The inside of the castle is a gorgeous sight, definitely bigger on the inside. Its stone floors are immaculate and shine to a point of reflecting the light from the lamps. A red carpet stretches from the doorway entrance up the stairs in front of me. Pictures of the King's family litter the walls in a very organized fashion. He must have had a skilled castle design expert show his maids how to set pictures and place furniture.
Sakura leads me down a tight hallway. We squeeze by maids and butlers shuffling along on the way to where ever Ezikiel is. Finally, we reach a large room with a beautiful chandelier made from enchantment crystals far past their expiration date.
Cardinal Castle is not the biggest in the world, but it sure has to be the strongest. With being built into the Synapse mountainside, while most of Cardinal City was constructed from the mountainside below. Sakura and I pass through a few more decorated halls with paintings from famous artists from the Arttroshic period I think? Then, large silver door sits at the end of the hall. I walk up it and rub my hand across the extremely smooth texture.
"Sorry, is this door made from New Metal?" I ask, still rubbing the door.
Sakura's shoulders rise and fall rapidly.
"Yes, we commissioned a very talented metalsmith to form us an enchanted New Metal door to protect the Council Hall," Sakura says.
"Man, I know Ezekiel is the most powerful of the four kings. But finding enough New Metal to make a full door has to be a historic achievement."
"Yes, New Metal was the man's life work collecting enough fragments to make something from them. Lord Ezekiel made it worth the man's while. The man will never want another day in his life."
Dropping a lot of eels for rare materials is an everyday practice for any of the four kings. But, unfortunately, there are only three master Steel Smiths in Esterpine, all now amongst the wealthiest Smiths in ancient history.
"Okay, sorry, let's see the King now." Sakura sighs and steps around me.
"Right, too much time wasted." She looks at me, red eyes balanced with mine.
"Emelia, welcome to the Council room. Please be respectful to the Council." She places her hand on the door. I can feel the magical pressure in the air rise as Sakura releases some of her magic. Etchings on the door come to life and shine pink, and with a whoosh of air, the door clicks open.
I'm left with the full majesty of Cardinal Castles Council Hall. The stone floor is covered with a dark red carpet, and the room has no windows but does have enchanted copper light fixtures hanging from the ceilings. Casting a decent amount of light in the room.
A bronze chandelier hangs above a large white round table. Multiple people are seated at it. There are nine seats, but only five are seated. Sakura walks past me and makes her way to the King's side. He's sitting in an oversized chair at the front of the rounded table. His chair is made from a chunk of solid stone. A golden crystal crown adorned with multiple colored gems sits on the table close to him.
Sakura reaches his side and whispers in his ear. The King looks up and smiles at me.
"Emelia, glad you made it. It's good to see our blacksmith made your armor fit nicely. Also, he patched up the few holes it had to." He has a smile that shines from the lights in the room. It seems to want to break off his chiseled chin.
Man, the King is way too pretty.
"Okay, now that you're here, Emelia, let me introduce you to the few here. Then I'll try to tell you what will happen quickly." The King says. Scoping out the room, I see the people in it.
"Thank you my King." Waiting for my cue to sit down, I finally get one.
"Please, behind closed doors, you do not need to treat me as King Ezekiel. I'm just a simple man when in this room. Formalities can be left at the door." His smile is like a cavern of teeth.
Fates, his smile is infectious. He needs to be careful with that, or he'll catch even me off guard.
I take a open seat at the table.
Well, here we go. Let's see what's about to happen.
All the eyes turn back to the King as he clears his throat. My nerves prickle at my skin, making it hard to focus.
I'm sitting at the freaking Council of Nine! The strongest wizards in Esterpine these people are the pinnacle.
We sit for FOURTY minutes or so while Ezekiel drones on for a minute about city boundaries and town maintenance. Then suddenly his attention turns to me.
"Emelia, it's time to let you know what my plans for you are from here on out." He doesn't smile, his lips planted firmly in a line.
"Alright, what do you have for me?" I ask.
A dark-skinned girl with dirty blonde hair in a white lab coat smirks devilishly." So a king tells you your life is in his hands, and that's your response? You're basically saying lay it on me, King. Whatever dire punishment you have, please hit me with it!" Her voice peaks with dramatics at her last sentence.
"I concur; you don't know what our King has planned. So why do you not beg?" Sakura asks me questioningly.
The other three don't say a word; they just look at me for an answer.
"If he wanted me dead, he would have had Sakura do it back in that prison cellar when he walked out."
All of them smile, and some just nod.
Well, I passed whatever test they had for me.
"Emelia, did you mean it back in the cell? Do you want revenge?" The King asks me, his yellow eyes light up with passion.
No...not passion excitement? Is that what his eyes constantly scream at me?
This is a test of my mettle. I'm a stranger sitting at a private trial to plead my case. No, he what he wants is for me to pledge myself to him.
Revenge is all I want. I believe that it"s the only way to get rid of the faces? Will hearing those bastards beg me for mercy drown out the screams?
"Yes, revenge is all I want." He nods. I've given him the answer he wanted.
"Now, I want the five of you to give your opinions." He scans the table and leans back, waiting for their answers.
The first to speak up is a boy with a giant sword, his hair tied up in a ponytail, and his meadow green eyes glimmer as he look up at me. His sword is beautifully crafted. It has a small dragon curled up as the pommel with red rubbies as its eyes. The blade has a faint hum of some kind of magic I don't recognize.
"If she can fight, I'm down for her joining." He says as he goes back to sharpening his sword.
The King nods. "I'll take that as a yes." He points to Alva next.
"Alva, would you care to give your opinion next?" He leans back again in his chair.
Alva sits as straight as a statue.
"I believe Emelia is too young and lacks the proper training." A pause from her.
"Saying that, I will not object if she can prove that she can protect herself and the Council." She looks at me; her vermillion-colored eyes smolder soul.
Man, she is every bit as terrifying as the storybooks and rumors tell. Actually no they don't do her presence justice.
The King nods.
"Very well, if Rene and Levi also agree to it, then that will be all I need to decide for her to join," Ezekiel says.
Okay, I just picked up on a keyword in all this that I didn't notice before. All three speakers have mentioned joining. Join what exactly the army?
I try to speak up, but the black-haired girl blurts out her answer and stumbles over word's like she can't say them fast enough.
"Absolutely, I want her to join. We need a new member on the Council anyway." And that was her whole answer.
Wait, Council? I think Sakura mentioned that to.
The King looks past Rene to a small, lanky boy in a fur cloak, leather armor more sturdier than mine. The armour makes me think he's a ranger. If true his armor protects him from monster attacks. He has a bow strapped to his back and a set of dangling keys on his belt loop.
"What are your thoughts, Prince of Rangers?" The King asks the boy, and he simply nods.
"If you believe her to be an asset to our team, then by all means, count my vote as a yes."
The King nods. "That settles it then." He looks at me and smiles.
"Welcome to the Council, Emelia"
"What? Wait? Nooo? What!" I stutter trying to drag my words back as they seem to have run away.
The smile from the King doesn't dampen.
"You're not an official member until you take the test and vows," Ezekiel says.
"Wait, but aren't there Nine already? I can't join. I'd be the tenth member then." My brain just can't keep up.
All smiles in the room drop. Ezikiel breaks the silence.
"This information does not leave this room, Emelia." Ezikiel looks at me. All semblance of the kind King is gone.
"What is it?" I gulp, my heart starting to pound in my chest.
"Four years ago, one of the Council of Nine died on one of his missions.
My heart drops Ezikiel continues.
"This is hard to say." Ezikiel says he sighs and takes a breath in.
"A year ago three of the Council defected to the Now Phoenix Embers." The King's eyes drop to the table and don't look up.
"Wait, what! Three of the Nine are with the Embers?"
"Yes, but for now, my spy network and a few of the coalition's strongest assassins are pursuing them. Luckily, they don't know top-secret info, but they have enough to hurt us." Ezikiel sighs.
"Do not fret, Emelia, just know we welcome you." He gives me that famous smile.
"Your test starts tomorrow with a mock battle." He says picking up his crown and putting it on.
"Tomorrow why so soon?" I ask.
"Don't worry, Emmy, you'll come with me to my clinic, and I'll make you as good as new for tomorrow's battle."
"Rene, right?" I ask the girl's name, and she smiles sweetly.
"Correct." She answers.
She seems nice.
"Alright, I guess I'm in your care, Rene." I stand up and bow.
A hint of red tints her dark cheeks.
"Whoa, silly, no need to bow to me. Helping those in need is my job." She scratches the back of her head.
*Clap*
The clap adjourns the meeting.
"Before we Go Ezikiel Why me?" Everyone stops and looks at me.
The king looks at me and then Sakura and laughs.
"Bahaha, oh my dear, you are absolutely perfect for the Council. Now that I confirmed you're innocent in the attack, having you join the Council is nothing short of a blessing." I crook my eyebrow at him.
"Me a blessing?" The words of that woman echo in my head.
A mistake she said.
"Very much so, Emelia. You're a Wind Elemental, are you not?" The King asks me.
I just nod. "Yes, how did you know that?" Another smirk.
"Emelia you really don't need to ask that?x He also crooks an eyebrow.
Right he is the king and all.
"Very well." I say.
"If I'm also correct, there's more to you than just your Elemental magic, correct?" Behind his eyes, he is not asking a question but wanting confirmation on something he thinks he knows.
"I don't know. I just use my Wind magic." I avoid his prying eyes and look away.
"I've always just used Wind magic. What kind of question is that?" I ask Ezekiel.
He shakes his head.
"Oh, don't listen to the crooning of an old man."
Rene clears her throat. "Elemental magic is the rarest form to be born with. I can't wait to study your Aura at the Hospital!" Rene says, her voice peaking at a high squeal.
The King clears his throat.
"Before Rene gets into one of her tangents, you all may go. But, Emelia, get plenty of rest for tomorrow. You will be in a one-on-one battle against the Councils strongest." I nod to him.
"Right, a test of strength that makes sense."
That's what Janet would do to new guards in the city and have them face the city's most robust.
The strongest!
"Oh, no." My eyes grow wide.
The King grins.
"Yes, tomorrow you face Alva, so be ready."
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