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The negotiations remained largely meaningless throughout the time that Lhan and Brigitte were at their task. We made no progress until after the two fatalities were back in the care of their brothers in arms.
And unfortunately, the only progress we did make in the end was to agree to a short recess.
That’s a mischaracterization, I suppose. I would be more correct to say that negotiations broke down. After all, the only real agreement happened when Lady Serera turned to me and suggested, “My Lady, let’s retire for now. This is getting nowhere.”
Upon which, she flew down to join General Kosto and the others. Not seeing any reason to stay, I guided my projection to follow after her.
But after the other two representatives went to their respective sides as well, fighting did not resume. The tacit agreement held.
The general had a troubled look as he watched me approach, and I could guess why, so I curtseyed to him as he saluted and told him, “Please be at ease and do not worry about my presence, Sir Kosto. I remain in Narses Castle. I am merely sending my image here.”
The military elite and the upper crust of Pendor were well-acquainted with Mother’s extraordinary magic. I am reliably informed that she used it quite often in order to get around her nation-sized territory in support of her vassals and commanders. I could see it registering in his expression that I was indeed her daughter.
He cleared his throat and gave a terse nod.
“To what do we owe the pleasure of your company, My Lady?” he wondered.
When we descended, Lady Dilorè had been nearby, discussing something with the Reladorian mages that the Fairy King had sent to support her, and Ryuu Kowa, Arken and Lady Ceria had been meeting with Kosto and the SAS captain. Amana, who is said to be my older sister, had been with Dilorè, but came to join us when I arrived.
After the past two weeks as the Acting Duchess, learning to stand in Mother’s shoes, I have gradually become accustomed to events where I suddenly become the center of attention. I nodded casually to those arriving but kept my attention on the general.
“I sensed troubling things afoot, and came to have a look,” I explained. “To my distress, I discovered you facing a rather troubling opponent.”
“Fele Domerà is no concern. I can easily handle her,” Serera retorted.
“That’s the fairy knight?” I wondered. “I’m not clear as to how she fits into this, so you will have to catch me up. I’m referring to the Lady of the Red Tower.”
Amana nodded. “You seem to know who she is, Your Highness. Can you fill me in?”
It throws me off for half a second whenever a fairy calls me ‘Your Highness’. I frankly don’t feel any reality in the claim that Amana and I are princesses of Faerie. Technically, as my husband’s wife, I’m a princess in the mortal world now as well, but I have everyone in Pendor call me ‘My Lady’ in reference to my Acting Duchess role. To fairies, though, at least to those who recognize my royal status, I’m ‘Your Highness’. It’s a little disconcerting, to be frank.
I had become immersed in my view of the Kasarene Highlands, but Mireia’s voice now reminded me that I was actually on my back in bed.
(“Tell them what I told you about her. I’ll fill you in with any details I think you should add.”)
Of course, the voice was actually Rhea, using Mireia as a medium.
I began explaining Lady Alwain of the Red Tower, the extremely ancient and dangerous entity ruling this deep realm within the Highlands since the end of the Ancient Fairy age, leading both the monsters and the fairies of her domain. But Rhea/Mireia did not need to feed me any words. Uncle Mathias and Uncle Arken sensed that I didn’t know much beyond her identity and began filling in the details. Turns out Alwain is well known to both sages and elves.
Both General Kosto and Ryuu Kowa developed deep scowls as they listened. But Serera had a completely different attitude.
“You all worry too much,” she declared. “The woman is not interested in attacking us. She just wants us off her land.”
Amana gave her an odd look, then wondered, “So you already know who that woman was?”
“Naturally,” she answered with a dry smile. “Not that I was going to give Domerà any hints. I was hoping she would blunder and piss the woman off badly enough to relieve us of her.”
(“As I suspected,”) Mireia’s voice said. Of course, I was the only one who could hear that. (“There was no way a fairy of Serera’s age wouldn’t already know about her.”)
“That was why you were holding back against her,” Mr. Kowa observed.
I actually felt a little sorry for him, the way so many eyes looked at him in surprise. Even if he normally acts like a muscle head, he does have a good mind. He’s just a little too selective about using it.
“What?” he demanded, staring defiantly back at them. “It was obvious! She’s way more powerful than she was fighting! So’s that Lady Alwain!”
Lady Ceria gave a small chuckle. “After the fight spread out, Ryuu didn’t have much opportunity to fight anymore. He fell back to protect us while we cast our spells, so he was in a good position to watch the main battle.”
“And he is quite right,” Serera agreed, nodding to Mr. Kowa. “Alwain was holding back. And I had no desire to get into a real contest with her either. If we can just do something about Domerà, we can easily come to an understanding with Alwain.”
Miss Hiléa and Miss Brigitte joined us, having handed off the fallen soldiers to their comrades. Hiléa had a slight frown for me, and walked directly up to me. Her manner seemed very uncharacteristic of the timid little scout they introduced to me in the castle.
“What are you doing?” she asked flatly. “Are you really able to keep this spell going so long?”
My mind went straight to the priestess sitting at my bedside, and how her voice was being used by a goddess right now. Something about her was telling me…
“Miss Hiléa!” the SAS captain immediately scolded. “That’s no way to talk to Her Ladyship!”
Hiléa’s eyes simply glanced disinterestedly at him for a moment before returning to me. Yes, this wasn’t Hiléa speaking at all, was it?
<She is one of your former incarnations, My Lady,> Lydia agreed. <I was warned that the other incarnations can speak through her. But I don’t know them well enough to say which one is doing so right now.>
I told the captain, “She is a trusted close acquaintance, Captain. Please excuse her.”
His brow bunched up and his dark eyes still glared at her. I put him out of my head and kept my attention on her.
“I’m simply looking after my people, ” I told her.
“That’s why I…” she stopped, her eyes flicking to the side at the others, then revised, “That’s why you sent me, My Lady.”
I gave her a patient smile. “I sent you to improve their fighting power, Miss Hiléa. Right now, they require a negotiator.”
“I doubt that will be enough, Your Highness,” Lady Dilorè differed. She had concluded her meeting with the mages and joined us. “I predict Domerà will remain as obstinate as Feraen used to be.”
I did not recognize the name, but Serera and Amana both grew deadly serious expressions upon hearing it.
Serera asked, “For the same reason, I take it?”
Dilorè gave a small nod. “For precisely the same reason, Master. The mages performed the checks and confirmed it.”
Hiléa noted, “Lady Tiana will not remember Feraen, My Ladies. And she is not privy to the reasons that Feraen behaved as she did.”
I looked at each of them in succession, confused. But Serera let out a huff and nodded. “It will take too long to explain to her, and it isn’t for mortal ears, either, so we can’t discuss it here. This part we will have to handle ourselves.”
The Reladorian mages are mortal… I wanted to object, but I knew she meant it was not for ears not associated with Faerie. Even the fully mortal residents of Relador stand with one foot inside the fairy kingdom, after all.
Princess Amana looked at me and gave a slight nod. “If I have a chance later, I will tell you in private. We should have briefed you already.”
“Anyhow, My Lady,” Hilèa advised me, “In light of Lady Dilorè’s report, I recommend you concentrate your negotiation efforts on Alwain alone, and leave Domerà to us. She is going to remain implacable toward you. And you should drop this spell as soon as possible. You mustn’t overwork your powers.”
Serera was looking at her with a bemused expression, possibly noticing her personality change as well. Did she know what Hilèa actually was?
Her [Fairy Sight] would inform her that Hiléa was something unnatural, at any rate. All of the true fairies traveling with her would have noticed that much by now. Perhaps even the halfs and lessers among the fairy warriors would have. I had to assume that they received some sort of briefing from my Servants.
“Alright,” I agreed. “I’ll see what I can do.”
I decided to fade the projection out and withdraw. But dropping the spell entirely was out of the question while I was worried about everyone here.
<It’s alright, My Lady,> Lydia assured me. <I’m keeping an eye on your fatigue. You can last somewhat longer than this.>
I trusted her, but I focused on my own body for a bit, anyway, while keeping the spell active in a standby state for the moment. My pneuma was becoming slightly fatigued, but as long as I kept up my connection to the blood core the way Lydia had taught me, I had extra leeway.
The mortally-stabilized living blood condensed in my core is a perfect fusion of pneuma and mana, and the pneuma portion, when connected to that of my living body, extends it and enhances my endurance. My stamina is enough that I could probably fly around the world non-stop. Okay, perhaps that’s an exaggeration, but it feels like that much.
Even so, it seems that I must share it with Hiléa’s ‘effigy’, and any magic she uses puts as much load on me as the magic I cast. So, despite the illusion of a seemingly bottomless well of fortitude that it gives me, my blood core is not infinite.
And I could see why Lydia had included the word ‘somewhat’ to her assessment. I was well on my way to proving it finite right now.
<I can keep going though, right?> I asked.
<You can, but do not forget that Lhan must have a reserve in order to protect your people.>
<Rhea, are you listening to our thoughts?> I asked.
With a hint of mirth in her voice, Rhea/Mireia noted, (“At this range, I can’t help it, My Lady.”)
<What can I do to convince Alwain?>
(“Hmm… actually, I think we should leave convincing her aside for the moment. Lady Serera is correct that she will not be a danger to your people without provocation. We have more pressing matters to focus upon. Let me guide you for a moment.”)
She had done so earlier, somehow taking over the controls of my projection to place it at the mission’s current location in the first place. Now, a vision of the landscape again formed in my mind, appearing in the air above my people as it had been at the start. Then it ‘flew’, moving across the treetops, past the fairies and monsters who followed Alwain and into the woods behind.
The terrain rose and my vision rose to match it.
(“No, this won’t do. I don’t have sufficient senses in this area. I can’t go any further.”)
<Can you not see what I’m seeing?>
(“In fact, I cannot. I’m seeing through Melione, and she is too far from this point. And you can use your voice here, My Lady.”)
I wondered, “Where are you trying to go, then, if it’s somewhere you can’t see?”
“Well, it’s more accurate to say, I can’t get the precise location through my pets. They can tell me what, but I need a priestess to tell me where. Although I can get a general location. So we need to take a different tack.”
She let go of my hand, and I heard cloth rustling. Through my [Fairy Sense], I could discern my Servant shedding her tea gown.
Baffled, I demanded, “What are you doing?”
“Shh,” she chided. “Concentrate on your spell.”
“But…”
“Shhh…” she repeated as she slipped onto the mattress and snuggled up to me.
