CHAPTER 6:

DISCONTENT

A few hours later, the initial part of the negotiations were over. While they were still hammering out some parts of the agreement, most of it had gone, if not well, then with little incident. Then again, having Rory Mercury in your corner, or at least in the same room, tended to ensure negotiations were, if not calm, then without any major dispute.

Harry was currently enjoying a drink with Delilah (Hermione getting ready to head to Coda Village) when Pina and the Rose Knights entered. The pub's usual hubbub stilled, and Harry knew that a lot of people were looking at them with not a little hostility. Pina, to her credit, noticed, and then, when she approached the bar, placed a bag of money on the counter. "Drinks for myself and my comrades, please. And a round to anyone willing."

"We don't want drinks paid by the likes of you!" sneered one Bunny Warrior.

Bozes wheeled on the offender, only for Grey to put a hand on the hotheaded blonde's shoulder. The older veteran said, "Her Majesty did say anyone willing. We are not here to fight."

"You're from the Empire, Hume, and we would be fools to trust your words," retorted another.

Delilah stood and glared at the culprits. "They are envoys under the flag of parley, Clementine and Renner(1). You would do well to remember that."

"Parley? Tyuule's going to be giving us away to appease the Emperor!" Clementine, the first one to speak, sneered, before gesturing at Harry. "That sorcerer is no doubt one of Zorzal's plants."

"And the fact that I saved Tyuule from him?" Harry retorted.

"A double bluff," Clementine scoffed. "She might as well cut off one of her ears, show that she is your plaything!"

"Wow. I guess it was too much to hope that ingratitude was the sole province of humans," Harry snarked. "And are you clowns seriously trying to annoy someone who could do…this?" With a wave of his hands, he Transfigured Clementine and Renner's clothes into clown costumes, complete with makeup. It was sort of his standard prank Transfiguration technique.

Clementine and Renner looked down at themselves, and shrieked in fury, before storming out, nearly tripping over their now-oversized shoes. "Let that be a lesson, ladies and gentlemen," Harry said. "Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger(2)."

"That didn't seem very subtle," Bozes remarked.

"I never said I was."

Pina peered at him, before taking her own drink over to the table where Harry and Delilah were. "So, you're the warlock who left my brother in a pitiable state."

"And you have the misfortune to be related to him. My condolences. Still, you at least seem like you give a crap about other people."

"Show some respect to Princess Pina Co Lada!" snapped a blonde young man.

"I am. I am treating her like she's a decent person unless she proves otherwise."

"Norma, enough," Pina said, before turning back to Harry. "I have already spoken at great length with Queen Tyuule on the matter of my brother. Even if I do not believe all of it, I am more than aware of his proclivities. But he is also my brother."

"Well, you can choose your friends, but not your family. I'm guessing these are your friends and not just your soldiers?"

She nodded, apparently grateful for the change in subject. "Indeed. This is, admittedly, our first deployment in anything apart from being colour guard."

"So, basically, this is your first time you don't just stand around and look good," Harry clarified.

"Essentially," Grey said. "Her Majesty's committed, but she does not get many opportunities to show her commitment. The same applies to the others here."

"Well, as long as you don't start anything, I'm fine. You fine with them being here, Delilah?"

Delilah nodded, albeit reluctantly. "I will honour your status as envoys as long as you do nothing to harm my people. Where is Count Formal?"

Pina and Bozes, along with a few other of the Rose Knights, looked a little embarrassed. "Count Formal lingered behind to speak to a couple of your people," Grey said with an embarrassed cough. "I'm sure by now you are aware of his own proclivities. Though he understands to not take it to objectionable lengths."

"That's because a beautiful woman is a beautiful woman, no matter whether they be human or demi-human, Sir Grey, or even their station," said Count Formal as he walked in. "And a beautiful woman, or indeed any woman, should be treated with respect. It is one thing to admire their form, but another entirely to take what isn't yours. Besides, I know better than to try anything objectionable with any being that has 'warrior' in their race's name and can back it up. I'd be lucky to get away with bruises."

"Which is rather wise, Count Formal," Delilah said, nodding to the older man. "How are your daughters?"

"My eldest are doing well with their husbands. And little Myui is growing up fast. A fast learner, she is, at least in her letters and figures," Formal said proudly. "Actually, I have to say, your page seems eager for one so young."

"Of course. Hamilton is a good page," Pina said, indicating a girl who appeared to be in her early to mid-teens. "But announcing me so pompously in some situations doesn't help."

"I said I'm sorry," Hamilton said, looking a bit shamefaced. "But a page is required to…"

"Yes, I know. But the people here not only know who I am already, and will not appreciate it being announced every time, Hamilton," Pina said gently.

Harry got the impression that a number of the Rose Knights, especially Bozes, looked like they were struggling to hold their tongues. Arrogant buggers who were convinced of the superiority of the Empire they served, no doubt. From what he had learned, the Rose Knights were mostly children of nobles of Pina Co Lada's acquaintance, a bit like a rather bizarre version of a school club for them. And there were mostly women or girls, presumably because the men were already expected to serve in the military in one form or another. Pina at least was good at keeping things civil, though it would be expected of her as a princess. Third in line to the throne, despite being born to a concubine, according to Tyuule. Then again, Pina's mother was favoured by Emperor Molt Sol Augustus.

Feeling a pang of sympathy for the girl, despite the fact that she was probably brainwashed by her father and her society into believing the Empire was always right, even when it was wrong, he remarked, "Better get used to being seen as Princess Pina Co Lada rather than just Pina. People are going to see you for what titles you accrue and for your family line, not for what and who you truly are. Take it from someone who's been there, done that, even if you haven't heard of me."

"Queen Tyuule called you Harry Potter," Grey said. "A rather common-sounding name, if you forgive me for saying so."

"That's fine. Your princess sounds like she was named for a cocktail where I come from, and no, that is not an insult, I am serious. Rum, coconut milk and pineapple juice, in case you're wondering. The subject of a rather nice song, actually. If you like pina coladas, and getting lost in the rain…" Harry crooned, halting when he saw the bemused looks on their faces. Clearing his throat, he then added, "My point is…it's going to take you a while to be recognised for your own achievements. And sometimes, it won't be the right kind of recognition."

Grey peered at Harry, before grimacing, nodding in sympathy. "You're a soldier yourself. You have been from a young age, younger than most," the older knight said. "Emroy must favour you, and that's not necessarily a good thing."

"I've already had to deal with knowing Rory. That's…interesting."

"Speak of the Devil, and she shall appear," purred a familiar voice, with the Apostle of Emroy strutting towards their table, and sitting next to Harry. "And yes, I'd like to think that I am interesting." A little more gently, she did say, "And yes…you have Emroy's attention. It can be a blessing and curse both. People pray to him without thinking of the consequences, not realising the true horrors they inflict in war. They forget that, while Emroy does not consider the act of killing a sin, it is the motive that matters, that self-delusion and killing for its own sake is a poison in the soul. People should be careful what they use as justification for killing, lest they lie to themselves about why they do so. That is why I have little time for bandits who slaughter in Emroy's name, but in truth, do so merely to slake their own lust for violence of many kinds. Well, I say I have little time for them. I make time to show them the error of their ways and ensure they don't ever do it again."

"Yes, killing them would ensure that they don't do it ever again, wouldn't it?" Harry snarked at the immortal Gothic Lolita demigoddess. "I'm sure that the Death Eaters could have done with you culling them."

"…Death Eaters?" Pina asked.

Before Harry could reply, Rory said, "Oh, they're a group of warlocks from where Harry came from. They despised people who didn't have magic. Their leader was Harry's own nemesis."

"And where do you come from, exactly?" Bozes asked.

"A long way away from Falmart," Harry said, shooting an unrepentant Rory a sharp look.

"And you threw your lot in with…the Bunny Warriors?" Bozes asked, seeming like she corrected herself at the last moment. Harry was almost certain she said 'savages' in her mind.

"I ended up in the very tent they were keeping Queen Tyuule by accident, or rather, because a certain deity thought it'd be funny. I saw someone in need of help, and her captor demanding that she become his sex slave. You'd do the same thing if it was Pina, I am sure."

"…Then Queen Tyuule is fortunate to have someone so loyal to her," Pina said, tactfully avoiding the subject of Zorzal.

"We all are," Delilah said. "Clementine and Renner are in the minority," she added hastily.

"No kingdom is without discontent," Grey observed ruefully.

Harry parted ways with the Rose Knights on at least somewhat cordial terms. Then again, they had danced around a number of key issues. Harry was sure that they were here to gain intelligence on him as much as they were here to negotiate an armistice. They wouldn't try something as blatant as an assassination this early on in proceedings, Delilah had mused, and Pina and her Rose Knights didn't seem like the sort to do so. They held to some form of chivalry at least.

When Harry rejoined Tyuule later that evening for dinner at her home (a dinner he himself cooked), the albino Bunny Warrior looked pensive. "I heard about what happened in the pub," she said quietly as they ate their meal. "Already, the terms of the armistice have leaked. I've tried to clarify things, but…"

"They think that they're basically being conscripted into the Imperial Army?"

"I already have twenty volunteers, thanks to Delilah and Parna, but that's not the issue. That's just adding fuel to the fire. Clementine and Renner are just the most vocal members of a small but dangerous faction. It's one that tends to go out on bandit raids of Hume properties, one that believes in our superiority over any other race, even fellow demi-humans. Plus, there's also a few who I think are part of the Haryo, or want to join them."

The Haryo, a group of demi-humans, particularly half-breeds, who believed themselves to be the true rulers of Falmart. In reality, they were closer to a mafia group in terms of operations than anything else, although their ambitions were not merely criminal, but rather, hoping to usurp the Empire. "And Pina and her Rose Knights?"

"As long as they behave, they should be fine. She sincerely believes that the Empire is benevolent to those they conquer," Tyuule scoffed. "Still, her father and Grey have coached her to mind her tongue. Presumably, so has Count Formal."

"Would Clementine and Renner's allies try to assassinate Pina?"

"Maybe, but I think they're more likely to assassinate either one of us and blame it on them. Some of those amongst them have designs on being Queen, despite our tradition being that only a Pureblood, a Bunny Warrior born and bred with a rare male, has the right to be Queen. I despise that tradition myself, of course, and I intend to make sure my successor is someone I trust, even if she is not of my blood. At the moment, Delilah and Parna are the frontrunners for my chosen successors." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I hate this, I really do."

"Being Queen?"

"Yes. Anyone who desires such a position has to be insane or imbecilic. But…I have a responsibility to my people, to those under my aegis. I will not abdicate as long as I can do some good for my people."

"And I will stay by your side, to help you protect them. Those idiots aside, your people have done more for me than anyone else. They may view me as an Honoured Sorcerer, but they don't intend to rely on me to do everything. They can fight for themselves. I fight alongside them, for them, and not just instead of them. I mean, not that it was like that all the time back home. During the Battle of Hogwarts, everyone fought in the end…but I feel welcomed here, for the most part. Like…like I can start afresh, start anew. Like I can actually do some good of my own will, rather than being tied down by some fucking prophecy. Okay, I'm technically tied to you through those rings but…there are few people I'd rather be stuck with, Tyuule."

She returned his smile. "I'm glad."

They then continued their meal in companionable silence, before they finished. Harry was surprised at how much he was growing used to being Tyuule's consort. Such a beautiful woman could have her pick of men to bed, and yet, not only had she chosen him (albeit partly because he was a mage), but also, she was willing to take it slowly, to allow them to get to know each other. The bond was, admittedly, a bit of a roadblock, but more and more, Harry felt that that was the best kind of serendipity.

As Harry took the dishes away, Tyuule went over to a window, and peered up at the moonlit sky. "A beautiful night," she said. Suddenly, there was a twang, and a sharp gasp. Harry, who was setting up charms to wash the dishes in a basin, whirled, fearing the worst. He rushed over, and found Tyuule clutching at the sill of the window, but she waved him back. "Stay back!"

After a moment, she plucked something that had stuck in the sill, and carried it over: an arrow with a sheet of paper around it. She unrolled it, and read it, her crimson eyes widening, before she snarled, and handed it to him. Harry read the following in the script of this world…

You are no Queen but a subservient whore who has no right to intact ears, bound to a vile Hume warlock, and we refuse to follow you any longer. Expel the Humes, Imperial or not, from our settlement and abdicate. Otherwise, they will be sent to Hardy, and we will send you to follow them. So we swear by Deldout and Emroy.

The true Bunny Warriors

CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:

So, discontent's running high, huh? I very nearly ended it with Harry being hit with a poison arrow while trying to save Tyuule, but decided this would be better.

Review-answering time! rmarcano321: What inspired me to write this fic was, well, I wanted to do a GATE fanfic, and there's only two other Potterverse crossovers, though I considered others. Plus, I wanted to save Tyuule from her crappy canon fate.

jgkitarel: Good points. I do sort of address those, and I try to pare down the nationalism here. In one of the latest chapters I've written, Tyuule points out to Hazama that, while they are in alliance, she does not want to exchange one set of potential conquerors for another. Personally, I am really tempted to bash Yanagida, given the remarks he made about resources in GATE canon.

1. In trying to find names for the Bunny Warrior OCs here, I decided to use the name of two of the more malevolent female characters from Overlord.

2. This comes from The Fellowship of the Ring, and is something I've had Harry snark at before.