“What is the matter?” Lucretia called out to her brother. She too was curious, naturally so, about what was written in that letter and how it could shake this man up so much.

Erus did not answer her with words however and instead he passed the letter to her, he allowed her to read it for herself. The meaning was implied well enough: you’ll know once you read it.

Lucretia accepted the parchment without complaint. With only a glance the princess’s face then became full of unease, she took it all in with a troubled expression.

The contents of the letter were a confession, yet one which meant to tie their hands. The letter claimed to be written by Lady Nymph of Venus, and recognisably by her own hand no less.

The Lady confessed to sheltering the accused woman, Beatrix, as well as confirming that she did possess a Beacon too. Her reasons for doing so were detailed as well, she made the claim that Beatrix’ life could not be sustained without the Beacon’s light.

Finally, the letter claimed that only she, Lady Nymph, had been aware of the Beacon’s existence, if there was fault to be found in her actions it was on her own head and nobody else’s.

“Is this true?” Lucretia inquired. She was shocked and a little vexed, what were they to do? Punish a broken woman who was well respected across the land? They could not do this, the people would not likely permit it.

“The letter at least is written by Lady Nymph’s own hand,” Said the Sovereign, “Furthermore, she confirms, or rather, claims, that the Beacon has been destroyed.”

Lucretia was shocked to anger by this news. The fact that Venus’ Lady truly had involved herself in such a high level taboo hit her harder than most others in the room.

The Sovereign too was in no less foul a mood, though his reasons differed from her own. The intent of that letter was clearly to bind their hands, for proof of this one need only to know that there was nothing in its contents about Avance who was, according to Mourn, Beatrix’ lover.

The prince, Erus, was the most pragmatic of the three. He was only annoyed that there wasn’t anything in the letter about Cain or any further conspirators outside Nymph herself, that ailing woman had taken all the blame upon herself.

For all intents and purposes, the only person they could pin this crime on was a tired but sly old woman who was about to die on her own anyway. The prince could even say he was impressed to some extent.

With just one moment of sobriety that woman had managed to completely, nevermind prematurely, block the Sovereign’s schemes. The old man looked angry, he looked like he was ready to burst a vein and the prince could only find that funny in return.

“What is your will, Lord Sovereign?” The princess asked. Unlike her brother she was uneasy, perhaps even afraid.

Should this matter next drift towards the direction she dreaded most then nevermind Lady Nymph even Venus City itself might face The Sovereign of Jupiter’s wrath.

True to her fears the next words spoken were words of condemnation, yet what surprised her was that it was not her grandfather who chose to speak them.

“We need to investigate Venus City for treason,” Said the prince, her own brother, “The Lady of the City herself already confessed to the crime, after all. She claims to have acted with sole knowledge and sole responsibility but who knows if that is the truth?”

Lucretia paled. Her brother’s choice was the right one in the eyes of a person wholeheartedly bound to enforce the law. Both she, and even Julius himself, however had very different stances on the matter of Venus City.

That place was home to an old friend of her’s, she wanted no part in any form of justice that would see that friend harmed, yes, this was her bias, a shameless bias, she wouldn't deny it but nor would she reflect on it either.

The Sovereign meanwhile was more concerned with the political backlash of this otherwise proper action. Suppose he investigated now, how would it benefit him? The Beacon might well be already destroyed and if not it was now well hidden, he rationalised that he would not be able to tie Venus’ people and General Avance to any crimes.

Furthermore the General was wounded if not dead and Lady Nymph was soon to die on her own. Julius felt that it was better to pull back for now and carefully plan out his next move rather than rashly take action of any kind. This indecision played right into Lucretia's hand.

“Can we pull back a bit?” The Princess interjected, she hoped, honestly to seem like a voice of reason despite her ulterior concerns, “If what’s in that letter is the truth then Venus has no knowledge of this matter at all! There’s no grounds to investigate such a high crime as treason.”

Her brother glared towards her, it was clear he disagreed. Between these two siblings it was he who had most of the real power thus Lucretia was desperate to talk sense into him. She could not block him if he chose to take action on his own. However his reply, to her shock, was one neither she nor the Sovereign could refute.

“Whether or not we investigate, “those people” will, are you willing to risk their inquisition?” Lucretia’s expression turned to confusion, and then it paled to white. Even Julius, who had prepared to throw the matter out, was quick to change his mind.

“Those people” considered themselves the supreme authority on any matters related to the gods. They were the ones who made the Beacons illegal, they banned any worship of the gods, and they would investigate this matter even if Jupiter did not.

When that happened they would not hesitate to tear Venus from its foundations if need be. Suppose they found something Jupiter missed or, heaven forbid, if they learned Jupiter never even investigated the city to begin with, no one here needed to imagine what would happen then.

Lucretia met her grandfather’s gaze. For once she implored, for once she dared to hope from him, but it was not to be. He feared “them” more than he did a bit of bad publicity.

“Then we shall investigate Venus,” Said the Sovereign, and so Erus bowed his head. The prince glanced through the corner of his eye towards his sister who was staring at him. Some part of him was sorry but nothing he’d said was wrong.

“Thank you, Lord Sovereign.” He said, his tone heavy and resigned. His sister’s desperate, almost hateful, glare bore down upon him.

Julius only sighed. He slammed down his cane and muttered to himself. He was discontent, a small part of him felt humiliated even.

“What we should be asking is who are these men of Cain?” He said, cutting right to the heart of a different, but still very real, issue. This was a simple strategy in politics, the art of “if you can’t win the argument then change the subject”.

That said, figuring out who the unknown group of people that had appeared and fought with Avance that day was indeed still a crucial thing that they had to do.

Neither Erus nor Lucretia could object to that and because of it their hearts were, to no small extent, filled with bitterness and wrath.

Lucretia hated those men, it was thanks to them things had ended up going so far awry. Erus also hated those men, for daring to act so haughty in his land to be and even threatening his blood sister's life.

“These men of Cain are an enemy that we know nothing about beyond their clear involvement in this matter,” Said the Sovereign whose booming voice resounded through the open hall.

“They must be brought before us, to face justice for their crimes!” He raised his hand and slammed down his cane. “But as to the first question, who are they? And the second, where did they come from? I think that Mourn is the most likely person to hold the answers.”

Those words threw a curveball into the whole conversation. Both siblings, the prince and the princess, turned to face each other in confusion before they faced their Sovereign anew.

“Why him?” The Prince inquired.

“Lord Sovereign, could you explain your reasoning?” Asked the Princess.

Their doubts were justified, afterall it was none other than Mourn himself who had informed them of his father’s lover, Beatrix, and the matter of the Beacon she possessed, in the first place.

Neither Lucretia nor Erus could read the intent of their grandfather in doubting this man, and yet when he saw this in them all the Sovereign did was shake his head in a show of disappointment.

“Both of you should’ve doubted him from the start, since when were Mourn’s intentions clear to us?” The two siblings both became lost in thought.

Their grandfather’s words rang true, they had never once doubted Mourn’s intentions, not even for a moment.

“It was Mourn who informed us of Beatrix and the Beacon’s existence, not an hour passed before he was then spied talking to his father. His father took action almost immediately after that, leaving on the back of his pitch black dragon. This after he was spied entering our city with exactly five men accompanying him? The man himself departed without company, might I add. Perhaps now he seems more suspicious to you two?”

Erus muttered a curse under his breath, these bits of evidence were beyond clear, they practically proved Mourn had set the whole thing up. Naturally though even this argument had a logical hole in it: Mercury City, Mourn’s domain, was only safe from The Sovereign’s machinations while their former lord was here to pressure him, why then would Mourn set up his father's, that very lord's, death?

Erus did not have the answer to this doubtful thought. Meanwhile Lucretia lowered her head to mask her horror and shock. Unlike her brother she did see the answer that could fill that logic hole, and it was that Mourn now had a power backing him that even their grandfather would fear.

Cain’s force, which she had seen could discard twenty Platinum Class soldiers just to kill one man, was certainly so qualified.

The Sovereign felt satisfied at long last. All he had to do now was give his commands and neither of the siblings would dare to object. He turned his gaze first upon the younger of the two.

“Lucretia, I want you to investigate Venus. An army would only appear as harassment at this stage, take only those Platinum Class retainers with you.” The princess trembled. Her heart was full of bitterness.

Why send her, of all people, to carry out this duty? There could be many reasons. Maybe he thought she cared, so she’d hide any evidence she found so that “those people” wouldn’t find it? Or maybe he was just throwing her under the proverbial bus to save himself face?

Whatever the reason she was powerless, she could not but bow and accept her monarch’s command.

Silently then she rose to her feet and turned to face the chamber door. So shocked was she that she even forgot to thank Julius or accept his orders, as was polite and customary.

The Sovereign did not fail to notice the scorn in her eyes, or what her silence meant, but he did not heed it, he did not care, he was only displeased at her lack of even feigned respect.

When she walked out the nine men also accompanied her, only the prince, the Sovereign and the men who served the latter remained within the chamber.

The Prince was silent but that silence did not imply a lack of emotion, only a lack of ability to act on it. They all saw well how hard his hand was clenched against the floor as he bowed.

“Erus, you’ll investigate Mercury, bring an army,” Julius’ order this time was blunt and ruthless, the not-so-subtle implication was that he was conveying to Erus that he knew exactly what he was to do next.

“By your will, Lord Sovereign,” The prince said with a bow. He did not look the least bit happy to have received that command, but receive it he did.

Anyone who knew the reason why Avance saw fit to act as the Sovereign’s deterrent could infer the true meaning of that very Sovereign’s words just now, nevermind himself.

Julius wanted Mercury City to be raised to the ground, the investigation into their connection with Cain was but a simple pretext, an excuse.