Meeting on the Mound

The New Emperor's army arrived a few days later on the Beachy Plains and set up their lines for battle. As Aurora suspected, the gnomes and humans were kept in separate ranks, with the pirates hemming the imperial army in on the third side like a deadly triangle.

If not for the fairies ability to portal, they would have been truly surrounded and stuck. After a tense night, morning dawned without either side attacking.

By the early morning light, the Empress and Emperor stared hand in hand looking out at the enemy troops.

"Today is the day. Whatever happens, things will be different." Aurora's eyes were filled with tears. It was better to get them out now. There was no place for them on the battlefield.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Devrim asked quietly. He was holding back tears of his own. He had only just gotten his wife back, and she was about to leave him alone again.

Aurora nodded. "I am."

"I still think that I should go with you. I am sure I can help you accomplish your goal." The Emperor pulled the woman's shoulders to turn her towards him. She would not meet his eye.

Aurora spoke slowly. "You know I have to do this alone. It is the only way Cafer will let down his guard. He has never thought me a worthy ruler. I am counting on him underestimating me."

The Emperor's voice shook. "But to put yourself in so much danger…"

The fiery-haired woman scoffed. "No more danger than anyone else here. I shall not hold back my life while asking everyone else to spend theirs. In fact I will happily give my life if it will stop the gnomes and spare my countrymen."

Sighing, Devrim rang his thumb across his wife's lips and cheeks. "You may not value yourself more than your subjects, but I value you. Please be careful."

Aurora kissed her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Same for you. We still have a lot of life to live together."

Hugging her tightly, the grey-eyed man sighed contentedly. "That's the spirit. We will be together in no time." Behind the woman's back, he secretly made the Fate's sign with his hand for good luck. He had no idea that Aurora was doing the same hidden gesture.

—————-

"My King! Your Majesty!" A gnome hurried up to Cafer and his protege and bowed. He pointed toward the enemy.

"I see it," the gnome answered with a furrowed brow. He was not sure what to make of it though.

Overnight he had erected a hill for himself to view the enemy from a heightened position. The imperial army had already done so on the opposing side. He stood atop the mound and watched as a lone figure came riding forward on a steed.

The woman, in modified armor on her upper torso, ambled toward them with her head held high. Her dress was draped across the horse's rear, fluttering slightly with the gentle up and down movement across the plain. The horse was white and also covered in armor, even having a tall helmet on its proud head.

In the woman's hand, she held a flowing, pure white flag.

Watching next to Cafer, a blonde-haired, blue-eyed boy grunted. "What is that Empress doing?" He asked in a gravelly voice.

"Hush," Cafer hissed. "You speak and we will be discovered, Your Majesty." The last words dripped with sarcasm.

Grisley lowered his voice to a whisper. "I am tired of being the hoity toity Emperor—eating with forks and spoons and keeping my bodily functions to myself. A gnome should be able to pass gas whenever he sees fit.."

"Enough. Right now you must act regally. Aurora is watching your every move." Cafer lifted his chin and graced the Empress with an tolerant smile as she approached.

She paused at the base of the hill and held out the flag on the long pole in front of her. "Do you accept the flag of temporary truce?"

"Truce? I assumed you were here to surrender," Cafer mocked.

"I have come to speak with you both," Aurora insisted.

"How do I know you are not some elf who has come to finish me off?" The gnome raised his eyebrows in challenge.

"I would not send an elf to speak on my behalf. Test me if you must." The Empress was confident.

Cafer stroked his chin and gave a short nod. "Very well. What did I say when I first held Emperor Alaron in my arms on the day of his birth? Those words were quite memorable."

Scowling, Aurora saw right through his question. "No Cafer, you do not remember correctly. You did not hold either of the twins on the day of their birth or even speak to them. I, on the other hand, held both twins and comforted them. I spoke to them and wished with all my heart that they would never have to suffer as I had." She looked at Alaron, who was standing next to Cafer, with eyes full of sorrow, but the New Emperor would not look her way.

"You are correct in your answer, but you have neglected the reason. You kept me from my son and poisoned my mind to the point that I wanted him dead. You are the reason I was unable to see Emperor Alaron for so long." Cafer's silver tongue mixed truth with lies so easily that Aurora almost believed him herself.

But one thing caught her attention. "Your son? Of all the things you have said, that is the craziest. Now, may I approach?" Not wanting to be pulled too far from her goal, the Empress decided not to argue.

"You may," Cafer agreed. She had passed his test, and he saw no reason to deny her. "If you are coming to give your last will and testament, I am most anxious to know who you will leave that beautiful horse to when you die momentarily."

Ignoring him, Aurora dismounted. Grabbing the reins of the stallion, she approached the two males on foot. She was stopped by a guard, who checked her for weapons before she was at last allowed to surmount the small hill.

"I should ask for you to remove your weapons as well, but your magic makes it a moot point," she scoffed.

Cafer chuckled. "You would be good not to forget that. Now, what brings you to my hill?"

"I would like to make one last plea to prevent further bloodshed. Take your gnomes home, and leave humanity in peace." The woman stared confidently at the King of the Gnomes. Only he had the power to call back his forces.

"Why would I do that, when I am here to support my ally, Emperor Alaron?" Cafer motioned to the boy beside him. Grisley took the cue and smiled dotingly at Cafer. The king was pleased to see Aurora's heart break a little.

"My spymaster said that Alaron does not want to rule and that you were drugging him to keep him obedient." The Empress accused him.

"You are misinformed. In fact, Emperor Alaron has come to his senses and overcome whatever your spymaster did to him," Cafer responded with a sneer.

Aurora shot a glance at the New Emperor. "Tell me it isn't true. You cannot believe this silver-tongued serpent. Surely, you know how much I love you. Come home, my son. Give up this fight." She stretched her arm toward the blond-haired boy.

The New Emperor stared coldly at her with an incredulous look. It was clear he did not believe her. He stepped away from her open palm and moved closer to Cafer.

With a dry laugh, Cafer raised his bushy eyebrows defiantly. "You say you love him? Prove it! Surrender."

"If it were only about my son and my family, I would. Were it not for you, Cafer, I would let my son be a wise and gracious ruler. But you—the King of the Gnomes—have taxed my people, forced them into service, and depleted humans of their natural resources by letting your gnomes ravage their land. You cannot even hide behind Baak anymore. It is clear who the real villain is. You are a snake waiting to strike and poison the world until nothing is left."

Anger grew inside Cafer. "That is twice you have called me a snake. I would advise you not to do it again."

The Empress leaned toward him. "What shall I call you then? A boil? A cancer? A disease?" Her words spewed toward him with great speed.

"Watch your mouth," Cafer warned through gritted teeth.

"No, if I am to die, I will tell you exactly what I think of you. You, Great King of the Gnomes, are nothing more than a pebble in my shoe. If you will not surrender, I will find a way to dislodge you myself!"

"Why you little!" The gnome could take no more from the whelp that pretended to be Empress. He lifted his hand high in the air to strike her across her face.

Aurora braced for his hit, but it never came. Instead, Cafer lowered his hand and clapped.

"You almost had me. You know, don't you? You know if I harm you that I forfeit my life. It was most clever of you to try. But you failed. Now scurry back to your sad little army so you can die at someone else's hand." Cafer shooed her with the back of his hand like a dog.

Aurora pressed her lips together. "Fine. But remember I offered you both a chance at peace." She gave a sad look at the boy beside the gnome. "Goodbye."

Leaning forward like she wanted to stroke the boy's face, she instead grabbed his arm and dislodged the Semblance Stone from his wrist. Grisley's ugly form took the place where Alaron had once been.

"No!" Cafer lunged to retrieve the bangle and met with force field surrounding the Empress. "A unicorn?!" he realized with a start. The tall helmet had been hiding Utku's horn.

"I am full of surprises," Aurora smirked. "Do you think I would not know my own son? I knew before you even set foot on the plains that you would not bring him in his state. Now you can fool no one else with your trickery."

Grisley scowled and banged on the invisible wall. Before Cafer could disturb the earth beneath her, Aurora held the bracelet in the air. A portal appeared and she and Utku were gone.

War had begun.