Lady Ebrietta looked at Grietje, Marion and Lucas.
"Lady Ebrietta! Surely you will not side with them? It's obviously a vile ploy to get away, pretending to be innocent of their crimes and playing to be perceived as a victim, not the offender!"
"So where's your proof?" "Proof?" "You've accused them of five crimes, yet brought no proof. You have told me of a witness, but where is that witness now? I do not see any old men with you. What I see is an attempted killing of a Tatalian citizen, given I have seen the wound and the arrow plucked from it first-hand." There was a moment of silence, before the knight grimaced and hoisted his axe towards her. The five pegasi behind Lady Ebrietta quickly drew their lances in anticipation of a fight.
"Lady Ebrietta! I have all the authority and the orders to bring the rebels with us back to be judged. If you do wish for battle, then so be it. But I shall offer you one more way out of it. I will let you keep all the rebels - except Cedric, the ringleader. He alone will bear punishment for crimes! And if you will not hand him over, then so be it, we will do it by force! I have fifty men with me, mages, cavalry and all of them professionally trained and well equipped. Be reasonable, Lady Ebrietta!" There was another moment of rather tense silence, before Lady Ebrietta moved her pegasus in front of Cedric's horse, hiding him from the knight's sight completely.
"Is that so?" She pointed with her left hand at the walls.
"I have a dozen mages lined up there, and another dozen waiting for my command. A quartet of ballistae, all loaded and their bolts pointed at your face." With right hand, she pointed at her pegasi.
"A squadron of elite pegasi at my side. Cedric and his friends, whom I assume are no strangers to fighting either. And there's a hundred or so soldiers and swordsmen, my fort's garrison, awaiting battle, lined up behind the gates." She clasped her hands together.
If this was an episode from an anime series, the camera would now pan to the nearly empty courtyard of the fort and just two squires carrying boxes around.
"Me, being requested to be reasonable? No, it is you, Lord Emeric, who should be reasonable! You wish to try fighting to seize Cedric? Fifty men against thrice that number? Do you, whilst pursuing your orders, wish for gruesome death at the hands of Tatalian soldiers, then?" The heavily armored knight glared at Ebrietta, then the pegasi, then at the men and women on the top of the wall.
He mulled his options silently.
A gust of wind blew some dirt across the road.
Tails
After a long moment, which probably felt like eternity to some, Emeric slowly lowered his axe and then placed it at his side.
"I'm not getting those under my command killed just so I can fulfill my duties... very well, then. Keep those 'Tatalian citizens', as you call them, in Tatalia." A certain angry bowman rode forth.
"Emeric! We can't let him escape! They must be killed! Ludger must be avenged!!" The mounted knight turned to his fellow.
"Go on then, Albus, fight them if you will. I just wonder how you will explain it to Ludger when you suddenly show at his side in the afterlife." "I- I- I just, gghghhrrrhhh..." Emeric turned to look at Ebrietta, Cedric, and others, once more.
"We will be returning to our side of the border, then, Lady Ebrietta. I wish you... a pleasant day." "And safe journey back home to you, Lord Emeric." Another moment of silence was soon broken by the armored knight turning his horse around and shouting at his soldiers. They soon began turning around as well and begun a ride home. Lady Ebrietta turned to Cedric.
"Do you need-" "CEDRIC!!" The mounted archer turned his horse and rode forward, pointing his finger at Cedric. The rest of the Angebortians, including Emeric, stopped to look at the commotion.
"I am Albus Maertens! Remember my name, you scoundrel! You better not show up ever again in Angeborten if you value your life!! Else I will find out, and I will hunt you down, and I will empty my quiver in your face, arrow by arrow, you hear me!? ARROW BY ARROW!!" With the threat delivered with as much anger as possible, the bowman rode away, to rejoin Emeric and the throng of cavalry, who resumed their slow ride home.
Soon, entire group was out of sight.
Lady Ebrietta let out a deep sigh of relief.
"Oh, Sisters, thank you for your protection on this fine day..."
"Well, isn't this a very successful search?" Prince Aland spoke dryly, just moments before Alixia showed up.
