By Surabi
In the kingdom of Eldoria, nestled among rolling hills and dense forests, the royal castle stood as a testament to centuries of history. As twilight descended, casting a golden hue over the stone walls,
Elara, a dedicated member of the royal guard, hurried through the corridors with a sense of urgency. Her heart raced with the rumours she had heard. General Alistair, the revered leader of the kingdom's military, her mentor, was soon to be relieved of his post as his retirement was drawing nearer. Elara, who aspired to soon become the general of her kingdom and an accomplished knight, who knew she was very well qualified, made her way to the general's office. She knocked on the door. “Come in,” a voice called out. Elara entered the room. She noticed that the office, usually covered in documents, was slightly less cluttered. His favoured almond green wallpaper, shelves of hardwood which were stacked with books and files, velvet curtains, and the few swords that adorned the wall, were still present. Indicating that he was yet to leave. She found him standing by the window, his figure silhouetted against the fading light. "General, I've heard some news," she began. “Is it true that you're stepping down?"
Alistair turned to face her, a mixture of contemplation and pride in his eyes. "Yes, Elara. My time as general is coming to an end.”
“If I were to be so bold to ask, who will be replacing you as the general?”
He laughed knowingly, “Elara, you are one of the most skilled knights in the royal guard, and while I acknowledge that, there is a task I need you to undertake before I decide to promote you."
Elara straightened, her determination evident. "A task?”
He gestured for her to sit, his expression growing serious. "There have been a series of murders in the kingdom, reminiscent of a couple of assassinations, which were once active around twelve years ago. I’m sure you might be familiar with the event? Elara recalled her father once telling her when she was eight, about a serial murder which he had been assigned to investigate, it had been bothering him relentlessly at the time and he had been working on it day and night. She replied, “Yes, I’m familiar. A string of murders, no central location, nothing in common. But, all the victims had two things in common. They were all from high status noble houses, and were involved in a reform project, aiming to fill the gap between the citizens and the nobles. But, because of the continuous and relentless assassinations, the project was cancelled.” General Alistair nodded, “The primary suspects are Duke Valen Phlox and Countess Blackborne Marielle, both strongly and publicly opposed these movements and had the means to orchestrate these murders. We believed that they worked together on these murders for the purposes of mutual benefit. However, we lack concrete evidence to act against them." “And since the king had recently approved for the continuation of this project, I suspect that they are behind these assassinations as well.”
Elara nodded, her resolve firm. The General continued, “I entrust you with this task, and if you succeed, you will be granted the title of General of Eldoria.”
Sometime later, Elara was thinking in the palace library, during her free time. Elara knew that to solve these murders, she needed to start with the royal archives. The archives, a vast repository of the kingdom's history, were meticulously maintained by the diligent Archivist, Celia, whom she had met once during her time as a trainee. She decided that she would visit the archive that evening.
When the time finally came, she made her way to the archives. As she entered, Celia looked up from her work, her eyes twinkling with curiosity.
"Elara, what brings you here? It has been some time since we initially met. Royal guard now I see,” she perused.
“Hello Celia.”Elara said politely. "I need to see the records of the assassinations from twelve years ago and any recent reports on the current murders, if you understand what I am speaking about," she replied suggestively. Celia nodded, leading her to a section filled with yellowing parchments and dusty tomes. "Take your time. I hope you find what you seek."
For hours, Elara pored over the documents. The killings had happened from 31st August 1713 up until 7th September, 1713. And currently, from 28th July, 1725 and were still active. Noting the eerie similarities between the old and new cases, the precision of the killings, the choice of high-profile victims, and the seemingly unrelated locations—all pointed to a calculated plan. As she studied the records, Elara identified a pattern: each victim was involved in specific reforms—education, healthcare, land redistribution. The current victims were continuing these efforts, suggesting that the murderer targeted reformers to halt progress.
Elara's next step was to investigate Duke Valen and Countess Marielle. She needed to know their exact motives. She decided to begin with Duke Valen. She approached his estate, a grand mansion surrounded by lush gardens and guarded gates. Through careful questioning of the servants and the duke himself, she found out that he had an alibi, not only for the previous murders, but also for the recent ones. He had always been busy with meetings with other officials, which she verified with those included in the meetings.
Next, Elara attended one of Countess Marielle's lavish balls, blending in with the other guests. As she observed Marielle, she noted the countess's skill in manipulating those around her. Marielle moved through the crowd effortlessly, her influence apparent in every interaction. Elara's suspicions grew when she overheard Marielle discussing "necessary steps" to preserve the old ways, hinting at more drastic measures if the reforms continued. Elara, wanting to think over the situation, headed to a secluded area. Despite her growing suspicion, Elara noticed something, although the two suspects had opposed the reform projects in a rather outright manner, It had not made any sense for them to have been so public about it. She surmised that they had strong motives – money, want for tradition and power. However, both suspects had alibis, not only from twelve years ago, but also in the present. Which got her thinking, was there a third party? Or was it not them at all.
After further investigation, she learned that both the Countess and the Duke had one thing in common. They frequently travelled together in the same chariot, on frequent occasions. Perhaps meeting with someone? Although at first, it did not seem like much of a discovery, an idea sparked in her mind. These carriages must have been driven by a person of course, a potential witness, or even a suspect. The next day, she arranged a meeting with the countess. “Countess Marielle, if I must boldly say so, it has come to my notice that you and Duke Valen, often go on little trips? The Countesses gaze, faltered for a second before returning to her usual poker face. “Yes. We do.” Elara, knew what question to ask next, “And would you provide me with your drivers name? The Countess nodded, “Of course. His name is Edric Everlye.” Elara, satisfied with this information, already knew what to do. “That’ll be all. Thank you for your time Countess.”
Elara, headed to the archives, and looked at a list of all civil records and registrations. She scanned the list for an Edric Everlye. At last, around the end, one Edric Everlye, age: 27, residence: Corleon district, occupation: charioteer, Marital status: Unmarried, Parentage: unknown. Elara made arrangements to go to the Corleon district. She asked the locals and neighbours if they remembered where Edric Everlye was on 28th July, 1725 and and the following days, up until 10th August, 1725. Most people stated that he would come go out for work during both the day and the evening and return home before supper. But, recently, he had been coming home later, usually past midnight. Saying he had travelled farther outside the district for the past 1 and a half weeks. Elara found this suspicious, because according to Edric’s financial records, he had made a decent income and had no reason to have been excessively working. This increased the chances of him being the killer. But she had no proof. She needed to bait him. Elara devised a plan to draw him out. She spread word through the kingdom that a major reform bill was about to be passed, knowing this would provoke a response from Valen and Marielle. She also leaked false information about a secret meeting of reformers, hoping to bait the killer into striking again. She knew when this happened.
On the night of the supposed meeting, Elara and a select group of loyal guards positioned themselves around the secluded mansion where the meeting was to take place. The air was thick with tension as they waited in silence. Hours passed, and just as Elara began to doubt her plan, a shadowy figure appeared, moving swiftly and silently toward the mansion. She signalled her guards to remain hidden, watching as the figure slipped inside. With a nod, Elara led her team in a silent approach, surrounding the mansion. They burst through the doors, catching the intruder by surprise. To Elara’s shock, it was not the duke or the countess but a masked assassin, clearly a skilled killer.
The assassin fought fiercely, but Elara's guards overpowered him, capturing him alive. They unmasked the assailant, revealing a face Elara recognized from the archives, Edric Everlye.
With the assassin in custody, Elara interrogated him, almost certain that the other two suspects were involved, then, Edric cracked. He confessed everything. He revealed that Valen had hired him to eliminate the reformers, using Marielle's influence to cover their tracks and manipulate the investigation.
Elara presented her findings to the king, who was deeply troubled by the betrayal of his trusted allies. Duke Valen and Countess Marielle were arrested and brought to trial, where their crimes were laid bare for all to see. The kingdom was shocked by the extent of their conspiracy, but justice was served.
With the conspiracy unraveled and the culprits brought to justice, the kingdom began to heal. The reforms continued, stronger and more resilient than before. And finally, Elara, reaped the fruit of her hard work. She had achieved her goal out of all odds.Finally, obtaining and proving herself worthy of her new role, General of Eldoria. Elara, stood before the royal guard, her heart filled with a sense of purpose and responsibility. She had proven her worth, not just to the general, but to the entire kingdom. As she looked out over the castle grounds, she knew that this was just the beginning of her journey.
The sun rose over Eldoria, casting a new light on the ancient kingdom. And with it, Elara stood ready to protect and serve, a guardian of justice and a beacon of hope for all who sought a better future.
By Surabi
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