We approached the north gate, it was easily larger than the east gate's guard station. The grass around it curved inwards away from the gate, so that other than the paving stone walkway, there was close to 500 feet of just the finely maintained lawn on the inside of the wall.
The whole thing looked well maintained, and it was as if the city was purposefully untouched. The two wheeled vehicles came to a stop, the elf escorted Angela and I to the building.
"Pardon me, for being bold, but I believe I should lead you to the room, instead of giving instructions." He said. I felt as though he was trying to weave himself into a political position; so I looked toward my human friend.
"That's fine, but I will announce her, when we get to the room." She said. His shoulders sagged, betraying what he was intending to maneuver himself to do.
We walked briskly through the building, even as sensitive as my new microphone was, only when we climbed stairs, could I hear the air being released behind the armor plate protecting my generator.
We approached a double door, and the elf went to open it, Angela pushed his hand away, and did it instead. The whole time we were in the city, I never saw her be this aggressive.
As the door opened, I heard three different languages, I know because I understood Common, but I got messages for understanding spoken Human, and Illustrial. When the messages came up, Angela seemed to get nautious then she spoke in common, with the croud still talking over her. They stopped talking when she said my name.
"I, Angela Grey, present to the council Ayla Andronis, the Crowned Princess."
I could have heard a needle drop to the floor. One of the men I recognized as a member of the fairy race approached me, and spoke in Common.
"So this Andronis, is the keeper?" He asked. I answered in his native tongue.
"This Andronis, is currently standing in front of you, speaking in your native tongue, and has been officially announced." I switched to the human language, "This Andronis wishes to join the negotiations pertaining to the land of her birth." Then I changed to Common. "Are there any further objections to my presence?"
Everyone shook their head no. I don't know what made me answer the fairy in that way, it just felt like what I was supposed to do. Angela stepped out of the room, and came back with a solid wooden chair.
As she sat it down I heard her whisper, "that was the perfect thing to do." And she took a couple steps back from the chair.
The room still hadn't spoken since I stated my intent to stay, and my obvious knowledge of their native languages.
"Since I have just come to these negotiations, could someone please tell me where things currently stand?"
The fairy, who was the size of a human currently, stepped toward the table. Then proceeded in common
"We have held the responsibility of caretakers of this city for the past fifty years. And the Andronic Treaty states that the ability to care for this place must pass to the next race this year."
"And where does the Andronis fit into your fifty year cycle?" I asked him.
"Well Miss...." Angela interrupted him,
"That's Princess, at least until the actual crown can be found."
"...erm, sorry, Princess, we have never had someone enter the negotiations from your race. We wouldn't know."
"So, I could ask for my guardianship to be next in line right now, correct?" I could see the anger grow on the faces of the two humans that were at the table. The rest of them seemed frightend, as if they would be punished if this went poorly.
"Well, since no one else at this table has the tact to introduce themselves, I will stake my claim, to my own land here and now. Any and all permits given will continue at their current yearly issuances. The cost of which will be maintained at the same rate for the next three years. At wich time all races named in the treaty will meet back here."
"The proceedes of the permits will first be used to fund maintinance and guards of the perimeter. After that, I will personally take 10% for my own income, of the remainder, I will spit it, fifty percent to each of your races for the next three years."
"You can't be serious!" One of the humans stood and shouted at me.
"Let me ask you this, no-named man, would you willingly allow someone from another race to enter one of your conquered cities, specifically the home of the Royal Family, and take portions of the corpses interned there for their own uses?" He sat down at this point, so I continued.
"For six hundred years, you all have bickered over the last resting place of my kinsmen. And no one ever questioned their actions, against the dead of a race that no longer was counted among the living."
"I know, I am currently the only one of my kind, I also know that your economies are dependent on the relics you find among the dead in this city, and I know that right now, the full alliance of your militaries would be too much for me to handle."
"But I also know, that the treaty specifically states that if any Andronis is found sentient, then this land belongs to them, as does the individual who discovers them."
"So I will make one more rule for everyone who enters these grounds: no being, being indentured, or owned, is permitted on these grounds. Only free beings are allowed."
"I will not allow a single slave, or Indentured Servant on this property as long as I am in control of it." I looked toward the humans. "This will be effective at midnight tonight, so I suggest you either leave tonight, or learn how to dress yourselves." I stood.
"I'm allowing you to take parts from my family's dead; the least you can do is honor my wish that only free males and females be allowed to enter."
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When the implications finally hit the people in the room, the male fairy stood up.
"Princess, forgive my lack of tact. I am Ambassador Bilby Raleigh, and I agree with all of your terms, and find them favorable to the Fair People, as well as the Andronic Treaty."
The human stood and said the same thing, but he seemed to be holding a grudge, and still refused to give me his name, and was about to leave when Angela spoke up.
"Human, if you exit the threshold of this room, your life will be forfit the next time you enter it; you have failed to give your name to all parties while engaged in negotiations."
He turned to face the room and made a hand gesture I assumed was considered offensive, and then said 'suck it Tincan'. So I calmly replied.
"Well met, Ambassador Tincan."
At this the fairies all laughed, and shrunk in size. Each of them were now about a foot tall, and had beautiful colored translucent wings. Raleigh came over to me.
"Princess, first let me say I am glad for your return, second, this was the fastest negotiation in three hundred years. We were expecting to argue with those humans for another two months."
"Thank you, Ambassador. I'm new to this, so pardon me if I broke protocol."
"Nonsense, as you so elequently put it, this city is a burial ground, and a burial ground of your family, as well as the last fortess that stood during the war. It took the entire clan of Dwarves 100 years to open these gates."
"Now that one of you have returned, I can see the technology race taking off again. Between the Dwarves, and the Gnomes, things have stagnated. It was your kind that pushed the limits."
"Well thanks for the confidence." I said. Angela stepped forward, and looked like she wanted to speak. "Go ahead, Angela."
"Um, Ambassador, may I touch your wings? I've always been told that it's good luck to touch a fairy's wings."
"Well, Angela," he looked at me, then continued, "may I request that the two of you touch each of our wings? It is considered the greatest honor we can bestow to a non-fair person, and we would like to honor your return by doing this."
I nodded, and the twelve of them lined up on the table in front of us. They each turned their back toward us, and we each touched them in turn. A couple of the young ones seemed to almost faint when Angela touched them.
The Ambassador, having also seen this, looked toward the girl.
"Angela, how do you have so much pain in your spirit, for one so young? I know you tried to hold it back from us, but anyone who touches our wings, shares their spirit with us."
Angela looked at me, and her eyes started to water.
"Ayla, it is rude not to honestly answer their question, especially after what they just let us do. I'm sorry, I hid this from you."
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I watched as she leaned down and was at eye level with the group of the fair people, and told them what they felt.
"You all know, I discovered Ayla, and was claimed by her. As a result, I was given her memories. All of them." She looked at me, and I knew she had learned I was once human. "So please, forgive me. I also have her memories of loosing everything."
She stood up then looked at me as she finished. "I also have the memories of her death. And I know what she went through."
If I could cry, at this moment I would be. I don't wish the feelings I remember at that time on even my worst enemy.
"So, when your spirit touched us, we were being touched by both of you?" One of the last two fairies asked, seeming confused, she looked at me, "I felt your spirit, it was filled with a heavy loss, but hope for a possible future." She looked at Angela; "young one, don't dwell on her past, or what she has lost, she sees you as a positive force in her new life, and as a teacher. Where the humans might consider you her slave, we know the truth. She sees herself as a friend, and a guardian. You have but to ask, and she would release her claim without a second thought, but only if you request it. No slave, or indentured servant has a guarantee of immediate release at their request. You do."
With that, the fair people seemed to shimmer and disappear. When they had all gone, the ambassador stood there for a moment longer, then pulled a key half his size out of a hole be materialized next to him."
"This is the key to the city, erm, the key to your city. And please, call me Bilby from now on. Using my family name, even in formal occasions will be considerd rude after I allowed one to touch my wings." The others will tell you their familiar names as they come in and out, we will always be able to find your spirit now."
"Thank you Bilby, but would you mind keeping that for a while? I want to learn about the world I now find myself in." He nodded, gave a bow, and disappeared with the key.
"I guess I now own this junkyard." I said to Angela. she laughed and gave me a hug.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you I knew, or that every time you learn something new, so do I. I know you aren't getting the pain I am, but, I don't mind it as the first one, when I got all the memories of your past life. I didn't get a single name though."
"I don't remember the names either. And don't worry about hiding it, it's not like we have been alone long enough to talk about it since this morning."
She nodded, "do me a favor; actually go to sleep tonight. Your memories tell me that you know that helps make your systems faster."
"Alright. So do you know where we are sleeping tonight? As I asked, we walked past the elf that was still at the door. He hadn't moved in the fifteen minutes we had been in there. We both ignored him and kept walking.