Alone in the Dark

Exposed

"Her Regency, Queen Rael, presiding." Rael walked into the small meeting room as the herald finished her announcement.

She watched the men and women around the table stand and bow. She smiled grimly, her expression cold, as it had often been as of late. It was her only defense against the world, even this closed council. She moved to her seat, glancing around the table for a moment, before sitting down.

"I know you are all very busy, so I will get to the point." She sat down, waiting for them to settle themselves before letting out a slow breath. "Right now, we have the luxury of peace and time, but I do not know how long this will last. I will be issuing direction to limit Royal spending and infrastructure development on unnecessary projects. There will be no decrees that leave this room for the present moment but we will begin to work towards being prepared for a possible war, financially."

Her councillor of trade leaned back and frowned. "Do we have an enemy? Any declarations of war? A battle front? What indications do we have that these measures are even needed? We have entered into a period of Peace and Alliance unknown for several centuries, and you want to brace for war?" After a skeptical, knowing pause, the older woman shook her head. "Is it possible that we are jumping at shadows?"

Queen Rael clenched her jaw at the condescension in the woman's tone before shaking her head. "Anticipating your questions, I am introducing Lord Kannein's second in command to this Prive Council, who will act as Commander of the Aupanan forces and security in his absence."

The table went still, expectant, before the clerk returned, opening the door and announcing. "Lady Ocia of Xaranth Provinces,"

The tall woman strode into the room, wearing her formal suit of armour, decorated in the motif of a bull that was her family's and estates sigil. Her armour was a deep red colour, as if coated in blood, the cloak behind her a ruddy brown. Her hair was long, black, and braided down her back and she had brown eyes that looked harder than ice at the moment. Her movements were precise and crisp as she presented herself to the Queen, then bowed before taking the empty seat at the table.

"She has information on the security situation of Aupana, our allies and projected weaknesses within our defences. I do not need to mention that her words stay within this room, until I authorize information to be spread by Royal decree." Rael said, nodding to the woman who glanced around the table for a long moment, almost as if looking for someone to object to her presence. Ocia's expression and posture were a clear challenge to the older nobles who merely inclined their heads before she started talking.

"Aupana has received notification that enemy agents have already been dispersed within our borders and started to begin a campaign of sedition and terror, aimed at weakening our abilities and desires to fight back. The enemy is employing highly aggressive war-time habits of keeping itself concealed while attacking us unexpectedly on multiple fronts, preventing us from forming or maintaining a solid single front in which to properly respond." She said formally, then paused at the reaction it caused. There were looks of surprise and scoffs from the nobles, though it was only the trade minister who felt the need to speak up again.

"You speak in riddles and terms that don't answer any questions, Lady Ocia." Winfried said stubbornly, tapping the table with one long finger. "Where's your proof that this has happened? Who's been attacked? Who is our enemy?"

Rael nodded at her war commander, giving her permission to answer the queries that had been kept quiet until now. She braced for the next words, having known far longer than even Ocia about the revelation that she had taken pains to conceal until this moment.

Ocia cleared her throat and leaned forward, hard eyes on Lady Winfried. "Though we do not have specific information as of yet, Lord Kannein and his guards have been missing for several weeks and currently there is no indication of their condition or location. They are presumed attacked and possibly captured within our borders. Several agents of our enemy have been found in various levels and departments within our nation's government as well as the general population. All are employed to cause damage to Aupana in one way or another. All either kill themselves or are killed shortly after capture. The enemy is taking pains to not be known."