Chapter 4

Natasha Hachibambo POV

There was a saying by the itobantu tribe of Valon, which goes as follows. "Politics is a hyena laughing alongside you, soon enough it would try to eat you."

No truer words had been spoken in the eyes of Natasha Hachibambo, Queen of Valon. These words had been driven into her mind since she was a young naive girl, freshly married to the prince of Valon. It had felt like a fairy tale for her a unremarkable farmers daughter to become a princess, that fantasy gave way when the ugly side of power and the elite revealed itself.

Her time in the Crocodile War had dulled much of her expectations, but it was her time in the court that had completely shattered them. War was a crucible of blood and fire, the enemy was known and the engagement predictable. Politics on the other hand was superficial, craven and somehow even more spiteful than an enemy whose brother you had slain right infront of him.

The House of Law, the parliamentary and legislative heart of Valons government stood at the heart of the royal palace, its marble walls lined with images of Monarchs, First Ministers and cabinets from ages past who had driven Valon's development across the ages.

Today one hundred parliamentarians and the most important stakeholders of Valon filled the chamber. Intermixed amongst them were the diplomats from across the whole world. Envoys from the Ocean Lords, Unar Empire and many others watched intently. Their eyes fixed on the heart of the room, upon which a throne of smoothly carved obsidian stone rested upon on an elevated dais.

The throne was a powerful symbol, but it was the man who sat boldly upon it who had attracted so many eyes that they reminded Natasha of a thousand little red rat eyes in the dark.

Natasha would have liked to seat besides her husband, the Mwami of Valon, but she had diverged from that path long ago. She made it her duty to be his shadow, to cast webs in which his enemies would be ensnared, to listen where he could not, to move unseen among his so-called allies and root out the ones who sought to betray him.

Thus, she sat among the assembly, not so far that it seemed she was hiding, but far enough that she never entered the thoughts of the audience present.

Her cold golden eyes cast a wide gaze from the envoys from all the kingdoms great and small all knowing that whatever choice taken today would affect them. She looked to the parliamentarians who pretended to hold a neutral stance publicly whilst whoring themselves out to whichever faction would guarantee their bid or their allies bid for the position of First Minister.

John Phiri the current First Minister cast a pitiful figure in his dull blue suit that was two sizes too big. The old elf looked exhausted, his eyes showed that the fire that had won him two terms was now deeming. Natasha dreaded his coming retirement, he had always been a somewhat trusted ally who she could count to control the vultures of the House of Law.

But all of his influence paled in comparison to the presence of one woman.

Asthor.

The old she-wolf.

The human woman sat apart from the rest, flanked on both sides by ornately armoured bodyguards. The human woman's hair had long become like snow and her skin was wrinkled and beaten by age, in her modest green dress and calm expression she cast an image of a dotting grandmother. But Natasha knew better.

She had been in this game for too long. The parliamentarians might be loud, the ambassadors might be posturing, but it was Asthor who truly moved the pieces. Her hands had shaped this meeting long before it began. It was her machinations that had led to the two High Commissioners standing before Undi now, pleading their cases not to him, but to the public. To those parliamentarians who still feigned neutrality while they weighed on who would pay the price of their loyalty.

Regret burned in Natasha's chest. A day had not passed where she and Undi had not cursed themselves for their mercy at the end of the Crocodile War. Sparing Asthor's life had been the practical choice after that brutal bloodbath thirty years ago, so much life had been lost and as Undi took the throne he needed to promote the image of a linient king not one who would fill mass graces even after winning. Justinian had warned them. He had told them to steel their hearts and execute the captured generals of Undi's then recently dead father. And now, here she was, alive and more dangerous than ever.

The silvered beared Grandmaster of the Vortiguard alongside his two superintendents stood besides the throne, silent sentries observing all. These few honoured men and women were amongst the greatest of warriors in the whole of Valon. And they served not just as the personal guards of the Mwami, but also as his confidants.

In the loud murmurs of the House Of Law, Justinian and Asthor spoke the loudest with their interlocked eyes that roared in a deep seated hatred. Old Justinian's played with his hands, his fingers locking and releasing over and over again as he made different type of fists.

The tension in the room was near breaking point when the High Commissioner of the Unar Empire rose from his seat. His clothing of shimmering silver and bold gold chosen to reflect the colours of his people. The man carried himself with confidence and he began with the usual protocols.

"Mwami Undi Hachibambo, the elected parliament of the peoples of Valon, members of the diplomatic corps and other concerned stakeholders, I bring you good tidings from the peoples of the Empire of Unar and Emperor Nuadia who pray for your continued health and prosperity."

Natasha could barely contain a scoff at his words. A wish of good health and prosperity just before he tried to place a blade into their hand and send them off to die for his war.

"Great Mwami, I come to present my Emperor's request for a revision in our two nations trade agreement upon the matter of Blue Copper imports. I hope that the revised treaty was presented to all illustrious persons in this room?"

Natasha and Undi had read this revised proposal in extensive detail long before the High Commissioner himself received it from his Empire and sent it to all important Valonian channels. Of course those were not the only thing that he sent through those channels, the many senior persons with increased Gillthorns Bank accounts were a testament to that.

"I am well aware." Undi responded as he stroked his beard.

The Mwami's facial expression did not change as he spoke, making him appear like an impressive carving of black and gold. Natasha wondered what the younger more impenitent version of the man she had married would have thought looking at his future self and what of her old self.

"What would he have thought about hollow thing that wore..." a traitorous thought whispered into her ear before she quickly buried it and the cold spike in her chest away.

"High Commissioner Mcdalun, I am surprised by this revision. As far as I was aware our previous arrangements was the most profitable in our two nations history, unless I stand to be corrected." Undi paused and looked around the room to see if anyone would deny his statement and when no rebuttal came he continued. "Why is Emperor Nuadia looking to change it for one which would see Valonian ships coming all the way to your ports on the Blue Belt, thus cutting into your shipment profit's and export taxes?"

Of course the answer was simple, Valon and it's allies in the Marthon League had stayed neutral from the long War Of Fire and both sides were trying to bait them into joining. This new trade deal would look beneficial for Valons merchants, but those ships of theirs would be sailing straight into an active warzone to move the Blue Copper.

These Valonian ships would need to be guarded by troops and battleships who would eventually clash with Ocean Lord forces and inevitably a ship or two would be sunk by one of the combatants and the Empire would aim the angry Valonian public at the Ocean Lords. It was a cheap but effective trick in Natasha's eyes, a pity Asthor could not fill the High Commissioners ears with plans that didn't end with young Valonians dead.

The Ocean Lords were not that much better either, the old colonial masters had never cared about maintaining any close relations with Valon after independence. The only thing that they were quick to do was make demands of Valon in any perceivable metric.

They had many a time bribed important advisor to argue for their cause and when that failed, an attempt assassination was made to replace Undi with a Mwami more amenable to them. Of course Natasha had honestly lost track of how many Ocean Lord spies that she had disposed of every year.

"Because it is a trick, spoken by vile killers and thieves. Our Basileus asks you to remember our bonds of friendship and history, but most importantly the corpses of nations at Unars feet, killed by their greed and betral!" the Ocean Lord High Commissioner finally exploded in accusatory rage.

"They want to entrap you into a war that they are losing before they turn on you for your resources. Everyone should know by now that only salt water can be born from Unari tongues!" the Ocean Lord High Commissioner was extremely animated with his movements as he jerked, pointed, snapped and sneered.

"Thieves?, isnt that a little rich coming from an empire which once subjected so many with sword and spear. We like Valon once did against you are only defending ourselves against your aggression!" the Unar High Commissioner countered with a calm smirked that would do nothing more than set off his counterpart.

"Our aggression?, is that what you people.... you rebels, cutthroats, and whore begotten..." the Ocean Lord High Commissioner caught himself and turned to face Undi with a plea. "As we speak their troops are slaughtering common folk in our territories and not even the ones in theirs in safe. So many are gone one ought to think their Emperor feeds on Hoom flesh."

"How dare you!" the Unar High Commissioner now looked ready to abandon his cool demeanor and strike the other man. "That territory was stollen by your people in unprovoked attacks. You have you continued to do the same with our holdings in the Blue Belt and..."

"ENOUGH!" Undi's voice was like thunder and the earth shook before it.

The Mwami upon his throne was near instantly transfigured into a being of blazing flame, a living sun in the centre of the throne room, blinding all. Waves of intoxicating power rippled from him in such potency that when Natasha last felt it, entire mountain ranges had been turned to ash and glass within a second.

"Do not forget whose hall you stand in!" with each word uttered the room shook. "You are here as representatives of your nations, not to act as children squabbling in another man's home without his say so!"

The fire died. Undi sat once again flesh and blood,88 though his pupils still burned like embers.

"Forgive me, your grace." the Unar High Commissioner bowed nervously. "In response to your question, we can not spare much ships in the region due to the increased war effort. Emperor Nuadia thought it for the best for your people to come to the Blue Belt, it will allow for more efficient extraction and transport of Blue Copper."

"He really had to bring that up of all things." Natasha thought in annoyance, though she had to congratulate the High Commissioner on pinching the one sore spot in all the world, the Blue Belt.

That Blue Copper infused continent which had been born out of the crack in reality to the dead world of earth. Its birth two years ago had reignited the fighting of the War Of Fire and the abundance of Blue Copper upon it had seen near every mind covert the land with a wish to dominate all of it.

Even in Valon, the men and women of parliament had made their desire for Valon to set up a mines and territories upon it well known, the desire to not join a meat grinding conflict with no end like the War Of Fire was evaporating quickly and it worried Natasha. Unchecked greed was a rot that ate away at common sense in the minds of men.

"Your grace." a man besides her whispered and she turned to face a familiar face.

Sitting besides her was an elf of tall starture with a silver mane and a face that was decorated in wrinkles brought on by age. Dressed in black flowing robes which reminded her of a puffed up and arrogant bird. Of course this was the intended effect but Natasha would never fall for the foppish disguise that the man dressed himself in.

She knew that the Chinga constituency's parliamentary representative was far more clever than he let on. Her eyes and ears in his house hold told her of his ties with the Bronze and Steel criminal gangs or rather what was left of them. He was a clear scoundrel lacking much moral fiber and yet he was one of the few influential persons in Asthor's pocket, making him a potential asset that she needed in her pocket.

"Honourable Lungu." she responded with that familiar mask of friendliness. "I apologise for not having seen you. I beg your forgiveness."

"Oh no, your grace. I am honoured simply to talk to you... Though if you may honour my questioning, why does the Mwami seem rather aloof about Empire Nuadia's proposal."

"Because it means war, Honourable Lungu."

"War is not something that is foreign to us my queen. Did our armies not gain experience during the Crocodile War thirty years ago. Our Mwami has proven himself a genius commander." Lungu said so sweetly, one would imagine that he had fought in that brief civil war. "If you both led us through that war and a Night Terror incursion, then the armies of either the Unar Empire or Ocean Lords should not be enough to defeat us."

Natasha hid her wince as her mind was cast back to the wars. She remembered three years of blood, screams, rain and mud which saw Undi become Mwami and much of the old order of Valon destroyed. Most of all she remembered those Night Terrors who came after, twisted abominable monsters that hated all life.

"War is hell, Honourable Lungu, regardless of how confident you are in it. It is not best to send boys and girls to fight and die in some foreign land for Blue Copper when our natural mines are still producing healthy amounts."

"Maybe, but the others feel that our policy of none intervention is leaving Valon behind." Lungu paused as expecting a rebuttal and when she said nothing he continued "Many believe that not only will our Blue Copper fall in value but also that it is best to exploit the Blue Belt of what it has rather than our own land."

Natasha looked him in the eyes, knowing now that Lungu chose to speak to her at the request of someone else. " Which others do you speak for?"

Lungu smirked like a cat that had cornered a mouse and was close to clamping it in its jaws. Natasha fought the urge to glare at him but she kept her demeanor cold as Lungu responded. "Those who would rather not join Asthor's cabal.... I may not speak well for them, but whilst war is unwanted, the potential profit of territorial holdings in the Blue Belt would be quite appreciated by many loyal servants of the crown."

Natasha felt disgust well up in her gut and she fought to keep down that familiar blood rage. She covered it up with a smile and a lie as she spoke. "Perhaps the throne has been too hasty in our stance, there is definitely a change in the power balance of the world."

A false promise to win a false ally over for a time. Better he be in their corner than in Asthor's and regardless of how sure Natasha was that he would try and betray them, she needed. Lungu smiled in response and he turned to look at the High Commissioner of the Ocean Lords who was trying to plead his case for the Mwami to deny the Unar Empire's proposal.

It was then that she felt it. That familiar tug in her heart, that flash of vision of Mwanza that told her he was in danger. She locked eyes with Undi for the briefest of seconds and with that the message was passed on, something had gone horribly wrong.