“Can you pass me some more meat.”
“Here you go, we still have a lot left.”
“I didn’t think we’d stumble across a zarg up in these mountains. But I will say it is a most delectable surprise.”
I took a bite out of the meat on my skewer as I watched Seliph devour most of the meat I had just handed him. I had to say this week wasn’t too bad. Getting away from everything and just resting out here has been nice.
Being out here with nature was relaxing and made me appreciate the fact I was still alive and kicking after everything that has happened. Well, except for that zarg, that had scared me quite badly. Seliph had punched it down before it could reach me, but I was still shaken at how vulnerable I’d allowed myself to be.
The good news though was it was a delicacy when cooked and boy was it delicious.
To think this vacation was over was a bit sad but I was anxious about what’s our plans where next. I doubted this ‘peace’ would be as lasting as I had hoped the more I thought about it. There were too many things to address that we had still failed to properly negotiate on.
“What’s wrong Diana? You look like your pondering quite the question there.”
I guess he noticed my internal thoughts. He has slowly gotten better at reading me over the past few days.
“Nothing, it’s just, I’m worried about this peace deal. It feels like it was way to easy.”
“That’s because everyone is trying to regroup and rearm their forces. With you being ‘captured’ they now need to find another way to deal with me if they choose to.
So, I’m guessing Mara might try something to incite another war. Which is why we will be going on a diplomatic tour to the human territories. We’ll be going to release the prisoners that we captured. We will then be talking to the ruling lords and trying to get them to see there are more benefits in peace than a continued war.
We’ll also offer relief supplies to the region for a certain time. This way their economies improve and they have less of a reason to go conquering for what they need.”
“So where are we going to visit first then.”
“Bern, they were the ones most affected by the war and have a wealth of natural resources. They need relief supplies the most and will be the easiest to convince that peace is the better option for them. Their biggest problem has been selling these resources across the long distances that their kingdom covers. By offering a closer customer we might be able to form a more closer relationship with each other.”
“Isn’t there also going to be a lot of resentment from them though as they were the most affected by the war?”
“That resentment is exactly why we need to visit Bern first. But, enough about that whole mess. We still have one last night to ourselves. Anything you wanted to do?”
I look up into the night sky as I ponder his question. With nothing coming to mind as I watched the stars shine above us.
“Not really, I’m just glad to be doing nothing right now. It’s nice to just relax and take in the peace and quiet.”
He chuckled as he took another bite.
“I’d have to agree with you on that. Sometimes the happiest times are the simplest. I’m guessing you never had any time to rest like this did you.”
“Nope, they always kept me busy with something when I was summoned here. I would be training all day, meeting with nobility or other special delegates, traveling to another city, maintaining equipment, or practicing magic.
Every spare second was spent on improving myself or the war effort. Sleep was a luxury as I worked as hard as I could to get home as fast as possible. I couldn’t let down my guard or stoicism as I had to be the unfailing hero.”
“True, but even heroes need some good R&R from time to time. I’m amazed you didn’t go on strike from all the work.”
“Work helped me focus and it was the only way I was promised of ever getting home. Though I will admit that I was unhealthily pushing myself in hindsight.”
“Yeah, I had a similar problem when I first became king. Flora would always get on my case about how much I was working myself. Then one day she secretly hired a bunch of bureaucrats to help lift the burdens of all the work I was doing.
Then one day when I realized I had finished all of my work she threw me out of my office and told me to have some fun. Didn’t realize I needed it as much as I did until then.”
We stared up at the stars overhead as I listened to the sounds of nature and the wind dancing around us. The moon slowly rolled across the sky as we sat there together.
“Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
How I wonder what you are!
Up above the world so high,
Like a diamond in the sky.”
“What are you singing?”
“Just an old nursery rhyme.”
“I’d love to hear the rest. Your voice fits the song beautifully.”
I had to laugh before standing back up.
“I think I need to get some sleep. I must be super tired if I'm singing old nursery rhymes.”
“Some rest will do us both good before our journey wouldn’t it. You going to wear the same thing tonight?”
I bet he wanted to see me in the other nightwear, but that wasn’t going to happen.
“In your dreams.”
“Oh, it will be, you don’t have to worry about that.”
I shrug it off as we head to bed for some much needed rest.
“So, glad to be back?”
“I’m not sure, I lived here a while, but it never really felt like home.”
“So you lived here? It seems untouched, wasn’t this place ever attacked?”
I looked outside the carriage and looked at the fortress town of Bannister. Surrounded by improvised defenses and depressed conscripts it didn’t look the part as the HQ for the Human Alliance.
Surprisingly this place was never attacked during the whole conflict even though it was a major center for all of our operations. The most damage that could be seen was a few cracks here and there from poor maintenance.
I turn to Seliph who is sitting next to Flora. My sister is also with us next to me. Outside our entourage was guarding us and shipment of relief aid.
Tomorrow the prisoners captured during the siege would arrive and be freed to do what they wanted. Most though would rejoin the ranks of their respective nations as their terms were still not finished.
“Why did you never attack this place? I always thought you’d plan an attack on this place when I was training here. If you wanted to finish us all off that would’ve been the best way to take us out wouldn’t it?”
“Easy, I didn’t attack this place ‘because’ it was your most fortified position. It would have cost me a lot of men to attack this place and you were there so our odds of victory were always abysmal.”
“So why did you attack the neighboring villages then? They offered no strategic advantage.”
“That’s where you are wrong. A place like this needs lots of supplies which those villages were supplying. So by cutting off the flow of those supplies, I was trying to force your hand into launching either an offensive or spreading your forces to thin to defend this place properly.
Then when you attacked I just had to funnel you to the capital. Which I did by constricting your assault to a smaller area.”
It angered me how it felt like he had just been playing with us. Luckily if everything went well Humanity wouldn’t have to have this man as its enemy anymore.
My sister looked at the soldiers guarding the place with confusion.
“Why do they look so depressed and defeated. I thought they’d at least look professional.”
“That’s because all the professionals have either left or are behind us. Most of the guards here are farm boys and due to the lack of leadership, most of them are here in militia units headed by their village heads.
Bern may be a major power but the lords keep their best units in defense of their own regions. We didn’t know where and when they would attack so most of the army was spread to important areas with conscripts artificially filling the ranks. I also heard it was also a way of dealing with the rising numbers of refugees.”
When we were almost at the gates they opened and a small guard of calvary march out to greet us. At the head of the guard is the crown prince Hector. He was a nice enough guy but I doubted he was here of his own will and most likely he was here under orders of King Elbert.
We made our way inside the fort as he followed our carriage to the keep in the center of the fort. Arriving at the keep the ground becomes paved and the ride becomes smoother as we escape the rutted dirt road we had taken to get here.
Hector jumps off his horse as we exit the carriage. I try to keep a calm face as he comes to greet us. While I believe he wishes for there to be an end to the hostilities I am not sure how he is going to react to me.
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“Welcome to Fort Bannister, I am prince Hector of Bern and it is my pleasure to welcome you here King Seliph. Though I must admit I was only expecting one fair maiden on this fine day. May I implore as to who your two associates are?”
I remain frozen in shame not sure how to address the prince. My sister though feels so such force and offers her hand to Hector.
“My name is Anna, I’m Done’s younger sister.”
He shakes her hand with a kind smile on his face.
“A pleasure to meet you Anna. I didn’t know Diana had such a pretty sister. So I guess that would mean that you must be Diana.”
Guess he had already heard about my name. I’m glad I don’t have to explain that at least.
“It’s nice to see you in good health Hector.”
“I’m just glad to see you are still with us. It would have been a shame to lose such an amazing hero such as you.”
I can’t tell if he’s sucking up to me or if he actually cares. It puts me on edge as I can’t tell if I can fully trust him.
“You are definitely right about that. Her mind and humor have been a welcome breath of fresh air to me. Which is why we are here to make sure there is no need for us to continue this war anymore.”
“Of course your majesty. Right this way, I had the cooks prepare us some refreshments for our talks today. Though first I must ask what is in those carts following behind you? There seemed to be a lot of luggage for a king such as yourself.”
“They are relief supplies to help aid you when your men return tomorrow.”
He looks surprised but quickly returns his smile. The two guards guarding the door open it and let us pass as Hector leads us inside.
“Then it would seem we have much to discuss before tomorrow.”
I turn to my sister as we follow behind him to see her with a dumb smile on her face.
“He’s really a prince, isn’t he.”
I nudge her shoulder as I smirk at her comment.
“Of course he is. I thought you would have gotten used to this. I mean I am marrying a king after all.”
“Isn’t he a demon king though? You might like your men on the xenophilia side don’t you.”
“What the heck does that even mean Anna?”
“That you like different species, I don’t know what else to call it. There was no need for that word on Earth. Maybe bestiality?”
“He’s not an animal you know.”
“Like I said I don’t know what to call it.”
We had finally arrived at a study where a fire was crackling in a fireplace against the wall. There were some chairs spread around a table that held some steaming tea and some snacks. I went to take my seat when Selipha pulls out the chair for me. I accept the gesture realizing I’d forgotten proper etiquette. I saw Flora inspecting my every move as I sat down with her ‘all-seeing’ eyes. She’d probably chew me out for my mistakes later if I didn’t act appropriately.
Hector seats Anna before taking a seat himself. Flora then pours us all a cup of tea before handing it all out. Now the only question that remained was how were these proceedings going to go.
“King Seliph, I am glad to be seeing an end to this war and I must thank you for the release of our men from your custody. Hopefully, our meeting here will be the start of a time where we will finally have peace between our species.”
“That is both my hope as well as Diana’s. This war between us has gone on long enough and I wish for our union to be the spark to create that peace that our world has yet to see.”
“I can definitely see your commitment towards that goal with your actions so far. But I am unsure if others will be able to reach that same conclusion.”
“May I offer a suggestion then? I want to allow free trade between our kingdoms as well as a joint infrastructure initiative to establish greater cooperation between our countries.”
Hector looked surprised at his proposal.
“You aren’t asking for reparations?”
“No, if anything, think of this project as your reparations.”
At this, he looked confused. Not sure what to make of these ‘generous’ demands.
“But why? That would have to cost a fortune as our kingdom spans a vast amount of land.”
“Because it expands my kingdoms consumer base as well as increasing the amount of resources there are for my people to work with. My hope is to intertwine our economies together so that if you ever try to go to war with us if would cause your kingdom to fall apart.
Your relations with the other nations are already strained from past wars as well your declined military power from your war with us. If anything you need my kingdom to keep your kingdom afloat. If we left you to your own devices I would guess that you’d be in a losing war or even a civil war with turmoil plaguing your entire land.”
I saw a mischievous grin form on Seliph’s face as he sipped the tea sitting in front of him. Meanwhile, Hector was looking mad at Seliph’s prediction. He was applying to much pressure on this naive kid. Though in all honesty, he’s probably as naive as I would be in his position. Seliph’s age and wisdom just dwarfed our theoretical knowledge when compared to his practical knowledge from being a king.
“That’s enough Seliph, we aren’t here to threaten him, We’re here to establish peaceful relations and we’ll be offering similar terms to the other nations as well. Seliph is just trying to show you how both kingdoms can benefit from this deal prince Hector.”
Seliph was hurting this kid’s pride and if he kept it up it might hurt negotiations. Hector was very patriotic and was no doubt going to be a bit emotional at a threat to his kingdom. I know how my emotions had gotten me in a bind here too begin with.
“She is right though. What he is offering you is very generous of him.”
Who? I turn to see my sister with an unnatural glow to her eyes as it looked like someone else had taken over her.
I stand up knocking my chair back as I grasp for my sword. It isn’t there though as my old habit fails to realize. I instead reach for her but as she’s on the other side of the table I have to walk around Seliph to reach her. As I pass by him though I feel his hand grab my wrist stopping me.
“What are you doing Talos?”
Talos? Anna had said she had become his champion but that didn’t mean he could control her did it?
“I was just dropping in to see how negotiations were going.”
“What are you doing to my sister!”
“Calm down Diana she’s fine I assure you. I am just using my right as her benefactor to listen on what is happening. She hasn’t been good at informing me of current events. She should really pray more often. But that’s what I get for making my champion someone who is ignorant of our world’s rules.”
“I was wondering why she wasn’t visiting the temple.”
Hector was just as confused as me but for opposite reasons if I had to guess.
“Your sister is the champion of Talos?”
“She sure is, though I would be more worried about your own situation right now. Mara is no doubt not too happy with your people right now.”
He froze up as I fail to understand what he meant before Talos continues.
“But I won’t stay any longer, just make sure to remind your sister to start praying more Diana. I like to hear what’s going on.”
Anna then closes her eyes and slumps forward. Seliph lets go of my arm and I catch Anna as she is about to fall onto the table. I then look at her face and see that she is asleep. I use some mana to check her body and find out her mana was depleted. It must use a lot of her mana for Talos to manifest himself like that.
I’m glad she is okay, but it only aggravates me more thinking about how These stupid gods are toying with us so much. I’m glad my sister is here with me, but now I can’t tell if Talos is going to somehow use her against me.
“If you would like I can call a priest to take your sister to the temple. I’m sure they could offer their assistance to a champion such as herself.”
“Isn’t the priest a disciple of Mara though? Talos and her don’t seem to have a history of getting along very well.”
“She will be treated with the utmost respect. She is the sister of the hero who we are indebted to after all. You have my word as the prince of Bern.”
I saw an unusual sincerity in his eyes, but I’d take her to the temple myself.
“Is Arthur still the priest here?”
“Yes, he said he wouldn’t leave his congregation even if the Holy Empire demanded him to.”
That’s strange that guy was quite the fanatic, I would have thought he would have left when the peace was declared.
I pick up my sister and make my way to the door.
“Well, I’ll take my leave then and take her to the temple. I’d like to pay Arthur a visit before I leave her in his hands.”
Seliph nods his head as he gestures to Flora.
“That’s fine, we just have a ‘little’ bit of paperwork to do.”
Flora then opened a satchel and drops a stack of papers in front of Hector. It dwarfed the amount of work Flora gave me on a daily basis, but I doubt he’d be done looking through it all till dark at the earliest.
“What are these?”
“The terms of the peace treaty, infrastructure contracts, and written borders to cement the ‘border’ we had before.”
See ya sucker!
I left the room with a grin on my face as I made my way outside. The two guards turned to us as we exited.
“Would you like us to escort you to your quarters?”
“No, I’m taking my sister to the temple she hasn’t been feeling well.”
“Then at least allow us to escort you there.”
“I’m fine I know how to get there on my own.”
It had been a while but I still knew the way. What I hadn’t thought through ahead of time was all of the looks I’d get going there. Two ladies were walking around the fort without an escort. They never bothered us out of fear though. They were not supposed to approach noble women as they were only peasants.
When I finally made it the temple I looked up at the see the large building that rivaled the main keep in size. It had doubled as a field hospital during the so it had always been constantly filled with people. Though today it looked to be emptier which was a good thing.
Opening the doors of the church I see Arthur preaching at the altar to a small congregation of men. Services were spread out to allow all the men time to pray so it was a common sight to see him preaching every day. He still was somehow always able to keep it interesting though which I found to be a miracle in itself.
“Oh blessed Mara with your abundance of mercy and grace please watch over these fine men as they defend their loved ones far away from their homes and loved ones. So that one day the world may return to a time of peace in which they may end their toils in war. Amen.”
“AMEN”
He then looked up to see me and silently stepped down as the soldiers left the church filling out to do whatever they were ordered to do next. I made my way up to Arthur who looked at me with an annoying look of superiority.
“Daughters of Mara how can I be of assistance to you today.”
“Long time no see Arthur. I see you’re still as lively as ever.”
He scrunches his eyebrows before a look of realization dawns on his face.
“Ah, the hero returns. I am glad to see you are still with us alive and well. Come, bring her to my quarters. We can discuss more there.”
I follow him to a corner of the church where his quarters reside. It was a small room with a small bed, some chairs, and a table with the Holy Texts open on it. I lay my sister on the bed and take a seat in one of the chairs.
Arthur then inspects my sister’s temperature before checking her pulse. When he did though I could see a look of surprise as he saw the tattoos that painted her arm. But he didn’t stop his inspection and started a chant.
“Oh blessed Mara, please watch over this daughter and allow her to receive your overwhelming love.”
He then made a sign over her before taking a seat. His dedication to the motions was almost robotic in its application.
“So, your sister is the champion of Talos?”
“Yes, it was the way she got here in the first place. Why? Is that a problem?”
“Not at all, Mara’s love is for all to receive. Even those who reject it shall be offered her grace and mercy. Talos and Mara may not agree with each other, but that does not mean that she doesn't love him. That is why I will show no such prejudice towards her.
In fact, you are an exemplary example of her will. Choosing to love everyone equally and seeking to create peace for the people of this world. I can think of no one else who embodies the role of Mara’s hero better than yourself.”
I quickly realized Arthur was no threat to either me or my sister. It was almost funny how Mara’s disciples showed more of her grace and mercy than even her.
I stood up and made my way to the door as Arthur opened the door for me.
“Make sure to take care of her okay.”
“I would do nothing else.”
As I’m about to leave I feel him grab my arm and turn to see a sad smile on his face.
“The gods test us in many ways. But, you must not let that interfere with your new role. Though it is not one you willingly chose. I believe you will play a key role in showing the world Mara’s love.
Remember, no matter where you are Mara’s love shall always be with you.”
He then let go of my arm and went to Anna side. I left the church pondering his words as I made my way back to the meeting.
Was I really so similar to Mara? I quickly cast those thoughts aside as I enter the keep.