“This place is swanky,” Wren says, letting out a low whistle as they look around the guest quarters. The large stone room is outfitted with at least a dozen beds, each one complete with a wardrobe dresser for storage, clean sheets, and a comfortable-looking pillow. Besides that, the room has a couple windows and a smattering of paintings, vases, and other decorative pieces.
Cashew, on the other hand, snorts. “This is the commoner ‘guest’ quarters. It’s just nice enough and will fit dozens of people, if need be. The really nice quarters for other nobles are usually individual rooms,” he says disparagingly.
“Swank is relative, I guess,” Wren muses, plopping down on one of the beds with a sigh.
“I like it a lot!” Addy says, bouncing up and down on one of the beds excitedly.
Dahlia watches her, eyes going up and down as they keep track of the bouncing Addy. “Friend Addy, what are you doing?” she asks.
“I’m checking the tensile strength of the bed! Wanna help?” Addy asks, stilling herself and holding out a hand to Dahlia.
“Yes,” Dahlia says quickly and climbs up onto the bed with her friend’s help.
Both begin bouncing up and down on the springy, soft bed.
Dahlia smiles.
“Just don’t break it, you two,” Kaz warns gently as she doffs her heavy armor and stores it at the end of one of the beds, marking which one it is by hanging her pack off the front of it. She retains a few pieces, like her sabatons, and keeps her sword at her side (where it rarely leaves unless she is asleep). Other than that, she simply wears her military gambeson and breeches, as she does not want to meet King Frederik in full fighting attire.
Back home in Zhevrun, at least, such a display would be a sign of aggression. Of disrespect, at the least.
Kaz doesn’t particularly want to make a bad impression on the King of Kattelox, even if she’s already seemingly proved herself to his brother. Not to mention the third brother, the General of the Loxian military…
“Is anyone else kind of worried?” Demy asks. He leans against the wall beside the door, arms crossed, foot tapping anxiously.
“You’re always worried,” Kaz says.
Demy gives her an incredulous look and says, “Like you aren’t? You worry more than I do.”
“I’m just cautious,” Kaz argues. “I actively try to deal with problems. You just sit around and worry passively. Totally different.”
“You’re both high-strung as fuck,” Cashew quips from the bed he is laying on, relaxing with both arms behind his head.
Kaz and Demy both look at him, offended.
“Excuse me?” Kaz asks.
“You’re way more anal than we are,” Demy says with a snort.
Wren interrupts, “Yeah, no, I know you both pretty well at this point. Kaz is the grumpiest grump to ever exist and Demy, I love you, but you’re a whiny pupper.”
“You two are way worse than us!” Demy whines.
“See?” Wren says, glancing over at Cashew, who nods in solemn understanding and agreement.
“Demy and I might complain, but you two are always stressed about something,” Kaz says, squinting at Wren and Cashew. “Money, or being betrayed, or money, or something being trapped, or money–”
“Okay, okay. Maybe we’re all just–wary about certain stuff,” Wren admits, holding their hands up in defeat.
Demy looks over at Dahlia and Addy bouncing on the bed and mutters, “Well, it’s good that some of us are.”
All four say nothing and glance away in a moment of silent solidarity and agreement.
“So, what’s bothering you?” Kaz asks Demy, getting back on subject.
“Is it because we’re in the middle of the city? The next full moon isn’t for a week or more,” Wren adds.
“I mean, I don’t love being trapped around a bunch of people no matter the case,” Demy admits quietly. “Things have just been moving really fast the past few weeks. I don’t like it, I feel like we’re just kind of being dragged along by Felix–and now Kattelox in general.”
Cashew sits up, frowning as he admits, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to trust any noble fully. Felix isn’t exempt from that.”
“He seems reasonable, but I still feel like he’s not being entirely honest about something,” Wren says. “The way he’s mentioned his brothers, I don’t think he trusts them all the way, either.”
Kaz nods in agreement and says, “He’s said a few times that he doesn’t agree with them on how to handle the things we might find.”
Wren crosses their arms. “The four of us may be cautious but he’s paranoid. He took me off to the side and asked me what I thought and tried to argue that any cool thing we find will just be fought over and used for the worst possible reasons.”
“Hey, he did the same thing for me,” Demy says, stirred out of his thoughts. “When we were on the cart and everyone was busy, he asked me about that, too.”
“Same for me, just the other night before we made it to the city. It was when I went to get firewood,” Kaz explains. “I told him that I wanted to see what the King and General said and that I would prefer that we share what we find, rather than hoard it.”
“I’m sure some of the things we find will not be great, but that’s the risk to it. We can’t just hide it or close the box after opening it,” Wren agrees.
“Did he ask you about it, Cash?” Demy asks.
“Yeah, but he dropped it after I told him that nobles always think they’re the ones that need to call the shots, but there are things bigger than some self-absorbed people with too much money,” Cashew says with a dismissive shrug.
“You think he asked Addy and Dahlia?” Wren wonders.
“I think Addy’s stance is pretty clear,” Kaz says. “Dahlia, too. She said if it won’t hurt the world at large, it’s fine, and if it does, it needs to be destroyed.”
“How would we even know if something will have that kind of effect or not?” Wren asks, frowning.
“I mean, the ‘World Hunger Solver’ is probably okay, right?” Cashew asks rhetorically. “But maybe not the ‘Tree and Puppy Grinder.’”
“Puppies no,” Demy whines sadly.
“Dahlia is wiser than she appears,” Kaz says with a smile. “Context is very important. We’ll decide what will do more good than harm and vice versa, with what we find.”
“Sounds reasonable to me. Why do you think Felix is so caught up about it?” Wren asks.
“Because nobles have to be in control of everything! They’re paranoid and self-absorbed and everything revolves around them,” Cashew complains.
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Kaz snorts a little. “You sure you aren’t a noble, Smalls?” she asks wryly.
Cashew lifts his head up to glare at her. “I’ll cut you,” he warns.
“Why are we cutting each other?” Addy asks as she and Dahlia finally finish testing the tensile strength of every other bed (in order to choose the optimal one, of course) and join in on the conversation.
“Are we settling a dispute with the Old Ways?” Dahlia wonders as she climbs onto the bed in order to be near the same height as everyone else.
“Kaz just called Cashew a noble,” Wren explains.
Dahlia nods in understanding and says, “An insult that only blood will cleanse.”
“Do we really want to be all bloody when we meet the King though?” Addy wonders.
“There are servants to do the laundry,” Wren adds.
“A little knife fight. As a treat,” Demy says, chuckling.
There is a knock at the door before one of the guards opens it, announcing that it is time for the meeting with King Thorburn.
“Guess you get to keep your blood for now, officer,” Cashew warns, locking eyes with Kaz.
She rolls her eyes in response and exits the room. The others follow, saddened by the lack of overt violence yet hopeful that, with how Felix has been talking, this meeting might yet give them such a show.
~~~~~~~~~~
The six are led to what ends up being, much to their surprise, the war room of Castle Thorburn. It is deep in the interior of the castle, away from prying ears and eyes. Shelves line the room, full of books that focus on history, especially military history, of the different regions of Vale; there are also lots of cases and displays which have various weapons, armors, and important tidbits from Kattelox’s history: Pieces of banners and flags, medals and patches, shards of battle implements long-since shattered, and more than a few items that radiate powerful magic that make Wren’s mouth water just being near them.
The walls of the room are covered in maps, not only of Kattelox but also of every continent and region, with specific notations and marks written in hard-to-read Loxian shorthand. In the very center of the room is a large circular table with various models of landscapes, troops, and buildings.
Dahlia immediately notices the miniatures and tugs on Addy’s sleeve, asking quietly, “Friend Addy, are those toys?”
“Yes! They’re so the King and General can play ‘War’ without leaving their playroom!” Addy eagerly answers.
Kaz grunts a little and attempts to correct Addy, “It’s for simulating the battlefield and planning troop movements.”
“That’s what I said! They play ‘War’ with them!” Addy says.
Dahlia nods and mutters to herself, “War toys.”
Sitting around the far side of the table are three people: The Thorburn siblings, the royal family of Halcyon and the de facto rulers of the nation of Kattelox. The three are clearly related, each with the same deep auburn hair color and bright blue eyes, though their demeanors couldn’t be more different.
Felix is the most familiar of the three to the group and the youngest of the three brothers, with his long hair, tied back into a loose ponytail, clean-shaven face, and a scholarly cloak over his noble attire. The last month or so has taken a toll on him and he looks tired, with heavy bags under his eyes; he tries to keep a steady, even expression, but it is but a thin veil that hides a sense of urgency and anxiety beneath it.
Frederik, the middle brother and the true King of Kattelox, gives off an air of care and understanding. His hair is short and uniform, with a well-trimmed beard that makes him look like a kindly old uncle. He wears a set of immaculate robes that befit his status, though they are free of the ornate adornments that many similar royal attires might have, as he instead opts for comfort and camaraderie with those that call upon him. Compared to the anxiety of Felix, Frederik has a gentle smile and wise eyes, though the lines on his face speak of the burdens he carries.
Flint, the eldest brother and the General of the Loxian Military, towers at least a head over the other two and is about as broad as both combined. His hair is shaggy and his face scruffy; his attire is a gambeson similar to Kaz’s, though he wears his sabatons and gauntlets habitually, always eager for a potential confrontation. Unlike Felix’s dour mood and Frederik’s approachable demeanor, Flint is loud, full of laughter and booming words. Despite coming off as oafish and reckless, he is confident and surprisingly clever, traits earned by years of strategy and direct conflict.
Despite being familiar with Felix, especially Addy, seeing the three brothers together makes the six pause momentarily. Despite the relatively light atmosphere of the room, there is no denying that these three men, in their own ways, are some of the most dangerous people on the surface of Vale. Though it is easy to forget the gravity of this meeting, considering that Flint is presently bullying Felix about being “moody” while Frederik tries to corral the two away from a petty argument.
“I bet someone just missed his brothers whole bunches,” Flint says teasingly, with a broad grin. He moves to pinch the younger brother’s cheek, though Felix deftly swats his large hand away with a sneer.
“Leave me alone you tottering oaf, this is serious,” Felix growls.
“You act like we’ve lost a fight! You come back with some wild news–good news–and none of you died this time. It won’t hurt you to smile, you know,” Flint argues as he pats Felix on the back, hard.
“Flint does have a point. From what you’ve told us, you and your team have found something amazing deep within the Heart that could help usher the world into a golden age, Felix. That is something to be hopeful for,” Frederik says, though he does give Flint a wave of the hand–a clear signal to lay off of Felix.
Acquiescing, Flint holds up his hands and sits back in his chair. “Fred’s right, little bro. You did great, you don’t have to be all doom and gloom about it,” he says, still smiling.
“You’re not seeing this for what it is,” Felix says darkly. “Whatever we find–and we still have no idea what that will be–is going to change the world drastically, if we just start throwing it around. Don’t you realize how big of a deal that is? This could plunge is back into war–”
“Which, having all this stuff, we’ll win,” Flint says sternly, crossing his arms. “Felix, even if this stuff is that important, we’ll be the ones in control of it all. That means we can decide if it’ll start a war or not.”
“That ideally won’t be necessary, Flint,” Frederik speaks up. “If what we find is truly beneficial to society, we can work with the other nations to make things better for us all. This is a chance for peace, Felix, not war.”
“And what if we find nothing like that, Frederik? What if it’s something dangerous? What if it’s something nobody should have?” Felix asks, giving a bitter glance toward Flint.
Frederik begins to respond, but sees that the group of six are waiting awkwardly on the other side of the table. He coughs a little and turns fully to face them, motioning for them to approach and sit.
“Greetings, you must be Felix’s expedition team! Join us, hopefully your insight can help us determine what our best course of action is,” he says with a smile. “I am King Thorburn and this is my brother and General of the Army, Flint. I trust you are already familiar with Felix.”
Kaz takes the initiative–as the group agreed upon during the walk through the castle–by going to one knee respectfully and bowing her head. “King Thorburn, we are humbled to be in your presence,” she says, keeping her head down.
“Please, you need not bow to me. You are the ones who did this great deed. If it were any other situation, you would be heralded as heroes–but for now, we must tread lightly. Now, sit. Tell us your names,” Frederik says.
Kaz gets to her feet and nods respectfully to Frederik, before speaking, “Well, I am sure you know Addy–Professor Rhys, rather. My name is Kazimiera Gwózdek, from Zhevrun. This is Wren Eklund, from the Crown. Then–”
The sound of Flint’s hands slamming against the table causes Kaz to go quiet. He stands tall, his angry gaze flowing over the six before turning to Felix. He says tersely, “Little brother, I recall you telling me that the individuals you found for the expedition were Loxian citizens. I made myself very clear when I said that you were to not hire any foreigners.”
“I availed myself with what I could find, dear brother,” Felix snaps back through gritted teeth. “None of our citizens were willing to venture out into the Heart, save for Professor Rhys, and these five were more than willing to do so.”
“Likely because they had ulterior motives,” Flint seethes.
“Hey, dipshit,” Cashew practically spits. Kaz tries to grab the Halfling to shut him up, but he squirms away and keeps running his mouth. “We almost died helping you all figure out what was there. I’m not gonna stand here and let you talk shit about any of us.”
Flint stares at Cashew with wild eyes, his hand gripping the edge of the war room table so hard that it cracks slightly. After a tense moment, he commands, “Sit down. All of you.”
Kaz glances at Frederik, who nods to follow along. “We ask that you answer some questions to assuage our fears of any–outside involvement. Would that be acceptable?”
The six glance amongst one another, speaking quietly.
Cashew, still incensed, speaks a little louder than the others to point out, “Well all they had to do was ask, not throw their dicks around.”
Reluctantly, the six take their seats around the circular table. Equally reluctant, Flint sits back down, though he doesn’t avert his intense glare whatsoever.
As the tension lingers heavily in the air for the upcoming discussion amongst the expedition and the royals, Dahlia can only frown as she realizes that she probably won’t get to play with the War Toys after all.