CHAPTER 3 - COURTEOUS CABAL

 Taran

The thin rays of sunlight were warmer than one would expect from the early hours. So warm in fact that Bel’s nose started to itch, from the light hitting his face. With a cute sneeze, and a grimace Bel opened his eyes a bit, and shifted deeper in to the mass of cloth and furs.

“Everything okay Bel?” Taran slowly sat up in the large Redwood-bed. Murmuring now from underneath a pile of pillows Bell’s voice answered with quite the bit of spite.

“Shush, you big hunk, it is early, I want to sleep.”

Smiling softly Taran kissed the exposed butt cheek of his lover and jumped out of the bed in one fluid motion, much to Bel’s dismay. While he didn't want to leave Belsain alone Taran knew all too well, that Bel would try to stop him from going, either to please himself or just to have someone to snuggle up to. With a last longing look to the peach shaped bum he put on the rest of his clothing and swiftly left the tower room.

"Taran, where are you going?"

 While he had heard Bel's words clearly he ignored them and made his way down the old wooden stairway. Even though it was still early in the morning and the sun had just risen Taran could smell the scent of freshly baked bread and pastries. Turning around a corner, past the kitchen he saw Alvina already up and running, next to her was a big grey housecat curled up in front of the burning stove. When the cook heard his footsteps she looked up from her work, a thick layer of flour caking her face.

"Oh, captain, Sir! I didn't expect you to be up so early, would you like something to eat or drink? I could also send someone to bring food up to the thaumaturge tower, if you would like!" Taran only smiled at her but didn't stop.

"Maybe later Alvina, a certain someone needs their beauty sleep." With that he went out of the hallway and took a short well-worn dirt path around the tower base that lead to the stables. Upon arriving he was already expected by a short but thin man in his early thirties.

“Commander An-Senlin!” The man saluted with a stiff pose.

"At ease soldier, we don't need any more attention. You know why you are here?"

"Yes, Sir, do you have the letter?" Taran reached in to his back pocket only to find nothing.

"Where by the gods, did I put it?" He searched through his other pockets when the two of them were suddenly interrupted by a polite cough.

"You wouldn't happen to be searching for this, now would you?" In the open doorframe of the stables stood Belsain, entirely naked except for a pair of white, ruffled and very short underpants, his long black hair gingerly hugging the petit, beautiful frame. One hand was raised in to the frosty morning air, in it two sheets of paper.

“Bel, when did you . . .” Taran immediately took of his cloak and wrapped it around his naked lover. Bel on the other hand just slapped his hands away and walked up to the flustered soldier.

“This is Taran's letter to General Farizad An-Senlin, keep it save and hidden away from peering eyes.” Belsain handed him the other piece of paper and a green stone wrapped in silver thread.

"This is a permit of passing to get you through the roadblocks and patrols without questions, and this is a protection amulet, if anything happens I'll know. And now go, a lot depends on you!"

Nodding as goodbye the soldier climbed his mount, gave it the spores and galloped out of the stables. With cold fury in his eyes Belsain turned around to his stunned partner. Taran raised his hands in defense and began apologizing,

"Bel, I'm sorry I would have told . . .", and was swiftly cut off by the magi.

"You! Into my bedchambers! Now!"

Sharzade

The Queen had provided Lady Greengarden with a beautiful guest room much nicer than the barrack she was used to back home. But when the morning light caressed the sheets on the carved wooden bed they did not fall onto a sleeping figure, instead there were lighting neatly folded bedding seemingly undisturbed by this nights rest.

It looked like Shar had never slept in it; in fact she hadn't slept at all this night or the last few nights before. Instead she had spent most of the dark hours meditating or writing various letters. But this morning she witnessed something that had peeked her interest. Right outside of the multicolored glasswork window, she saw how an odd morning transaction between three specific people took place.

"Well, well, well, who is the person that the Thaumaturge and the Captain of the guard meet so early in the morning? Someone is trying to keep things secret; guess I should stop them."

While still thinking about what to do about the situation, Sharzade went over to a small Blackwood box that had a curious locking mechanism. Making once again sure that she was alone, her left hand slid over the box and with a soft click the lid opened up. The only contents were six glass vials, five of them were filled to the brim with a thick blue metallic liquid, while the sixth was emptied about one third.

Shar opened up the left most vial and dripped a small amount of the contents in each eye. With a sharp pain her vision blurred and after a few seconds came back noticeably worse than before. Closing the box, and putting it underneath her belongings, she went to the door, on her way out she put on a white pair of elbow gloves. Just for a moment she caught a glance of her face in a small desk mirror; normal green eyes.

The sun was had almost completely risen when the young Acolyte made her way towards the dining hall, expecting it to be empty she arched an eyebrow, when seeing several servants rush past her from the kitchen towards it and back. Entering the wide, open hall she came face to face with the Queen of Zembia, who was in the process of skilfully beheading an egg.

"Welcome Lady Greengarden, would you join me for dinner?"

Sophia was up earlier than usual; her night had been haunted by unpleasant nightmares, leaving her restless and concerned, to concerned in fact to stay in bed. She was not surprised though to see her unloved guest up and running, from what she knew most parts of the Sibalien church were managed like a military and the priests were drilled just like the soldiers.

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What did surprise her was the fact that Shahrzade was wearing the same clothes as yesterday, even though it was a new day. Sophia herself would never be caught dead in the same dress twice in a row.

"Queen Mathir, what a wonderful thing to see you up so early in the morning, I'm almost starting to wonder if the entire mansion is up this early." Sophia’s brows furrowed upon hearing this.

"Now what could you mean with that?" The only answer she got was once again a sly smile, and instead of addressing the Queen Sharzade’s eyes looked over the figure of Milinda standing a few feet behind her queen.

"You have one disturbingly stealthy servant, Milady." Sophia couldn't other but grin at this comment.

"Why of course Lady Greengarden, the art of being quiet is not a skill solely owned by Sibalien nobles." Making a grimace as she approached the side opposite to the Queen, Shar looked over the various pieces of food laid out across the table.

The meal was heavy on animal produce much different to what Shar was used to back home, there breakfast consisted mostly of vegetables or a light soup. Not feeling particularly hungry she grabbed a single cold quif seemingly left over from the feast.

Without so much as awaiting approval from the queen she ripped the bulb into mouth sized pieces, stuffed one into her mouth and in one fluid motion sat down directly on the table.

Disturbed cups and plates clattered and made it rather hard to understand Shar as she began talking.

"Sophia, I can call you that right? As you can probably guess I had been looking for a time to speak privately with you, without disturbance from annoying advocates or meddling soldiers."

Sophia’s face hardened at the sight of this rude and insulting behaviour.

"What is it that you want? Talk now my patience wears thin and I am not sure you noticed but there are no soldiers to back you up!" Despite the threatening words, Shar’s smile widened into a huge child like grin when she turned around to face the queen.

"My dear Queen, while it might be true that I am without any support in these halls, let me assure you; physically attacking me is no solution. In the best case you would not only end up facing my entourage, but also receiving backlash from the Sibalien Empire and in the worst case, well let's just assume you are smart enough to guess where I'm going with this. So, what will it be?"

"Fine, talk!" The resulting laughter from Sharzade was less a sign of happiness and more a demonstration of the fiendish amusement only the well versed players of political games could manage.

"Very well, a wise decision. I don't want to talk around in circles, so I will make it simple. Assuming that you have received the message from the emperor's scribe, you know what his demands are. Either you and your people work alongside mine to assure the future of our race and your kingdom, or your people and lands will forcefully join the Empire. There are only these two option, you have to choose."

With a swift move Sharzade threw some more pieces of food into her open mouth, seemingly awaiting an answer from Sophia. The queen on the other hand seemed to suddenly look very old and tired, and as so often in the last few days an exhausted sigh escaped her lips.

"This isn't really much of a choice now is it? Either I allow foreign occupation or Zembia will face its first invasion since ages past."

For a few moments the two women simply stared into each other’s eyes, one at the peak of her life and backed by the greatest military power the world had ever seen and the other just an old and almost forgotten monarch. After what felt like ages Sophia Mathir’s body straightened and with a last flicker of deviance in her eyes, she finally gave her answer.

"No. I refuse to choose between two evils!"

In a surprising motion the Queen's fist hit the table scattering tableware and scarring Milinda, who was still standing behind her.

"This is a choice no Queen can be forced to make! No matter the cost, Zembia will not bow or bend. We have been independent for over one hundred years and will remain so!"

Shar's face showed no sign of surprise only a slight twitch of her mouth revealed how she felt, and when facing Sophia her eyes were as hard as the queen's.

"Please, believe me when I tell you that I had expected the conversation to go this way. I respect your pride and sense of honour, and because of that I will allow you a second chance of answering." Sharzade jumped from the table and made her way to the doors.

"You have time until the end of the sixth day to choose the right answer, don't mess that one up too." Without giving her any time for a response, Shar left the hall and disappeared out of sight, leaving behind an angry and frustrated Queen Mathir.

As quickly as it had come all the energy left Sophia again, once the Sibalien Acolyte had been gone. Though a few moments ago she acted her place the old woman resembled now nothing more than just that, an old woman left without any will to keep going.

"Milinda?" The young woman quickly came by her side.

"What is it my queen?"

"I do not want to put this burden upon you, but I know not who else to ask." Milinda dropped into an awkward curtsey before answering.

"My queen, I had been stealing from the crown and several merchants for more than six month, and yet you pardoned me, so it is only fair that my second chance at life will be used however you see fit."

"I know you worked with a group even though you never admitted to it, so I ask, no, I beg of you to let your people tail her."

Milinda stood silent for a few moments, her jaw tightened so that the queen could hear her maid's teeth grind, when she finally replied.

"I . . . I will see what I can do, but please expect not too much."

"Very well, go now."

Sophia watched Milinda disappear with a last bit of regret in her mind. She had never told the girl that soon after her capture a well dressed gentleman had visited her in the queen’s quarters, only to force her into accepting an offer, which was the actual reason why she was free. And now she was the only way of contacting the same man again.

 Milinda

Milinda's way took her far from the queen’s mansion, past the unusually empty town-centre and towards the unsavoury part of town, all the way being accompanied by Jinx. Her new companion had begun to snarl at every person coming to close to the two, while at the same time holding on fiercely to the girl.

This clingy behaviour only worsened when the two came closer to Milinda's destination. The dust district had once been part of the vast mining complex that stretched beneath the city of Talesin but during the opening of the breaches the tunnels had been used as hiding and living spaces, some of the inhabitants just never left. As of now, most of the passages to the still operating mines had collapsed either on purpose or due to shifting of the earth, but when you knew where to look for them entrances could be found all over the city.

Even with this knowledge Milinda had to be careful what to say and who to talk to, not all of the shady folk down there worked for her old crew but it was still her best bet. The brothel that she approached was one of the hideouts with access to the dust roads, she had learned about rather early on in her life, seeing as she grew up close to it. Though this time when she was trying to enter she was quickly held back by two strong arms that just as quickly retreated when Jinx went to snap for them.

"Wow, girl keep your pet in check! You can't enter through here didn’t the owner tell you girls? You new or what?" The man with the cruel voice pointed to a sign reading “Stage entrance”.

"Doesn't matter big guy, I am her on different business. Now let me pass!"

Before he even answered the man's grin said everything.

"Pfshh! You sure look like one of the girls to me, but if you’re a bit shy there is no need for you to go in. The two of us can have a bit of fun right here."

Realising the situation she was in Milinda quickly kneed the goon in the groin, before he could grab her, and bowed down to whisper in his ear.

"Thanua sends her regards." Wincing in pain he now stared at her with surprise and a bit of fear in the eyes.

"Why haven't you said that directly!? You’re supposed to use the back door you stupid wench, ugh, how often do I have to tell you guys."

In leaving she kicked him a second time, "Learn manners pig!"

The so called back door was actually a metal hatch in the ground with a painted on crescent moon, parted by a line through the middle, almost resembling a smile or a boat. Milinda knew the marking for what it was, a variation of the symbol of Thanua, indicating protected territory. When she open the hatch she was greeted by a dimly lit room that stretched into a long dark tunnel, a few seconds later after almost stumbling over one of the several rocks that littered the ground Milinda arrived at a sturdy wooden gate that was lit by a single caged lantern.

It was time for her to go on.