...Kami Miyako...Slane Theocracy...
Raymond was not happy. Being not happy was the norm for him now, the armies of the Theocracy were massive, but seldom used because of the small teams of elite scripture units, from the Gray to the Black, heroes filled their ranks, and most of the problems that the Theocracy had needed to address in the past required small unit actions, only the war against the Elf Kingdom had required the use of the army, and that had been a slow and methodical conflict. This was going to be different, the rapidity of the mind of 'The Adversary' told him not to expect a slow and plodding advance, the confidence in his victory was tremendous, such that Raymond was very concerned that there might be a basis for it.
And so they sat together around the table and held yet another meeting, he and all the cardinals, a map was laid out in front of them.
"The Sorcerer King's chief base of power is concentrated here." Raymond said as he pointed to E-Rantel. "If we take that city, we'll have knocked most of his resources out of the conflict."
"It isn't his real capitol though, is it?" Dominic asked rhetorically.
"Well no, but we can't advance to his true home without taking it, plus we can advance on Carne right after that, those are his only real centers of power beyond his actual residence." Maximillion said reasonably.
"The problem is the 'IF'." Ginedine said with a sigh, "Even discounting the magic he's sworn not to use, he still has legions of undead and legendary monsters, not to mention the loyal followers he's managed to accrue, the Emperor's legions alone are a massive problem. Tomorrow the thirty days expires, and our scouts beyond the border have reported a armies of demihumans, humans, and undead marching out of the city of E-Rantel and our spies in the Empire have told us that similar forces have been moving since the summit."
Yvon sighed heavily, "We can only trust that we are acting in accordance with the will of the divine. Are we ready to spring the trap from Re-Estize?"
"We are." Raymond replied, "The ball they held in the capitol meant to show their unity showed their division instead, and the entire royal faction is crippled. After the ball was over, I had the princess act as a messenger, she's practically broken by the loss of her bodyguard, and the royal faction very...meek, in their acceptance of instruction. Her only condition was that they be allowed time to run away." Raymond's voice was forceful and confident, but still the whole thing ate at him. He dismissed the matter as one of conscience, as Berenice spoke up.
"Do we know where she wants them to run to?" She asked.
"Not exactly, but one of the maids mentioned overhearing her asking a soldier what life in the woods was like, and another maid saw her trying on clothing meant to make life in forests easier, and she was also seein reading in the library, the book she put away was inspected, and it turned out to be about the Great Forest of Tob." Raymond replied.
"Large enough to hold them and any supporters, hard to find those who don't want to be found, and survivable for a small number, and if they make it out, they could stay in exile in the Baharuth Empire and wait out the war in comfort." Dominic said thoughtfully.
"I think that is what we should expect, some might put up a fight anyway, but I doubt it. Then we can advance this way, with the armies of Re-Estize traveling along the road from E-Pespel to E-Rantel from West to East, while we advance from South to North from Gandu." Raymond said in a whisper as the plan laid out took shape in his mind.
"There are no roads into the Abelion Hills from our country, so how do we deal with that?" Maximilian asked.
"Let the elf King do it." Yvon replied. "It won't be bad for the women of the world if that monstrous fuck spends the next few months fighting demihuman tribes."
Raymond felt pretty good about that.
"Granted, but if we don't send any support, well we have the city of Partraka near the border, he might just switch sides or decide to 'visit' it with his army. And we want him to actually win against the Demihumans, so I suggest we send the Clearwater Scripture and the Windflower scripture, and twenty five thousand soldiers, once the in the Holy Roble Kingdom we can link up with King Astraka's armies and set about putting down the insurrection, between ourselves, the Elf King, & King Astraka's forces, we should have no problem bringing the place to heel, then we can bring the united forces back through the Abelion Hills and put down any remaining resistance, they're mostly just tribals, and they are badly depleted between Jaldabaoth's failed invasion and the fact that some of the survivors outright left to join the Sorcerous Kingdom." Raymond added.
"What about the Southern Holy Kingdom?" Yvon asked curiously.
"They're raising arms against Queen Calca & in support of King Astraka, she was never as popular in the South as she was in the North, and she's seen as a failed monarch. They should easily be able to raise a hundred thousand spears." Raymond replied, "All in all, our odds are good. But I'm still not happy."
Dominic looked at him with a curious expression, "Why?" He asked.
"I don't know, and that is what is making me more unhappy." Raymond replied with a mystified and tired sigh.
...Carriage of King Astraka...
The silence was thick as a side of beef when Vanysa finally broke it. The chains on her wrists held them over her head, and her breathing seemed to hold his eyes firmly to her chest. She stared daggers at him as he poured himself another cup. "Can ah ask yah somethin?" She began.
He inclined his head indicating for her to proceed.
How come yah hates me?" She asked, a curious tone in her voice.
"What?" he asked with confusion.
"Ah said...how comes yah hates me? Ah ain't done nothin to yah, ah swear, all 'ah done is be friends with a right p'werful king who done rightby me an what saved mah people...so why yah hate me?"
He swirled the wine around in his cup and looked down at it in thought then raised it up and drank it down swiftly before setting it aside. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his thighs and folding his hands together past his knees.
He wasn't a bad looking fellow, Vanysa had to admit.
"I don't hate you." He said.
She looked at him in disbelief. "Do yah normally hit girls yah like? Do yah normally tie 'em up and take em way far away from home an make em tell yah things?"
"No." He shook his head.
"An all tha other stuff?" She asked with a snap in her voice.
"Other stuff?" He asked, mystified.
"Ah ain't as stupid as yah think yah know. Jus bein a girl, an poor, an a peasant, don't mean ah was born w'thout a brain yah know." She said testily. "I can see yah just starin at mah chest here, ah can see whas in yer eyes while yah doit, yah think it don't hurt ta jus be looked at like ah side a meat? Yah tryin t'scare me, makin me think ah what you'll do when yah get tired a jus lookin? If'n yah think ah don't see that, then yer as dumb as yah think ah am!" She snapped.
His eyes flashed with fury, but she didn't stop.
"How many times yah gonna humiliate me eh?! Ow can yah even ask 'what other stuff?' like yah don't know! When yah feed meh, yah do it by hand, yah won't even let me hold the cup no more...an when ah...gots to go...yah humiliate meh worse, yah take me out on a chain or with a rope b'hind mah back an make me...go...like that, yah ain't seen mah face! Yah aint seen how ah feel bein treated like a damn animal what ain't got no pride or self r'spect?! So...course yah hate me! Why else yah do all this to me like ah deserve it?!" She asked in a voice full of hate.
She tried to lift her leg to kick at him, but they were bound, and all she managed was to stomp on the tip of his boot, barely striking his big to within, it might have been small, but it stung.
He snapped and reached out, and slapped her across the face with the back of his hand. Her head snapped to one side and slapped the wall behind her, it stung, and drew blood from her lip. Her tongue darted out and licked it away as if to confirm it was there, and she looked at him again.
He calmed down...his repeated attempts at friendly questioning had yielded very limited results at best, and now he was close to his capitol. It was time to start asking her hard questions...in hard ways...she had refused to talk about the spells he used, how many, what they did, or how much difficulty he had in using them, she'd refused to tell him about the defenses of the Sorcerer King's home, what kind of military assets it had, or anything else. She did reveal he knew a shocking number of 'sandwiches' which were incredibly good...but not much of value.
"I don't hate you. But you know things I need to know to ensure I win this war, the more I know, the more easily I can win, and the fewer the number of people who need to die because of it. I didn't ask for this, and I'm not proud of kidnapping you, but I will not apologize for doing what needs to be done to end this conflict." He said.
She looked at him, when he'd hit her, the bounce and brightness faded from her eyes, they were clear as shining steel as she stared at him. "So you're going to torture me then?" She asked.
King Astraka didn't hesitate to answer, "If that is what it takes. Its really more up to you than to me." He said, "I've tried to ask you nicely during this entire trip its been weeks, I've promised you wealth beyond measure, a position at court, a noble title, I've offered you a place in my luxurious harem, I've offered to let you build one of your own if that is what it took! You refuse every offer of kindness and you speak to me as if I'm some tavern keeper you can just mouth off to whenever you like!" He snapped.
"I will have the answers I need, or I will have them ripped from your tongue with implements of pain." He said harshly.
"You'll die screaming." She said without a trace of her previous peasant speech. "You are lower than a tavern keeper, you're lower than the one true king, the one true god, you cannot bribe me or buy me, because I got something from my time with the Sorcerer King that is more valuable than anything you could ever offer me, even more valuable than the throne you're willing to burn your kingdom to the ground to get!" She snapped.
This had him intrigued, so Astraka ignored the insult for the moment and asked, "What was it? An item? A treasure? A power? Did he offer you a high station in his kingdom, or yet more wealth?"
The bright dancing look came back into her eyes, "Ah gots mah self r'spect, mah dignity, an mah pride. Ah gots ta know ah ain't jus what ahm told ah am, an ah gots mah courage. Ah may nae be strong, or gots lotsa power, but ah belong ta none...less I wanna, yah caint take mah integrity, yah caint take mah self r'spect, ah can only give em up mah self, and ah ain't gonna do it, and yah ain't gonna buy em!" She said confidently.
Astraka took a bite out of a strawberry and enjoyed the sweet juice within, listening to her as she ranted.
Her eyes went clear as day again and she said, "Maybe you can terrify me, maybe you can make me hate my existence, maybe you'll even get me to beg to die...but I've been to those places before, who I am now was born from them, and the Sorcerer King helped shape me after them, by teaching me, by protecting me, by letting me see his example, giving in to you would be like throwing away the only gifts of value anyone has ever given me, so no matter what you do to my body, all you'll hear in return are screams, and I promise you...you'll make plenty of them yourself before all this is over. Go...fuck yourself."
There was nothing more to say. So she stared at him as if her hatred could bore a hole in his head, and he stared at her as if the only entertainment was what the bumpy road was doing to her chest. She rankled the chains every now and then to make herself comfortable and just to make noise, it annoyed him, and that was something at least.
But eventually the common need for sleep overtook them both. She didn't resist as he changed the position of her body to let her lie down, but she did spit into his beard, and get another slap to the other side of her face for her trouble, it had caused her to cut her tongue on her teeth, so she spat blood on him next, and she braced herself to be hit again, looking at him as if she was daring him to do it, but he didn't. Instead he resecured her chains and ropes, and then went back to sleep himself.
The cold gaze of Vanysa the sadist returned in the shadows, she could only make out the shape of the king, the one who was the enemy of her god, and she wanted him to die, she wanted him to die for so many things, his 'kindness' had almost tricked her...she still wasn't sure if he was being honest about not having her violated, but a man who would resort to torture was not one she wanted to chance that with...and she wasn't much in favor of being tortured either, though she couldn't think of a meaningful difference, what good was it to be spared the noose if you received the sword? She'd paid careful attention to everything in the carriage, and careful attention to everything he'd done, and now she finally had a measure of success.
When he'd leaned over, she'd managed to sneak the key out of his pocket when she'd leaned up to spit in his beard, and hidden it when he was distracted by hitting her. So in the deepest, darkest hour of the night, she undid the chains, and then she crunched her knees up to her chest, and fumbled with the rope around her ankles for several minutes, undoing them was easy enough.
Vanysa looked over at the King, he was asleep, he'd been asleep for hours. He'd tied her up, he'd chained her, he'd gagged her...to be fair he'd helped her lie down and he hadn't even groped her. But...if the best she could say about him was that he didn't abuse someone helpless...well there wasn't much to be said about him. She was cloaked in darkness, how long had they been on the road how many times had he asked her questions, how many times had she had to feel the utter and abject humiliation of relieving herself while he held a chain secured to her neck or a rope that secured her wrists behind her back.
She'd played along, she'd been patient, her background of ignorant peasant had been favorable to her...as had her thick peasant voice and her very bad grammar and pronunciation, she felt his view of her generally decline as he saw her as less and less of a threat.
Now here in the darkness of the carriage, she would show that she wasn't stupid. She really wished she knew just where she was, somewhere in the Slane Theocracy maybe? Near the border? How long did it even take to get across a whole country? With no view out the windows she couldn't even try to figure out how fast they were going using the math her master had taught her, and even if she had, she had no idea how big the area was they had to cross. It didn't matter though, once she got out, she could make a run for it, she could hide, she could live off the land and make her way home...or perhaps to the divine one's nation where she could beg his forgiveness for being captured.
When she was free, she felt around, trying to find a dagger or a weapon or anything that could be used as such, her own weapon was gone, and the way the king slept, his arm was over the drawer holding her money. She felt the chains in the darkness, she looked at the shadowy outline of his sleeping form...kill him...and a great service would be rendered to her savior...but the door was right there, if she could open quietly, she could leap out and perhaps the coachman wouldn't even notice? She felt her breathing intensify, her eyes went wide as she looked from the sleeping king to the waiting door, the improvised weapon in her hand, do it...it was heavy, if one blow didn't kill him, several would.
She closed her eyes...there was only one way to show her gratitude. She drew her hand along the length of chain, the humiliations and fears were roiling in her gut as she folded it in half and grabbed the loose ends.
It was then that the carriage struck a rock and his eyes popped open from the jolt, he saw her standing over him and she screamed and raised the chain and brought it down at his head, he raised his arm to protect himself, and his habit of sleeping in armor probably saved him a broken arm, perhaps even saved his life...though it would hurt a great deal later, she drew it back again and tried to make another swing. "Die! DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!" She shrieked as she continued to swing the chain in the darkness, managed to grab it on the third swing and pulled her down, each one struggling in the darkness to find purchase to gain the superior position. He pulled the chain away and struck her hard on the face, she scratched and clawed, trying to get at his eyes, swinging her arms with wild desperation, her banshee like voice as he forced her down onto her back did not diminish, but with his armor on there was little available she could hurt, finally he fully had the upper hand, and drew back his fist for a heavy blow. The light of the moon shone threw a crack in the curtain, and it illuminated his furious face to her, streaked with scratches, he could see her, and she could see him, and she screamed into the night, "Maaaasteeeeer!" Calling for aid before his fist connected to her again, and sent her cascading into the darkness of unconsciousness.
...Re-Estize Kingdom...Royal Palace...
Renner was smiling the morning after the ball, it had been an enormous success, the royal faction members had one by one been taken aside and 'gated' to meet with Ainz Ooal Gown. She grinned happily, the memory of these mighty figures, shaking, trembling, kneeling...even prostrating themselves before the unparalleled might of the one who had broken their army...it had been beautiful. The braver ones had not responded the same way immediately, but they did eventually. They did when Ainz allowed them to see their loved ones within Slane Theocracy territory. He even permitted them to pass through a gate, to explain things to their loved ones, and then return. Renner wanted to laugh, so many of them...so stupid. They were overwhelmingly grateful for the safety of their families, for being able to speak to them, none of them realized that through the subtle machination, the Sorcerer King was effectively the true holder of the hostages. Only King Zanac & the Marquis Raeven seemed to be cunning enough to recognize the way the Sorcerer King had taken advantage of the situation.
"...Very impressive, Sorcerer King." King Zanac had said as he knelt before the skeletal being that sat upon the Throne of Kings. "The Slane Theocracy has effectively handed you my nation, and handed you hostages, while trying to act on their own. Truly your monstrous intellect is not mere rumor. I accept the bargain, formally and absolutely. Save my nation, and it will become your nation. Secure my throne...and hand my sister the power. Crush my enemies, those who have done so much to weaken us from within for their own sake, and I am your man forever. Grant my people prosperity, and I will grant the boy Climb a suitable title that will allow him to marry my sister. Save our families, and our estates will send tribute to you for all time. I swear it in your name, and in mine, and in my fathers, and by the blood of those who live and die on our decisions as kings...until the very dust of the ground decays."
'What the hell is he talking about?! I didn't plan ANY of that!' Ainz thought furiously, until he realized exactly how advantageous the situation was as Zanac laid it out. As it became clear and King Zanac spoke, Ainz laughed deeply and heartily, and his guardians could barely contain their glee. "I accept your fealty King Zanac, you are a worthy man, son of a worthy man. I regret that he did not survive, for the many tomorrows ahead will see a bright future for your nation...once we have passed through the shadow of war. You have made the right decision, as any of my vassals can attest to. Your faction will be the only one to survive the conflict, save any among your rivals you designate as meriting their continued survival after all is done, and then there will be no factions. There will be my will, and the execution of it, which between yourself, your sister, and your exceedingly capable Marquis Raeven...I am sure will be carried out to perfection."
"Shall I sign a formal document now sire?" King Zanac asked.
Ainz shook his head, "No, let the histories say that you did not bend a knee until the nobles sought the destruction of the kingdom for their selfish ends. I will even go one better. If they do not bend to the sway of the Theocracy as they plan to do, if they change their minds and yield only to you and keep your nation from war, I will guarantee your independence and invest heavily in your nation's reconstruction." He said, prompting a look of surprise on both Zanac & the Marquis Raeven's faces.
"But...why would you do that?" King Zanac asked as the Marquis looked on, utterly surprised. Albedo gave him an angry look and was about to speak when Ainz raised his skeletal hand to stop her.
"You are bending to me to save your nation the destruction that the Theocracy is bringing down on you, the nobles are acting for their own self interests, which they have woefully misjudged. If your nation is not in fact thrust into danger after all, then your bending to me would not be just, therefore I must give your nation a chance to save itself. Thus, should none of that come to pass, you know that your neighbor nation can be trusted. However if all of that should come to pass, you can kneel to me in clean conscience that you did everything a king should do, before going to the last resort a king must undertake to save those for whom he is responsible."
Zanac kept his head deeply bowed. "You are truly a noble ruler. I accept your terms."
When they had returned to the ball, nobody had noticed their departure, and most of the incompetent faction had been 'distracted' by the women Renner had sought especially for this event, arriving some time after ample wine had flowed into greedy mouths...courtesans, beautiful women trained in the arts of love, lust, and the pleasing of the wealthy elites. The noble faction had lost much talent and great incompetence was the norm, so when these courtesans that had been filtered to her through the remnants of Eight Fingers that now served the Sorcerer King, took the soft hands of spoiled, inept, unprepared nobles who knew how to most excellently work those fools over both mentally and with physical desire, great intelligence was acquired.
And all they had to do...was allow some self important fops to talk...since they did not know how else to use their tongues. Those foolish nobles had turned the grand ball into a seive that let intelligence leak out all night long. Renner scoffed as she watched the gangly looking idiot, 'Philip' awkwardly trying to paw at a woman and saying ridiculous things that he thought sounded smart, clever, or powerful, she tittered and played along, leading him to a back chamber to what Renner suspected was going to be...boring for her...but at least yield ample information. Renner shrugged, professionalism was professionalism, whatever the skill.
The nobles of the Re-Estize Kingdom
...Return to Prart...
Neia's return to Prart was celebratory to say the least. Her advance party informing the government and citizens of their arrival had become cause for a massive city wide holiday, the soldiers of Black Justice...those still alive that is, were well remembered as the front line heroes of the fight against the corruption that had plagued the city, fight for justice within the city had started a revolution, and the subsequent circulation of the Black Book...as it had become locally colloquially known, had pushed that revolution even further alone.
When Neia's forces entered the city, first Black Justice, then the Vines, then the Blood Miners, walking in ranks four abreast, lead by Neia Baraja, CZ Delta, & Skana the Bold who rode on undead horses in their best armor, cheers smashed against the lot of them like waves on a shore. Neia privately reflected that they probably had no idea what the groups of motly armed elves and humans with them were...but for a crowd, well anyone who marched with those they cheered for, was to be cheered in turn.
As they rode along the streets she noted that they were clean of debris, that the houses she saw were in vastly improved states of repair, that the public works such as the fountains were all fully functional again and that the general air of the entire place had taken on a completely different feel, even the air felt different, there wasn't a spirit of repression or fear hovering around her as she guided her people to the one place she wanted to visit most.
"Where...exactly are you leading us?" Skana asked curiously from Neia's right hand.
"Where else?" She asked, "We're going to see our temple."
CZ gave an approving nod, and turn by turn they made their way to the massive black structure. It was everything she remembered, and much more besides, at top of the stairs waiting for her were several dignified looking and well dressed familiar faces...and one figure sitting center front three steps from the foot of them who was even more familiar. Neia grinned widely and as they came within thirty paces she shouted, "Soldiers, HALT!" and the formation stopped. Vines & Blood Miners had all acknowledged themselves as soldiers by this time, motly as they might have looked, there was no questioning their purpose.
Neia dismounted her horse, followed quickly on her left and right by CZ & Skana. She approached the figure sitting at the steps who was holding a cup...and had three more next to him sitting in front of a bottle. He finished his cup, set it down, then stood up and grinned, opening his arms wide at her approach. "Neia! How good to see you again!" He said with a joyful expression on his face. Skana! CZ! I'm so glad you're all well!
Neia did not even hesitate, she gave him a bear hug, then slapped his shoulders hard, held tight and said, "Good to see you too Tinamoc! We've been worried about you!" Her smile was broad and genuine as she spoke, and he was clapped on the back by Skana who said, "I told them you'd be alright! But they're worriers." She shrugged, "What can you do?"
He answered that question by shaking CZ's hand and saying, "By leaving those stickers on as long as possible until we can get another."
The corner's of CZ's mouth twitched...it was slight, but it was the closest thing she did to smiling...other than what she did next, which was to put a sticker on his cheek and say, "Cute answer."
The figures at the top of the stairs were waiting patiently, but this was clearly not unexpected. Neia looked briefly over Tinamoc's shoulder and shouted to those at the top, "Hey, you all got proper weapons and armor for everyone here right?!"
"We do!" A satisfied voice answered.
"We'll drink in a moment Tinamoc, first a few words." Neia grinned, and Tinamoc began to take up the cups and pour.
"I'll hold the toast, but not to long, be quick about it." He said with the kind of smug grin that only a person who brought the alcohol is allowed to have.
"Intoxication protocol is now active." CZ said.
"Before you speak..." Tinamoc shouted, "There are some people you should see!"
Neia looked confused for a moment before Tinamoc called out. "Alright, get out here you lot!"
And as his words were echoed, people began to emerge from various buildings, armed masses, swords and black armor, cloaks and bows, there were hundreds of them. It took a moment before Neia realized what she was seeing, as from behind them stepped small children whose faces were more clearly visible and their features more obvious...they were elves, they were all elves.
"We made it out!" He shouted, and Neia could not keep back her tears, she almost collapsed from the shock, she'd imagined him a lone survivor, hunted, losing people...but here stood the third miracle of her lifetime. Skana and CZ grabbed her as her body started to collapse from the sheer relief she felt, and she touched her head and shook it, struggling to regain her composure.
"It...it wasn't for nothing..." Neia said, the words so softly spoken that only CZ could hear what she'd said.
"I-I'm fine...I just...its overwhelming." She said, the words barely pushed out past her lips, she tapped their shoulders and said, "I'm fine, I'm fine, let me do this." And as they let her go and stepped out of the way, she began to ascend the steps of the temple, she felt so small beneath its shadow, like it was the physical incarnation of her god's power.
When she reached the top, she shook hands with the leaders she'd left behind and turned to the crowd.
Her voice was more forceful now, it carried, and though she struggled, her words were clear as crystal.
"It was not for nothing...the losses were great...very great..." she paused for a moment, and thought of Illyana. "But we who survive, carry with us the memory of those who died so that we could be here today, and to speak of them, is to give them new life, and pass the knowledge of who they were and what they did, onwards as an example to all of those to young to know what they need to do, we must show them the way, and ensure that those who perished, who did not perish for in vain, but instead gave their lives to make their spirits the guiding light that leads us to a glorious future. Let us remember them together, all those we have lost, the empty chairs and empty beds, the laughter stilled and life extinguished...their blood watering the tree of life, so that from every branch, a new generation may come into bloom. Please, give one more moment of your lives, to those who gave up all the moments of their own...and bow your heads with me in silence to their memory."
As one, heads bowed, elf and human, Black Justice, Vine, Blood Miner, priest, red paladin, adult...and child. It didn't matter. The city was as silent as Wenmark for a moment, and when it passed Neia lifted her head, and saw many a mourning face, and she continued.
"Now we come to a crossroads, our enemies are many and powerful, and trials come ahead for us the likes of which we had not imagined in our childhoods, yet they are here now, and we must face them...we must face them so that the children we have now, and will have in the future, must not face those trials themselves. For now however, we have a moment of respite, all soldiers are dismissed for the day, with my thanks for a job well done, but two days from now you must present yourselves here at the temple, raise all the cups you need in memory of your honored dead, but break no law, break no faith, and do not be late when I need your swords again! DISMISSED!" She turned to shake hands with the representatives of the city she had left behind, and most importantly to her...the temple administration.
"I will be with you again gentlemen...but you know...Tinamoc did lug that bottle all the way here, it would be rude of me to ignore that." She said with a wry smile that brought sincere chuckles in return.
"Of course, come see us over dinner tonight, and we will speak in greater depth." The temple priest said, "We will dine here in the temple, late, so you have ample time for whatever you wish."
Neia grinned, "Smart thinking." Then she descended the steps, and Tinamoc handed a cup to Neia that was filled to overflowing.
The crowd had largely dispersed, save those hundreds of armed and armored elves and their children that had chosen to remain, though they kept a respectful distance as Neia reunited with her traveling companion, and when the bottle was empty she said, "I assume you have another bottle at wherever you're staying here?" She arched an eyebrow and her voice was a mockery of a demanding tone.
"I do. Join me at the 'Faraway Home' after you're done with them." He said, "CZ, Skana, why don't you go ahead and join me now, looks like they want to say their hellos to her," he gestured his thumb at Neia, "and it may take a little time."
The two women shrugged, and Neia nodded at them in approval, prompting them to leave as elves began to filter up towards her in ranks of two. This...would take awhile indeed.
...Draconic Kingdom...Palace of Queen Draudillon...
Ainz stepped out from the gate and in front of the Holy Queen. She could not hide her nervousness.
Ainz did not bother to hide his displeasure, he threw the letter on the ground and said sharply..."Explain." His red orbs bored into her, and she trembled nervously. Vermillion stood beside her with his arms folded behind his back, he was no better off.
"Did you do it?" He asked. She did not need to pick up the letter, she wrote it, she knew its contents.
Seeing a moment of decision was at hand she got off her throne, grateful that she'd had the hall cleared in the expectation of his arrival and not wishing this to be public, and she descended from the throne and went down to both knees, and prostrated herself before the Sorcerer King. "I swear, on my life, on my magic or yours, on the lives of my citizens...I had nothing at all to do with the disappearance of Vanysa. If your majesty does not believe me...if your majesty believes in my guilt...then I beg to be punished, I make the offer I did when your glorious self chose to save my people...anything you would have of me, including the sacrifice of my life, I beg only that you punish no one else for the guilt you hold to be mine...but I swear I didn't do this."
The words poured out, they were unpracticed, but they were sincere. Vermillion, stricken by an impulsive urge, descended from the steps and prostrated himself beside his queen, "Sire this worthless dust is named Vermillion, I am prime minister to the Queen, I have served her for years, I know her as I do a sister, she has her faults to be sure...she can be drunken...impulsive, tempermental, snarky, whiny, judgemental, rash..."
Queen Draudillon let out a phony cough, and it brought him up short.
"...but she's no monster, she loves her people, she's dedicated to them, and if she were guilty of this, I would know it, have me tortured for information if you must, take my life if you must, but please do not hurt my queen, I swear to you she is completely innocent in this." Vermillion and Draudillon were breathing hard as they held the posture before the skeletal monarch, wondering if any moment might be their last.
Finally he turned his back and stepped away. "I believe you, rise."
They quickly got to their feet, bearing the faces of people who just found out that they were being spared execution.
"Now," Ainz said, "When did you find out she was missing?" He asked, and they looked as if they feared execution all over again.
They relayed the events since the summit, and Ainz heard them out until they were all the way up to the present.
"Show me her residence, I assume its in the wealthy district?" He asked.
They swallowed. "Not...exactly..." Vermillion let out with a sigh.
"Oh well that isn't of any matter, she was never a greedy woman, is she living in the merchant class district?" Ainz asked curiously.
Silence greeted him.
"Common district?" He asked.
"Ahhh...my lord..." Queen Draudillon began, "Perhaps you would prefer to judge her residence for yourself."
An hour later Ainz was standing in front of the splintered remains of her door. He looked around, utterly baffled. "Why was she HERE of all places?" He asked.
"With the money I gave her after our time in the Beastman country, she should have been able to live comfortably for the rest of her life even if she had to pay an army of servants. Surely she did not CHOOSE this?" He asked.
"Sire...did she ever tell you anything about a 'sandwich shop'? Vermillion asked.
Ainz paused, "Yes, she said it a number of times, she said she was going to open one when she was done, I gave her enough money to build a hundred of them and still live comfortably, what does that have to do with anything, even if it failed, she should have been fine."
The Queen looked down, "What happened is I failed."
Ainz looked at her. "You need to explain that." He said flatly with an undertone of hostility and anger.
"The nobles that control the districts are allowed to collect and levy taxes to raise money for the effort against the beastmen, but the nobles own most of the eating establishments, so when Vanysa opened her shops and...started doing very well, it cut into their profits, as I had the story relayed to me recently, they passed taxes on ingredients she needed, but sold 'exemptions' to themselves and their cronies, it made her food very expensive, then they started levying fines on everything about what she was operating out of, enormous ones, fortunes worth...and just to punish her further, they levied taxes on her residence...any one she moved to, such that she was essentially deprived of everything she had, any remaining goods were confiscated and...well she ended up here." Queen Draudillon gestured around the room.
"SO...you're telling me that your government first STOLE the reward I gave to a servant who followed me while I was saving your country, destroyed her entire life and drove her into a pathetic hovel...then while that servant was attending to testifying for me personally before the world's leaders at a summit, you were the last one to be seen with her...then she disappeared, along with all the money I gave to her a second time...and you did not notice ANY of that happening?" Ainz asked.
Queen Draudillon looked down at the floor, she felt like a child explaining a bad performance at school to her parents.
"No...I'm...sorry..." She said, unsure whether she should be saying goodbye to her throne or her life.
AN: Well this one took awhile to write today, busy with quite a bit, but its a little on the longer side as well, I'll have another one up this evening as promised, tomorrow is another double release day by the way, but then that will be it, it will back to daily or semidaily releases. So...enjoy it while it lasts. :)