Chapter 143
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-.
-.
We were inside one of the private rooms of the palace, seated around a round table. My father and myself on one side, King Jamukha and Chancellor Glatz on the other. The two monarchs were finally discussing what the alliance should be like after the first rounds of polite greetings, praises, deflections, and subtle posturing.
Chancellor Glatz didn't seem to mind that such a young girl as myself was sitting in on the meeting, as he was there largely to confirm and provide extra information about Mismede and its real situation that King Jamukha didn't bother to read. I was probably there for learning purposes as befits a Crown Princess of a nation without male inheritors. Whoever married me would only be a Prince Consort, our son would become the King. I was content to sit in silence and soak in how monarchs negotiated with monarchs.
Then with a *BLAM!*, the doors to the room slammed open.
Sir Zah walked in, chin up, with all the swaggering arrogance of a young god.
I could not help it, I felt happy to see him again. The relief was so excessive, I could feel my heart pounding. A flush settled on my face and I half stood up out of my seat with a welcoming smile. He had changed from the open-chested Mismede costume back into a sleeveless warm-weather version of his habitual red outfit. I was not sure why... but I felt empowered.
*BLAM!* The doors swung shut on their own behind him.
And then he cocked his hips to the side and music began playing from out of nowhere. (1)
And the feeling in me sank, as I abruptly remembered why I needed to have him in my eyes at all moments.
.
- /♪ Rockin'
- /♪ Rockin' and Rollin'.
- /♪ Down to the beach, I'm strollin'
.
He began walking forwards, gyrating his hips and his fingers swinging round and round from side to side.
Imagine, if you will, a crowded stage with ballet dancers performing on it, dancing and flowing through each other. And then suddenly, for some reason, an elephant enter the stage – also dancing and spinning about on tip-toe.
And you're left wondering – half in disbelief that this was even possible, and the other half dreading - for how long this could last before the elephant starts shoving and trampling all the other smaller and more careful dancers on the stage.
Everyone else has no choice but move and change their plans around whatever this walking disaster could bring. THAT was why I needed to always keep Sir Zah in my sight.
I should never leave him be alone. It would be too troublesome. Information was a power in its own right. Better to have a least a little warning rather than be completely blindsided and fall into ruin unknowing.
.
- /♪ But the seagulls
- /♪ … Poke at my head
.
What fresh deviltry is this? This chicken man is possessed! This bird is foul!
.
- /♪ Not fun!
- /♪ I said, "Seagulls, mmm! Stop it now!"
.
He stopped before us, and faced two kings squarely. He stared at them equanimically through an eye mask with frosted lenses, while they stared back wondering if they should take offense at this.
.
- /♪ Hrmm hah hmm hmm hmm hah
- /♪ Hrmm hmm ha Hmm hmm hmm hm ha
.
Then he began to swing side to side similar to the moves from Thriller and hand, stop. Don't. I clenched my hands into fists and forced them to remain still on the table. Curse this muscle memory!
Yes I could probably catch arrows with my hands now, but no, my knees, stop.
.
- /♪ Everyone told me
- /♪ Not to stroll on that beach,
.
He was not even singing! The words of the song were just spoken in a conversational way.
.
- /♪ Said, "Seagulls gonna come,
- /♪ Poke me in the coconut,
.
Snerk.
I looked quizzically up at my father. His face looked impassive. Was I just imagining things?
Sir Zah held his left arm out straight at an angle, with his right arm bent at the elbow following it in parallel, and dropped his head onto the crook of his neck. King Jamukha grinned widely.
.
- /♪ And they did,
.
He nodded towards my father.
.
- /♪ And they did.
.
He nodded towards King Jamukha.
.
- /♪ And they goin' like
.
And then he and the King of Mismede began... dabbing. Yes, that is the word, if I remember correctly.
.
- /♪ Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha
- /♪ Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha
- /♪ Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha
.
They held their arms out while jamming their heads up and down. Dabbing. I had absolutely no idea if this was a pre-arranged ploy.
Sir Zah continued with the song. The King of Mismede stood up and joined him. They made for a mismatched pair, King Jamukha was like three Sir Zah's standing on each other's shoulders in height and oh no now I have to make sure if King Jamukha really wasn't three Sir Zah's standing on each other in disguise.
.
- /♪ I love to groove and boogie
- /♪ Yea-a-a-ah
.
Great.
.
- /♪ Show you some dance moves!
- /♪ Mmmmm!
.
No, I don't want you to.
But too late.
Too late.
Sir Zah and King Jamukha continued with the song, dancing and hopping on one leg. They were almost perfectly timed. If it wasn't for a half-second delay for the King to copy Sir Zah's moves, I would have been convinced this wasn't an impulse decision.
By this point Chancellor Glatz was banging his head on the table and moaning in defeat.
.
- /♪ If I had your giant feet
- /♪ Out there on the beach
.
- /♪ Could've outrun those birds!
.
This was stupid enough that it might have actually happened to Sir Zah at some point.
.
- /♪ Hmm hah~
- /♪ Hmm hm hm hm haeeeh~
- /♪ Hmm hah~
- /♪ Hmm hm hm hm haeeeh~
.
My father whispered out from the corner of his mouth, and asked "Yumina… why?"
"I am not responsible for this…" I whispered back with a childish whining note. I felt so humiliated.
.
- /♪ One day I was walkin'
- /♪ And I found this big log
.
Sir Zah, why.
.
- /♪ And I rolled the log over
- /♪ And underneath was a tiny little stick,
.
You're doing this on purpose. Why?
I kept my face pinched and impassive. I refuse to give in to this nonsense.
.
- /♪ And I was like,
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
- /♪ "That log…
.
- /♪ "Had a child."
.
Phffrt. I could not help it anymore. I gasped for breath. And then I laughed.
I really laughed.
Damn it, that should not be funny it was stupid. But the delivery…!
"Damn it, Sir Zah…!" I snorted. I grinned back at him. His beaming grin looked far more genuine now that he broke through my stoic defenses.
And I waited for them to get it out of their system.
And eventually they did.
Thank the Gods they did.
-.
"But why seagulls?" my father asked.
Completely seriously, Sir Zah replied. "They are wolves of the sky."
"Aren't those hawks? Or pigeons?" commented King Jamukha.
"No, hawks are not pack hunters. Pigeons are *rats* of the sky. They swarm too, but they're not as horrible as seagulls as ambush predators."
"That is true," King Jamukha said with a sagely nod. "That is true…"
"Sir Zah, welcome back. How are you? And why… am I talking like this now?" Ugh. Stop it now. That song is going to be stuck in my head now! And every time. I'm reminded. I'm going to start. Thinking like this.
No. No. No no no. No.
Brain. Stop it now.
"Tristwin! Jamukha!" Sir Zah declared boldly, completely uncaring of propriety calling monarchs by their names. I blinked and sat up straight. My heart paid. It was too jarring! "Yumina!"
First he was a fool, but then suddenly it was like I was feeling another imposing regal presence in front of me. I was abruptly reminded that etiquette for royalty demanded that they treat each other with a certain casualness – only other kings can call kings by their birth names, and none of that buck with titles and such. Calling a king "Your Highness" was a sign of deference, but a king no matter how small his territory is still a king.
Sir Zah's effrontery was mighty indeed.
Chancellor Glatz, ignorant of what Sir Zah meant to Belfast as a political asset, looked insulted on behalf of his King.
"Jamukha. A short while ago, one of your subjects did me an immense favor," Sir Zah continued heedlessly.
He reached out behind him, there was a faint boom, and then he pulled out to show a young woman perhaps about my age, with silver hair and cat-like amber eyes. She was wearing a frilly midnight black dress and had gossamer crystal-like wings going out from her back. She dangled from Sir Zah's arm like a kitten held up by the scruff of its neck by its mother.
"Nyoh." The young lady raised her hand and very unenthusiastically raised her hand like a cat presenting its paw.
Sir Zah turned to King Jamukha and said "Leene is a subject of your kingdom, and has done us a great favor. I have already agreed to her terms, but so great is the favor that I must extend my gratitude to your kingdom as a whole."
Matriach Leene crossed her arms and snorted. "Phfft. A favor? You call it that after throwing me down and having your way with me?"
Sir Zah wrinkled his nose. "Back in the hole you go, you perverted old womannn!"
"Nyuuuu~!"
Sir Zah tossed her back into a [Boom Tube]. He continued as if nothing had happened "So now I will do whatever is in my power to MAKE THIS HAPPEN. Whatever problems you have in your alliance to make your respective kingdoms safer, I will smooth it out."
Completely ignoring that, King Jamukha asked "Zah Boyo, where have you been?"
There was a bright flash, and suddenly the round table was its own world – it showed the whole region of the Dragon's Sanctuary from above. And then things began exploding.
The view pulled closer and larger, showing the edge of the forest. Sir Zah, Lady Monika, and Matriarch Leene were standing at the clearing right outside of the territory that no one could ever enter on pain of sudden grisly death. No army could dare hope to survive.
"YOU BUNCH OF PASTY LIZAARDS!" Sir Zah yelled drunkenly towards the dark forest. "SHOW ME WHAT PASSES FOR VALOR AMONG YOUR MISBEGOTTEN KIND! FIGHT MEEEEH!"
He threw even more fireballs, noisily blowing up the forest. Boom. Boom.
I winced with every boom. Oh gods. This was so bad.
Sir Zah grinned. "We went out to fight the dragons. They won't be bothering you again for at least a year."
"HOW DARE YOU!" King Jamukha roared. He raised his fists and readied to punch Sir Zah.
Chancellor Glatz sat up sharply, looked towards us the Mismede contigent, and briefly I could see in his eyes the panicked sequence of calculations if violence this would scuttle the talks. Mismede needed this alliance as much as we did. While Mismede had not caused offense to Regulus recently, there was constant pressure from the Rammish Theocracy to the east to block Mismede goods from finding any markets to the East and Regulus to the North. Belfast was Mismede's largest trading partner. "Your Beastliness-!" he cried out piteously and reached towards his liege.
King Jamukha's hand slappled hard on Sir Zah's shoulder. I could see him wince and recoil to remain standing.
And then King Jamukha started bawling.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ME WITH YOUUUU!"
Yessh. I was expecting this.
"I promised to come back in six months, give them time to train and get stronger, and revisit the deal. The elder dragons promised their youths would not attack for at least a year, but we are going to prove that it doesn't matter if I'm not around. Mismede can fend for itself. We'll go see if you or Elze can punch the harder."
Oh. That's right. Miss Elze was also very discouraged about how punching a dragon only ended up injuring her fist. But she was strong, and instead of being discouraged, like Miss Yae she was only gearing up to make sure the next time absolutely NOTHING should be able to stand up to her punch.
Unlike Miss Yae however, she could not train so easily around the palace. Everything around here was just so fragile.
"YOU PROMISE?!"
"Let's go punch some dragon faces, yeah."
/"What is a hero... without the ability to show off?"/ Lady Monika's voice echoed through the room. /"Nothing... but a fart in the wind."/
Snerk. I put a hand up over my mouth to cover my unladylike snort and twisted smile.
The King of Mismede chuckled, slapped Sir Zah a few more times, and pulled back. He turned towards the image on the table. "So you won against the dragons, right? Oh, I'd like to see that!"
Boom. Boom.
This time it was the sound of dragons dropping down, slamming onto the ground, right across the invisible border that separated Mismede from draconic territory. These were not mere dragon young, they were incredibly massive, powerful creatures that made the three interlopers look like little mice
"GRAOOOOH!" the dragons roared in well-justified outrage. The sound of it was like we were right there. How terrifying!
Sir Zah on the illusion stage stomped his feet, kicking up only a little bit of dust. Left and right and bulged his chest. He looked quite unimpressive compared to those titans of draconic might.
And he roared back.
"KREEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOONK!" (2)
The sound filled the room. First the air seemed to get pulled right out of our lungs, and then we were blasted with the bone-shaking sound, rumbling like thunder with a faintly metallic underlayer that we could almost taste at the back of our throats.
I felt a bolt of fearful lightning prickle up through my spine. I could see the dragons flinch in the face of the almighty fury behind that roar. It was no mere beast's roar- it was the sound of nothing but power unrivaled, pure in its brutality, fearing nothing… a sound befitting only the King of Monsters.
I could see that was the moment even they decided that Sir Zah's nonsense about having a dragon's soul… could possibly have any validity.
Chancellor Glatz stared at Sir Zah with bewilderment. He smiled back. The room vibrated with a toothy rumble.
He looked at the table again, and then he blinked. This sort of magic… remote viewing! All-encompassing recall! It carried even sound! Forget the whole dragon business for now, this had incredible military utility! His thoughts were whirling, he looked up and then by chance our eyes met.
Comrade. I welcome thee.
I nodded in sympathy. He was enlightened. He nodded too, and his gaze showed only a willingness to help in whatever way he was able. Our differences in age and lineage meant nothing, we were now allies forever.
Then I blinked.
Wait. Was this the plan? Sir Zah promised to make sure this alliance would push through no matter what. SEAGULLS!
King Jamukah's eyes glittered like stars in almost boyish delight. The more powerful Sir Zah appeared, the more he was worth befriending for savagely violent shenanigans. Sir Zah whispered something to him. He nodded and returned to his seat.
Sir Zah waved, and the illusion over the table changed into another distant view of the world – showing the border between Belfast, Mismede, and Regulus along the final stretch of the Great River Gao to the ocean and flow from the great inland lake.
Fwoom.
A blue line appeared in mid-air. Startled, all of us except Sir Zah turned to stare at it. The line expanded up into a glowing blue rectangular portal in midair.
The blue portal moved backwards (3), and Lady Monika emerged from it like land features appearing as the surface of the waters receding with the tide.
Whiiisk. The portal collapsed back into a blue line and disappeared behind her. She dropped to the ground beside Sir Zah. Wait. What?
She opened her eyes and smiled.
Her green eyes still glowed with a faint inner power, but that... that was skin! That was hair! That was solidity! I knew how Miss Monika created the illusion of color, with millions of tiny boom tubes each shining a unique color - she called them picture elements, or pixels. There was always something a little too bright and unreal about it, not perfectly able to take natural light and cast shadows.
But now - that was real!
She was a real woman.
I put my hand to my chest and felt again the hammering in my heart. This was a mix, I think, of both being extremely happy for her, and not a small amount of fear. I began to comprehend just how *massive* was the favor given to them by Mismede. Belfast didn't give them much direct benefit in comparison, just expenses and lodgings. This was dangerous. I knew that Sir Zah's quest ultimately was just to give back Lady Monika her living body. Everything else was secondary, little services given in exchange for resources and information to reach that goal.
They were highly unimpressed with rewards like titles and wealth, or threats from nobles merely born to their station. If dragons failed to scare them any, mere humans and their armies couldn't contain them at all. Mismede was silly enough for his ilk.
They could abandon us.
What did we really have to keep them on our side? Nothing but sentimentality. Can we really count on only that?
She and Sir Zah leaned over and placed their hands on the table. They spoke at the same time, their faces lit up from below. */"We will be serious now."/*
-.
-.
AN:
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd_uzrX2Bw
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_WpcCCnE8Y
Please report us if you find any errors so we can fix it asap!
-.
-.
We were inside one of the private rooms of the palace, seated around a round table. My father and myself on one side, King Jamukha and Chancellor Glatz on the other. The two monarchs were finally discussing what the alliance should be like after the first rounds of polite greetings, praises, deflections, and subtle posturing.
Chancellor Glatz didn't seem to mind that such a young girl as myself was sitting in on the meeting, as he was there largely to confirm and provide extra information about Mismede and its real situation that King Jamukha didn't bother to read. I was probably there for learning purposes as befits a Crown Princess of a nation without male inheritors. Whoever married me would only be a Prince Consort, our son would become the King. I was content to sit in silence and soak in how monarchs negotiated with monarchs.
Then with a *BLAM!*, the doors to the room slammed open.
Sir Zah walked in, chin up, with all the swaggering arrogance of a young god.
I could not help it, I felt happy to see him again. The relief was so excessive, I could feel my heart pounding. A flush settled on my face and I half stood up out of my seat with a welcoming smile. He had changed from the open-chested Mismede costume back into a sleeveless warm-weather version of his habitual red outfit. I was not sure why... but I felt empowered.
*BLAM!* The doors swung shut on their own behind him.
And then he cocked his hips to the side and music began playing from out of nowhere. (1)
And the feeling in me sank, as I abruptly remembered why I needed to have him in my eyes at all moments.
.
- /♪ Rockin'
- /♪ Rockin' and Rollin'.
- /♪ Down to the beach, I'm strollin'
.
He began walking forwards, gyrating his hips and his fingers swinging round and round from side to side.
Imagine, if you will, a crowded stage with ballet dancers performing on it, dancing and flowing through each other. And then suddenly, for some reason, an elephant enter the stage – also dancing and spinning about on tip-toe.
And you're left wondering – half in disbelief that this was even possible, and the other half dreading - for how long this could last before the elephant starts shoving and trampling all the other smaller and more careful dancers on the stage.
Everyone else has no choice but move and change their plans around whatever this walking disaster could bring. THAT was why I needed to always keep Sir Zah in my sight.
I should never leave him be alone. It would be too troublesome. Information was a power in its own right. Better to have a least a little warning rather than be completely blindsided and fall into ruin unknowing.
.
- /♪ But the seagulls
- /♪ … Poke at my head
.
What fresh deviltry is this? This chicken man is possessed! This bird is foul!
.
- /♪ Not fun!
- /♪ I said, "Seagulls, mmm! Stop it now!"
.
He stopped before us, and faced two kings squarely. He stared at them equanimically through an eye mask with frosted lenses, while they stared back wondering if they should take offense at this.
.
- /♪ Hrmm hah hmm hmm hmm hah
- /♪ Hrmm hmm ha Hmm hmm hmm hm ha
.
Then he began to swing side to side similar to the moves from Thriller and hand, stop. Don't. I clenched my hands into fists and forced them to remain still on the table. Curse this muscle memory!
Yes I could probably catch arrows with my hands now, but no, my knees, stop.
.
- /♪ Everyone told me
- /♪ Not to stroll on that beach,
.
He was not even singing! The words of the song were just spoken in a conversational way.
.
- /♪ Said, "Seagulls gonna come,
- /♪ Poke me in the coconut,
.
Snerk.
I looked quizzically up at my father. His face looked impassive. Was I just imagining things?
Sir Zah held his left arm out straight at an angle, with his right arm bent at the elbow following it in parallel, and dropped his head onto the crook of his neck. King Jamukha grinned widely.
.
- /♪ And they did,
.
He nodded towards my father.
.
- /♪ And they did.
.
He nodded towards King Jamukha.
.
- /♪ And they goin' like
.
And then he and the King of Mismede began... dabbing. Yes, that is the word, if I remember correctly.
.
- /♪ Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha
- /♪ Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha
- /♪ Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha
.
They held their arms out while jamming their heads up and down. Dabbing. I had absolutely no idea if this was a pre-arranged ploy.
Sir Zah continued with the song. The King of Mismede stood up and joined him. They made for a mismatched pair, King Jamukha was like three Sir Zah's standing on each other's shoulders in height and oh no now I have to make sure if King Jamukha really wasn't three Sir Zah's standing on each other in disguise.
.
- /♪ I love to groove and boogie
- /♪ Yea-a-a-ah
.
Great.
.
- /♪ Show you some dance moves!
- /♪ Mmmmm!
.
No, I don't want you to.
But too late.
Too late.
Sir Zah and King Jamukha continued with the song, dancing and hopping on one leg. They were almost perfectly timed. If it wasn't for a half-second delay for the King to copy Sir Zah's moves, I would have been convinced this wasn't an impulse decision.
By this point Chancellor Glatz was banging his head on the table and moaning in defeat.
.
- /♪ If I had your giant feet
- /♪ Out there on the beach
.
- /♪ Could've outrun those birds!
.
This was stupid enough that it might have actually happened to Sir Zah at some point.
.
- /♪ Hmm hah~
- /♪ Hmm hm hm hm haeeeh~
- /♪ Hmm hah~
- /♪ Hmm hm hm hm haeeeh~
.
My father whispered out from the corner of his mouth, and asked "Yumina… why?"
"I am not responsible for this…" I whispered back with a childish whining note. I felt so humiliated.
.
- /♪ One day I was walkin'
- /♪ And I found this big log
.
Sir Zah, why.
.
- /♪ And I rolled the log over
- /♪ And underneath was a tiny little stick,
.
You're doing this on purpose. Why?
I kept my face pinched and impassive. I refuse to give in to this nonsense.
.
- /♪ And I was like,
Find authorized novels in Webnovel，faster updates, better experience，Please click www.webnovel.com for visiting.
- /♪ "That log…
.
- /♪ "Had a child."
.
Phffrt. I could not help it anymore. I gasped for breath. And then I laughed.
I really laughed.
Damn it, that should not be funny it was stupid. But the delivery…!
"Damn it, Sir Zah…!" I snorted. I grinned back at him. His beaming grin looked far more genuine now that he broke through my stoic defenses.
And I waited for them to get it out of their system.
And eventually they did.
Thank the Gods they did.
-.
"But why seagulls?" my father asked.
Completely seriously, Sir Zah replied. "They are wolves of the sky."
"Aren't those hawks? Or pigeons?" commented King Jamukha.
"No, hawks are not pack hunters. Pigeons are *rats* of the sky. They swarm too, but they're not as horrible as seagulls as ambush predators."
"That is true," King Jamukha said with a sagely nod. "That is true…"
"Sir Zah, welcome back. How are you? And why… am I talking like this now?" Ugh. Stop it now. That song is going to be stuck in my head now! And every time. I'm reminded. I'm going to start. Thinking like this.
No. No. No no no. No.
Brain. Stop it now.
"Tristwin! Jamukha!" Sir Zah declared boldly, completely uncaring of propriety calling monarchs by their names. I blinked and sat up straight. My heart paid. It was too jarring! "Yumina!"
First he was a fool, but then suddenly it was like I was feeling another imposing regal presence in front of me. I was abruptly reminded that etiquette for royalty demanded that they treat each other with a certain casualness – only other kings can call kings by their birth names, and none of that buck with titles and such. Calling a king "Your Highness" was a sign of deference, but a king no matter how small his territory is still a king.
Sir Zah's effrontery was mighty indeed.
Chancellor Glatz, ignorant of what Sir Zah meant to Belfast as a political asset, looked insulted on behalf of his King.
"Jamukha. A short while ago, one of your subjects did me an immense favor," Sir Zah continued heedlessly.
He reached out behind him, there was a faint boom, and then he pulled out to show a young woman perhaps about my age, with silver hair and cat-like amber eyes. She was wearing a frilly midnight black dress and had gossamer crystal-like wings going out from her back. She dangled from Sir Zah's arm like a kitten held up by the scruff of its neck by its mother.
"Nyoh." The young lady raised her hand and very unenthusiastically raised her hand like a cat presenting its paw.
Sir Zah turned to King Jamukha and said "Leene is a subject of your kingdom, and has done us a great favor. I have already agreed to her terms, but so great is the favor that I must extend my gratitude to your kingdom as a whole."
Matriach Leene crossed her arms and snorted. "Phfft. A favor? You call it that after throwing me down and having your way with me?"
Sir Zah wrinkled his nose. "Back in the hole you go, you perverted old womannn!"
"Nyuuuu~!"
Sir Zah tossed her back into a [Boom Tube]. He continued as if nothing had happened "So now I will do whatever is in my power to MAKE THIS HAPPEN. Whatever problems you have in your alliance to make your respective kingdoms safer, I will smooth it out."
Completely ignoring that, King Jamukha asked "Zah Boyo, where have you been?"
There was a bright flash, and suddenly the round table was its own world – it showed the whole region of the Dragon's Sanctuary from above. And then things began exploding.
The view pulled closer and larger, showing the edge of the forest. Sir Zah, Lady Monika, and Matriarch Leene were standing at the clearing right outside of the territory that no one could ever enter on pain of sudden grisly death. No army could dare hope to survive.
"YOU BUNCH OF PASTY LIZAARDS!" Sir Zah yelled drunkenly towards the dark forest. "SHOW ME WHAT PASSES FOR VALOR AMONG YOUR MISBEGOTTEN KIND! FIGHT MEEEEH!"
He threw even more fireballs, noisily blowing up the forest. Boom. Boom.
I winced with every boom. Oh gods. This was so bad.
Sir Zah grinned. "We went out to fight the dragons. They won't be bothering you again for at least a year."
"HOW DARE YOU!" King Jamukha roared. He raised his fists and readied to punch Sir Zah.
Chancellor Glatz sat up sharply, looked towards us the Mismede contigent, and briefly I could see in his eyes the panicked sequence of calculations if violence this would scuttle the talks. Mismede needed this alliance as much as we did. While Mismede had not caused offense to Regulus recently, there was constant pressure from the Rammish Theocracy to the east to block Mismede goods from finding any markets to the East and Regulus to the North. Belfast was Mismede's largest trading partner. "Your Beastliness-!" he cried out piteously and reached towards his liege.
King Jamukha's hand slappled hard on Sir Zah's shoulder. I could see him wince and recoil to remain standing.
And then King Jamukha started bawling.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ME WITH YOUUUU!"
Yessh. I was expecting this.
"I promised to come back in six months, give them time to train and get stronger, and revisit the deal. The elder dragons promised their youths would not attack for at least a year, but we are going to prove that it doesn't matter if I'm not around. Mismede can fend for itself. We'll go see if you or Elze can punch the harder."
Oh. That's right. Miss Elze was also very discouraged about how punching a dragon only ended up injuring her fist. But she was strong, and instead of being discouraged, like Miss Yae she was only gearing up to make sure the next time absolutely NOTHING should be able to stand up to her punch.
Unlike Miss Yae however, she could not train so easily around the palace. Everything around here was just so fragile.
"YOU PROMISE?!"
"Let's go punch some dragon faces, yeah."
/"What is a hero... without the ability to show off?"/ Lady Monika's voice echoed through the room. /"Nothing... but a fart in the wind."/
Snerk. I put a hand up over my mouth to cover my unladylike snort and twisted smile.
The King of Mismede chuckled, slapped Sir Zah a few more times, and pulled back. He turned towards the image on the table. "So you won against the dragons, right? Oh, I'd like to see that!"
Boom. Boom.
This time it was the sound of dragons dropping down, slamming onto the ground, right across the invisible border that separated Mismede from draconic territory. These were not mere dragon young, they were incredibly massive, powerful creatures that made the three interlopers look like little mice
"GRAOOOOH!" the dragons roared in well-justified outrage. The sound of it was like we were right there. How terrifying!
Sir Zah on the illusion stage stomped his feet, kicking up only a little bit of dust. Left and right and bulged his chest. He looked quite unimpressive compared to those titans of draconic might.
And he roared back.
"KREEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOONK!" (2)
The sound filled the room. First the air seemed to get pulled right out of our lungs, and then we were blasted with the bone-shaking sound, rumbling like thunder with a faintly metallic underlayer that we could almost taste at the back of our throats.
I felt a bolt of fearful lightning prickle up through my spine. I could see the dragons flinch in the face of the almighty fury behind that roar. It was no mere beast's roar- it was the sound of nothing but power unrivaled, pure in its brutality, fearing nothing… a sound befitting only the King of Monsters.
I could see that was the moment even they decided that Sir Zah's nonsense about having a dragon's soul… could possibly have any validity.
Chancellor Glatz stared at Sir Zah with bewilderment. He smiled back. The room vibrated with a toothy rumble.
He looked at the table again, and then he blinked. This sort of magic… remote viewing! All-encompassing recall! It carried even sound! Forget the whole dragon business for now, this had incredible military utility! His thoughts were whirling, he looked up and then by chance our eyes met.
Comrade. I welcome thee.
I nodded in sympathy. He was enlightened. He nodded too, and his gaze showed only a willingness to help in whatever way he was able. Our differences in age and lineage meant nothing, we were now allies forever.
Then I blinked.
Wait. Was this the plan? Sir Zah promised to make sure this alliance would push through no matter what. SEAGULLS!
King Jamukah's eyes glittered like stars in almost boyish delight. The more powerful Sir Zah appeared, the more he was worth befriending for savagely violent shenanigans. Sir Zah whispered something to him. He nodded and returned to his seat.
Sir Zah waved, and the illusion over the table changed into another distant view of the world – showing the border between Belfast, Mismede, and Regulus along the final stretch of the Great River Gao to the ocean and flow from the great inland lake.
Fwoom.
A blue line appeared in mid-air. Startled, all of us except Sir Zah turned to stare at it. The line expanded up into a glowing blue rectangular portal in midair.
The blue portal moved backwards (3), and Lady Monika emerged from it like land features appearing as the surface of the waters receding with the tide.
Whiiisk. The portal collapsed back into a blue line and disappeared behind her. She dropped to the ground beside Sir Zah. Wait. What?
She opened her eyes and smiled.
Her green eyes still glowed with a faint inner power, but that... that was skin! That was hair! That was solidity! I knew how Miss Monika created the illusion of color, with millions of tiny boom tubes each shining a unique color - she called them picture elements, or pixels. There was always something a little too bright and unreal about it, not perfectly able to take natural light and cast shadows.
But now - that was real!
She was a real woman.
I put my hand to my chest and felt again the hammering in my heart. This was a mix, I think, of both being extremely happy for her, and not a small amount of fear. I began to comprehend just how *massive* was the favor given to them by Mismede. Belfast didn't give them much direct benefit in comparison, just expenses and lodgings. This was dangerous. I knew that Sir Zah's quest ultimately was just to give back Lady Monika her living body. Everything else was secondary, little services given in exchange for resources and information to reach that goal.
They were highly unimpressed with rewards like titles and wealth, or threats from nobles merely born to their station. If dragons failed to scare them any, mere humans and their armies couldn't contain them at all. Mismede was silly enough for his ilk.
They could abandon us.
What did we really have to keep them on our side? Nothing but sentimentality. Can we really count on only that?
She and Sir Zah leaned over and placed their hands on the table. They spoke at the same time, their faces lit up from below. */"We will be serious now."/*
-.
-.
AN:
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd_uzrX2Bw
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_WpcCCnE8Y
-.-.We were inside one of the private rooms of the palace, seated around a round table. My father and myself on one side, King Jamukha and Chancellor Glatz on the other. The two monarchs were finally discussing what the alliance should be like after the first rounds of polite greetings, praises, deflections, and subtle posturing.Chancellor Glatz didn't seem to mind that such a young girl as myself was sitting in on the meeting, as he was there largely to confirm and provide extra information about Mismede and its real situation that King Jamukha didn't bother to read. I was probably there for learning purposes as befits a Crown Princess of a nation without male inheritors. Whoever married me would only be a Prince Consort, our son would become the King. I was content to sit in silence and soak in how monarchs negotiated with monarchs.Then with a *BLAM!*, the doors to the room slammed open.Sir Zah walked in, chin up, with all the swaggering arrogance of a young god.I could not help it, I felt happy to see him again. The relief was so excessive, I could feel my heart pounding. A flush settled on my face and I half stood up out of my seat with a welcoming smile. He had changed from the open-chested Mismede costume back into a sleeveless warm-weather version of his habitual red outfit. I was not sure why... but I felt empowered.*BLAM!* The doors swung shut on their own behind him.And then he cocked his hips to the side and music began playing from out of nowhere. 1And the feeling in me sank, as I abruptly remembered why I needed to have him in my eyes at all moments..- / Rockin'- / Rockin' and Rollin'.- / Down to the beach, I'm strollin'.He began walking forwards, gyrating his hips and his fingers swinging round and round from side to side.Imagine, if you will, a crowded stage with ballet dancers performing on it, dancing and flowing through each other. And then suddenly, for some reason, an elephant enter the stage also dancing and spinning about on tip-toe.And you're left wondering half in disbelief that this was even possible, and the other half dreading - for how long this could last before the elephant starts shoving and trampling all the other smaller and more careful dancers on the stage.Everyone else has no choice but move and change their plans around whatever this walking disaster could bring. THAT was why I needed to always keep Sir Zah in my sight.I should never leave him be alone. It would be too troublesome. Information was a power in its own right. Better to have a least a little warning rather than be completely blindsided and fall into ruin unknowing..- / But the seagulls- / Poke at my head.What fresh deviltry is this? This chicken man is possessed! This bird is foul!.- / Not fun!- / I said, "Seagulls, mmm! Stop it now!".He stopped before us, and faced two kings squarely. He stared at them equanimically through an eye mask with frosted lenses, while they stared back wondering if they should take offense at this..- / Hrmm hah hmm hmm hmm hah- / Hrmm hmm ha Hmm hmm hmm hm ha.Then he began to swing side to side similar to the moves from Thriller and hand, stop. Don't. I clenched my hands into fists and forced them to remain still on the table. Curse this muscle memory!Yes I could probably catch arrows with my hands now, but no, my knees, stop..- / Everyone told me- / Not to stroll on that beach,.He was not even singing! The words of the song were just spoken in a conversational way..- / Said, "Seagulls gonna come,- / Poke me in the coconut,.Snerk.I looked quizzically up at my father. His face looked impassive. Was I just imagining things?Sir Zah held his left arm out straight at an angle, with his right arm bent at the elbow following it in parallel, and dropped his head onto the crook of his neck. King Jamukha grinned widely..- / And they did,.He nodded towards my father..- / And they did..He nodded towards King Jamukha..- / And they goin' like.And then he and the King of Mismede began... dabbing. Yes, that is the word, if I remember correctly..- / Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha- / Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha- / Hwawwh hahwh hawh ha~ hawh hawh hawh ha.They held their arms out while jamming their heads up and down. Dabbing. I had absolutely no idea if this was a pre-arranged ploy.Sir Zah continued with the song. The King of Mismede stood up and joined him. They made for a mismatched pair, King Jamukha was like three Sir Zah's standing on each other's shoulders in height and oh no now I have to make sure if King Jamukha really wasn't three Sir Zah's standing on each other in disguise..- / I love to groove and boogie- / Yea-a-a-ah.Great..- / Show you some dance moves!- / Mmmmm!.No, I don't want you to.But too late.Too late.Sir Zah and King Jamukha continued with the song, dancing and hopping on one leg. They were almost perfectly timed. If it wasn't for a half-second delay for the King to copy Sir Zah's moves, I would have been convinced this wasn't an impulse decision.By this point Chancellor Glatz was banging his head on the table and moaning in defeat..- / If I had your giant feet- / Out there on the beach.- / Could've outrun those birds!.This was stupid enough that it might have actually happened to Sir Zah at some point..- / Hmm hah~- / Hmm hm hm hm haeeeh~- / Hmm hah~- / Hmm hm hm hm haeeeh~.My father whispered out from the corner of his mouth, and asked "Yumina why?""I am not responsible for this" I whispered back with a childish whining note. I felt so humiliated..- / One day I was walkin'- / And I found this big log.Sir Zah, why..- / And I rolled the log over- / And underneath was a tiny little stick,.You're doing this on purpose. Why?I kept my face pinched and impassive. I refuse to give in to this nonsense..- / And I was like, Find authorized novels in Webnovelfaster updates, better experiencePlease click www.webnovel.com for visiting. - / "That log.- / "Had a child.".Phffrt. I could not help it anymore. I gasped for breath. And then I laughed.I really laughed.Damn it, that should not be funny it was stupid. But the delivery!"Damn it, Sir Zah!" I snorted. I grinned back at him. His beaming grin looked far more genuine now that he broke through my stoic defenses.And I waited for them to get it out of their system.And eventually they did.Thank the Gods they did.-."But why seagulls?" my father asked.Completely seriously, Sir Zah replied. "They are wolves of the sky.""Aren't those hawks? Or pigeons?" commented King Jamukha."No, hawks are not pack hunters. Pigeons are *rats* of the sky. They swarm too, but they're not as horrible as seagulls as ambush predators.""That is true," King Jamukha said with a sagely nod. "That is true""Sir Zah, welcome back. How are you? And why am I talking like this now?" Ugh. Stop it now. That song is going to be stuck in my head now! And every time. I'm reminded. I'm going to start. Thinking like this.No. No. No no no. No.Brain. Stop it now."Tristwin! Jamukha!" Sir Zah declared boldly, completely uncaring of propriety calling monarchs by their names. I blinked and sat up straight. My heart paid. It was too jarring! "Yumina!"First he was a fool, but then suddenly it was like I was feeling another imposing regal presence in front of me. I was abruptly reminded that etiquette for royalty demanded that they treat each other with a certain casualness only other kings can call kings by their birth names, and none of that buck with titles and such. Calling a king "Your Highness" was a sign of deference, but a king no matter how small his territory is still a king.Sir Zah's effrontery was mighty indeed.Chancellor Glatz, ignorant of what Sir Zah meant to Belfast as a political asset, looked insulted on behalf of his King."Jamukha. A short while ago, one of your subjects did me an immense favor," Sir Zah continued heedlessly.He reached out behind him, there was a faint boom, and then he pulled out to show a young woman perhaps about my age, with silver hair and cat-like amber eyes. She was wearing a frilly midnight black dress and had gossamer crystal-like wings going out from her back. She dangled from Sir Zah's arm like a kitten held up by the scruff of its neck by its mother."Nyoh." The young lady raised her hand and very unenthusiastically raised her hand like a cat presenting its paw.Sir Zah turned to King Jamukha and said "Leene is a subject of your kingdom, and has done us a great favor. I have already agreed to her terms, but so great is the favor that I must extend my gratitude to your kingdom as a whole."Matriach Leene crossed her arms and snorted. "Phfft. A favor? You call it that after throwing me down and having your way with me?"Sir Zah wrinkled his nose. "Back in the hole you go, you perverted old womannn!""Nyuuuu~!"Sir Zah tossed her back into a Boom Tube. He continued as if nothing had happened "So now I will do whatever is in my power to MAKE THIS HAPPEN. Whatever problems you have in your alliance to make your respective kingdoms safer, I will smooth it out."Completely ignoring that, King Jamukha asked "Zah Boyo, where have you been?"There was a bright flash, and suddenly the round table was its own world it showed the whole region of the Dragon's Sanctuary from above. And then things began exploding.The view pulled closer and larger, showing the edge of the forest. Sir Zah, Lady Monika, and Matriarch Leene were standing at the clearing right outside of the territory that no one could ever enter on pain of sudden grisly death. No army could dare hope to survive."YOU BUNCH OF PASTY LIZAARDS!" Sir Zah yelled drunkenly towards the dark forest. "SHOW ME WHAT PASSES FOR VALOR AMONG YOUR MISBEGOTTEN KIND! FIGHT MEEEEH!"He threw even more fireballs, noisily blowing up the forest. Boom. Boom.I winced with every boom. Oh gods. This was so bad.Sir Zah grinned. "We went out to fight the dragons. They won't be bothering you again for at least a year.""HOW DARE YOU!" King Jamukha roared. He raised his fists and readied to punch Sir Zah.Chancellor Glatz sat up sharply, looked towards us the Mismede contigent, and briefly I could see in his eyes the panicked sequence of calculations if violence this would scuttle the talks. Mismede needed this alliance as much as we did. While Mismede had not caused offense to Regulus recently, there was constant pressure from the Rammish Theocracy to the east to block Mismede goods from finding any markets to the East and Regulus to the North. Belfast was Mismede's largest trading partner. "Your Beastliness-!" he cried out piteously and reached towards his liege.King Jamukha's hand slappled hard on Sir Zah's shoulder. I could see him wince and recoil to remain standing.And then King Jamukha started bawling."YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ME WITH YOUUUU!"Yessh. I was expecting this."I promised to come back in six months, give them time to train and get stronger, and revisit the deal. The elder dragons promised their youths would not attack for at least a year, but we are going to prove that it doesn't matter if I'm not around. Mismede can fend for itself. We'll go see if you or Elze can punch the harder."Oh. That's right. Miss Elze was also very discouraged about how punching a dragon only ended up injuring her fist. But she was strong, and instead of being discouraged, like Miss Yae she was only gearing up to make sure the next time absolutely NOTHING should be able to stand up to her punch.Unlike Miss Yae however, she could not train so easily around the palace. Everything around here was just so fragile."YOU PROMISE?!""Let's go punch some dragon faces, yeah."/"What is a hero... without the ability to show off?"/ Lady Monika's voice echoed through the room. /"Nothing... but a fart in the wind."/Snerk. I put a hand up over my mouth to cover my unladylike snort and twisted smile.The King of Mismede chuckled, slapped Sir Zah a few more times, and pulled back. He turned towards the image on the table. "So you won against the dragons, right? Oh, I'd like to see that!"Boom. Boom.This time it was the sound of dragons dropping down, slamming onto the ground, right across the invisible border that separated Mismede from draconic territory. These were not mere dragon young, they were incredibly massive, powerful creatures that made the three interlopers look like little mice"GRAOOOOH!" the dragons roared in well-justified outrage. The sound of it was like we were right there. How terrifying!Sir Zah on the illusion stage stomped his feet, kicking up only a little bit of dust. Left and right and bulged his chest. He looked quite unimpressive compared to those titans of draconic might.And he roared back."KREEEEEEEEE-OOOOOOONK!" 2The sound filled the room. First the air seemed to get pulled right out of our lungs, and then we were blasted with the bone-shaking sound, rumbling like thunder with a faintly metallic underlayer that we could almost taste at the back of our throats.I felt a bolt of fearful lightning prickle up through my spine. I could see the dragons flinch in the face of the almighty fury behind that roar. It was no mere beast's roar- it was the sound of nothing but power unrivaled, pure in its brutality, fearing nothing a sound befitting only the King of Monsters.I could see that was the moment even they decided that Sir Zah's nonsense about having a dragon's soul could possibly have any validity.Chancellor Glatz stared at Sir Zah with bewilderment. He smiled back. The room vibrated with a toothy rumble.He looked at the table again, and then he blinked. This sort of magic remote viewing! All-encompassing recall! It carried even sound! Forget the whole dragon business for now, this had incredible military utility! His thoughts were whirling, he looked up and then by chance our eyes met.Comrade. I welcome thee.I nodded in sympathy. He was enlightened. He nodded too, and his gaze showed only a willingness to help in whatever way he was able. Our differences in age and lineage meant nothing, we were now allies forever.Then I blinked.Wait. Was this the plan? Sir Zah promised to make sure this alliance would push through no matter what. SEAGULLS!King Jamukah's eyes glittered like stars in almost boyish delight. The more powerful Sir Zah appeared, the more he was worth befriending for savagely violent shenanigans. Sir Zah whispered something to him. He nodded and returned to his seat.Sir Zah waved, and the illusion over the table changed into another distant view of the world showing the border between Belfast, Mismede, and Regulus along the final stretch of the Great River Gao to the ocean and flow from the great inland lake.Fwoom.A blue line appeared in mid-air. Startled, all of us except Sir Zah turned to stare at it. The line expanded up into a glowing blue rectangular portal in midair.The blue portal moved backwards 3, and Lady Monika emerged from it like land features appearing as the surface of the waters receding with the tide.Whiiisk. The portal collapsed back into a blue line and disappeared behind her. She dropped to the ground beside Sir Zah. Wait. What?She opened her eyes and smiled.Her green eyes still glowed with a faint inner power, but that... that was skin! That was hair! That was solidity! I knew how Miss Monika created the illusion of color, with millions of tiny boom tubes each shining a unique color - she called them picture elements, or pixels. There was always something a little too bright and unreal about it, not perfectly able to take natural light and cast shadows.But now - that was real!She was a real woman.I put my hand to my chest and felt again the hammering in my heart. This was a mix, I think, of both being extremely happy for her, and not a small amount of fear. I began to comprehend just how *massive* was the favor given to them by Mismede. Belfast didn't give them much direct benefit in comparison, just expenses and lodgings. This was dangerous. I knew that Sir Zah's quest ultimately was just to give back Lady Monika her living body. Everything else was secondary, little services given in exchange for resources and information to reach that goal.They were highly unimpressed with rewards like titles and wealth, or threats from nobles merely born to their station. If dragons failed to scare them any, mere humans and their armies couldn't contain them at all. Mismede was silly enough for his ilk.They could abandon us.What did we really have to keep them on our side? Nothing but sentimentality. Can we really count on only that?She and Sir Zah leaned over and placed their hands on the table. They spoke at the same time, their faces lit up from below. */"We will be serious now."/*-.-.AN:1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9t-slLl30E2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihd_uzrX2Bw3 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_WpcCCnE8Y
