Three weeks have passed since my capture and return to the Keep. Most of the time I stayed in my room, reading books I found at the library. Beatrice seemed to be the only person who wanted to talk to me. It appears that the Flight leader's, the commander Karashan in particular have been shunned me during my absence, it was against honor to run away during a war. This just frustrated me, and I'd argued about it to Beatrice, but she had just shaken her head.
The guards my mother had assigned to me was a crow, the captian of the Flight himself, Andreios and a familiar raven who I found out was Karl. He'd been a few years older than me and we had used to spar before I had run away. The first time we saw each other he had greeted me warmly and despite my attempts to remain angry at having guards, I had smiled back at him. Now we were just like old friends, and he had started taking me down to the training grounds so we could continue to spar.
Currently we were down there and I was actually winning in the fight. Being in a few battles and having to hunt for my own, I'd been able to keep up my strength and had learned a thing or two from my experiences. Karl, meanwhile was struggling to keep up, having to take a breath every few fights.
"Damn Lilka, you could easily guard yourself", he panted at one such moment. Andreios was watching us with one dark colored eye. He'd been wary of talking to me for some reason and prefered to stay silent when it was his shift to watch over me. The crow was definitely hard to get along with.
"You'd think after so many years of training, you'd be able to take me down", I teased, taking a soldier stance as I watched him go over and take a drink from a deerskin bag he had with him. Suddenly a small messenger sparrow landed next to me and Karl, a determined look on her face as she took a soldier's stance like mine.
"Lady Lilka", she began and I stopped her.
"Please just call me Lilka", I said kindly and motioned her to continue. She took the order with raised eyebrows.
"Um, your mother would like you to join her in the courtyard, she says that it is an urgent matter", the sparrow finished, looking at me for what to do next. I was wondering what could my mother possibly want with me. I nodded a thanks to the sparrow and told her that I was on my way. Karl and Andreios were right behind me as I started walking briskly to the courtyard.
"Do you two have any idea what is going on?", I asked them. Both shook their heads, though they looked uncomfortable. And that's when I felt it. A cold presence in the Keep, different from the warm presences of avians. There was a serpent in our midst. I sped up to get to the courtyard, this really must have been important if there was a serpiente in the Keep.
There were guards at every door as I walked in, and there was good reason to. Even if I couldn't feel the coldness running off her, I would have recognized the traits. Irene Cobriana was sitting on the ground, cross-legged and smiling politely up at my mother. Nacola Shardae was standing above the dreaded visitor, looking like a statue of gold as she looked down with distaste at the snake.
Irene with her ebony hair and white skin looked out of place. Her red eyes were calm and collected, though still looked like those of a demon, nothing like the rustic color of Gregory Cobriana's. Then again he was half-dead, Irene looked alive and well. Dressed in a silky black dress with a white emblem embroidered into the bodice, she was regal. On her left hand, which was resting on her right one, had the tell-tale onyx signet ring, showing her royalty of a Cobriana.
My mother must have noticed the shift in the guards, or perhaps she just heard our approach, but she gestured for me to come and stand by her. I did so, trying to clean myself up as I did. Despite my prowess, I still had a few bruises from the sparring, and my hair was out of place. As soon as I had been here, Beatrice had made it her duty to dress me properly, making me wear the finest dresses and the most comfortable pants and shirts, plus she'd gone and tamed the wild hair that I previously had. Now I stood by my mother, trying to look the part of a royal princess, while silently hating it on the inside.
I was suprised Irene had even been allowed in here, just being a serpiente would have made the guards charge her. Unless she had a good reason to make herself so vulnerable. Any weapons she'd brought with her had probably been taken away, but if the rumors about those red eyes were true, then any blade or poison wouldn't matter. Was she just here to talk, to gain our trust somehow? My mother answered my mental question with her next sentence.
"She's here in peace", though I heard a hint of doubt, and she put a hand behind my back as if to present me, "Irene, may I introduce my heir and daughter, Lilka Shardae", I shuddered inwardly at the name, "Lilka, this is Irene Cobriana, younger sister to Zane."
I already knew of them, but I went through the motions and nodded a greeting to her. She was no danger to me, but I could feel my mother's alertness being heightened with every minute. My teachings had taught me to be scared of snakes, but after my two years and even coming into contact with the scaled beasts in the Mistari lands, my fright had turned to a mere caution. I could tell that she knew I wasn't scared of her, and she even smiled a little at me with knowing eyes.
After my introduction, there was a small silence until Irene spoke first.
"We want peace", Irene said softly. The guards behind her moved slightly, and I even heard one chuckle sarcastically under his breath. "We're tired of fighting, and killing innocent people". Behind me someone grumbled, "I doubt it".
I snapped my head back and glared at the guards, my mother doing the same. I was in shock at Irene's words, though I felt a slight retraction at them. After so many years, did the serpiente really want peace? To my mother I could guess it was impossible, but to me it seemed almost like a blessing.
Irene had too glared at whoever had spoken, garnet eyes flashing dangerously, and her voice was heavy with anger as she argued against the person's words, "I have lost my father to this damn war. Two uncles. Three brothers. A few years ago, I lost a sister and a niece at the same time when some avian soldier put a knife into her stomach while she was pregnant with her child. My mother is a good woman, but she is only Naga, and my people will not follow someone who is only a Cobriana by name. They need a Diente, and Zane is the only last true heir to that position", she finished, her face still angry, but her eyes were hopeful.
My mother took her chance to speak, "Excuse me if we don't completely trust you Irene", my mother said solemnly, "But your kind has not been known to hold a bargain in the past". The myth of the origin of the avians was that we were descents from the first hawk, Alasdair. Unfortunately the death of Alasdair came from one of her so called friends, who was a serpiente. Irene's face darkened, but she spoke as quietly as before, "Gregory Cobriana died three months ago", she answered, her eyes filled with grief. I felt a pang of sadness at the words. His pained face flashed through my mind, but I focused on Irene's words.
"He was only seventeen, and now he is dead. I came here without weapons, hoping someone would listen to me. Zane wanted to actually come himself, but my own mother argued that you would sooner put a knife in his back than listen to anything he had to say. And do you know how he replied to that? He told her, 'Let them. If they do kill me, then someone might be satisfied that they've won the war and then maybe it will all end".
As much as I wanted to believe her, I found her words impossible. Zane, the Arami himself, saying something so self-sacrificing? The idea sounded so fictional and made-up that I had a hard time not contradicting her.
Though she did have some facts on her side. If he didn't suggest something so suicidal, we might have believed her. Anyone who'd been in the court long enough to hear the rumors and whispers would know of the Arami's greatness in battle. He fought beside his people with an expertise worthy of a warrior and has never been wounded. I myself had caught some glimpses of him at the battles that were closer to serpiente territory, and he was indeed practiced with a his fists and a blade. And though I knew they were false, there were even rumors about him dealing in black magic.
"If those words are true", my mother said with a stern look, "Then what does he propose we do to stop this war?". Her face, though looking at Irene with piercing eyes, seemed to show a oldness and a ghostly hope. Irene didn't take a second to answer.
"A truce", she said, red eyes open and showing complete honesty, "Zane, my mother, and I would like to meet you at a destination where we could all speak together peacefully. You are free to bring your heir and anyone else you find necessary". Immediately my mother went on red alert. This plan screamed plot for murder. I felt like I should reach out and squeeze her hand to calm her, but avian reserve forbade it, so I stood still as my mother barked out her next sentence.
"And where exactly is this location?", she asked, her tone deadly and skeptical. Irene took notice of her malice and smiled calmly.
"In Mistari lands, before the Disa and the Dio", her voice was soft and she took a breath before she explained, "We have been fighting your kind for so long that our people only want to avenge the deaths of their loved ones. They are far from trusting the avians, but I think a show of trust from your side would help the matter. Their Tuuli Thea going to Mistari lands in the quest for piece would be a great show of that, just as it is a show of trust to you for our Naga and Arami to travel there, though we've already shown how serious we are about stopping this war".
I bit my tongue to ask how exactly they already displayed this 'serious want to stop the war', when my mother answered for me.
"I take it that. . .Zane. . .sent you as the show of trust?", she paused at his name like it was a curse word. Irene ignored the pause of her Arami's name and nodded. My mother continued.
"And so he wishes for what in return of this trust?".
Irene replied, "Only that you meet with him in the Mistari palace. We would like to ask the Disa for advice about our situation". My mother turned to me.
"Lilka, I have not asked your take on this", she looked to me and I was surprised. Until it changed to anger, why was she asking me about matters such as these. I leaned and whispered under my breath.
"Why? You know I don't approve of this war in the first place", I hissed, keeping my face calm in the view of Irene, yet making it so she couldn't hear my words. My mother's face turned to a stern one.
"You ran away because you hated the war, this your chance to end it, now say what you think about the proposal", she whispered back, hard and commanding. I couldn't argue with her in front of a guest, and she did have a valid point against me, so I answered with gritted teeth.
"We do have reason not to trust them", I started, "But if there's any chance of ending this war, and if Zane Cobriana just as eager to end it, then I say we take the chance and attend the meeting", I ended before adding to my mother, "You know I'd do anything in my power to stop this war". She judged my words, and then a small, proud smile formed on her face. Then she turned behind us and motioned to someone. Andreios walked to my mother's other side.
"Andreios, what do you say?", my mother asked. The leader of the royal guard took a moment and stared at Irene, as if trying to read her mind before he answered, "I don't like it, and as Lady Lilka says, we have reason not to trust them, but Mistari lands are neutral. They'd have to be mad to ambush us there, the Mistari would rip them apart". My mother took a moment to think about his words as well as mine before she turned back to Irene, who'd been sitting silently and listening to our opinions.
My mother geastured for her to stand, "Irene, please give the message to your. . .prince, that we will meet with him". She held up a warning hand to the guards who were saying protests.
Irene nodded, "Thank you Nacola", she said it so warmly that a few of the guards flinched. I actually appreciated it, I'd grown back into the emotionless society and it was nice to see a display of warmth. To my suprise she then looked at me, "Zane asked me to show our willingness to meet at any time or day, though he requested it be as soon as possible. Please say a date and I'll relay it back to him". My mother didn't come back to me for advice this time and instead spoke briefly with Andreios again. She turned back and answered, "In four nights, the night of the first sight of the moon. It will be enough time for us to organize our people for travel".
If Irene left at this instant she'd have to be part cheetah to strategize a ambush. My mother's rushing her would only be to make sure of our safety. Irene took this with no surprise, she probably expected it.
"Thank you Nacola, Lilka, I shall see you soon I hope", she smiled before leaving with three of our guards trailing her closely. My mother and I shared a glance before going our separate ways for the day.
Yes, I basically rewrote a chapter from the book, but oh well, it needed to be in the story and I wasn't about to go and write a sucky chapter. Enjoy and please RandR. Zane shall be in the story soon enough and you'll be surprised at the relationship between the two.