Chapter 204: Chapter 204
To'Raven and his little group of orcs could have been happier. The glares of humans reminded him of mere pale shadows of the Mad Eyed Archer who became the Queen of Frost. Arrows nocked in bows followed their every step, and his arms, like those of his companions, remained high overhead until they were led into the fortress itself. The door shut behind him, the cart of goods remained untouched, none of the humans seemed to want to touch it, as if fearing it was 'infected' with one of the many diseases that costs so much mana to treat every year.
'At least they not steal it.' He thought as he was guided forward up a long series of winding stairs and then down a long stone hall. The building itself was an impressive reminder of the advanced nature of human architecture. 'Humans build. Lots. Frost Queen wants us to build too, ours like this, one day.' He felt a swelling of pride in his breast as he considered that, even now, his brethren and the other races of demihumans were building the castle literally around their Queen and her throne.
The long sense of troubling inferiority, that they had not built as humans had, was being stripped away under the proof that they could do exactly the same or perhaps even better. The Dark Dwarves that served as supervisors were also acting as teachers, and his own son was showing aptitude in the task. 'We too, will build great.' He kept the thought to himself as he stepped through a ray of light from the outside that shone against the stone wall, briefly casting his shadow before he passed through it.
Finally he came to a door wide enough for one to pass through, thick oak and painted with the blue insignia of the Holy Kingdom. His 'escort', a sizable human of broad frame made only larger by his thick plate armor, went through first.
To'Raven followed, but to the surprise of both the escort, and evidently the human behind the desk, he stopped six paces away and went down to one knee with his arms crossed at the wrist and resting on his knee.
When the escort stood beside the one seated at the desk, To'Raven got his first real look at the figure, he was a wisp of a man with gray hair and a fading white beard that was immaculately well kept. A wrinkled face and balding head, To'Raven mentally made him the equivalent of an elder in an orcish tribe.
"You-You know our ways? How?" The old man asked, his eyes widening just a little.
"Frost Queen teaches us." To'Raven said, the old man looked up at the escort, and the escort down at the elder, they both gave a tiny shake of their heads.
To'Raven chose to clarify, "She rules orcs, and all demihumans. We have Kingdom. She seeks what she say is, 'Peaceful Coexistence'. Offers trade to humans, sends these things as gifts." His deep, rough voice did not endear itself to the humans, and both frowned in front of him without attempting to hide it.
The smell of their sweat hit him a moment later.
To'Raven sensed their hesitation, their quiet looks stretched out the silence as they struggled to find a question to ask, "She once human. Mad Eyed Archer. Huntress of Wilds."
They gasped at once. The elder whispered her name. "Neia Baraja… is alive?!"
To'Raven nodded. "She lives. She rules. Months of war, all are hers, she is Queen, from wall to Dark Elf Plains, and she offers peace to old home." He reiterated as the smell of their fear of a united Abelion Hills filled the room.
"It's a trick…" The escort hissed.
"No trick." To'Raven promised and shook his head. "Queen wants peace. No killing. No more. Send me to human Queen, I have offer with gifts. She decide, not you, human."
That shook the elder out of his silence. "Fine. You will be escorted to the capital. They will decide what to do with you there… orc." The old man spat the name of To'Raven's race like a curse.
"Then To'Raven goes, send men. Oh, and Queen have saying for you, if no peace." The orc snorted with anger as the elder gave a nod and waited for the message.
"I still feel the swords."
To'Raven let that hang in the air, with all it entailed, he rose to his feet. "I go?"
The elder briefly rubbed the whitening beard and gave a hasty nod. "Go. Send him on."
When To'Raven was gone, and the escort with him, the old master of the keep immediately drew quill and ink and began to write everything the orc said, as it had been said to him. He then rolled the paper, pressed his seal over it, and rang the bell for a messenger to come into the room.
The slender young boy took one look at the white seal and gasped.
"The white?" The beardless youth gasped. "I've never… not in three years…"
"I haven't either, not since I was where you are." The elder said, "But this is that high of a priority. Get word to the capital as soon as you can, I don't care if you have to enchant a horse and run it to death, get this there in days! Not months, not weeks, make it days!"
"S-Sir!" The boy replied and took the white sealed paper in his hands as if it were a snake he feared might bite him.
Neia sat in the middle of what was going to be her dining hall with a young goblin boy acting as an attendant, the table at which she sat was long, done in the human fashion, but it had a unique feature added by the dark dwarf designers. Each section was independent of the rest, and that section came with a hand pump that could be raised or lowered according to the needs of the diner. This allowed races of all sizes and shapes to be seated comfortably according to their body's dictates.
In attendance at that moment aside from the orcs, were zern, goblins, trolls, stone spitters, and others. Every tribe of the demihumans had their chief in attendance, and with good reason, as the special guest, Duke Astraka, was present and seated close to the Queen.
The young of other races were similarly serving their counterparts, ladling soup into bowls or various forms of meat onto trays.
The dining hall was far from complete, with only a few feet of wall established, even with magic, it was slow going, and when she saw the way the Duke looked around, like he was trying to find something nice to say that wouldn't ring false, she took pity on him. "Your home had to be built once, too. I realize this is not a marvel or a wonder, not yet. But it is ours, and it will be great one day." She said and took a long draught of beer, she idly reached up to scratch the place where horns were growing still. She now knew they were growing 'up' at least, though they were not very large yet. 'I hope it's not too large, that could get uncomfortable when it comes to doorways…' She thought when she removed her hand from the itchy area.
"Yes… of course. I'm sure it will be remarkable." Astraka said, coughing into his hand while the little goblin boy put a plate of bread beside him for his stew.
"But," he said as he took up a chunk and dipped it into his stew, "do you simply not believe me about our offer? Or are you hoping for a better deal from the Northern Holy Queen?"
Neia wiped her mouth and slammed the wooden mug down, "I want one thing." She said while holding one finger up and toward him, "Prosperity for my Kingdom. I don't get to play with idealism, and I don't have a reason to enter into a war that won't offer us anything but trouble. If I can get it by peace, I would prefer that. If not? We have a bargain."
Duke Astraka took that in, "So your trade envoy?"
"A test." Neia nodded as she saw the light of understanding forming in his eyes, "And a convenient excuse to keep you here for a little while, so that you can learn about the demihumans the way I have." She smirked a little and then reached behind her to scratch her back.
"I don't understand." Astraka said and held out his mug for the goblin child to refill.
Neia pointed to a giant sized catman creature with large protruding fangs coming up from his lower jaw, he had a great double headed axe on his back and was steadily chewing on a massive haunch of meat. "That is Vijar Rajandala, when I went to take his people into the fold," she chuckled, "as a human I doubt very much that I could have beaten him, we fought four small skirmishes. Each time they came out, I ambushed and captured the lot. When I reached his tribe's home he came out to challenge me in person, do you know what he said when we met?"
"What?" Duke Astraka was now intrigued, the smile on the dragonid face was almost wistful, his brown eyebrow went up and without realizing it, he leaned forward. At the far end, Vijar ate with gusto and chatted idly with a four armed creature Astraka could not quite place, and took no note of the conversation between the Queen and her human guest.
"He asked what I'd done with his people. His first concern was for his tribe, that was all he cared about, when I told him that I had taken them prisoner and that they were being treated as guests, he didn't believe me. So, I had them brought out, when he told me that I couldn't use them as hostages for the rest, I told him I wasn't, and I let them all go right then. When they went back to their families, I offered to fight him myself to spare both our people suffering, and that was when he gave in."
Astraka quietly took that to heart. The very human sentiment of the catman creature was all but unthinkable. But it didn't 'feel' like the Queen was lying. "He is one of my most trusted followers now. These are all my people, they accept me as I am, something no human outside of my own parents ever did." Neia laughed a little, and some of the table paused to glance her way to see if they might enjoy a joke, she shook her head, and they went back to idle chatter.
"I won't treat you as a prisoner, Duke of the South." Neia promised, "You are a guest, I will test the North, I sent a trusted chief of my people there, who I know will not betray me. If they fail, I will help you, but they will get their chance, everybody deserves a chance. Till then, please enjoy my hospitality, get to know us in all our crudity, and see the potential of our Kingdom. Then, you will go home safely, I give you my royal word." Neia said with a smile that might have been charming were it not for the ice filled terrifying expression on her face that chilled his blood even to look at.
"I… yes, I will accept your hospitality." The Duke said, "I have brothers at home, a family, I want what's best for my country. I suppose… for now at least, that means getting to know yours."
"Then, in the spirit of optimism… a toast?" She asked, and when he bowed his head, she stood and raised her mug, he began to stand, and within the span of a breath the rest of the table began to imitate the Queen of Frost.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Ai_Evangeline
Ai_Evangeline Hello Guys...
Like it ? Add to library！
Discord
https://discord.gg/UvhdGv7p2V
Author
springpoweredtoaster
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone