Capítulo 65: Changing tides
Three days went by in which Elizabeth heard nothing from the general. That was given though. The matter was simply too big to ignore. Even on the off-chance that it was fake, he needed to confirm it. After laboring through hundreds of reports and maps day and night, he came to a startling conclusion. There was actually a good chance that it was all true! Elizabeth's information was like the key to a door through which various mysteries were being solved. General Illion knew that there was dissension from the Imperial Council against the Imperial Family, but never did he expect the sheer scale of it. To engulf the entire empire in a sea of war, Illion's mind fell upon the mysterious Minister Linshi. Much like the Imperial Princesses, a tremendous burst of killing intent surged out from him. She needed to be killed!
If everything was true, then she was the instigator behind the Second Great Kingdom War. At the very least, she fanned the flames that led to it. To play with both the empire and kingdom as if they were toys, did she think that divine retribution would ignore her? Did she think herself above kings and emperors? Did she think that she was invincible? General Illion snorted. He sent word to Pelangi Fortress and using his authority as the Third-In-Command, he immediately raised the bounty on her head by several times. By now, it actually exceeded the Imperial Princesses and Imperian Qiang. In fact, it even went above the second-place holder, Prime Minister Pon-Wai! As of this moment, Minister Linshi was the second most wanted person in the kingdom, underneath only the emperor himself!
At the same time, he wanted to alert Lord Korogin of the potential danger he was in. Even if nothing happened, it was still good to remain cautious. However, it was useless. Pelangi Fortress was on the opposite side of the kingdom of the Teria Sea, where Lord Korogin would be. Even if they used everything at their disposal, transferring that message across provinces in a short time was impossible! Therefore, Illion could not help but frown and wondered if he was being too hasty.
The implications of the empire knowing their plan was severe. After all, the only ones who knew of it were the heads of the military, the Royal Assembly, and the Royal Family! Lord Korogin, as the Master of Strategy, had stewing beliefs that there was a traitor in their midst. He had suspects in mind but did not share his thoughts to anyone. Not even Sir Winstin, the man who stood by his side every day, knew. Of course, General Illion also had no idea. He might have been the Third-In-Command of the military, but he had no hand in political matters. Additionally, he had no interest in them. If the Imperial Council's influence extended that deep, it would be terrifying!
Elizabeth was also told of the investigation's outcome and was stunned silent. Waves of shock battered her heart and mind. In truth, she had not completely believed the Imperial Princesses. There was always going to be a shred of doubt no matter what. Even if they saved her and her friends, fundamentally speaking, they were on different sides. Each side had their own share of secrets and motives. Each side wanted something different. That much was made apparent when Ming used her in negotiations with Illion. As Xiuying feared, Elizabeth did hold that against them. She could not help but think that everything was orchestrated, a grand plan to use her! This was one of the reasons she hesitated in helping the princesses.
However, with General Illion confirming everything, Elizabeth's heart grew softer. She thought back to what the princesses told her when she visited, that they honestly wanted cooperation and peace between the civilizations! Now, she could sense the earnest and sincere feelings that the princesses put forth. There were no schemes or trickery. It was an honest heart-to-heart desire! They were placing all their hopes on Elizabeth! Furthermore, as their positions had once been swapped, she felt a deeper kinship with them. The fog clouding her mind cleared as her hesitation faded. What replaced it was a fierce resolve and determination!
In the general's quarters, she was sat there. A strong domineering air surged from her as she declared, "I want the Imperial Princesses released and returned to the Xingyuu Empire."
General Illion's expression grew grim and the temperature in the room dropped as he said, "May I ask why, Your Highness?"
As far as he was concerned, they were the greatest trump cards the Alzar Kingdom had gained in the war. Their value was virtually infinite. If word got out that they had captured the princesses, the morale of the soldiers and citizens would soar to unprecedented heights. Everyone would believe the scales of war were tipping in their favor! And in a sense, that thought alone was enough to cause it to happen! Attitude was everything! Similarly, the Xingyuu Empire's momentum would be stifled. In his mind, the entire direction of the war could change! There was no way he could surrender such pieces willingly.
But Elizabeth saw things differently. Once, she was fuelled completely by her hatred for the Xingyuu Empire. They took everything she loved and destroyed it, reducing her future to ash. They trampled on her precious memories and devastated her family. In fact, she had even begged Tengon and Nassandra to enact a massacre on New Havens… All to satiate the dark emotions inside her. Those feelings only grew when she realized Korogin was forcing the throne onto her and when she was kidnapped by the empire. She believed the world and everyone on it conspired to torture her, both physically and mentally!
It was her friends that kept her sanity in check. They were the first connections she had in this new world. Though their time together was short, she felt eternally grateful for them. They placed their lives at risk more than once to help her. Through them, she woke from her stupor and saw that there was something worth living for! Though her feelings toward the Xingyuu Empire remained unchanged, she could see that everyone suffered. Allegiances and alliances did not matter. The Imperial Princesses were not ones to be blamed. Nor did they deserve to bear the sins of the empire. In Elizabeth's mind, they were but innocent girls caught up in a storm, much like herself.
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