The door opened by two guards in heavy red-painted armor. The room was vast, with guards in full ornate plate and chainmail, with close helmets and all, standing along the walls beneath glorious paintings that I assumed had to be the work of elven artists.

A mute trumpet echoed in the door behind us, accompanied by the melodious voice of a man.

“Lords and Ladies of Alabenia and the Sunlit Plains. The Ambassadors from the Verdant Court.”

I looked around at my group, composed of Alynna, Zyra, and Nidar, all in their finest garb. Zyra was the first one to step forward, pride in every movement of hers, and we all followed suit.

The scene in front of us looked like a medieval painting depicting a king’s court. The room was lined with red and white pillars, a group of noblemen standing close to the king. Not sitting, mind you, but practically surrounding him.

The king was a kid. He couldn’t be older than eighteen and sat on a golden throne, with golden lions carved on each side. His hair was purple, and it didn’t look like he had dyed it. It was framed by a silver laurel-leaf crown. A red cape hung from his shoulders, and his clothes were a mute tone of gray and white.

I took the time to look at the courtiers. Our friend Virna was there, looking mean. The others were what you'd expect medieval noblemen to look like, all haughty, with balding heads and oiled mustaches. A handful of them were women with dark hair, embroidered dresses with noticeable cleavage, and thick long skirts. Royalty in Europe had no problem showing cleavage, and European art galleries proved that, but one in particular was so outstanding that I could only describe her look as a gravitational field. She had light purple hair, just like the king, falling in waves below her shoulders, a wide dress of black and mauve fabric, low-cut at the chest, revealing vast cleavage, her chest like two glorious planets attempting to burst out.

Our eyes met for a brief instant, and her plump lips curved into a smile.

This must be the princess everyone talked about, the one who favored the elves. She looked about twenty, or a couple of years older, but her glance was serene and patient, focused, as if she knew exactly who she was and what she wanted in life.

My eyes swung away, and I tried to focus my attention on the task at hand.

Zyra fell to her knees, and I followed suit, letting one drop to the ground and bowing my head.

The king spoke, his voice youthful and vibrant. “Rise up, men and women of the Verdant Court. I am honored to see you all again. Welcome to my court!”

We did so, standing up and looking into the king’s eyes, his hand on a golden scepter with a green jewel at the top.

He studied me with curious, jovial eyes. I didn’t know the man, and from what I’d heard, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but his reactions seemed to be going in a positive direction.

“I would like to apologize in my response,” he added. “We had much to deal with these days, with the complicated situation on the border, but please understand that it’s not my intention to be dismissive of your concerns.”

He seemed wise beyond his years, but I could grasp some naivete in his demeanor.

Virna was already fuming, shaking his head and crossing his arms as if what he were hearing was nothing short of outrageous.

And then, he broke his self-imposed silence, his voice oily and condescending. “Nephew, you needn’t apologize for anything. Maybe they should do it themselves, for the damage in the East Wing. See what happened to Kent’s palace—”

The purple-haired woman cut in, her voice sharp and authoritative. “Uncle. Let my brother speak for himself. The king has already granted them the time.”

Virna’s lips thinned, and he shot the woman a look of pure loathing. It was clear that she’d thrown him off-balance. But he didn’t relent, folding his hands behind his back in a show of false patience.

“Uncle,” King Malor said. “I’ll address your concerns soon. But I must allow cordialities to go through. Now, let our guests speak for themselves.”

With that, I could see what kind of man King Malor was. Hopefully not a pushover, he was perhaps too diplomatic for his own good. He lifted his jeweled staff and pointed at Zyra.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Zyra said, dipping her head toward the purple-haired woman before turning to face the king directly. “Your Majesty, I appreciate this chance to speak. We understand that there have been... complications. And you and all of your court can see the grave danger we are in. Forces of our mutual enemies have infiltrated the palace. That is alarming in and of itself.”

“Complications?” Virna interrupted with a scoff. “You call a collapsed wing and a city full of frightened citizens complications? These so-called allies of the Verdant Court have endangered our kingdom, invited suspicion from the eastern rulers, and risked dragging us into a war with the East!”

By the East, he meant Hath-Aman’s newly conquered territories.

The nobles murmured in agreement, their whispers like the rustling of dry leaves.

That didn’t help at all.

“Baron Virna is correct,” said a balding man in a red… dress? He had a white zig-zag handkerchief-thing that one could see in Renaissance engravings of Shakespeare or Spanish poets. What was it called? Ruff, or something. It looked goofy as hell. “Having elves in our court can only be seen as a provocation! You know how high tensions are despite our concessions!”

This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

The purple-haired girl cut them off again. Proudly and boldly. “This court has become a madhouse. Are you serious, Marquis von Larendo? The elves are our most trusted and most ancient allies. Our kingdom was built to protect them. Is there anything you care about that’s not Eastern gold?”

“Balance and peace!” Larendo replied, his fat belly almost wiggling as he spoke. “Don’t you know about it, Princess Camille? Having these people on our premises is an act of betrayal against their trust. The elves have sworn to vie for the destruction of Hath-Aman’s sect for centuries. It’s obvious their agents would retaliate.”

“I think your brain melted from the heat after so many grill dinners, Laredo. How is trying to assassinate legitimate guests acceptable while inviting people is not? Where are the soldiers trying to investigate where the attackers came from? Kent tried to investigate, but your own soldiers took over with their signature from you, as Marquis of War. I, myself, and Kent inquired about the bodies and, even as Royals, we weren’t allowed near where you were holding them.”

Camille faced her younger brother.

“And you’ve been signing stuff without reading. Without thinking, brother!”

The entire hall broke loose. From what I’d seen, most noblemen were complete sellouts. Arguments were thrown back and forth.

I took a breath, steadying myself and responding to the Marquis. “Yes, there was damage. Yes, lives were at risk. But without our intervention, the sorcerer’s power would have leveled half the city, not just the east wing. Kent’s men saw that. This is not normal. This is black magic. Have you ever seen black magic in your life? Do you have any idea what one has to do to make it work?”

“And how convenient that you are the only ones capable of stopping it,” Virna snapped back. His voice dripped with scorn. “Convenient that we must rely on you. You’re the new tactician, aren’t you? And where are you even from? A Northern Barbarian? I can see through the lies of the elves; you’re a puppet brought forth to manipulate our people!”

Zyra tensed beside me, her knuckles white against her sword hilt. But before she could respond, Camille raised a hand, silencing the room with a gesture.

“Enough, Virna. You forget that our guests didn’t summon that storm—they ended it. And we cannot afford to turn our backs on loyal allies, especially with Hath-Aman pressing at our borders.”

A muscle twitched in Virna’s jaw, but he held his tongue, glaring daggers at the princess. Camille’s gaze turned back to me, sharp and searching. “Tell us, Lord Tactician,” she said, using the title with a wry smile. “How do you see the threat from the east? Hath-Aman’s new territories are not the only danger. Do you believe they’re planning to invade?”

I swallowed, considering my next words carefully. This was the crux of it—the real reason I was here.

“I’ll be honest. The people who are facing the greatest risk, as of now, are the elves. This meeting hasn’t even mentioned that we were attacked in our forest by a legion consisting of mercenaries and mages.”

The room was silent, their attention and eyes fixed on me.

“And then, your people will suffer too. Hath-Aman’s tactics are well known. You know them. He kills without remorse. And it is well known, as a part of his… religion, if you can call it that, to sacrifice innocents. Do your nobles think you can bargain with that? And third… We fought a sorcerer last night, with power not even my elves had ever seen before. How did they reach that power? They work evil to achieve their powers. You know that. They’ve formed alliances with entities that go beyond mortal understanding: spirits and shadows, creatures that walk in both worlds. Those creatures ask for things that would make anyone in this room faint in disgust.”

The room fell silent, and I could feel the weight of the court’s collective gaze bearing down on me. Virna’s sneer wavered, but he quickly covered it with a scoff.

“Fearmongering. Is that all you have to offer, conspiracy theories to fan the fears of our people? I’ve seen through your lies before.”

Before I could respond, the king finally spoke, his youthful voice cutting through the noise. “What if it’s true? We know that Hath-Aman has committed crimes and massacres in the East.”

“Who hasn’t?” Virna replied. “Your father himself did.”

That made Camille’s eyes twitch.

“But we don’t want more war, do we?” Virna continued. “I’ll be clear. Hath-Aman conquered the kingdoms at our borders. He’s in charge now. He’s not a mythical ogre in the far east anymore. He’s right next to us, and he demands much. But he will offer much in return if he’s our ally. The elves, well, they don’t favor our position anymore. I’m sure we can reach a mutual agreement. Even if there were conflicts, we could mediate.”

The thing that sucked the most about his words was that they sounded reasonable as hell. If I were the king, he’d sound wise and measured.

Too bad Hath-Aman’s plans for the elves weren’t that simple and rosy. That was the most damn annoying part about it.

“Hath-Aman would murder every elf if he could,” Zyra cut in. “Do you think you have bargaining power when he’s gained control of the Kingdom of Bazania, right to the East? His armies are now ten times as big as yours, and those mountains won’t protect you.”

Virna opened his mouth to argue again, but the king held up a hand, silencing him. He turned his full attention to me, his expression thoughtful.

“Lord Tactician,” he said slowly, “I know of you. My mother told me the prophecies. She believed in you. The one who would lead few against many. If it is you…”

“Superstition,” muttered Virna.

Malor ignored him. He looked straight at me.

“If we were to take your side, what exactly would you ask of us? And what can you offer in return?”

I glanced at Lariel, then at Zyra and Nidar. They nodded almost imperceptibly, giving me their unspoken support. I turned back to the king, speaking with all the conviction I could muster. “I’d like to prove it to you, Your Majesty. Prove to you what would happen if you accept Hath-Aman’s deals. Things that are currently happening in the East. If you want peace with him, it will be short-lived. And in return, we’ll stand as your shield. Whatever storms come from the East, we’ll face them together. And we will win.”

What did I even say? Those words slipped straight out of my mouth.

The king’s brow furrowed, his gaze distant as he considered the proposal. Virna shifted, restless, clearly displeased that the discussion hadn’t gone entirely in his favor. But Camille’s eyes met mine, a flicker of approval in their depths.

And then, a message popped up in our group chat.

VINARA: Lord Tactician, something’s wrong.

She was one of our elves. I’d given commands to her and a few others to watch over suspicious areas. Aria’s grid couldn’t go that far, but messages had a longer range.

CONNOR: What is it?

VINARA: You’ve asked me to watch over the palace. This looks very, very wrong.

CONNOR: Tell me more. Explain it clearly.

VINARA: People are coming through the gate of the city. Let through by the guards. I’ve never seen anything like this. Whatever they’re planning, it’s terrible.