Chapter 350

Thanks to the use of magic, the arrival in Arwintar came far sooner, and trumpets blasted the announcement through the air as the delegates of nations began to arrive. The streets of Arwintar were open and empty, but lined with throngs ready to watch a royal procession. Soldiers, knights of the nation Ainz previously annihilated, now lined up to honor the formal delegates, and the population, perhaps ignorant of just whom they were cheering, simply enjoyed the relief and an impromptu holiday began in earnest. The cheers of the crowd of commoners drowned the trumpets, and the royals put out their hands and waved to the onlookers.

"Why did you choose to ride with me?" Neia asked as she waved out the window, though she kept her eyes on the royalty across from her.

"I feel safer with you." Draudillon replied matter of factly and kept her hands in her lap.

"Well, I like that… thank you, but… why? We've never met, I don't know you, and I can't imagine what we have in common." Neia responded as the carriage wound its way down the long road, the noise of the clattering wheels was inaudible due to the cheering, but with a combination of acoustical design and a little magic, the carriage riders could always converse with ease.

"I heard about you." Draudillon replied. "They say you accepted thousands of elven refugees."

"I did. A little over ten thousand, they said, but I suspect the real number is about double that if you include the half elves and the ones that were born in my country." Queen Baraja kept up the waving, but now intrigued, she turned her vertical pupils squarely on the human Queen.

"Is it because we both have dragon blood in us?" She asked.

"That- That may be part of it. But… it's more. The refugees, they say you took them in as citizens… you're the mother of a nation that never existed in this world… and… and that you used to be a worshiper of the Six." Draudillon found it harder and harder to look at the dragonid Queen, she kept her eyes on the floor between them, but she addressed her reasons as best she could.

"Yes, that's right. I was charged with the capital crime of 'not murder'." Neia barked out a rough laugh when she said it, and it was enough to cause the Draconic Queen's heart to skip a beat.

"So you were lowly, rose to power, rejected the gods, waged war against your nation, and built one of your own… and now you bear the blood of a frost dragon and accept everyone in peace if they come to your country in that spirit… is that right?" Draudillon tried to put a fierce expression on her face, but in the narrow, vicious eyes of the Queen of Frost, it was difficult at best, and she felt her effort waver almost before it began, despite her prior claim.

"I suppose you could put it that way, you make it sound more heroic than it really was, though. The truth is I betrayed one set of beliefs for another that I held at the same time. I couldn't choose both anymore, and now here I am. A lot of innocent people and a lot of guilty people are both dead, and now I've got a Kingdom. So, why don't we come to the point, what do you really want, Draconic Queen?" Neia asked and held out her taloned hand upturned as if to accept an offered gift. Her tail danced at the tip and her wings twitched ever so slightly.

"My line is not entirely human either, I assume that's at least in part why you're so… generous with your time?" Draudillon chose the words with care, and the Dragonid Queen's tail lashed about sharper than before. But she didn't answer the question.

"I'm sure by now you know that I've surrendered to His Majesty. My Kingdom is his, and my heirs are bound to his service… when I have them. But right now, you are still independent, you haven't given him your fealty, only your friendship, but you're not stupid, you know that can't last, no matter how good your friendship is, it's the nature of Empires to grow, and you will either surrender, or clash again." Draudillon emphasized and leaned forward toward the Dragonid Queen, who in turn, paused in her waving to rest her arms on her thighs and lean forward herself.

"You're going to suggest something uncomfortable, aren't you? If you're going to propose marrying me… I doubt I'm your type. I was hideous enough when I was a human." She chuckled a bit at her self effacing humor, but the Draconic Queen didn't let it last.

"No, not me. After a marriage is arranged for me, I'm sure I will have a child very quickly, it was so for both my mother, and hers. As you are the founding Queen with an unknowable lifespan, I'm sure you will choose to marry soon as well… and when you have a child, and I have a child-" Draudillon let the proposal hang in the air, and the fangs of the dragonid Queen were bared as her lips parted.

"You want this to bring me into the… I suppose it will be an Empire when all is said and done, if we're not calling it that already. If you want the truth, I've already communicated privately about the possibility… it will take time to get the demihumans on the wagon with the idea of worshiping a god. But I'll bring them around. I can give a pretty good speech when I want to. So… this is to secure future peace… and earn you a little favor with your new master…" Neia leaned back against her chair and crossed one leg over the other.

The dragonid Queen evaluated the proposal, reciting what she saw as the benefits, "I can see the advantage here… my country integrates with ease, I retain power that nobody can challenge, and I have some security against the Slane Theocracy, plus I don't have to worry about any pesky misunderstandings with my enormous neighbor. We just bide our time and build. You know, Queen Draudillon," Neia said and let a little smirk form, "I think I'm going to like you. You think ahead… me… I'm not so great at that, I try, but… well, let's just say I'm fit to rule demihumans. It helps to keep a few friends around who can keep me grounded."

"So, is that a yes?" Draudillon asked.

"It is. Yes. Assuming we have children of the opposite sex… and that their introductions go well, dragonid blood will unite with the blood of the Dragon Lords within a generation… assuming of course… I find somebody worth marrying who isn't repulsed by my face. I've been told it's scary looking." Neia said and leaned closer, "Are they right?"

Draudillon had to suppress her shudder when it loomed closer, "It is… a very rare face. You should take pride in it." The Draconic Queen answered, and the Queen of Frost leaned back in her seat again.

"The diplomatic answer always means the worst answer is true… but maybe my children will be luckier than I in that department. Now with that out of the way, relax and enjoy the ride, it appears we've arrived for the 'scrub matches' all the nameless ones looking to make a name for themselves before the big names begin. An emperor's chair brings out every bumpkin with a sword, I guess." Neia chortled and gestured to the drawer beneath the seat. "Go ahead, take out wine and glasses, we'll share a drink the rest of the way, and toast to our bargain and our future prosperity."

Draudillon moved swiftly, her hands flying out to snatch out all that she needed, her eyes eagerly looming like saucers on the long missed wine.