This is insane, thought Kestral. I'm so not doing this.
The Knights of Darion were gathered by the round oaken table once again. Kestral had really hoped for something - even small, like some insubordinate troops - to happen, but no, still boring reality called.
Nothing exciting had happened in Westerlin for the last 4 months, since the Red Prince had been captured. Elias was gone. Fine, his choice. The Settlers could finally live without fear.
But there was one thing Kestral hated more than evil Red Prince... it was this suspicious silence. The was a person, who just wouldn't stand still for more than a few minutes... And this lack of things happening, without any reason to just hop on her horse and run into some fight, Kestral was feeling cooped up.
Peace sucks, she thought.
She looked around. Out of five places around the table, only four of them were occupied. Alandra was out, still cleaning up the mess on the East.
Thordal was leaning against the chair's back, as always. He pointed it out several times, that the chair was just too small of a muscular and well-built Viking like him. Marcus sat comfortably on his chair, leaned his elbows on the table with arms crossed. As for Kestral, she was, as always, sitting on the armchair by the fireplace with her legs stretched. They were waiting for Hakim, who had gathered the meeting. He said it was diplomacy, that he wanted to discuss.
"My money's on another diplomacy mission to the south" the female Knight said.
"Hold right there, Lady" Thordal replied with a smile. "our lovely wise Hakim said it was something of great importance. Not just any stupid mission to some village god knows where."
"So our Wise Boy said, that it's important. Big deal. He always says that" Kestral stated.
"Her Majesty might attend" Marcus spoke quietly.
Kestral raised an eyebrow. "Then it really is important. I'd better move to the table then." She moved out of her armchair. When surrounded only by the Knights, she could say of do any kinds of things, for the knew her and were forgiving her behavior. The Queen just might not.
Just when she sat down on the appointed chair by the table, the door slam open showing Hakim and Her Majesty, talking to each other vividly.
Everyone stood up. The Queen waved dismissively, showing them, that they could seat. She looked concerned.
"Why would they do so, Lord Hakim?" she asked, probably in reply for the Knight's sentence.
Hakim didn't have enough time to answer, as they reached the table. The Queen raised her hand towards him, giving him authority to speak.
The Knight's face didn't give out any emotion. It almost never did. There were rumors, that he actually never smiled, even as a child. Thordal stated he saw it once, though no one really believed him. Kestral knew better. Although Hakim did not show any facial expression, his eyes were always giving him out. He couldn't change this, but luckily hardly anyone could read someone by their eyes.
Kestral could. And right now Hakim's eyes were showing a lot of concern. He didn't like the situation - or more likely he just couldn't control it as much as he wanted to.
"Thank you all for coming here." he started. "The situation is really serious, as for we are talking about a major truce here. With the Eastern Raiders."
Kestral alomst choked the air she was breathing.
"Are you kidding?" she asked.
The Eastern Raiders were a group of assassins, who officially reigned one of former Red Prince's cities. Their leaders were 'chosen' officially by the Settlers to rule the city, but everybody knew the sad truth, that the elections were fake. But if anybody tried resistance, they would meet with 'accidental' raids on their houses and families. The Knights of Darion tried diplomacy before, then lethal force. They managed to get rid of almost half of the Raiders' army, but it wasn't enough. The city was still occupied by the bandits, though the Knights knew it wouldn't last long without half of their forces, so just left it to bleed out. There was no need for more blood spilling, for the sake of the Settlers.
"Apparently I am not." the Hakim replied. "I wish I was."
"The situation, as you see, is an unsafe ground for us." Her Majesty added.
"Unsafe ground?! These people are murderers!" the former Thief almost shouted.
"Well, then it figures you, doesn't it?" Marcus smiled ironically.
"Marcus!" The Queen looked at him with a mix of fear and anger. "How could you say such things?"
"Sorry, Your Majesty" he answered, but made it clear by his tone, that he wasn't really.
"It doesn't matter." Kestral was not bothered with Marcus's teasing. "Look, these guys DON'T NEGOCIATE. They go, they kill. Nothing is left after they get the job done. They're the bandits, the worst kind. Even if they pretend to be just noble city rulers."
"They want truce" Hakim reminded.
"Why?" asked Thordal.
"I wish I knew that as well. Maybe they see no point in fighting, for they know they're outnumbered."
"This is insane. I know, that last time we met them we actually made their little bandit family a half smaller, but even weakened, they're are still a threat to us. And why would they want truce after four months? I should have finished them then." Kestral sighed.
"They are going to send three of their authorities" Hakim said.
"Who?" the woman raised her head. She took the letter from the table. "Alton, Kassandra and Iulius. The famous siblings that call the shots among the Eastern Raiders and rule the city of Soloire." She shook her head slowly. "I am against any diplomacy with them, Your Majesty."
"We can't just turn our backs on them, on the other hand" Marcus said. "We will use every type of security we have. They won't be able to move their little fingers, unless allowed to."
You don't know them, Kestral thought. They will move their entire hands and you won't even see it.
"Thordal?" The Queen asked.
"I dunno, My Queen" the Viking hesitated. He paused for a minute, and then raised his head and smiled. "Or I know. We'll throw a ball."
"What?" Marcus and Kestral shouted together.
"I get your point" Hakim said.
"And I'm curious" the Queen added.
"A ball. Think about it. They wouldn't bring weapons. They would be surrounded all the time. And we would show them diplomacy, they have never seen! They want to be city authorities? Let them be, with all the consequences. They would be more than embarrassed to lack of ability to be diplomats!" Thordal smiled broadly.
"This might do the trick" the Janubian said.
"All right, I get it now." Marcus also smiled.
"I like this idea." the Queen added. "Kestral?"
"Would my vote change anything?" the Knight murmured with a grim face.
Night came over Vestholm and brought silence after a long day.
A single shadow prowled through the castle's corridors. No one would spot it, for in the castle there was no need for guarding.
A female appeared at the door of the castle library. She came through, straight to the map section. Raising her hand toward the shelves, she was looking for a specific map.
Blast, where is it, thought Kestral. Why wouldn't the map be in place..?
She got illuminated. Someone took it purposely.
"Looking for this?" said the voice behind her back. Low and calm one. Hakim.
She turned around slowly. He was leaning against one of the shelves, holding a map in his hand.
Kestral sighed. "How did you know?"
"You overestimate me. I didn't know, I was just studying it myself."
"At midnight?" she raised na eyebrow.
"Is it midnight?" he asked acting naive. "How this time goes... Now, either you tell me, why you are here, or I will have to tell the Queen that you sneak around at night."
"It seems like you are sneaking as well" she smiled ironically.
"Although there is a difference. Who do you think the Queen would believe, you, or me?"
"You wouldn't." Kestral's eyes became narrow slits.
He wouldn't. And she knew that he wouldn't.
"You do not believe in the truce, now do you?" he asked.
"Of course I don't." she replied.
"Well, that is what we have in common."
Kestral suddenly got confused.
"Really?"
"Don't be ridiculous. Seriously, did you think I would fall for the moral change of people who have held terror in the city of Soloire of 4 months?"
"You played it well back then" she smiled. "I did fall for it."
"You were meant to, sorry."
"So why allow the whole ball thing? The Queen treasures your opinion more than mine."
"She would have ordered the ball anyway. Between you and me, our Queen is too faithful."
Kestral nodded. "Oh, yes she is."
"So, what were you planning on doing? I'm quite curious."
"None of your business, sweetie. Now that you are here, I won't have to worry about planning anymore."
He kept silent. Kestral sighed.
"They have many enemies. I was to never let them get to the castle."
"By calling your own bandits, I suppose."
Her eyes became two yellow flames.
"My soldiers dressed as bandits. The explanation would be easy to find."
"Never trying a diplomatic way, are you, Kestral?" he spoke.
She looked down on the floor. "Diplomacy is your field, I suppose. I prefer steel solving all of my problems."
A shadow of a smile appeared on his face and disappeared quickly.
"I am not a diplomat, Hakim. Do not ask me to be one." she said quietly.
"What if I was going to?"
She raised her head and looked at him. "No."
"There is one problem with your theory. You are not to make decisions" Hakim said. "The ball will be held and we all need to behave there. You as well."
He got her cornered.
"What do you want from me?" she asked.
"Two things. I know you are against it all, and I want you to know, that so am I. But as for now, it is politics. I want you to behave properly" he looked at her face filled with grimace. "But when things go wrong, can I count on your aid?"
She smiled. "Sure you can."
"Good. Then there is a second thing. I want you to promise me to not let them make you loose your nerves."
She looked at him sadly. "I can't promise that. I... I have unsettled score with those people. I can't just forget it. Unlike you, I can't keep my emotions from the world."
"It's not that hard" he replied. "For the sake of us all, I can teach you that."
"Really?" this sounded more than unbelievable.
"Sure. Why, don't I look like someone who could teach you anything valuable?"
"More like someone who is reluctant to speak, not even thinking about teaching" she smiled, staring to walk towards the door.
Hakim caught up with her. "We'll start tomorrow."
"Works for me."
As they walked towards the apartments, neither of them spoke. Just when Kestral was about to open the door to her rooms, Hakim spoke to her.
"Kestral, can I ask you a personal question?"
She frowned.
"Go ahead."
"Have you ever worked for the Eastern Raiders?"
She turned around and looked him in the eyes.
"The Raiders are the most filthy and ruthless kind of people. They kill for the pleasure of it. I at least believed in what I did in my times."
"Do you still believe it?" he asked.
The door had closed after Kestral.