on either side took turns glancing over their shoulders at her. She had grown used to the judgmental looks of men but she supposed their suspicion was well founded. People should be wary of someone trading in human livestock.
Life isn't fair. These girls will have the opportunity to earn back their freedom. Luel sighed. These girls live in ignorant bliss.
The guards stopped at a pair of double doors. The doors closed behind her. The room was small, dark and musty. A square rug had been placed in the centre of the room in an attempt to make it more inviting. The rug was covered in years of dust and dirt. The chairs were thread bare but cleaner.
Luel perched on the edge of a chair, facing a second set of doors. Her black dress fanned out around her. She looked down at the hem knowing it was destined to be fuel for the next fire.
The door creaked open to reveal a man dressed all in black. She looked up as he entered the room and took the seat across from her. Buorlan removed his black gloves and ran his hand through his black wavy hair. His piercing emerald eyes looked straight into hers.
"Buorlan."
"Dame Luel, I hope you are well and keeping Ibaris at bay." He responded with a slight smirk.
"I may be getting on in years but I'm not ready to make the crossing just yet." Luel replied, mirroring his smirk. "You have a lot of cheek for a man who's rumoured to have gone soft. Am I wrong to suspect a woman may be behind the change?"
"Heavens no, I would sooner walk into a fire then tie myself to the title of husband. Pray tell where these rumours originate?"
She smiled at his question. Buorlan always gets what he wants. If he feels the need to ask then he will know eventually.
"I was pre warned by Calmos not to let you string any deals. Apparently you convinced him to 'invest' in a toddler and a girl no less. Care to explain?"
"I see. Had the child been a few years older she may have been worth something but they take far too much time and energy at that age. Best to leave it with the mother. I'm sure you understand, considering your line of work."
"Well yes, I typically leave the babies in the hands of the gods."
"She would have been too old for that and I can't have her hung on the gallows for plotting treason like the rest that don't sell."
There was a pause in the conversation as the last statement hung in the air.
"Always a man of logic. Even when faced with rioting you find a way to make money." She responded, followed by a dark laugh.
"Only out of necessity. The King and the finance minister are far too open with the royal purse strings. Stocking the royal treasury and helping public sentiment with a hanging is simply part of my job." He opened his hands, in a gesture that seemed to absolve himself of any guilt or wrongdoing.
"Speaking of, do you not think it's unwise to build the gallows in front of the Orello cathedral? Does it not seem insensitive to the church considering the circumstances?" She enquired.
"It's tradition for people to be hanged where the crime was committed." He smiled preemptively to his next statement. "I thought the priests would appreciate the shorter journey to bless the people's souls."
Luel scoffed at the absurdity. She looked at him, taking in his features. The echo of the small boy that had run around Comadean house nearly two decades ago was still present on his features. But that child was a mirage conjured from her memories. Killed by the Buorlan that stood covered in blood, shaking and unable to take his eyes off his dead father. Buorlan hardened his heart to steel on that day.
A knock sounded.
"They are ready for us." Buorlan stood and offered her his arm. "Shall we?"