Delilah found the silence, the ability to just sit and read, comforting. All of the cleaning and exploring they’d been doing in Revue Palace was exciting and entertaining, of course, but having a chance to sit and focus on reading and research was a nice change of pace.
That said…
She sat back in her chair, holding back a sigh. Even though the Directory had been a marvelous find, even though it had helped them find and restore the Archive Hall, they hadn’t learned nearly as much as Delilah had hoped. And time was fast running out.
The Archive Hall was a strange sort of library, designed as one long, grand corridor that Delilah guessed was close to three miles long, and close to one hundred yards wide, with ceilings towering hundreds of feet overhead. It was hard to think of it as a “hall” with such size as this, and there was so much open space between bookshelves, since all of the books, files, folders, and reference material in the entire Archive Hall were contained on either the towering wall of bookshelves to the left, or the towering wall of bookshelves to the right. The rest of the Archive Hall was a grand spread of tables, chairs, couches, fire pits, miniature stages for practice performances, small racks of generic props for basic practice and rehearsal, all of these things stretching on and on and on. There were many different types of tables, too — some were “map tables,” as Marcus described them, with dimensions optimal for spreading large maps across the surface and using them to properly plan expeditions. Others were like the one Delilah and Alice currently occupied — round, ordinary tables with a single shaded lamp in the center for light, perfect for studying. To Delilah’s left was a couch where Isabelle and Marcus sat.
All four of them had been in here reading for a very long time, as evidence by Alice stretching her shoulders for the twenty-seventh time, by Delilah’s count. Still, when she finished her stretches, she went right back to her book, holding her pen in her mouth except when she needed to take notes. It made her look a bit silly, but Delilah kept her giggles to herself.
Delilah looked up as the door opened and Maribelle strode in. The oldest Princess of Solitude let out a sigh, nodding to the clock on the wall, a multi-face, multi-hand design set for Universal Time.
“We’ve been exempted from the pleasantries,” she said. “But we only have until the end of this cycle — when all hands are pointing up — to finish what research we can. Then the Daybreak Council begins.”
“That soon?” Alice asked, glaring at the clock.
“It takes time to organize such a large group for a cohesive meeting,” Maribelle said. “So I hoped we’d have more time, but it seems things are going more smoothly than expected.”
“So everyone’s there, then,” Delilah said.
“Everyone who will be,” Maribelle said, a bit of exasperation in her tone.
“Not everyone came?” Isabelle asked.
“No,” Maribelle said. “Mister Midnight declined, sending his… characteristically brusque regards. It appears he believes he can do more good on his own than with hundreds of Paladins and thousands of Sub-Paladins.” She sighed, shaking her head. “Rax and Jex from Hamelin Vale also declined. They’re too worried about their Bastion being attacked in their absence. There are several other groups like theirs who did the same.”
“Why isn’t everyone worried?” Alice asked.
“It’s very difficult to overcome the defenses of a Daylight Bastion,” Marcus said. “The Library of Solitude is a perfect example. It took long centuries of careful planning, of luring out each of the Princesses, and eventually Lady Kodoka as well, before they could even think of infesting the place. And even then, it took a long time and slow, gradual, deceptive methods to circumvent the Light Catcher and take hold of the Library.”
“And all of that effort and time was expended because the Library of Solitude is the Prime Bastion,” Maribelle said. “It’s the most valuable, and thus most likely to be targeted. No other Bastion is at the risk it was, aside from Lost Bastions, since those are such easy prey… as you’ve well seen.” Delilah and Alice nodded in response to that.
“With the Endless Night in motion, it’s unlikely Bastions will be directly attacked now,” Marcus said. “The sobering fact is, the Lord of Night doesn’t need to. Darkness is spreading, despite the presence of the Bastions. This is something that requires action from us. He’s forced our hand, forced us out of the defensive positions we’ve held since time immemorial.”
“So we can keep working right up until the start of the Council,” Delilah said. “But…” She sighed. “We’re still running out of time. And we’ll be arriving right at the start. We won’t have time to collect ourselves, to prepare for the different people and potential counter-arguments.”
“Not that we have much to prepare,” Alice said, groaning as she slumped her head and arms onto the table. “We’ve barely learned anything.” Then Alice looked up, eyebrows raised. “Hold up a sec. Isn’t it weird that the Sons of Night didn’t kill you guys?” She indicated Maribelle and Isabelle. “That’s a much better way to gain control of your Bastion, right? Why leave you alive?”
“Can we not…” Maribelle started in a soft voice, glancing at Isabelle.
“I wanna know why!” Isabelle said, hopping up from the couch. “It’s weird, right? And knowledge is power.”
“Even when Valgwyn attacked us in the Library of Solitude,” Delilah said, “he wanted to capture Isabelle, not kill her.”
“Now that is strange,” Marcus said, leaning forward, stroking his chin. “What could they need her for?”
“I don’t care what they need her for,” Maribelle said, a fierce gleam in her eyes. “No one’s going to take my sister.”
“Mari!” Isabelle said happily, racing over and hugging Maribelle. That soon turned into Maribelle lifting up Isabelle to sit atop her shoulders.
“Darkness took over the Library of Solitude,” Alice said, “but not Revue Palace. Even though this place is totally trashed. What’s the difference?”
“The difference,” said Revue, materializing behind Alice suddenly enough to even make her jump in her seat, “is in the details. First, my Palace was Lost, rather than infested. The Library of Solitude was Lost because it was infested with darkness and everyone fled. But my Palace was abandoned — and Lost — long before Darkness attempted to invade.”
“And second?” Alice asked.
“Second, I contained the Darkness within myself,” Revue said.
“You weren’t split in two against your will,” Delilah said, staring in surprise. “You did it on purpose… to save the Palace as best you could.”
“That’s right, love,” Revue said, smiling. “Ever the clever one. It was a gamble, and one that paid off in spades.”
“What were you gambling on?” Isabelle asked.
Revue reached out both hands, one going to rest on Alice’s head, the other on Delilah’s. “I was betting on a promise, sweetie,” she said. “And these marvelous sisters came through just when I was beginning to run out of hope.”
“Thanks for the praise and all,” Alice said, ducking out from under Revue’s hand, “but did you find anything useful while you were gone doing who-knows-what? We’re kind of running out of time here, and we don’t have a lot to present to the Council.”
“I did find something, as a matter of fact,” Revue said. She held out her hand, palm up, at Alice’s level, and a dusty “book” materialized in her hand.
It was hard to call it a book at all, since it consisted of only five wooden tablets bound by thin leather cords, but it opened and read similarly to a book. Alice rubbed at it while making a face, muttering, “Couldn’t you have at least dusted it off before bringing it?” But in a flash, Reginald was there, swiftly dusting the book while also deftly keeping the dust clouds from getting on Revue or in Alice’s face.
“I wanna see,” Isabelle said, and she and Maribelle came to the table where Alice spread out the wooden book. Marcus joined them as well, and all together they gazed at the cover “page.” It read, in elaborate lettering: “The Greate Mysterie of the Keey of the Wourlde.”
“Someone needs to learn to spell,” Alice said dryly.
“In the author’s day, this would have been correct spelling,” Revue said.
“Yes,” Marcus murmured, gazing in surprise at the book. “It’s a very old form… I haven’t seen this type in ages.”
“And it’s exactly what we need,” Delilah said. She hurriedly turned the page. Who cared about weird spelling if they could find the truth?
The first two wooden tablets showed images of the same Key Delilah bore around her neck. On the first page, it showed the Key embedded in a pedestal, and below it was written: “The Keey in its Deeps, befoar Deeps becomst Deeps.” On the second page was the Key in a pedestal, here surrounded by mirrors, and below it: “The Keey throow the Glass. Finde its Resting Hall, fain seecret chaembair, its door unaccesst by mundain meens.”
“Okay, pause a sec,” Alice said, glaring at the pages. “I get the first one easily enough, but what the heck’s up with the second page? Do we have a translator?”
“The Key through the Glass,” Delilah said, picking up on things quickly. “Find its Resting Hall, fain secret chamber, its door… I’m guessing ‘inaccessible’ would be our word… by mundane means.”
“Precisely,” Marcus said with a smile.
“Show-off,” Alice said, sticking out her tongue at Delilah. Delilah just laughed.
The next page showed the Key in a pedestal once more, on a beautiful island suspended in magenta clouds. Below it: “The Keey in Dreems, mayhaps the truest forme to be founde. Only Gioracchi hast seen with own eyes, bedevillo he loste the waigh full throow.”
“The Key in Dreams,” Delilah said, heading off Alice’s incoming complaint, “perhaps the truest form to be found. Only Gioracchi has seen with his own eyes… bedevillo…?”
“It’s a very old way of saying ‘before’,” Marcus said.
“That’s dumb,” Alice muttered.
“Only Gioracchi has seen with his own eyes,” Delilah continued, “before he lost the way full through. Which… I don’t really get what losing the way ‘full through’ means.”
“A phrase of the era,” Marcus said. “To lose one’s way full through is to lose the most important way there is. It’s what you say of someone who has given themselves over to the Darkness.”
“Yikes,” Alice said.
“So he saw it, but some time after gave himself up to the Darkness,” Maribelle said.
“But who gives themselves to Darkness willingly?” Isabelle asked. “That’s terrible!”
“Many choose evil, even when they recognize it as evil,” Marcus said gravely, “for evil is seductive and crafty, ensnaring the mind and luring many into its clutches under pretense of attaining what they most desire.”
The opposite page to the one of the Key in Dreams showed three Keys spiraling around each other, and Alice groaned. “So far this is just telling us stuff we already know.”
“We didn’t know about Gioracchi,” Isabelle said.
“Maybe this is the origin of the Verse of the Key,” Marcus said.
Below the image of the three Keys together was written: “Three Keeys, toogether they floorishe. Wen vayn Dark tidings fahl, turne one in time with three.”
“Yeah, yeah, skip the translation,” Alice said, waving a hand. “We already know this stuff. Get to something new, huh?”
“So impatient,” Isabelle said, rolling her eyes.
The next set of pages had an image of the three Keys turning, and the pedestals they were in cracking, with black, shadowy waves pouring out of those cracks. The facing page showed dozens of different Locations, most ones Delilah didn’t recognize, being destroyed in violent, apocalyptic fashion.
“Three for One,” the pages read. “Saeftee above ahl. To turne with nithre caer nor pyuritee, with abundance of greed and self-servitude, will bringe ahl worldes to fahl. Protect, defence, to turne the worlde to light. Starfall or startwain, greate paerils arise. Stay three hands, leste pyure they be.”
“Safety above all,” Delilah said. “To turn with… neither?” She got a nod from Marcus. “To turn with neither care nor purity, with abundance of greed and self-servitude, will bring all worlds to fall. Protect, defense, to turn the world to light. Starfall or startwain, great perils arise. Stay three hands, lest pure they be.” She raised an eyebrow. “Starfall or startwain?”
“Words we’ve lost,” Marcus said. “Starfall — the fall of stars, the end of light. Startwain — stars rent in two, split in half. Apocalyptic terms, to be sure.”
“So it gets all riddle-like in the second half,” Alice said. “But basically it’s a warning, right? Turning the Key of the World with selfish desires will bring ruin to everything.”
“No wonder they’ve been so hidden and protected,” Marcus said.
“You didn’t know about that?” Alice asked.
Marcus shook his head. “I know only a faint little bit, unfortunately. I knew only the Verse of the Key, and just one location of the Key, when I went to steal it.”
“Why’d you steal it, then?” Alice asked, leaning forward excitedly.
“I thought it could save my people,” Marcus said with a sigh. “But its powers are tied to this — the three pedestals, the three locations. To remove one is to render it… not powerless, as we’ve seen, but unable to do what I’d hoped for. But even alone, eve removed from its pedestal, it can be used for great evils.” He looked at Delilah.
“Solla and Lunos,” Delilah said, pulling out the Key and staring at it. “We used it to free them, but… it was also used to seal them the way they were?” Marcus nodded gravely.
“And it’s the Lunar Architects who did it, right?” Alice asked, glaring. “What’s the deal with that? And Grimoire has a yearly festival to honor them.” She scoffed, rolling her eyes.
“Come on, let’s keep going,” Isabelle said, bouncing on Maribelle’s shoulders. “There’s only a couple pages left.”
Alice turned, showing two new pages with illustrations of the three identical Keys floating in space, with three bell towers arranged between them. The pages read: “When vishas rathful Night arrives, the Keys their strength derivates from these: three toures, three Bells, three rings in patterne hode from preying eyes.”
“When vicious wrathful Night arrives,” Delilah said, “the Keys their strength… derives… from these: three towers, three Bells, three rings in pattern… hidden?” She got a nod from Marcus. “Three rings in pattern hidden from preying — prying — eyes.”
“So it’s not enough to just turn them?” Alice asked.
“It seems that their greatest purpose is specifically for the Endless Night,” Maribelle said. “But the power they hold to defeat it requires more than just locating the Keys and turning them. Three Bells… hmm.”
“You recognize something, Mari?” Isabelle asked.
“I think so. These towers… yes. I’ve been to a place with a tower like this. The First Bell Tower. That’s what the Location is called — the entire city built around the tower took up the same name.”
“The first,” Delilah said. “So we’d need to find the other two.”
“But that’s the end?” Alice asked, raising an eyebrow. “Seems incomplete.”
“Maybe there’s more on the back!” Isabelle said.
Alice, turned, and indeed there was: half an illustration, cut off at the edge of the wooden tablet-page, and half an inscription, its lines bleeding over to a page that didn’t exist. The illustration they did have showed a lake, with some houses around it, but just as the lake ended and a larger city seemed to be taking shape, the illustration was cut off. And the inscription was even more difficult to decipher now, for each line ended incomplete. “To finde the wayfaerer’s rooste in forgotten rie… loste travails last Terevalde bestowed, he found… ring once, but if not, ring twice, for hearts to hear the…”
“It is incomplete!” Alice cried, standing up, staring angrily at the last page of the book. She looked up at Revue. “Why didn’t you bring the rest?”
“As if I knew it was incomplete, love,” Revue said with a sigh. “I’m as disappointed as you are. I should have read it first to save us all the sudden shock.”
“But the bindings aren’t damaged,” Delilah said.
“The bindings seem much newer than the wooden pages themselves,” Marcus said. “It’s likely the book has been bound more than once, and pages have been lost along the way.”
“We have to find them!” Alice said, slamming a fist on the table. “We’re running out of time!”
“We’re out of time,” Isabelle said glumly, staring at the clock on the wall. “There’s no way we’ll find the rest before the Council!”
“We’ll have to make do with what we have,” Maribelle said. She reached for the book, but Delilah pulled it away. Maribelle stared questioningly.
“Sorry,” Delilah said. “I just… we should make a copy. Just in case.”
“You really don’t trust Mommy,” Isabelle said, frowning at Delilah.
“I don’t either, Belle-Belle,” Maribelle said, reaching up to hold Isabelle’s hand. “Not in this case.” She nodded to Delilah. “You’re right. Be quick.”
“I can handle it,” Revue said, picking up the book. “And very likely fool our dear Prime Paladin.” Holding the book in one hand, she held up her other hand, palm upward. In a blaze of light, an exact copy of the book appeared in her free hand, and she placed that in Maribelle’s hands. “That should do. While you five go to the Council, I’ll continue searching. Perhaps I can find the other pages — if, indeed, they are held here. Perhaps they’ve been separated for protection.”
“Let’s hope not,” Alice said with a sigh. She shoved her hands in her pockets, starting towards the door. “Come on, let’s go.”
Together they left Revue behind, heading to the room of doors connected to other Bastions and using the one that led to the Library of Solitude. It was still quite a walk from there — the Daybreak Council was being held in the innermost, uppermost chamber of the Library, after all — and they tried to hurry without wearing themselves out or risking arriving looking flustered.
“We have to be as calm and collected as possible,” Delilah said early in their trek to the Library’s center.
That’s the best way to approach this. Stay calm, collected, and in control. Lady Kodoka doesn’t like Alice or me much already — we can’t give her more reasons to think we’re unworthy of being Paladins. If we could be on her good side, even a little bit, that would help our case so much more.
And as they hurried along, Delilah’s mind worked furiously at the best way to present her group’s findings.
We learned so little compared to what I’d hoped. But we have my Key. We have the Verse of the Key, and the book, and the Reflection Theater. We have Marcus’ story, and Revue’s knowledge, and…
It really isn’t much. But it’s enough to make the case that this is how we win against the Lord of Night, how we stop the Endless Night. And if we can get every Paladin and Sub-Paladin on board, we can find the Key and the Bell Towers so quickly.
When they finally reached the Council Chamber, the place was abuzz with activity. Standing at the doors and looking down the tiered walkways to the massive round table in the center, Delilah was staggered by the number of people.
There must be… thousands? I have no idea. I’ve never seen this many people in one place.
Her greatest point of reference was Grimoire Academy, and even then, the entire student body amounted to just shy of seven hundred students, and they only ever had assemblies by grade, so she never saw the entire student body in one place. All of the ninth-graders together amounted to one hundred and sixty-seven students.
There were a lot more than one hundred and sixty-seven people in the Council Chamber. Many, many times more people. Most were seated, either around the central table or at school-like individual desks on higher tiers, though a handful were still standing, walking, chatting, and the like.
“So we’re not totally late,” Alice said with a grin.
“You’re completely late,” came a voice with a tinny, mechanical tone. Delilah looked to her left — and then down — at a…
Doll. A clockwork doll only half as tall as her. He wore a white-and-silver jacket, shirt, pants, and boots, but his brass arms and hands, his segmented fingers, his metal face with glass windows revealing whirring gears, were all unmistakably artificial. And yet there was beauty to his design — he was a work of art, not just a tool or a toy. His arms, hands, fingers, neck, and parts of his face that weren’t eyes or glassy windows had a pearly sheen, and were inlaid with intricately detailed silver tracery. He didn’t have hair, but wore a lopsided white hat, sort of like an artist’s beret.
“It’s a talking puppet!” Alice said, pointing. “Where’s the puppeteer?”
“Dead,” the doll said. “Slain by the Sons of Night. I live on in his place.” The doll bowed, rather elegantly despite his rotund body. “My name is Twelve, and I am the Paladin of Shimmerveil Pike. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You just said we were completely late, though,” Alice said.
“You are,” Twelve said, glass eyes blinking with metallic eyelids. “But so am I, and many others. And even then, it takes a great deal of time to organize a group this size. All must be accounted for, both those present and those absent. Though the roll is almost fully called. And you five have already been accounted for, thanks to Lady Maribelle.”
“Hi, Twelve!” Isabelle said, waving. She tapped Maribelle’s head, and Maribelle lifted her and set her down on the floor. Isabelle did a cute little curtsy. “It’s good to see you again after so long.”
“A pleasure for me as well, Small Lady,” Twelve said, bowing.
“I’m Delilah Greyson, Paladin of Revue Palace,” Delilah said. A small thrill ran through her at that introduction, and she couldn’t hold back a smile.
“And I’m Alice Greyson, Paladin of Revue Palace,” Alice said, grinning, her white eyes shining.
“You may not recognize me, Twelve,” Marcus said, bowing. “I was just a boy when we last met. Marcus, Paladin of the Moon.”
“Ah, you’ve grown so much,” Twelve said, metallic lips curling ever so slightly upward in a smile. “Well done, Marcus. You’ve come a long way.”
Marcus chuckled. “Yes. Yes, I believe I have.”
“This is good timing,” Twelve said. “I’m to be seated next to you, Delilah. Come along. I’ll show you where we’re all seated.”
“I know my seat!” Isabelle said, hurrying off. “I’m behind Mommy!”
“I’ve been placed with you two,” Maribelle said, nodding to Delilah and Alice.
“As has Marcus,” Twelve said. “An interesting grouping, to be sure.”
“Okay, but hold up,” Alice said. “You’re… like… a robot, right?”
“That’s a modestly accurate description, yes,” Twelve said, nodding.
“But, you’re, like…” Alice said, scratching her head. “You’ve got personality and stuff, you know?”
“I’m well aware,” Twelve said. “If you wish for an explanation of my unique circumstance, I’ll be glad to explain after the Council.”
He really does seem glad about it.
Twelve moved with an energetic, bouncy gait, a small mechanical smile on his face.
And all around them as they descended to the table were people. So, so many people. Delilah and Alice were both constantly looking around taking in the wide array of Paladins and Sub-Paladins around them. Men and women, young and old, tall and short, fat and skinny, and so much in between, there were all sorts of amazing and fascinating people here. Because nearly everyone here was Enchanted, people’s eyes were the most fascinating thing to Delilah. They came in every single color, and there was quite a lot of heterochromia, people with two eyes of different colors. Many eyes glowed with magical light, and others had symbols and designs within them in place of pupils.
The clothing was more eccentric than Delilah had expected, as well. That made sense in retrospect, considering how Delilah, Alice, Maribelle, and Isabelle all dressed so differently, but Marcus’ new clothing had put a picture in her head of how Paladins probably should look, so to see very few wearing the seemingly traditional white-and-silver colors of Paladins surprised her. The Council Chamber was white with some silver accents, so having such an array of colors in the clothing of the people filling the space made it feel so much more lively than when it was empty.
“Here we are,” Twelve said, stopping at a spot a little more than halfway up the right side of the table — between two and three o’clock, closer to three, if the table was a giant clock face. He pulled out a chair and hopped up into it, and Delilah, Alice, Maribelle, and Marcus sat where Twelve indicated to them. Delilah was between Twelve and Alice, with Maribelle beside Alice and Marcus beside Twelve. Sitting at this table, Delilah felt a sense of grandiosity… but also distance.
There were hundreds of people seated at this table, in a perfect circle, so the space from one end of the table to the other was incredibly vast, unadorned by decoration. Looking at the person directly across from her, Delilah could barely make out the color of their hair, let alone whether they were male or female, whether they were young or old.
Sitting here with so many Paladins felt exciting and important. But it also felt cold. Impersonal.
How can you have so many people gathered together in one place, all for the same purpose…
…and have it feel so empty?
“The time has come,” Lady Kodoka, seated in a resplendent, high-backed chair at the head of the table, announced. She stood, and the Council Chamber fell suddenly, shockingly, into complete silence. The silence stretched on for several long, tense moments, before Kodoka spoke again. “It is unfortunate that not every Paladin and Sub-Paladin agreed to join this Council. It is even more unfortunate to think on those who have fallen, the brave Warriors of the Light who have given their lives for the sake of the defense of all life. Yet to see so many arrayed before me brings me hope. We can yet stand before the Endless Night. We can yet defeat the Lord of Night. Before we begin, we have a special guest who has a few words for the Paladins and Sub-Paladins.” She motioned to the young woman beside her, who stood as Kodoka sat.
The woman looked about Fae’s age, with a regal bearing. Her golden hair glittered, and her pale blue eyes gleamed with light. She wore an elegant, marvelous dress that looked as if it were woven of spun sapphire, sparkling majestically with each subtle movement.
“Paladins and Sub-Paladins, brave warriors and servants of Light,” the woman said, her voice melodious and elegant, yet carrying with it an innocence, a sense of wonder. “I thank all of you for coming. Many of you know me, but some do not, so I will introduce myself. I am Princess Garnet Ophelia Arianos of the Crystal Family. And I come with the gravest of tidings. The rest of my family have been taken, stolen away by Sal, that horrific man, that cruel wielder of the Darkness. And my… my father, the King, he…” She shook, bowing her head. A hand went daintily to her eyes, then pulled away, and she composed herself. “My father may well be dead. Darkness has brought with it villains commanding power beyond what we have ever seen before. Even Mister Midnight, a Paladin of great strength, was unable to lift a finger against Sal. I do not know what strength may be found here to stand against him, but… please. Save my family. Defeat the Darkness, once and for all. Banish this accursed Endless Night that threatens to devour us all.” She bowed, then sat down. “Thank you.”
There was a faint murmuring around the chamber, but it swiftly faded as Kodoka stood again. “As you can now clearly see,” she said, “the circumstances are most dire. The Crystal Family lies broken. The stars are going out. Darkness seeks to overwhelm and destroy us. But shall we allow this?” Her eyes blazed with righteous fury. “I say no. With our powers combined, all of us together, we can save the universe. We can save all life. I will open the floor to proposals, but first, Princess Maribelle has asked that we allow our newest Paladins to bring forth their own plan for victory.” She had spoken with fire and passion, until that last sentence, where the emotion had simply left her voice. She sat, her eyes turning with cold apathy towards Delilah.
This is… this is happening now, isn’t it? I…
“We know exactly what to do,” Alice said loud and clear, standing up. She grinned, nodding to Delilah, then spoke softer, just for her. “Come on. You’re the best one to tell everyone.”
Delilah’s nerves evaporated at that simple confidence. She stood, placing the copy of the book about the Key of the World on the table before her. “Hello,” she said in a clear voice. “My name is Delilah, and this is Alice. Together, we have been chosen as the newest Paladins of Revue Palace. We thank you for allowing us to join you in this Council.” She bowed, trying her best to ignore the murmuring that arose throughout the chamber. “Thanks to Revue, my group has been able to uncover secrets that have been hidden for far too long. And we’ve come across what will surely be our best hope in banishing the Endless Night and defeating the Darkness.” She held up the book. “Our hope now lies with the Key of the World. And we have the —”
But she didn’t get to deliver the speech she’d been assembling in her mind this whole time. Lady Kodoka slammed her palms on the table as she stood, glaring with indignation at Delilah. All was silent for a long, tense moment, where Delilah struggled not to wither under the power of Kodoka’s gaze.
“Delilah,” Kodoka said in a tense, authoritative voice. “Alice. Sit down. Be silent for the remainder of this Council.”
…What…?
“My Lady, if I may,” Marcus said, standing. “This is no idle fantasy. We have definitive proof that —”
“Marcus,” Kodoka said, turning her glare upon Marcus. “I will not hear of this topic again. Is that clear?”
For a long moment, Marcus stared back at Kodoka, and Delilah watched him, watched his calm demeanor never waver, the resolute gleam in his eye never fade.
And yet…
“As you wish, my Lady,” Marcus said. He sat, composed as ever, betraying nothing of his thoughts or emotions.
Delilah stared at him, blinking in confusion. What had just…
“Delilah,” Kodoka said. “Alice. Sit. Down.”
Delilah suddenly sat, pulling the book off the table and holding it in her lap, feeling her cheeks grow hot. Alice dropped into her chair with a thud, her black eyes gazing narrowly at Kodoka the entire time.
Kodoka began to speak in a less angry voice, opening the floor up to other proposals and discussion. But Delilah barely heard any of it.
It was hard enough for her to fight back tears, to deal with such embarrassment. But to also deal with such confusion…
What…
Why…
Is this… is this it?
I don’t even get to speak?