Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 154: The Plan and a Panic Attack

"There's no choice," Ella countered, glaring at him. "You need to be present as a spokesperson for what's happening within Aerika. And you need to be there, also, for your family's benefit because we're going to be collecting them and ferrying them to Nimika on our way to Chisago."

"What?!" Vrael gasped. "But, you can't! My Ma would never go along with it, especially if I'm not there when you arrive! She'll think something terrible happened to me!"

"Don't you worry," Ella said dismissively. "I'll convince her to come back with us,"  

"No, you don't understand," Vrael panicked. "If you go there without me, she might attack you! My Pa never told her that I was leaving with you guys! She never would have agreed to it!"

"It can't be helped," Ella urged, glaring at him. "This is actually the best and possibly the only opportunity we have to get them out of danger before things turn dangerous."

"Dangerous?!" Gus scoffed, eyes widening. "What do you plan on doing, Ella?!"

"Let me finish explaining," she said, raising a hand; when everyone sat down again and calmed themselves a little more, she let loose a sigh. "Vordt, as we discussed last night, you'll head back to Calcoon and inform Zelphira about what's going on. Sinmir, when you return to Adanac, tell King Grinwald that I would like to meet him in Chisago so we may discuss everything in full detail."

"I will need a very important reason for him to make a trip like that," Sinmir said slowly. "If you haven't forgotten, he's the King of Adanac. He cannot just leave his throne or his castle on a whim. Such a thing is very dangerous."

"There are many, first and foremost is that I doubt King Osric will be satisfied with Nimika's downfall, and could likely set his sights on Adanac if he succeeds in destroying us," Ella told him, then swallowed hard. "Tell him that two of the rulers of Aerika are begging for an international conference and a political backing to confront the King's Tyranny."

Sinmir's eyes glimmered as he thought about it.

Xaphile could see the wheels inside his mind turning.

"With everything that we have seen and experienced," he said softly, closing his eyes, "I believe that we have enough reason for my king to accept the invitation to Chisago. Those words are what I needed to hear for this to become serious, Ella. Thank you for speaking correctly."

"What about us?" Amelia asked, pointing at herself. "What will we be doing?"

"We'll be going back to Nimika," Ella said, giving her a long look. "You, Gus, Adariel, Xaphile and myself are all going to return to the southern provinces, and on the way, we're going to make a stop back at Vrael's home and collect his family. Once we're there, I am going to inform Angelo and the soldiers about what's going on so they're on their guard. And then, I am going to find a space suitable enough in our crumbling ruin of a village to hold a conference."

"Why?" Gus asked, face slackening. "Ella, what did you learn last night?"

"Many things," she said vaguely, then turned and looked around for her shredded, bloodstained white dress; getting up, she walked over to it and dug around the folds, and sure enough the ring she'd picked up the previous night was still tucked inside it. 

She turned around, then, and looked straight at Amelia.

The brunette blinked when she held the ring out to her.

"Do you recognize this?" Ella asked, staring hard at her face. "Because I do."

Amelia peered at it, narrowing her eyes, but then she gasped and jumped upright, shredding around the table and snatching the ring. Sapphire had never looked so large or blue as they did when she raised the jewelry piece to her eyes in trembling hands, mouth opening and closing.