Chapter 47: The Traitor and the Parrot
"Allow me to rest at least once..."
Despite the serenity outside, an unconditional feeling could be felt in the air.
Gabriel sat at his desk, drumming his fingers absently on the polished wood.
Across the castle, Daria wandered freely, though her presence was getting on his nerves.
He hadn’t imprisoned her—not yet.
She was far too clever to openly incriminate herself.
Better to watch, wait, and see what she would do next.
A quiet shuffle of moves drew Gabriel’s attention.
Lirian stirred in the large bed near the window, her face was still pale but peaceful as she blinked awake.
Relief went through him, but as he stood and approached, he quickly changed his expression to a more serious one.
"Lirian," he began softly, stopping a few feet away.
She turned her head, looking anywhere but at him. "I don’t want to talk to you."
Gabriel’s shoulders sagged, though he had expected as much. "You don’t have to," he said in a lower hush. "But I’m here if you—"
"Just leave me alone," she interrupted his sentence.
Gabriel nodded, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"I’ll have food brought to you. Rest well."
He left the room, his chest tightened with pressure that was forced by frustration.
He couldn’t force her to trust him—not after everything.
An hour later, Gabriel strode into the great hall, where his advisors were gathered around the long table.
Maps and scrolls seemed scattered across the surface, marking potential monster sightings in the North.
Pedro perched on Gabriel’s shoulder.
"Gentlemen," Gabriel began, "we have a problem. The attacks in the North may be connected to something larger—something coordinated."
The advisors exchanged uneasy glances.
One, an older man named Lord Hendrick, cleared his throat.
"Sire, are you suggesting the monster attacks were deliberate? Organized?"
"That’s exactly what I’m suggesting," Gabriel replied, pacing the length of the table.
He knew something wasn’t right with the kingdom, and he knew there was someone who shared the information about him breeding the monsters.
"We’ve already seen evidence of manipulation—monsters disappearing as quickly as they arrive. Someone is controlling them."
Another advisor, Sir Alric, frowned. "But who would have such power? And why target the North?"
Before Gabriel could respond, Pedro let out a loud squawk. "Traitor!"
The room fell silent as everyone turned to stare at the bird.
Gabriel froze, his eyes blinked many times. "What did you say?"
Pedro flapped his wings, tilting his head. "Traitor! Traitor!"
The advisors exchanged nervous glances, and Lord Hendrick shifted uncomfortably in his seat.
Gabriel locked his eyes with Hendrick. "You. What aren’t you telling me?"
Hendrick’s face paled. "Sire, I swear, I’ve done nothing—"
"TRAITOR!" Pedro screeched again, louder this time, flapping his wings for emphasis.
Gabriel’s hand went to the hilt of his sword. "Pedro has never been wrong before," he said coldly.
"Sire, with all due respect, he’s a bird!" Hendrick stammered, holding up his hands.
"Pedro has seen things," Gabriel replied in a deadly serious way. "He knows things. And if he says you’re a traitor, then you’re a traitor."
"I swear, I’m loyal to the crown!" Hendrick pleaded, his voice started rising. "It’s a misunderstanding!"
Gabriel’s sword flashed in the sunlight, and before anyone could intervene, Hendrick slumped to the floor, his eyes widened in shock.
The room descended into stunned silence.
Pedro ruffled his feathers, looking oddly pleased. "Good job, Gabriel."
One of the younger advisors coughed nervously.
"Your Highness, perhaps we should investigate further before, um... resorting to such measures."
Gabriel sheathed his sword, turning to the table.
"Pedro doesn’t lie," he said firmly, his eyes scanned the remaining advisors. "If any of you have secrets, now is the time to confess."
The men shifted uncomfortably, but no one spoke.
"Good," Gabriel said, nodding. "Now that we’ve dealt with that, let’s move on to the real threat."
Sir Alric, still pale, cleared his throat. "The monsters, Your Highness?"
"No," Gabriel said, leaning forward, and turned his face to a grave. "Something far worse. An enemy that threatens not just the North, but all of humanity."
The advisors leaned in.
Gabriel took a deep breath.
"There is an AI—manipulating from the shadows. This enemy is cunning, relentless, and bent on our destruction. It’s behind the monsters, the chaos, everything."
The room erupted into murmurs of confusion.
"An... AI?" one advisor ventured hesitantly. "What is that, sire?"
Gabriel frowned, realising he might need to simplify.
"It’s like... a machine. A thinking machine, capable of making decisions, controlling creatures, and influencing minds."
One of the older advisors scoffed. "Sire, with respect, such a thing sounds... impossible."
"Does it?" Gabriel countered, his eyes narrowed again.
"Have you not seen the monsters? The coordination? The way they vanish as if on command? This isn’t random. This is calculated."
Pedro flapped his wings. "AI! Bad AI! Destroy humanity!"
Gabriel gestured to the bird. "Even Pedro knows. He’s been warning us all along."
The younger advisor who had spoken earlier rubbed his temples.
"Your Highness, I’m struggling to understand. Are you saying a... machine is controlling the monsters?"
"Yes," Gabriel said emphatically. "And it’s only a matter of time before it turns its attention to us. We need to be fast."
Another advisor leaned forward cautiously. "And how do we fight such a... thing?"
Gabriel’s expression hardened. "We outsmart it. We stay united. And we root out anyone who might be working with it."
He swept his eyes across the room, remaining on each man in turn.
"If Pedro identifies another traitor, you’ll meet the same fate as Hendrick."
"Traitor!" Pedro squawked again, though this time, he seemed to be addressing the chandelier.
The advisors exchanged uneasy glances, but none dared question Gabriel further.
"Dismissed," Gabriel said, waving a hand. "Prepare for war. The AI won’t wait, and neither will we."
The men filed out, with uncertainty.
Pedro perched proudly on Gabriel’s shoulder, his chest puffed out as if he had won a great victory.
Gabriel looked out the window, darkening his golden eyes. "The battle begins now," he muttered to himself.
Pedro let out a satisfied chirp. "Bad AI. Destroy humanity!"
Gabriel nodded. "Exactly."