SWNOVELXO Chapter 346: By Your Side
Lord Varris walked through the halls of his family's home. Stepping in time with him, but slightly behind him were two servants. One was a beautiful young maid with a regal, calm expression. The other was an elderly elf who had served his family for many years. Both were loyal servants to him and remained on the staff after the purge of inferior bloodlines.
They had just finished accompanying him to the family vault for an inspection of their artifacts. One of them was being brought out for the night's event; a beautiful ring with an unknown gemstone set as its centerpiece. This ring had made it into the Varris family collection nearly four centuries ago. Though the story was unclear, it was said by his father that his grandfather won it in a game with a merchant from Haedda.
No attempts made by appraisers had succeeded in determining the maker of the jewelry, nor could they decipher what stone made up the item's centerpiece. The only thing that was known was that it was as hard as a diamond, and was such a pale blue that it almost appeared white from certain angles. There was also some sort of enchantment on it, though again, no one had determined what it was. The power of the enchantment rolled off it, but no one could locate the engravings that gave it such power.
Tonight, the Varris family was holding yet another ball. This one would be the most lavish yet. While some of his critics complained at his alleged excessive spending, Lord Varris believed that acting the part of a noble was important for morale. After all, how else to tell your citizenry that the enemy outside their walls is nothing, if you simply treat it as such?
The music playing from the band began to reach Indarel's ears. A moment later, the dull roar of idle chatter joined it. Both sounds brought a wide smile to his face. At the end of the soirée, he would gift his family's treasure to the most beautiful of the attendants. While he had no intention of ceasing his play with the serving staff, it was high time that he worked on ensuring his lineage continued.
***
Sheza spent the better part of a week convincing Kestis of her plan. He was not a fan of such a maneuver, but the time had come to end the war. Not to mention, their terrifying ally had grown exponentially impatient. After the night she had the private conversation with him, Sheza had realized that her attempts to stalk him had not gone unnoticed.
She occasionally scouted the rooftops at nights, and whenever she ran into him, she would try to avoid his gaze. Yet, it seemed no matter what she did, Wulf's eyes found her. She could tell from his mannerisms that he was being less cautious, and in any of their letters and exchanges he was shorter and more aggressive in his speech.
Impatience was something that could get people killed, however sometimes it felt like that rule did not apply to the mysterious man they called an ally. Something about Wulf made him feel like an insurmountable wall.
Looking around the room, Sheza saw the other leaders of the resistance staring with dark expressions at the city map at the center of the table. Laid across it was an overlay of their current hideouts and supply caches. Many of them had been emptied in the last several days in preparation for the upcoming plan.
Though she had spent this time convincing Kestis and the other leaders to follow through with 'her' plan, she kept two major aspects a secret. The first was that she was simply following the orders of Wulf. The second was the man's growing impatience and frustration. Had any single person in this room known what she knew, then the operation would fail before it started.
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"How many of our people are in position?" Kestis asked in a barely hushed whisper. His voice cracked slightly, likely from the pressure of the upcoming battle.
"Currently our messengers are reporting seventy percent of our forces are ready to move. Those that have yet to finish preparations are those closer to the estate. Extra caution is required for them to move into position without being caught."
"Have we accounted for potential losses?"
"Yes, and per Sheza's directive, a few of our decoy units have already been creating distractions in order to move the main squads. So far we have suffered a handful of losses."
Kestis rubbed the back of his neck and let out a deep sigh. He looked directly at the dragon-blooded woman with a knowing glint. "I imagine your plan allows for additional losses?"
Sheza nodded, "Yes, my lord. We should be able to successfully launch our assault with only sixty percent of our numbers. As we stand, we can technically move at any time. Though the more men we have in place, the lower losses we take. I advise we wait a bit longer. Our allies will move the moment we do."
"I see." Kestis closed his eyes for a moment as if he were contemplating something deeply. He quickly opened them and leaned forward with two hands on the table. "Alright, regardless of where we stand, we make our move in two hours. Indarel's party will be well under way within that time. You have your orders."
The others surrounding the table saluted Kestis before taking their leave. Once they filed out of the room, Kestis shook his head. "Sheza."
"My lord."
"Remember it's just Kestis when its us."
"Apologies my lord. I don't deserve it." She responded with a slight whimper at the end of her statement. Her hands moved to cover her mouth in a vain effort to retain the sadness.
"So my suspicions are correct. This was Wulf's idea." Kestis sighed once more before locking eyes with her. Instead of an angry glare, he had a melancholic smile. "What do you expect our losses to be."
"More than we would like, but less than you fear. Don't worry. I will be on the front lines." She answered resolutely. "I will not sacrifice the lives of our people were I not prepared to do the same. When we storm the estate, I will be one of the first to breach the gates."
"You can't!" Kestis shouted. His fist punched through the thick wooden table as if it were wet paper. "I can't risk losing you. Not like this."
Sheza's heart skipped several beats. She wanted nothing more than to rush forward to his side, but she made a personal vow. "I'm sorry my lord. But those who would send others to their deaths must also be willing to put their lives on the line. If I am unable to do that, then I am unworthy to lead."
"What if I don't want you to lead?" Kestis stood and began to approach her. "What if I only want you to remain by my side?"
"If I callously throw our people towards their deaths, then I don't deserve to stand by your side, my lord." The weight of the world felt as though it forced itself upon her shoulders. Yet, despite the overwhelming pressure, Sheza managed to resist it and place her hand over Kestis' heart. With more effort than she had ever put into anything ever before, she pushed him away from her before leaving him alone in the room. The cool evening air felt as though it was biting into her tear streaked cheeks as she walked towards the noble district.