As I took a much-needed deep sip of wine, yet another voice called out to me from close by my side.
“That was rather impressive,” the unknown speaker said before I could turn around.
When I looked to see just who was addressing me, I saw a halfling woman, clad in a soft blue gown and wearing a delicate band of gold around her head. She seemed to be in her late thirties, and her light brown eyes and hair reminded me of Tási somewhat, at least before I had woken her water spirit and her eyes had turned deep blue.
“Forgive me,” Dalona quickly broke in. “Introductions must be made. Dreya Sintári, I have the honor of introducing to you Queen Nadiel of Isouri.”
“The pleasure is mine, your Majesty,” I replied.
“I confess that I am a bit unsure how to react to you, Dreya,” the Queen responded, seeming to make a point of not using my title. “You claim to be something that has not been seen in this world for thousands of years, something I would have dismissed completely, had the King of Dhel-Ar not been so insistent. Yet I cannot deny what I have seen with my own eyes. Tell me, truthfully, are you what you claim to be?”
“How brave are you, and how much will you trust me to prove to you that I am what I claim to be?”
“What do you have in mind?” The Queen replied curiously.
When she finished speaking, I opened my hand and revealed the tiny glowing orb that I had gathered there. In it, I entwined a ball of emotions, comprised of the pride and love I had for my people and the hopes I had for the future of my Realm and all of Arrika. I kept the orb small, so as not to overwhelm her, and stripped off every shred of its harsher outer layers, making it as soft and gentle as I possible could.
“What is that?” Dalona asked as she stared at the indescribable light of the small, luminous orb.
“It is her, or at least part of her,” Tási replied for me. “A collection of her own emotions distilled into their purest form.”
“And what do you propose to do with it?” The Queen asked me.
“I’m going to give it to you, if you’re brave enough to receive it.”
My previous observations about Nadiel’s brashness seemed the be accurate, and she rose to the challenge I presented to her, just as I’d hoped she would.
“Go ahead, Sintári,” she replied with some skepticism. “But if this is some simple parlor trick, I will not be amused.”
I smiled, knowing that I had her, and sent the tiny orb floating towards Nadiel. It melted into the skin just below her neck and vanished inside her in an instant. To her credit, Nadiel withstood the rush of emotions that I sent her well, but could not suppress a subtle sigh as the powerful feelings coursed through her. I let the orb do its work for a while before dissolving it, but instead of calling it back to me, I let its power slowly fade out of existence inside the halfling Queen.
“That was unbelievable,” Nadiel whispered as the effects began to wear off. “You truly do care for all these people.”
“And yours as well,” I added. “But I will need their strength to see my vision brought to life.”
“There is a great deal I need to consider before I will be willing to put myself and my people under your control, Dreya Sintári,” the Queen replied thoughtfully. “But your demonstration has done much to persuade me.”
“Your Majesty, perhaps the two of you should speak more tomorrow when the other monarchs can join us,” Dalona offered.
Nadiel and I exchanged slight nods before we went our separate ways, and I immediately sought out one of the servers for another glass of wine. My refusal to wait until the ‘proper’ time to join the reception had resulted in a series of events beyond anything I had anticipated, and I needed a drink badly. I had only time for a quick sip before Tási joined me and downed an entire glass in one quick motion.
“Do you have any idea what you just did?” She blurted out as she grabbed another glass before the server wandered off.
“Something bad?” I asked hesitantly, since I had no idea what she could be referring to.
“Nadiel is one of the most powerful Evokers ever,” Tási replied as she took another sip of wine. “And you fucking dazzled her with one of the tiniest orbs I’ve ever seen you make.”
“Why are you acting like that’s a bad thing?”
“You can be so dense sometimes,” Tási replied as her hand massaged her temples.
“Think about it for a minute,” she continued after a moment. “If you can impress her with your weakest attempt, what in the name of all the Gods would happen if you truly pushed your powers to their limits?”
“I’m not sure,” I answered. “Do you think we should try and find out?”
“Fuck no!!!” Tási replied a little too loudly as several heads turned to see what she was so animated about. “You’ve killed people with just your thoughts. I don’t want to be in the same Realm as you if you ever try to test your limits!”
Tási’s rare use of profanity as much as her obvious concern made me pause to consider what she’d said. It was true that I had never really tried to push the full power of my emotions into one of my orbs. I knew I had limits, especially when I first started making the little balls of emotion, but those restrictions had almost disappeared as my control had grown. As far as I knew, I could probably channel everything I had into a single massive orb, but then what? Even if I filled it with only positive feelings, an orb like that would probably overwhelm anyone I tried to send it to. And I didn’t even want to consider the mayhem that an orb with all my rage would cause. Just like Tási, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near the havoc a ball with that sort of intensity would wreak.
“I’m going to have to be more careful with that,” I realized.
“Yes, you are,” Tási replied.
“Wait. I’ve sent far more powerful orbs into you,” I responded. “And that’s not even considering the power of the more direct emotional links we’ve shared.”
“But not at first,” Tási reminded me. “It took a long time for me to be able to handle that, and I’m sure that you’re still holding back on me.”
That was true as well—there was a time when I was comfortable with letting Tási feel my desires completely, but as my power and control had grown, I found that I had to hold back more and more. Even then, as accustomed to experiencing my passions as she was, I was only able to feed her the barest portion of the power I held before it overwhelmed her.
“I’m dangerous,” I whispered mostly to myself.
“The fact that you’re only just realizing that now is what scares me the most,” Tási replied softly. “You have no idea just how powerful you’ve become.”
“Dreya Sintári,” Broda arrived and interrupted us before we could continue any further. “It’s time for you to be introduced to your guests.”
I cast a reluctant glance at Tási as Broda led us away, and she returned my look with one of reassurance. Our conversation left me with a great deal to consider, but Tási’s quick smile let me know that she would be there to help me figure things out.
The four monarchs were arrayed in a casual semicircle, and Broda led me to them and begun the introductions, moving left to right across the line they had made. Our greetings were polite and formal, but as had been agreed to, things were kept short and no gifts were exchanged. The summit the next day was where the issues of true importance would be discussed, so it had been decided that the reception would remain a light and almost informal affair.
Most notably during our brief introductions, I found that the tales of Líann’s beauty had not been overstated. Her ice-blue eyes and light blond hair lent an almost ethereal quality to her that was only heightened by her flawless pale skin. Her features were most definitely elven, slight and delicate in their near perfection, and rather than overwhelming her, the deep forest green of her gown only served to highlight her pale beauty. Something akin to a staring contest ensued for a brief moment after we were introduced before she favored me with a slight nod, and
I was ushered on to meet the next royal.
As soon as the introductions were made, we were escorted to our seats upon the dais and the food was served. As before, the meal began with several lighter courses before moving on to the heartier fare, but when the spiced boar was served with the orcish brew, the dwarven King praised the dish and demanded to know where I had procured the chef who had prepared the exotically spiced course.
“Would you like to meet him?” I asked when the dwarven King’s praise was joined by King Nerec of Lorida. “He’s also responsible for the fine brew you seem to enjoy so much.”
“Then I absolutely must meet the man,” Broda’s uncle insisted. “A person of such skill deserves to hear my praise with his own ears.”
I had hoped to provoke such a response, and at my signal, Thola stepped forward and approached the dais with Morg, the chef and brewer.
“Your Majesty,” I said as the King’s jaw practically fell open. “At your request, I am proud to introduce you to Thola, who’s wisdom and bravery brought me my first orcish citizens, and Morg, the man responsible for preparing the food and drink you have so richly enjoyed both times you graced my halls with your presence.”
The entire dais fell silent as the King was not alone in his astonishment. Not a single one of them would have considered an orc capable of producing such amazing fare, yet I had just proven their preconceived notions so very wrong. While I had planned this little display just to make that point to them, Hilgreth and Renn’s impromptu wedding and those that had followed only served to magnify it even further.
“You have brought great change to your little corner of Arrika, Dreya Sintári,” Queen Líann finally spoke to me before she turned, and remarkably, addressed Morg directly.
“Although your food and drink are a bit strong for my palate,” Líann offered the orc, “that does not mean I am unable to appreciate how truly splendid they are. You are quite skilled in your craft, Morg, and you have taught us all a very important lesson today.”
“Aye, that he has, although I would say he was not alone in sending that message,” Broda’s uncle added as he glanced at me.
“I brought my own chef with me to your Realm, Dreya Sintári,” he continued. “And I swore that we would not leave until he learned the recipe for this fine food. So, Morg, now that you have taught me my lesson so well, name your price, and I will send my chef to you so that you can impart the secret of your splendid cooking to him.”
Morg took a single step forward and looked the King in the eye as he addressed him in return.
“Your people and mine have slaughtered each other by the thousands over the years,” Morg began, and although his words recounted the harsh reality of their mutual hatred, his voice came forth in tones of remorse. “If I can play some small part in ending that by sharing a simple recipe, it would be my honor to pass it on.”
“You have my thanks, Morg Uglessek,” the King replied.
Morg’s eyes lit up in recognition of the strange word the King spoke, and although I didn’t know its meaning, the low murmur that followed told me that many others obviously did.
“It’s orcish,” Broda whispered in my ear when she noted my confused look. “We never bothered to learn much of their language, but it means ‘honored one,’ and is usually reserved for only the most revered among them.”
As she explained, the King motioned to one of his people, who then strode over to Morg and they began speaking with each other as they walked away from the dais together. Apparently, the chef was as eager to learn the orc’s secrets as the King was to have them, and I didn’t detect the slightest hint of reluctance from either of them as the pair vanished into the crowd of tables.
Several more courses were served, including a surprise that had been added to the menu to recognize Queen Nadiel’s presence. I had intended to try and address that issue myself, but with all that had gone on it had slipped my mind. Fortunately, the chamberlain was far more attentive than me, and an interesting dish of chicken with a delightful fruit sauce was served among the other main courses in her honor. Tási seemed to enjoy it immensely and told me that it was the first time she’d had anything like the food she was used to in years. I thought that if Nadiel appreciated the effort only half as much as Tási did, our alliance was all but assured.
Despite the many courses that were served after Morg’s, the weighty thoughts that remained on the royals’ minds left them mostly silent for the rest of the meal, and the night finally ended without any of them offering much more than their polite goodbyes as things wound down. Once Tási and I made our way back upstairs, we quickly retired to the peace and solitude of our chambers.
“That was amazing, unexpected, and frightening to boot,” Tási summarized the evening perfectly as she turned her back to me so that I could help her out of her dress.
I thought about what she said as we switched places and couldn’t help but agree with her assessment as we got ready for bed. So much had happened that night, but if we failed to capitalize on it and seal our alliance with the monarchs, it would all be in vain.
“Do you think they’ll actually join me?” I asked her as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling almost blankly.
“Join you, Dreya?” Tási scoffed. “You’re not asking them to join you. You’re asking them to submit to your rule—demanding it even. I remember the words of the ancient elf King—any who resist you must eventually be conquered.”
“Well, that makes it so much easier then,” I replied in tones full of sarcasm. “Thank you so much, Tási.”
“I’m sorry, that wasn’t very helpful, was it?” She offered more contritely.
“No, not really.”
When she nudged me, I didn’t resist, and rolled over on my stomach so she could work out the tensions that always came to rest in my knotted shoulders. Her soothing touch and the impression of warm, flowing water that she sent into my muscles worked free the kinks and banished my troubles for a time, and I let myself drown in the calming waves she sent into me. My eyes slowly closed, and my senses dimmed until all I could feel was the gentle current of her warm waters. Then, just before I fell asleep, I heard her soft whisper next to my ear.
“Never fear, my love. I will always be here to take your worries away.”
Almost every time Tási lulled me to sleep with her soothing massage, I woke the next morning feeling almost completely renewed and refreshed. That next day was no exception, and as I got ready for our meeting with the rulers of the four nations, I found a new sense of hope and promise that our efforts to recruit them to our cause would actually succeed.
I let Tási sleep while I got dressed, and took a seat beside the bed and simply watched her rest peacefully for a while. We had come together almost by accident, but after all we’d been through and all we had experienced together, there was no way I could even consider life without her by my side. My heart swelled with the love I had for her, and I took those few precious moments to simply appreciate Tási and the precious bonds we had forged between us before I finally woke her.
“I’m up, I’m up,” Tási protested as I shook her gently awake.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up. When she finally stood up, I handed over her outfit and she clumsily slid into it while she slowly came back to life.
“How long do we have?” Tási yawned when she finished arranging herself.
“Just enough time for a quick bite,” I replied with a smile as I gazed at her.
“What?” Tási checked herself over as she responded to my look. “Is there something in my hair?
“No, you’re perfect,” I whispered her as I kissed her tenderly. “Absolutely perfect.”
“If you do that again,” she replied softly, “we’re going to be late.”
I hesitated for just a second and actually considered it, but Tási recognized the look in my eye, and with a sigh, she grabbed me by the hand and dragged me out of our chambers and into my office where both Aiva and Karina were waiting for us
. I was a bit irritated that I hadn’t been able to move into my permanent residence yet, but the frantic preparations for the summit had diverted all our efforts into getting things ready for the monarch’s arrival.
“You’ve got a few minutes before we need to leave, Empress,” Karina said as we entered the room. “If you’d like to have a bite to eat, Aiva was nice enough to fetch you some food.”
Tási and Ella had ordered my guards to address me as ‘Empress’ unless someone who was not in on the secret was around. Even though the title still grated on my nerves, they steadfastly refused to rescind their directive. The two insisted not only that I needed to become comfortable with the title, but my guards also had to become accustomed to using it as well, and while there was a certain logic behind it, I couldn’t help but think that they also enjoyed the opportunity to poke me with it just as much.
I shot Karina a glare as I sat down to eat, and she shrugged, as if to say, ‘just following orders’ but the trace of a smile on her lips told me that was far from the truth. They all knew that I was having trouble assuming my new role, and almost to the last one, my guards shared in their leaders’ amusement at my discomfort.
We shared a quick meal before heading off for the meeting. The other monarchs weren’t due to arrive for a while, but I had one last surprise for them, and it required all of us to be there ahead of them.
When we finally wound our way down the stairs and into the large room that had been reserved for the summit, I was happy to see that the rest of my companions were already there. While we waited, we discussed the events of the previous night, and everyone was truly impressed with just how well things had gone.
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