26: The Journey to war

Ivailo drew a deep breath as the Azure water continually beat against the hull of The Lady Blue Moon. They had been on the cargo ship for what seemed like a never-ending eternity in the anticipation of the upcoming battle, but by all clocks had been little more than a few hours. Exasperated and frustrated with nerves, Ivailo returned to the small cabin that had been made his quarters for the brief journey to Thoasia. How is Amaris doing? He wondered as he laid down on the small cot that lay against the far wall under the small porthole, somehow making the room feel even smaller. Is she okay? Is she safe? Knowing the castle guards, she was in the safest place she could be.

Yet somehow, knowing that Amaris was not right here next to him made him extremely uneasy. Turning over to face the window, he tried to take his mind off her and what she was doing by focusing on the battle ahead, going over the maneuvers that had been planned out in his mind.

Before too long, and with the help of the rocking of the ship, Ivailo fell into the last restful slumber he would have before the battle began.

Amaris took a deep breath. The last time she had stood here, at the door to the throne room, Ivailo had called her to the last high council meeting before he had departed. Now here she was, about to form a high council all of her own.

With her signal, the doors creaked open. The chasm beyond was just as empty as it had been the day that she had been named The Lady Of The People, with the sunlight making the already enormous room seem even larger.

Taking a deep breath, Amaris stepped into the room. She felt like her feet were made of lead, purposely slowing her down as she walked towards the dais.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Amaris had reached the dais and climbed the carven staircase that separated the throne and thus the monarch from the rest of the population. On top of the dais, Lyra stood with three other women, two vampires, and a werewolf.

"Is this it?" Amaris asked, eyeing the ladies.

"Yes, Your Majesty," Lyra responded, leading the group in a curtsey.

"Good. Let's get started." Amaris approached the throne and sat down. "Miss Valentina Ciro, please step forward and kneel." One vampire stepped forward, with her brown, shoulder-length hair and pale grey eyes. Amaris wondered if that is what her mother looked like. "Do you willingly accept the title of The Lady Of Finances, its duties, and responsibilities?" The silence was deafening.

"I do." Valentina squeaked in a tiny voice, sounding terrified at the thought of being in a position of such an enormous amount of power. I feel you, Amaris thought. I remember how terrifyingly daunting being a member of the high council seemed to me when I was first offered the job.

"Then I pronounce you a member of the high council. You may rise." Amaris took a deep breath. I did the first one. Only two more to go. "Miss Irene Phoenix, please step forward and kneel." The other vampire tentatively stepped forward.

"Do you willingly accept the title of The Lady Of Infrastructure, its duties, and responsibilities?"

"Yes," Irene said calmly, seemingly not as terrified as Amaris had been when Ivailo had ashed her.

"Then I pronounce you a member of the high council. You may rise. Tatiana Gabe, please step forward and kneel."

"Land ho!" Someone called from the vast expanse of the ship lurking beyond the metal door that isolated Ivailo from the rest of the ship. Groaning, he turned onto his back and stretched.

"Your Majesty!" Cyran's voice called from beyond the wooden door as Ivailo swung his feet onto the solid wood floor.

"I am up, Cyran!" He called back, reaching for the pair of discarded gauntlets that were on the ground. "I am just getting ready."

The people on the deck of the ship were in a flurry of activity. Pulling ropes and pushing oars, pretty much anything that was needed to keep the vessel afloat. Beyond the maze of people, however, Ivailo saw it. He saw Thoasia. The land that had given so many countries headaches and brought so many families nothing but pain and misery. The landscape was so picturesque and serene that it might have been a painting, but it did not fool him.

"Drop the anchor!" The captain called, pulling Ivailo out of his fury-fueled daydream of seeing the many villages dotting the coast, filled with slavers and the wealthy of Thoasia, burn to the ground and all of their slaves being released.

"Captain!" Ivailo shouted, drawing the captain's attention.

"Yes, Your Majesty?"

"Why are we stopping here, when there is a dock just over there?" he asked, pointing with his right hand to a small dock just a few meters off the starboard side.

"Because, your Majesty, while we might be a small ship the other ships that also set sail with us, The Lady Teal Sun and The Lady Turquoise star are much larger, carrying more troops. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want the Oblivion Kappa wanting to know how large our fleet is."

"I thank you for your concern, but you are to get as close to the shoreline as you can without damaging the hull of this ship."

"Your Majesty I-"

"That is an order, captain." He snapped, cutting the captain off. He took a deep breath. "That is an order," He repeated, much more calmly.

"Yes, Your Majesty. Haul anchor!"