“But what if it can help somehow?” She prodded me.
“I’ll ask Ridge what he knows about Air elementals later,” I decided. “If he can tell me anything useful, it might be worth the attempt. If not, then I think I’ll let it wait until he’s done with the defenses before I try. I’d like to have those finished before I slow him down any more.”
Unfortunately, while Ridge knew a great deal about his counterparts, the Air elementals, he was not aware of what limitations would be placed on them as summoned creatures. Apparently, Ridge’s capabilities as a free elemental were quite different than what he was permitted to do once I had bound him, and we surmised that the same would be true of any spirits I summoned from the other elemental spheres. So, without anything firm to rely on, I decided to wait until he completed the Fortress and the rest of the defenses before dismissing his assistant and summoning the new elemental.
Over the next weeks and months, Venna and Broda worked together to direct most of our efforts in preparation for the coming summit. They seemed to mostly focus on ensuring that the Palace itself was ready to host the large number of functionaries that would undoubtedly accompany the royals on their visit, and with the chamberlain’s help, directed the stonemasons and carpenters to complete the finishing touches on the many rooms and quarters that we would need to both support and house the multitudes we were expecting.
Their cause was bolstered by the arrival of two more caravans of new settlers. The first came from Dhel-Ar and was full of the recruits that the King had promised to raise for us. Nearly all of them were either skilled crafters or trained soldiers, and they immediately improved both our production and defenses.
The second caravan came from the east and underwent a great deal of scrutiny as that was the direction in which Olóra lay. Our attention to this fact was rewarded when Khorim uncovered the third assassin hiding amongst the many refugees from that land’s xenophobic policies. Unfortunately, King Gilfri had apparently learned his lesson from the previous two failures, and the blood clause in this assassin’s contract caused him to lose his life as soon as we discovered him. Whatever foul magic had been used to kill the assassin rendered him beyond the powers of normal resurrection, and I was tempted to raise him with Death’s Embrace to question him.
“Don’t,” Venna halted me as I approached his shattered body.
They had brought me to see the corpse as a simple formality, and I thought perhaps bringing the killer back might yield more answers for us, so I was puzzled by her reluctance.
“He will know nothing more than the other,” Venna explained when I looked at her questioningly. “Likely even less since the two previous failures. You’ll only waste the magic of the rod for the day and prevent yourself from being able to bring back someone worthier should any mishap occur.”
It was an interesting point she’d made, one I had failed to consider for myself. I would have to drain all three charges from Death’s Embrace to raise the piece of shit who had come here to kill me, leaving me with no means to bring anyone else back should there be a need. However unlikely that might be, it was simply not worth the risk to waste all the rod’s power on scum like him. So, instead of questioning the most recent assassin, we were left with merely searching his body for clues.
Unfortunately, all we discovered during our inspection were the same assortment of blades and a stuffed coin pouch just like with the others. After the last assassin was caught, I had decided on a more modest bounty for any future boons and had the contents of the killer’s purse divided equally between the Realm’s treasury and the unit that had uncovered his presence. Even with the reduction, the sum of over fifty Talons that Khorim’s men had to divide between them was a tremendous fortune, and they were more than satisfied with their reward.
“Gilfri will know of the invocation of the assassin’s blood clause,” Khorim opined. “With two such failures, he may not only be reluctant to send another, but will also very likely have a hard time finding anyone willing to take the risk.”
“Do you have any information from Olóra?” I asked him. “Have your sources been able to tell you anything?”
“The King keeps his secrets close, I’m afraid,” Khorim lamented. “The few I’ve found who are brave enough to talk know little of his plans. They are only able to tell me of his continued harassment of any non-elven people within his lands, and the growing hostility towards even those who dare to have dealings with them.”
All of this was already quite well-known to us, as the same story had been told by nearly every refugee that had come to us from that Realm. Tale after tale of the harassment from Gilfri’s men that had sent them fleeing from their homes, desperate to find somewhere safe from his tyranny. In this regard Gilfri’s xenophobia was a boon to me, as I benefitted by receiving a large number of very skilled people who were more than eager to help build my Realm. In fact, this most recent caravan had been the largest to reach us by far, and brought over two-hundred new souls to our lands.
Between the two caravans, we were able to not only fully man the Garrison’s defenses, but also began assigning troops to both the still unnamed fortress and to what my companions had begun to refer to as The Imperial Palace, at least when they thought I wasn’t listening too closely. The chamberlain was also relieved to receive several of his former staff members into his service, and finally had the makings of a true Palace organization under his control.
The caravans that came to us were not the only ones to provide us with boons during that time. Faine and our people at the outpost on the trade route regularly bargained for us with the passing trade caravans for the many items we still needed that were beyond our ability to produce for ourselves. She procured an almost unlimited variety of things to meet our needs, such as spices and spirits not only for both the upcoming diplomatic summit, but also for our own daily use. Fabric and cloth for both common clothing and Birt’s fine garments came to us alongside nails and bolts and hinges to supplement the output of our own forges. In short, anything she thought we might need, Faine bought from the caravans that sought shelter in the safety of her outpost.
With all the new help, and plenty of supplies, our preparations for the summit went even faster than we had anticipated, so when we received word from Dhel-Ar that a date had been set, we were more than ready to receive our guests.
20
The arrival of the heads of state was planned out much as the dwarven King’s had been, with both Venna and Broda meeting the monarchs once they’d arrived at the Palace. As much as I would have liked to have seen the looks on their faces as the royals passed by the honor guard that we set out for them, I decided against another clandestine flight. Although Bane and I had many more chances to practice our flying, I was still very uncomfortable clinging to his neck for dear life as he flew so high in the air. Besides, I had a different plan in mind for him this time.
Instead, I settled for observing their arrival at the Palace from one of the high balconies that overlooked the main Palace gates. A large green banner with my sigil on it draped down from the towering heights above the arching doorway, presenting a rather grand spectacle for our visitors. The presence of representatives from all our various military units with their different colored capes only enhanced the grandeur of the display we had so carefully arranged, and I regretted not being there in person to gauge their reactions. I soothed myself with the knowledge that, if this summit was successful, it would be the last time that I let myself bend to the old traditions of this world. The alliance would allow me to declare myself openly, and once I did, I would begin establishing my own set of protocols. But at the time, I was stuck observing from far above. So, when the escorts for the visiting delegations came into sight, I settled in to watch their approach.
Immediately, I realized that something was off—instead of the three delegations we had expected, there were four distinct groups filing towards the Palace gates. Alarm bells sounded in my head for a moment, but I quickly s
tifled them when I saw that no one below seemed to share my reaction. I realized that if the unknown group had not only failed to raise their suspicions, but gotten past Field Marshal Evans’ scrutiny, they were likely not the threat that I’d initially feared they might be. Still, my curiosity was stirred, and I peered down below to watch as the procession made its way to the doors of my Palace.
The King of Lorida, wearing the red colors of his noble house, was easy for me to spot as he approached Broda and Venna first. This was as I expected, since the order that they would be received had been another carefully negotiated point. Far out of the range of my hearing, a brief exchange of pleasantries ensued below before the King and his retinue were escorted inside by members of the Palace staff, clad in the matching livery that Birt and Wenda had been able to finish for us with the aid of a few seamstresses that were also in my employ.
Next to be greeted was Queen Líann of Íforn, who was also easily identified by her forest green garb. The fact that her colors almost matched my own caused us a small bit of trouble, but Birt had made sure that the outfits we wore at the reception that night would not mirror each other’s too closely. In fact, he had sworn to outdo his elven counterpart, and put the Queen’s somewhat legendary beauty to the test.
Broda’s uncle should have been the next to be received, but instead, a blue-clad figure climbed up the stairs and was greeted by Venna and Broda. It was difficult for me to make out too much from so far away, and I struggled to identify anything other than that the person in question was a female of smaller stature. The interaction between them seemed quite relaxed, so I felt reassured that my earlier apprehension regarding our unknown guests was misplaced.
I would have continued to observe the dwarven King’s arrival as well, but my clandestine spying was interrupted by Tási as she burst onto the balcony.
“Did you know they were coming?” She asked breathlessly as she rushed towards me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Catch your breath, Tási,” I cautioned her as she was practically hyperventilating after having run up the many flights of stairs. “If you’re referring to our unexpected guests, I’ve only just seen them arrive and I still don’t know who they are myself.”
“It’s Queen Nadiel!” Tási exclaimed.
I was immediately shocked by the revelation that another queen had been brought to the summit without my knowledge. I had no idea who she was or why she had been invited without my approval, and my suspicions all came flooding back to me again.
“I have no idea who that is, but she’d better have a good reason for coming here uninvited.” I replied to Tási icily.
“She’s the queen of the halflings, Dreya! And she was invited by Queen Líann.” Tási tried to dampen my ire.
“Without my knowledge,” I responded angrily.
“Dreya,” Tási tried to calm me again. “Líann explained herself to Venna. She apologized for the inconvenience and told her that she didn’t want my people left out of the drafting of the Imperial Charter you proposed to them. She’s one of the few monarchs that even considers my people’s place in the world. Something even you overlooked when you made your offer to Lorida and Íforn.”
That actually hurt. The fact that her jab was absolutely accurate drained every scrap of anger from me, and I immediately caved in.
“That was a regrettable oversight on my part, Tási,” I replied remorsefully. “Thank you for pointing it out to me so… delicately.”
“Fuck you, that wasn’t delicate,” Tási grinned back at me.
Tási almost never resorted to profanity unless it was in one of her epic displays of anger, and her calculated use of it then, combined with the genuine smile that accompanied it, broke the tension of the moment perfectly, and we both let out a relaxed bit of laughter.
“Seriously, though,” I replied when I stopped giggling. “See if Broda can arrange a meeting between us. I should welcome the Queen to my Realm and offer my apologies to her in person.”
“I think that would be incredible,” Tási responded. “She seldom gets much of a reception from the other rulers.”
“Well then, let us once again be an exception to the rule,” I offered her with a smile.
Tási let out an excited squeak and then quickly covered her mouth and flushed with embarrassment at her unintentional display of happiness before hurtling back downstairs. Obviously, my offer to meet with the halfling Queen was far more meaningful than I realized, and I was surprised that such a simple courtesy from an unrecognized Realm would mean so much.
I was on my way to building an empire here, yet there was still so much that I didn’t know about this world. I realized, not for the first time, that I may be the driving force behind the change that I was pushing so hard for, but without the guidance of my companions, and so many others, I would almost certainly fail—it was a rather sobering thought. Part of me wanted to just grab Arrika by the horns and wrestle it to the ground with nothing but pure force, but I knew that my own power and will were simply not enough to subdue an entire continent. I needed something even more powerful if I truly wanted to succeed: knowledge. Information would perhaps be the biggest key to turning this world into a place where innocent people could live in peace, without the nearly all-encompassing fear of violence and abuse that had existed for so long.
These were the weighty thoughts on my mind as I returned to my chambers to get ready for the reception we had planned for the evening. It would be much like the last one, but with even more guests and an expanded menu, and even more spirits to please the varied palates that were in attendance this time. Fine elven wines, human ales, and even fire wine would be served, alongside cuisines from each of the races that were in attendance. The only oversight was that there were no special accommodations that had been made for Queen Nadiel and her entourage, I realized belatedly. Hopefully, when Tási returned, we could come up with something that would address that issue for us. Rhia had only just begun on my hair when Tási came back, huffing and puffing heavily from her hurried rush back up the stairs again.
“Sit and catch your breath before you die on me,” I teased her. “You don’t want me to have to bring Rhia in your place tonight, do you?”
Tási shot me a quick death glare and Rhia blushed far more heavily than I thought my offhanded joke warranted. Oh, shit – had I stumbled into something? I certainly hoped not. My hands were already full dealing with the delicate balance between Tási, Venna, and Ella. There was simply no way I was even going to consider getting involved with anyone else.
“I wouldn’t do that to poor Rhia,” Tási shot back.
“Yes, please don’t,” Rhia added weakly.
“No, of course not, Rhia. I wouldn’t dream of making you endure such a terrible thing,” I replied as I stared into her dark brown eyes intently. Her face was only inches from mine as she worked on my hair, and the effect on her was obviously quite intense.
“I… I didn’t mean it like that,” she stuttered.
“Relax, Rhia, she’s just toying with you,” Tási said, completely ruining my little bit of fun.
Rhia’s eyes flew open wide, and I saw a hint of irritation in them before she reined herself in. She was almost about to say something, but then seemed to think better of it.
“Go ahead, Rhia,” I coaxed her. “Say it.”
“You can be a real bitch sometimes,” Rhia blurted out with a smile.
“And how long did it take you to figure that out?” I replied, matching her grin.
“Only about three days after I was assigned to your guard,” she admitted.
We joked a little more while Rhia finished with my hair before moving on to Tási. Wenda still hadn’t arrived, so I slipped into the new gown Birt had made for me and watched Rhia arrange Tási’s hair while I waited for Wenda. It was an almost mesmerizing process as she pinned up Tási’s locks, picked out a few, seemingly at random, and then teased them out to drape alongside Tási’s face or down to her shoulders.
“That’s fine, Wenda, we have plenty of time,” I assured her.
“By the way, Tási, I forgot to ask about your errand. What did Broda say?” I added. The thought had completely slipped my mind amid the conversation that had ensued when Tási first returned, but now that it had, I wanted to know if a meeting with the halfling queen had been arranged.
“I had to leave it in Broda’s hands,” she replied, obviously dejected. “She promised to inquire, but said she was certain that any individual meetings would have to wait until after the summit tomorrow.”
I was a bit disappointed to hear that myself. Once I got over my surprise at her unexpected appearance, I became more and more curious about the halfling queen. She had to be quite bold, or at least self-assured, to simply show up as she had for a meeting in an unknown realm. Her apparent brashness reminded me of myself in some ways, and I was looking forward to finding out if we were alike in any other ways.
We finished getting ready, and I donned the necklace that my people had given to me and Tási clipped on the bracelet from the dwarven King. She looked absolutely amazing once again and seemed to have grown a bit more comfortable wearing the gown Birt had made for her this time. It was a slightly lighter shade of blue, and the cut was noticeably different than her previous dress, but it still highlighted the deep blue of her eyes and even showed off her figure quite well, despite the fact that I hadn’t interfered this time to override her preferences.
“You seem to be growing a bit bolder in your fashion choices,” I remarked as we descended the stairs together along with our ever-present escort of guards.
“Not really. I’d still prefer something a little less revealing,” Tási replied as she glanced down at the front of her gown where the neckline cut a bit lower than I knew she preferred. “But this is about you, and the image you are trying to project, so I told Birt to make me something that he thought would be appropriate for the occasion.”
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 55