The princesses led Bella and I to a private sitting room within the palace. A room slightly smaller than the council hall waiting room. It had an ornate metal chandelier, and several chairs and red sitting couches for guests. The walls were a vibrant red with white boarders matching the color scheme of the rest of the palace and the area rug with the royal insignia woven into the middle. Various small wooden tables were scattered around the seats. Paintings filled the tops of the walls while extra seats and tables lined the bottom of the wall. In all it was an ornate and high-class room.

The guards insisted on being in the room. Which, given that I was essentially a convicted criminal sitting with the nation’s two princesses and hero, I could understand.

The princesses moved to one of the couches as Laeanna motioned for Bella and me to sit opposite them. I would have been very eager to analyze the overelaborate room were I not distracted with more pressing matters.

“I don’t understand why they would do something like that,” Laeanna sighed. “I mean you didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Well he did let the demon girl trick him into using a forbidden spell,” Alea pointed out.

“But she tricked him,” Bella argued. “She tricked everyone. If anything it’s the palace’s fault for not having better security.”

“I know that,” Alea said. “I’m just pointing it out.”

“Girls,” Laeanna spoke, “There is no use in arguing between ourselves. The judgement has been made.”

“But surely we can try to challenge the ruling,” Bella said. “Ask for an appeal.”

“Bella,” Alea said. “We tried our best. As it is our efforts likely opened the possibility for banishment from Kaland.”

“Tried your best?” Laeanna questioned. “Did you two do something?”

Alea and Bella started to look about the room avoiding eye contact with Laeanna and me. They had done something. Then was it possible the ultimatums the king mentioned had come from Alea and Bella? An ultimatum from the hero of the nation and your own daughter would certainly carry some weight.

“All we really did was mention that we would be bothered were the sentence too …harsh,” Alea finally admitted.

“Somehow I doubt it was that simple,” Laeanna frowned. “But I’m glad you tried. Now then. Elliot, do you know what you want to do regarding your decision?”

Banishment or imprisonment. Those were my choices. I wasn’t really a fan of being kicked out into a world I knew nearly nothing about with nothing but the clothes on my back, but the alternative was incarceration. And I had barely managed the few days I was in the great keep.

“I…I’m not sure,” I said. “It still hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

“Well you don’t have a lot of time,” Alea pointed out. “The council will expect an answer by the sixth toll. If they don’t get one, they will choose for you.”

“I suppose I would like to see more of Praecantio,” I said. “It might be nice to experience your world.”

“But don’t forget,” Bella said, concerned, “there are monsters in this world and demons and…”

“But my alternative is to be in prison,” I said. “Locked in a jail cell.”

“But at least you would be safe,” Alea said. “And I promise we would come to visit you as often as we can.”

Did they want me to be locked up?

“I can understand you choosing banishment,” Laeanna stated, surprising the other too. “To be locked up for an unknown about of time. Cut off from all the wonders of the world. I can understand.”

At least I had one of the three on my side.

“Then, what if I go with him?” Bella said. “I mean I’m not a prisoner, right. I can choose to explore the country side.”

Wait. Was that really an option? I mean Bella was the summoned hero for Acone. Summoned for a very specific purpose. Could she actually just leave? Would the people of Kaland let her?

“I don’t think that would be wise,” Laeanna said quietly. “I imagine the nation might just incarcerate Elliot if they feared losing their hero as well.”

“They might even take…more drastic steps,” Alea added.

Drastic steps? More drastic than locking me up. My <Insight> trait told me she wasn’t talking about anything good.

“Then you think we should just let them kick Elliot out on all by himself?” Bella nearly shouted at the princess.

“I’m not saying it is ideal,” Laeanna calmly said. “Just the best option. And the one Elliot himself chose. I think we should respect that decision.”

“I…I don’t want to lose you,” Bella said, starting to cry. “I don’t want to lose you.”

She flung herself around me. Hugging me and crying. I turned to hold her. Somehow I had become the one doing the consoling.

“It’s alright Bella,” I said, trying to convince the both of us. “It will be alright.”

I wasn’t sure I believed it myself. I mean with the threat of monsters and demons on top of your typical bandits and just bad people, there was a lot being out in Praecantio would entail. A lot to worry about.

“But…but you promised,” she continued. “You said you would stay with me through this fight with the demons. I …I can’t do this without you. I’ll tell them that. I’ll tell them that I can’t…”

“You already tried that,” Alea pointed out. “It won’t work for a second time. There…there is nothing we can do.”

This time Alea started to cry. Not a lot, just enough to let me know that she was really bothered by my situation. Perhaps we really had started to form a friendship.

A knock at the door drew everyone’s attention but Bellas. She was still focused on her hug.

It was the queen. “Hello,” she said walking in with Arba. “Have you made your decision Elliot? Or are you still discussing the council’s decision?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” I said, still holding Bella. “I have decided on banishment from Kaland.”

“I see,” she said, taking a seat. “I can understand that decision.”

“I would like to thank you,” I said. “For your efforts with the council.”

She seemed genuinely bothered. I imagined that she fought for me during the deliberation. Something I was grateful for.

“Oh. You’re welcome,” the queen smiled. “I don’t know how much help I was, but…”

“But you tried,” I said. “and you have my gratitude.”