VII—Maximilian Silvanus of Lucia

After reassuring Lady Branthine, Maximilian strode out of the drawing room. He wanted to find out what was going on. Perhaps he could get something out of General October.

Striding through the halls, he passed several of the empress’ guards and as he went into the inner chambers where things of consequence were surely taking place.

There he found General Adrian October surrounded by mages of the royal court.

“General,” Maximilian said in way of greeting.

Adrian looked up at him. “What is he doing in here?”

“Guards!” one of the mages called, and four guards at the door surrounded Maximilian.

“What is the meaning of this?” he asked.

“That is not your concern,” Adrian said as he came to the front of the table, either to cover what they were looking at, or simply being respectful by telling him face to face. Whichever the case, Max wasn’t certain.

But as Adrian stepped forward, he obscured what was splayed out across the table—a massive diagram of the house of gates with key locations marked. Unfortunately Max was unable to see just what those places of interest were.

He tried to wiggle his way in.

“I am a ranking official of Lucia,” Max said.

What is this secrecy?

“I am entitled to know, am I not?” he added.

Adrian looked at him, his face carrying an air of diplomacy. “In most situations, you might be correct, Lord Max. But our glorious empress has commanded me to keep this matter secret until such a time that you should be told.”

“Myself specifically, or all of the noble court?”

“The noble court in its entirety, I’m afraid. And if she wanted you to know specifically, my friend, then she would have told me as much. I am sorry.”

Max was taken aback.

A matter of this import, now of all times? Was a situation happening somewhere in the House of Gates?

“Very well,” Max said with a nod. “If you should have need of me, you have but to call upon me.”

“I will,” Adrian said. “Now if you’ll excuse me. The matter is of some urgency and I must get back to it.”

Nodding, Max turned and left the room, the guards following him on the way out. As he strode away, he heard the guards being chastised for letting him in to begin with.

Of course, Max thought he could go in. Why should he not? His air of confidence had gotten him that far, but unfortunately that had not been far enough.

As he had left the chamber, he realized that a magical aura was present, and not one from the House of Gates. Those auras had a specific feel to them.

This one was a warding—probably from the mages to prevent eavesdroppers.

Despite the social gathering and the fact that this meeting had been called with the Florencians on a matter of parley, Max and his fellow nobles—as always, were armed to the teeth with blades and other weapons.

There would be no point to take their weapons away. Most of them had magical capabilities of some kind or another, many of which were of the more violent aggressive natures.

Just like Max.

He could fight better with a sword and magic simultaneously, but he did not necessarily need one or the other to be a deadly foe to whomever met him on the field of battle.

Lady Farreli came to mind.

She had gotten away from him.

Again!

And then that letter she had left. It was not the first, but one of few, now. In each of her letters, she addressed him with various pet names that bespoke of familiarity between himself and her.

It was highly inappropriate to address an acquaintance as such, but an enemy?

Max was not certain whether her letters were a battlefield tactic or simply her taunting him out of arrogance.

Either way, he wanted to strangle her.

Will Lucia and Florencia mingle? And if so, will she be there?

Gods…