"A woman?" Sena hissed, his voice splitting the silence of the vast hall. The old man fixed a disapproving glare upon the figure seated on the throne.
The question was swallowed whole by the dark chamber, its muted hues of dull grey and deep red casting a depressing tone over the tense air. Shadows clung to high, arched pillars, windowless walls, and the carpeted crimson floor. And the weight of unspoken judgment pressed down like the carved ceiling of the throne room.
The ruler's golden beard shifted, hiding an amused smile. The corners of his closed eyes wrinkled, betraying his quiet cheerfulness.
"We have taken more than enough." His voice spread through the hall, soft and heavy.
Sena's grey eyes cut to the two silent figures in the chamber, his wrinkled face tightening with irritation.
"Say something!" he snapped, clasping his hands behind his bent back. "And why am I only now hearing about such a ridiculous offer?"
"It was not an offer." The ruler shifted, the brown fur of his heavy robe brushing the arms of his seat. "A number of the Lords suggested it, and I found it to be quite… appealing."
"It is a wise idea," one of the figures finally spoke up.
The old man whipped his head towards the tall woman, his grey hair and robe jerking with the suddenness of his movement. "Geneva!"
Geneva crossed her arms, her eyes glimmering red. "We do not know enough of their customs. They have only just reopened their borders. And we know more of distant nations than the one closest to us."
"Then take what we need from them!" Sena spat. "As we always have—"
"I have grown weary of unnecessary wars." The ruler's words silenced him. He caressed his beard with a thoughtful hand. "Especially against stubborn nymphs. Grandfather, times have changed while you lingered in retirement. Most of the conflicts Lispa caused were unnecessary… Need I remind you we are resolving issues caused by your era and that of the others?"
The old man's lips thinned. "Not with Erzi. Those stubborn nymphs only yield when forced—"
The other figure spoke up, calmer, but sharp with warning, "Our last war sent them into seclusion. We still need some of their resources." He gestured with his hands. "Inciting another would not ease their hearts to provide more information."
"Kindly put aside your prejudice, old man," Geneva's raspy voice chimed in.
"A woman? This is still foolish reasoning. You know how they regard their women? Even the ones in their politics."
"Our plan would be too obvious by choosing one of the women within the government, Sena. One from a reputable house would be enough," she bit back, annoyance creeping into her tone.
Sena's scowl deepened, and his eyes burned with a cold fire as they began to glow. "Their women are docile, weak. What knowledge could they be able to possibly impart? Which house would even offer their son for this ridiculous ideal?"
The chamber tensed. A red glow lit up Geneva's eyes, lighting her harsh features. "Calm yourself, old man."
"Grimwald has offered himself for that."
The ruler's words dropped like iron in still water.
The glow died from Sena's gaze, and the old man looked at the ruler, his eyes wide. "Your cousin?"
Geneva and the other man also shifted to the ruler, faces stricken with shock.
"But this wasn't what we discussed. Did he agree to that?" Tae questioned, incredulous.
"He is not even in the capital at the moment. I don't recall a word being sent out to him," Geneva added, her arms uncrossed. "This—"
Sena threw his head back and barked out a laugh, his chest rumbling with cruel amusement.
The ruler chuckled. "He will have to. He deserves a reward for the recent subjugations so far.
__________
ERZI
Governor Ill's Court
The air was suffocating. Yet, the courtyard's decorative foliage shuddered, resonating with the hysterical moans of the late governor's daughter. Greying leaves broke off dry stems and skirted across interlocked stone slabs, carried by the same wind that toyed with the smoke curling from the lit incenses surrounding the open coffin.
Servants shifted. Some wore masks of discomfort, others held nervous glances brimming with uncertainty.
The crumpled old figure lay swathed in bundles of flowers stuffed in the coffin too small for his frame. His daughter knelt on the stone floor, clutching the polished wood and weeping profusely. Raw tears stained the boundless flow of her silk dress. Her brother crouched at her side, his equally flowing garb merging to meet hers. He held her hand, his frustrated eyes flicking with impatience between his sister and the few officials present.
Governor Ill had been a deplorable man, but it was so strange to have only a few of the proper officials bother to attend the service.
The evening sky burned low and sharp, besetting the courtyard and all its inhabitants in an odd orange hush.
However, most of the servants, along with a few curious official eyes, strayed to the tall woman standing at the far end of the wreathed coffin.
What would become of her now?
The concubine stood still, pinned up dark hair adorning a graceful neck, the only exposed part of her body. The flowing grey gown that draped her slender frame did very little to protect her from the predatory eyes of the present officials.
She could feel it.
The greed, the lust, the disgust. The way their eyes measured her worth like she was an object about to be purchased.
The corner of her lips twitched, threatening to betray her stoicism. She closed her eyes momentarily, shutting out the pitiful wailing. When she opened them, they drifted once more to the corpse, contemplating her next move.
Slender fingers came out of hiding to tuck a loose curl behind her ear. She pulled it back into her sleeve.
One of the officials walked up to the son who had risen to his feet, and the two of them stood still, engrossed in conversation.
She watched them from the corner of her eye. The son's eyes widened, and he straightened, briefly glancing at his sister sprawled shamelessly on the floor. His gaze shifted to the concubine. She returned it, unblinking.
He frowned and faced the official, returning to their muted conversation.
'Filthy insect.'
A sudden chill kissed her neck, and the wind lifted loose petals and twigs from the crowded coffin, scattering them across the courtyard and disrupting the stillness of the air.
Ro's eyes lazily drifted to the sky, counting the moments until whatever came next would be decided for her.