Chapter 5: The Council of Fate
"Marriage?!?" I repeat the last word the Prince says plopping my brow up while I hide the grimace on my face.
"It's for the best of our people. don't you think so?" Prince Adonis insists on recommending his idea and steps closer to whisper the words that made me furrow my eyebrow. "Don't worry, you're not my type."
"Ehemm…" General Min Joon let out an obvious cough to remind us that we are in the presence of a crowd. The closeness of our body made the elves hum with suspicion.
"Your majesty, Queen Taeyang, I'm afraid I can't stay long to celebrate your special day but I hope to hear your answer after a week." Prince Adonis says, asking my hand to kiss while bowing his head to give respect to my status. He flashes a charming smile that makes the girls swoon in his presence yet his flamboyant gestures make me perceive it not the female ones he would like to impress.
The crown-prince marches away from the throne and tries to talk to other councilmen about the party before leaving the premises. Prince Adonis glances and winks at me one last time when he reaches the door of the palace, making me show a doubtful smirk that General Min Joon caught by surprise.
"Is there something wrong, my queen?" The general asks as he stares at my expression to study my thoughts.
I gaze at General Min Joon with a profound concern for what his reaction will be, I know he wouldn't like it when I say, "The crown-prince asked me to marry him."
π - π - π
The Crown-Prince gave me a week to contemplate his proposal. If I am not a Queen, I will refuse his suggestion on the spot but this is an issue that may guarantee the Elf Kingdom a chance for peace and a strong alliance. A good ruler must consider this thoroughly before answering to bind two races.
Instead of calling all the advisors at once and gathering them into an assembly, I invite them to meet me one by one outside the capital by the lake where Miri dwells. While I feed the dragon with fresh fruits that I gather from the market, I begin to call the people that I have chosen to be my advisor.
My first on the list is General Min Joon, who I believe will have the most information about the status of the Elf Kingdom. My goal is to find any conflicts that I can address to the prince when he comes back.
"General Min Joon, please take a seat," I say to the man who stares back at my gaze and I impose a quick smile on my face. Making him feel at ease is important to me, so he can acknowledge my concerns honestly without hesitation.
"Thank you, my queen." The general reply bowing his head at the same time and reached to sit at the chair opposite mine.
"Would you like a beverage before we start talking?" I ask the man sitting with great posture while I point at the pots with dry tea leaves and hot water. We sat under the shade of the tent that my aide helped arrange. There are chairs and a table with a bowl full of different kinds of fruits to eat.
"You don't have to do this, my queen." The general answers with a modest gleam as I pour him a hot drink.
"This is to express my appreciation for all your hard work, General Min Joon," I say with all of my grace and gave the man a quick glimpse before delicately sipping the hot tea on my cup.
"It is my honor to serve you, my queen." The man smiles with his eyes fluttering with pleasure. A rare gesture from the general affirms my heartfelt connection as the days go by being close to his presence.
"Even if I lied to you, you still acknowledge me as your queen," I confess with my eyes low glaring without a wink at my cup of tea.
The man looks at me with deep concern. I admitted lying to the inquiry of his accusations before. And he tells me with conviction, "I believe you have a great reason for telling the council a false story."
"What do you think is my intention?" I inquire, putting the cup close to my lips but didn't take a drink.
"You care for Lady Moon as she will be the next queen. It is undeniable you will be loyal and try to protect her at all cost." The general took his cup and put it close to his lips but waited for me to reply before taking a sip.
"I'm glad you think of me that way, General." I let out a quick smirk at my lips. We took a sip of our tea at the same time.
"About Prince Adonis' proposal, if you are in my shoes, will you say yes to his plan?" I ask, imposing my body closer to the general.
"No. The Elf Kingdom has been independent for hundreds of years since the Great Divide. We have the power to defend our land and every creature inside our wall since then. We don't need an alliance with humans, our magic wielders are superior when it comes to battle." General Min Joon retorts with confidence. His morale is high when talking about the army's power.
"What about the dragon's attack?" I remind the general about the unfortunate day. How a country handles disaster determines its power and preparedness.
"It was not anticipated. You know that no dragon has ever harmed an Elf before as we all came from the same mystic blood in this world. Though dragons are known to be both physical and magical creatures, we could have repelled it without further damage if we train our soldiers to enhance their physical strength." General Min Joon explains as his voice stands out to boast the outstanding capabilities of the elven army.
"You want to train the army to use both magic and physical abilities?" I ask while staring my eyes down on the bowl of fruit to understand what the general proposes.
"Yes, my queen. It is about time we stop relying on magic alone. We could make the Elf Kingdom stand on its own." The general confidently states bringing his fist up to emphasize the strength of the army he wants to create.
"You have a good point. Thank you for your sincere words, general. I shall consider your words on my decision." I end the conversation full of thoughts about what the man suggests.
"Your welcome, my queen." General Min Joon answers, rising from his seat and bowing to me after.
I stand up from the chair and allow the man to leave my presence but before I can call the next advisor, the general turns to me to say a few words.
"My queen, I would rather see you marry someone good for you, not someone who will look good for the people." The general bows his head for the last time, as they let the next advisor relieve his spot.
π - π - π
My last advisor is Lady Moon, who declined my offer at first, but at the last minute shows up at the lake where I stand waiting for her arrival.
"I have nothing to suggest to you, your majesty. I'm curious why you ask me to join your council." Lady Moon says, entering the premise. Her voice sounds irritated by the notion of being summoned by my aid.
"You decline your marriage to Prince Dae Eun. I think your perception will give me a better insight on what to do with the Crown-Prince's proposal." I say deliberately without concern. It may be difficult for Lady Moon to address the reasons for her choice but it will be a good start for me to think about where to begin my options.
"My experience? Was my misery supposed to be something to look up to?" Lady Moon remarks in a furious tone. I can hear the pain underneath the scorned words.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend you." I apologize to the woman. Stepping closer to Lady Moon to reach her but the woman steps away and sways off my hand.
"You know how I feel and how much I detest my father's order yet I obey him blindly for years. Don't compare your situation to my fate, your majesty. You have a choice to say no. I didn't." Lady Moon confesses with her voice trembling from agony.
The events are still fresh from the woman's memory. I can feel the pain residing inside Lady Moon's heart. The burden of a responsibility that weighs both of us down.
"I understand the importance of how much you sacrificed to be able to fight for yourself. You lost so much. Not only did it make you look ungrateful for abandoning your duty as a good daughter but you also lost your honor as a good leader to your clan. And now, you lost your friend, Prince Dae Eun. I don't know how you can still stand up every day, but that is courageous." I state my words with sincerity.
"Y-Your Majesty, I—" Lady Moon stutters scrambling for words to say, she looks away from my stare and focuses on the grassy floor that cushions our footwear.
"I want to have the same bravery that you have," I say to the woman while taking a few steps forward, making us only an arms reach from each other.
"I don't call this bravery, I call this living." Lady Moon replies, with her eyes low staring down at her hand.
"I call mine surviving." I let out a quick smile on my face. I want Lady Moon to know that I am rowing a boat to a place we are both familiar with. The tides might be different but the stakes are still the same.
Am I willing to sacrifice myself for this kingdom?
I offered Lady Moon a cup of hot beverage and she accepted the drink I poured for her. We took a sip while we stood side by side at the lake, looking at the sun setting up to the other side of the world.
"What do you know about the Human Kingdom?" I begin to ask about my initial inquiry.
"You have been there several times as the queen's right hand. Surely, discussing sensitive matters with you is not unusual, your majesty." Lady Moon answers, taking another sip from her cup.
"I was only a servant. I don't have all the information." I reply, gazing at the woman who starts to avoid answering my questions.
The woman set her cup back to the table and pace toward the stone-filled lakeside to glance herself at the water. I follow her every step and let my feet get wet as we both walk into the shallow part of the lake. Then, the woman begins to tell me the information I wanted to learn.
"The Human Kingdom begins to prosper because of their machines. I can see it as the same as magic. Technology manufactured into different abilities."
"Do they use it for war?"
"Yes. Their most proud invention is anti-magic. It can null any spell that comes in contact with it."
"What?"
"Every mystic found themselves questioning the development of the technology, and now here we are seeing the nightmare become a reality."
"What do you mean?"
"The black gem that the Witch used to control the dragon serves as an anti-magic as well."
"The Elf Kingdom is defenseless to the dragon attack from the start."
"Sadly, that's the truth, your majesty."
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