The Capital (5)

"Alright Mary, just calm down and I will explain." I raised my hands in defense.

"I am calm, brother."

Her chilling smile said anything but.

"Come, sit down. You too, Caroline."

The girls both took a seat next to me, while Damien remained across from us. Then I asked him to relay all of what he told me.

By the end, Mary was fuming as badly as I had been.

"So then, what brother? You plan to convince the entirety of the wolf clan that Caroline should live? How? How do you expect to combat such a deep-rooted prejudice? You aren't a god."

I nodded my head in agreement. But Mary's words gave me an idea.

"Aren't I though?" I perked up.

"What do you mean?" Mary's eyebrow twitched.

"Damien," I turned towards my friend with sparkling eyes, "You told me yourself. To the demi-humans, I am a "chosen one". Isn't that kind of similar to a god? Wouldn't they at least hear me out?"

Damien considered. "Demi-humans don't worship gods in the way humans do. Our loyalty lies with nature. But you have a point. You have influence. That much is undeniable."

"Still!" Mary protested, "They've never even met Isani! How could his words have any more effect than your own Damien? This plan is ridiculous! You're relying too much on emotion when you don't even have an edge!"

"You aren't wrong Mary, but what else can we do?" I pleaded with her.

She squeezed her eyes shut, and rubbed her temple. "This is just too much," she mumbled.

"Um?" Caroline hesitantly raised her hand.

"Oh? Yes? What is it Caroline? I'm sorry. We've been ignoring you when this whole conversation is about you."

"No, it's alright," Caroline shook her head. "But I thought I should speak. I would like to go to the wolf clan with the king of demi-humans."

My eyes went wide with shock.

"Caroline?!" Mary beat me to the punch, "It's dangerous! Why would you want to go when they might decide to kill you?"

Caroline put her head down, then slowly and deliberately stood up, turning towards a table nearby, where her information grimoire was sitting. When she reached it, she picked it up and brought it back to me, setting it in my lap.

I looked at her. Her face was indignant. She looked as if she'd already made this decision a while ago.

Then I looked at the grimoire, and with a questioning look towards Caroline, asking for permission to open it, I flipped to the first page.

**Information on Celina Wolf from the Wolf Clan of the Demi-humans**

**Celina was born and raised in the wolf province of the demi-human clans. She was a valued and treasured child by her people, and grew to be an invaluable asset to the clan. Her skills in magic were matched by few. Her affinities included, , , .**

**Celina was born to Dante and Helena Wolf. Dante Wolf was a member of the higher council in their clan. Celina was set to inherit his place after coming of age.**

**When she was twenty, a year before she was set to earn her inheritance, Celina fell in love with a human named Lawrence. She was discovered to be pregnant a few months later. Her father tried to convince her to lose the baby before anyone found out and it became a bigger issue. She refused, and according to the customs of her clan, was locked away. When the birth of her child occurred, they would dispose of it then, and she would be reinstated in their community. Then everyone would be forbidden from talking about the incident ever again.**

I paused. What kind of horrific custom requires a pregnant woman to be locked up? I shook my head and continued reading.

**However, before the due date arrived, Celina's lover Lawrence was able to help her escape. He died getting her out. But Celina could not return to her people while still carrying the child in her womb, so she fled. From there, she gave birth to healthy girl, who was named Caroline, and raised her for several years before passing away from an incurable illness.**

**End of information.**

I looked at Caroline and my eyes filled with pity. Her life had begun under such perilous circumstances, and her mother died before she could even understand where she'd come from. That must have been her reason for seeking this grimoire. If her mother died before she could remember anything, Caroline wouldn't have known her lineage. Until now.

I carefully passed the grimoire to Mary, who read it with equal melancholy. When she was through, we turned to Damien, but he shook his head. It seemed he already knew. Of course, he must have been young, but he would have been old enough to remember the incident.

But in my pity, I still felt a curiosity about some things.

"When Celina ran, do nobody search for her?" I directed the question at Damien.

"We did, but only within the lands of Demi-humans. No one had expected her to flee to the human empire. I'm not sure why. She was in love with a human, after all." Damien shook his head, as if he found the logic of his predictors to be lacking.

"So you knew of Caroline's existence before even meeting her then? But because you couldn't locate her, it wasn't necessary for you to bring her in front of the council. Now you know and…" I was thinking aloud. Coming to the realization along with Mary.

"You would have ignored her for the rest of your life. But she showed up in front of you, and that sealed her fate." Mary finished my thoughts.

"Essentially, yes." Damien bowed his head.

"But this still doesn't explain why you want to go to the wolf clan of the demi-humans, Caroline. You are well aware of your circumstances." Mary said, waving the grimoire to emphasize her point.

"It is because I am aware of my circumstances that I must go," Caroline's body had taken on the air of assumed confidence. She was trying to stay brave in the face of overwhelming fear. The girl had grit.

"Sit down again, and tell us the story from the beginning." I said, waving her back to the couch. She had been standing at a distance while we read, as if fearful to get too close.

"Okay," she agreed.

I was starting to get even more worried. What was she going to tell us? And how were we going to convince the demi-human council to let her live? Mary was right, their prejudice was deep. So deep they even went as far as locking up one of their own, who was pregnant no less.

I glanced at Damien. He was staring at Caroline, looking as if he wished he could make her disappear from this world. So that she might go somewhere far away from this mess and never be bothered. I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of guilt about the way I had acted. I was so quick to assume Damien's actions were the result of his own emotions. But in reality, he was acting for the sack of others, as he always did.

I couldn't believe I ever doubted him. My opinion of Damien was solidified even further then and there. This wasn't a matter I could take lightly.

I focused my full attention on Caroline and prepared to listen closely. I was going to find a solution to this mess. No matter what it took.

I was going to help both Caroline and Damien.

Even if that meant taking on the entire wolf clan of the demi-humans.