[center][img] https://i.imgur.com/5ILCycx.png[/img][/center]
[hr]

Éliane had been excited to hear Wulfric expose Rudolf’s dirty laundry, but before he could barely start, things immediately changed.
The appearance of Kayliss at the Demets’ banquet had been unexpected, but it was the words that came from her mouth that sent a shock through Éliane’s system. The Skaelan officer had been aware of some degree of lockdown over the past two months. It had been concerning, and particularly annoying because it had meant that she had been cut off from communicating with her family as well as her allies and friends in the Household Guards, but such things weren’t atypical for Skael. In the aftermath of the coup attempt, Solitude had been placed on lockdown as well while the rest of the traitors were found and rounded up. 

The fact that the city had become an intelligence void if what Kayliss was saying was correct… It sent chills down Éliane’s spine. She immediately thought of her parents at the bakery, and Therese. Suddenly, she didn’t feel so hungry anymore.

Her eyes flicked towards Esben for his reaction, setting down her fork with barely constrained tension as she listened to his words. She realized he was right; after the attack on Brightlam, given the distance involved, that gave that traitor of a woman enough time to make a beeline towards the capital. Whatever she had done didn’t bode well for Solitude or Overseer Baramoux. Being part of the elite force directly under him, and one that also acted as his protector, her team in the Household Guards was directly in the firing line of whatever attack had happened. With some luck, her family was fine—being a mundane bakery—and her father had been a trained city guard captain; he would know what to do to protect her mother and sister.

Her immediate urge was to [i]fly[/i] to the capital, dammit, but she recognized that they needed to properly plan instead of attack guns blazing. But she was very tempted. Biting her tongue, she held back an outburst to demand to immediately leave for Solitude; no doubt that was the plan anyway. 

Instead, her thoughts immediately turned to who they could trust or coordinate with, among the Seven or otherwise. “Lord Silvain,” Éliane finally said, breaking her silence –though no doubt the entire range of her facial expressions worn openly on her face the past few minutes entirely betrayed what she had been thinking of this mess. She of course was referring to the previous Overseer and one of the Seven, Silvester Silvain and the man that she had been in service under and her patron throughout these years. “Was he in the capital? We must coordinate.”