After what happened, the mood soured for almost everyone. Anna, though, seemed immune—her smile never faltered as she practically skipped toward the carriage waiting to take her to the Yuwens' home. The Yuwens didn’t own much, really—just Fort Rosedorn and the little town that clung to its shadow like moss. They had an estate in the capital, too, or so I’d heard, along with a handful of fancy shops and brands. I’d never seen their city estate myself, but as I've been told, it was just as grand as any other noble’s, even if it wore its age openly.
But it would still be hours before we even started our departure. Because the noble district was not only at the other end of the capital, but every noble also had the same idea. The line of carriages stretched on and on, a river of lacquered wood and polished brass, each guarded and manned by the houses' respective servants and knights. Usually, their duties would be to protect the nobles' various properties in their stead, but today most of them had been delegated to escorting their “betters” all the way through the muck and filth of the main street. For now, they were all still standing in the stink, waiting for their turn to move.
The closer your carriage was to the Teleportation circles also showed your standing within the nobility's social hierarchy.
House Yuwen's carriages were relatively close right behind the carriages reserved for the ducal houses and guarded by some of the best men they had to offer, and a quick use of mana sense confirmed that. Even the men steering the horses could have given Janus and Joel a decent fight… before Aldmoor, that is, which at the very least firmly puts them in the upper echelon of knights within the kingdom.
But this time, I wouldn’t have the comfort of our own knights at my side. That small reassurance was out of reach today.
In the distance, another carriage broke from the line, gliding past the others as if the rules didn’t apply. Its sides bore the sun and moon, but what caught me were the narrow glass windows, sliced by iron bars that looked more like a cage than anything meant for comfort. Along rode six Solar knights on horseback, and so, in total, eight Solar knights if one counted the drivers. They wore long, flowing red capes and, on their chests, their heraldry: a burning golden sun. Apart from that, all their gear looked a bit different, but it was of high quality since most Solar knights are descendants of or part of noble families. The fancier the armor, the more money their families usually have or the higher their own standing within their Holy Order. However, they looked like they belonged to the latter, as unfortunate as it was for me, not all Solar knights were pampered snobby boys that only joined for the prestige, just most of them.
I knew right away they were here for me. Solar knights didn’t bother with polite greetings or small talk, and with my luck, trouble always seemed to find me first.
While they were still a ways off, I used the string tying Janus and me together to scribble a quick message on his arm, hoping no one else would notice. He’d already spotted the carriage too—I felt his hand tighten around mine. For a heartbeat, I let myself hope they were just lost or here for someone else, but I knew better.
Of course, I was wrong. The carriage rolled to a stop beside ours, and two of the knights slid from their horses, moving toward us with purpose. Janus stepped in front of me, shielding me with his body, his hand already drifting to his sword. There was a dangerous light in his eyes I hadn’t seen before. Before things could spiral out of control, I stepped forward to keep blood from being spilled.
“Lady Ruby Yuwen, greets the esteemed holy order of the Solar knights.”
On the outside, I managed the deepest curtsy of my life, but inside, I was a mess—sweat prickling at my back, heart pounding. I could only hope they’d been told not to make a scene or upset me. The pope’s visions had been unreliable lately, but to these men, demons were monsters—creatures that left nothing but ruin behind. The irony wasn’t lost on me: their fear was the only thing making them hesitate right now. For once, I was grateful for it.
“With whom do I have the honor?”
The knight with the most ornate armor tilted his head, then slowly removed his helmet. Underneath, his hair was cropped short and white as frost, and a burn scar—raw and jagged—ran down one side of his face like a memory that refused to fade. One eye was clouded, the other a pale, icy blue.
“I'm Elio Almenara, Grand Master of the Solar Knights.”
Correction: I wasn’t just sweating buckets—I was drowning in it. My nerves felt like they’d been wrung out and left to dry in the sun.
The fucking Grand Master!? Really!? Why just why!? I had hoped for a captain or maybe even a little squad leader. Did it really have to be the guy with the highest rank within their order, who could only be ordered around by the freaking pope!?
Sigh…
After my little internal meltdown—and maybe holding that curtsy a bit longer than necessary—I finally looked up and met the knights’ eyes.
“It is a true honor to meet someone as esteemed as you.”
My act seemed to be working—the knights exchanged confused glances, clearly expecting more resistance from me. I’d caught them off guard, but I knew better than to let the moment slip away.
“Janus, it shouldn't take long. I have a meeting with the church, but I should be back before the sun goes down.”
“My lady?!” exclaimed Emma, her daughter in her arms, before she was held back by Bella and Olivia.
Even Janus looked lost, not sure what I was up to, but I’d already slipped away and climbed into the Solar Knights’ carriage. I sat there in the hush, waiting for the world to start moving again.
Of course, all this did not go unnoticed by the other nobles, who perhaps got even more curious than when the poor boy had lost his hand. They had noticed me before, but before it was mere curiosity about my unusual looks; now they were already huddling in small groups, all whispering to each other. The rest of the Yuwen Family looked at me with their eyes full of worry, but even they couldn't do anything against the Solar Knights. Janus… looked… terrifying. He didn't get outwardly angry, but beneath the surface, there was a boiling rage that I had never seen before.
But what hurt most was knowing I’d be away from my children for hours—further from them than I’d ever been. The thought settled in my chest, cold and heavy.
I tried to make it seem like this was just a simple meeting, nothing more. But most saw through it—this was the Inquisition, plain and simple. In a way, the church was even above the King, so no one present could say anything against them taking me. I was certain the only thing keeping Janus from tearing the world apart was the message I’d left on his arm.
Trust me.