Lavender gazed nervously at me, but she finally calmed down and smiled brightly. She looked outside towards the sky and mused to herself with a sigh. "I don't know if I should thank them or not, but we still have to prepare for their arrival."
"Indeed..." The doors to the room opened letting in Wendy, who, after giving me and my new Queen a respectful bow, took away the latter to prepare her a Royal Mantle and a more proper gown.
Wendy moved like a storm through the room, taking away Callicarpa and both of Ian's wives in the process. I was left with Ian and my spinning head; however, I had no time for contemplation or receiving congratulations. "Ian, I ordered Knys and Sigismund to welcome the Bernans. I'll assign them one hundred Living Armours as assistants... The harbour is almost ready. I copied the one built by Bjorn in the upper castle but scaled it down a bit. Ian, you know what to do when they land."
"Aye aye, Sir!" Ian smiled widely.
•••
Knys was sitting on the decorated chair under the lavish and colossal tent. With Sigismund, they were looking through the notes provided by King Theon. The Living Armours had created a long, double line on the pier, at the beginning of which awaited a line of lavish carriages. The long breakwater straight cut into the calm waters of the Lower Castle Lake, and they patiently waited for the airship's arrival. Sigismund and Knys were summoned on short notice, but their role was simply to welcome Berna's delegation and show them the way towards the Palace.
"So... The King knows that our presence is going to anger them?" Knys scratched his head.
"Yeah, big guy. The King wanted to see if they came here with barely any good intentions." Sigismund shrugged.
"I thought he wanted to keep the peace with them at any cost?" The Orc was confused.
"Peace? Yes, for now. At any cost? No." Sigismund was calm. Usually, it was Knys who was calm, but not today.
"Ian?" Knys looked at the Human who was observing the airship through strange binoculars. "You will welcome them with us?"
"No... Hmm... I will stay behind this time. I have a separate mission."
"A secret one?" Sigismund chuckled.
"Of course," Ian laughed. "Lord Arani and sky-marshal Twirll are returning to Avalon, and they should be here any moment now so you can relax."
Knys hummed thoughtfully as he observed the sleek shapes of the Bernan airship, escorted by ten Storm Eagles. It looked so tiny against the endless sky, but with each moment, it grew bigger and bigger. When the ship was about to touch down the water, Knys noticed Ian moving towards the ramp prepared to help Bernans disembark. He shrugged and decided to ignore whatever Ian was planning to do. He followed Sigismund, who moved slowly toward the ramp, and Knys followed his friend with a sigh. In the meantime, the airship skimmed the water, but even though the two had never seen a real ship sailing the sea, it looked unnatural and heavy. Just as the two reached the end of the pier, the ship dropped its anchor, docking in the port. Knys noticed Ian was pretending to be a port official and exchanging some words with some of the ship’s officers. Then, he noticed that some people were gathered near the ramp, and they were talking with Sebastian, who disembarked from the airship soon after.
"I must report to His Majesty at once," he informed them quietly and quickly moved toward the pier entrance, where he vanished completely after disappearing from their line of sight for just a moment.
At the top of the ramp stood four paladins of the Holy Church in shining silver and white armours with white and green tabards. Compared to the lines of the Living Armours, these four looked not only poor but also simply weak. Nonetheless, they stepped down and created a symbolic passage for the Bernan delegation. Knys felt a gentle tap on his side and looked down at his friend, who gave him a worried look. He understood that look and nodded knowingly, taking an almost unnoticeable step back. On top of the ramp stood a young woman wearing a long, plain dress and a thick scarf that covered her hair. Behind her loomed five men who were talking to each other, pretending not to pay any attention to the forces that had welcomed them. They all descended fairly quickly, where Sigismund, who was entirely in charge, welcomed them while Knys was just assisting and mirroring his behaviour.
"Welcome to Avalon, dear guests." Sigismund bowed shallowly, only to pay a nominal respect. "My name is Sigismund Ironhand, the Count of Avalon."
"My name is Princess Elisabeth Berna. It's nice to meet the ruler of Avalon." The young woman smiled, but Sigismund saw in her eyes that she hated what she was doing.
Sigismund stood speechless for a moment. Did she just call him the King of Avalon? He stood there, opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the most diplomatic way out of this awkward situation. He looked at the diplomats following the Princess but saw only mocking smiles and rolled eyes.
"Oh, no, Lady Elisabeth. I am a mere servant of the King of Avalon. Lord Uvar Knys and I were sent to assist you, Lady, on your way towards the palace." The Dwarf bowed slightly after placing his hand on his heart.
The Princess smiled meekly, and Knys noticed an angry gleam in Sigismund's eyes as he looked at the men behind the Princess who smiled maliciously. They spoke no more with the Bernans, and Knys had no idea why. They pointed towards the carriages and took one for themselves. As they entered, Knys noticed a Slime Maid wearing her battle gear was sitting in their carriage. She only nodded to them, so they realised she was in high-alert mode.
"King Theon hears through you?" Sigismund asked without pleasantries as he took a seat, surprising the Orc.
"Yes, my Lord."
"The Bernans are setting up that Princess. I can't tell if they do it purposely or if their culture is just so fucked up, but that was one big diplomatic nightmare. No matter the reason, they just showed us the amount of disrespect women have in their eyes." Sigismund shook his head in disapproval. "The men following the Princess ignored us completely, but in turn, they allowed her to talk with us. If I heard someone from our diplomatic corp doing something like that, I would personally rip their head off. Anyway... From her look, I could tell she hates whatever she is tasked with, but she can't refuse for whatever reason. I also noticed that one of the men following her had a golden bird hidden in his hands. I do not know what it really was, but it's a powerful being, my Lord."
Knys looked at the old Dwarf in shock as everything Sigismund had reported flew over his head. The Maid nodded with closed eyes as she focused on the connection with the King. The Dwarf patted his beard as he focused on a particular thought. As it was apparent that the Maid was waiting for the last insight of the Dwarven Lord, he took a deep breath and started with slight reservation. "I am almost sure that Princess Elisabeth Berna is an assassin. While I couldn't appraise her, her movements and the way she paid attention to the surroundings were not normal."
"The King is grateful for your insight, Lord Sigismund. Are you armed?" The maid asked, and Knys finally smiled. This was the kind of job he was perfectly prepared for.
•••
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After the delegation left the pier, Ian was left behind. He prepared the supplies requested by Bernans, and with the help of a few slime butlers disguised as harbour helpers, he pretended to supervise the loading of the barrels. He also engaged in small talk with the airship quartermaster, and using some of his skills, Ian quickly managed to befriend him. The rest of his plan was fairly easy...
•••
"My King..."
"Theon," I corrected and watched her blush, but her eyes shone with delight.
"Theon..." Lavender spoke my name with pleasure, however, I heard frustration in her voice. "I am not sure if I understand that report correctly. It's... Just like Princess Elisabeth was not only forced to... Well... Everything, but also set up to this diplomatically embarrassing situation..."
"Yes... I don't know what plot Bernans want to employ or what drives them. We will humour some of their less outrageous demands and secure about half a year of peace. I also don't know why they insisted on seeing the Queen of Avalon, which worries me. However… Half a year, Lavender. After that time, Berna won't be able to scratch our border."
"Just half of a year?" She looked surprised.
I just nodded in confirmation, and she returned to the report, confident in my promise. When Lavender had become my Queen, I received new upgrades for the dungeon as well as new offensive and defensive skills that vastly expanded my combat abilities. She also received a gift from me: a vast amount of mana and access to all the libraries of Avalon. Her already incredible knowledge would soon be expanded, and her unparalleled mastery over biology and every aspect of agriculture would become even more superior. But that was not everything. In the place where I planted the golden seed that had been passed through the generations of Dryad Queens, a small tree sprouted. With Lavender at my side as my Queen, the supposedly dead seed started growing rapidly, and I could only wait and see what it would bring for Avalon. If my wife's title was any indicator, the tree growing in my garden was the mythical Yggdrasil. According to the myths, the tree supported the worlds in Norse mythology. Since my knowledge of Norse mythology was just as fantastic as Arthurian mythos, I was not willing to make up anything further.
Instead, I looked at Lavender, who wore a Royal Mantle in Avalon's traditional white and blue, embroidered with shining gold. She seemed so natural wearing the large crown set with large emeralds as if it were a wreath of forest flowers. Of course, the crowns my wives wore were full of enchantments. The most obvious one simply reduced their weight to be barely noticeable, while the other enchantments were far more complicated and revolved around various defensive barriers and effects. Lavender's gown covered her body like a delicate mist made of the most precious silks and velvets. Due to the wonderful green colour of the Dryad's hair, her dress was also made of matching green fabrics, masterfully finished with royal blue, white, and gold. Wendy spared no effort in the creation process, and although she hadn't been given much time, Lavender simply looked stunning. She brightly smiled back at me, seeing my thoughtful but happy smile. One of the Slime Butlers informed me that Twirl and Arani had returned to Avalon just before the former of the two flew inside the throne room and perched himself on the armrest of Lavender's throne. Now, the picture of the gorgeous and gentle Dryad Queen of Avalon was completed, and I could only chuckle as she patted the tiny bird.
"Now I have to find you a small fawn to follow you," I said, and we both laughed. However, our careless moment was interrupted by Sebastian's report, which he finally managed to pass on to us. "Lavender, if you even feel slightly threatened, teleport away immediately."
"I promise, my Ki... Theon." She smiled nervously. "But why?"
"One of Berna's gods arrived with the delegation. His presence alone was enough to cut off Sebastian's connection with me, so I don't know how dangerous he is. Sebastian suspects this god had ill intentions towards us, and I won't risk you getting in harm's way, my Sweetheart."
She simply nodded, but I knew she was nervous. Due to the unknown risk, I decided that Sally and Myrna, who were supposed to pretend to be part of Lavender’s court, would not be present during our first meeting with the Bernans. Instead, one hundred Living Armours would make a sufficient background to this meeting. Lavender leaned back on her throne and took a deep, calming breath as she closed her eyes. We had been informed that the Bernans had arrived, and they would soon enter the throne room. I observed Lavender as she calmed down and slightly smiled, after which she opened her shining eyes. "I'm ready, my King, my Love..."
•••
Elisabeth was in a state of shock from the moment she disembarked the airship. The city of Avalon was impressive and so majestic that she couldn't comprehend the wealth of its ruler. No city in Berna could compete with Avalon, and Elisabeth watched the officials sent by her father gradually fall speechless as they began to understand the impossible task before them. Suddenly, Jukk'nala landed on her shoulder, and she felt his intrusive thoughts enter her mind. She almost cried in pain but managed to contain her scream.
'I won't leave you, faithful of Hur'zhun. This den of deprivation needs to be cleansed, but rejoice, woman! It will be you who snuffs the life of its worthless leader!'
'Yes...' She thought through her tears, feeling the suffocating effects of the curses she was under.
However, the pain and the overwhelming presence of Jukk'nala's intrusive thoughts faded away as the large gates to the throne room opened. The officials around Elisabeth looked around the vast and lavishly decorated chamber that made them all feel small and insignificant. Even Jukk'nala lowered his avatar's head as if in recognition of the king of this land. She was, however, bewildered by the grandiose gilded statues, massive magic chandeliers that lit the entire room, enormously large paintings on the walls, and rows of large and pristine standards that had to belong to the armies commanded by the king of Avalon. Eight flags welcomed them with gold letters of a strange and unknown language that sent shivers down the young princess's spine. Fulminata, Ferrata, Infernus Ignis, Ventus Aquilo, Praecones Mortis, Vermiculus Venatores, Rapax, and Victrix all sounded strange. Still, she couldn't stop shivering with fear as she read the familiar letters forming unknown words. It was then that she realised it was not her fear. Jukk'nala's avatar was projecting his fear onto her, and she felt incredible satisfaction seeing the near-panicked state of the god that had turned her and every single woman's life in Berna into a nightmare. She followed the avatar's gaze, and her heart missed a beat as she noticed Berna's bloodied and torn flag that, without any doubt, once belonged to the first paladin company. But it wasn't alone. Berna's own standard was displayed along the standards of various Cridian noble houses. The state of most of them suggested that they had been captured during battles.
With her own fear mixed with Jukk'nala's, she had to muster all her courage to just simply look at the central place of the entire room. She first saw ten steps made of marble with veins of various precious metals and gemstones. She finally met the gazes of the owners of this place, and she had to swallow nervously. She looked at the noble face of the Queen and, just judging by her crown and dress alone, realised they possessed unimaginable riches. But even that wasn't all that concerning. Her training allowed Elisabeth to recognise all sorts of protective charms and spells that made attacking the Queen of Avalon futile. But the young princess merely stared at the Queen in awe. She was so beautiful that Elisabeth simply felt it was unfair. Her perfect womanly body made Elisabeth jealous, but as soon as Berna's Princess met the gaze of the Queen, she drowned in the vast green eyes of one of the most legendary beings. The Queen of Avalon was a Dryad. She felt the piercing pain as the small but incredibly sharp talons of Jukk'nala pierced the skin on her shoulder.
And she felt his fear turn to wrath...
The Lord of this place finally looked at them with shining blue eyes that almost left trails of blue light as he turned his head. Elisabeth knew this man was not a frail noble she could hope to kill. He was a formidable warrior who had vanquished many dangerous foes. She could see the incredible wisdom and knowledge in his eyes and felt he knew everything about her and her mission bestowed by the gods of Berna and her father. She saw in him something she never, even once, felt back home- compassion. A single tear fell down her cheek as she lowered her head, feeling her resentment grow. Why couldn't she have been born in the land of this man? Why was fate so cruel, allowing the gods of Berna to do whatever they wanted?! As her sadness and anger reached a boiling point, she almost dropped to her knees to cry out in helplessness when she felt the scream of Jukk'nala in her head.
"Captain! Take the ship and flee this place immediately!"
She looked outside the large window and saw the airship take off towards Berna. Its tanks were opened, and it dropped all its contained water, gaining impressive speed. Elisabeth could swear that someone had jumped off the ship, and the Eagles that followed the airship returned to the city after they caught that person. The mood in the throne room changed, and Jukk'nala's silent orders urged Elisabeth to move forward against her will. She trembled in overwhelming fear as she realised that each step forward might mean her death, and she knew that she didn't want to die. Through her tears, she saw the clouded face of the King of Avalon, and she realised that if anyone could help her, it would be him. Someone who gifted his queen with such priceless gifts and covered her with that many protective charms and spells must be different from any man of Berna.
"Save me," she pleaded to him, moving her lips in silence.