Chapter Six

Failed Negotiations

Weeks flew by in a flurry as the King and Queen made attempt after attempt to resolve things with Calpeart. The King and his envoys had ridden thrice to meet with Calpeartian diplomats but never had the Queen of Calpeart herself appeared and never did she answer any summons Illuseon gave. No one seemed to have seen her since her declaration of war near a year ago and rumors of her whereabouts grew wilder every day. It was only through persistence and many letters that King Apollo finally tracked her down and coerced her to make some last-ditch negotiations.

Poor Queen Katrine was not comforted by the sight of her husband pacing the corridors before dawn the morning the Calpearthian was expected to arrive. He hadn't slept and there was a haggard expression on his face she'd never seen before. It scared Katrine who sought comfort in holding their daughter in her arms. She prayed that all would be well and that nothing would happen on account of her or more importantly, her beloved offspring.

It was with a heavy finality that the clock struck noon and the royals entered the council room in a stately fashion. At once, all of the nobles present rose from their seats in respect, save a tall domineering woman with hair as bright as blood and eyes as cold as onyx. This was the Queen of Calpeart, Beryl. She made no motion to indict her notice of the former fiancé but her coal-black orbs flitted on the Queen's form and resumed her careful calculating gaze. King Apollo took his place at the head of the table with Queen Katrine lowering gracefully at his left. After saying several formalities and thanking King Dagda and Queen Gaia for joining them, he addressed the foreign sovereign.

"Queen Beryl, would you like to state your complaints against Illuseon at this time?" Queen Beryl nodded, eyes locked coldly on Queen Katrine. Katrine tried her best not to flinch. "I would," Beryl said, eyes slitting with something akin to venom. "I'd to raise several reasons for war that your people seem to have conveniently forgotten." Watching this exchange, the King of Swenyos grimaced. From what he knew about Beryl, her reasons were more personal grievances than national complaints. "Over twenty years ago, the Late and True," She put a delicate emphasis on the word true "Queen of Illuseon promised her son to me, in marriage. It was an agreement between our mothers and ought to have been fulfilled. But as you know," She continued, black eyes snapping back onto Katrine. "That didn't quite happen, did it, Katrine?" Apollo shot her a warning glance which she ignored, much to his displeasure. "I'd almost forgiven and forgotten you know, Apollo," She said conversationally. "Until tidings of her birth came. Really, Apollo, did you think news like that wouldn't get out? Especially concerning someone as interesting as your daughter. Serenity, isn't it?" Katrine's blood ran cold watching Beryl's cold fishy eyes dance with malice and her voice changed, abandoning all pretenses. "I cannot pretend content while that thing exists. She is an abomination, a disgrace! The swine must be destroyed else I should overrun your lands and personally execute the little wretch myself, along with its mother, the Harlot-Queen!"

A deadly look came over the King of Illuseon and he stood up. "This Harlot-Queen is my bride, whom I married for love. Could you ever have filled her place? I think not, for I know you only ever sought me for connections. Any attraction you felt for me, Beryl, was mere lust." The atmosphere crackled with tension as the two faced each other, fatal finality in their voices. "You will not besmirch my wife's name and I would kill you before you approached my daughter. She is our legitimate heir and a princess, equal to any other. Threaten her, and you face both Illuseon's and Swenyos' wrath. Choose to recant your slander with good grace and I will forgive your past remarks. Choose otherwise and I will punish you as you deserve. Make your decision." Before Queen Beryl could respond though, a quiet voice broke in. "Please," Queen Katrine said gently, a white hand lay on her husband's arm. "This is a negotiations meeting. Let us try not to allow anger to get the best of us." The King's face softened and he smiled wryly as he fell back into his seat. "Forgive me for that...display." He apologized, eyes twinkling up at her. Katrine blushed, temporarily unaware of an unamused onlooker.

Queen Beryl seethed watching them. "You're very good at calming him down, aren't you Katrine? He submits so easily to you, and why shouldn't he? What power can save him from a siren like you?" Queen Beryl's eyes glittered with rage and rancor. Queen Gaia shot up indignantly from her chair. "You are more a slut than any other present here, and certainly more than my ally!" There was a fire in her voice and many near-trembled as she entered the verbal fray. "Whore! Witch of Calpeart! I haven't a hesitation in sending all of Swenyos' armies to stand with Illuseon and kill you!" "An alliance?" Beryl sneered. "How did that come to pass?" King Dagda tried valiantly to sit her back down, but Gaia shook him off impatiently. "The same way your parents arranged it-through our children's betrothal!" There was nothing more anyone could say to restore Queen Beryl to calm. She clenched her fists and stood up. "Negotiations are canceled." She said in a dead whisper and with a wave of her hand, her two advisors followed behind her, quivering in the wake of her anger.

It wasn't until after the doors slammed that King Apollo had snapped out of his daze and realized what was happening. "I'm sorry Katrine." He said softly, enfolding her in his arms. Katrine cried bitterly into his shoulder. "I didn't want any of this to happen, Apollo. None of it should have and it did and now it's my entire fault." King Apollo suddenly held her out at arm's length and looked her in the eye. "This war is not your fault nor is it mine. It just is what it is and it must be fought." "Apollo is right," King Dagda chimed in. "But I wouldn't worry if I were you, Katrine. When this situation has past we won't care who is to blame. We'll look on it as the prelude to the funniest love story there ever was." Queen Gaia glared at him. "It's no laughing matter, Dagda. I really shouldn't have said anything about the children. Now that she knows she'll spread it around and Endymion will get wind of it and..." She swallowed. "He'll feel forced into it."

"No he won't." King Dagda said flatly. "It's not every day one's told that one's parents have picked a pretty wench as a bride for him." Queen Gaia threw her hands up in frustration. "What am I going to do with thee?" She scolded, elbowing him in the ribs before he could voice his suggestion. King Apollo wisely stepped to change the conversation. "Where's Endymion? You wrote earlier that you weren't leaving him behind but I didn't see him anywhere." Queen Gaia smiled wryly. "You wouldn't have. He ran straight inside to find Serenity the minute the carriage stopped."

"Somehow, I doubt very much if Endymion feels forced to spend time with her." King Apollo said dryly.

"What do you think?" Dagda enquired, turning to his wife and receiving an exasperated groan for his trouble. The King of Swenyos smirked. "I think that's a yes."

"Mada."

Was that good?

Not enough.

"Mata."

No, Moth-er. He thought, dragging the word's pronunciation. Upon arrival at the castle, he had gone straight to the princess's nursery to play with her, and decided to take it upon himself to teach her to talk aloud. It proved harder than it seemed.

"Mater."

Say it like this. Muh. Ther.

"Muh-ter!"

It's muh-ther.

I can't do nothing right!

Well you can get mad pretty easy. Endymion chuckled. Serenity's lip quivered. You didn't really mean that, right? Endymion watched her eyes grow big with tears. No, I didn't mean it. I'm sorry. He said quickly. Serenity nodded. It's alright. So can we practice some more?

"See you soon, Serenity!" Endymion yelled, looking out the carriage window. Serenity giggled. "Bye-bye! Lawu!" His face became confused but before he could respond the carriage rushed forward carrying his family away. The King and Queen exchanged swift looks.

"Did you know she could talk?" King Apollo asked, somewhat perturbed.

"I didn't. Serenity? Er...can you say anything else?" The Queen asked, feeling a little foolish. A smile broke out on the child's face. "Mother!" King Apollo blinked and muttered to himself while his wife began to coo over their daughter's achievement. Had she been listening, she would have heard her husband say distinctly uncomplimentary things about King Dagda' influence, his son, and the Council, the last for not realizing that he needed his armies around their home, if only to keep his dangerously precocious offspring in check.