Dark Armor: Treaties

The High Magister withdrew the scroll from its case on her belt and approached, leaving her daughters behind her. Ravaj said something too quiet for Pallian to hear, and the Wizard-King came forward to meet her, leaving himself and Ravaj behind. Pallian let his attention roam for a moment, but none of the ministers seemed inclined to do other than watch, the scribe was busy with his record-keeping, and the High Magister's leonine body-servant was turning in a slow circle, surveying the entirety of the throne room. The Third-Princess Ashmiren Edrias was studying Ravaj, and the Second-Princess Arwidden was studying him; she met his eyes when they turned to her, and offered a faint smile and a slight nod: respectful acknowledgement, he thought. 

That was reassuring, because Pallian was more or less ready to panic at any moment. There were a thousand ways this meeting could go wrong, and he was deadly certain that he hadn't thought of more than five hundred or so. He smiled in return and offered her the same slight nod.

Three steps ahead of him, his father accepted the scroll, spread it open, and skimmed down it. After a moment he nodded and rolled it closed. "I will have my scribes examine it and produce a copy. Shall we conclude the formal greetings now, and get you and yours settled into your chambers?"

"That would be most agreeable," said the High Magister, and leaned in to kiss the Wizard-King, once on each cheek. That gave Pallian the rare pleasure of watching his father freeze in something like panic, though he wasn't honestly sure that he would have reacted any better himself. 

"In hopes of better relations," she said as she drew back. 

The Wizard-King nodded. "To strong alliances." He didn't move to return the gesture -- Pallian wasn't certain whether that counted as an insult to their guests, or an acknowledgement of defeat at their hands. The High Magister seemed unbothered; she stepped back, smiling, and rejoined her daughters. 

Kareth Teres stepped back as well, rejoining his sons, and said: "There will be a formal dinner in an hour, with toasts to be made at moonrise. You are welcome to explore anywhere that is not locked or guarded, and the servants can guide you or offer directions as you wish. Should you require anything to make you more comfortable, the servants will provide it."

Tamirya Edrias inclined her head. "We could not ask for better hospitality."

The Royal Steward, Vathira, was somehow aware that it was time to step in again; she approached from the side, coming up between the two families of royals before tilting her head to the Wizard-King and then turning to the High Magister and her daughters. "If you would do me the honor of accompanying me," she said, "I will show you to your suite."

The body-servant shifted his weight, but Vathira merely turned her head slightly to glance at him, and he settled back. He couldn't be certain from this angle, but Pallian thought that she'd regarded him, however momentarily, with a slightly amused smile. 

"The pleasure is ours," said the High Magister, and gestured for Vathira to lead the way. 

There was a long moment of silence as the House of Edrias departed. 

Well, that could have gone much worse. We made it through five whole minutes and maybe a dozen sentences, and nobody tried to murder anybody.

At the far end of the hall, the great stone doors swung silently closed, and the Wizard-King snarled. "Treaties! Bonds!' He shook his head viciously. "Well, we'll want their help against the Emissary. After that..." He swung around to face Pallian. "Do you think she knows? Did she make this offer to deprive me of...?"

...of the son you were going to execute? But his father meant the Black Knight, of course, the Champion of Teregor, not the worthless younger son who played the role. "She might guess," he said, "but I doubt she knows."

"Bah," said his father, and turned away. He crossed to the scribe, who cringed back, and slapped the treaty-scroll down onto the table in front of him. "Have your fellows make copies of this -- tonight, before the feast. Have Amedin, Counsellor Barias, and master Paledes look it over. I will require their counsel before I sign any agreement with her. And once the Emissary is destroyed..." The wizard-king shook his head again, then swung back to Ravaj. "You should look over the treaty as well, now that you are the Heir." He shot Pallian a poisonous look at that; no, he most definitely hadn't forgotten his grievances. But then, he never does.

Pallian met his eyes and nodded, waiting. It wasn't defiance, exactly; more of a calm acknowledgement, but after a moment his father drew a breath and released it. "Go, both of you. I expect you both to be in the grand hall for the feast. Ravaj, you may arrive on your own slightly after it begins if you wish; Pallian, I expect you to be there well before our guests arrive. You will conduct yourselves as befits your ranks, and you will not show any sign of opposition to the proposed marriages. Is that clear?"

"Crystal," said Ravaj. 

Pallian nodded and added, "As you will it, Father."