Decisions Decisions Decisions

"Prince Kaedan, Princess Karina. King Khan and I would want you both to join us at one of our meetings at noon tomorrow." King Aragon says over a large dinner with most of his retinue in attendance.

Father nods in acknowledgement before adding. "Indeed. The meeting will be attended by Lords of the lower ruling houses, Yavannian and Siofran generals and of course, Prince Iston will be in attendance."

The prince tips his head in respect.

"We'll be there, your majesties." Kaedan speaks on behalf of both of us, not looking up, I continue with my meal.

While in a very relaxed position at the head of the table father's eyes light up like a literal light bulb as if he just remembered something. "Ah that reminds me, have you made all the necessary preparations?"

I've already zoned out and expect someone else to answer, no one did and father clears his throat.

Kaedan nudges me in his seat.

Is he talking to me?

"Sire?" I raise my head to look at him.

He already looks irritated.

"I asked if you've made necessary preparations."

"Necessary preparations? For what?"

"For the celebrations of course. The anniversary of your birth is in a few days time."

"Father I don't want a large party, Infact, I don't want a party at all."

"Nonsense." He sips his wine. "I've already given your brother my full support for his own party."

"As heir, the people expect you to throw a grand and extravagant dinner party. The media goes crazy for this kind of thing and publicity every now and then is good for every royal."

"But, but." I stutter.

"No buts." Father cuts me off. "If you won't set it up I'll have Kaedan do it for you." He signals to my brother. "Son make sure to invite lots of foreign dignitaries and don't forget all your cousins, including Kamila."

"But she's so full of herself." I whine.

"Will you plan it or not?" His face stoic.

I mutter and grumble under my breath. "Fine. Let Kaedan plan it."

Now I've lost my appetite.

Who am I kidding? Nothing's going to make me leave this food.

Sensing the tension in the room mother tries to lighten the mood. "So Iston I hope you're enjoying your stay in the palace."

She raises her golden goblet to her lips, while some Siofran generals excuse themselves.

"Very much your grace, the lovely Lady Karina has been wonderful company."

"Oh gimme a break." Kaedan rolls his eyes.

Mother shoots him a deathly glare that instills decorum.

"And I trust your day went well?" She continues.

"Ah yes it did." He gives a warm smile as he talks. "I spent the day helping Karina and her friends plan their school's annual bonfire."

"Interesting."

"Oh and Kaedan helped out too." His smile disappears.

I don't think they like each other so much. I wonder why.

Mother keeps chatting with Iston while the rest of us finish our meal and eventually everyone at the table retires.

~~~

The next day in the conference room.

"There will never be an alliance between Siofra and Yavanna."

There's yelling.

So this is what goes on in a peace treaty meeting.

Interesting.

"I'm glad we agree on the same thing."

More yelling.

"General Ennie, Lord Baron please calm down." King Aragon tries to talk sense into them.

Father and King Aragon urged us to attend this meeting, said it would be good for us to get aquainted to these kind of things.

I'm starting to have second thoughts.

"King Khan, our people don't need people like this as allies, we're better off as we are now. It's bad enough you brought them into our territory but letting them stay under your roof is just the height of it." Lord Baron, one of the rulers of the lower houses of Yavanna says absolutely furious.

"People like this? What's that supposed to mean?" General Ennie, one of the Siofran generals who has been against the agenda of this meeting from the very beginning says.

Lord Baron completely ignores him and faces my father. "Your majesty, we need allies we can trust and it's absolutely clear that we can't trust these people."

"I won't stand for this." The general springs up seething in anger at the Siofran side of the table.

Iston's hand is on the side of his head he looks like he's having a splitting headache.

"My lord, general please you need to sit down." I try to appeal to their better nature, mostly the fuming general.

"I won't take orders from a little girl playing queen." He spits out.

"I beg your pardon?" My brother springs up in my defense.

Go Kaedan go.

"Restrain your general or I will." Kaedan reaches for the plasma gun tucked away in his shalwar suit, all his muscles bulging out... his veins taut. I hold him back.

Iston sits up, suddenly he's alert.

Lord Baron is quick to point fingers. "You see... you see your majesty, how disrespectful they can be. Totally uncivilized."

"I demand an apology. Apologise to her!"

I can feel his rage.

Iston tries to intervene, panic evident on his face. "Please Prince Kaedan accept our sincerest apologies."

My brother's head snaps in his direction, his grey eyes turn to silts. "I wasn't talking to you."

He returns his attention to the general, impatiently waiting for his apology.

Through grit teeth Kaedan says "Apologise, Now."

The general smirks and looks him square in the face. "Or what?"

Father rises and with a booming voice. "Enough!"

My brother eyes the general.

For a moment there's silence, it is silent enough to hear a pin drop but like toddlers throwing tantrums they're at it again.

Almost 50 grown men, leaders at the table and they can't put themselves together, the women representatives however look poised and controlled.

Another Lord from Siofra who is in support of signing the peace treaty speaks up. "I say we should sign this treaty and get it over with after all many centuries ago Siofra and Yavanna were as thick as thieves, almost inseperable."

"Ah yes... you're right my good man." Lord Baron drums his fingers against each other and has a very satisfied look on his face, knowing he's going to burst the Siofran lord's bubble.

"No one is disputing the fact that many centuries ago the Kings and Queens of old had an alliance with Siofra, infact everyone knows that."

I didn't.

"The bond between both nations was so strong that a stronger union was formed." He pauses for effect seeing that everyone is captivated by the story.

"Marriage, the greatest union of all between our beloved Queen Keara Abraxas, The Light bless her soul."

General Ennie scoffs.

"And King Theoden of Siofra."

I'm surprised and I furrow my brows absentmindedly in confusion. "They were married? So when did everything go downhill?"

The Lord points at me while turning his head to make sure everyone was following. "The Crown Princess asked a very good question. Everything went down hill when they decided to murder our queen."

The finger pointed at me is automatically turned to the general in a heartbeat.

I gasp.

Iston looks horrified and finally decides to be a part of this meeting. "Murder? Surely this is outrageous."

"Don't believe me, go check the history books." Lord Baron folds his hands and looks very satisfied with the new information that he has just brought to light.

Well the general's having none of that. "What I think you mean is that you Dark Elves murdered our king."

Another round of gasps.

What's with these people and killing.

"My people did no such thing." The Lord doesn't even look fazed. "Our dearly departed Queen The Light bless her..."

"Oh enough of that." General Ennie snaps.

"The Light bless her soul moved to Siofra unsuspectingly after the wedding seems like the Sylphs weren't too happy about that and that gave your people ample opportunity to plan and scheme, months later she's found dead in her bedroom. How do you explain that?"

We all turn to the general eager for his reply.

"You forgot to add that when she was found there wasn't a scratch on her."

"Ah ha. He admits it. So you admit she was killed."

"I don't admit to anything. She was found dead doesn't mean anyone killed her, maybe she died a natural death." General Ennie looks at his opponent and shrugs.

The Lord doesn't look convinced not even in the slightest. "Natural death? When is it ever a natural death? Or your people hired professional assassins that murder their victims without leaving a trace."

Oh brother.

"That is totally false, besides I could care less what happened to your Queen, what everyone needs to know is what your people did to our King."

There's an accusatory finger pointed in the air.

"Maybe out of guilt the poor chap killed himself." Lord Baron picks at his fingers.

"Why you?" The general hurls himself over the table aiming for the Lord.

People in the room try to hold him down.

"The Light bears us witness, he tried to attack me just like they did our Queen but as long as The Light lives you won't succeed. Very violent set of people." Talk about adding salt to injury, he says all that hiding behind a fellow lords.

"Whatever be the case we will put all that aside because our decisions haven't changed." Father looks like he's aged 10 years just by sitting here listening to all their bickering.

"King Khan and I will sign the treaty so everyone should better get along, we've been over this for days now and my decisions is final." The Sylphvian King says to his people and ours.

My brother turns to our father. "Surely father you can't go through with this, not after everything that has been said."

"You heard the King, my decision is final."

"This will be a new era for the Dark Elves and Sylphvian Elves."