Chapter 934
Chapter 934
The scribe meticulously recorded Aurora's words, which once again pieced together the truth as told by Zeke and the others.
Aurora had proposed returning to Victory Pass to finalize the details of the treaty, but Liam had dismissed the idea and said it wasn't necessary. The terms had already previously been discussed between the two kingdoms, though neither side had agreed on them.
Aurora had indeed seen the terms in question before. They were Starhaven's demands-a ceasefire, as well as the pushing back of the border to its original demarcation, using the base of the mountain outside Fawnrun City as the boundary.
"I was momentarily tempted by my desires. I thought that if I signed the treaty, I would claim all the credit," she confessed. So, I had Marshal Liam pull his forces back about six miles and leave only 12 men behind. This served two purposes. First, it helped Barrett with his plan to burn the supply depot. Second, I needed to ensure my own safety and that of my soldiers after the agreement was signed.
"Originally, I was worried he would leave behind a group of elite soldiers, which would still put us at risk. But I never expected that of the 12 men he left, one was a strategist and three were military doctors. With that, I had no more concerns. The treaty was signed even more smoothly than I had anticipated. Afterward, we took the young general hostage and retreated to the foot of the mountain before releasing him."
Afterward, she had waited for Barrett to arrive and informed him about the treaty. Once back at Victory Pass, Liam sent someone to follow up. It was all so confusing, but in the end, Aurora became the hero.
Of course, Wyatt had repeatedly asked her about the details of the treaty with Liam. She and her officers had concocted a story. Supposedly, they had met the marshal and his 12 men at the foot of the mountain. A fight broke out, during which Liam was captured. That was how the treaty had been signed.
Wyatt didn't fully believe it, but Liam had indeed disappeared from the frontlines and the treaty carried his military seal, which symbolized his authority as a military leader. On Starhaven's side, they only needed Dominic's military seal to officially make the agreement binding.
While recording, the scribe intentionally omitted the mention of the Westhaven crown prince, replacing him with a young general instead. Since the Westhaven official correspondence didn't explicitly state Arthur's identity, they couldn't mention it yet. They would wait for the envoys to arrive and gauge their stance before deciding how to proceed.
Although Patrick had already learned from Zeke and the others about the torture of Arthur and the massacre of villagers, hearing Aurora speak of it once again sent a cold shiver down his spine.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.
"How can someone be so cruel? Because you slaughtered civilians and razed villages, the entire Sinclair family-old, young, women, and children-were all murdered in cold blood. How could you be so vicious?" he asked, horrified.
"Vicious?" Aurora slowly lifted her gaze to meet Patrick's, then scoffed, her expression full of
disdain. "What do you know of viciousness on the battlefield? Those soldiers hid among the common folk. If I hadn't razed the village, how would they have come out to be captured?
You privileged people in the capital are always talking about morality and righteousness. I'm sure if any of you had ever set foot on a battlefield, you would know how ruthless it is. If you're not ruthless, you'll be slaughtered like cattle. Since I found them, I had to force them out. If I didn't, our entire squad would have been ambushed. Are our lives worth nothing to you?"
She turned her head, trying to hide the brief flicker of guilt that passed through her, adding. As for the Sinclair family's massacre, that was the work of Westhaven spies. If Carissa wants revenge, she should go after them. Isn't she so capable? To blame me for the slaughter of the family-what kind of trick is this?"
His voice cold as ice, Patrick replied, "At this point, you still have no remorse? It's a wonder the queen dowager ever thought so highly of you."
He ordered that Aurora be taken back, and her confession was immediately sent to Rafael, who wanted the facts she had just spoken.
With this confession and Barret's account, there was hope. Moreover, there was the fact that Dominic had been injured by an arrow and was fighting for his life back then. With all this, Lisandra's anger would be shifted away from Dominic, which might be enough to save his life.
After reading the confession, Rafael instructed Patrick to deliver it to Salvador for review. The prince's task was done, so he would step back for now and await the arrival of the Westhaven envoys.