Chapter 934
The scribe meticulously recorded Aurora's words, piecing together the truth as revealed by Zeke and the others. Aurora had proposed returning to Victory Pass to finalize the treaty details, but Llam dismissed the idea as unnecessary. The terms had already been discussed between the two kingdoms, though neither side had agreed to them.
Aurora had seen the terms: Starhaven's demands—a ceasefire and the border's return to its original demarcation, using the mountain base outside Fawnrun City as the boundary.
“I was momentarily tempted,” she confessed. “I thought signing the treaty would give me all the credit. So, I had Marshal Liam pull his forces back six miles, leaving only twelve men. This served two purposes: it aided Barrett's plan to burn the supply depot, and it ensured my safety and that of my soldiers after the agreement was signed.
“I worried he'd leave elite soldiers, putting us at risk. But I never expected that of the twelve men, one was a strategist and three were military doctors. With that, I had no further concerns. The treaty was signed more smoothly than anticipated. Afterward, we took the young general hostage and retreated to the mountain's foot before releasing him.”
She then waited for Barrett and informed him of the treaty. From Victory Pass, Liam sent someone to follow up. It was confusing, but Aurora emerged as the hero.
Wyatt repeatedly questioned her about the treaty with Llam. She and her officers fabricated a story: they'd met the marshal and his twelve men at the mountain's foot; a fight ensued, and Liam was captured. That's how the treaty was signed, they claimed.
Wyatt was skeptical, but Liam had disappeared from the front lines, and the treaty bore his military seal, symbolizing his authority. On Starhaven's side, only Dominic's military seal was needed to make the agreement binding.
The scribe intentionally omitted the Westhaven crown prince, Arthur, replacing him with a "young general." Westhaven's official correspondence didn't explicitly name Arthur; they would wait for the envoys and gauge their position before proceeding.
Patrick, having already learned from Zeke and others about Arthur's torture and the villager massacre, shuddered at Aurora's account.
“How could someone be so cruel?” he asked, horrified. “Civilians were slaughtered, villages razed, the entire Sinclair family—old, young, women, and children—murdered in cold blood. How could you be so vicious?”
Aurora slowly raised her gaze, scoffed, and responded with disdain. “What do you know of battlefield viciousness? Those soldiers hid among the common folk. If I hadn't razed the village, how would they have been captured?
“You privileged people in the capital talk of morality and righteousness. If you'd ever seen a battlefield, you'd know its ruthlessness. If you're not ruthless, you're slaughtered. I had to force them out; otherwise, our entire squad would have been ambushed. Are our lives worthless to you?”
She turned, hiding a flicker of guilt, and added, “The Sinclair family massacre was the work of Westhaven spies. If Carissa wants revenge, she should go after them. Isn't she capable? To blame me for the slaughter—what kind of trick is this?”
His voice icy, Patrick replied, “At this point, you still show no remorse? It's a wonder the queen dowager ever thought so highly of you.”
He ordered Aurora's return, and her confession was immediately sent to Rafael.
With this confession and Barrett's account, there was hope. Dominic had been injured by an arrow and was fighting for his life. This might shift Lisandra's anger away from him, saving his life.
After reading the confession, Rafael instructed Patrick to deliver it to Salvador for review. The prince's task was complete; he would await the Westhaven envoys.