Chapter 10 Accountability

❄ Snow ❄

Snow said her goodbyes. She was stepping down the small set of stairs leaving Windram’s house. She could see Brutus and Gravis standing near the detachment of royal guard that was no different than a small army. Horsemen, mages and bowmen were scattered in their ranks. Brutus spoke to her as she approached.

“Snow are you ready to depart for the castle?” He greeted her with the question, straight to the point. At least his usually harsh voice was a bit gentler.

“Yeah.” She sniffled.

The formation of knights began to march in several lines around them as they escorted Snow, Gravis and Brutus up to the south gate. However, they did not enter. They instead turned left, bringing them along the kingdom wall as they marched practically along the snow filled plains.

“Brutus, why are we not going inside the city? Is it still dangerous?” Gravis asked.

“The incident in the old district is already under control. We have more than half of our knights combing the streets for whatever remains of your assailants. However, I must ask you to forget about what happened today. In fact, pretend it never happened at all.”

Gravis and Snow shared a look of confusion.

“Never happened!? What they did was an act of war, Brutus!” Gravis responded, enraged over the seemingly nonsensical request.

“At the end of the day, all that matters is the outcome. Here, Mountaineer citizens were viciously slaughtered by royal knights and a Mountaineer war criminal at the command of a member of the royal family.”

“What-but they attacked us!” Gravis was outraged.

“I am aware. But the rest of the world will not see it that way. Tell me, what would have happened if they were successful and both of you perished at the hands of the Republic’s citizens? Regalia would have an outcry for war, but we would have the moral high ground. In this case, I am sure the Republic will try to weave the telling of these events to provoke conflict as well, we must be smart, and not speak of this incident openly. Those assailants got what they deserved, and they will be forgotten…There was another incident as well: an assassination attempt on the high queen, shortly before the incident you two suffered.”

“Somebody tried to kill mom?!” Gravis and Snow were equally surprised.

“Some peasant with a grudge. Your mother is fine, the attempt was laughable, but it is clear what happened today was an orchestrated attack upon the royal family. So, we must take extra precautions right now to control the narrative of today’s events: there was a drastic fire in the old district and a group of Mountaineer citizens met a tragic end. You two were at the Serenity Estate, giving your offering to goddess Reggalia.”

Snow found all this hard to believe, she agreed with Gravis; this was ridiculous.

“So is every assassination attempt on our family allowed for the sake of politics?” Snow questioned Brutus. “We almost died. If mom doesn’t respond to that, doesn’t she look weak? Doing nothing is stupid in my opinion.”

“Yeah! They tried to kill me; they shot a fireball at Snow. You expect us to just let that go, Brutus?” Gravis tailed her comment with agreement.

Brutus understood their anger but became frustrated at lack of understanding.

“No, I’m not asking you to forgive, I’m asking you to stay silent on the matter!”

“No, there’s no way I’ll just allow-” Gravis was cut off as the sounds of ice crackling came from her back. She tensed, squeezing her fists as tremors of pain racked her body. Snow had thought the injury was under control, but it looked like it wasn’t. She knew that if she looked, she would see little razor-sharp tips of ice protruding from her clothes across her back.

“Gravis…you’re not okay, are you?”

“I’m fine damnit,” She grunted. “Forget it, I don’t want to hear or talk any more about this right now.”

“Lamille will look at those injuries and tend to them further upon your arrival.”

After about an hour more of marching they arrived at the west gate entrance in the new district, then shortly after that, they entered the castle. Gravis had been hastily taken away by Lamille for examination.

Snow was back in her room, laying down on her bed. All she could think about was everything that happened today: the sounds of fire, the screaming of the mob, her stepping over dead bodies, the atrocious smell of it all. What worried her the most was the image of Gravis on the ground with a bleeding gash on her back. And the fact that Brutus wanted them to act like it never happened. Was this supposed to be normal? Is this the life that was destined for her? Was it hatred, jealousy, or just pure malice? What was the reasoning behind the violence she witnessed today, all to kill them? They didn’t deserve to be attacked. Not even a few days ago, her mom was practically declaring world peace; nothing about today represented that.

Snow’s thoughts were interrupted as the door to her room was flung open.

It was Lamille.

“Snow!” Lamille raced up to the bed and hugged her, squeezing relentlessly.

“Lamille?!”

“I’m so glad you are okay! When I heard that you guys were under attack, I was so worried! I wanted to run down there and get you myself!”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. How is Gravis, you looked at her injury right?”

“Gravis is just fine, your sister is a strong girl; she also told me everything. Gods you must have been so scared by yourself! Those damned knights! I’ll make sure to tell your mom that every single one of them needs to be discharged for leaving you in that mess.“

“It’s fine, Lamille, they didn’t really have a choice.”

“Still…that must have been terrifying to experience.”

Lamille pulled away fixing the strands of Snow’s hair. Snow was looking down in shame.

“Gravis was going to kill herself for me, if it wasn’t for Randal’s dad, I don’t know what would have happened.”

“Your mother will find who is responsible and make sure they pay. Don’t you worry.” Lamille said as if it was a matter of fact.

Snow still remained troubled, but at least Lamille’s presence made her feel better.

“I heard there was an assassin here, that he attacked Mom. Where is she?”

“She is with Gravis right now. I heard the attempt on your mom was immediately stopped by a lotus agent .”

Shortly after, Snow was summoned to the throne room. Gravis was already present, and Snow took her own seat beside her sister, at the bottom of the icy dais. Sir Omeric, along with the other surviving royal knights from their guard, were also present, kneeling before the throne. Snow fidgeted in the pointed royal chair, as she looked from the knights to her mother and back, wondering what was going on.

“Sir Omeric, please step forward.” Their mother called him up.

Sir Omeric rose and took a step forward; the knight captain who was responsible for their protection in the old district.

“Take off your helmet.”

He removed it revealing his stubble beard and dark red complexion.

“I am aware of the assassination and abduction attempt on my daughters today. You were responsible for their care.”

“Yes, my Queen.”

“I have been told what unfolded, and it brings me great relief knowing my daughters are back home and safe…

He nodded.

“…No thanks to you.”

Sir Omeric’s eyes froze at the sudden change in tone.

“Why is it that my daughters do a better job caring for themselves than in the care of knights. Not just any knights, but the Royal Knights of our family?”

Sir Omeric nearly shuddered as he tried to regain his composure.

“It was-a difficult situation and I believe we did the best we could do, your majesty.”

“…That was the best you could do? Leaving my one daughter behind in a burning building, surrounded by enemies, with nothing but civilians for allies? Allowing my other child to be struck down the back-that was the ‘best you could do’?!”

“I suppose not…your majesty.”

“Walking right into a trap that Snow warned you of, simply out of what? Cowardice? I have never seen such disgrace!”

“I apologize, your majesty.”

“I have fought in the bloodiest battles you can imagine. I have seen men take wounds that would chill your blood and still fight on past the point where others would have fallen! Men who have walked through horrors that dwarf the common ugliness of war and retired to enjoy the rest of their days in peace. Do I need to call all those men back to service to do your job? A mob of civilians corralling you into traps?! Are you a knight or a squire?! I can’t tell! I don’t know if it’s a lack of respect, a lack of capability, common ignorance or all three! But as of right now, you are no Royal knight, you are no captain. That mockery of a display of command, decision making, and respect was pitiful, abhorrent, and laughable. I would laugh, if my daughters’ lives weren’t put at such risk being in your care. How dare you parade yourself in here like you’ve done a grand job. You would have perished less Windram didn’t appear, dragging my daughters into death along with you.”

There was a very strong silence, her words dropping like an executioner’s axe. Her mother was waiting for his response.

“With all due respect your majesty, I made my judgment as quick as they may have been, in situations that were impossible to predict. There was an opening in battle, and it was either save one or lose them both. I do not regret my actions.”

“Am I to understand that you were looking out for my eldest’s best interest, by leaving her younger sister to die? Am I supposed to give applause to that? From here, all I see is a knight who sympathizes with the mob that attacked him, because he himself hails from the Republic.”

Everyone in the room was looking at Sir Omeric now.

“Never... I have always served loyally, your majesty. I cut down my own kinsman today in your family’s name. I beg for you to see that.”

“All I see is a failure. This has been the last day of your service. You are lucky Gravis decided to spare your life after you almost cost the lives of her and her sister. Be gone from my sight and never darken these halls again.”

His hands trembled as he removed his sword, the symbol of his service, from his belt and laid it on the floor in front of him. As he stood, he took one last look at Snow, before shaking his head and turning about one last time, walking out of the royal castle forever. The queen snorted in contempt as he exited the throne room, and then turned her focus on the rest of the knights that had survived.

“As for the rest of you, prepare for some real training; from this day forward, no knight will be allowed to serve if they are to hold themselves to the same standard as that waste of breath who just walked out. As of now, you are all merely living in the shadow of men who were here before you. Earn the right to protect the peace your predecessors fought and died for.”

Snow remained silent throughout the court session. While she felt that maybe her mother was a little harsh, it wasn’t her place to say anything. She looked towards Gravis and saw her squeezing the arms of her chair with an iron grasp, the muscles on her neck pulled taught with pain. She was trying to hold it in, but the ice on her back must have been growing again, bringing the pain with it. Snow subtly caught her mother’s attention before looking back at Gravis.

Her mother took notice of the issue.

“That’s all I have for you, now clear the room until called.” She waved her hand and all the knights in the room, including the regular guard, turned and marched out.

Once the doors shut Gravis let out a howl.

“Can you make it stop mom?! Urgh, this feels like hell!”

Their mother quickly rose from the throne and descended the steps, coming closer to look at Gravis’ back.

“Like I said, that’s what happens when you overuse it. I told you to try and fight it.” She looked at the ice before running her finger down the injury. The ice shrank as she touched it-no, it was more like she was absorbing it into herself.

“Ah... that feels so much better.” Gravis sighed in much needed relief.

“Go rest, it will go away soon. Another thing, I have decided that it is time to start training you girls officially on frostblood combat. Prepare yourselves, because we will start in a few days.”