SWNOVELXO Chapter 20: Chapter 20: The Council in Shadow
Chapter 20: The Council in Shadow
Aurelius watched Eloria's sunset from his study, gold and crimson washing the city's rooftops. Beneath the surface calm, he could sense the tension pulled taut—rival noble houses plotting, rumors running like quicksilver through alleys and guildhalls, and loyalists of House Davian watching every shadow for signs of betrayal.
That evening, a covert message arrived—a scrap of parchment pressed into a servant's palm by an anonymous hand:
> "Council of Seven gathers at midnight. Decision on Davian's fate will be sealed. Walls have ears."
Aurelius called Calista and Sir Lucien to his side. The three conferred in hushed tones, weighing the risks and rewards. Exposing the council's plot could secure House Davian's standing, but a misstep might trigger open rebellion or force the King's hand.
"We must observe, but not confront," Aurelius decided. "Let their secrets reveal themselves."
As midnight approached, Aurelius slipped from the estate, cloaked and armed with both Sunshatter and his system's winter-bright perception. Calista shadowed him, warding them against scrying; Sir Lucien led a handful of disguised knights to cover possible escape routes.
They moved through the torchlit city—past shuttered shops, silent guildhouses, and the wary eyes of night sentries—until they reached a forgotten subchamber beneath the palace's oldest annex. There, behind a false wall, voices gathered: the Council of Seven, Eloria's most ruthless conspirators.
Aurelius listened, hidden by shadows and Calista's magic.
- The council argued, some pressing for House Davian's ruination, others urging caution after the public failures of Wesker and his allies.
- False accusations were planned: sorcery, treason, a manufactured famine in the city's poorest quarter, all to be blamed on Aurelius's reforms.
- At last, an envoy from the royal household—the King's own kin—urged the council to break Davian's spirit but avoid bloodshed, lest the people riot.
Aurelius memorized every plot, every name invoked. When the council adjourned, he withdrew with his team unseen, returning to the estate just before daybreak.
At dawn's council, his allies listened as he delivered the night's intelligence. "They will try to turn the people against us with fear—starvation, slander, scapegoats."
Aurelius issued his orders:
- **Preemptive action in the city's poorest quarter:** Shipments of food and medicine were sent before rumors could spread; knights and healers oversaw fair distribution.
- **Transparency campaign:** Davian's reforms would be laid bare in an open forum—every expenditure, every plan, witnessed by magistrates and commoners alike.
- **Subtle leverage:** Calista arranged quiet meetings with wavering houses from the Council of Seven, offering opportunity instead of enmity.
As the sun rose, House Davian's banners unfurled not only over gold, but over bread lines and bustling markets. The whisper campaign stumbled as desperate citizens found aid always arrived first from the Golden Sovereign.
Aurelius stood atop the estate's walls, watching as the city's fragile peace—once a tool of his enemies—now bent toward hope through decisive, visible action. The true currency of power, he realized, was not secrets, but trust earned at dawn after every council in shadow.
**To be continued...**