Page 65 of The Truth

She let Thoren fester in his own worry for a moment before removing the envelope from the inner pocket of Tarast’s coat. She held it out.

“What is it?”

“Read it.”

His shaking hand betraying him, Thoren Kalas took the envelope, opened it, and read it to himself. Alvira watched as face went pale. “I was not a part of this. I wasn’t, I swear it on my honour.”

“Does that mean anything when your honour is forfeit?”

The elf’s stare hardened. “My honour is intact.”

“You knew of it?”

His gaze darted to the letter once more, then to Alvira as he nodded slowly. “After the fact. But yes.”

Alvira took the letter back from Thoren’s hands.

“Where did you get that?”

“The wife of the Exucendi who copied the missives between Loik and Queen Valhira. She wasn’t that hard to track down. The Exucendi went missing almost eight moons back. Her wife was very upset to discover she had been taken into Heraya’s embrace. She is willing to stand before a tribunal and name all members of the council and former Archon Thalumas as complicit in the orchestration of the siege of Vastillion for the purpose of extracting gold. Every missive passed her eye because she is the Craftsmage who forged the paper upon which the copies were transcribed.”

“Every member?” Thoren moved forward with his hands out wide. “I played no part in that.”

“Will you stand? Will you name Loik Hass and Thalumas, and the others?”

“I… What… Why are you doing this, Alvira?”

Alvira looked deep into the man’s eyes. She walked towards him, not stopping until his back pressed against the parapet of the balcony, and even then she leaned in so she could smell the grapes on his breath. “Because fourteen of my kin died that day. A young apprentice, Maquil Darashír was ripped in half. His soulkin, Carasín, wrapped his body in hers as he fell, dying with him. Thousands upon thousands lost their lives. Men, women, children. Those on both sides. They died, and you did not lose a night of sleep. None of you did. They were people. People we had sworn to protect. And you let them be burned alive for gold. A wound was created in The Order that day, a wound that has never healed. And those involved will know justice.”

Thoren’s lips started to move, but before a word came out, he almost leapt from his skin as Vyldrar roared defiant thunder in the sky.

Alvira leaned even closer. “I could kill you here, push you from this balcony, and not one of those Highguard would bat an eye. Do you know why? Because they don’t respect you. Swear on your honour that you will name Thalumas and Loik in a tribunal led by the people, and I will let you keep your life. You will step down from the council, and you will return to Kavathíl. And I will never look upon your face again. Swear it.”

Thoren swallowed hard, looking from Alvira to the letter in her hand and to Tarast at the door. He nodded. “I swear it.”

“On your honour.”

“On my honour.”

“Very well. A wise choice, Councillor Kalas.” She slipped the letter back into the envelope and placed both in the inside pocket of Tarast’s coat. “I will call upon you in a matter of days. If I hear a whisper of anything strange, I will find you. Do not test me.”

Alvira turned and made for the door, stopping as she opened it and turning back. “I do hope you enjoyed the games, Councillor Kalas. I’ll see you in a few days.”

Alvira and Tarast strode down the corridor and staircases towards the main entrance.

“Do you believe he was not involved?” Tarast asked, leaning in.

“Not for a second.”

“And we’re going to simply let him walk away after the tribunal?”

Alvira shook her head as they stepped out onto the primary thoroughfare. “He will burn in that tribunal just like Thalumas and any others involved. A new time is coming, Tarast. A time when even the council will answer for their crimes.”

The man smiled at her. “And what of Eltoar?”

“We will tell him once everything is arranged. I don’t want to go to him with anything less than a certainty.”

As they walked through the main gates, the sun was setting on the horizon, the rain still sheeting, and high in the sky, amidst darkening clouds, the moon had begun to shift, the twilight taking on a crimson hue.