THE GENERAL'S DISGRACED HEIR

The question still hung in the air like suspended lightning—what did David intend to do about Salomonis's detention? Before he could respond, Elara's composure finally fractured. The temperature in the laboratory spiked dramatically as flames erupted around her clenched fists, no longer mere flickers but roaring coronas of barely controlled power.

"What we're going to do," she declared, her voice carrying the unmistakable authority of an Archon, "is confront Duke Ephesians directly." Her crimson eyes glowed with internal fire, casting ruby reflections across the shattered glass that still littered portions of the floor. "I will not allow this thinly veiled assault on my county to proceed unchallenged."

The intensity of her pronouncement seemed to physically push against everyone present. Even Draven, whose armored form had witnessed countless battlefields, shifted his weight slightly in recognition of genuine power.

"I am still Archon of Lysora," Elara continued, stalking forward with predatory grace as flames trailed behind her like a living cape. "My authorization to travel was properly filed with the imperial registry, despite what the Duke may claim. Salomonis operates with full administrative authority in my temporary absence. These accusations are transparent pretexts for territorial aggression."

David watched her with careful assessment, respecting the righteous fury that drove her words while measuring the tactical implications. When she paused for breath, he spoke with deliberate calmness that contrasted sharply with her blazing intensity.

"A direct confrontation would play directly into his hands," he countered, his voice level but firm. "If you appear before the Duke now, you provide him exactly what he wants—confirmation of your location and an opportunity to detain you as well."

He paused, measuring his next words carefully. "Have you forgotten why we came to Valemir in the first place? Why we've maintained this secrecy?"

Elara's flame-wreathed hands clenched tighter, but something in David's tone caused her to hesitate.

"Six weeks ago," David continued, his voice dropping to ensure it wouldn't carry beyond their immediate circle, "assassins attacked you in your own palace. Had it not been for sheer luck and that mysterious intervention, we wouldn't be having this conversation."

The reminder landed with visible impact. The flames around Elara's hands flickered momentarily as David's words brought their original mission sharply back into focus. Their journey to Valemir had begun after discovering Count Nicalo—her uncle's body inhabited by a demon—was operating within imperial circles. The implications were both personal for Elara and potentially catastrophic for imperial security.

"We still don't know who sent them," David pressed, seeing the opening in her resolve. "We don't know how many conspirators exist within the imperial nobility. What we do know is that Count Nicalo—or whatever demon now wears his form—moves freely within the Castle of the Sun, with access to the Duke himself, proberbly."

The flames around Elara's hands intensified momentarily before she brought them under tighter control with visible effort. "You suggest I hide while my minister is imprisoned and my sister faces potential invasion?"

David's expression remained calm, but his eyes held the focused calculation of a master strategist. "I'm suggesting we develop a response that doesn't sacrifice our primary advantage—your freedom of movement—or abandon our original mission to expose the demonic infiltration that nearly claimed your life."

He gestured toward the laboratory door, beyond which lay the complexity of imperial politics and military positioning. "Consider the Duke's position. He has Salomonis, yes, but that's merely one piece on the board. What he truly wants is leverage over Lysora County—specifically, control of its resources and strategic location on the golden coast."

As he spoke, a darker thought crystallized in David's mind, causing his jaw to tighten momentarily. Damn it all, he cursed inwardly, recalling the horrific sequence of events depicted in the novel. In that narrative, Elara had fallen to a demon's curse, forcing her younger sister Mariana to inherit the Archon position. Count Nicalo had then manipulated a political marriage with the inexperienced Mariana, allowing a demon to possess her unborn child.

The demonic offspring had eventually murdered its own mother, inherited her position, killed Salomonis to claim Solomon's Codex, and used the Iris of Solomon to open gates between worlds—sacrificing the entire population of Lysora County in the process.

Though merely fiction, the novel's eerie parallels to current events sent a chill through David. With both Elara and Salomonis removed from Lysora, Mariana would be left vulnerable just as depicted in the story, potentially setting in motion that same catastrophic chain of events.

Seraphina nodded her agreement, stepping smoothly into the exchange with practiced diplomatic skill. "David raises a valid point, Lady Archon. If both you and Minister Salomonis are detained, the Duke gains legal grounds to appoint an imperial steward to Lysora—ostensibly temporary, but we all know how such arrangements tend to evolve."

"And if the demon possessing your uncle has indeed made connections within imperial nobility," David added, "your detention would deliver you directly into their hands. We'd lose not just Lysora, but any chance of uncovering the conspiracy."

Elara's expression darkened further at this observation, but something in her posture suggested she was listening beneath her anger.

"Additionally," David continued, warming to his analysis, "we lack critical intelligence about the Duke's true motivations. His actions contradict his established character. Such inconsistency suggests either manipulation or hidden objectives we haven't identified."

"His motivations are irrelevant," Elara countered, flames briefly intensifying again. "His actions threaten my territory and my people. That alone demands response."

"The nature of the response is what's at issue," David pressed. "A direct confrontation while underprepared risks everything with minimal chance of success."

He moved toward a relatively intact section of Yue's laboratory table, gesturing for the others to gather around. With methodical precision, he began arranging broken glass shards into a makeshift map of the imperial capital and its surrounding territories.

"The Duke controls the Castle of the Sun," he explained, positioning a particularly jagged piece at the center of his improvised display. "Its security systems include seventeen distinct magical barriers, each requiring specific countermeasures to bypass. The Sun Brigade maintains three full platoons in constant readiness, with Sir Duk Villanties commanding direct access to the detention levels."

His fingers moved with practiced assurance, demonstrating a detailed knowledge of imperial security that surprised even Seraphina. "Approaching through conventional channels would trigger multi-layered detection systems. Unconventional approaches would activate emergency protocols that would lock down the entire complex."

He placed another glass shard on the makeshift map. "And somewhere within these walls, Count Nicalo moves freely, possibly alerted to your arrival the moment you set foot in the castle. The same Count Nicalo who orchestrated the assassination attempt in Lysora—or at least, the demon wearing his form did."

Yue, who had been watching this exchange with scholarly interest, interjected with unexpected support for David's position. "The Castle's defensive architecture incorporates elements from the Third Era's master builders. I've studied the original blueprints—there are no vulnerabilities that haven't been addressed through subsequent enhancements. Even I would require extensive preparation before attempting infiltration."

Elara's flames had diminished somewhat during this tactical assessment, though her expression remained thunderous. "So you propose we simply abandon Salomonis to his fate?"