Chapter 24: Ultimatum and Explanation.
The dogs returned unharmed. Skyla was relieved to see them until she realized that they had brought company with them as well. A burst of uncontrolled hate bubbled up inside her as she watched the large red hurricane bring her brother in law into the large hall. The man's loss of flight wasn't enough punishment for what he had done. As he approached her, Queen Skyla fought down her emotions and pulled herself up to her full height.
Skyclone wore a small smile as he stepped right up to her and bowed. "Your highness." He said with a smirk. Queen Skyla frowned and shook her head disgusted. "Do not mock me in these halls." She said in a low tone. "Whirl, Twirl, bring me the crystals please." The dogs came to her but whined softly as Twirl dropped a parchment in her hands. Skyclone straightened with difficulty but kept the smirk on his face. "Oh, I'm afraid the crystals fell off." He said. "But there is a letter from you're bra… protectors stating that they are as right as rain." He looked up as Councilman Faolin slowly entered the hall and stopped just a few lengths away from Skyla. The man frowned. "Councilman Malakai…" The big man began but Skyla cut him off as she finished reading the letter. "Is currently busy." She said. "You seem disappointed. Do you miss your old friend?" Skyclone's gaze was fixed on Faolin. "We stopped being friends when I ceased being one of you." He said in a bored tone. "Councilwoman Faolin, why the cloak? Are you cold on a lovely day like this?" The older woman smiled slightly. "Only in this hall." She stated noncomically. Skyclone frowned and looked away from her. Skyla too send a questioning frown in the councilwoman's direction but rather shook her head and turned to Skyclone. "What re you doing here Skyclone?" She demanded. "You could just as well have send one of your imps." The obese man grinned and shook his head. "They are currently entertaining your precious children." He said. "I actually want to have a heart to heart with you. In private." Queen Skyla's eyes narrowed. "What ever you have to say to me, you can say to the people present here." She stated icily. "We have nothing to discus in private." Skyclone smiled. "In the contrary." He said but shrugged. "Fine, let me give you my ultimatum. If you give up the stone now, I will let you and your Skydancers go back to that other place and you can live out the rest of your life content. If you linger – I will still give you to the end of tomorrow to decide – your fates will be much worst. If you attempt a rescue, I will severe their wings faster than you can say 'No!'" Skyla sighed and shook her head sadly. "You still don't understand that this sis still not my decision. My life, and that of my Skydancers, isn't the only ones at stake. In the end, I have to consider what the best is for my kingdom, not myself." Skyclone snorted. "Not your kingdom." He whispered. "The only right you have to that stone is because you slept with the man who wielded it…" The silence in the hall was deafening. Queen Skyla was very pale as she looked down on the man before her. Skyclone smiled and raised an eyebrow. "What? No comment?" He laughed softly. "Pathetic, you're time for consideration is up. I will see you tomorrow." HE turned with out a bow or another word. Everyone in the chamber stood frozen as they watched the man leave. Lady Faolin, with her green eyes full of sympathy made to approach Skyla but the woman held up her hand. "When the Tinker is finished," she began monotonously, "tell him to come to my office. We will leave shortly after that." She left the hall without another word. Lady Faolin sighed sadly and shook her head. "For the record, it's not true." She told her cloak. "Queen Skyla is, despite her absence, just as good a sovereign if not better than her husband. She deserves to wear that glove." The cloaked sniffed and shifted. Joanie-Ellen crawled out from underneath it and, glancing in the direction Skyla had left looked up at the councilwoman. "What happened between them?" She asked, for the first time addressing the woman. "What is that glove really?" Smiling sadly Councilwoman knelt next to the petite girl. "That is the Power of the wingdom." She said. "And, that man is her brother-in-law…"
Each and every one of them had something special about them off course. Skyla traced her hand over the small smiley face that Jade had drawn in the corner of the parchment. Breeze with his natural leading abilities and dreams of opening doors into new worlds of opportunities for his people.
Camille with her talent for singing and dancing that had earned her one of the few scholarships Dame Skyla made available to potential student. Angelica with her will for dancing and the luck of having parent who could afford to give her only the best. Slam, her other scholarship student who, despite his gift for rhythm ad music, would never have considered joining if he hadn't received the scholarship. And Jade, dear Jade, with her patience and wish to be the best that she could be. Not just as a dancer but as a person as well. 'I will severe their wings…' In a show of sudden anger Skyla crumbled the parchment and threw it to the fireplace. It burst into flame before it was even in the hole. Skyla lowered her hand, the crystal winking out. 'The only right you have to that stone…' -is because you are my wife, and the best one to do that which is expected of a Queen without loosing sight of being a person as well.- Skyla closed her eyes and sank to the floor, hugging herself in search of comfort that the ghostly figure couldn't give her.
The dogs returned unharmed. Skyla was relieved to see them until she realized that they had brought company with them as well. A burst of uncontrolled hate bubbled up inside her as she watched the large red hurricane bring her brother in law into the large hall. The man's loss of flight wasn't enough punishment for what he had done. As he approached her, Queen Skyla fought down her emotions and pulled herself up to her full height.
Skyclone wore a small smile as he stepped right up to her and bowed. "Your highness." He said with a smirk. Queen Skyla frowned and shook her head disgusted. "Do not mock me in these halls." She said in a low tone. "Whirl, Twirl, bring me the crystals please." The dogs came to her but whined softly as Twirl dropped a parchment in her hands. Skyclone straightened with difficulty but kept the smirk on his face. "Oh, I'm afraid the crystals fell off." He said. "But there is a letter from you're bra… protectors stating that they are as right as rain." He looked up as Councilman Faolin slowly entered the hall and stopped just a few lengths away from Skyla. The man frowned. "Councilman Malakai…" The big man began but Skyla cut him off as she finished reading the letter. "Is currently busy." She said. "You seem disappointed. Do you miss your old friend?" Skyclone's gaze was fixed on Faolin. "We stopped being friends when I ceased being one of you." He said in a bored tone. "Councilwoman Faolin, why the cloak? Are you cold on a lovely day like this?" The older woman smiled slightly. "Only in this hall." She stated noncomically. Skyclone frowned and looked away from her. Skyla too send a questioning frown in the councilwoman's direction but rather shook her head and turned to Skyclone. "What re you doing here Skyclone?" She demanded. "You could just as well have send one of your imps." The obese man grinned and shook his head. "They are currently entertaining your precious children." He said. "I actually want to have a heart to heart with you. In private." Queen Skyla's eyes narrowed. "What ever you have to say to me, you can say to the people present here." She stated icily. "We have nothing to discus in private." Skyclone smiled. "In the contrary." He said but shrugged. "Fine, let me give you my ultimatum. If you give up the stone now, I will let you and your Skydancers go back to that other place and you can live out the rest of your life content. If you linger – I will still give you to the end of tomorrow to decide – your fates will be much worst. If you attempt a rescue, I will severe their wings faster than you can say 'No!'" Skyla sighed and shook her head sadly. "You still don't understand that this sis still not my decision. My life, and that of my Skydancers, isn't the only ones at stake. In the end, I have to consider what the best is for my kingdom, not myself." Skyclone snorted. "Not your kingdom." He whispered. "The only right you have to that stone is because you slept with the man who wielded it…" The silence in the hall was deafening. Queen Skyla was very pale as she looked down on the man before her. Skyclone smiled and raised an eyebrow. "What? No comment?" He laughed softly. "Pathetic, you're time for consideration is up. I will see you tomorrow." HE turned with out a bow or another word. Everyone in the chamber stood frozen as they watched the man leave. Lady Faolin, with her green eyes full of sympathy made to approach Skyla but the woman held up her hand. "When the Tinker is finished," she began monotonously, "tell him to come to my office. We will leave shortly after that." She left the hall without another word. Lady Faolin sighed sadly and shook her head. "For the record, it's not true." She told her cloak. "Queen Skyla is, despite her absence, just as good a sovereign if not better than her husband. She deserves to wear that glove." The cloaked sniffed and shifted. Joanie-Ellen crawled out from underneath it and, glancing in the direction Skyla had left looked up at the councilwoman. "What happened between them?" She asked, for the first time addressing the woman. "What is that glove really?" Smiling sadly Councilwoman knelt next to the petite girl. "That is the Power of the wingdom." She said. "And, that man is her brother-in-law…"
Each and every one of them had something special about them off course. Skyla traced her hand over the small smiley face that Jade had drawn in the corner of the parchment. Breeze with his natural leading abilities and dreams of opening doors into new worlds of opportunities for his people.
Camille with her talent for singing and dancing that had earned her one of the few scholarships Dame Skyla made available to potential student. Angelica with her will for dancing and the luck of having parent who could afford to give her only the best. Slam, her other scholarship student who, despite his gift for rhythm ad music, would never have considered joining if he hadn't received the scholarship. And Jade, dear Jade, with her patience and wish to be the best that she could be. Not just as a dancer but as a person as well. 'I will severe their wings…' In a show of sudden anger Skyla crumbled the parchment and threw it to the fireplace. It burst into flame before it was even in the hole. Skyla lowered her hand, the crystal winking out. 'The only right you have to that stone…' -is because you are my wife, and the best one to do that which is expected of a Queen without loosing sight of being a person as well.- Skyla closed her eyes and sank to the floor, hugging herself in search of comfort that the ghostly figure couldn't give her.