Chapter 13
For three days, Murphy went all over the complex. Eight buildings plus the stables were checked by him with only Jerome to help him and figure out the duplicity of his former queen and the Azgeda Ambassador. When it was done, Cooper, Koby, Jerome and Lori went through everything. With letters, maps and lists of people they wanted dead for some reason or other, along with items that could be identified as coming from one clan or another, or in some cases from an individual, Cooper was closer to uncovering the true intent of Queen Nia. She gathered everything up she needed as proof, and took them to the Commander.
"Queen Cooper, what can I do for you today?" Cooper and Koby bowed.
"Commander, I'm afraid what I have to tell you will be hard to hear, but we have found overwhelming evidence of torture and murder, along with assassinations of people from other clans." Lexa sat up straighter.
"How bad?" Cooper sighed and Lexa knew it would be worse than she imagined.
"It's bad, Commander. This has been happening from before your own birth. It started the day Nia became the queen."
"What about her father?"
"He was not involved, Commander, but I'm afraid he may have been her first victim. From everything we have found, Nia orchestrated his death so she could become the queen and mould her clan into the one she thought it should be." Lexa stood up, fury on her face.
"SHE WHAT?!"
"It gets worse, Commander."
"Do I need to bring Titus into this?" Cooper looked at Koby. He stepped forward.
"Titus is the Flamekeeper. He keeps the histories of all clans and he is the highest spiritual authority in all the clans." Cooper nodded and Koby stepped back. Cooper turned to the Commander.
"It may be better if he is here, Commander, I'm sure some of this impacts your own Command as well as those of previous Commanders." Lexa nodded and sent for Titus.
"How can I be of service?" he asked the Commander with a bow. With the new Azgeda queen in attendance, he was being respectful.
"Queen Cooper has been clearing out her embassy and has found evidence of Nia's attempts to take over the kongeda and of other things including the death of her own father." Titus's eyes widened. He turned to Cooper.
"What have you found?" he asked. Cooper looked towards the Commander who nodded.
"We have found lists of people they wanted dead, some of them have been carried out and some were to be killed sometime in the immediate future. Needless to say the Commander is always target number one on these lists. We have maps of clan lands with places marked where we don't think there are any villages. We have no idea why they are there, but they need to be investigated. We have found maps of places beyond the kongeda's borders too. There are letters between Nia and Ambassador Edrago and between Edrago and others, mostly known assassins."
"Echo?"
"No, Commander, Echo's name does not appear in any of the documentation we've found. I may find more once I'm in her palace." The Commander nodded.
"Sit, and we will find out what she was planning," the Commander said, waving to the seats behind her.
"Thank you, Commander," Cooper said as she sat. Lexa sat on one side with Titus on the other and all the items on the table in front of them.
"This is a map of the western coast near the old city of Seattle, Commander. We know she had plans over there, but we now know exactly what she wanted and what she planned to do to get it."
"Why there?" asked Titus.
"Because it is out of Kongeda's lands and the warlord in that area has been bribing her to let him into clan lands to raid for slaves. She agreed as long as she and her chosen people could relocate over there and run part of the area. It is much warmer over there all year round. He agreed, but from what I can tell, the area he assigned to her was not his to hand out. I don't think she realised that. He was playing her, Commander. He was setting her up for some reason."
"So she would move over to the other side of the country while he raided ours for slaves?"
"Sha, Flamekeeper."
"If the land over there was not his, would she still have been able to take it over?" asked the Commander.
"We don't think so, Commander. The area he gave her was just below the city of Seattle. This warlord only had control of western Canada's coastline and up into Alaska. Seattle was his most southern city. His lands stopped around 10 miles south of it."
"And the land she was supposed to take over?"
"From what we can find out, it belonged to his enemies. I think he was double-crossing her, Commander. It's the only thing that makes sense. Nia never seemed to grasp that other people could be as intelligent or cunning as her. She dismissed others are being too stupid to plan properly or outwit her."
"Nia always was blind to the intelligence of others," Titus grunted.
"So what does all this mean?"
"It means that she was just as ruthless as you thought - and just as greedy. We have found items belonging to other clans and a few of them could be traced to certain individuals. Three of those were named on the lists of those they wanted dead and were struck off as now dead. Commander, there's no easy way to tell you this, but Costia was one of them." Lexa's response was immediate as she drew her sword and held it to Cooper's neck. Cooper saw the fury on her face and how hard she was working on not taking it out on the only Azgeda Queen she could.
"I am not your enemy, Commander," Cooper said calmly even though she was scared for her life. Titus was on his feet too. Lexa took in a deep breath and pulled the sword from her throat. She turned and attacked a chair with her sword instead. All that fury needed an outlet and Cooper was just glad it wasn't unleashed on her. She exchanged looks with Titus who slowly nodded. Cooper stayed seated until the Commander had calmed down enough.
"I cannot kill the one who ordered it!" the Commander yelled.
"Actually, you can," Cooper said. The Commander swung around to face her.
"Speak true!" she told her through gritted teeth.
"Edrago ordered it, Commander and Nia didn't know he was going to do it. Oh, she had no problem with it and she thought it was nice of him to give her a special prize. It elevated him in rank once more."
"He is mine to deal with!"
"Sha, Heda," Cooper said. "I was going to have him executed for crimes against his people, but you have precedence, Commander, he is yours to deal with." Lexa gave a choppy nod before resheathing her sword.
"Anything else?"
"Yes, Commander. She was planning to have Hanbin assassinated, but he died before she could. We have not yet uncovered her plan for you, but I'm certain she had it written down somewhere."
"What about her husband and children?"
"The only one I know still lives is Prince Roan but I have no idea where he is now, or if he still lives. Last time I saw him was when he'd rescued me from Nia's warriors and we were making our way back to Tesla station. We were ambushed and I saw him take a strike to his stomach just before I was knocked out - again!"
"Were you in Trikru land when that happened?"
"Yes, Commander. He knew he was not allowed in your territory, but he was making sure I returned to my people. He helped me when he didn't need to."
"I will have people look for him."
"Can I ask that he be returned to Michigan if you do find him, Commander?"
"Why?"
"He is still one of my people and he saved his new queen before I was his queen. Michigan is Azgeda territory." The Commander looked at her for a few seconds before agreeing.
"Anything else?"
"I don't know how to go about returning lost items to the clans without being killed for being Azgeda," Cooper admitted quietly. She looked at the tabletop instead of the Commander.
"Cooper, I can help with that. Once we have gone through everything and we know the timeline of events and how involved Nia was with the other clans, I can say that you have items to return to clans and families. I will make sure you are not held accountable for Nia's actions."
"Mochof, Heda," Cooper said with some relief.
"Sit, and we will go through everything," Titus said. The Commander and Titus sat with her as Cooper talked through everything they'd found so far.
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The following day, the Commander and Queen Cooper went to talk to Edrago, the former Azgeda Ambassador. He didn't recognise Cooper as his new queen and wouldn't divulge any information. When Cooper told him about all they'd discovered, he was shocked but still kept quiet. Cooper then told him that his life was the Commander's to deal with in whatever manner she saw fit. He was no longer part of the Azgeda Nation. He shook his head in denial, knowing the Commander would kill him.
"He dies in the morning, Queen Cooper. Would you like to be there?"
"No, thank you Commander, I will be on my way to my new homeland to be crowned as their queen and to start putting right what Nia and people like him screwed up. I will be back here within three months to swear fealty to the Kongeda."
"Do you want him returned to Azgeda for his funeral rites?"
"No, Commander, I would not want Azgeda further contaminated by the likes of him." The Commander nodded and Cooper left.
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"What now, ai kwin?" Koby said.
"We leave Lori here as the ambassador with the explicit instructions on what she is allowed to do. Murphy and Clarke will be keeping an eye on her as well as making sure no-one tries to do anything stupid to my people staying here."
"Sha, ai kwin. Can you ride?"
"Sha."
"Good. I will procure horses for our return to Azgeda and provisions for the journey."
"What about my clothing, Koby? I can't wear these to ride home. I need clothing more in tune with Azgeda." Koby nodded, inwardly pleased she was thinking about how people would see her. If she wore her Skaikru clothing, they would think she had no intention of abiding by their laws. The fact that she brought it up herself meant she was.
"I will find something appropriate at the market and then once back in Azgeda, we can find better garments for you and your new status."
"Mochof, Kobi." Koby nodded his head as they continued on their journey back to the Embassy.
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The following day, Cooper, Koby and four of the other Azgeda warriors stopped at the tower before they left. She had short conversations with both Clarke and the Commander. Clarke had said she would act on the note Cooper had given her the other day and Cooper had nodded. She hoped that Echo was forgiven and that she could now find peace.
Cooper left the city of Polis and turned north. It would take a week to reach Azgeda and the first of her cities there. It would take another two weeks to reach the capital city of Azgeda. It had been built over seventy years previously around six miles west southwest of Mistissini and over 300 miles north of the Azgeda/Trikru border.
Three weeks after they left Polis, they rode through the gates of Cooper's new home. Messengers had been sent ahead with news of the new queen's arrival and the queen's own version of a flamekeeper was there to greet her. He could barely keep the hatred off his face. A Skaikru child had defeated his queen in single combat. She may be the queen - for now - but he would make sure she didn't last long. He knew she had to be crowned - the nation would not survive being leaderless until someone rose up and crushed the others - so he would perform the duties of crowning her, but he would not help her any more than he had to.
People lined the streets to see their new queen. They saw a young woman wearing a white bear cape, leather, fur-lined trousers dyed a deep russet and a thick light green woollen jumper under a sheepskin coat. She wore black boots and sat on her horse as if she knew how to ride. They had been told it was a sky goufa who was to be crowned as their new queen. Rumours ran riot within Azgeda - partly thanks to the old queen trying to stir up trouble and hatred for the invaders - about those people from the sky. The fact that the one called Wanheda came from among them made them seem like mythological beings brought to life. The rumours and descriptions that Azgeda warriors told their people had them eating the babies from the mountain and then turning on the people who disagreed with them and the fact that they knew about tek meant any they found would be turned against Azgeda who were their biggest threat.
Queen Nia also spread the rumour that they wanted to lay claim to Azgeda because it was the biggest clan lands. They were whispering in the Commander's ear that she could still rule over the rest of those in America, and the Skikru would only take Azgeda lands, wipe out the people there so they could live without reprisals.
Those rumours made them sound like they were ten feet tall with sharp teeth, but the people who were brave enough to come and see her only saw a young normal-looking woman, not much younger than the Commander. Whispers started among the populace as they watched as she rode through the streets. Cooper looked around her and smiled at the people staring back at her. There wasn't much noise, it was like the people were waiting for her to strike and prove herself another Nia.
They made it to the palace gates where the guards eventually opened the gates after hesitating for a few seconds. Cooper didn't stop and wait, she just kept riding and was only a few feet from the gates when they were opened. As she rode through, she turned to one of them.
"The next time you hesitate, you'll find yourself on guard duty in the frozen lands to the North!" She turned back to the road and carried on. Koby smirked as he rode on the other side of his queen. He almost laughed at the look of shock and relief on the guard's faces when they realised she wasn't going to kill them for hesitating.
They reached the palace and Cooper took her first real look at the most gaudy, ostentatious piece of crap she's ever seen. The brickwork was already red because it had been built with old world red bricks, but someone at some time had erected a tower beside it and painted it blood red with a black roof. The tower was round and Cooper swore it was modeled on the Commander's Tower in Polis. She was hardpressed not to laugh.
She dismounted and Koby led her towards the main door and the warriors standing there.
"You are not our queen!" one of them said. Koby went to draw his sword but Cooper put her hand on his wrist to stop him.
"I challenged Queen Nia to single combat. She accepted and I killed her. By your own laws, that makes me your new queen!"
"I do not accept you. You have not proven yourself!"
"Yes, I did! When I killed Nia, I proved I was better than her!" The warrior drew his sword and started down the steps. Koby stood in front of Cooper, but Cooper sighed and asked for his sword. Koby looked at her and reluctantly handed it over. Cooper took her cape and coat off and pulled up her sleeves as she faced him.
"Do you want to die today?" she asked him.
"It is you who will die today!" he bellowed. Cooper's guard drew their swords and kept anyone else from reaching the queen and her adversary.
"I take it you are one of Nia's handpicked thugs?"
"QUEEN Nia was twice the person you are!"
"Maybe twice my age, not twice the person." The warrior roared in rage and swung his sword at her overhead, intending to cleave her in half and prove she was no match for him. Koby, though knew better, he had been teaching her and was startled to know she'd already started being trained in swords. She had been a quick study even if she didn't yet have the stamina of a fully-trained warrior.
Cooper moved aside and the sword missed her and hit the ground. When it did, Cooper kicked it away and the warrior had to adjust to the unexpected move. Cooper stepped away and waited for his next move. The warrior picked up his sword and spun suddenly, thrusting it in her direction, but Cooper wasn't there. She moved as soon as she saw which direction he was moving and came up on his opposite side, behind him. She thrust the sword into his back and through his kidneys as well. His sword dropped as he reached back to feel the sword sticking out of him. Cooper wiggled the sword from side to side before pulling it out. The warrior fell to the ground and Cooper looked at him with no emotion on her face.
"You really should have been taught that others can spring surprise attacks as well. Not everyone is taught your ways and some of us actually have brains and can outthink you at times." The warrior looked at her with fear just before the light of life left his eyes.
"Take him away and prepare him for his funeral rites," she said to no-one in particular. No-one moved for a second before two of those that stood with him on the steps of the palace, came down and took him away. Cooper cleaned the sword with the rag Koby handed her and when she was finished, she handed it back to him.
She turned to the remaining warriors.
"Anyone else want to have a go?" None of them said anything, but they did look at each other. One of them made his mind up and dropped to one knee.
"No, ai kwin, I do not want to fight you." One by one, the rest of the warriors knelt before her. Soon everyone with her knelt as well. They spoke as one.
"Ai kwin!" Cooper nodded and bade them to rise.
"Now, I'm new to this role, but I want to do the best for my people - all of them. Once I am crowned, I will go back to Polis to swear fealty to the Commander and the Kongeda. Right now, Lori is our acting Ambassador. When I go back, I want people to go with me who will stay there as part of the Embassy. What Nia did, I will undo! My people are important right down to the elderly and infirm. No-one will be allowed to bully, torture or kidnap others. No-one will be allowed to get away with committing crimes! Once crowned, I will be looking at all aspects of Azgeda, from the far north, to our southern borders and the other ones as well. I intend to check on our trade opportunities and our food situation. From what I've learned so far, Queen Nia and her people were lying to the populace. That stops now! I am not Nia and I don't want to be. I think this nation has had enough of that kind of leadership. A queen is only as good as her people. My job is to make sure that everyone eats, that everyone is clothed and that everyone is as healthy as we can make them."
Cooper looked around, nodded her head at them and then proceeded up the steps to the front door. The warriors parted for her and then watched as she and her retinue continued inside.
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Cooper met the steward of the palace. He was basically in charge of everyone working inside the palace.
"Ai kwin, this is Katsuri. Your steward of the palace. He is in charge of keeping the palace running."
"Katsuri," Cooper said, nodding to him.
"Ai kwin," Katsuri said, bowing low and deeply.
"Rise Katsuri." Katsuri stood up.
"Whatever you need, just ask me and I'll help in any way I can."
"Right now, I would like to be shown my quarters." Katsuri nodded and moved to show her where to go. Koby was on her heels with Ron and Alani shadowing them.
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Cooper took two days to settle into her new home and had already ordered for the decor to be changed. Red was a nice colour in small doses but blood red everywhere? Not even remotely good. The following morning would be her coronation day. She would be crowned in the morning in a simple ceremony. Cooper and Koby had gone over what was supposed to happen and Cooper had immediately vetoed the scarification ritual that was supposed to happen before the coronation. She had no desire to cut up her face just to look like the rest of them! She would not be their queen forever but any scars would be and if she returned to Polis, she would always be identified as Azgeda.
The generals and politicians that ruled when Queen Nia was out of the territory were up in arms about it but Cooper was adamant. No more scarring. They were not happy about it, but knew they could always work on her later and wear her down until she agreed. It was the Azgeda way. Cooper's head stewart, Katsuri helped her with the clothing and what she was supposed to do. He and Koby coached her in the Azgeda words and terms she needed to use in certain parts of the ceremony.
The following morning, she woke early and was immediately shown to the bathing rooms and then was given some plain clothing to wear while she ate her breakfast. After that, it would be changing into her ceremonial robes and having her hair braided into the Azgeda heda's braid. Her hair had grown long enough in the few months on the ground for the braid to stay in and not look like a rat's tail. She sat quietly for that and she was soon ready. She was left alone with Koby and she admitted her nerves to him. He smiled.
"If you were not nervous, I would be worried, ai kwin," he said. She nodded and tried to calm her nerves until it was time for the ceremony.
She walked through the halls of the palace which by tradition were empty of others and she walked to the large ballroom come throne room. She stood before her Flamekeeper and reitirated the words she was supposed to and then she was supposed to recite some phrases in Azgeda but the Flamekeeper had changed the words and Cooper noticed so she kept quiet as Koby yelled his challenge that those were not the correct words. Cooper asked what the Flamekeeper was trying to get her to agree to and Koby said that she would lead her people in the same manner as Nia did. Cooper swung back to him.
"I will lead my people into prosperity, not starvation and terror!" she yelled at him. He didn't budge one inch on what he wanted her to say.
"Who is his second in command?" Cooper asked those around her. One person came forward.
"I was," said the man. Those around gasped, he was a slave.
"Who are you?" asked Cooper.
"I was once a holy man for the first king nearly forty years ago, but Nia had me arrested and then enslaved when she took the throne."
"You once did his job?" Cooper asked him
"Sha, ai kwin," he said.
"Do you know the correct procedures for this ceremony?"
"Sha, ai kwin. I performed them for her father." Cooper nodded.
"Take over and someone arrest the flamekeeper!" The Flamekeeper was arrested and the former slave took over. Before they continued, Cooper asked his name.
"Charles, ai kwin. I was once Charles of Toronto."
"Your people came from there?"
"Sha, ai kwin." Cooper nodded and the ceremony continued with the correct words and phrases. Soon she was sitting on the throne with a gaudy crown being lowered onto her head.
"Cooper kom Azgeda, I now pronounce you as our queen." The crown sat on her head as everyone around her knelt on one knee and bowed their heads.
Long live the queen!" they all said in unison. Cooper nodded once and they rose. One of the guards went to a balcony and yelled that Azgeda had a new queen in Cooper kom Azgeda. Cheers from the crowd below could be heard. Charles turned to face his new queen.
"It is done. The first act of a newly crowned monarch is to be seen by her people. Go to the balcony and let them see you," he said gently. Cooper nodded and walked towards her people. She remembered watching long ago recordings of the monarchies of old Europe and when they came out onto the balconies, they would smile and wave at the people. Cooper only just kept the grin off her face and instead smiled widely and waved to her new subjects.
After a few minutes, she returned to the throne room.
"What are your orders, my queen?" asked Katsuri.
"I want to see the maps of our territories, I want lists of which area produces what goods in what quantities and I want those thugs of the old queen's guard found and arrested. I want to know how much authority she gave them and what they've been doing to their own people!"
"Sha, ai kwin," Katsuri said.
"I also need someone to tell me the hierarchy of the civilians and the warriors. How many generals did she have and how many warriors could she put her hands on at any given time. I know she sent nearly a thousand warriors against the Skaikru. How many more does she have immediate access to? I mean, warriors, not ordinary people pressed into service."
"Sha, ai kwin," Katsuri said again. Cooper nodded and Katsuri withdrew to find the answers to those questions.
"Anything else, my queen?" asked Koby. Cooper turned to Charles.
"You are free, Charles. Do you want to stay on as my advisor?"
"Advisor or flamekeeper?" Charles asked.
"Well technically both, but the title of Flamekeeper belongs in Polis. It is not a title we shall continue but I do need an advisor to help me navigate my way through the politics and histories of my new nation." Charles nodded as he thought about it.
"Are my family free as well?" Cooper was shocked.
"Where are they?"
"Held in the south tower, Kwin. She held the families of all slaves to make them do as they are told and to make sure they do not try to do anything against her."
"Koby, who's in charge of the armies in the capital?"
"General Dorran, ai kwin."
"Is he her person?"
"He pretended to be, ai kwin, but I suspect it was only because she held his family too." Cooper nodded.
"Send for him now." Koby nodded and soon the message went out.
A few minutes later, a large powerful man walked into the room.
"You summoned me, ai kwin?" he asked with a bow.
"I did. Free all the slaves then find them places to live and make sure they know that we will find jobs for them if they wish to stay here. I want everyone who was held to be freed as well. Did Queen Nia have any other clanspeople here?"
"Sha, my queen. She held six people from other clans here. Podakru, Plain RIder, three Trikru and Floukru."
"Bring them here," Cooper ordered. Dorran beat his fist against his chest, bowed and left the room. "Charles, do you want to be my advisor?"
"With my family being freed, then yes, ai kwin, I would."
"Good. When Katsuri comes back, we will find quarters for you and your family."
"Mochof, Kwin," Charles said with enormous relief.
It was several more minutes until Dorran returned with six people chained up.
"Release them immediately!" Cooper said, fury evident in her voice." The chains were removed for each of them. "Charles, go find more appropriate clothing for them and find some decent food and water for them."
"Sha, ai kwin," he said, bowing before leaving.
"Who are you?" asked one woman.
"I'm Cooper, once of Skaikru but now Queen of Azgeda."
"You! What happened to Nia?"
"She had me as a prisoner before the gates of Polis. I challenged her to single combat and won. I didn't know that meant I was their new queen, but I've taken on the job and am going to clean this nation up!"
"How?"
"Anyway I can. How long have you been held?"
"Three years," said the man with the Podakru tattoo.
"Two," said the Trikru woman who had spoken first.
"Eight years!" said an old man with the Plains Rider mark.
"Three months," said the others. Cooper nodded.
"You will be fed, watered and given decent clothing. You will then be escorted back to Trikru lands, from there, you can return to either Polis or your own lands."
"You are freeing us?"
"Sha. I will not be carrying on Nia's plans! I will be returning to Polis within the week to swear fealty to her. You can either stay until then or go tomorrow." They looked at each other.
"Most of us have been her prisoner for a long time and need time to get fit enough to return to our people," an old man said.
"Do you want to wait until next week and help escort me back to Trikru lands?" After a few seconds to think about it, the man replied.
"Sha, Queen Cooper, I think that would be better." Cooper nodded.
"Koby, when Katsuri comes back, have him arrange guest quarters for them in the palace. I want them in proper rooms and not in a dungeon or prison."
"Sha ai kwin," Koby said, bowing. Cooper sat back on her throne as she realised the extent of what she needed to do.
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A week later, Cooper and her entourage were on their way back to Trikru lands. Cooper had been busy. She'd given Dorran the authority to rout out Nia's thugs. If they couldn't be arrested, they were to be killed. Cooper didn't want any of them to roam free. She'd had him start with the capital city. After that, he was to move out from the southern borders moving north. He grinned at the new job and from the reports so far, the prison was filling up with Nia's warriors. The mood in the city was changing from one of fear to one of cautious optimism.
The six clanspeople were riding behind her and each of them had been allowed to walk around the city. They'd also seen how the people were now seeing the new queen. Each of them had talked to people in the streets about her and they were surprised that they seemed fine with an outsider taking over, but then again, Nia's rule was to be feared.
Koby was by her side as usual, but she'd added several more warriors to her own personal guard. Both Dorran and Koby had been searching for the right people who would protect their new queen. Now she had three female warriors and seven male ones. Cooper had spoken with each one and had watched them training. They were fast and took no prisoners while training. They went all out.
When they got to the border, they stopped and looked for anyone around them. Seeing no-one else, Cooper had the Azgeda banner unfurled and raised. She wanted no-one to mistake who they were. Apparently there was a special banner for the Azgeda queen which was edged in red. That was the banner that was unfurled and now hung from the pole as they rode over the border. The three Trikru clansmen rode closer and guided them to the nearest village. Once there, they talked to the chief of the village and had a messenger ride for Polis to alert them that the Azgeda queen was on her way. He agreed and soon a young man was riding towards Polis with letters for Clarke and the Commander from Cooper with him.
They reached Polis five days later and stopped before the gates. One of her new bodyguards moved up to the gates.
"Queen Cooper kom Azgeda to see the Commander to swear fealty before the Kongeda," Attis barked out. The gates were opened and they rode through. They rode to the tower instead of going to the embassy first. At the tower, Cooper saw Ryder waiting for them.
"Hello Ryder," Cooper said.
"Queen Cooper," he replied, bowing. "I am to show you to the Commander. You may take Koby with you, but no weapons, please. The rest of your people may go to your embassy. Lori is there." Cooper nodded and dismissed all but three of the guards. The other two would wait outside the tower until she came back out. Both Cooper and Koby handed over their weapons to the tower guards and then Ryder escorted them inside and up to the throne room.
Inside, the Commander and Clarke were waiting for them.
"Commander," Cooper said, bowing to the leader of the Kongeda. The Commander nodded back.
"Queen Cooper it's good to see you again." The Commander turned to those who followed Cooper and saw two people she thought were dead.
"Astin? Remi?" she said, before going over to them.
"Commander," they both said, dropping to one knee as they did. The other clanspeople also knelt down, heads bowed.
"What's happening?" Clarke asked.
"Once I was crowned, I had all slaves freed. These six are all the clansmen from other clans we've found so far. Any more we find, will be returned to you."
"Are you well?" the Commander asked her people.
"Sha, Heda, thanks to queen Cooper we are. Once freed, she let us stay in her palace and gave us food and clothing and let us move freely about her city. We decided to wait for a week and then returned with her for her fealty oath." The Commander nodded and looked over the others. She saw Podakru, Plains Rider and Floukru people as well as another Trikru person.
"If you want to go to your embassies, I'll have people accompany you," she said.
"Commander, I would like to wait until Queen Cooper goes back to Azgeda before I go home," Remi said.
"Why?"
"Because she freed us. I would like to make sure she is treated fairly by us in return."
"She will be. She is a friend of mine and was a trusted member of Skaikru. With her now being Azgeda, I don't think her friendship is now over. She is still a friend of mine." Remi nodded, but still waited.
"Cooper," Clarke said. Cooper turned to her.
"Hello, Clarke, it's good to see you."
"Same here," Clarke said, hugging her. "Though your mother is pissed you didn't send for her before you left for Azgeda."
"My mother? She's still at Tesla, isn't she?" Cooper was frowning.
"No, she returned with Sterling before you left. She wanted to go see you but it was when you were busy with Murphy checking your embassy. I didn't think it would be a good idea for her to be there at that time. We had no idea what you'd find. I sent a messenger to your embassy to say your mother was in town and wanted to see you."
"I never got the message, Clarke." Cooper turned to Koby. "When we return to the embassy, find out who forgot to tell me my own mother was looking for me!"
"Sha, ai kwin," Koby said. Cooper nodded.
"Sorry, Clarke but had I known, I would have seen her."
"I understand. Maybe she can see you sometime."
"I would like it if she was there for my fealty oath."
"That can be arranged, Cooper," the Commander said. Cooper nodded her thanks.
"Is there anything else?"
"After the fealty oath, Commander, I need to talk to you and Clarke about that restitution. I think I've come up with a plan."
"What plan?" Clarke asked.
"After the oath, please, Clarke. I want everything above board before I reveal it." Clarke reluctantly nodded.
"Prince Roan was found and patched up. He was escorted to the border like you asked. He was told of your elevation to queen."
"How did he react to that?"
"He laughed." Cooper smiled.
"I'll track him down once I return. I'd like to talk to him and thank him for saving my life." This time it was the Commander who nodded.
"If you need anything before the ceremony, please ask," the Commander said.
"I could use someone who knows the ceremony. I haven't got a clue what I'm supposed to do."
"I'll send Gaia, the Flamekeeper's second to assist you. Beware, she is Indra's daughter!" warned the Commander.
"Indra? She has a daughter that isn't a warrior?"
"Gaia's path took a different direction."
"Maybe that's a good thing, Octavia's place in Tondc and as Indra's seken could have been in jeopardy otherwise."
"Octavia has proved herself to Indra otherwise she would not have taken her on as her seken." Cooper nodded.
"Is there anything else we can do for you?"
"I would like the opportunity to find a way to make restitution with Podakru as well. Nia should not have sent warriors into their territory. I hope Hydro Station is okay. What do the Podakru want that Azgeda has?"
"I don't know, queen Cooper," the Commander said. "Do you know what you have?"
"Not yet, I need to sort out Nia's plans for their lands. She seems to have placed farming more to the north. I want to move it to the south. I think that would increase yields and provide more food for my people. I do know that for the last few trades with other clans, the Azgeda people saw nothing of it. She lied to them about the other clans refusing to trade with them."
"For the last three years, Queen Nia has done a lot of trading with most of the clans for goods she could only get in their lands."
"I will have my hands full when I return, Commander. I have a lot of crap to undo." The Commander nodded.
"I will talk to the Podakru ambassador about what they either need or what they want for restitution," the Commander said. Cooper bowed and rose.
"With your permission, Commander?" she asked. Lexa nodded and Queen Cooper kom Azgeda walked out of the room to head towards her embassy once more. The six clanspeople left with her and would either go to their own embassies or go home.
The Commander turned to Clarke.
"Any ideas what you want for restitution?"
"Not a clue," Clarke said, shaking her head.
"Me neither," Lexa said. "Can you stay a while?"
"Sha. I need to get Miller to teach Liz about night time guard duties in the tower. He needs time away sometimes." The Commander nodded.
"I'll need to really spend some time with Liz to get to know her," the Commander said. Clarke nodded.
"I'll bring her next time. Sometimes I wish Cooper was still my guard and all we had to worry about was looking for the other stations," Clarke said with a sigh.
"I think she'll be back, Clarke, this is her home and she wants to come back, she just has to undo a lot of Nia's ideas and plans first. I think she'll be back within two years." Clarke nodded again with a sigh.
"Can we go to your rooms and lay down and cuddle please? I think I just need to be held by you." Lexa smiled and led the way out of the throne room.
