novelno Chapter 70: Martial Law
Chapter 70: Martial Law
(A/N: Will be a lot of location and time jumps, but every plot point is connected, don’t worry.)
The carriage lurched back into motion, wheels rattling over cobblestones as they left the conclave grounds behind. Faye sat in silence, her hands folded in her lap, her mind still turning over the encounter.
Duke Valerius Marchel.
She’d seen him before, of course. Everyone had. He was a fixture at imperial events, always perfectly dressed, always perfectly poised, always watching from the edges of every important conversation.
But he’d never approached her directly. Never looked at her the way he had today.
Like she was a piece on a board he was finally ready to move.
The estate gates came into view, and the guards at the entrance snapped to attention as the carriage passed through. The wheels crunched over gravel, past manicured gardens and servants hurrying about their duties.
Faye didn’t wait for the footman to open her door. She stepped out on her own, her boots hitting the stone path with more force than necessary.
"My lady." The head butler appeared at the entrance, his expression carefully neutral. "You have visitors."
Faye stopped mid-stride. "Visitors?"
"Two of them. They arrived an hour ago. They refused to give their names, but they insisted they were expected."
The butler’s tone made it clear he hadn’t believed them. But they’d been admitted anyway, because that was how things worked in a duke’s estate. Power attracted presumptuous people.
"Where are they?"
"In the eastern drawing room, my lady. I took the liberty of having refreshments served, though they haven’t touched them."
Faye smoothed her dress and followed the butler inside.
"Don’t worry, my lady. The entire room’s surrounded, the moment any of them make the wrong move..." The butler stopped. "They’ll be erased. Immediately."
The eastern drawing room was one of the smaller reception spaces, intimate enough for private conversations, formal enough to remind guests exactly whose house they were in.
The walls were paneled in dark wood, the furniture upholstered in deep burgundy velvet, and the fireplace crackled with a fire that was more for ambiance than warmth.
Two figures stood by the window, their backs to the door.
Faye studied them as she entered, cataloging details. The woman on the left had a slim build dressed in riding clothes, her dark hair pulled back in a severe knot, a rapier hanging at her hip. A military type, or perhaps a personal guard.
The woman on the right... Faye’s breath caught.
She was beautiful. Strikingly so, with hair the color of burnished copper and eyes like green glass. Her dress was simple but expensive, cut in the latest imperial fashion, and she wore no jewelry except a single ring on her right hand.
But it wasn’t her beauty that made Faye pause.
It was the way she stood. The easy confidence of someone who had never needed to prove herself because she had never been doubted. The slight tilt of her head as she turned from the window, assessing Faye with the same sharp attention Faye was giving her.
"Lady Amberlyne." The woman’s voice was melodic, with an accent Faye couldn’t quite place. "Thank you for seeing us on such short notice."
"I wasn’t aware I had a choice." Faye moved further into the room, not sitting, keeping the distance between them deliberate. "You refused to give your names to the staff."
"Discretion." The woman smiled, and it didn’t quite reach her eyes. "I’m sure you understand."
"I understand that strangers in a duke’s estate who refuse to identify themselves are usually removed by force."
The woman’s smile widened. "Ah. So the rumors are true. Duke Noctierre’s betrothed has teeth."
She inclined her head, a gesture that managed to be both deferential and mocking.
"My name is Seraphine Vance. And this," she gestured to the woman by the window, "is my companion, Lyra."
No titles. No house affiliation. Just names, offered like they were supposed to mean something.
Faye kept her expression neutral. "Should I know who you are?"
Seraphine laughed, a genuine sound this time. "Probably not. But you will."
She stepped away from the window, crossing the room with a fluid grace that reminded Faye, inexplicably, of Reina. Not in appearance. In something else, something underneath.
"I’m here on behalf of an... organization," Seraphine continued, stopping a few feet from Faye. Close enough to be conversational, far enough to be non-threatening. "We have interests that align with Duke Noctierre’s. And we’ve noticed that certain... parties... are taking an unhealthy interest in you."
Faye’s pulse quickened, but she didn’t let it show.
"Parties?"
"Other nobles. Houses that see you as a weakness in the Duke’s armor. A vulnerability to be exploited." Seraphine’s green eyes held Faye’s, unblinking. "We’d like to offer our assistance in keeping you safe."
"Safe from what?"
"From everything."
*** Ravenhold
The war room fell silent as the last scout’s report was pinned to the map. Edward, still pale but refusing to stay in the medical tent, traced the new markings with a steady finger.
"They’re not just retreating. They’re regrouping." He looked up at me, his expression grim. "The beasts that broke off toward the other borders... they’ve stopped moving entirely. It’s like they’re waiting for something."
"Or someone," Anastasia added from her position by the window. Her crimson eyes were fixed on the distant treeline, where the shadows seemed deeper than they should be. "The A-Class beast that wounded you, Edward. It’s still out there, and whenever there’s an A-Class, a horde usually comes with it."
I stood at the head of the table, my arms crossed, my new longsword resting against the chair beside me. Reina had positioned herself near the door, her tail still, her violet eyes tracking every person who entered or left.
The mood in the room was different from when I’d arrived. Better, but not good. The soldiers had hope again, but hope wasn’t enough with what was currently going on.
"Then let everyone prepare. From this day onward, I declare martial law. Every factory, every household, every noble in the duchy will be compelled to contribute."
I rose to my feet and gave the order. The usual Cassian would never have needed something like this; he could have handled the situation himself without forcing his entire duchy into a state of total war.
But right now, this was the best choice I had.