Ezra shook her head and Lord Cassian departed from the room. She took a moment to gather her meager drawings then returned to her room. A small woman fussed over bolts of cloth that had been laid out on the bed. She gave Ezra a deep curtsey when she noticed her and quickly got to work.
Lord Cassian’s personal tailor proved to be exceptionally skilled. She worked with Ezra to design an outfit that presented equals parts royal and powerful, yet not intimidating. In the end the piece designed was a floor length gown with long flowing sleeves decorated in blacks and emerald greens to match Ezra’s eyes. She made it clear that she did not want to wear the black and silver colours that were the symbol of the Queen. With Lord Cassian’s promise of safety, she decided to keep her tattooed right arm exposed. Where it had once felt like a shackle she could not remove or a punishment she had not deserved, she realized that the flickering lines of green on her skin made her feel strong. It was a reminder of the power that she could wield and that no one could ever imprison her again.
Her outfit was finished shortly before Ezra was summoned to dinner by another of Lord Cassian’s servants. Her long hair had been pulled up into the elegant braids that seemed popular in Esper, but she refused the makeup that was offered.
She could hear the nobles speaking in the dining room as she approached. A butler waited outside of the door and announced her presence to the group as she entered.
“And finally, my Lords, Princess Ezra of Madaria, daughter of Queen Zarrennia.”
The Lords gasped as she entered and the oldest Lord, a man with a full beard turned to Lord Cassian with a frown. “Is this your mystery guest?”
“She is Lord Dorian and I expect you to treat her with respect while she is a guest at my estate.” Lord Cassian replied firmly and stood as he offered Ezra the seat on his right.
Ezra looked over the Lords of Esper and was alarmed at the hostility in their eyes. She had expected more of them to be like Lord Cassian. Cautious, she kept her expression neutral as she took her seat.
“Princess Ezra may I introduce you to the seven Lords of Esper.” Lord Cassian began and gestured towards the bearded man on his left. He wore red and bronze with a brooch of a bleeding rose on his chest. He was undoubtedly the oldest of the group by many years. “This is Lord Dorian Thanallin and beside him is the unique Lady Evelyn Morrisae.”
Lady Evelyn was the only other female at the table and bowed her head politely as Lord Cassian announced her name. She wore an elegant dress of greens and silvers, and her long brown hair had been carefully brought up into a headpiece that looked as if it had taken hours.
“Then there is Lord Reynor Donnelle and on the end is Lord Elias Effori.” Lord Cassian continued.
Lord Reynor’s pale fingers were laced together as he curiously observed the Princess. He wore a stunning combination of green and blue with an emblem of a bear embroidered into his vest. Lord Elias was the youngest at the table but had the composure of someone much older as he bowed his head politely. He wore purples and silvers in cascading layers of fabric that looked more royal than the others.
Lord Cassian then gestured beside Ezra. “And beside you Princess, is Lord Haymond Korrigan and beside him is Lord Arron Fortelle.”
Lord Haymond, dressed in bright orange and blue fabrics, offered Ezra his hand as he was called on. It was firm but gentle as she shook it. On the other side of him, Lord Arron smiled politely to the Princess. He wore Bronze and gold embroidered fabrics.
“Now that everyone is introduced, shall we get to business.” Lord Cassian remarked.
“Before we begin, Lord Cassian I feel that you’re making a mistake allowing her at your table.” Lord Reynor had narrowed his eyes at Ezra. “She is the daughter of our enemy; how do you know that you have not invited a spy to sit among us.”
“My mother has made it clear that I am an enemy to the crown. Have you not seen my wanted posters?” Ezra glared back; the flame flickered behind her eyes. “I am as much her enemy as you are.”
“I have heard as much.” Lord Haymond nodded. “Does that mean Lord Cassian that you mean to ransom her to the Queen? From what I’ve read, we could demand that the King-Regent and his forces pull their influences from Esper, in exchange for her daughter.”
“I thought I made it clear that Princess Ezra is my guest.” Lord Cassian replied sternly. “She is far more valuable as an ally than a bargaining chip, I can assure you. Besides, we all know that the Queen would never uphold such an agreement. Revealing that Princess Ezra is in my care would only bring the Queen’s attention to us. No, the only way we can retake Esper, and hold it, is through force.”
The Lords looked between each other and eventually nodded in agreement at the proclamation.
“Forgive me Princess, I was only thinking of what would be best for my country.” Lord Haymond said politely as the consensus was made.
“Queen Zarrennia, my mother, is the kind of person who would willingly hurt others if that means that she would profit from it. I strongly disagree with her methods and I had hoped that the Lords of Esper would be different.” Ezra regarded, as the nearby servants moved to fill everyone’s glasses with red wine.
“That is the Esper, that I aspire to rule.” Lord Cassian acknowledged with an encouraging smile. He was clearly pleased that the Princess could hold her own against the Lords.
“I have a question for you Princess.” Lord Elias asked as Lord Haymod took an embarrassed sip from his glass. “I have only ever heard you announced as Princess Ezra and your mother announced as Queen Zarrennia. Do you have no family name?”
Ezra took an elegant sip of her wine as she considered her answer. “If I have a family name, I have not been made aware of it.”
“Curious.” Lord Elias leaned back in his chair as he considered her statement.
“If you do not intend to use the Princess for trade, then what exactly is your plan Lord Cassian?” Lord Arron asked with steepled fingers.
Lord Cassian smiled at the question. “As I had revealed during one of our previous dinners, I have a contact within the castle. From them I have learned that, while it may appear that the Na’tyr are a united front who serve the Queen loyally, that is absolutely not the case. They are thoroughly divided and only serve the Queen out of an ancient obligation that my contact refused to detail further. A contract of blood was how they described it. This is where the Princess comes into my plans. As she, presumably, shares the Queen’s blood, it is reasonable to assume that this contract of blood would also apply to her. That and she has a unique insight and knowledge that could be useful in the coming days.
“From what my contact described; I have ascertained that the Na’tyr are divided three ways. Those who are genuinely loyal to the Queen and serve her, most of these have been put in positions of power around Madaria. Then there are those loyal to King-Regent Razmir, who I have gathered is the last heir to an ancient Na’tyr bloodline of royalty. To them he is the rightful leader, despite his… madness. Then there are those Na’tyr who long for a new order. Free of the Queen’s shackles and unburdened by their ancient King. These Na’tyr are without a leader and could make for valuable allies. If my calculations are correct.”
Lord Cassian paused to take a sip of his wine. As he spoke a glorious feast of delights was served to the nobles. Ezra struggled to resist the meal set before her as she listened to Lord Cassian’s plans. He knew significantly more than she did when it came to Na’tyr politics.
“That is a lot of assumptions on your part Lord Cassian. Princess, could you perhaps enlighten us on the details of this contract of blood?” Lord Reynor asked as he swirled his wine.
Ezra flashed a glance to Lord Cassian; his expression was firm and unyielding. She then returned her gaze to Lord Reynor with an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid that this is the first I am hearing of any sort of contract. However, it would not surprise me if the Q
ueen was indeed holding some sort of power over the Na’tyr. She isn’t the sort of person to leave things to chance. With that said, all of the Na’tyr that I knew at the castle were loyal to the Queen without question. But during my yearly visits to Esper I had noticed that relations were… strained, between the Queen and King-Regent Razmir.”
“That is hardly valuable information.” Lord Reynor turned back to Lord Cassian. “Do you intend to rest the future of this country on guesses made using information from a shady contact?”
“I assure you that my contact is anything but shady, had they not insisted that I keep their identity a secret I would reveal to you just how valuable an ally they are.” Lord Cassian answered smoothly. “And I, of course, do intend to perform the proper research before playing such a bold hand. If I have your agreement, I would like to introduce my contact to the Princess. I want their opinion on whether she would count towards the blood contract.”
The Lords of Esper looked between each other and murmured to their neighbors for a moment. It was Lady Evelyn who turned her sharp gaze on Ezra and finally spoke.
“What will you be earning through this relationship Princess Ezra? What gains do you intend to make and what promises has Lord Cassian offered you?”
Ezra matched her gaze; she had been ready for such a question. “I am not interested in the crown if that is what you’re asking. I have already aligned myself with the Elves of Madaria and have agreed to help them in restoring their Empire. That is why I am now marked as an enemy of the crown. I wish to see an end to the cruelty and suffering that my mother has inflicted on the land, and as part of that, I seek to seal the Chaos Gate.” She rested her arms on the table, allowing the green tendrils of the flaming tattoo on her hand and arm to be clearly visible. “As for Lord Cassian’s promises, I have been separated from my travelling companions and have requested his assistance in reuniting with them. One of them has unfortunately been chosen by the King-Regent to be his pet for the year. I have been assured by Lord Cassian that my assistance here will lead to her freedom.”
The Lords listened with a myriad of emotions and in the end only some of them seemed convinced by her speech.
“There are few details on yourself and your companions. The Queen would have the country believe that you intend to steal the throne from her, but you deny this.” Lord Reynor mused as he finally took a sip of his wine. “You say that you intend to seal the Chaos Gate and return the Elven Empire to power, and all of this for what? Because it is the right thing to do? I have my doubts. What have the Elves offered you?”
Ezra smirked and held up her left arm, the nobles watched the flickering living tattoo with curiosity. “They have given me power.” She answered coldly and loosed a dance of green flames that coiled between her fingers to the gasps of the Lords. She gave them a moment to drink in the raw power bound by her flesh. They did not need to know the cost that came with it; the eternal struggle she would face just to control such power. And they did not need to know that her companions were so much more than that, that they had become the only friends she had ever known, aside from Arze. That and she had finally tasted freedom and was willing to fight to keep it. She doubted that they would truly understand her reasons even if she did tell them.
She closed her fingers into a tight fist and the flame extinguished itself. The Lords looked to her with a blend of fear and curiosity and she smiled in response. Even Lord Cassian looked to her with surprise, but a glimmer in his eye also told her that he had been impressed by the display of power.
“Power?” Lord Dorian shot a concerned glare at Lord Cassian. “The Queen also craves power; can we trust that her spawn will not one day seek to follow in the footsteps of her mother?”
“I would not forget this alliance if I ever do decide to seek additional power.” Ezra offered. “As Lord Cassian knows, I fully support his bid for King of Esper.”
“This is all talk; we have no evidence that you will keep your promises. The only fact we know about you Princess is that you decided to betray your mother.” Lady Evelyn commented sternly. “I think that speaks volumes in and of itself. Esper will not tolerate Oath Breakers.”
Ezra glared at her and the flame licked the edges of her mind desperate to show the snooty noble who was in control. She resisted however, and calmly countered. “The Queen was never a mother to me. You are all nobles. You would have been present, at least to some, of her political events. You have seen firsthand that myself and my brother were nothing more than props to her. We were trained to be her puppets, so that her reach could expand beyond the borders of Madaria, as she has done here in Esper. There was no love in that relationship. I have finally tasted freedom and I will not give it up without a fight. We have that in common.”
Lady Evelyn nodded with a hint of a smile at Ezra’s answer.
“Does this mean that you are aligning yourself with the Elven Empire Lord Cassian?” Lord Arron asked over his still steepled fingers.
“Absolutely not.” Lord Cassian’s brow furrowed. “But as things stand, my only concern is Esper. What the Princess chooses to do, or who she chooses to align with, beyond our borders shouldn’t be any of our concern for the time being.”
Lord Elias then set his wine glass down definitively and addressed the group. “Your plan then Lord Cassian is to turn those Na’tyr who are neither loyal to the Queen or the King-Regent to our cause. Do you have any details on numbers, what sort of value do they actually have?”
“And what do they want in return?” Lord Dorian added with a raised finger. “I for one will not tolerate sharing our country with these Demons any further.”
“They want a place to call home, Lord Dorian.” Lord Cassian answered neutrally. “But the exact terms of that desire has yet to be determined. Esper is home of the Humans, and I will keep this in mind during negotiations. Be advised however, that we may need to sacrifice some small portion of our lands to the Na’tyr who aid us. That is only fair for helping us reclaim our homeland. Perhaps the Serrelli lands, that would solve the issue of who will claim them.
As for numbers, I have been advised that they are significant. Moreover, many of them reside within the castle itself and would be able to open the gates or provide other assistance when the time comes.”
“If you have contacts within the castle, why do you not just order the assassination of the King-Regent and be done with it?” Lord Reynor smacked the table for emphasis.
“It is better to face the enemy that we know rather than an unknown element that would step up to take his place. When the power vacuum has been made, I intend to be in place to fill it.”
“As is your right.” Lord Elias raised his glass before anyone could interject. “You have brought us together, reunited the seven Lords of Esper, and risked more than any of us to see Esper back in Human hands. If any of us is worthy of the Vasarian legacy, it is you Lord Cassian.”
“Here, here!” Cheered Lord Dorian raising his glass. “To the future King of Esper!”
All of the glasses were raised at the cheer, but Ezra noticed that not all of the Lords were as enthusiastic as Lord Elias and Lord Dorian. Lord Cassian brought up his own glass proudly and waited for the cheers to end before addressing them.
“We still have much work to accomplish, and none of it will be possible without your assistance. Together we can bring Esper back to an age of prosperity and banish these invaders for good.”
The meeting continued for several more hours and the Lords got into the details of numbers of soldiers, resources and strategy. Ezra contributed when she could but spent a majority of the meeting listening to the discussion. While most of the Lords still seemed apprehensive about her presence, they all seemed to respect Lord Cassian enough to keep their comments to themselves.
Eventually only Ezra and Lord Cassian remained at the table, the hour was late, and the plates had long ago been taken away. Ezra finished
another glass of wine and realized that she had lost track of how many she had through the evening.
“Before you retire for the evening Princess, might I ask how you felt that went?” Lord Cassian rested his elbows on the table and laced his fingers together as he surveyed the Princess.
“Not as I expected.” She gave him a half-smile.
He smiled back and leaned forward. “May I inquire how you expected it to go?”
“Honestly, I was surprised with how much the other Lords respect you, especially Lord Dorian Thanallin.”
“Like you Princess, I have set out to do what some call impossible. That determination on its own seems to acquire some modicum of respect.” He then cocked his eyebrows as he regarded the fiery green tattoo on her arm. “As impressive a display as that was, advanced warning would have been appreciated.”
“I had planned on keeping my goals a secret but considering the company I thought it would be better to share.”
“This ancient power that the Elves have granted you, is there anything else I should know about it?” He asked as he looked from her tattooed arm to her fiery green eyes.
“Not at all.” She smiled, he did not need to know that if she lost control for only a moment, the entire estate would become a smoldering crater.
“Excellent.” He smiled with a look that hinted that he knew she was holding something back. “My contact will not be available until after the Masquerade, but you are, of course, free to enjoy my estate until then. And I will continue my efforts to seek out your missing friends, if they are in the city my men will find them.”
“Will you be attending the Masquerade?” She asked.
Lord Cassian frowned. “Of course, it is mandatory for all of the nobles of Esper to attend.” He then forced a chuckle and a smile. “It isn’t all bad, however. The Masquerade is where I met my contact several years ago. Ironic that it will be the King-Regents downfall.”
Sunken Wind Page 33
