While Estella was a much appreciated change to Veiser's stay at the Fraedian palace, it was the other generals he was really waiting for. He was only at the palace because he was required. Weinstrad, and by extension, Asteria herself, needed an adult among all of the people who were essentially excessively muscled five-year-olds. Thankfully, Veiser's job got easier when Russell's toy 'disappeared' and he had no choice but to find his entertainment elsewhere, but regardless, Veiser couldn't wash his hands of the palace fast enough.
He should have helped the prince get out sooner. He made a slight miscalculation when he thought he would have a easier time at palace if Russell was happy, but it turns out if Russell is bored, he turned to wrestling and fighting with his rowdy troops and that was what kept everyone in line. Like actual children, you had to let them run around and tire themselves out if you wanted some peace and quiet.
"Welcome," Veiser greeted as he took down the barrier he put around the palace to let Weinstrad, Azalea, and Daphne enter. Beside Veiser was Estella, though Russell was still lurking somewhere in the palace. That was fine by him. He was only needed when the Queen was around.
"Who is she?" Weinstrad asked as soon as he jumped off of his pegasus, looking straight at Estella. He was scowling but at the same time, his eyebrows were raised. Estella was both a potential threat but she was also a curious case and Veiser was only a little surprised that Weinstrad picked up on it so quickly. Magic wasn't exactly Weinstrad's forte, but he was versed enough to use it and pick up on abnormalities.
"Oh, do you sense the spirit too?" Estella asked. "My name is Estella, the spirit with me is Artemis. Thanks to her, I can do this," she snapped her fingers, summoning a flame between her fingers, "and you would be stupid to turn it down."
"For what reason?" Azalea mumbled as she joined them. Out of all the people who were generals, Veiser couldn't understand why she was within the Queen's inner circle. Aside from her relationship with Daphne – the one who actually had any strength to offer – and her knowledge of all things poisonous, she didn't seem to have any actual skill to offer. Her archery wasn't exactly stellar, Veiser knew better archers under his father's personal guard. She just looked like a little girl who was in over her head.
It was puzzling but she wasn't in his way. He doubted that the Queen would object to having more skilled people in her inner circle. She already had a magic user in Erin, who unlike Azalea, was at least a skilled mage and an even more skilled scholar, but she didn't have anyone like Estella. A mage who had no use for a tome was rare to come by and they might as well use her before the spirit completely consumed her.
And she certainly had nobody like him.
"Why not? I arrived for a specific purpose and with that purpose now gone, I have nothing better to do. I have nothing left in Fraedia."
"We're unlikely to find anybody else like her," Veiser muttered, leaning his weight against his staff. "Estella here is what we call a spirit charmer. Most people refuse to pay the price to bond with a spirit, so she's certainly a magical rarity. I'm sure Queen Asteria can appreciate that."
"Of course. I will see what she says when she gets here. It should be soon," Weinstrad muttered but not without shouting a glare their way. "At any rate, I assume that the Fraedian royal family is dead?"
"All but one. The prince was spared because he caught Russell's fancy, but assuming he's still alive, he would have no interest in the crown anymore. I'm not sure he really ever did," Veiser said with a shrug.
Weinstrad's glare intensified but it didn't faze Veiser whatsoever. Granted, Weinstrad was much better at glaring than most of the people who tried to convince Veiser to stay away from dark magic, but Veiser wasn't scared of him, even if he took all the rumours of Weinstrad's blood lust into account.
Veiser grinned in response before gesturing towards the palace with his staff. "Shall we head in?"
"Yes, let's go. The queen isn't here yet but we need to prepare ourselves. I'm going to have you in on this meeting as well since you were around here for so long and you're more eloquent than Russell. If she has any questions, you will probably be the best person to answer."
Veiser merely nodded. Everything was falling into place. It was kind of disappointing really. He thought he would have to pull more strings, tug more people around to get an audience with the Queen. All he had to do was babysit!
"This is cleaner than I expected," Weinstrad mumbled as they entered the foyer of the castle. He sounded... disappointed. Maybe there was something behind those rumours but whatever the case may be, Weisntrad was doing a good job of hiding it. Perhaps it was only for the Queen that he kept his true nature under wraps. She seemed to have that effect on people.
"The slaves kept it clean."
"Ah. Is there a private meeting place?"
"The dining hall is large enough, it has doors that be can shut to be made private."
"Perfect. We'll go there now and make sure everybody is seated for the Queen."
The dining hall was as tacky as the rest of the damn castle, with gold being used in as many decorations as the designers could get away with. The walls were purple, though detailed with gold swirls, the curtains were gold coloured, the large, rectangular table they were all seated had gold detailing carved into the oak surface, the tables had gold cushions, the paintings were framed in gold, and there were gold statuettes of dragons placed all along the dining table.
One could go blind in there.
He was seated beside Estella, though the two of them were alone on their side of the table, except for Russell who sat four seats down from him, leaning his chair back and planting his feet on the table for support. He looked like he was trying to get a quick nap in before the Queen arrived. It was a reminder that they neither he or Estella were part of the Queen's inner circle of generals. Russell probably only sat on their side because the guy couldn't give two shits about politics.
The door knob on one of the doors jiggled, giving everybody in the room the cue that the Queen was here. The effect on the room was immediate. Everybody who let their postures relax almost jumped in their seats to correct it. Even Russell was quick to get his feet off the table and underneath, trying his best to look somewhat interested in being there. It was a valiant attempt.
The Queen arrived with two others behind her, one Veiser knew to be Erin as they ran into each from time to time back when they were merely students of magic, but he couldn't place the other man. He was tall, with slicked back hair, and a face that was as cold as the mountains as the Veiser grew up despising. He looked familiar and yet, nothing came to mind. Oh well.
Asteria was easy on the eyes and it went far beyond having the right body shape. Her steel coloured eyes could trap people within them and she carried her title and responsibilities with confidence. Her true charm though, at least from what Veiser heard before meeting her himself, was to make anybody feel important. He caught a glance of it when Asteria made eye contact with Estella and Veiser, how she looked at them with curiosity with no hint of malice or disgust. Oh, she was good.
"Demitri, Erin, please go sit with our guests."
Erin took a seat beside Veiser while Demitri sat on the other side of Estella. Demitri looked a bit like in Russell in that he also didn't look like he wanted to be there, though if he had to guess, their reasons were vastly different. Asteria herself sat down on the end of the table.
"First, I want everyone to know that they can speak freely, seeing as we have a couple of new faces here. Care to introduce yourselves?"
Estella gave Veiser a look. Okay, he'll go first then.
"I am Veiser of House Schatten and I currently work under General Weinstrad." He watched the recognize flash in Asteria's eyes. She would not be where she was without becoming familiar with the noble families of Zahan but the big difference seemed that she simply didn't care for all the weight the nobles tossed about. She let Weinstrad work with her and if she actually cared about one's reputation, or that of their family's, Weinstrad wouldn't be there. He would probably be in an empty fortress cursing his father.
His blue blood wasn't going to get him into her inner circle, but it did let him put his foot in the door.
"I excel in all things magic and Erin here can attest to that," he continued, "and I'm the one who made sure things ran smoothly in this palace while everybody else was away. It was my magical barrier that prevented any unwanted visitors from entering. If you have an questions about the state of affairs in Fraedia, you may ask me or Estella here."
Asteria's gaze was cold and yet, her posture stiffened as she listened.
"Estella?" Asteria prompted, her gaze shifting to the other stranger in the room.
"That would be me," Estella answered, raising her hand. "I'm Estella Cross. I was a former slave but that's neither here or there. The important thing is, Your Highness, is that I have abilities few have and I am willing to lend them to your cause. Since your troops killed the King and Queen of Fraedia, I have nothing tying me to Fraedia anymore."
"OH!" Erin nearly jumped out of her seat. Veiser internally braced himself. "I thought there was something strange about you the moment I entered the room! You're a Spirit Charmer!"
"Yes, her name is Atremis-"
"She can use magic without having to channel it through a tome or staff like all other magic users. The spirit will kill her eventually, they burn through mortal bodies when they let one enter their life, but while she's here, she'll be very useful!"
Estella glared at her. Veiser shrugged.
"I see," Asteria mumbled. "Let's get to business then. Russell, did you kill all the members of the royal family?"
"Well, there was the prince. I thought he was fun to have around but Veiser didn't think so and let him go!" Russell growled, kicking the heel of one his feet into the table.
"I assure you the prince has no interest in the crown, Your Highness. He's quite broken after living with Russell and his troops. I'm unsure of why you need them killed though." Veiser certainly didn't mind but he was missing some much needed context to her plans.
"I suppose I should fill everybody in," Asteria muttered once again. "The Barren... there's somebody sealed there, somebody who is very powerful. When I visited the land for the first time, he spoke to me and we made a deal. If we kill the monarchies of the other countries, he'll help us redefine the borders in Haelin. Zahan will be reborn. Of course though... there is the problem that I don't think I'm even safe from this. There's no guarantee that I won't be among the monarchs he wants dead and I'm certain he has the power to kill me."
There was a moment of silence.
"The seal refers to a great evil. I don't know what he did to get sealed but if the fact that it had to happen in the first place is pretty bad," Erin began. "I did try to do some research regarding why he might want a clean slate and I think the answer has to do with dragons!"
Veiser didn't miss the glint in Weinstrad's eye.
"Fraedia has a tale that a dragon saved the land once and now they celebrate the dragon with festivals! The valley containing the little bit of fertile land Zahan does have also has a tale of a dragon. They believe that the valley is fertile because a dying dragon decided to give itself for the land, digging its own grave and dying in it so that the people didn't have to bury it. Then there's Vedia, who actually has 'the great serpent' that protects the royal family. It might just be a weird dragon we haven't seen before! I haven't found much on Silcyia and Adoss, but isn't it weird that three of five countries have stories of dragons doing great things for them?"
"So it hates the dragons? Manaketes?" It was the white-haired ursurine who spoke.
"I think so... but I also haven't found out why. It sounds like the dragons did great things so I can't figure out how The Barren feels that he may have been wronged some how."
He had to admit, he was really intrigued. It was even better than he thought! The Queen's side was mostly certain still the best place to be but even she had to answer something greater. The Barren. He wasn't interested in it – him? – before but he couldn't wait to see the one who truly pulled the strings, to look up at the puppeteer instead of merely dancing on stage like the rest of the puppets. Of course, it was easier said than done, but Veiser appreciated some challenge. It would be boring otherwise.
"I don't think it's in anybody's best interest to get rid of all the monarchs. There should be at least one person who knows what they're doing. I imagine that it is currently in The Barren's best interest to keep you alive, especially if he currently needs your army. You're the one in a position for negotiating right now," Veiser muttered, leaning back in his chair a bit.
Asteria contemplated his words. "I will keep that in mind. Thank you."
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and somebody cracked the door ajar, barely looking into the room. "Your Highness... we have a report you might be interested in."
"Well, come in. Let's hear it."
The person who walked inside looked too young to be in the castle. Veiser couldn't really recall seeing them about but it wasn't as if he was paying attention or anything. She was in Zahan colours though, so maybe she was from Azalea's or Weisntrad's troops.
"There's a large group of soldiers coming from the north and they'll be here in about a day. They're in Fraedian colours."
"I see. You're feel to leave now. Thank you."
The girl nodded and left, leaving Asteria to lean back in her chair, resting her head on her fist. "I've heard that the nobles in Fraedia are always at each other's throats. Estella, you said you're from Fraedia, correct? Are you able to speak on this?"
The expression on Estella's face was hard to read. She was scowling and yet, her eyes burned bright. It was like she couldn't tell if she should be happy or angry and somehow managed to pull off both of them off at the same time. Veiser felt Artemis bristle beside her.
"Fraedia is definitely a dog eat dog country. Nobles fabricate horrible accusations against each other all the time in order to tear each other down, to step all over them to get closer to the crown. The crown is always the goal. It happened to my family," she said, twirling a piece of hair between her fingers. "With the royal family gone, somebody is going to try to replace them. I don't know who this but they'll be far from the only family who will try to attack you as long you stay at this castle."
Russell cracked his knuckles and grinned, baring teeth that were far sharper than any normal human's teeth should be. "Fucking finally! I've been itching for a fight. I knew those pompous cowards couldn't stay away for long. Send me and my troops out! I'm the only one where who actually did their job!"
Weinstrad rolled his eyes. "It wouldn't be a bad idea. Russell's troops already faced all the guards the royal family had. This noble might have more numbers but I doubt they'll be much better in terms of skills."
"I'll go with Russell," Demitri added.
"Weinstrad, please have somebody fly closer and get a better gauge of their numbers. If I can get away with just sending Demitri out with Russell's troops, that would be great. I would rather have more people here just in case."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Oh, and one more thing before we all go," Asteria started, her grey eyes sweeping over everybody at the table. "If you see anything to do with slave trading, do put a stop to those activities with whatever force is necessary. Kill the slave traders and take their coin for all I care, just leave the slaves themselves alone. I'm not going to condone something vile like slavery and the fact that even one country engages in it brings the rest of the countries down. I'll spread the message that not only am I here, but I will not allow it. My father was a fool for never doing anything about it. You're all dismissed."
He and Estella stayed inside as the other generals filed out, Russell cheering and pounding a fist against the wall in anticipation as he did so. When he slammed the door shut, there was a fist sized crater in the wall that Asteria frowned at. "It might be ugly but he didn't have to do that," she mumbled, mostly to herself.
Then she noticed that she wasn't alone.
"Ah, you two are still here."
"I'm impressed that you actually want to do something about the slavery problem," Estella said softly. "Slavery's been tightly woven into Fraedia's history for centuries. I've heard it dates back to the time of the great dragon."
"I take care of my people first but this is a problem that involves all people. Fraedia could be a great country. It has good land and I'm sure if the people had security, freedom, and proper compensation for their work, they would be happy to work and carve out a productive life for themselves. It's a shame to see all of that potential squandered because of a handful of people at the top who have big egos and even bigger insecurities."
Veiser nodded along. He knew she certainly had her own motivations for ending slavery – access to the land all that it provided, access to people to work the land, the opportunity to bolster her own army with people who wanted a fresh start, and the reputation it would give her at least for the time being.
Hmm, the more he thought about slavery, the more he was reminded of the strange guy he saw at the gates. What did he want again? Veiser knew he didn't want to fight Zahan but what was it?
Oh well. He would remember later. Maybe.
"You truly are somebody amazing. I'm grateful I was given the opportunity to meet you."
Asteria hummed. "I don't think I'm that amazing. The way I choose to rule isn't anything revolutionary. The only thing I've done that maybe others wouldn't is to take The Barren for myself and team up with... whatever is there. I'm not that one who made the promise to stay back and watch so I don't care to hold myself to it. I'm surprised that the Fraedians kept to it, to be frank. Perhaps they were too busy with their own squabbling to worry about The Barren."
"You don't care for nobles and you don't hold the history of one's family against the individual. In comparison to your father and the many rulers before him, you're actually quite different. Your ideals sit closer to that of the former Adossian king. You're just willing to do a lot more to meet your goals."
"I suppose you're correct. Your name is Veiser, correct?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I'd like you and Estella to accompany us. I won't make you generals, not yet, but I would be stupid to not use the experience you two have."
Estella lit her, a smile creeping onto her face. "Of course! I'll go wherever you may need me!"
Veiser resisted doing the same, keeping his face still. "That would be an honour."
One step closer.