Chapter 68: Connecting the Dots
As the sun began to set, Marix helped Eilownia into the cart and handed her the bag of her items.
"Hold on tight to those, make sure they don’t get bumped out of the cart. We won’t stop for them."
Eilownia nodded as he tucked the blanket around her tightly.
"Are you comfortable?"
"Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine," She swayed back and forth with a huge smile on her face, "This is luxury to me~"
Marix chuckled, "Right. I’m sure it is. Let me know if that changes at our next stop. If you need anything, tell Prav." He nodded up at Prav who was sitting atop Eilownia’s Andalusian, who then turned back and gave them a wink.
Vos then lifted Tryde and placed him in the cart next to Eilownia on his side.
"Here is some food in case you two get hungry. Keep your strength up, but remember to try and ration it." Vos said, handing them a few pieces of dried meat and a handful of berries before he and Marix departed to mount their horses.
"How are you feeling?" Eilownia asked as she laid down on her side, facing Tryde.
The cart began to move forward, swaying them gently back and forth.
"The pain in my back isn’t so bad when I lay like this. I’d say the worst part of it is the weakness I feel, like I have no strength. I want to be riding and ready to defend. Not laid up here."
Eilownia smiled and reached into her bag of things where she pulled out the Strawbunny plush. "Here. You can hold onto him to help you feel recharged."
He stared at it for a moment then met her gaze, "Can I use it as a pillow instead?"
She let out a quiet giggle and nodded, "Of course~ If that will help you feel better."
As he lifted it to place underneath his head, as sharp pain shot through his wound, causing him to wince.
"Here, let me get it."
She took it from his grasp and placed it under his head, adjusting it until he looked comfortable.
"Is that better?"
"Yeah. A lot better. Thanks Miss Eilownia."
Horse hooves clopped against the forest brush, occasionally snapping a twig here and there as they traveled on. The men were as quiet as they could be, keeping their eyes and ears open for any bandits, wild animals or the worst of their worries: Solan soldiers.
Marix was sure they wouldn’t have returned yet or that they would be out this far, but it was always best to be as cautious as possible.
Eilownia’s cart slid across the terrain, occasionally bumping over rocks or thick twigs. She and Tryde had already created their own hand language to stay quiet, flicking their fingers as they told each other stories while letting out airy laughs.
Squirrels bounced from branch to branch, watching the group suspiciously while birds settled back into their nests for the night.
If not for the underlying danger of their journey, it would’ve been a peaceful, pleasant night ride.
The cool night air was nipping their noses and ears as the moon began to shine brighter in the sky.
As they continued to walk on, Marix found himself falling deeper into his thoughts regarding his conclusion of Eilownia’s past. He was positive he’d figured it out.
Eilownia had to be a member of the Norain royal family, more than likely the granddaughter of the current crown.
After everything they’d been through and now with Arlon’s betrayal of Viraaz, he was one hundred percent sure. It was the only thing that made sense, the only thing that correctly clicked all of the puzzle pieces into place.
Arlon’s conspiracy with Sola and his connection with Lord Evans, how Lord Evans refused to let Eilownia be free, the fact that he’d rather let her life tortuously than die. Why not kill her? He was keeping her hidden anyways, the world didn’t know she existed. What was the point of keeping her alive?
It was because he needed her.
Marix knew that the coins had been important, he could tell the moment he first laid eyes on them that day he confiscated them from Eilownia. Although he never could’ve imagined he’d discovered such a complex web of betrayal, torture and treason.
The fact that the usual Norain coins were without the jade leaf yet Eilownia’s had them...only Eilownia’s had them, was practically a huge red X marks the spot.
Why wouldn’t Lord Evans have melted down the commemorative coins to pull the jade out from them? It was worth much more than the coin’s commercial value. Someone like Lord Evans who loved all things luxury, status, and wealth, certainly wouldn’t keep hoards of some random commemorative coins.
Unless......they had meaning. Some sort of reason to be held onto that far surpassed being just a pretty, sentimental coin. No, absolutely not. Lord Evans was not a man of sentiment.
Besides, if Lord Evans were conspiring with Arlon, why use some random coin to solidify their partnership? What value would that have for Arlon?
Sure, Arlon liked flashy, rare things, but as much as he and Marix butted heads, Marix knew he was much smarter than to be swayed by a mere vanity coin.
"General." Vos whispered as he rode up beside him, snapping Marix out of his thoughts.
"What is it?"
"Miss Eilownia has fallen asleep. Some of the men are growing hungry as well. When do you think we will stop for rest?"
Marix looked high in the sky, checking the stars.
"Once the sun begins to rise, we will set up camp. It’s best for us to travel at night. Less chance of being seen. No one would expect us to be resting during the day time."
Vos nodded, "I’ll report it to the others." Vos allowed his horse to fall back as he quietly whispered the relayed information.
Meanwhile, Marix slowly fell back into his thoughts about Eilownia and the coins.
Like the fact that Lord Evans had a room practically full of precious jewels and jewelry. Certainly, those would’ve been a better option strategically.
They would’ve sold for more, wouldn’t be so suspicious. Hell, Arlon had so much access to precious jewels and jewelry no one would suspect a thing if he were to sell them off or use them as gifts.
Evans has enough money in the world that coming into contact with such items wouldn’t turn a single head.
So why the coins? Neither Lord Evans or Arlon had much use for them, other than melting them down but even if that were their plan it was much more of a hassle than anything else.
The only logical conclusion was that they weren’t commemorative coins at all.
They had to be coins that held power. Special coins that were near impossible to get your hands on if you were a normal person, ones that could open major doors for you, like ones that were from the royal mint.
Yes. Royal mint coins were in rotation specifically for members of the royal family and their servants to alert shop keepers of priority orders. That jade leaf wasn’t just something to look pretty that didn’t make sense on a coin of lesser value, but was a symbol of wealth.
’I have enough money to place something expensive on such a lowly coin just for status.’
That’s what those coins said about the people who used them.
If Arlon and Lord Evans had coins from the royal mint that were sent with Eilownia, and they kept Eilownia in their grasp, that gave them direct access to Norain and their support.
Marix let out a soft chuckle.
Of course, it all made sense now. Why Lord Evans wanted Eilownia to stay at home where he could keep eyes on her. No doubt he truly did see her as a stain, but a stain with more power than he cared to admit.
Locking her up in a shed and torturing her, while likely was a result of his own disdain and hatred for her, was also his best bet and keeping her scared, timid and out of the hands of anyone dangerous.
Arlon fought so hard to keep her out of Viraaz because he and Lord Evans needed her for their plan. Their plan that would be blown up if she was with Marix, and if she recognized the coins in Arlon’s office.
She could’ve exposed the whole thing and ruin their attempt to pull Norain to their side.
But....there was still a few pieces that had yet to be revealed.
At what point did they decide it was best to discard her and why?
Once the sun began to rise, Marix halted his horse, leading everyone to follow suit.
"We’ll stop here. Eat, rest, relieve yourselves. Aleiza, Prav, Vos I want you three to go find drinking water. Dr. Lein, Jinya, Etil, you three start taking care of the wounded. Whimble go find some more berries. The rest of you set up camp and secure a perimeter before resting."
