Adam looked at Ignis, his expression stern. "It's because you were too confident. You let your guard down."

Ignis pouted, crossing her arms with a wince. "He was the one who cheated! Using tricky magic like that!"

Lilith's cool voice cut through their bickering. "Adam, blaming her is pointless. The real fault is yours for leaving them unsupervised in the first place."

Adam fell silent for a moment, then let out a heavy sigh. "You're right... I'm sorry."

Ignis huffed, turning her nose up dramatically. "I won't forgive you!" But the effect was ruined as she immediately wobbled, her injured leg buckling. "...Okay, maybe I will, but only if you help me stand."

Elise, though exhausted, managed a small smile at their exchange before her expression turned serious again. "We should move. The Duke's men will surely come to investigate this level of disturbance."

Then, a thought occurred to her. She looked at Adam and Lilith. "How did you know to find us here?"

Adam nodded toward Lilith. "That was all her."

Lilith inclined her head gracefully. "After dealing with our own pursuers, I focused my psionic senses. I can detect the... 'threads' of familiar minds. Ignis's fiery consciousness is quite distinct, and our mental rapport, though not as deep as a Soul-Link, leaves a trace I can follow, especially when she is in distress and broadcasting her energy so vividly."

Elise's eyes widened slightly in appreciation. "A remarkably practical skill."

Lilith's lips curved into a faint, superior smile. "Naturally, it is more useful than a certain someone who couldn't detect Ignis's presence at all."

Adam shot her a look, his tone defensive. "There was too much mana interference back there, and it was the first time I've tried to use the Soul-Link to track someone like that."

"Excuses," Ignis grumbled, though she leaned heavily against him.

Before Adam could retort, Lilith's head snapped up, her crimson eyes narrowing. Adam felt it a second later—a concentrated presence, moving with deliberate, heavy steps, not bothering with stealth. Then, more presences, fanning out, surrounding their position.

"We have company," Adam said quietly, his body tensing.

"Too late to run," Lilith murmured, her gaze darting to the shadowed exits of the chamber. Each potential route now seemed to hold a looming, armored silhouette.

A commanding voice, hard and resonant, echoed off the stone walls, leaving no room for argument. "HALT! Do not move another step!"

Torchlight flared from multiple directions, illuminating the ruined chamber. They were completely surrounded. At the main entrance stood Captain Gareth, his greatsword resting on his shoulder, his expression like carved stone. Flanking him were a dozen of the Duke's guards, crossbows leveled, and several others with swords and shields formed a tightening perimeter. The light glinted off polished armor and determined faces.

Gareth's eyes swept over the scene—the piles of ash, the scorch marks, the wounded and exhausted state of the group. His gaze lingered on Adam and Lilith, then on the clearly battered Ignis and the barely-conscious Seraphina being supported by Elise.

"By the authority of Duke Arkwright," Gareth announced, his voice filling the space, "you are all to be taken into custody for questioning regarding multiple breaches of peace, unsanctioned magical discharges, and suspected involvement with hostile agents within Oakrest. You will come peacefully."

Adam let out a slow breath, then offered Gareth a casual, almost insolent smile. "Well, well. We meet again, friend. How's the inn situation? Has the damage been compensated for yet?"

Gareth's expression didn't flicker. "Your flippancy will be noted in my report. Your actions—all of you—will be judged and punished according to the laws of this territory." His stern gaze then shifted to Elise, and his tone shifted into one of stiff, formal courtesy, though it lost none of its iron. "Princess Elise of Melium. Your presence here, and your involvement in such a... violent incident within Solarian borders, constitutes a serious diplomatic breach. You will need to accompany us as well to provide a full account to the Duke."

Adam sighed quietly, muttering under his breath, "I did tell you to keep a low profile..."

Elise straightened her posture, drawing upon every ounce of royal bearing she possessed despite her fatigue and disheveled state. She met Gareth's eyes directly. "Captain. I am aware of the complications. I offer my apologies for the disturbance within your Duke's domain. We were attacked, without provocation, by agents whose allegiance and motives are unknown to me. In the interest of preventing further conflict and unnecessary bloodshed, I will accompany you peacefully to speak with Duke Arkwright."

Her words were calm, diplomatic, and took full responsibility, subtly reframing the situation from one of criminals being arrested to a royal party exercising cooperation after being victimized. It was a masterful stroke, forcing Gareth to at least momentarily treat her not as a suspect, but as a foreign dignitary.

Gareth studied her for a long moment, then gave a short, sharp nod. "Very well, Your Highness. Your cooperation is appreciated." His eyes swept back over Adam, Lilith, and Ignis, the suspicion returning tenfold. "Your... companions will be disarmed and escorted under guard. Any resistance will be met with immediate force."

Adam's eyes narrowed as the guards approached with manacles. He took a half-step back, his voice dropping to a low growl. "Hold on. We're not criminals. Why the chains?"

"Adam, please," Elise interjected, her voice firm but quiet. "Just comply for now. We'll sort this out through proper channels."

"Proper channels that start with us in shackles?" Adam shot back, his crimson gaze fixed on Gareth. "No."

Gareth's hand tightened on the hilt of his greatsword. "You seem to be under the mistaken impression that you have a choice, or that your actions are somehow justified here. Let me be clear." His voice was like grinding stone. "Entering the Duke's territory undeclared, engaging in lethal combat in the streets, destroying property, and now being found at the center of a magical disturbance that has left men dead and a building scorched—these are not the acts of innocent travelers. These are crimes. And your association," he said, his eyes flicking to Elise with a brief, apologetic dip of his head that held no real apology, "with a foreign royal who has, with all due respect, brought this turbulence to our doorstep, does not grant you immunity. It merely complicates the matter. From where I stand, treating you as the dangerous variables you are is the only logical course."

Seraphina, despite her weakness, bristled at his tone. "How dare you speak of Her Highness with such—!"

"Sera, enough," Elise said, her voice cutting through her knight's outrage with surprising authority. She placed a calming hand on Seraphina's arm. "The Captain is doing his duty as he sees it. Arguing in the street will not help."

She looked back at Gareth, her demeanor shifting into one of cool, regal negotiation. "Captain, I understand your position. However, shackling my companions is unnecessary and inflammatory. They are under my protection and will not flee. I give you my word as Princess of Melium. Will you accept that, or must we escalate this into an incident that neither of our rulers would wish?"

Gareth met her gaze, a silent battle of wills taking place. He weighed the political headache of shackling a princess's entourage against the security risk. Finally, he gave a sharp, reluctant jerk of his chin to his men. "No manacles. But they will be disarmed, and my men will have blades drawn. One wrong move from any of them, Princess, and your word will not stay my hand. Is that understood?"

Elise nodded. "It is."

Adam let out a grunt of acknowledgment. "Fine. I wasn't planning on running anyway."

At Gareth's signal, the guards formed a tight cordon around them, weapons held at the ready, and began herding the group through the backstreets of Oakrest toward the fortified keep that served as the Duke's residence. The journey was made in tense silence, broken only by the clank of armor and the shuffling of weary feet on cobblestones.

Elise walked beside Adam, letting out a soft, weary sigh. "You and Seraphina... you both talk far too much when silence would serve better."

Adam kept his eyes forward, his voice low. "I wasn't going to be chained up without a reason. It's the principle."

From behind them, where she supported the limping Ignis, Seraphina spoke up, her voice thick with guilt and exhaustion. "My apologies, Your Highness. My temper... it overrode my judgment. I have complicated things."

Before Elise could offer the knight any comfort, Lilith's smooth, analytical voice cut through the night air, her tone carrying a hint of dry amusement. "Adam's verbosity, however undiplomatic, was not entirely wasted. We are walking unshackled, are we not? A small victory in a rather large defeat. It is better to negotiate from a position of minimal physical restraint."

Ignis, leaning on Lilith, managed a weak chuckle that turned into a cough. "She's got a point... ow. Still hurts to laugh."

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