Chapter Six - The Clash of Monarchs

In a rude awakening, the monarchs of the free kingdoms and courts gather to argue over the fate of Decalage.

Chapter 6
Clash of the Monarchs.

    “We demand a meeting with the queen of pirates!”

    Reine moaned and rolled over in her chair waving at the sound, aimlessly shooing it away. The Queen of Pirates wasn’t here right now. She was taking a well deserved break.

    “Please your majesties!” cried a voice that sounded similar to Clava.

    One golden eye cracked open, than the other, annoyance flickering like the embers of a fire beginning to go out, in her eyes. Royalty, eh? That would explain not only the stubbornness, but the inability to be considerate of others. You would think they would have the half decency to send her a little note before barging into her camp. Why didn’t someone shoot them and save Reine the trouble!

    “We demand it-“

    She snarled, an inhuman sound loud enough to cause the group outside the tent flap to go silent, and with their sudden silence the rest of the camp soon followed suit. Figures, pirates were like a bunch of old ladies, gossiping and talking until something outrageous happened. An angry pirate queen was definitely something outrageous.

    With a few muttered curses, and a short stop in front of the mirror to make sure she didn’t look too horrible, Reine exited her tent to be met with the soft cool breeze of dusk. She didn’t leave her tent all the way, instead leaning against the pole which held it up, obviously comfortable.

    Her eyes were only slightly fogged with sleepiness, and her hair was curling softly where she had messed it up while rolling around. The wrinkles in the black material of her shirt seemed to fit with the scale of things, making her more pirate than queen. Even while half asleep though she watched the scene with intelligence, realness, and just a dash of insanity.

    Surprised, the woman and man standing before her didn’t catch on until Ty made a low bow, followed by the rest of those who were watching in camp. By now, that number was most of the camp, except those who were sleeping before their shift, or on guard duty.

    The woman stepped forward first. Her soft blue eyes studied the queen of pirates regally, obviously a born noble. Soft blonde hair curled around her heart shaped face, an innocent face that Reine could almost laugh at. There was a temper in the girl’s eyes however, and though she was around 20 or so, the 17 old Reine somehow managed to look older than both her and the prince. She couldn’t match the woman’s beauty, for the woman had curves to make any man drool.

    The man stepped forward soon after the girl. His sandy blonde hair hinted at the two being siblings, but once you got past the hair and looked at their faces the differences were notice able. This was a man who was born to be a proud and just ruler. He weighed everything with his mind, and did not act with speed but rather with precision and honor. While the girl had a temper, the boy was practiced with holding tempers back.

    “Kadia and Tamian, Queen of Lumiere and Prince of Moyen, what a pleasure,” said Reine with a nod of her head. They didn’t have enough respect from her to receive a bow.

    Kadia stopped her anger in surprise, and Tamian merely sighed in exasperation.
One of his callused hands was on Kadia’s shoulder, holding her back and away from Reine. So they didn’t trust her, well good, because she didn’t trust them either.

    “It’s King-to-be of Moyen now; actually, my parents were killed at the Plains.”

    The Prince had a nice voice, gentle and caring, but a bit too sweet for Reine’s taste. With the mention of his parents it was grieved, yet did not flinch with the mention of death. He had courage then, as well.

    “My condolences boyo,” Reine said with a shrug of her shoulders, brushing it aside as another death, mainly to see how he would react. The pirate queen was playing a dangerous game. It was a game worth while as Tamian let anger flood into his eyes, proving to the doubtful pirate queen that he did, in fact, have back bone. “I take it you want something then?”

    Reine’s words caught the two of them off guard. Kadia stopped fighting Tamian’s hold, and Tamian’s jaw dropped slightly, both of their eyes widened in surprise. Kadia was the first to recover, sliding free of Tamian’s grip to stand before the Pirate Queen. She was a queen of Light, though young she might be, and you could see it in her eyes.

    “So you’re the queen of pirates,” asked Kadia with a downwards look, for the twenty year old queen had a few inches on the 17 year old pirate. Reine scooted away from the monarch with a smile on her face, letting the tent flap fall behind her. Kadia merely turned as the pirate queen circled her, stopping Tamian from standing beside Kadia. At the disrespect in the Lumerian Queen’s voice several pirates stepped forward, including Caleb. Reine halted them with a look, and then turned back to the woman before her.

    “That’s hardly the way to speak to a Queen with more power than you currently, especially while you reside in her court.”

    “Lumiere is mine,” retorted Kadia.

    “At the rate we’re going, not for long,” answered Reine calmly, not looking away from the Queen’s cold blue eyes.

    “Are you threatening me?” asked Kadia stepping forward as if trying to become dominant, but Reine refused to move aside and Kadia was forced to stop.

    “No, I’m warning you. Fonce is on the move, and if we don’t work together Lumiere will fall, just like Moyen did.”

    Kadia appeared confused for a moment, than stepped away from Reine with a heavy blush against her sun kissed skin. Tamian finally stepped around Reine to stand beside her, not as a lover but as a friend.

    “So you aren’t here to help Fonce win Lumiere.”

    To everyone’s surprise, and some people’s delight, the pirate queen laughed. It was a joyous laugh that caused others to smile, and many to chuckle along with her. The music stopped as suddenly as it started though.

    “My dear queen,” said Reine with a true smile, “The only thing I would ever help Fonce to do is commit suicide. When you have a bounty such as mine coming from a place such as that, it is probably because you are hated by them, not in league with them.”

    “We thought the bounty might have been a ruse…” whispered Tamian, yet Reine heard it none the less and chuckled.

    “Oh yes, having that much money for you dead or alive is definitely a trick. My lovely monarchs, have you heard nothing about me? The rumors and the legends? Or did you believe those were all part of the act?”

    From the look in Kadia’s eyes, for she wasn’t one to hide her emotions, that was exactly was the 20 year old girl thought. Tamian moved uncomfortably beside her, clearing his throat. So they had both felt that way then? Exactly how many people in Decalage believed the same as they did, Reine was curious to know.

    Instead of asking the pirate queen merely gestured to the tent which she had appeared from. Kadia’s blue eyes and Tamian’s green ones followed her movement. Finally, Reine was getting through to them. Triumphantly she pulled the curtain aside, motioning with her free hand for the two monarchs to enter. Still slightly surprised, they entered without a word, and perhaps without a thought. Reine stopped the rest of the group from entering, including Clava and Ty. They would not be needed in this meeting, but there was another who should be present, who had a right to be present.

    “Where is Caleb?” Reine asked of Ty.

    Ty looked around puzzled. “Honestly, I really don’t know.”

    “I’m right here!” said Caleb who eagerly squirmed out of the crowd. His brown hair was caked with mud, and his eyes were lively and bright, much like the eyes of a child.

    “Do I want to know what happened to you darling?” Reine said with a grin.

    “No, not really kitty,” replied the prince of Fonce.

    Reine snarled, still not happy with the nickname he hasn’t used since the first night they had bumped into each other. Caleb merely shrugged his shoulders in his princely, stubborn way and waltzed into the tent with a wave at a surly looking Sprite.

    “Males…” muttered Reine as she followed him, and tripped over the uneven ground between the meeting room and outside. A blush rose into her cheeks when she realized that Kadia, Tamian, and Caleb had all been watching her when she had almost face planted.

    “You have no idea how much better that just made me feel,” giggled Kadia from one of the high backed chairs surrounding the table. Tamian nodded in agreement, and Caleb merely chuckled.

    “Don’t tell me you thought I was all powerful,” whispered Reine under her breath, prompting a snort from Tamian, who was closest to her. Caleb was the first to reply.

    “I thought you were a cat, but since they are supposed to be superbly balanced… I guess I shall have to call you something else.

    A knife like hiss erupted from Reine’s mouth as her golden eyes narrowed. Caleb raised his hands in a regretting way that said ‘fine then, have it your way.’ The exchange prompted smirks from Kadia and Tamian, who were starting to act less like they had poles up their behinds, and more like normal young adults.

    Realizing the affect that the battle of words was having on everyone, and deciding it would be best if the four of them remained focused; Reine cleared her throat and gestured to Caleb.

    “May I have the almost pleasure of introducing you to your cousin, Caleb Seraphim, Prince of Fonce?”

    That certainly caused the atmosphere to change. Tamian moved away from Reine to slide protectively next to Kadia, who had dropped the cup she had been studying, left from earlier that morning, with a loud clang.

    “Fonce?” asked the two monarchs warily.
    Caleb had the look of a rat trapped in a corner, and if looks could kill the looks he was sending to Reine would have her far past Abrafo’s realm. Reine merely met his looks with a smile and gestured to Kadia and Tamian.

    “You really thought I wasn’t going to tell them? Good Gods! I’m not that kind.”

    Reine looked innocently at the three rulers standing in front of her. Unpredictable as the sea, she was, and just as intelligent. Obviously, that left the people around her uncouthly confused.

    “You couldn’t have lowered it on us a little more gently?” asked Tamian with a wince.

    “If there is one thing I learned while traveling with her,” replied Caleb for Reine “is that the pirate queen does not sugar coat things.”

    “If that is all you learned then I must be a poor teacher.”

    “No, I think I may be a sad student.”

    With a smile Reine held up her hands in a defeated action, taking a step back, but kept a watchful eye on the monarchs. Kadia brought them back on topic, her blue eyes narrowed distrustfully on Caleb.

    “So you trust him then?” she asked Reine.

    Reine merely shrugged. Honestly, she did not know if she truly could trust the prince of a land that wanted her dead, although the wanted posters said ‘preferably alive’. Would he betray her to return to a family who were only pawns? Or would he stay with her, below her, never a prince but perhaps a pirate? They were good questions that Reine had not yet asked herself. Then again, maybe the questions could simply not be answered as of yet.

    Kadia wouldn’t take a shrug of the shoulders as an answer.

    “The pirate queen can not trust, my dear,” said a new voice that sang of blood thirsty war.

    “Oh, I don’t know, she trusts herself enough,” responded a familiar voice that caused Reine to turn around with a smile on her face.

    They hadn’t been invited of course, not like Kadia and Tamian. Kadia and Tamian had felt the urge to find her, and so they had come. Lei, God of War, and Amour, God of Love, were just there to be there. From the easiness which they eyed each other, Amour with his electric green eyes and Lei with his purple, they were not on too bad of terms. Then again, Amour and Lei hadn’t meant to arrive here at the same time either. They were openly surprised at seeing the other.

    Lei looked like Abrafo, after all they were brothers. His short black hair spiky swept across purple eyes, and both were stark against his slightly white skin. A loose black muscle shirt helped to show off the muscles of a warrior long lived. He had no weapons, for he could summon them with a simple thought. It was a gift that Reine would have loved to have; her daggers were too cold against her skin, her sword too obvious strapped to her back.

    The God of War turned his face towards Reine, noticing her approving look. She was eying him as an opponent, not as the opposite gender, and Reine didn’t notice he was tense until after he relaxed under her gaze. Another time, the pirate queen would have jumped to attack, but today, er... tonight; she would try not to be too judgmental.

    “Get out of here,” hissed Kadia.

    Reine sighed in exasperation; obviously no one else was trying to be a better person. Then again, what could have sparked so much malice in the Queen of Light, what could make her voice sound as deadly as the pirate queen’s often did? Interested, Reine turned around to face Kadia, catching the anger in the Queen’s clenched fists, and the flare of pure hatred in her blue eyes.

    “I take it you know each other?” remarked Reine with a raise of her eye brow. Behind her, Lei let out a smothered snort. Kadia merely let her malice soaked eyes remain on the war god. “Fine then, if you want to leave me out of the circle please do so on another night.”

    “If these are the types of people you keep company with Reine, I’m not sure why we are here.”

    The Prince of Moyen had taken a step towards Reine, growing bolder. His voice was steady, sure, and yet so blissfully unaware. The way he stood was the stance of a friend, protecting Kadia, though Reine doubted he had known the Lumerian Queen for more than two days. Then, like Kadia, he truly was a King of Moyen, just as Reine knew Kadia was mean tot be Queen of Lumiere.

    “I’m not here to keep her company,” purred Lei, stepping away from a snickering Amour. After finding himself a good distance away from Amour, and a hand span from Reine, he turned back to Tamian and Kadia. “I’m here to make sure she doesn’t do anything stupid.”
   
“Same here,” said Amour brightly, and with a heartbeat he was on Reine’s other side.

Caleb found himself blocked from any contact with the Pirate Queen. An unfamiliar jealousy raced into his mind, stopping his heart then allowing it to start at an unnatural pace. He had the sudden urge to punch the love god, but silenced the roar in his stomach and merely crossed his arms sullenly. Noticing this, Amour waved and smiled.

Caleb did not have to feel the anger for long. Reine disappeared from between the two and slid over next to Caleb. With a grin he positioned himself so that Amour and Lei were forced to walk around him if they wanted to be anywhere close to the Pirate Queen.

“Touché,” whispered Amour.

“Please Reine, introduce us to your friends,” growled Caleb roughly, and not too politely.

“They are more like acquaintances,” answered Reine with a sigh. “The one with the tight pants and bright green shirt is Amour, God of Love. The one who looks somewhat unstable is Lei. His pants are a good deal looser, but surprisingly his temper is just as pinched.”

Amour bowed and Lei scowled. Behind her, Reine felt Kadia trying to smother a giggle, and Tamian tense in laughter.  It was a weak joke, but any joke about a God was something to laugh about.

“Still as sharp as a tongue as ever I see,” said Lei.

“And I see that you have yet to become anything but the dullest tool in the shed Lei,” Reine said calmly.

“Really, the rhyming is fun and all, but I do believe we all came for a reason dear brother, though our reasons may truthfully be entirely different,” said Amour with a chuckle.

“Why don’t we sit,” asked Kadia a bit shakily, finally realizing that she was in the presence of two Gods. Tamian gave her a worried look that she met with a smile. Reine noticed the exchange with amusement, royalty were so bipolar.

“Yes, why don’t we?” said Caleb, startling Lei and Amour out of their staring match. Even Reine jumped slightly at his voice, having forgotten he was in the small tent. He had a way of fading into his surroundings, something that the pirate queen would never be able to do. She found herself envious of the ability to be like everyone else, but pushed away that particular emotion and settled herself in her chair, waiting for the rest of the group to make them selves comfortable.

Caleb was the first to follow her, settling him self to her right. Amour sat on Reine’s left, and Lei next to him. Kadia and Tamian were the last to sit down, and they sat directly across from Reine.

It was absurd, wasn’t it, the guests Reine had sitting at her table. If they had been with anyone other than her they would have killed each other by now. Even though they sat like comrades, it was shown by where they sat that they did not trust each other.

Amour grinned at Reine’s calculating glance, noticing how she studied each person in turn. He couldn’t help but notice that the time spent on each face could in no way see everything. Kadia sat with her eyes filled with malice, but beneath that there was pain and a broken heart. Tamian was like a rock, but if you broke the foundations he would fall with a sob. He mourned his dead parents, the Queen and King of Moyen who fell at the battle of the plains. His sister was no where to be found, and Tamian had only survived because Paix had whisked him away.

Then there was Caleb, the Prince of Fonce. Amour knew all too well why he was here. He also knew, better than those sitting around the table, that Caleb would never betray Reine. He could not betray the first woman he had ever truly loved. The piratess, sadly, did not return his affections, seeing him as nothing but a comrade.

Then there was Lei who was staring fixedly at Kadia with a scowl on his face. Love was a battlefield, and like everyone else Amour had heard the rumors of the War God and the Lumerian Queen, though he knew for a fact that they were not true.

Finally, the Love God turned his eyes on the woman that intrigued him the greatest, and the only mortal that Amour could bring himself to respect. She was also the only female he no longer looked to for a one night stand. Looking at her, he found that he could not read her. Instead he was forced to look away as Reine looked at him. The fire in her eyes was too strong, the anger too brilliant, the insanity too…

“I’m curious,” said the pirate queen to the group, waiting for all eyes to be on her to continue,”As to why you are all here, and decided, all of you, to show up today.”

“I came here with Tamian to seek your help,” said Kadia.

“I came to protect her,” replied the prince of Moyen.

Their answers were the ones that Caleb expected, and he needed no prompting to answer as well. “To fight for a different cause, that is my reason for being here. Obviously, the thing I thought I was fighting for was not what it seemed to be.”

“If no one watched over Reine she’ll get herself in some sort of trouble, besides if I’m not around to annoy her, who will?” asked Amour with a giggle.

Lei remained silent, tapping his finger against the table with annoyance in his eyes. He really didn’t want to tell why the God of War was here, he was a God after all. If he gave into a mortal, then-

“Well?” asked Reine.

“There are certain people who want you dead,” snapped Lei before he could stop himself. “I’m here, not for my sake but for the sake of others, to make sure that does not happen.”

Surprised, Amour sent a look at his brother. Did he really just answer a mortal? Who cares what he said, he succumbed to a mortal’s wishes! His brother… Lei the almighty d-

“Is something wrong Amour,” asked Reine with amusement. She knew, however, what Amour was gawking at, and although you could not see it in her appearance she was just as surprised that Lei had actually answered her question.

“Only the fact that you have yet to fall to my charms my dear.”

SMACK!

“Hey, what was that for?” asked Amour, rubbing the back of his head. Lei snickered beside him.

Reine didn’t bother answering. Her attention was elsewhere now, but she had a smile on her face from the slap she had given Amour. It was nice to beat up on the all powerful God.

“Now that we’ve said our reasons, I have my reason for letting you all on to my territory. Yes, my territory Kadia. Contrary to your belief this wood is part of the unclaimed lands, and since I am in current control of the unclaimed lands then this land is mine.”

Kadia looked as if she wanted to argue, but what could she say to move the queen of pirates? There was a reason that the Witch and Wizard Guilds, as well as the Thieves swore loyalty to her. Kadia didn’t know if it was because she was a wise and good leader, or if she was just good at frightening people. Reine Raconias was, after all, a severely frightening person. There was something not quite human about her, and there was insanity in her golden eyes that Kadia could not bring herself to look at it. Very few could, in fact, meet the pirate queen’s eyes.

“Now that introductions have been made, we have all told why we are here, and it is apparent than some of you need mental help, we can continue. Kadia, I suppose you can start.”

That was not a question, it was an order.


Kadia stood, her blonde hair settling gracefully in loose curls around her shoulders. She was beautiful in her white dress, but in a crowd she would be noticeable. Reine could not help but wonder if her body guards let her walk like that out into public.

“As you know Tamian has been ruling in my place while I resided within the walls of Fonce.”

“What?!” yelled Reine.

Startled by the interruption Kadia abruptly sat down. Reine stood from her chair, turning on Lei. Caleb was silently praying that the surprisingly angry woman would not turn on him next.

“Is that how you know her then,” continued Reine. “You kidnapped her?”

Lei barely ever twitched. His violet eyes grew colder, and that dangerous edge before a storm filled his face, but that was all he did. It was Amour who spoke for his older brother.

“It wasn’t him Reine; you are jumping to conclusions again. Why don’t you have a seat and-“   

He didn’t continue. He didn’t dare interrupt the battle between the God of War and the Pirate Queen, at least not with the scalding look Reine had given him. Amour had a sinking feeling that the battle of the minds going on was something more than just over the abduction of the Lumerian Queen. With a look at Caleb, he scooted away from the line of fire.

“I did not abduct her Raconias. However, you seem to be forgetting which side I am on,” said Lei with mocking respect in his voice. He was unfazed by the look the pirate queen was giving him, but Amour saw his readiness to defend if Reine attacked. Amour wasn’t afraid of course, he did not know fear. Worried was a whole different matter.

At the last part of Lei’s comment a snarl erupted from Reine’s throat. Kadia gasped at the sound, and Tamian moved as if to shield her from the beast in front of them. There is, after all, no other word to describe a woman with a temper sharper than the blade of her sword. It wasn’t just the cold fury though, it was that look in her eye, the insanity. Caleb stood, grasping her arm, then winced as she pulled away, refusing to break the eye contact with Lei.

“Forgotten which side you are on? Far from it. You are on the side that wants this world to survive, unless of course, you want to die. Ever been blown to smithereens before Lei? Ever watched everything collapse around you, withering in the rage? I haven’t, and I don’t plan to. If you want to betray us, then go right ahead. If you do,” she paused, smiling a vicious smile that even Lei found himself in shock from,” I will make sure that you drown in the river of death myself.”

“Gods can’t die Reine,” whispered Caleb, once more grabbing her arm and forcing her to break eye contact with Lei. He regretted his decision as her anger was turned on him. The tent dropped several degrees in temperature, and with surprise Caleb found himself shivering.

Reine merely shrugged, the anger dripping from her eyes like melting ice. The shivering become that of fear, not cold. Her movements said that she believed otherwise. She knew something that no one else did. That was no surprise to him. It was the temper and the insanity that frightened him. As Reine looked away and Caleb gathered his wits enough to look around, he knew that it frightened everyone else, well maybe not Amour and Lei, but Kadia and Tamian looked terrified.

“You are really going to war then,” asked Lei with a sneer.
   
“Me?” asked Reine with a look of innocence,” Well, not all by myself Lei, dear.”
   
Her voice was a good deal less inhuman now, and next to Lei, Amour relaxed. It wasn’t until after he had sunk back into his chair that he noticed he had tensed at all.
   
“Then you’ll fight for us,” asked Kadia from her forgotten position next to Tamian. Reine turned around, startled, and narrowed her eyes as if trying to remember who the blue eyed girl was. “For Lumiere?”
   
“No.”

Kadia looked at Reine, startled. Anger blazed in her eyes and she moved to argue, but was stopped by a gesture from Reine. “I fight for everything that needs hope. I fight for remembrance, and I fight extinction, but never just for Lumiere.”

Silence stretched through the room, and then Kadia and Tamian nodded in acceptance. It was Caleb who spoke next.

“I fight for her,” he said quietly, barely above a whisper. “For Reine.”

Reine turned to him as he slid into his chair, thoughtfully placing his chin in his hand. A smile lit on her face and she let her hand rest on his shoulder. He looked around the table, daring anyone else to pledge their loyalty and was surprised when Amour spoke.

“I’m sure the law of the Gods, where it states we are not to interfere, includes this. There is no one to set us in time out of course, so I don’t see why we should bother with the laws older than time. I too will fight for Reine.” He stood, bowing to Reine and grabbing her hand to kiss it gentlemanly. “You are, after all, a woman worth fighting for,” he said flirtatiously. On Reine’s right Caleb glared, but Reine merely laughed and curtsied back to Amour, before slapping him across the face. The smile was still on her face.

“What did I tell you Amour?” she asked while she shook the sting out of her hand. Amour was too busy rubbing his cheek to answer.

“You never actually told him anything, you just hit him,” muttered Lei with a snicker. Amour turned to his brother and glared while continuously rubbing the red spot from his cheek. When he sat down it was still there. Reine also sat down but she was no longer shaking her hand.

“Now that we have that matter settled, what else do we need to discuss?”

Reine looked expectantly around the table. No one said anything. Wow, what a brilliant start.

“Fine then, I’ll start,” she continued, “I’ll start with common sense. The proper attire for people who have every Assassin in Decalage out for them is not a white dress and a gold tunic.” Tamian and Kadia blushed, looking away from Reine’s glance. “Respect for privacy will usually end up with more help,” Everyone but Caleb glanced away now, even Amour and Lei. “And when you are in my territory, you will do as I say. Understand?”

A chorus of yes sounded from around the table, from all except Lei. He merely shrugged in his ‘I plan to do whatever I want’ sort of way and Reine accepted it. Caleb wasn’t so sure about it though, his face was set in a hard mask that stared straight at Lei. The God of War promptly looked back, a sneer on his face.

“I still don’t trust him,” he said to Rein, though his eyes remained on Lei.

“Isn’t it funny how things change?” replied Lei, crossing his arms over his chest in an annoying ‘all knowing’ way. “Once the prince of Fonce would have done anything for the God who once watched over his kingdom, but now he looks at the God with skepticism.”

Caleb didn’t answer.

He never got a chance to.

“Why do you say that the God ‘once’ watched, does he not continue to watch?” questioned Kadia, standing in a magnificent movement that Reine eyed with envy. She possessed neither the grace nor the poise to command attention with a movement. Confused at her sigh, Caleb glanced sideways, but when Amour spoke everyone’s attention once more returned to the conversation.

“Has it not, my lady of the light, already been said that things change?” piqued in Amour, grinning fool heartedly at first the royalty, then at Caleb. “Has it no already been decided that people change?”

“It’s not a thing of change, brother,” growled Lei, glancing away from Caleb’s stare. “Unlike you I have not pledged allegiance to anyone at this table. Not their most in adept majesties or the pirate queen.”

The pirate queen of conversation shrugged equitably. Caleb was not so quick to back down.

“Then why are you here oh tasteless one of carrion?”

Amour chuckled, but was silenced by a glower from the War God. He couldn’t stop the giggle that slid from Reine’s mouth however, and merely settled back into his chair, not answering the young Prince’s question.

Poor boy, thought Reine with a smile in Lei’s direction, confusing the other guests of her table with the blinding changes of her mood and the friendliness in her face. Even the God of War looked at her, half expecting some ego-destroying comment. I wonder… when will be the next time we sit beneath the same roof, and not be at each other’s throats, for truly we are on different sides of this war.

A howl stirred the winds, sending the cloth sides of the queen’s tent flapping. Another deep throated call followed, and Kadia half jumped out of her chair as the sounds grew closer.

Night had fallen, and the time for celebration of her return had been prolonged enough.

Reine laughed a wild and crazy sound that caused even Lei to widen his eyes in shock. Amour stood, as if to touch her, to bring her back to now, but she moved too quickly. Another howl resounded through the wind. It too was closer. This time, instead of waiting for an answering call, Reine threw back her head and mimicked the sound.

No human should be able to make the sound of a dog. No mortal should be able to twist the howl into song, but Reine has proven to be no ordinary woman.

Her guests still stared in shock as her howl rose and fell in what could only be called a melody to the canine harmony that now seemed to surround the tent and fill the tent. Outside, they could here the steps of the pack, but none of them were ready for the thing that crashed through the tent opening. It was easily enough one of the largest animals any of them, except Amour and Lei, had ever seen. Scraggly gray fur did nothing to hinder its movements, which were surprisingly graceful even though the monstrous beast was the size of a small horse.

On to the table it jumped, panting heavily, but it did not attack. When Kadia gave a shrill scream it merely gave her a patronizing look, and removed itself from the table, landing at Reine’s feet. The pirate queen enveloped the dog in a hug, pressing her face into his thick neck. The howls outside the tent had ceased.

Respectfully, and still quite shocked, the others waited in silence for Reine to explain this oddity to them. Kadia was clinging to Tamian like a bat, Caleb was pressed very tightly to his chair, and Amour and Lei were watching with amusement, though neither would ever admit they were just as shocked. It was more because of that strange song than the appearance of the dog.

Finally, after whispering things of joy and welcome into the dog’s ear Reine looked at the others, a smile on her face that suddenly seemed so very tired. Her arms still encircled the wolf’s neck, he seemed reluctant even when she no longer spoke to him in that beautiful language of song that part of his understood too well.

“If you’ll excuse me, I have a party to attend. I’ll trust that we’ll see each other sooner or later, so I’ll not call this good bye.” She spoke in softened tones, as if the change from the Authinia to this other rough, distorted tongue was too much for her. “Amour and Lei, it was a pleasure to have you here. Kadia and Tamian, remember what I said about common sense, and Caleb… feel free to help yourself to the food and drink.” She paused for a moment, weighing heavily the words she was planning to use next. “Farae maera tun rerisad orien arth.”

She used the silence that followed to make her escape, as those who sat at the table tried to comprehend that strange and beautiful language that left them hungry for more. Like sweets it had dropped from her tongue, etching something deeper into their very being than all but two of them had never known before.

“What did she say?” whispered Kadia at Tamian, but he had no answer.

“She said ‘Fate meets us with open arms’” replied Amour, a grin on his face.

“What is that supposed to mean?” grouchily asked Lei.

“Well that’s the point of it; we won’t know what it meant until we need it, right? I mean, she doesn’t exactly like to speak straight forward, does she?” rambled Caleb, still staring at the gently moving flap of the tent.

Amour patted him gently on the head. The pat caused Caleb to blink furiously then glare up at the God of Love, but was startled to find that both the Gods were already gone. Kadia and Tamian were standing up to leave as well, not willing to be in the presence of a man they had hated for so much of their life. Sulkily, Caleb stood after they fled through the tent flap.

“Well, I guess the only thing for me to do is go and get drunk.”

He thought he heard the wind laugh at him as he left.