What's this? A chapter update? After an entire year?! I know. I'm as shook as you are.
I'll keep this short and sweet. I took it easy for a year. But if you kept up with the story updates section of my profile page, you know that I never gave up on the story. In fact, I've written nearly to the end (for real this time, you guys, don't look at me like that) and finally decided this week that I was at a point where I could come back with some measure of confidence and announce that, with the help of my friend and beta, Kira Vulpes, I'll be aiming to update every other week until the end of the story! If I post consistently on that schedule, I might finish before Thanksgiving. GOod GriEf. XD
I want to thank all my reviewers for their wonderful words of encouragement. I don't know how many of you are still reading, but I guess I'm about to find out! I'm a little nervous. ^^;
One more quick word before we get started: I know it's been a while, and I don't expect you guys to remember much. It's not your fault if you get a little lost. If you shoot me a PM, I am more than happy to give you a summary of events in the East up to this point, and answer any other miscellaneous questions you may have about the story.
Power Breakfast
Although Kai often told Cole that he had no desire to take command of the South upon their return, no one, not even Cole himself, could deny the aura of authority that emanated from him as they came through the conference room doors. The room quieted, and all eyes turned to Kai- the one who had, against all odds, defeated Overlord.
That power was evident in his hardened face as he scanned the five leaders standing around the table. They stared back, almost reverent.
Driniah took a seat beside Misako. Cole selected the open chair beside Zane, leaving one empty spot for Kai between himself and Driniah.
Two trays of tea and breakfast foods lay on the table. Cole took two porcelain cups and filled them with the darkest tea on hand. He held his porcelain cup close to warm his hand, and slid the second cup to Kai's seat.
But Kai ignored the tea. Moving deliberately, he pulled his chair back and stood in its place, resting his palms on the table. He met the eyes of each person in turn: Misako, Driniah, Josi, a young, black-haired man Cole did not recognize. Zane looked away when Kai's gaze reached him. As well he should. Cole felt nothing but scorn as he looked at the man who had been the South's Regent.
"We don't have much time," Kai said, his voice low and soft, demanding utter silence in order to be heard. "So let's make this quick. Who has been in charge of my army in Peran's absence?"
The dark-haired man raised his hand.
"And your name is?"
"Lieutenant Iam, my lord. I'm-"
"One of Borg's men," Kai cut him off. "Yes, I remember him mentioning you. Tell me, lieutenant. How are our defenses at the eastern bridge?"
"Subpar," Iam admitted. "I only just found out that Garmadon's army was traveling in that direction, instead of to the western bridge as we had expected. I've sent two squads each of archers and infantry to hold the eastern front."
The Southern realm was cut off from its two sisters by the wide, deep, and treacherously fast Leirin River. This river had only two ways across: bridges, one near the western coast, at Sheshin. The other was in the east, at the beginning of the river, near the Y where the three realms connected.
"Only four squads?" Kai asked with clear skepticism.
"With all due respect, my lord, we don't know for sure what Garmadon's plans are. Until we do, I am hesitant to concentrate our limited troops in one area at the expense of another."
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket, as the saying goes," Cole said, and all eyes shifted from Kai to himself. He sniffed his hot tea to avoid their gaze. "I concur with Iam. A well-executed defense can be just as effective as any offense. If the South's archers are good at what they do, then we should be able to hold the bridge with minimal losses."
"Why not just destroy the bridges?" Driniah asked. "That way, they wouldn't be able to get to us at all."
"You underestimate Garmadon's wrath," Misako said softly. "If Cyrus' men are here- if the Way is here- then he will stop at nothing to destroy us. If you burn the bridges, Garmadon would only erect new ones. The action might buy us a few days, if we're lucky, but then what?"
"Destroying the bridges would also cause widespread panic," Kai said. "People don't like to feel boxed in. If they realize that their only way out of the South has been destroyed, there will be riots."
"There have already been riots," Josi said. "And there is no escape, regardless. Garmadon has his thugs patrolling the entire Southern border. Anyone who tries to escape is immediately slaughtered." Her hand trembled on the table. She closed her fingers tightly. "I'm sure you saw them on your way in."
"Yes, we did. Oddly, they didn't try to stop us." Kai sighed, at last pulling up his chair. Despite his firm face, Cole caught a slight tremble in his hand as he reached for the cup Cole had poured for him. Kai grimaced at the taste and reached for the sugar, casting Cole a sour look.
Cole smiled and took a large gulp of his own tea, though it was still a little too hot.
Weakling, he mouthed as Kai dropped two cubes into his cup. Kai made a face and tossed a third one in, probably just out of spite.
"So," Kai said, stirring his now too-sweet tea with a spoon. But he looked a little calmer. "There have been riots, too?"
"Yes," Josi said. "People are confused and terrified, of course, by the lack of order since your father died. Things were okay during the blizzard, but almost as soon as the winds calmed there were renewed demands that Zane come out and let them know what's going on."
"But I resigned," Zane said, speaking for the first time, and leaned back in his seat. "I passed power back to Driniah, who, in turn, passed it on to you." He nodded with deference to Kai.
"Are you telling me that my people are out there burning their own homes and killing each other because you couldn't be bothered to write a speech letting them know what was happening?" Kai asked.
Iam choked on his slice of buttered bread. Josi regarded Zane with bitter amusement. It was clear from their expressions that they believed the moon-cursed fool deserved everything Kai was serving him, and then some.
"It was more complicated than that!" Zane said. "What was I supposed to say to them? That we don't have the manpower to stop Garmadon? That he's coming to kill us all, and there's nothing we can do about it? Telling them the truth would only cause panic."
"But telling them nothing has been much more devastating," Kai said. "Instead of creating fear about what the King will do to them, you've created fear about what their own regent will do to them. You gave them no rallying point, leaving them to-"
"I get it," Zane interjected, raising a hand. "I'm sorry-"
"Don't interrupt me!" Kai bellowed, slamming his fist on the table. Even Cole jumped, splashing tea over the brim of his cup. He turned to Kai with a raised eyebrow.
"You will write a public address," Kai said. "I will review it, and there will be copies distributed throughout the South for the people to read. And you will deliver the speech personally in Sheshin Square. Today. Am I clear?"
"Yes."
"Yes?"
Zane's jaw tensed. He spoke tersely. "Yes, my lord."
Kai accepted Zane's words with a stiff nod. He turned to Josi. "I need to write a message to the King. Can your Bird deliver it?"
"Whenever you need her, she'll be ready," Josi said.
"Excellent."
"What do you plan to say to the King?" Misako asked.
"Everything," Kai answered, and as he spoke, he reached across the table for a pen, ink, and paper. "That Overlord's gone. That he's an idiot." He prepped his pen and twirled it between his fingers. "Except I'll use more politically correct words."
"You must keep in mind," Misako warned. "You're not just appealing to the King. You're also speaking to the King's advisors. In particular, the Middle's Lord Rector and High General. And in many ways, they have more authority than he. It will be no small task to convince them to listen. Don't offend them, if you can help it."
"Son," Driniah said tentatively, "when you first arrived you mentioned a…secret weapon that would help us."
Kai looked at his mother with confusion for a moment. Then he remembered. "Oh! Yes. Lou is at the King's Keep."
A breathless silence. Misako carefully set down her teacup. Iam nearly choked again, but caught himself, setting down his bread to take a long pull of water.
"Lou," Driniah said. "As in…Wu's son. The one who's been missing for twenty winters."
"Prince Lou. Yes." Kai smiled. "If anyone's able to beat some sense into the King, it's him."
Misako chuckled.
"So, our task seems fairly straightforward in its absurdity, if I may say so," Iam said, folding his hands before himself on the table. "You nobles are gonna write some speeches and letters to attempt to defuse the situation. The returning Prince Lou is going to twist some arms in the Middle. And I'm gonna continue doing what I've been doing."
"Which is?" Kai asked, eyes on the blank paper before him, which he tapped with the dry nib of his pen.
"Border patrol. Riot quelling and cleanup."
"That sounds right." Kai looked up. "Josi. I have a job for you."
"Yes?"
"How many of your kind are at our disposal?"
"About a hundred."
"And they're all capable fighters, I assume?"
"Yes, Milord."
"I need you to organize and lead a charge to take back our border. Without killing, if you can help it. Take the Guards prisoner. Keep them…" He considered. "There's a series of storehouses a mile from the border, if my memory serves me. Request permission to rent a few of them. We can hold the prisoners there, for now."
"And if they say no?"
"Request forcefully."
A small, wry smile. "Yessir," she said.
"Excellent." Kai took a sip of his tea. He made a face and added a splash of cream, ignoring Cole's disgusted look. "Unless any of you can think of something else, I think that covers it."
Cole hesitated. Was that all they had on the agenda? He hadn't expected this to go so quickly. The expressions around the table bespoke the same surprise.
"Oh, yes." Kai turned in his seat. "Julien, I want the first draft of your address written by noon."
Zane gave a start. "Er- what?"
"Are you asking me to repeat myself?"
Zane averted his eyes. There was a pause. "No, my lord."
Kai nodded. "When you're finished, have it sent to my office. Be prepared to make some corrections before the final draft."
"Yes, my lord."
"Good. You're all dismissed."
Zane stood, bowed sharply, and strode from the room.
A stifling heaviness that Cole hadn't been aware of until this moment left the room with Zane: everyone else relaxed upon his departure.
Iam reached for another slice of bread and slathered it in jam before standing. "He deserved that," he said, smiling ruefully. "I'm sorry to say it, but moons, he deserved that." He, too, bowed to Kai and left. Josi followed suit.
"It's good to have you back, Kai," Misako said. She looked amused. "In all my life, I've never seen a meeting go that…briskly."
"That was only an overview of the largest issues," Kai said wearily. "I'll need to talk with Iam later to get a better sense of his situation. But there's not much else we can do until Garmadon responds to this letter. Which I still have to write." A sigh. He rubbed his face wearily.
"Perhaps you should rest before you write it," Driniah said.
"No." Kai lowered his hands, glaring at the paper with distaste. "There's no time. Each hour brings the North-Middle army closer to our land. Stopping them is our highest priority."
"What about the riots?" Driniah asked.
"There won't be any people left to riot if we don't stop Garmadon," Kai said gravely. "There's no way I can even begin to communicate with the people- let alone recruit for a militia- until Zane has written and delivered his speech. I might need to write a portion for myself to deliver as well…"
Nobody countered this. Eventually, the silence grew long enough that Misako departed.
"You did very well, son," Driniah said when only the three of them remained.
"Did I?" Kai dipped his pen in the inkwell and began to write in careful, flowing script. With his other hand he lifted his tea to his lips.
"Yes." Driniah touched his shoulder. She glanced at Cole, still seated on Kai's other side. "I know that near the end you and your father didn't…see eye to eye. But I think that he would still be proud of you."
Kai gave a breathy laugh. "That's a stretch," he said. "We both know he didn't approve of my choices. He seemed to think that politics were more important than love. Which is ironic, considering his roots..."
Driniah pursed her lips, again glancing at Cole. He raised a questioning brow, and she quickly looked away. "My marriage to a commoner is vastly different than...well, what you did. I hope you understand that."
Kai's pen hesitated above the paper.
"That's hardly fair, mother." His voice was quiet again.
"I'm not scolding you," Driniah said hastily. "Hosts, Kai. Even if I don't agree, I won't treat you the way your father did. You're still family." She laid her hand over his, eyes earnest.
Even Cole couldn't discern the face Kai made to his mother. The anger seemed to recede, at least, and he shook his head with a slight, strained smile. "Well," he said. "This isn't worth arguing about while the King's army is nearly at our doorsteps. Let's come back to it later, okay?"
"Yes," Driniah said, and stood, a hand under her belly. "Yes, of course. I'll leave you to work."
"Thanks." Kai absently touched her arm as she turned to leave. "I'll see you later."
"What was that about?" Cole asked when she left.
Kai shook his head, still wearing that little smile. "I'll tell you later," he said. "For now…hm. How many different titles does the King have…?"
This chapter's a little on the short side. Don't worry, I won't make a habit of it.
For those who've read this far, thank you. Seriously.
For those you you who've reviewed in the past, and may even leave a review in that convenient box below right now, thank you even more. Super-seriously. You (yes, you) are the reason I haven't stopped posting entirely so I can dedicate all my writing time to my True Grit OG rewrite.
Thank you all. I'll see you in two weeks~