Chapter 8

Outside waited an already impatient Urcelmo along with en entourage, which had increased while she had been busy with the queen downstairs. Several members of the brave first Auridon Marines and the Queen's life Guard were posted around the ruin, guaranteeing safety at least.

"My queen you made it. " the battle reeve gladly rushed forward to check on his monarch. "Thanks to Auri-El we have been concerned about the long absence..."

Ayreen shook her head. "All clear, we just had to...to discuss something."

"What about the traitor Norion?" he asked curiously.

Ayreen answered with a simple hand movement, grabbing her long sword and pulled it out of its shaft. "My sword must be sharpened again, also cleaned of traitor blood."

Oh..Damn how can you be so damn cool...

Deri groaned, before letting her focused eyes wander around to find a leak in the safe-circle established around them. She wasn't listening to the following conversation when the battle reeve reported the latest happenings during their little trip in the catacombs. To Deri's bad luck, the marines had done a good job, setting up a perfect security area, the only way of disappearance was to run and jump of the side of the huge hill in her back.

Ok sneaking tactics Derisandre...

In the meantime Urcelmo informed Ayreen about the ugly fact, that most of the royal entourage, which remained with whine and bore at the street were drunk and displeased. "You brother Naomon even insisted on making a bet about your returning and his wife slurred she would be sooooo heartbroken that she could not support you in this project." "I can totally imagine..."Ayrenn grunted before changing her face an annoyed glance. "You can choose your friends and alleys, bud sadly not your family." shooting another one to the breton to meet her eyes again explaining calmly. "You are not going anywhere. Don't even try, I dare you!"

Ok...jumping tactic now?...Hm nope

"So my queen where to go now? And what about the breton hero?" Urcelmo gave Deri an admirable look.

"We'll continue to move on the track, next village is Phaer right?"

"Yes your majesty..." he nodded bravely.

"So gather troops and go with the advance party forward, clean the area and make sure we can camp there until afternoon." she instructed easily. "And take our little hero with you. Make sure she isn't leaving before getting her reward by me."

"As you wish your majesty.." the battelreeve nodded then faced Deri, patting her back and whispering. "Once by a beer or two you must tell me what happened downstairs...my dear friend." while pulling the young woman away from the temple.

Should she be happy about the latest developments or what?

Deri heard a few orders made by the Ayrenn in the distance before she, Urcelmo and a few marines were out of range.

"Cariel, I need to bring you an urgent message to mage guild. Tell them, we'll need the duties of the sent mage for longer, also this must be given only to the guild master himself, are we clear?" the bosmer confirmed then quickly started running, vanishing beyond the trees.

The platoon and the "Cheerful company" of royals moved along the roads of Auridon to reach the next station of the queen's journey to make her first official visit in meeting all the citizens of the beautiful elves island. Deri had to ride along the side of a few marines, who were always keeping an eye on the breton. Deri had noticed a few of them including the royals shot her mistrusting glances, obviously questioning her presence at the queens train, but it didn't matter anyway how she felt about it, there was no chance to escape for the moment. She hadn't talk to Queen since leaving Tanzewil, she only could witness her actions from the back, seeing how she led her marines, giving orders, chatting with the battle reeves as Urcelmo and laughing lighthearted from time to time. Her brother the Prince remained with his arrogant wife, debating about nonsense and drinking whine for joy.

Such a waste of time...

The things told by Ayrenn in the crypts wandered trough the mind of the breton once again while patting the neck of her horse softly. In comparison to the stiff and unwelcome behavior of the royal fun-picknick-society accompanying the track, she totally acted different. It was in contrast open-minded and appreciative towards her soldiers and subordinates, also the train included a high number of bosmer and kajiit. And all of them were treated the same way, no differences in race. Ayrenn's demeanor was confident and clear, Deri caught herself at staring onto the young elf again, forgetting about her anger of being bound to the monarch until one of her fellow riders cleared his throat noticeable to her right. She quickly averted her eyes and pretended to be busy with her water bottle, fixed at her saddle.

She didn't get the opportunity to speak with the Queen again until they set up a camp before reaching Phaer at the following day. She was summoned to Ayrenn's tent at dawn after she spent most of day in supporting the setup of camping, never been out of the watching eyes of her observers. The time she received the order, she was already sitting at a fire, eating and drinking with some unknown bosmer and altmer who were not willing to change words with her, but she wasn't complaining, she didn't want to talk with them either.

Ayrenn was finishing last tactical orders when she waved the breton into her tent, dismissing her leadership elite and her brother who gave Deri another confusing look when passing by.

Deri expected nothing, she was just hoping that the queen finally let her go, but Ayrenn started to smirk at the grumpy breton, unfolding a letter and pointed towards a comfortable wooden chair and Deri knew...

...So I'm not leaving...Great...what now...

Ayrenn sat down in the opposite, a chair bigger with a velvet pillow, then she grinned and declared. "You didn't bow when entering my tent." it sounded reproachful then she leaned forward adding. "...And you didn't address me with the formal and adequate title."

Ok...That's a fact spikey-ears...

"You still can kill me if you like." Deri countered unimpressed.

Ayreen laughed. "You're lucky, you're part of the Mage Guild and the fact that I like it. Otherwise I had to punish you for the lack of respect. I think 30 lashes in front of the track would be suitable for disobedience." she smirked and Deri's expression fainted. Dying was one thing, quick and easy but torture wasn't an option, lashes didn't sound funny. The imagination of this act was frightened enough, she never had been lashed before, no need to start with it now.

Ayrenn sensed her fear. "I might think about it, keep it in mind for later. I appreciate the prospect of..." she wisecracked visible amused. "..Or I think about something even better, running around my camp naked for one day..." this suggestion followed by a devilish grin.

"Your majesty..." Deri stumbled and Ayrenn was bursting with even more laughter.

"Haha... you should see your face now..."

...You are a mean spiky-ears...

...Gonna pay this back...

"Just kidding...In all my travels around Tamriel I got to know the sense of humor, which I appreciated very much especially from the bretons. I am really disappointed by your reaction."

Stop fooling me...

"But let's get back to business." she announced then waved somebody along standing in front of her tent. Deri was surprised to see Razum-Dar entering, the queen gestured him to take place on another chair and went back to the letter in her hands. "I received an answer from my good old friend Vanus." she quickly read a few lines then looked back at Deri to tell the bad news. "You're completely free of your duties concerning ordinary guild business and you are hired for my personal service... "she formed a smile when pronouncing the word "service". "...which means you are officially bound to my grace as long as I need you, the guild master himself decided. "

She proudly gathered another sealed letter from her leather bag and delivered to the terrified breton.

Deri couldn't believe, she opened up the seal starting reading.

"Dear Derisande,

it seems things were turning out the best way as possible. I was informed about your excellent service in supporting our beloved Queen Ayreen in order to make huge chances for not only the race of elves.

This gives you huge possibilities to get more insights that fit in your destiny about the big picture. So as being the master of the guild I free you from your ordinary obligations and order you temporally into the personal service of Queen Ayrenn as long as she needs your assistance.

I am sure I won't have to remind you of your oath given by joining the guild to fulfill your duties.

Vanus Galerion"

Deri folded the latter, sighed then shook her head in disbelief.

...That can't be true...

...I kill him when I return...