He should never have let her leave on her own. The voice crackling across the Crownsguard frequency confirmed that much for him moments after she had gone.
Whatever she said, whatever her plans, however powerful she may have been, it was always better to have backup. And if Drautos was in the treaty room then he wasn't coming after the crystal. The Glaives had this situation under control.
Cor ducked out of line, taking what cover he could behind the friendly Glaives and cutting through any who stood in his way. He might not have had Reina's magic and her ability to warp halfway across the Citadel, but he was at least as stubborn as she was.
He sprinted through the Citadel, only slowing when he drew near the treaty room. Every servant he expected to find lingering in the halls and every Crownsguard stationed along the way was absent. Where the servants had gone, he could only guess. Somewhere safer, hopefully. The Crownsguards he found on the way. As he drew closer to the treaty room the sounds of battle grew louder. The doors were thrown open—beyond, the crushed chairs and shattered glass littered the floor; Crownsguards poured out, dragging allies and enemies alike.
Cor skidded to a halt outside, just in time to watch Reina pull the ring from her finger.
Overhead, the Wall crumbled. It fell inward in pieces like a shattered window—a glittering shower of prismatic light falling across the entire city—except the magic evaporated before it hit the ground.
On the other side of the room, Drautos stood with his blade bare against Regis' throat. Cor ducked against the doorway. If he drew attention to himself, the whole thing could collapse in the wrong direction. He was not getting Regis killed. Not now. Not ever.
Reina held the ring up. Drautos shifted his hold on Regis—keeping the blade to his throat but preparing to shove him aside as soon as Reina released the ring.
She threw it. The chime of metal against stone echoed in the suddenly-quiet room.
Drautos shoved Regis in the opposite direction. She could have gone for the ring again, but she wouldn't—Cor knew even before she warped across the room to catch Regis. Drautos didn't move for the ring, either. He lifted his blade as soon as Reina had her hands full keeping Regis upright.
"Your Highness—!" No time to think. Cor surged forward, sword bare in his hands, and brought it up overhead as he reached them. Drautos' blade came down.
By the Gods, he was strong. Stronger than any man had a right to be. He bore down on Cor until every muscle in his body was screaming protests. But he would not give in. He could not.
All at once the pressure from above released. An armored fist struck him from the side, throwing him across the room and into the wall. Bones cracked in his chest. His lungs refused to expand and his vision turned bright with blinking lights. Through the haze of pain, before he slumped fully to the floor, he caught sight of Reina standing her ground between Drautos and Regis as Drautos lifted Cor's own sword with a reverse grip, preparing to launch it across the room at him.
"Cor—!" Reina's eyes were wide and haunted. Had she seen this all? Had she been here before?
Drautos released the sword.
Lightning flashed. Cor's katana struck the wall to his right and clattered to the ground, smoking.
Regis was still leaning on Reina's shoulder, standing behind her. Both of them held one hand stretched palm out and crackling with magic.
Cor dragged himself to his feet as Drautos swung his own sword at Reina and Regis and struck only her barrier. He picked up his sword—still smoking but only warm to the touch—and rounded on them, ignoring the shooting sensation that shattered his chest from every cracked rib when he moved. It was only pain.
"Cor—" Reina thrust her shield outward, knocking Drautos back and throwing a handful of lightning at him. "We need the emperor taken alive."
"Where is he?" Cor asked.
"Fled." Regis held one arm across Reina's shoulders, but lifted his own swords as soon as Drautos moved back in. The Armiger caught and held Drautos. For now.
"Find him, Cor!" Reina's lightning crackled over Drautos' armor while he struggled against Regis' blades—the only indication that it did anything was a groan of pain from within the Magitek suit.
Still, Cor hesitated. Regis had instructed him to protect her. And Regis had no Shield, either—Clarus was out cold on the other side of the room. They were holding their own against Drautos, but how long would that last? Regis wasn't as young as he had been, and Reina may have been powerful, but she was liable to do something stupid without a hand to hold her back.
"That's an order, Leonis!" She shouted.
For the first time in his life, Cor weighed an order from the crown against his own gut feeling of the situation. What happened if he walked out of that room? How much would Reina be willing to give up to get revenge on Drautos? The Wall was already gone. She wouldn't risk Regis' life, but anyone and anything else was fair game.
And what happened if he didn't go? Emperor Aldercapt would walk free. The imperial fleet was closing overhead. The Wall was down. They couldn't fight an army of MTs. The only way Insomnia survived this night was if they took the emperor.
She was right. He needed to go. Cor gritted his teeth and, grudgingly, turned to jog out of the room, picking up as many of the remaining Crownsguards on his way as he could. He could only hope that Regis tempered Reina enough to save her.