“If you are willing to undergo this process, I will interview you one at a time each morning,” I concluded. “Starting right now with you, Talína. The rest of you may leave and decide among yourselves the order in which you will return to me.”
The other three left, and Karina raised an eyebrow at me as I approached Talína. She had heard what I had said to the halfling woman, and seemed curious about how the situation might play out.
“This is the same weapon that your former Queen used to swear her allegiance to me,” I said as I gripped Retribution and pulled it from my arm.
Talína actually startled in surprise as the limbs of the bow sprung out and the weapon took its full form before her eyes. Once it was revealed in its complete glory, I held the Artifact out to her, and she took it from me reverently as she knelt down to offer her oath.
“I forswear all my prior oaths, allegiances, and bonds, and pledge my undying loyalty to you, Empress Dreya Sintári, and to the First Sintári Empire.”
Well, shit, if that didn’t just about cover it all – I thought.
When she rose, I took Retribution back from her and motioned for Talína to take the seat across from me. As she limped over to her chair, I cast See Truth on her before sitting down myself.
“Are you here to spy on me?” I began without preamble.
“No, Empress, I am not.”
“Do you plan to cause me or my citizens any harm?”
“No, Empress, I do not.”
“Are you aware of anyone who does?”
“I am not, Empress.”
“Just answer the questions, Lína, you can leave off the formalities,” I said, guessing at the more familiar form of her name.
“Very well, Em-. Very well.” She corrected herself quickly.
“Is there anything that impedes or invalidates the oath you just took?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
“What is your relevant experience for the job you seek?” I asked, switching to less dire matters since all her words had flowed in shades of blue.
“I was the secretary for our Ambassador until I volunteered for this position.”
“Why did you choose to leave the Ambassador’s service?”
“You may speak freely, Lína,” I coaxed her when she hesitated. “In fact, I encourage you to do so.”
“Truly?” She asked skeptically.
“The freer, the better,” I replied.
“He was a fucking pig who couldn’t keep his hands to himself… Empress,” Talína added almost as an afterthought.
“Is Nadiel aware of this?” I asked her pointedly. My opinion of the halfling Queen would take a definite hit if I found out that she was the sort to tolerate such abuse.
“No,” Talína replied reluctantly. “I’m certain she doesn’t know.”
“I will have to rectify that. Immediately,” I told her firmly. “When we are done here, your first duty to me will be to draft a letter detailing the Ambassador’s improprieties and deliver it to Nadiel. Leave nothing out, do you understand?”
“It will be my pleasure to do so,” she smiled.
“Then, unless there is anything else you think I should be aware of, I have a rather large stack of reports you need to get started on.”
“There is one more thing,” she hesitated again.
“Go ahead,” I prompted her.
“I used to be an adventurer until I nearly lost my leg,” she revealed to me. “I can still cast my Spells, but I can’t run or even walk very fast anymore.”
“So, you’re telling me that in addition to being my aide, you’re also an undercover member of my guard as well?”
“That would be an accurate description of how I view my duties to you, yes,” Talína replied with a smile.
“Lieutenant,” I called to Karina. “Move my desk into this room and let Talína work here until you can get my former office set up for my new aides. You’ll need to lug four desks in there, but I’m sure you’ll have no trouble finding someone for the job.”
“Sergeant Rhia!” Karina summoned her with a smirk as I left the women behind.
With my workload lightened, and a couple of hours to kill, I decided to tour around the Imperial District, as Broda and Venna had so thoughtfully decided to name my Realm for me. It actually wasn’t a poor choice, and reflected the fact that we were independent and not aligned with any of the old Kingdoms, so I let the name stand. Unfortunately, my trip was derailed when a messenger met me as I was heading downstairs.
“Empress,” he greeted me formally. “A letter has arrived for you from Olóra.”
Now that was interesting.
“I will take that,” Karina said as she snatched the missive from his hands. She knew well that Olóra, and specifically King Gilfri, was behind the multiple attempts on my life and wasn’t going to take any chances on the letter being some sort of trap.
She snapped the seal and opened the parchment carefully, and only when her thorough examination found nothing suspicious did Karina hand the letter over to me.
The message was indeed from Gilfri, and was filled with rather glowing compliments, congratulating me on my accomplishments and requesting an audience with me to discuss the future of our two nations. Gilfri asked for no preconditions; only the traditional guarantees of safe conduct that were afforded diplomatic missions between the Realms.
It was quite puzzling, until I realized that Gilfri was likely unaware that we knew he was the one behind the assassination attempts. Why would he be? As far as he knew, all his hired killers had died without giving away anything when the blood clauses of their contracts were invoked. He was probably quite perplexed that I remained alive despite his best efforts, and maybe felt the need to take the measure of me in person. It was an interesting question, and one that I realized Líann might be able to help me with. After all, she was his equal, and likely had some dealings with the man as the Queen of a nearby elven nation. I would have to trust her with some delicate information, but I felt it was worth the risk if I could get some additional insight into the man’s motivations. With the letter in hand, I returned to my rooms to give the matter some more thought before Líann arrived for our lunch together.
I spent my time looking over the letter and reading it repeatedly, searching for any hidden meaning in its words, but I found nothing that gave me any clue to Gilfri’s intentions. I was still turning it over in my mind when the servers from the kitchen brought in the food for my lunch with Líann. Time had gotten away from me as I pondered, and it was nearly time for the Queen to arrive.
“What the fuck is wrong with you, Líann?” I shocked her when she walked in. “I thought you understood that this was a casual meeting?”
She was dressed in an absolutely stunning gown in her trademark forest green that looked amazing on her but was far more suited for a formal engagement than the relaxed environment I wanted for our discussion that day.
“This is the least formal thing I own,” she seemed on the verge of tears as she protested.
“I’m sorry, Líann,” I soothed her. “You’ll need to get used to my bluntness. I meant nothing by it, but that outfit simply won’t do—come with me.”
I took her by the hand and dragged her across my apartments and into the large room that served as my closet. While Birt was doing his best to fill it for me as quickly as possible, it was still mostly empty, so I didn’t have to search long for what I sought.
“I’ll wait outside while you change into these,” I told her as I fished out a set of deep green trousers and matching shirt before setting a pair of simple shoes beside them.
“You want me to wear pants?” She asked in shock.
“What’s wrong with pants?” I asked as I not-so-subtly pulled back my Cloak to display the bottom half of Melía’s Armor more clearly.
“Nothing,” she whispered.
“Are you telling me that you’ve never worn pants?” I asked her incredulously.
“I haven’t
,” she replied flatly.
“Gods, Líann, you’re not going to be an easy project, are you?” I said mostly to myself as I massaged my temples.
“I’m sorry,” she lamented. “Will you help me put them on?”
“No, I will not,” I replied firmly. I wasn’t about to walk into that trap.
“I don’t know how,” she complained weakly.
“You’ll figure it out,” I said as I shut the door and waited outside for her to complete the apparently monumental task I’d set out for her.
It took her much longer than I thought it would, but Líann finally emerged from the closet wearing the outfit I’d given her. The more casual clothing actually looked good on her, and her obvious discomfort in wearing it robbed the Queen of some of her formerly haughty appearance.
“You look great, Líann,” I encouraged her. “Now let’s have some lunch, shall we?”
Líann followed me back to the meeting room that I’d reserved for our time together, and we sat down across from each other before having a few bites to eat. In deference to her difficult night, I’d made sure to have both wine and water set out for us, and I wasn’t the least bit surprised when she chose to fill her cup with the latter. I poured myself a healthy glass of the red liquid instead and began my task of turning the coddled aristocrat into a decent person.
“It’s really good, Líann,” I taunted her after I took a sip. “Are you sure you don’t want some?”
“No, thanks,” she replied in embarrassment. “I’ve had enough for a while.”
Before I pressed any further, I passed Gilfri’s letter to her and asked her what she thought of his words.
“Gilfri can be quite eloquent and charming when he wants, but he’s a rabid xenophobe,” Líann pronounced, finally comfortable in her element. “He likely only wishes to see for himself just what you’ve built here and who you really are before he decides whether or not he needs to eliminate you. Your Empire, and its Imperial District in particular, are too close to his own borders for him to ignore. He probably doesn’t know about the accords and alliances you’ve just made, so it might be interesting to see his reaction to your growing power.”
“He’s already tried to have me killed several times, Líann,” I informed her.
“That certainly changes things,” she mused. “I would accept his request for a meeting if I were you. Let him see how futile it is to pit himself against your Empire. He was particularly bothersome to me for a while when he thought he could buy my affections, so I would truly enjoy sitting in on your conference if you would allow me. Perhaps as your advisor? It would definitely irk him to see me there and know that I sided with a mere human.”
“Thank you for your advice, Líann,” I replied to her. “I think that I will do exactly as you suggest.”
I let the matter drop at that and returned my attention to the food for a moment. Líann only took a few tentative bites before cautiously asking me a question.
“Did you, by chance, give Thelmé a rather… unusual directive?”
“I wonder what might make you think that, Líann,” I replied innocently. “Did something happen?”
“Oh,” she slouched as she responded. “I see that you did.”
“Tell me what happened,” I coaxed her.
“Thelmé… chastised me,” Líann uttered in astonishment.
“Did you deserve it?” I asked her pointedly. “Was she right to correct you?”
“That’s not the point,” she replied sharply. “She’s just a servant. She had no right to tell me what is or is not correct!”
“Líann, she may be a servant, but she’s still a person, just like you,” I took my own turn chastising the privileged woman. “You seem to be under the impression that your superior station in life somehow makes you a superior being—it doesn’t. You may be her Queen, but you’re no better than her, and she’s entitled to be treated with a certain amount of dignity and respect.”
As I finished speaking, Líann rocked back in her chair as if I’d shoved her. She’d obviously only thought of her inferiors as lesser things, and my words shocked her.
“I never considered that,” she finally said in a bare whisper. “Even when I first dealt with you, I never thought of you as a person, only as something to be obtained. It wasn’t until you… rebuked me that I was forced to take your feelings into account. And only then just barely.”
“I’m sure you can see how your lack of empathy might make people dislike you, Líann,” I gently prompted her.
“No, I don’t think that I can,” she replied with surprising insight. “Not yet at least. It will require a great deal of consideration on my part before even that is possible.”
She seemed quite lost in her sudden discovery, and I studied her for a moment as she silently pondered its meaning. Her words revealed an impressive amount of awareness on her part, and I was reminded that even though she was a grade-A bitch, the woman was both intelligent and well-versed. Without the armor of her formal attire, she looked almost vulnerable as she sat there, so I rose from my seat and took the chair beside her.
She looked up at me despondently as I sat down, and I couldn’t help but feel compassion for her in that moment. Líann’s world had been turned upside down repeatedly over the last two days, and she was clearly lost in the jumble of conflicted emotions those events had stirred up. With all the wisdom and experience I had accrued over the last few months, I reached over and took her hand in mine and did the most ridiculously stupid thing I possibly could have; I sent her a thin tendril of compassion and support.
I simply couldn’t help myself—she was absolutely pathetic in her misery, and when she stared at me so helplessly, it tugged at my heartstrings and I felt compelled to reach out to her. I’d like to blame my actions on the same forces that had driven her to me, and perhaps they did play some small role in pushing me to act so rashly. But in truth, the real force behind my ill-advised attempt to console her was my own innate sympathy, driven in no small part by the attraction I felt for her.
If I was being honest with myself, the only thing that kept me from being with her the previous night was her poor choice of words. Líann was stunningly beautiful, with the lithe and graceful figure that was unique to her people, and when she bared the subtle curves of her body to me that night, my desire for her burned hot inside me. If it wasn’t for her selfish ranting, we would have already been lovers.
While the tendril I sent her was the tiniest thread I could possibly manage, I still felt the connection between us immediately come to life. The little tendril surged with energy as a link between us formed, and I instantly knew just what a terrible mistake I’d made in trying to reach out to her so soon.
Líann had not mischaracterized her visions, and I saw each of them flash before my eyes through our shared link. Only this time, with the connection between us firmly in place, instead of the figure by her side being shrouded and indistinct, I could see that it was me, standing beside her in each and every one of her memories.
My tendril flared with the energy that flowed between us, and in addition to seeing her visions, I felt Líann herself for the first time. Despite my intentions, the thin band of compassion I sent to her morphed into something far more powerful, and I experienced something of the woman herself.
I assumed that her emotions would have been dominated by the haughty and arrogant attitude that she displayed so openly, but instead, what I found inside her was a lost and lonely soul, bereft of any real support and isolated by her lifelong pursuit of the visions of her future love. In addition to her solitary upbringing, she had intentionally set herself apart from others, relying instead on the promise of her visions to eventually provide her with the comfort she so desperately needed, but had denied herself.
The thread between us pulsed with one final burst of energy, sealing us together with the link it had created; or perhaps that had always been there. Seeing Líann’s visions made me understand more fully the depth of the
bond between us, and just how long it had been in the making. Her dreams stretched back in time long before I’d come into existence, a fact that humbled me greatly and made me reconsider my place in this world. Then, as the final burst of energy dimmed, the connection I had so carelessly established ended, and I found myself staring into her pale blue eyes.
Those enticing eyes only grew larger in my vision until I felt Líann’s soft, warm lips press against mine. The shock of her contact broke me from my trance, and despite the longing I had for her, and how seductive her delicate kiss was, I pulled back and held her away from me.
“What’s wrong?” She asked in confusion as I stood up and paced away from her.
“I fucked up—that’s what’s wrong, Líann!” I snapped at her.
“I don’t understand,” she plead as she rose and walked towards me. “You saw it for yourself. Everything. All my visions, and I saw you this time, right there with me.”
“I know,” I whispered as I took another step away from her. “I’m not saying it’s not real, Líann. And I won’t lie to you and tell you that I don’t want it to be real either, but it’s too soon. I’m not ready for this right now, and you’re not ready for me either.”
“Why does any of that matter?” Líann continued after me. “We belong together.”
“What I told you the other night is still true, Líann,” I told her bluntly. “Despite what I just saw, I’m not going to let you take Tási’s place, or undermine her in any way. Whatever happens, whatever may develop between us, you will have to come to terms with that.”
“And our relationship isn’t going any further until you prove to me that you are capable of treating people the right way. As equals, if not in station, then at least as individuals.”
Instead of pursuing the issue further as I anticipated, Líann only smiled at me. And it wasn’t an awkward, uncomfortable grin either, but more like the broad smile of the cat who’d just cornered a mouse.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I asked uneasily as she completely relaxed, and all signs of her former distress vanished.
Second Skin: Unified: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 3) Page 65