Heir to the Empire

27. The Lion Roars - Erdudvyl

Peace and serenity embraced Erdudvyl in her dreams as for once it did not focus on situations of the present or future. Rabbits and rolling hills littered her subconscious, giving her a state of bliss she had long forgotten.

The bliss was short-lived as her sleep was broken abruptly by the thunderous banging of her bedroom door.

"Cursian wægn ôs" she shouted as her heart felt as if it was splitting in two, angrily surveying the room to identify the horrific disturbance that had taken her away from a state of joy and calm.

The door rattled like an angry snake, with each hit the thundering noise echoed the room endlessly. As Erdudvyl stared at it with a ferocious glare she cursed once more in her elven tongue "Cursian wægn ôs".

She clambered out of bed with a lack of grace unbefitting a woman of her stature and race, and as she glared at a reflection of herself on her dressing table she cursed once more hoping that whoever was behind the door would have a damn good reason to disturb her at this time of night.

The banging continued, not helping Erdudvyl's mood, as she plodded towards the door. If she had the power to rip the door off its hinges, she would have done so.

Unlocking it proved difficult; a combination of tiredness and irritation had made her clumsy. She took a deep breath, remembering that as an Elf, appearances were everything, she must try and not hit the person on the other side repeatedly.

Fortunately, the banging had stopped.

As she eventually managed to pull the door open she looked up to see the tearful, distraught face of Chrys with a cheek that had turned purple and swollen leaving her normally cheerful face, deformed.

Erdudvyl wanted to ask what had happened, but her voice came out empty. A combination of tiredness and confusion had left her literally speechless.

"Loldirr... She's... Oh my God... They...they" Chrys started crying hysterically as she tried to explain what had happened, but while her explanation was none existent, Erdudvyl had picked up this was an extremely catastrophic situation.

Quickly pulling Chrys into her room, Erdudvyl quickly glanced towards the two guards standing outside her chambers. "No one enters," she instructed before slamming the door shut and locking it behind her.

Chrys struggled to breathe in between her floods of tears. No words exited her mouth as she was trying desperately to explain the dire situation that they were in.

Erdudvyl needed answers immediately though.

"Milde," said Erdudvyl in her elven tongue. Her hand glowed white instantly calming Chrys to a state in which she was comprehensible. "Explain what happened."

As Chrys explained to Erdudvyl the events just passed and how Loldirr was to be executed when the sun will be at its highest, Erdudvyl face seemed to pale with each word.

"I don't understand, why would they do this to her?" Chrys sniffled. Her heavily bruised cheek, covered in tears, glistening in the candlelight.

Erdudvyl sighed, determining the best cause of action. Their plan to appease Lionmane had unravelled drastically, and now it was damage limitation. Chrys had shown loyalty up to this point, and soon, whatever will happen, she deserved to know some of the truth.

"Loldirr Fargold does not exist, " explained Erdudvyl, "she is, in fact, Loldirr Aex-Igh, the rightful Empress of Isovine. It is possible, however unlikely, that the Emperor has been made to believe as such. As a result, we are now all in grave danger."

Chrys' face was plastered in shock. Her response was none existence.

Erdudvyl looked towards the door before facing Chrys once more. She needed to move quickly to try and calm the situation down and hopefully gain some traction again in this disastrous diplomatic mission.