Contents
Chapter Seven
Overview
Omal Heir Felix arrives in Mahair and brutally injures Fairel, provoking Sylvia’s magic to hurl a dagger into his thigh despite her cuffs. Seizing the moment, Arin declares Sylvia Nizahl’s Champion for the Alcalah, blocking Felix’s retaliation and binding Sylvia to him publicly. Isolated afterward, Sylvia breaks into a relic cabinet to arm herself, steeling for Arin’s approach.
Summary
A jeweled Omalian carriage interrupts Mahair’s festivities. Sylvia hides as Omal Heir Felix arrives and exchanges courtesies with Arin. When a carriage maneuver threatens a chair, Fairel rushes in; Felix, irritated, shoves her before the horses, leaving her grievously injured as the village recoils.
Sylvia’s rage surges and, despite her cuffs, her magic propels her fallen dagger into Felix’s thigh. Arin blocks Sylvia, warns her to stay still, and positions his men against Felix’s guards. To defuse the standoff and protect his interests, Arin announces Sylvia is Nizahl’s chosen Champion for the Alcalah, invoking amnesty.
The declaration shocks Mahair and forces Felix to withdraw. Rory and Sefa tend to Fairel’s exposed fracture amid the uproar. Arin releases Sylvia, but orders place her under guard to avoid further spectacle, and she is escorted to a secluded room at Mahair’s edge.
Alone, Sylvia spirals through fear and strategy, convinced Arin only delayed her capture. Surveying war relics, she resolves to escape, deciding she must be armed. She wraps her elbow, smashes the cabinet glass through mounting pain, and retrieves a short blade when an axe proves out of reach.
Hearing guards depart on Arin’s orders, Sylvia readies herself. She sheds the pretense of harmless village ward, accepts the danger her revealed magic brings, and prepares to confront the approaching Nizahl Heir as the door opens.
Who Appears
- Sylvia (Essiya)Protagonist; her magic breaks through cuffs to strike Felix; later arms herself and prepares to confront Arin.
- ArinNizahl Heir/Commander; blocks Sylvia, averts war by naming her Nizahl’s Champion, and orchestrates control of the scene.
- FelixOmal Heir; arrives ostentatiously, shoves Fairel into horses, is stabbed in the thigh by Sylvia’s magic.
- FairelRaya’s ward; tries to save a chair, is shoved by Felix and grievously injured under the horses.
- RoryPhysician and Sylvia’s mentor; treats Fairel’s severe leg injury amid chaos.
- SefaAids Rory, sedating Fairel and helping stabilize her injury.
- VaunNizahl guard; maintains aim and discipline during Arin’s declaration.
- JeruNizahl guard; conveys Arin’s order to relocate Sylvia to a private room.
- YuliVillager who grabs Fairel’s frock, narrowly preventing her from entering the carriage’s path.