CHAPTER 65: CONSEQUENCES

Marcus's head was spinning, trying to process everything. The trial, the magical fighting, and Master Thymon's death. The weight of it all crashed down on him as royal guards escorted them toward the palace.

The King was walking beside them, his young face serious. "I need to understand what happened here. The full scope of this conspiracy."

"Your Majesty," Commander Cain said, limping slightly from his wounds. "Lord Varek has been collaborating with Malachar for months, maybe years. The mining operations, the missing caravans, the strategic delays in our defenses. It all fits together now."

The King stopped walking. "You're saying my most trusted advisor has been selling out the kingdom this entire time?"

"Not selling out," Marcus said quietly. "He convinced himself he was saving it."

"How can you defend him?" the King snapped. "After what he just did?"

"I'm not defending him," Marcus replied. "But understanding his thinking might help us figure out who else was involved. Varek didn't do this alone."

Sister Korra stepped forward. "Your Majesty, my sister Alice was manipulated into helping Varek. She believed she was protecting people, including me."

The King looked toward Alice, who was being held by guards nearby. Her face was streaked with tears, and she wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"Bring her here," the King commanded.

The guards pushed Alice forward. She stumbled, then straightened, trying to compose herself.

"Alice Brightshield," the King said formally. "You stand accused of treason against the crown. What do you have to say?"

Alice's voice was barely a whisper. "I thought... I believed Lord Varek was trying to prevent a war. He showed me reports of Malachar's armies, his magical weapons. He said the only way to save lives was to negotiate."

"By giving him everything he wanted?" Tom asked angrily.

"By buying time!" Alice shot back, some fire returning to her voice. "Time to prepare defenses, time to evacuate civilians, time to find another solution!"

"There was no other solution because you were helpin' him get stronger!" Marcus said. "Every shipment of materials made him more dangerous!"

Alice flinched. "I know that now. But then... Varek's logic seemed sound. He had documents, testimonies from border guards, strategic analyses..."

"All fake," Commander Cain said grimly. "We found Varek's private chambers during our investigation. Half those documents were forged, the other half taken out of context."

The King looked stunned. "How long has this been going on?"

"At least since the mining expansion began," Marcus said. "Maybe longer. Varek's been positioning himself as indispensable while feeding information to the enemy."

"And my sister?" Korra asked, her voice tight with emotion. "How did you justify involving her?"

Alice looked at Korra with anguish. "He said you were in danger. That the hardliners in the military wanted to blame the border failures on field commanders. He promised if I helped gather information on the investigation, he'd protect every soul in the city."

"So you spied on us," Marcus said.

"I gathered intelligence," Alice corrected, then her voice broke. "I thought I was protecting everyone I cared about."

"What about my family? Where are they?"

Alice looked confused. "Your family? They should be in their quarters at the Academy..."

"No," Marcus said, his heart racing. "Varek threatened them. He said if I didn't testify, he'd hurt them."

Alice's face went pale. "I... I don't know anything about that. Varek never mentioned..." She turned to the guards holding Varek's unconscious form. "You have to check the holding cells. If he took prisoners..."

The King immediately turned to his guards. "Search every cell, every safe house, every property connected to Lord Varek. Find this boy's family."

Marcus felt sick. What if they were too late? What if Varek had already...

"Marcus." Tom put a hand on his shoulder. "They're gonna be okay. Our family's tough."

Two hours of searching later, they found them. Marcus's family had been held in a warehouse on the outskirts of the city. Not hurt, but scared and confused about what was happening.

When the guards brought them to the palace, Marcus nearly collapsed with relief. His grandfather looked tired but alert, his parents were holding Tim and Tam close, and everyone seemed unharmed.

"Marcus! Tom!" Tim and Tam ran toward him, and he caught them in a hug despite his injured arm.

"Are you boys alright?" he asked, checking them over.

"The bad men said we had to stay quiet," Tam said. "But Grandpa told us stories the whole time."

Marcus looked at his grandfather, who nodded grimly. "They treated us well enough. Scared the little ones more than anything."

"I'm sorry," Marcus said, the guilt crushing down on him. "This is my fault. If I hadn't gotten involved..."

"Stop that talk," his father said firmly. "You did what was right. That's all any of us can do."

The King cleared his throat. "Master Marcus, Commander Cain, all of you. The kingdom owes you a debt. You've exposed a conspiracy that could have destroyed us all."

Marcus shook his head. "We didn't do it alone, Your Majesty. Master Thymon paid the ultimate price. Without his sacrifice..."

"Master Thymon will be remembered as a hero," the King said solemnly. "There will be a funeral befitting his service to the realm."

Marcus nodded, but he could barely focus on the King's words. All he could think about was the old wizard's final message.

"All the worlds, my boy. Remember... all the worlds."

What had he meant by that?

"Your Majesty," Marcus said finally. "What will happen to Alice?"

The King looked at her thoughtfully. "She was manipulated, but she still committed treason. However, her cooperation in finding your family and her genuine remorse..." He paused. "She'll remain imprisoned until we complete our investigation, but I'm inclined toward mercy."

Alice nodded gratefully, tears in her eyes.

"And Varek?" Commander Cain asked.

"Will face the full penalty for treason," the King said coldly. "If he survives his injuries."

With the immediate crisis resolved, the royal guards escorted Marcus and his family out of the palace. The late afternoon sun felt warm on his face, and for the first time in days, he could breathe freely.

Sara was waiting for them in the courtyard, practically bouncing with nervous energy.

"Did the bombs work?" she asked the moment she saw Marcus.

Marcus smiled despite his exhaustion. "They were perfect. You saved all our lives."

"I knew you could do it," Sara beamed, then noticed his bandaged arm. "How bad is it?"

"Small price to pay," Marcus replied. "We stopped a war."

His family surrounded them then. Everyone talking at once, asking questions, sharing relief that they were all safe. For a few minutes, Marcus let himself enjoy the chaos of a normal family reunion.

But something was nagging at him.

"Sara," he said, pulling her aside. "Where's Aldric? Why isn't he here?"

Sara's expression fell. "Marcus... there's something you need to know."