The hall of the Ashgerwroth , the Ambassador's palace, was hushed. In the center of the room stood a lone female Andalite. She was very beautiful, a soft periwinkle with large eyes. Everything about her was feminine and graceful. Off to one corner silently stood her bodyguard Abishag. A master spy he was blind in one stalk eye and new everything at least that is what Ax had told Marco. It was rumored his spies were so good he knew what the Visser's ate for breakfast.
Gathered around were the Animorphs, Aximili, and their familes they had just finished the viewing of Elfangor's hirac dilest.
When I was a youngling I remember my father. When I was very young he was always smiling and so was my mother. Then he went away and soon there was a war. Eventually he returned a dark and angry shadow of himself, moody and lost within.
My mother, if she could avoid it, hardly spoke to him. He was in disgrace and no one ever told me why. The lands that had been my father's were ours no longer. We had to move to the other side of the planet just to find some semblance of normal. My brother was shipped to a pre-academy school so as to not be "tainted" by my father.
I was only seven earth years old. The last time I saw him was right after we moved to our new scoop on the southern plains. It was like a dream. I remember he smiled at me in that strange way we Andalites do and lifted my chin as if I was being inspected.
You're a very beautiful youngling and hopefully one day a beautiful female, that's what it's going to take to get you a husband. He shook his head grimly. Be a good girl. Intelligent and brave. I have to go away for a while and hopefully things will get better…
I remember all four of my eyes looking at him. I realized whatever happened to him my father was already gone. His prediction that things would get better was wrong. A cruel mockery of what my life would become…There are many things we Andalites keep secret, our traditions, our savagery. We are a fierce breed, and anyone who believes otherwise is a fool. We paint a pretty picture to our allies and enemies alike.
I am Ambassador Allatron-Semitur-Ashtoff, daughter of Alloran-Semitur-Corass and Jahar
She paused. She had told this story so many times in her head because she had loved him. To many Andalites she was a heroine, to a small but powerful group she was the enemy. It had been more than the war, it had been personal…
The first time I met Elfangor-Sirenal-Shamtul I was only eight human years old he was about fourteen human years old. At fifteen of your years he would go to the Academy since he had chosen to go to the Military. In our culture you are considered "Legal" as you Humans say. He was the only one that would speak with me. My father's disgrace had made us socially undesirable as my Mother put it.
He would talk or run with me. I in my childish ignorance assumed perhaps he was my betrothed. He was being kind, I suppose. Nonetheless we were friends of a sort. Then he went to the Academy and I went beyond the notice of everyone, so I believed.
By the time I was nine human years old we had received word my father had surfaced as the host body for a yeerk Sub-Visser. The two arisths with him were presumed dead. Our Neighbors, Aximili's Parents, went into mourning. My Mother… She closed all her eyes still feeling the pain..
My mother took it upon herself to contct my future in-laws and ask them to take up guardianship of me until I reached a marriageable age. I was contracted to Lirem, head of the Electorate, his father was also a powerful politician but certainly more honorable. I was contracted because I was beautiful and my desperate father realized my mother's mind was slipping and did his best for me…
Not long after I was placed in their care she took her own life.
Lirem's father was an absent father with most of his life spent in the capital. Lirem himself never had to go to was being groomed for a career in politics, his mother was a waif that was afraid of her son. He always has captivated and terrified. Ultimately he did not know how to fight a war. As she said this she smiled in her strange way. She knew they had never been told about the shifting politics of the Andalite homeworld that had ultimately brought help to Earth, but it was time to educate them.
It had not been revenge, but it had been sweet. She had made her way in a world that had despised her by being cunning and clever. It was a sad and strange life she had led thus far.
He was perverted and cruel and abused me. He was much older and his mother feared him because he'd beat her too. For long years I barely lived, my education neglected. I was skin and bones, my fur dull. I never saw visitors because he feared word getting to his father. Until I reached my majority and we were called to the capital to be officially married.
My father despite his flaws had been an excellent War-Prince. As a youngling instead of bedtime stories he had told me stories of battles long past and taught me military strategy. I was his secret son, his beautiful daughter, I was his best student. I had learned to wait, to be patient to be cunning. My years as a virtual prisoner had taught be to survive.
I had learned to walk with my head down in defeat, I had learned to look beaten. He had learned nothing.
The Electorate was in session, we were walking towards his father's box but I had come prepared to die. I asked for a moment of privacy and he told me to be quick.
I snuck into where the viewing galleries for our people are, the guard was half asleep, mostly there for decoration. It would be like a teenage human sneaking onto the congress floor in Washington.
Members of the Electorate, I am here demanding to be freed from my marriage and betrothel on grounds of extreme abuse caused by my husband. Search my memories and see I tell the truth, but I promise you allow me to be forced into this match I WILL KILL Councilor Herensh's son by morning.
It was a short speech and for long moments no one spoke. Finally Herensh himself casting a dark look at his son, Let this matter be investigated.
After less than a half hour of looking at my memories I was free. Herensh arranged that Lirem would have no charges brought against him for my freedom. I had done well by myself.
The bidding war had begun.
On our planet there are dowries and bride prices. The dowery is for the husband, the bride price is to be settled on the wife in case her husband dies for her care and on the father or guardian in exchange for the loss of a daughter. I was in a unique position, my brother had already left this life, and all my father's property was mine. My guardian was his brother, Aloth, whom you met already. He could have cared less about me but recognized his chance to get ahead.
I went back to living in my father's home and recovered.
I had made such an impression on the Electorare with my beauty and poise I was being sought after to bride willing or unwilling.
She sighed, her audience sat stone faced it. Maybe she couldn't read Human expressions and that was all, she wasn't sure but she continued.
During this time Elfangor returned. That had gotten their attention.
The young, clumsy arrogant male was gone. He limped from his injuries, his burns were still healing. They said he needed time off, he was also being investigated for his disappearance.
He remembered me, but he was so different I would have never knew him. He has broadened and toughened, been scarred. He was intense and focused. A prince to be if rumors were true. Already respected, but he was full of sorrow.
One day it happened, he told me of Earth, of you Tobias and Loren. The Ellimist, Time Matrix, all of it. He told me what happened to my father. I was angry. He said his parents had finalized a marriage contract and by the full moon he was to be wed.
Then he galloped off, I ran after him.
Elfangor! I have an idea, a dadngerous reckless idea to save us both from marriages we don't want. Marry me
He stopped midstride, Marry you?
Yes, because at least with me you can be yourself. Can you imagine living the rest of your life having to pretend? At least I understand. I won't be trying to make you have younglings before you're ready or making you pretend to be in love with me. But we can be friends, I can be your wife and come to love each other it's more than we'll get any other way. Mate with me and let your father catch us, we will have to marry
He stood very still, considering the options,If you marry me we will both be breaking betrothals, you could get killed and me! They could castrate me for mating with another male's female.
They won't do anything to you, I countered. You're too promising a warrior and they need good commanders. So what if they take my land or dowry. It will be a slap with a tailblade and that's it. It would work, I could feel it n my bones.
You take much risk with my life, Allatron. He walked off into the night and I let him go. I did not want to be some silent wife to some male my uncle had chosen because he got a small fortune and a ship out of it.
But Elfangor was right I did ask him to risk everything. He was in his twenties by human standards and I only seventeen.
The next night he found me. I've been thinking, it's a sound plan. I have some conditions, first of all you will be faithful to me Allatron and it will be a marriage if we don't get killed in every way. You will respect me and… He cut himself off. I knew he had to be thinking of the marriage he'd had with you Loren. And maybe you could love me. You are my closest friend.
I was surprised. I've loved you since I was seven, I will be a good wife to you.
We were married by weeks end.
I became the Ambassador to our allies the Pegasusonians and made myself many friends on many planets. My allies, not the electorates. And all of this brings us to Earth.
I think the day he left for Earth I hated him.
Aximili had been assigned to Galaxy Tree and Elfangor, once he learned where he was going had enough influence to get assigned with him. I loved him and he did love my, but his time had come. His debt to the Ellimist had to be repaid and he knew it.
I begged him not to go and it only made him angry. I pleaded and ultimately told him if he wanted to get himself killed to go and do it. Words that haunt me to this day. That was the last time I spoke to my husband.
The months later word came from Aximili that all was not lost and drew me out of my mourning. I began to plot and plan and gather my allies. Meanwhile the Andalite government continued on believing that quarantine as the answer as our allies went along.
Then one day the topic brought to War Council was the final solution for Earth. Quarantine it seemed would be the tactic Lirem had chosen. I asked to speak before the council.
I was the senior Ambassador, and I was ready.
Councilors and allies, we had representatives for our sixteen allies is not the answer, right now the yeerks are concentrated on one planet, one battle ground. If we go now we still have the advantage of numbers. I've already spoken to many of you our allies and you agree with me. If the War Council is allowed to quarantine Earth and it will fail, just as the Hork-Bajir quarantine did. When the yeerks come for you your will be quarantined or quasi-virused too. Stand up and demand final end to this war, a final end to the death of so many. Everyone goes to Earth to fight or the Andalites go alone.
Silence. I would be a traitor if this went badly. The andalites sat grim and silent, hating me. One by one that made up our shaky alliance stood in support of me. The war council had no choice, I had out maneuvered them with months of secret talks, bribes and threats.
"Visser One, Edriss, she was right when she said you were one to be feared." This came from Eva.
I have only one other announcement to be made. As a "reward" I have been married to War-Prince Petraeus-Farouk-Varren.