"They riot, Vashti," Nita looked out over the crowd of people that had gathered below the palace. "They grow tired of unkept promises, of war that is not war..." She looked at the floor.
Vashti put a hand on her shoulder, "And where is your cousin, young Princess? Has he not returned?"
"Aye, he has."
Nita jerked her head up, suprise written clear on her face, "Namor!" She swam over to him and hung on his arm for support, "I thought you'd left to the surfaceworld for good!"
"Surely you know I would not abandon the kingdom...!" Nita bit her lip and turned her head away. "Cousin," he said as gently as possible, "my duties lie here first. I see that now. It took time - time that was sorely wasted on futile errands - to see that. I have learned things, however, and perhaps we may yet fight the surfacemen on their grounds."
"We must be concerned with Atlantis first," the younger Atlantian said sternly.
"Yes," again the gentle tone, "we will care for Atlantis first." He turned to Vashti, "Friend, rely this message to the ones gathered below: The surfacemen have no place here, and should they not leave, they will be humbled! So swears Namor!"
"Have they agreed?" Aeyson looked up at Thane, eyeing the small bundle of papers in his hand more than his face.
"Agreed to your fascist terms, yes. You will fail in this, Mr. Aeyson."
Aeyson grunted, making a grab for the papers. Thane held them just out of reach. He glared at the other man, "I brought you here because the cause needs a Democrat, Thane. Don't mistake my acts to gain leverage for anything but."
Thane sneered, throwing the papers down at Aeyson. They scattered in his lap. "You are a poor actor behind closed doors, Sir. A snake in your lair, but a lion to the people. A chimera to be sure." He turned to leave.
"Don't turn your back on me, Thane! You'll be throwing away your only chance at a revived political career!"
"Better to die with the sheep than dine with the devil," he said dismissively over his shoulder.
Aeyson stared for a moment. But only for a moment. He jumped to his feet, grabbing a mug off his desk and hurling it at the now closed oak door. It shattered into several large pieces. "Proud Democrat. Proud bastard. Proud of his morals. Fucking morals!" Pencils and papers went flying. He stopped and bent down to pick up the paper bundle that had slipped off his lap. The signatures of the Supreme Court and House glared back at him with seemingly still-wet ink. He smirked, 'Those morals of yours, Thane? They don't count for jack in politics.'
"From what I have learned from routing about like a common rat in the backalleys of that monstrosity of a city, a man named Franklin Aeyson has been at the head of the movement to both remove Atlantis from the UN and to begin the drilling projects on the outskirts of our borders," Namor rubbed his chin in thought. His assembled advisors sat around a large coral table, listening intently, but he had a feeling none of them would have anything intelligent to say once he was done. "Aeyson is also the head of a large oil company. Back when I had dealings with the humans, with Oracle, I dealt with him. A worm if there ever was such. And, if I had known that he would cost the kingdom so much, I would have crushed the life out of him then!" He froze, knowing that his temper would soon begin to govern his actions. He stood and turned away from the group, "Atlantis will be taken care of, and then I will deal with that lowly creature." The advisors winced, knowing the actions that usually accompanied his tone. "I will expose him for what he is, and disperse his followers."
"You will- will not attack the surfaceworld, my Lord?" One of the advisors spoke up, suprised.
Namor tilted his head back ever so slightly to gaze at him over his shoulder, "No. I will not." Nita smiled from her place at the table. "The humans that do this are under the sway of another and do not act for themselves. Easily manipulated though they are, they are not deserving of any punishment we would give them. There has been too much death."
Merric allowed himself a smile as he heard the spy's news. It seemed like the mighty prince had finally lost his nerve. 'Good,' he thought, turning to his fyrd, 'with Namor tied up in Atlantis after all that's happened, he'll be too busy to note a few hundred of his guard missing.' The gathered millitia stirred, noting their leaders' change in mood. As a defector from the royal guard himself, Merric was very seldom in good spirits - those loyal to the crown were constantly after him. He was not only a defector, but a traitor as well. Many times had he provided the vilainous Attumma with information that could have won the barbarian Atlantis. Yes, it was very odd indeed for this Atlantian to be so pleased - the others felt very uncomfortable, and for good reason.
"Sir," one of them asked in a barely audible voice, "are we to take Atlantis?"
"No, you fool. We're going to let the surfacemen handle that for us."
"Sir?"
Merric grinned, "That blowhard Namor has already angered the humans beyond anything he's done before. Why doesn't matter. All that does is that they're ready to launch an all-out war against the Realm. We just need to give them just cause."
"And if they don't?"
He turned, a grimace slowly turning into something more sinister, "My dear lackey, I DO have insurance on these matters."
The attack was swift and clean. The rebel forces came up from the deep waving the banner of Atlantis, acting in the name of Prince Namor. It was more show than anything, and very little damage was acctually done.
Not that the details ever mattered.
TBC soon.
AN: I really intended to write more here, as I had a really nice plot flow after Mark helped me out - Thanks, man! - but school and other things have been bogging me down. After the CAT-6's are out of the way, expect more. This should wrap up fairly soon, and then White Knight will clear up any loose ends.
Vashti put a hand on her shoulder, "And where is your cousin, young Princess? Has he not returned?"
"Aye, he has."
Nita jerked her head up, suprise written clear on her face, "Namor!" She swam over to him and hung on his arm for support, "I thought you'd left to the surfaceworld for good!"
"Surely you know I would not abandon the kingdom...!" Nita bit her lip and turned her head away. "Cousin," he said as gently as possible, "my duties lie here first. I see that now. It took time - time that was sorely wasted on futile errands - to see that. I have learned things, however, and perhaps we may yet fight the surfacemen on their grounds."
"We must be concerned with Atlantis first," the younger Atlantian said sternly.
"Yes," again the gentle tone, "we will care for Atlantis first." He turned to Vashti, "Friend, rely this message to the ones gathered below: The surfacemen have no place here, and should they not leave, they will be humbled! So swears Namor!"
"Have they agreed?" Aeyson looked up at Thane, eyeing the small bundle of papers in his hand more than his face.
"Agreed to your fascist terms, yes. You will fail in this, Mr. Aeyson."
Aeyson grunted, making a grab for the papers. Thane held them just out of reach. He glared at the other man, "I brought you here because the cause needs a Democrat, Thane. Don't mistake my acts to gain leverage for anything but."
Thane sneered, throwing the papers down at Aeyson. They scattered in his lap. "You are a poor actor behind closed doors, Sir. A snake in your lair, but a lion to the people. A chimera to be sure." He turned to leave.
"Don't turn your back on me, Thane! You'll be throwing away your only chance at a revived political career!"
"Better to die with the sheep than dine with the devil," he said dismissively over his shoulder.
Aeyson stared for a moment. But only for a moment. He jumped to his feet, grabbing a mug off his desk and hurling it at the now closed oak door. It shattered into several large pieces. "Proud Democrat. Proud bastard. Proud of his morals. Fucking morals!" Pencils and papers went flying. He stopped and bent down to pick up the paper bundle that had slipped off his lap. The signatures of the Supreme Court and House glared back at him with seemingly still-wet ink. He smirked, 'Those morals of yours, Thane? They don't count for jack in politics.'
"From what I have learned from routing about like a common rat in the backalleys of that monstrosity of a city, a man named Franklin Aeyson has been at the head of the movement to both remove Atlantis from the UN and to begin the drilling projects on the outskirts of our borders," Namor rubbed his chin in thought. His assembled advisors sat around a large coral table, listening intently, but he had a feeling none of them would have anything intelligent to say once he was done. "Aeyson is also the head of a large oil company. Back when I had dealings with the humans, with Oracle, I dealt with him. A worm if there ever was such. And, if I had known that he would cost the kingdom so much, I would have crushed the life out of him then!" He froze, knowing that his temper would soon begin to govern his actions. He stood and turned away from the group, "Atlantis will be taken care of, and then I will deal with that lowly creature." The advisors winced, knowing the actions that usually accompanied his tone. "I will expose him for what he is, and disperse his followers."
"You will- will not attack the surfaceworld, my Lord?" One of the advisors spoke up, suprised.
Namor tilted his head back ever so slightly to gaze at him over his shoulder, "No. I will not." Nita smiled from her place at the table. "The humans that do this are under the sway of another and do not act for themselves. Easily manipulated though they are, they are not deserving of any punishment we would give them. There has been too much death."
Merric allowed himself a smile as he heard the spy's news. It seemed like the mighty prince had finally lost his nerve. 'Good,' he thought, turning to his fyrd, 'with Namor tied up in Atlantis after all that's happened, he'll be too busy to note a few hundred of his guard missing.' The gathered millitia stirred, noting their leaders' change in mood. As a defector from the royal guard himself, Merric was very seldom in good spirits - those loyal to the crown were constantly after him. He was not only a defector, but a traitor as well. Many times had he provided the vilainous Attumma with information that could have won the barbarian Atlantis. Yes, it was very odd indeed for this Atlantian to be so pleased - the others felt very uncomfortable, and for good reason.
"Sir," one of them asked in a barely audible voice, "are we to take Atlantis?"
"No, you fool. We're going to let the surfacemen handle that for us."
"Sir?"
Merric grinned, "That blowhard Namor has already angered the humans beyond anything he's done before. Why doesn't matter. All that does is that they're ready to launch an all-out war against the Realm. We just need to give them just cause."
"And if they don't?"
He turned, a grimace slowly turning into something more sinister, "My dear lackey, I DO have insurance on these matters."
The attack was swift and clean. The rebel forces came up from the deep waving the banner of Atlantis, acting in the name of Prince Namor. It was more show than anything, and very little damage was acctually done.
Not that the details ever mattered.
TBC soon.
AN: I really intended to write more here, as I had a really nice plot flow after Mark helped me out - Thanks, man! - but school and other things have been bogging me down. After the CAT-6's are out of the way, expect more. This should wrap up fairly soon, and then White Knight will clear up any loose ends.