Chapter 111
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The chamber was dim, lit only by the blue glow of the sconces embedded in the stone walls. The muffled thud of distant bells and the faint clash of steel outside the keep were a reminder of what waited beyond these walls. Yet Matron Yara had called them here, and one by one, the councilors had come.
Ilya Keldar’s sharp voice cut through the uneasy silence first. “Why summon us now, Matron? In the middle of the tide? Men are dying on the walls, and you think we have the luxury of council meetings?” His silvered beard bristled as he leaned forward.
“This is uncalled for, Yara,” Sister Veris folded her arms. “The third night is always the worst. Every capable leader should be at the wall, not locked in here p>
Even Oren Frostgate, who normally held his tongue said, “You drag us away from the defense to sit in this chamber? What could possibly be worth abandoning our posts p>
Matron Yara let them have their outrage. She sat at the head of the long table, hands folded neatly, her expression unreadable. When the last of their complaints died down, she finally said. “Because I have discovered something that changes everything p>
That silenced them.
Their eyes turned toward her. Yara tilted her head slightly, as if savoring the moment, then let her lips curl into the faintest smile. “Tell me, esteemed councilors… how much would you sacrifice if I told you the root of the tide has already been found p>
The room stilled.
Ilya’s brow furrowed. “What are you implying? The Beast tide was caused by the red moon.” It has been like this for centuries.
Yara’s eyes gleamed. “I am implying that the Consort, Atasha Black, is not a gift to the North. She is its curse p>
Gasps and murmurs broke out around the table.
Sister Veris’s jaw clenched. “You dare? We all know what you’ve been whispering, Yara. Spreading doubts, twisting facts, setting father against daughter. You think no one sees you, but I do. How could you bully someone without a wolf p>
Matron Yara didn’t flinch. Instead, she offered Veris a smile. “You see what you wish, Sister. But the evidence speaks louder than whispers. Beasts don’t come in greater waves without reason. And who appeared in the North just before the tide began to change? It was the woman who had bewitched the Lord p>
Her words spread like smoke, curling into every doubtful heart in the room.
“Bewitched the lord?” Sister Veris’s expression turned ugly. “The Lord is the strongest among us and yet you dare to say that the consort bewitched him p>
Yara only smiled in response,
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Chapter 111
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“There are things that you must… understand Sister,” Matron Yara said. “The witches are getting stronger everyday. They have discovered ways to bewitched people and I believe that the consort is… one of them p>
“One of them?” Oren repeated, his brows knitting tightly. “Matron, do you even hear yourself? She is wolfless. A woman with no beast to her name. How could you accuse her of something like this?” He shook his head, incredulous. “Atasha Black is the only one who has lasted this long in the North. Everyone here knows the fate of the Lord’s previous brides. Yet she has endured weeks under his roof. No one understands how, but to twist that into witchcraft is absurd p>
His gaze swept the table, looking for support before snapping back to Yara. “And tell me this, where is Halden? Why hold a council without him if your claims are so urgent p>
Yara’s smile widened just a fraction, her hands never leaving their calm fold on the table. “Because Halden is compromised. He and his daughter had been bewitched p>
“Bewitched p>
“They have left the gates and you can confirm this with your men. They secretly left and traveled to the northern outpost. He left… in the middle of the tide just to assist the witch p>
The silence that followed was thick. Yara leaned back in her chair.”I called you here because the North needs clarity, not weakness. The tide will not wait for us to make excuses. The girl is dangerous, and if we do not act now, we may not live to regret it p>
Her smile lingered, as if she could already see the cracks forming in their resolve.
Sister Veris broke the silence first. “Why? Why do you think the Consort is the reason for the increase in beasts? The tide has always risen and fallen with the red moon. What proof do you have that ties her to it p>
Matron Yara’s smile sharpened, her eyes narrowing ever so slightly. “Proof?” she repeated softly, as though savoring the word. “We found evidence that the Consort’s family, the Blacks, have long worked with witches from the west. And you all know what the western witches are known for. Poison. Potions. Blood rituals. They have been dangerous for generations p>
A ripple of unease passed through the chamber. Even Ilya, who had scoffed at her earlier, finally had some reaction. Yara smiled inwardly.
Yara continued, “This was the very reason the King sent the Northern Lord to the south. You remember it well. The Blacks were entangled in affairs that could not be ignored. It was not merely politics, it was control. Containment p>
She lifted a hand. As if waiting for her cue, the chamber doors opened and Maningo entered, his arms full of rolled parchment and sealed packets. He bowed low before handing the documents to the waiting councilors.
“See for yourselves,” Yara said smoothly, gesturing for them to open the records. “These are reports and ledgers collected over the past months. The south has been compromised. They trafficked for the witches, sold humans and even werewolves into their hands. And worse, they bought from them. Poison. Powders. Potions. Tools meant only for corruption p>
Gasps spread around the table as parchment rustled, eyes scanning the damning
ink.
“You know me,” Yara said. “I abhor witches. I have devoted my life to ensuring
they never spread unchecked.
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So I did what no one else dared. I investigated. And what I uncovered makes it plain, the Black family has dirtied their hands with witches for years. They profited from it. They survived from it p>
Sister Veris’s lips tightened, though she said nothing this time.
“Now consider Atasha Black. Think carefully. She arrives here, wolfless, fragile, nothing but a liability. And yet somehow, she has not only survived the Northern Lord’s hand but managed to turn his ear. Why? How? The answer is simple. She used what her family always used. A potion or perhaps poison. Some craft learned from their witch dealings. And now the Tyrant Lord listens to her above all else p>
“In short,” Yara added, her smile akin to a blade hidden in silk. “Atasha Black is
not simply his consort. She has become the leader of the North. And every beast clawing at our walls is the price of her deceit p>
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Chapter 112