Alexei wanted to insist they sit in on the negations with the goblins and the empire… or that Ashton would at least pretend this was a serious matter. Instead… Ashton was watching Beloved… be scared of Kaveri. She would approach, then the moment Kaveri started to grow she would fly away. All ten black chicks chirped in encouragement. Kaveri wasn't even being threatening. He was just laying flat… He would be small, Beloved would approach, he would get bigger, and she'd fly away. Moments later the cycle would repeat.
Neolani didn't want to bother with the female, but anytime Ashton's attention started to waver she would give another ear-piercing scream. Sometimes even flying into his arms or at his face.
Lucera hesitated, they weren't sure if they should go out hunting… or remain in the clearing.
Noelle sipped on her tea, "After Prince Zane returns, I will go ask what Lord Nix's plans are for the day." She announced when the murmurs of dissent continued. Really, they were acting if they only just realized Lord Nix was a beast. Their thoughts did not always align with humans. It was hardly a secret.
Rowena nodded, "I say we enjoy the entertainment while we can. No doubt… things will get hectic soon enough."
Tania groaned as she laid out on the table, "Don't even speak it into existence! I want the rest of our visit to go as boring as possible."
Lamont nodded, "I agree, King Father is already making preparations for when I return. He believes war will not be far behind us." Real war not skirmishes fending off the empire. This may result in a war of beasts… if Lady Alaina demanded sworn fealty, not the informal arrangement they currently had. Not to mention… that Gippsi had a beast of virtue… no matter how weak. That was threat enough for countries to band together to kill or steal it.
Noelle sighed, "Queen mother is doing the same. Though she is hoping it will remain a war of only beasts… even I doubt that will be possible."
They all returned to watching the small bird… try to intimidate Kaveri. She held her wings open, hopping, even chirping at him. All while Kaveri watched. He didn't move, didn't flinch, didn't even raise his head.
Lamont had to cover his mouth when Lady Beloved finally dared jump on his face, though the second he moved his eye to look at her she flew off.
Noelle watched as for over an hour Lady Beloved continued to conquer Kaveri. Eventually walking along his spine as if he were some great defeated enemy. "Well, as long as she's happy, yes?" Noelle asked with an indulgent smile. Her triumphant song echoed all around.
Tania glanced over, "To be fair… I'm not sure I'd be ballsy enough to step on Lord Kaveri's head. Even if he was just lying there."
Rowena nodded, "I wouldn't. I would take the long way around." When the hunting palace doors opened, everyone turned to look. The goblins all looked satisfied, leaving with only a nod to the birds.
Lucera hesitated, then went to speak to Zane and Rommel. They did not look pleased.
Zane was pacing back and forth in their topless tent. Waters of the Sea… his brother, his parents condoned the selling of people to goblins. Slavery… his parents condoned slavery. Tricking men, women, even children into signing their lives away.
Rommel was sitting at the table, blood dripping from where his nails had pierced his palm. Trying to digest the fact that his king, his crown prince, willingly negotiated with goblins. For almost ten years, using goblins to smuggle, raid, and kidnap.
The goblins had more than five hundred women, by their accounts living little different from commoners. Zane had been shocked when the truth wards didn't faulter with the Goblin King announced most women were allowed to refuse being bedded. Most were given two years to find a match. Human women, married to goblins.
Even knowing the only reason those women were treated so horrendously was because they kept killing newly arrived women and children. Their fate was one he would not wish on his worst enemy. Rommel opened his hand, looking at the bloody crescent moon marks adorning his palm.
"I… still can't believe it." Zane whispered as he fell into a seat, holding his head in his hands. "How… how could they?"
Rommel took a deep breath, "That's not our concern right now. We need to reevaluate Young Song's promise of protection." Zane slowly raised his head, Rommel flinched. Zane looked like he'd lost a part of his soul.
"Why?"
Rommel barely heard the whispered word. "Because… that means… Adar has been working with Goblins… goblins who were providing the Lindorm Church sacrifices. Highness… those bodies, in the pit." Rommel had to swallow the bile that was threatening to rise.
"Those… people, the goblins, kobolds, elves… were being experimented on. Adarian experiments. On Smyrnaean soil. By his majesty's own account, the goblins helped smuggle prisoners to Smyrna." Rommel reasoned, closing his eyes as Zane paled even further.
Zane jerked his head to the opening, Lucera was covering her mouth, mirroring his own horror.
Lucera ensured no one else heard, then ducked inside. Pulling out several wards to isolate them from the others. "What are you talking about Rommel? Uncle would… he would never sanction such atrocities."
Rommel looked at his cousin, she looked desperate… desperate for confirmation. He… couldn't give her any. He bowed his head, trembling.
Lucera paled turning to Zane as horror took root so deep in her stomach, she wasn't sure which was worse… condemning the empire's ignorance or realizing Adar and even her own country had been knowingly assisting. "The prisoners… the crippled from war we sent at Lady Alaina's behest… what happened to them?" She asked in a whisper barely even she heard. Had… had she escorted her own people to their deaths? Fates worse than death? Every year they would visit, usually before arriving in Smyrna to travel together. She escorted dozens of people. Dozens of people each year.
Zane shook his head as he hunched in on himself. "I… I… don't know…"
Lucera turned her horror into righteous fury as she glared at Rommel, "Why do you need to reevaluate Young Song's protection General Rommel." She demanded drawing herself to her full height. She wasn't speaking as their cousin, nor as a friend. She was speaking as one princess to a foreign nation's general.
Rommel swallowed down his reservations, "Because… his majesty informed us… that the experiments the goblins were conducting… were records recovered from the deathlands."
Lucera wasn't even sure what to say, nothing had ever been recovered from the deathlands. "When?" She demanded.
Zane looked up, "From… before it became the deathlands. It's an incomplete record, most of it illegible, but… it was targeted at using Young Song."
"What were they trying to do?" Lucera wanted to rage at them… what was Adar thinking?! Records targeting a beast of sin? Had they lost their minds?!
Zane shook his head, "We don't know, create something."
Rommel snorted, "Create? Create something even other beasts of sin consider an abomination?"
"Take care with your words, take care with your thoughts, I might take offense, can you afford such a loss?" Ashton asked with a placid smile. All three stiffened, slowly turning to the small rift he'd opened. "Do not blame me for speaking, correcting such rumors is time worth taking. Those records are false, made decades after the fact. Created by a nation hiding worse faults."
"Oh! That's right, I remember those days! Way back well before! They broke their oath, you settled the score. All those who knew, all those who suspect, all were slain, not one left to reflect!" Beloved chirped as she settled on Nix's shoulder. Then she gave a dramatic ruffle of her feathers.
"You were so angry! Never more upset! You laid down a law, none dared to object." Beloved sighed, then tilted her head, "So why are they lying? Say they have some proof? Do they think you won't act? They have so much to lose."
Ashton shrugged as he started fixing her feathers, "They play such games, dangerous for all, despite such absurd the lies, so many still fall. Still, a word might help a few, may they fly, rather than fall."
Zane watched as the ring of fire shrank, then disappeared… it was all… a lie? From who? Who would benefit from such horrendous experiments? Then why… why give it to the goblins? Why smuggle prisoners?
Rommel started to laugh, his bloody hand pounding on the table. "Ha! Hahaha! Ha! They were played for fools! Hahaha! Ha! Hahaha! No wonder… no wonder he doesn't care. We've all been played for fools!"
Lucera closed her eyes. That meant Adar wanted the experiments to continue. No, not Adar. The one ruling Adar from the depths. The one amassing humans, beasts, humanoids. What… what did Lady Alaina want?
Zane flinched… they would have to report Young Song's words. Would his parents, his brother… even believe him? At this point… did it even matter?
Sebastian sat at the table, learning the Adarians were working with goblins to undermine the empire was… he wasn't even sure what he felt. The goblins had the protection of the Lindorm priests, setting up small colonies in mountains all throughout the empire. Now, now! His majesty had agreed to give the goblins an entire city in return for all information on the church. For one year, the empire's soldiers would protect goblins.
Jaxon had nearly drawn his sword when the goblins provided irrefutable proof that the church had been selling crippled women to the goblins in return for smuggling prisoners from other nations. Only then was communication opened up with the Adarian King and crown prince. They had been so… matter of fact. Rather than risk more raids, selling sacrifices to the church was the lesser evil.
Leonard was staring at the ceiling… one of the women, crippled from the Florence landslide was now a mother… to almost a dozen goblin children. Sold… in return for 50 non Smyrnaean sacrifices. The idea of being married to a goblin… a goblin that had shown up with the goblin king!
Sebastian sighed, "This is a lead, a lead we desperately need. I would like… to personally oversee the relocation of the colonies to the outlying city of Pepperidge."
Jaxon sighed, honestly… the idea of treating goblins as anything other than vermin to be exterminated was appalling. But… if working with civilized goblins ultimately led to the empire surviving… it's only for a year. "After the tribute banquet, I think it would be wise to… foster relations. If Lord Reece is giving them a stronghold, no doubt they will be a formidable force."
Lucian wanted to laugh at the absurdity, at least until there was a knock on the door. "Enter."
A nervous guard approached, "Majesty, the, uh, Lady Beloved has taken the… black birds to follow the goblins. We lost sight of them as soon as they entered the forest."
Devlin sighed, "I'm not surprised, the king alone is a legendary class. Three of those mages outclassed me just in terms of raw power, let alone skill."
Leonard glanced up, "Why was Lady Beloved following?" He asked uncertainly… surely… she hadn't reconsidered becoming his companion…