As soon as the introductions were made, we were escorted to our seats upon the dais and the food was served. As before, the meal began with several lighter courses before moving on to the heartier fare, but when the spiced boar was served with the orcish brew, the dwarven King praised the dish and demanded to know where I had procured the chef who had prepared the exotically spiced course.
“Would you like to meet him?” I asked when the dwarven King’s praise was joined by King Nerec of Lorida. “He’s also responsible for the fine brew you seem to enjoy so much.”
“Then I absolutely must meet the man,” Broda’s uncle insisted. “A person of such skill deserves to hear my praise with his own ears.”
I had hoped to provoke such a response, and at my signal, Thola stepped forward and approached the dais with Morg, the chef and brewer.
“Your Majesty,” I said as the King’s jaw practically fell open. “At your request, I am proud to introduce you to Thola, who’s wisdom and bravery brought me my first orcish citizens, and Morg, the man responsible for preparing the food and drink you have so richly enjoyed both times you graced my halls with your presence.”
The entire dais fell silent as the King was not alone in his astonishment. Not a single one of them would have considered an orc capable of producing such amazing fare, yet I had just proven their preconceived notions so very wrong. While I had planned this little display just to make that point to them, Hilgreth and Renn’s impromptu wedding and those that had followed only served to magnify it even further.
“You have brought great change to your little corner of Arrika, Dreya Sintári,” Queen Líann finally spoke to me before she turned, and remarkably, addressed Morg directly.
“Although your food and drink are a bit strong for my palate,” Líann offered the orc, “that does not mean I am unable to appreciate how truly splendid they are. You are quite skilled in your craft, Morg, and you have taught us all a very important lesson today.”
“Aye, that he has, although I would say he was not alone in sending that message,” Broda’s uncle added as he glanced at me.
“I brought my own chef with me to your Realm, Dreya Sintári,” he continued. “And I swore that we would not leave until he learned the recipe for this fine food. So, Morg, now that you have taught me my lesson so well, name your price, and I will send my chef to you so that you can impart the secret of your splendid cooking to him.”
Morg took a single step forward and looked the King in the eye as he addressed him in return.
“Your people and mine have slaughtered each other by the thousands over the years,” Morg began, and although his words recounted the harsh reality of their mutual hatred, his voice came forth in tones of remorse. “If I can play some small part in ending that by sharing a simple recipe, it would be my honor to pass it on.”
“You have my thanks, Morg Uglessek,” the King replied.
Morg’s eyes lit up in recognition of the strange word the King spoke, and although I didn’t know its meaning, the low murmur that followed told me that many others obviously did.
“It’s orcish,” Broda whispered in my ear when she noted my confused look. “We never bothered to learn much of their language, but it means ‘honored one,’ and is usually reserved for only the most revered among them.”
As she explained, the King motioned to one of his people, who then strode over to Morg and they began speaking with each other as they walked away from the dais together. Apparently, the chef was as eager to learn the orc’s secrets as the King was to have them, and I didn’t detect the slightest hint of reluctance from either of them as the pair vanished into the crowd of tables.
Several more courses were served, including a surprise that had been added to the menu to recognize Queen Nadiel’s presence. I had intended to try and address that issue myself, but with all that had gone on it had slipped my mind. Fortunately, the chamberlain was far more attentive than me, and an interesting dish of chicken with a delightful fruit sauce was served among the other main courses in her honor. Tási seemed to enjoy it immensely and told me that it was the first time she’d had anything like the food she was used to in years. I thought that if Nadiel appreciated the effort only half as much as Tási did, our alliance was all but assured.
Despite the many courses that were served after Morg’s, the weighty thoughts that remained on the royals’ minds left them mostly silent for the rest of the meal, and the night finally ended without any of them offering much more than their polite goodbyes as things wound down. Once Tási and I made our way back upstairs, we quickly retired to the peace and solitude of our chambers.
“That was amazing, unexpected, and frightening to boot,” Tási summarized the evening perfectly as she turned her back to me so that I could help her out of her dress.
I thought about what she said as we switched places and couldn’t help but agree with her assessment as we got ready for bed. So much had happened that night, but if we failed to capitalize on it and seal our alliance with the monarchs, it would all be in vain.
“Do you think they’ll actually join me?” I asked her as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling almost blankly.
“Join you, Dreya?” Tási scoffed. “You’re not asking them to join you. You’re asking them to submit to your rule—demanding it even. I remember the words of the ancient elf King—any who resist you must eventually be conquered.”
“Well, that makes it so much easier then,” I replied in tones full of sarcasm. “Thank you so much, Tási.”
“I’m sorry, that wasn’t very helpful, was it?” She offered more contritely.
“No, not really.”
When she nudged me, I didn’t resist, and rolled over on my stomach so she could work out the tensions that always came to rest in my knotted shoulders. Her soothing touch and the impression of warm, flowing water that she sent into my muscles worked free the kinks and banished my troubles for a time, and I let myself drown in the calming waves she sent into me. My eyes slowly closed, and my senses dimmed until all I could feel was the gentle current of her warm waters. Then, just before I fell asleep, I heard her soft whisper next to my ear.
“Never fear, my love. I will always be here to take your worries away.”
Almost every time Tási lulled me to sleep with her soothing massage, I woke the next morning feeling almost completely renewed and refreshed. That next day was no exception, and as I got ready for our meeting with the rulers of the four nations, I found a new sense of hope and promise that our efforts to recruit them to our cause would actually succeed.
I let Tási sleep while I got dressed, and took a seat beside the bed and simply watched her rest peacefully for a while. We had come together almost by accident, but after all we’d been through and all we had experienced together, there was no way I could even consider life without her by my side. My heart swelled with the love I had for her, and I took those few precious moments to simply appreciate Tási and the precious bonds we had forged between us before I finally woke her.
“I’m up, I’m up,” Tási protested as I shook her gently awake.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up. When she finally stood up, I handed over her outfit and she clumsily slid into it while she slowly came back to life.
“How long do we have?” Tási yawned when she finished arranging herself.
“Just enough time for a quick bite,” I replied with a smile as I gazed at her.
“What?” Tási checked herself over as she responded to my look. “Is there something in my hair?
“No, you’re perfect,” I whispered her as I kissed her tenderly. “Absolutely perfect.”
“If you do that again,” she replied softly, “we’re going to be late.”
I hesitated for just a second and actually considered it, but Tási recognized the look in my eye, and with a sigh, she grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of our chambers and into my office where both Aiva and Karina were waiting for us. I was a bit irritated that I hadn’t
been able to move into my permanent residence yet, but the frantic preparations for the summit had diverted all our efforts into getting things ready for the monarch’s arrival.
“You’ve got a few minutes before we need to leave, Empress,” Karina said as we entered the room. “If you’d like to have a bite to eat, Aiva was nice enough to fetch you some food.”
Tási and Ella had ordered my guards to address me as ‘Empress’ unless someone who was not in on the secret was around. Even though the title still grated on my nerves, they steadfastly refused to rescind their directive. The two insisted not only that I needed to become comfortable with the title, but my guards also had to become accustomed to using it as well, and while there was a certain logic behind it, I couldn’t help but think that they also enjoyed the opportunity to poke me with it just as much.
I shot Karina a glare as I sat down to eat, and she shrugged, as if to say, ‘just following orders’ but the trace of a smile on her lips told me that was far from the truth. They all knew that I was having trouble assuming my new role, and almost to the last one, my guards shared in their leaders’ amusement at my discomfort.
We shared a quick meal before heading off for the meeting. The other monarchs weren’t due to arrive for a while, but I had one last surprise for them, and it required all of us to be there ahead of them.
When we finally wound our way down the stairs and into the large room that had been reserved for the summit, I was happy to see that the rest of my companions were already there. While we waited, we discussed the events of the previous night, and everyone was truly impressed with just how well things had gone.
“Counsellor Dalona informed me that Queen Nadiel was most surprised by the inclusion of some of her people’s cuisine on last night’s menu,” Broda mentioned. “Apparently, the dish was to her liking and the fact that we weren’t aware of her attendance until yesterday made it all the more impressive that we prepared something special for the occasion.”
Khorim seemed ready to add something else when a soft knock came from the door, alerting us that the others had arrived and would be admitted shortly. Each of us quickly took up the positions we had carefully planned for their entrance and waited with great anticipation for the royals to finally join us.
After just a moment, Aiva opened the door slowly and King Nerec of Lorida and his entourage led the procession of rulers into the summit. Behind him trailed Queen Líann and Queen Nadiel, with Broda’s uncle entering last as Aiva closed the door behind them. I stood in front of them as they filed in, with my companions arrayed beside me. Laying on the floor at my feet was Bane, in all of his majesty and now larger than a draft horse, at least when he was standing.
The entire procession ground to a halt as they caught sight of him resting there. The sudden appearance of, what was to them, a dragon in their midst set a jolt of shock through both the monarchs and their attendants, a state of affairs that I had not only anticipated but counted on as well.
“Be at ease,” I said as I walked around his bulk and approached them. “Bane is my familiar, and he will cause you no harm.”
Líann looked to me as I spoke and noticed for the first time what I was wearing, and her pale blue eyes flew wide open in shock.
Instead of the formal attire that such meetings required, each of us had worn our God-forged armor, weapons, and gear. Every piece that Nentai has given us was in the room, including Bane’s Halter, even though it could not be seen. The display was a blatant attempt to impress them, just as it had the dwarven King, and if Líann’s reaction was any indication, it was having its intended effect.
“Do you know what you’re looking at?” I asked her as I approached a little bit closer.
“Not precisely,” she admitted. “But I know that I’ve never seen it’s like before.”
As she continued to stare, I pulled the grip of Retribution from my arm and let it come to its full form before her eyes. I extended the weapon towards the queen and opened my palm, exposing the glowing green emerald embedded in in its grip as I offered it to her.
“Take it from my hand and you will learn not only what this weapon is, but also where this and every other Artifact before you has come from.”
Líann’s fingers trembled as they wrapped around Retribution’s grip, and when she took hold of it, a look of total shock came over her face. For a minute it seemed that she could do nothing but stare blankly into space, and I was about to try to prompt her for a response when she finally spoke again.
“Raithe gave you all this?” Her voice waivered as she asked.
“No, Líann,” I replied addressing her by name. “The gifts my companions and I wear come from each and every one of the Gods. Nentai and Set presented them to us after they bestowed the blessing of the entire Pantheon upon our mission.”
“So that there is no confusion over what that means, I will tell you now. I am going to unite the Realms of Arrika—each and every one of them. Under my banner, they will conduct themselves as we do here in my own Realm, by honoring the dignity of every single person, regardless of who they are. The old feuds and grudges between the various peoples will no longer be tolerated. Once we are united as one, I will lead the people of Arrika into the heart of our enemy’s territory and eliminate the scourge of the Dark Lands forever. Only when that is accomplished, will I be able to achieve my most treasured goal; to bring justice and peace to the people.”
“With the Realms united and the threat of the Dark Lands removed, we will finally have the resources to protect our people from harm. Rather than fighting amongst ourselves, we can focus our efforts on preventing the brutal and cruel animals among us from preying on the innocent. We can finally end the senseless slaughter and abuse that goes unpunished throughout the land and bring justice to those who would cause harm.”
“I told you she was special,” the dwarven King spoke unexpectedly as I finished. “Dreya Sintári has been sent to us by the Gods themselves to heal our broken lands. Now I will take this opportunity to repeat the oath I’ve already made, this time with my fellow leaders as witnesses; if they have any wisdom at all, they will follow my example.”
With that, the King once again drew his weapon and looked me in the eye as he knelt before me.
“Empress Dreya Sintári,” he began by invoking the title we had been keeping secret. “I pledge my allegiance to you and your cause. My Kingdom and my people are yours to command, and I swear to defend you until my last breath.”
“I have no weapon,” Líann whispered to herself.
“Then swear upon mine,” I offered her. “I can think of nothing more fitting than to make your oath with a God-forged weapon in your hand.”
Líann trembled as she fell to her knees and her arm shook while she tried to hold Retribution steady in her grasp. I reached down and steadied her hand, and she took a deep breath to gather herself before speaking.
“I Líann, Queen of Íforn, pledge myself and my Kingdom to you,” she spoke slowly. “From this day forward, we shall follow your word, and I will be your most loyal servant.”
Wow, that was certainly something, I thought as I helped Líann back to her feet. Our eyes met as she handed Retribution back to me, and I could tell from her expression that, while she was completely overwhelmed by the situation, she’d meant every word that she’d said.
“May I?” Nerec asked as he gestured towards the Artifact in my hand.
Wordlessly, I handed it to him and he followed the lead of the two monarchs before him and took a knee in front of me.
“Empress,” he took a moment to absorb the word before continuing. “As the King of the Kingdom and people of Lorida, I swear my loyalty to you. Where you lead, I will follow, and as you command, it will be done.”
Nerec then rose to his feet and handed Retribution back to me before taking his place beside Broda’s uncle once more. Oddly, Líann remained close to me still as Nadiel approached.
“What will this mean for my people?” She asked a
s she took the Artifact from me in turn.
After thousands of years of mistreatment, it didn’t surprise me that Nadiel expressed her concern for them even as she committed herself to submitting to my rule. So, before I let go of Retribution, I answered her question as honestly as I could.
“It will mean much, Nadiel,” I replied solemnly. “There will be war, and with it, there will be death. But it will not be another war without purpose, for when we are victorious, your people, and the rest of the people of Arrika, will live their lives free from the violence and senseless abuse that have plagued these lands for far too long. I will not make you any empty promises, Nadiel—but I swear that I will see this through till the end, and I will not rest until it is finished.”
“Lies are usually spoken in soft, comforting words,” she responded as she took a knee. “But your words ring with the harsh tones of truth, Empress.”
“I, Nadiel, Evoker of Fire,” she began with her own title. “On behalf of myself and the nation of Isouri, offer our service to you, Empress Dreya Sintári. Our people shall join you in your cause and heed your words from this day forward.”
When Nadiel finished, a silence came over the room. In the span of only minutes, four Kingdom’s had submitted themselves to my rule, giving me dominion over a quarter of the Realms of Arrika in an instant. I suddenly realized that I had no idea what that actually meant. Even though we had talked about this moment among ourselves, our planning had never ventured beyond luring the nations to our cause.
“Forgive me, Empress,” Dalona interrupted my thoughts. “But now that the Realms have sworn their allegiance to you, perhaps you may wish to leave the details, and the drafting of your Imperial Charter, to us and your representatives.”
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 57