Lillard had died in the Inland Sea, and the incident itself raised plenty of questions.
If Rowan had executed Lillard because he had stood idly by and deliberately delayed sending reinforcements, there would have been little to say about it.
Although Rowan had no authority to execute Lillard, he was a member of the Family Council. Even if the military held him accountable, it would hardly shake the Norwington Family's standing in Kul Tiras.
Lillard's death was not the problem in itself. But Rowan had expelled Lillard's fleet to Morris Harbor, and that had serious repercussions for Santos.
Santos was, after all, commander of the Lightning Strike Fleet. An entire squadron breaking away from the fleet set a terrible precedent. From any angle, it was a challenge to his authority.
Earlier, Santos had sent his First Mate to Morris Harbor to negotiate with Rowan.
Rowan's answer had been straightforward. He had promised to fully refit the fleet and return it to the Lightning Strike Fleet at a suitable time once the work was complete.
Unfortunately, First Mate Eso had not met William. Santos had learned nothing concrete about whether the fleet would stay or leave.
As for whether Rowan had deliberately kept Eso from negotiating with William, that was most likely exactly what he had done.
It was hard to lash out at someone who greeted you with a smile, especially when Rowan was refitting William's fleet out of goodwill.
Santos had intended to use Lillard's death to put pressure on Rowan. But after weighing everything, he knew an open break would benefit no one. Besides, the Lillard incident involved far more than that.
Most importantly, it involved the Invisible Fleet slipping into the Inland Sea through King's Bay.
"Commander Lashius is here, Commander," Eso reported with a knock on