Chapter 27
Fithian, Mirwanna, and I were seated in Mirwanna's sitting room. It was a nice room, very comfortable. I had just repeated for Mirwanna what I had told Fithian earlier, about my contact with Salvadi Minturi.
"This is just too much! Salvadi has gone too far with this attack on my brother!" Mirwanna exclaimed grimly.
"What do you want to do? You have already told me that our armies and his are pretty much equal. Of course, with the dragons added, we will have an added benefit that he does not posses, but you know he is capable of killing dragons, even without the crystals," Fithian said calmly.
"This cannot go unanswered. He must have known that this would be reported," Mirwanna stated.
"I think we should summon the Minturi ambassador, Duke Cedron, and lodge a protest, as well as demand reparations. While he is dancing around the subject, Fithian can make an entrance, and say that he is not amused with Minturi," I said.
"I think if we are going to do this, we should go to the source," Fithian said, firmly.
We all looked at him. Was he suggesting what I thought he was?
"Salvadi attacked a family member. If you want reparations, I will ask for them. But I intend to challenge him for his audacity! That he felt safe enough to attack one of us, shows he has no respect for Landkur, or the children of Vostich Landkur. He needs to be reminded," Fithian finished.
Fithian walked over to the window and stared outside while Mirwanna and I talked with each other about possible reparations for me, and for Landkur itself. We had just about ironed out what I would ask for, and the reparations to Landkur, when we felt it!
We both turned, and saw Fithian doing a spell. It was Powerful! Tthere was no way to resist it. There was a compelling that went with the spell that I felt like answering, and it was not even directed at me!
Shortly an image appeared in the air. It was Salvadi Minturi! Minturi took us all in, and actually gasped when he saw Fithian.
"So. You wish to go to war then, Salvadi?" Fithian asked with calm finality.
"What are you talking about? We have a treaty. There is no war!" Minturi said.
"You deny attacking my grandson, Paul? An attack that is tantamount to a declaration of war? If it's war you want, I will be glad to martial my dragons, and we can resume the war we were having a few years back," Fithian said, hammering Minturi.
"No! I do not want war with you, or Landkur," Minturi said, actually sweating now.
"Then why did you attack my grandson?" Fithian asked curiously.
"I was curious about him. I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused him," Minturi said.
"Really? From the spell's description, it sounded like a death spell to me. Paul was just fortunate that he was far enough away from your power that he was not killed," Fithian said, narrowing his eyes.
That startled me. I had not even considered that possibility!
"I ask you again, why did you attack my grandson?" Fithian asked, with an almost draconic hissing.
Minturi licked his lips. "Look, I admit I may have over-reacted. He insulted me with his words," Minturi said.
Fithian looked at me and summoned me to his side with a gesture.
"Here is my grandson. You will listen to his demands for reparations. You will then pay reparations to Landkur itself for your cowardly attack. Mirwanna will tell you what that will encompass," Fithian said in a no nonsense tone of voice.
"I want 500 gold coins. I want 1000 silver coins, I want 2000 coppers. I want 5 first class emeralds. I want 5 rubies. All the jewels will be of first grade quality. You will write a letter of apology to me and send it to me by messenger. Finally, you will apologize this minute, and make me believe it."
I added the last, just to piss him off.
I thought he was going to go into a fit. Have you ever heard 'someones feature's blackened', in a book somewhere? Well, this guy's features darkened like hell! I thought his eyes were going to pop out of his head. I could see a vein on his left temple start to pound. His eyes actually flared with power.
Fithian moved in front of me, and I could feel him summoning POWER. Salvadi saw this, and calmed himself with an effort.
"Duke Landkur, I apologize for my previous spell that I cast upon you. It was beneath my and your dignity. I ask that you accept my word that I do apologize with all my being," he said. I actually believed it. Wow!
I nodded. "Accepted. I hope to receive the remainder of the reparations soon," I said.
He nodded, and I moved out of the way. My sister came and stood next to Fithian.
"For the unwarranted attack on my brother and through him, Landkur, you must surrender your child, Mariel, to come and be our guest for the next 3 years. You will deed over the disputed borderland along the western edge of your and our boundaries. This do I require in reparation," Mirwanna said.
I could see that Salvadi Minturi was not pleased with anything that my sister had said. I watched as he mulled over what was required. I got the impression he was weighing his chances with a war. When finally he nodded, and said 'Done', you could have knocked me over with a feather.
Fithian turned to us, and asked that my sister and I leave, so that he might talk with Salvadi alone. We both bowed to Fithian, and left him to his conversation.
"That was amazing! I have wanted to beard that man for years!" Mirwanna said, laughing.
I grinned at her. "Did you see him when I asked for my reparations? I thought he was going to explode!" I said, still laughing.
We went to my rooms, and I put on some coffee. Mirwanna snooped around 'till she found my candy bar stash. She grabbed a couple.
"Mirwanna! You could at least ask!" I said, feigning exasperation with her, mostly.
She grinned and said, "You have hooked me on these things. I will require you supply these to me as part of your obligation to the Crown," she said, hautily.
I snorted. "If you want candy bars, go to that land and buy your own," I said.
"As my subject, I can make this part of your tax burden, you know," she said nodding as she took another bite of her candy bar.
'Hmm, I could always over-throw you in favor of a better candidate for the Throne... ME!" I said laughing. She laughed along with me.
"Speaking of the Throne, has Fithian said anything about resuming the kingship, or is he stepping down in favor of you? I understand Dad was King, but he assumed the Throne when his dad, Fithian, disappeared. Now Fithian is back, and is technically the King," I said.
"No. I would have no problems with him assuming the Throne. I never became Queen because I felt something preventing me. Now I know what it was: Fithian was still alive," Mirwanna said with a sigh.
"Why didn't Dad just assume protector-ship, then?" I asked curiously.
"When dad assumed the Throne, we were at war. We needed more than a Prince Protector. We needed a King. So dad assumed the Throne and that was that. Before you ask, you are not only Duke De Landkur, but you are also the Prince Protector of the Throne. So you can't over-throw me without causing all sorts of trouble," Mirwanna said grinning at me.
"Another evil plan shot to hell," I groaned dramatically.
She laughed, and threw a candy bar at me; which I caught, opened, and started to eat.
"Hey! That's my candy bar!" she protested loudly.
"Spoils of war," I said, dodging as she came after me.
All in all, it had been a good day. We had bearded Salvadi Minturi. We had wrung concessions from him, and I was going to be a little richer than I previously was. I did wonder at wanting the gems. I hadn't known I wanted those, 'till the last moment before actually asked for them.
"If I might ask, who is Mariel? Why do you want her?" I asked.
"Mariel is Salvadi Minutri's youngest daughter. She has but 14 summers, and if we have her for three years, there is a good chance we can influence her enough to soften at least one member of that family's attitude towards us.
"I know it is a bit late to foster her, but I really think I can work with her. Of course, she will feel like a prisoner at first; but after some time, I think we can convince her we aren't all that bad," my sister finished.
How about that? Fostering! I had only read of it in books. To think that still went on, here. I considered the ramifications of the situation. Even if we managed to change this girl's attitude towards us, that might not be a good thing for her. Her father, after all, was a first class asshole. He might take his anger out on her. I wouldn't put it past him, anyway.
Two days later, a deputation from the Minturi embassy arrived with several chests. It was everything I had asked for except my gems. I frowned. The ambassador stepped forward and explained that only the finest quality gems were being sent, and they had to be gotten from a city far to the southwest in Minturi.
I nodded my acceptance of this explanation, and accepted the payment with good grace. The ambassador seemed a bit nervous. I asked him if something concerned him.
"Is it true? Has Fithian returned?" he asked me in a hushed voice.
"Yes. He has returned, and he is not too pleased with Minturi, at the moment," I replied.
"I would like to say for the people of Minturi, that we wish no fight with Landkur," he finished.
I looked at him. From what he was saying, and from the feeling I was getting from him, he was serious in his statement. Was there some sort of rift in Minturi? Interesting. It was a good thing to know that not everyone in Minturi was pleased with Lord Salvadi's rule.
"The princess Mariel will arrive within the hour. She transported to the embassy earlier, and is now preparing for her fosterage. We would ask that I, or a member of the embassy, be allowed to see her upon occasion... to see that she is alright," the ambassador asked.
"I cannot promise anything for the Crown, but for myself, I see no harm. I will ask my sister to consider your request in good faith," I responded to him.
"Thank you my lord. I appreciate your candor, and your intercession on behalf of myself and my staff," he said, bowing his way out.
'"Curiouser and curiouser," said Alice, ' I thought.
So, all was not well in the land of Minturi. Also, I would swear that this man actually cared about the young princess. Were these people human, after all?
A short time later, I was notified that my sister wanted me in the Throne room. I followed the servant until we came to an outer chamber. I was requested to wait, until I was announced.
Uh, oh. One of those public-type occasions that I hated so much. It was bad enough when I officiated as the Duke De Landkur, but when my sister and I got together, it became much worse.
I watched surreptitiously. The council assembled, as did several of the lords and ladies of the nobility. Everyone milled around, waiting for the arrival of the guest of honor, Mariel. I knew exactly what this was about. I sighed. The poor girl.
Shortly, the outer doors were thrown open, and a young girl entered, surrounded by an honor guard and the Minturi ambassador. She held her chin up, and slowly marched her way to my sister's throne.
She was a cutie. She had light brown hair, and fiery eyes of blue. She was in that tall gangly stage that the young go through. She was about 5 foot 7 inches tall and looked very appealing in all brown.
"Thus do I, Princess Mariel Minturi, present and surrender myself as per agreement between Salvadi Minturi and princess Mirwanna Landkur. I await your decision and my fate," she said and curtsied deeply.
Edited by TeNderLoin