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IDWTBTHQ Chapter 140 - Political Animals
🕑 Added 2023-07-06 22:44:01 +0000 UTCMore than one hour and a half later, Marcus was not only even more hungry, but also bored out of his mind. The pause he had been waiting for had never come, as Eisen and Trakk had basically been talking nonstop ever since they had arrived. The goblin had been telling the tale of the battle of Treval at least five times by now, filling the pause between each narration with jokes and clever conversation that had made him the crowd’s favourite. Meanwhile the marquis had been conversing with some acquaintances, laughing about things that were probably inside jokes between the Medelanian nobility and discussing current politics.
The only silver lining to all this was that the two were keeping people’s attention away from the Vex Queen. Initially a few people had tried to ask him questions or tried to compliment his clothes, but after receiving the briefest possible responses from him they had flocked towards his more talkative companions. However, while being left alone suited Marcus perfectly, there was the small problem that this way he had nothing to distract him from his hunger and boredom.
Then, finally, as he felt his stomach start rumbling, he decided that he had enough.
“Oh, bugger it all! If they prefer talking to eating, that’s their business, but I’m not obligated to follow suit!” He thought. “I’m going to get something to eat! It’s not like they’d miss me… I mean, I barely spoke a single word in the last hour and no one noticed!”
He studied his surroundings, and after making sure that no one was currently paying attention to him, he slowly moved away from his companions, slipping through the crowd and carefully heading towards the buffet.
Once there, he grabbed a delicate porcelain plate and helped himself to the vast selection of raw dishes that had been prepared for the evening. By the time he was done, his plate was now heavy with tartares, sashimi, raw fruits and a few more exotic foods that he had never seen before.
“Bon appetit!” He told himself as he dug in, feeling a rush of relief as he felt the food sliding down his throat.
Out of consideration for the formal environment he found himself in, he refrained from wolfing down everything like he’d have done under normal circumstances, and instead tried to follow the proper etiquette. Despite his efforts however some of the more exotic dishes proved to be quite a challenge to eat without making a mess. In particular, there was what looked like a mix between a pill bug and a lobster rolled into a ball that seemed almost impossible to pry open. Marcus tried for a good minute to tear open its shell with no success, and he was just about to give up when suddenly someone came to his help.
“You should try hitting it from the side.” A tall, slim man who had just approached the Vex Queen from the side suggested.
“I’m sorry, what do you mean?” The monster girl asked.
“You should give it a good hit on its side with the fork. Right there.” The man pointed at a specific point on the side of the creature’s shell.
Marcus hesitated a moment but then did as he was told. He swung the back of his fork to the creature’s side, and much to his surprise it immediately unrolled, revealing a white, tender-looking meat on its exposed abdomen.
“Thank you.” He said, turning towards the man. “I would have never guessed that this is how it can be opened.”
“Don’t worry, it’s quite normal. Most people have problems eating Rollbug the first time they try it.” The man smiled. “By the way, you might want to try to put some sauce on it before eating it. The meat is delicious but it can be a tad bland by itself.”
“Thank you for the suggestion, but I don’t think that’s going to be a problem.” The Vex Queen replied. “My tastes are… a bit weird, to be honest. Most dishes just taste better raw and without seasoning for me.”
“I see.” The man nodded. “Then I guess that explains why there are so many raw dishes tonight. The palace cooks must have made this buffet specifically to accommodate your tastes.” He smirked. “If that’s the case, then the king must really want to ingratiate himself to you, sir Marcus.”
That last observation, though seemingly innocent enough, raised up a red flag for Marcus. Normally he wouldn’t have really paid attention to it, but all the talk about politics that had happened the last few days had made him a tad more sensitive to this topic.
“I wouldn’t know.” He replied with a shrug. “I’ve never met the king before, so I have no idea about what he might want to do. And also, how do you know me?”
“Well, you are quite famous, in case you didn’t know.” The man explained. “After all, you saved Treval from the orc horde. That’s quite an impressive achievement, if you ask me.”
“Sure, but it’s not as if I did it by myself.” Marcus stuck to the version of the story he had previously agreed on with Eisen and Trakk. “There were many others, both goblins and humans, who played a key role in defending the city, especially captain Yasen and Alya Vilka. Me and my minions just provided some help, that’s all.”
“I see.” The man nodded politely. “That’s the official version of the story too. However, I know a few people who swore that the Vex actually did most of the work and basically vanquished the orc army with only minimal help from the others.”
Marcus hesitated a moment, caught off guard by that statement, but before he could say anything the man kept talking.
“But well, if you of all people say otherwise, then it’s probably just rumours. I guess a few people might just have seen the battle from a weird angle and misunderstood what was happening.”
“Yeah, that might be it.” The Vex Queen said, feeling relieved that the man hadn’t pressed further. In fact, the man seemed cordial enough to make him doubt his previous suspects.
He was just about to say something else when suddenly he heard a familiar voice calling him, and turned to see that Yasen Harp was waving at him as he made his way through the crowd.
“Sir Marcus! There you are!” The captain said. He was dressed in an elegant white and green military uniform which emphasised his shoulders, making him seem even more imposing than usual. Several golden medals also adorned his large chest, and Marcus had no doubt that the Aura Master had more than earned each and every one of them. All in all, he looked very good in those clothes, and much to the Vex Queen's chagrin he felt his heart skip a beat when the aura master approached him. “I've been looking for you. Magister Orr said that there is someone here that you have to meet, and he sent me to search for you.” Yasen's eyes then moved over to the slim man Marcus had been speaking with, and he added: “I hope I'm not interrupting anything though.”
“No, we were just talking.” Marcus replied. “Who is this person that Orr wants me to meet?”
“I don't know, but the Magister seemed to think that it was important.” He then turned to the slim man. “I hope you don't mind if I steal sir Marcus for a while, lord Jochel.”
“Not at all.” The man smiled. “Far from me to monopolise a celebrity like the Queen of the Vex. I'll just wait for another occasion to speak with her. I hope I'll see you soon, sir Marcus.”
“Likewise.” The monster girl replied, making a small, polite bow before taking leave with the captain.
“What were you doing?” The captain then asked as soon as they were out of hearing, his voice suddenly devoid of his previous cheerfulness. “Why were you talking with Jochel?”
“Well, he approached me while I was eating, so I just tried to have a polite conversation with him.” Marcus replied. “Why do you ask? Is there a problem with it?”
“There might be.” Yasen said, his face dead serious. “Count Jochel is one of the most important members of the Council of Nobles.”
“Oh.” The Vex Queen mumbled, suddenly remembering that Eisen had indeed mentioned Count Jochel on his list of people that he should avoid. “Well, he didn't introduce himself, so I had no way of knowing who he was.” He said, trying to defend himself. “He just appeared out of nowhere and started talking to me. What was I supposed to do? Pretend he didn't exist?”
“No, but you shouldn't have left Eisen's side to begin with.” The captain said reproachfully. “Orr sent me to look for you as soon as he noticed you weren't with the marquis. He was worried that you could be approached by someone dangerous, and he was right, since you were talking with Jochel of all people.”
Marcus frowned, feeling a bit irritated at being scolded like this. After all, he wasn't a child who needed constant supervision. He was a full grown man (on the inside at least) and he could look after himself.
He was about to let out a snarky response but stopped when he suddenly realised that, all things considered, the captain's concerns were actually legitimate. After all, he was self-admittedly terrible at politics, so it wasn't actually that unlikely that he'd make some mistake of left to himself. So, after a moment, he forced himself to swallow his pride and apologise.
“I'm sorry.” He said. “I was hungry and bored, so I thought that I could just grab something to eat and get back to the marquis's side before anyone would notice. I didn't think that anything bad would happen.”
“Well, that's quite understandable.” The captain replied, mollified by the Vex Queen's honesty. “It's the first time you deal with this kind of political event, after all, so you're bound to make a mistake here and there. Just be more careful in the future, will you?”
“Sure.” The Vex Queen nodded. Then, to change the subject to some less embarrassing topic, he asked: “By the way, was Orr's request to introduce someone to me true or is it just an excuse to take me away from Jochel?”
“It's true.” Yasen replied. “Orr actually wanted to introduce him to you since before you showed up.”
“And you really have no idea about who this person is?”
“No.” The captain shook his head. “But I can tell that he isn't an ordinary person. He's probably a powerful sorcerer or something like that, even if I personally have never heard of him before.”
Then, as the two made their way through the hall, one person suddenly stepped in front of them, forcing them to stop. It was a tall woman, dressed in a deep blue silk dress which made waves around her waist as if it was made of water, and she was clearly not human. Her skin was pale blue, her limbs and neck were abnormally long and thin, and her features were somehow alien, with an extremely long and pointy nose, completely black, glistening eyes and, barely visible behind her long, green hair that looked almost like seaweed, small fins where her ears had ought to be.
Besides him, Marcus felt Yasen's body suddenly become tense.
“Yasen! Long time no see!” The strange woman said cheerfully in a melodious voice. “How have you been? And who is this lovely lady besides you? Your last conquest of this night?”
The Vex Queen felt himself blushing at those words, but before he could say anything Yasen spoke with a glacial voice.
“Lady Pranee.” The Aura Master said while making a rather stiff bow. “I'd appreciate it if you'd refrain from making this kind of insinuation. This is sir Marcus, Queen of the Vex. We are just friends.”
“Just friends?” The woman smiled sardonically, tilting her head to the side. “Knowing you, I find that hard to believe. But as I said, it's been a long time since we've last seen each other, so I guess it's possible that you might have changed a bit.”
Yasen's eyes flashed with anger, but before he could reply the woman turned towards the Vex Queen.
“I hope you don't mind my little jest.” She said. “Me and the good captain here are long-time acquaintances, and as such it's our pleasure to indulge in a bit of tomfoolery.”
“Uhm... don't worry, I take no offence.” The Vex Queen replied, a bit confused by the situation. Then he asked: “By the way, who are you?”
“Oh dear me, where are my manners?” The weird woman crossed her hands —which, as Marcus noticed, had long, slightly webbed fingers— on her chest and bowed slightly, in what Marcus had been taught was a formal salute of the Djinni Dominate. “I forgot to introduce myself. I am Pranee Ashram Ur Thir, and I serve as the ambassador of the Dominate in this kingdom. A pleasure to meet you, sir Marcus. I've heard a lot about you.”
“The pleasure is all mine.” The monster girl replied, returning the same gesture towards the woman.
A rather awkward silence followed, as Lady Pranee then waited for him to add something else. But Marcus had been instructed by Eisen not to be too chatty when dealing with the ambassadors from the Dominate, since they were agents of a foreign and often hostile nation, so he kept his mouth shut.
The woman smiled once again, as if she knew perfectly the reason for the Vex Queen's silence, but before she could start talking or asking questions, Yasen intervened.
“Well, if you excuse us, we should be on our way now.” The captain said abruptly. “There are people who are waiting for us, and we really shouldn't let them wait.”
“I see.” The ambassador nodded with a knowing smile on her face. “If that's the case, I won't keep you. I just hope that we'll meet again soon. Especially you, captain.” Her smile became rather sultry. “I'd really like to renew our acquaintance.”
“I don't.” Yasen replied with uncharacteristic bluntness, his whole face seemingly set in stone. “In fact, I'd love for nothing more than never seeing you ever again. Now, as I said, we ought to be on our way.”
And without further hesitation, he all but dragged Marcus away, while the woman just kept smiling as she looked at them go, apparently unfazed by the captain's hostility.
As he struggled to keep pace with the Aura Master, Marcus wondered what that ambassador had done to make Yasen hate her so much. He had never been the captain so angry, not even when they had confronted the Blue Terror, and this unexpected show of emotions piqued his curiosity. However, a single glance at Yasen's face was enough to dissuade him from asking any question, at least for the moment. He did felt uneasy though, and he was very glad when they finally reached Orr.
The old Magister was standing in a corner of the hall, where he had the rest of the room in his field of view. He was chatting with another person, but as soon as he noticed the captain and the Vex Queen approaching him he immediately turned to greet them.
“Good evening, captain!” He said, waving his hand. “I see that you managed to find our missing Vex Queen!” Then he noticed the Aura Master's expression and asked: “Is everything alright?”
“Yes.” Yasen replied, though his face told otherwise. “I just happened to meet lady Pranee a few moments ago.”
“Ah.” The Magister clearly knew that this was a delicate subject for the captain, as he didn't press the matter further. Instead, he turned towards Marcus and asked: “So, how is it going, sir Marcus? Are you having fun at this party?”
“More or less.” The monster girl replied. “I'm not really used to this kind of formal events, but all things considered I think it's going well.”
“Excellent.” The Magister nodded. “By the way, I saw Count Jochel approaching you a while ago. May I ask what he said to you?”
“Well, he tried to ask me about the king and the battle of Treval.” Marcus quickly summarised. “And I told him that I knew nothing about the king and stuck to the official... I mean, to the usual tale of Treval. And then captain Yasen came to take me to you before the count could ask any other question.”
“Well, in that case, I apologise for having interrupted your conversation.” The old man said with a rather sardonic smile. “However, I had someone I really wanted you to meet.” He gestured towards his companion. “Sir Marcus, this is Dar, an old friend of mine and a sorcerer of great skill.”
“A pleasure to meet you, sir.” The Vex Queen bowed slightly.
“The pleasure is all mine, ma'am.” Dar said in an incredibly deep voice as he returned the salute. He was a rather tall man dressed in an elegant but anonymous black suit, but somehow he managed to look imposing despite the plainness of his clothes. While he certainly wasn't young anymore, his exact age was almost impossible to tell, as his facial features were stern and crude, and looked as if they had been carved into stone in ancient times, enduring countless centuries without changing that much. Also, while the top of his head was completely bald he had long, flowing black hair with no trace of white, which continued into his equally long sideburns and beard, though he had no moustaches. Finally, a small, oval red gem was nestled at the centre of his forehead, right between his bushy eyebrows, and it glistened under the magical lights of the room.
All in all, Marcus thought that he had never seen anyone who looked more like a stereotypical sorcerer than this Dar. It was all too easy to imagine him dressed in black robes, waving a staff around while chanting mysterious spells.
“Can I ask why Orr wanted me to meet you, mister Dar?” The Vex Queen asked.
“Well, if I have to make a guess, I'd say it's probably because of my expertise. Isn't that right, Magister?”
“Indeed.” The Magister confirmed. “Dar here is one of the Empire's foremost experts on Relics and anything related to them, so I thought that he'd be interested in seeing how the Crown works for you, sir Marcus.” He approached the Vex Queen and whispered, so that no one else could hear: “He already knows about your powers, by the way. I told him back when I consulted him about giving you the Crown. But don't worry, he's completely trustworthy… after all, he’s used to dealing with confidential information.”
“I see.” Marcus replied. He was a bit annoyed that Orr had told a stranger about his powers without asking him first, but the Magister had a point, and if he vouched for Dar then it was probably fine. Moreover, trying to look at the bright side, the Vex Queen could at least speak a bit more freely now.
“So, in your opinion, is everything alright with this thing then?” He asked Dar, pointing at the Crown on his head.
“As far as I can tell, the Crown is working perfectly.” The man replied. “I was a little worried that it wouldn't be able to hide a massive aura such as yours, but apparently those doubts were unfounded, since I can't perceive your presence despite you standing right in front of me. Have you perchance noticed any side effects though? Nausea, a sense of uneasiness, anything at all?”
“Not really. It kinda dulled my powers but that's it.” The Vex Queen replied. “I can still perfectly feel my connection to my drones, by the way. I just find it more difficult to feel other people. Though that's actually better for me, because otherwise I couldn't really be in a room with so many people without feeling sick.”
“That's a relief.” Dar commented. “The Crown is very reliable, but it's still a Relic, and I couldn't be one hundred percent sure it would work properly for you.”
“So you mean that wearing it could have made my head explode or something?” Marcus said half-jokingly.
“That possibility did exist.” The sorcerer replied. “But it was very remote. After all, as I said, the Crown is pretty reliable as far as Relics go.”
Those words had the effect of a cold shower on the Vex Queen, who silently studied Dar for a second or two, trying to decide whether or not the man was joking. Judging by his face he was dead serious, but then again that looked like it was his default expression.
Noticing the Vex Queen's uneasiness, Orr quickly intervened to reassure him.
“Don't worry, sir Marcus.” He said. “That risk was basically insignificant. I wouldn't have given you the crown otherwise.” He paused for a moment and then added: “Tangentially related to this matter, do you remember when we talked about organising some experiments to study the characteristics of your race?”
“Yes.” The Vex Queen replied. “Why do you ask?”
“Well, I've spoken with Dar and he expressed interest in studying your species with me.” The old man said. “Naturally, I wanted to ask you first before giving him a definite answer, but considering his talents, he would be of huge help.”
“Well...” Marcus hesitated. He had no real objection to being studied a bit per se, but he felt reluctant to allow just about anyone to treat him like a guinea pig. Moreover, there was something about Dar that kinda put him on edge. Maybe it was just his rather intimidating appearance, but nonetheless the Vex Queen didn’t like the idea of being experimented on by someone who looked like Rasputin’s creepy cousin.
He was still trying to decide whether to accept or refuse when he was suddenly interrupted by the sounds of trumpets being played on the opposite side of the room. In the silence that followed, a booming voice loudly announced:
“Their Royal Majesties, King Leopold Reven and Queen Consort Odelia Thevanin.”
Marcus immediately turned in the direction of that sound, and saw two figures getting on the platform on which the thrones were located. One was a woman in a long, white and blue dress, while the other was a man dressed in white a white and green suit. The latter stepped forward, raised what looked like a shiny stone to his mouth and then addressed the crowd in the room.
“Greetings.” The king said, his voice somehow perfectly audible as if he was speaking right next to Marcus despite the distance, probably because of some magical trick. “I welcome you all to this Midwinter Eve's celebration. I'm truly glad that you could join us on this joyous occasion.”
He paused, and the silence was immediately filled by a small round of polite applause. Then, as it died down, the monarch resumed talking.
“Indeed, we have much to celebrate. Though our kingdom has been visited by strife and suffering this year, we have managed to weather them, and we got stronger for it. Now we can look at the future with renewed hope, sure that with cooperation, friendship and goodwill between us all there is nothing we can’t achieve! So go wild with your Toathal wishes, because now is the time when dreams come true!”
There was a decidedly more enthusiastic cheering at these words, and more than a few people even raised their glasses for a toast, but the king wasn't done yet, and after a few seconds he continued.
“However, before we all light our candles, I have a few announcements to make.” He smiled. “Don't worry, I'll be brief. And after that, we can go back to our celebrations!”
He made a dramatic pause, letting the crowd wait a moment, and then started speaking again.
“Firstly, I've asked all the temples to hold a ceremony for the victims of the orc invasion tonight. Right after midnight, we will hold a minute of silence in respect for them. I’ve also organised a charity campaign together with the temples to raise funds to help the inhabitants of the duchy of Grimdale. Anyone who wishes to contribute can leave an offering to the palace's chapel.”
There was another round of general clapping, which Marcus joined wholeheartedly, all while making the resolution to leave a substantial offering before the night was over. After all, he could easily afford it, and he had seen first hand the devastation that the orcs had caused. The people of Grimdale really needed all the help they could get.
When silence came back in the room, the king spoke again.
“The orc invasion has caused us much grief, and grieve we shall. However, we must also learn from it, in order to prevent something like this from ever happening again. As this incident has proven, our policy of leaving the northern part of Caligare Forest to itself is just too risky, since it has allowed many threats to fester unnoticed in there, until one of them has spilled over to our lands. Because of this, a drastic change is in order.” He looked around the room and called the Brettholz delegation: “Marquis Eisen Brett, sir Marcus Vitali and Trakk the goblin, please approach the thrones.”
The Vex Queen was taken completely by surprise by that invitation, so much so that for a few seconds he froze in place. But then Orr approached him and talked, shaking him from his confusion.
“You should go, sir Marcus.” The old man said with an encouraging smile. “Don't make the king wait.”
“What’s going on?” Marcus asked.
“We don't have time to talk about it, but don't worry. I can assure you that everything will be fine.”
Marcus shot an annoyed glance at the Magister, but he repressed the urge to let out a rather sharp response and just started walking towards the thrones, ignoring the stares of the crowd as he passed through. When he reached the area in front of the platform he found Eisen and Trakk already there, waiting for him, looking completely confident and not at all confused, unlike the Vex Queen himself.
“Let's go, sir Marcus.” Eisen whispered to the monster girl when he reached his side. “Do you still remember how to salute the king, do you?”
“Yes.” Marcus replied under his breath. “By the way, do you know what's going on?”
“Not a clue.” The Marquis replied as he moved towards the thrones. “But I’m sure it’s nothing bad. Just follow my lead for now.”
The trio advanced a few steps, until they were right in front of the platform where the thrones were located, and then they all fell to one knee, as etiquette dictated.
“Thank you for coming so readily.” King Leopold addressed them with a smile. He was a man of medium height and build, with short black hair that was starting to recede and a neatly trimmed beard of the same colour. He was dressed in an extremely elegant green and white suit, decorated with golden trimming, and wore tight green pants. He was also carrying what looked like a short, crude-looking silver axe on his belt, which seemed out of place compared to the refinement of the rest of the monarch's clothes. Marcus would have expected a king to carry something like an elegant ceremonial sword rather than a weapon like that.
“Of course, your majesty.” Eisen replied, still bowing down. “How can we serve you?”
“For starters, I wanted to thank you all personally for your heroic contribution to the fight against the orcs.” Leopold said. “Without your help, we would have undoubtedly suffered many more casualties and destruction at their hands.”
“We just did our duty, your majesty.” The marquis said humbly. “Besides, most of the merit belongs to captain Yasen, the Royal Knights and Alya Vilka. They are the ones that managed to hold the orcs in place and kill their leader.”
“Be as it may, you still did me a great service and I intend to repay you for it.” The king replied. “As you know, the province of Brettholz has been our first attempt to recolonize the lands that lie to the south of our kingdom, and it has served as a bulwark against the dangers of the forest for the past one hundred years. You performed excellently in ruling that province, and I believe that you could shoulder an even greater responsibility.”
The king raised his head, addressing the whole room.
“It is time for us to reclaim the entirety of the lands that once belonged to the Principate of Rodenheim, which for five centuries have been left abandoned. In order to achieve this, I have requested the Emperor to allow us to claim legal possession of those territories, and his Imperial Majesty has graciously granted it. So, from now on, the lands that were once Rodenheim shall belong to the Kingdom of Medelan!” He turned back to Eisen. “However, such great undertaking requires an able and competent person to supervise it, and I believe that you are perfectly fit for that role. Do you accept it, Marquis Eisen?”
This time, not even the marquis could hide his surprise, but he recovered quickly and bowed even more deeply.
“You do me a great honour, my king.” He said. “If that's your wish, then I humbly accept.”
“Very well.” The monarch nodded. “Then I appoint you as the lord of the newly created Duchy of Rodenheim, with control over all the territories between the Brettholz Province and the Greensward Mountains.”
The king slowly walked towards the nobleman, grabbed his axe and extended it towards Eisen, which grabbed the blade and kissed it.
A stunned silence followed this ceremony. Then someone started clapping, and after a few seconds everyone joined in in a thunderous round of applause. However, Marcus noticed that some people didn't actually seem all that happy about that development. Since that group included Duke Grimdale, the Vex Queen suspected that they were members of the Council.
“Rise up now Eisen Brett, marquis of Brettholz and Duke of Rodenheim.” The king ordered, and when the nobleman obeyed, the king kissed him on both cheeks before letting him go.
“And now there is another matter to consider.” The king announced, turning towards Marcus and Trakk. “Since Vex and the goblins helped us in the fight against the orcs, it is only just that I reward them as well.”
He made a few steps and stopped in front of the two, who just kept kneeling in front of him.
“Sir Marcus Vitali, you and your Vex subjects have helped us on multiple occasions, and have proven to be loyal allies and subjects.” The king said. “As you are already a knight of my kingdom, so you shall be elevated to the rank of countess, and have the territories under your control expanded accordingly.” He then turned to Trakk. “As for you goblins, while we used to be enemies in the past, you are now our client race, and you have also proved your worth. Therefore, I grant you the right to expand your territories under the supervision of Duke Eisen Brett, and rule them as you see fit as long as you follow our laws.”
He then extended his axe again, and both Marcus and Trakk kissed it, as a new round of applause echoed in the room.
“And with this, the announcements I had to make are finished.” The king declared. “Now feel free to enjoy this banquet and celebrate this Toathal! And also remember to light a candle before midnight!”
With these words, the trio from Brettholz was dismissed and they headed back to the centre of the room, where they were immediately greeted by dozens of people wanting to congratulate them. Luckily for Marcus, the marquis —or rather duke now— and Trakk were once again able to divert most of the general attention to themselves, and the Vex Queen was mostly left alone. This time however he stuck to the two like glue, for fear of being ambushed again by some political predator like count Jochen or Lady Pranee. He forced himself to ignore his boredom, and just stood by his companions waiting for the banquet to end. Luckily for him, at that point it didn’t take very long.
A few minutes before midnight, a few servants appeared, distributing small candles to the guests. As people prepared to participate in this ritual, they finally left the trio from Brettholz alone, making Marcus breathe a sigh of relief.
“So, you got a wish to make, countess?” Eisen asked with a smirk as he lit his candle.
“Well, right now all I wish for is to get back to my room and take a long, long bath, duke.” The Vex Queen replied sarcastically.
“Well, at least that’s an easy wish to achieve.” Trakk said. “If a rather unambitious one.”
“I’m not an ambitious person.” Marcus shrugged. “Give me a comfy home, food and a few friends to keep me company and I will be content. All this grandeur and ceremonies are just not for me.” He lit his own candle and then asked: “By the way, can I ask what’s the deal with this recolonization project? Weren’t we already expanding into the forest before?”
“Yes, of course.” Eisen replied. “But it wasn’t anything official. We were just taking possession of unclaimed lands, and anyone else could have done it. But now, after the king took legal possession of Rodenheim, we are the only ones legally authorised to do so. Moreover, since the king made the recolonization effort official, it’s probably going to progress much faster than before, if everything goes well at least.”
“It probably will.” Trakk chimed in. “The king definitely seized this opportunity at the best possible moment. I must say that I’m impressed.”
“What do you mean?” The newly appointed duke asked.
“Well, right now the Caligare Forest is definitely at the most peaceful it has been in centuries, as far as I know.” The goblin explained. “The orcs have exterminated most threats, and now that they themselves have been vanquished there is going to be a vacuum of power in the forest, one which we can occupy easily if we act quickly. Between Vex, goblins and humans we definitely have more than enough numbers to do so, not to mention that we goblins used to live in there, so we know the territory pretty well. It shouldn’t be too difficult to retake the lands we once lived in.”
“That makes sense.” Duke Eisen said. “And it’s a brilliant move from a political perspective too. The prospect of basically doubling the amount of territory our kingdom controls is sure to win a lot of support for the king.”
“Alright, so it’s a win-win for the king.” The Vex Queen commented. “But what does it mean for us personally?”
“Well, mostly more work, sadly.” The nobleman made a sad smirk. “That’s how it is for this sort of undertaking. But at least we’ll have the opportunity to further expand and develop our land. Also, it’s a great honour that will greatly increase our prestige and influence.”
Marcus grimaced but said nothing. He didn’t really care for things like honour, prestige and influence, and if that was all he’d gain from the recolonization then he’d probably be pretty unhappy with it. However, the prospect of increasing the size of the lands he controlled felt pretty appealing since it meant that he would also be able to increase the size of his hive, not to mention that it would be the drones that would do all the work, not him personally. So, all things considered it wasn’t such a bad deal.
As midnight was nigh and everyone started a countdown to it, Marcus held his candle high, ready to blow it and make a wish. He didn’t know if there was anything true to that ceremony, but he didn’t think he’d have anything to lose from following anyway.
“I wish to live a peaceful and comfortable life from now on.” He silently wished. “No more wars and politics please!”
The Vex Queen took a deep breath, ready to blow, when all of a sudden a servant accidentally uncorked a bottle of champagne near him. The loud pop took him completely by surprise and made him drop his candle, which fell on the floor and went out.
Then, just a moment later, the countdown reached zero, and everyone else blew their candles out.
“Merry Toathal everyone!” The king announced. “And may your wishes come true!”
Marcus stared at his candle, which was still on the floor, and silently cursed.
“God-freaking-dammit! Now I really hope that there is nothing true to this superstition!” He thought. “Because otherwise, I’m not off to a great start!”
Comments
ZCochraine!%
Thanks for the chapter! Uuuuuuggggghhhh.. Nobles, irritating and parasitic little gitz. Marcus just needs more animals samples and time at the hive and he’ll be all good.
I don't think she could form relationships with the humanoids this way. The only party she has gifted any favor is the ones who have granted her benefits. This assembly is only an annoyance, she puts the most value on the food. He is arrogant, just like his mother. Can't wait for the continuation, ur keeping me entertained every page
