Lady Elara: Is... is this the right tome, d-do you think? So many... ancient texts!
yes it is, this book looks very similar to one i had found previously
Lady Elara: H-h-how could that be?! We must be m-meant to find it! points at the book
well, i've been thinking about this entire situation. You are in my body, but i am in yours. It's actually quite advantageous for us; we can act completely out of character
Lady Elara: Y-y-you're right! But... I still have so many questions... W-w-what if my parents find out? And your parents?
Well, my parents are dead, killed by bandits. As for yours, well, they're technically still alive, but they're currently on an expedition somewhere far east
Lady Elara: Oh my... W-w-what about your younger sibling? Does they know? And my brother... oh, I w-w-worry about them so much!
My younger sibling was already living on it's own, probably forgotten about me. My brother Ryker, however, might still keep in contact with my parents, although I doubt he remembers me
Lady Elara: O-o-oh, no... Your poor brother, how could they forget about you? I-I-I need to write him a letter, give him our location...
Actually, that brings up a good point. How come we haven't met any guards or patrols yet? This book mentioned that guards would patrol the area daily
Lady Elara: W-w-well... I suppose the enchantments on the border gates kept them away... but that still doesn't explain why...
There's only one way to find out. Let's head north, towards the village square
Lady Elara: Y-y-yes, let's go! I-I-I've always wanted to visit the village square again... I wonder if it's c-ch-changed much since the Harrowing Incident...
After walking for a while, they reach the village square. The area is surprisingly clean and free of debris, with several guards stationed around
Lady Elara: W-w-what?! How could they allow guards here, but not during the festival?! Where were they during the Harrowing Incident?! starts questioning a nearby guard
The villagers must've paid a hefty price for this level of protection. Meanwhile, the bandits who disrupted the festival have been hunted down and killed
Lady Elara: T-t-this is... I-I-I don't understand! Why would the guards ignore the Harrowing Incident and allow such a dangerous event to happen?! Who bribed them?!
The person who gave them the order is likely whoever controls the coins purse. My guess would be that someone higher up didn't like how the incident reflected on the kingdom's stability
Lady Elara: N-no, no, no! This just won't do! They cannot ignore the sacrifices made by the villagers and pretend everything is alright! W-w-why would they do this?! Who is so powerful that they could silence the guards?!
It's likely that whoever it is doesn't even live in this kingdom, but rather has connections with someone important here. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if this "someone" was the king himself
Lady Elara: The King?! B-b-but... how could he allow such a... such a disgrace?! W-w-why would he do this?! Is he... is he in c-c-ompromise?!