Page 91 of The War of Four Winters

Guards shifted uncertainly, looking to my father for instruction. This was the moment of true vulnerability. Would Tarathiel accept the Assembly's judgment, or attempt something more desperate?

My father rose slowly from his chair, his expression still a perfect mask of control. The chamber fell silent as he raised his hand, a gesture that commanded attention by ancient right.

"The Assembly's vote has been duly recorded," he stated calmly. "However, there is a matter of greater concern that supersedes normal protocol." He descended from the dais. "Assembly Decree Forty-Seven, established during the Succession Wars, grants the Primarch emergency powers when the realm faces existential threat."

No. He wouldn’t. Hecouldn’t! Surely even he could see that invoking Decree Forty-Seven was political suicide.

The Herald's expression shifted to one of genuine alarm. "Primarch, that decree has not been invoked in over six centuries—"

"I invoke it now," my father declared, his voice hardening to steel. "The human armies invading our western territories constitute an unprecedented threat to elven survival."

He turned to face the full Assembly, command radiating from every line of his body. "Under emergency powers granted by Decree Forty-Seven, I overrule the Assembly's judgment. The execution will proceed as scheduled. Guards, take the prisoner back to his cell. Commander Varyk will carry out the sentence immediately."

Elindir

TheAssemblyeruptedintochaos at Tarathiel's declaration. Representatives rose from their seats, some shouting protests, while others stood in stunned silence. The observers' gallery dissolved into frantic movement, nobles and officials pressing toward exits or clustering in heated discussion.

"This is outrageous!" Klaus Wolfheart's voice cut through the tumult. "The Assembly has spoken! You cannot simply discard the vote because it displeases you!"

Tarathiel didn't even acknowledge him, his attention focused entirely on the guards now moving to surround Ruith. "Take him," he commanded again, his voice hard as iron. "Now."

My heart clenched painfully in my chest at the sight of Ruith standing there, still chained, yet somehow more regal than his father could ever be. Everything in me screamed to go to him, to protect him as he had once protected me. Time seemed to slow as guards closed in around him, their weapons drawn. My heart hammered against my ribs as I recognized the subtle shift in his stance. He was preparing to fight, even in chains, even against hopeless odds.

And I would not allow him to fight alone.

A sharp whistle cut through the chaos. Our signal. It was time.

I vaulted over the gallery railing, landing on the Assembly floor beside Ruith. Katyr and Niro rose to join me.

I moved toward the nearest guard, the one holding the key to Ruith's chains. Our eyes met for a brief moment, and something shifted in his expression. He pressed the key into my palm and whispered, “Long live the king.”

My fingers found the lock on Ruith's chains, turning the key with steady hands despite the chaos erupting around us. The manacles fell away with a satisfying clatter against marble.

"Elindir," Ruith breathed, his voice so low only I could hear it. His eyes held a mixture of joy and disbelief.

"Later," I whispered, pressing a sword into his newly freed hands. "We need to move."

Commander Varyk recovered first, drawing his blade. "Seize them! The human has freed the prisoner!"

Guards moved forward in disciplined formation, weapons drawn. But they hesitated, unsure who to attack first. The freed prisoner, the human consort, or the battle mage and general who now stood with us, blocking their approach.

Niro stepped directly into Varyk's path, his own blade raised. "I've waited a long time for this, Commander."

"As have I, traitor," Varyk snarled.

Silver bells chimed as Varyk circled Niro. The Assembly chamber stood frozen, all eyes on them.

The first clash of their blades broke the silence like thunder. Steel kissed steel with such force that sparks scattered across polished marble. My heart thundered in my chest as the chamber descended into chaos around us.

Across the room, Aryn was suddenly at the doors, two guards falling before they could even draw their weapons. Katyr's hands glowed with blue fire, his taps flaring brightly as he worked to shield us from the mages who had begun casting from the gallery above.

"We must go," Ruith shouted as he took up a defensive position at my side. The guard who’d passed me the key tossed him a sword. "Niro! We cannot linger!"

Niro's response was a guttural battle cry as he pressed Varyk back with a vicious combination of strikes. "Go!" he shouted without taking his eyes from his opponent. "I'll follow when this is finished!"

Katyr's magic faltered momentarily, torn between shielding our escape and rushing to Niro's side. "Let me fight with you!"

"Focus on getting them out!" Niro commanded, never breaking his rhythm as he parried Varyk's counterattack. "I'll find you, Katyr. I promise."

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