Chapter 340

Queen Draudillon soaked in the hot bath, it was the first hot water she'd had since her capture, and by itself it would have been considered a paradise. Not far away, the wife of the Allfather held up a dress suitable for royalty. The bright yellow eyes and their narrow vertical slits made it obvious, even if the wings hadn't, that Draudillon was dealing with a nonhuman, and one she felt sure held great power.

The dress was white with green ruffles that ran in a spiral around the base, but ended in ruffles beneath the chest that were of bright red and shaped in the fashion of a bouquet of roses which, thanks to their shape, would offer some degree of modesty. "This." The Allmother said, and Draudillon, wasn't about to argue.

'Even if they'd put me in a maid outfit, given what I was wearing before it would still be an improvement.' The Draconic Queen thought when she gave her nod of consent.

"And we have some glass shoes as well that will pair nicely with this." Albedo added, and again Draudillon gave a contented nod. But the Queen's mind was elsewhere.

"Will that really be all it takes to conquer the elf Kingdom?" Draudillon asked, and Albedo for her part, only laughed.

"It's overkill, if anything. But since you bring it up, you know I'm not here about clothing, don't you, clever Draconic Queen?" Albedo asked, and Draudillon raised her arm out of the water to rest it on the side of the stone tub. The splashing noise was her only response for several seconds until it faded away and she answered.

"Yes. Yes, I do. Our negotiations are different now… and things are worse for me." The Draconic Queen said and a bitter, harsh laugh cascaded around the room. "I didn't think they could be, back when I realized your support teams were the only thing keeping me from being overrun and the Theocracy's lukewarm response to chastise me, only made me more dependent. But now? If he chose to just add me as a third wife, as he took Calca, could I find grounds… or means to object? My reputation as a monarch will have been ruined by my captivity. Everybody knows what the Elf King does, and my Kingdom looks weaker than it ever has before. I daresay I'm worse off than Calca was when her Kingdom was crumbling and the demihumans were invading."

"You're more plainspoken about your situation than I expected, human." Albedo replied to her and went to stand beside the bath. "My… husband, the Allfather, for reasons that are entirely his own and beyond my understanding, has shown you considerable favor. He considers himself 'indebted' to you for something. Only his wisdom knows what. And unlike Calca, I know enough about you to know you would take advantage of that if you could. To wheedle concessions out of him… but I am his mate, his truest love, and that means knowing when I must protect him from himself."

"So you wanted to talk, woman to woman rather than monarch to monarch." Draudillon supposed, and the pregnant monster gave a very broad smile that again put her outside of humanity.

"You catch on quickly." Albedo remarked. "The Golden Queen gave in to protect her love for her… King. The Holy Queen gave in to ensure her people could rebuild in safety. The Frost Queen… has yet to give in, but she will… for the security of her dreams. The Elf King will simply die and the rule of the Baharuth Empire will be 'ours'. The dwarves and quagoa gave in for salvation from the Demon Emperor and the frost dragons out of awe of the Allfather's power. The Wolf King and Queen gave in because we helped them win their war, and the elves will be outright conquered before the rule over Baharuth is decided. Now your Kingdom survives because of my beloved's generosity. So… what do you offer to keep it?"

"Does he desire my hand in marriage? If that is still mine to offer, and it seems to be, then-?" The Draconic Queen let her statement hang when the monster beside her shook her head.

"I and my compatriots first thought this was his goal, to put his heir on the throne of every nation. But it seems this isn't the case." Albedo answered, "Try again."

"What does he want?" The Queen asked, she tried not to notice the way the Allmother stared down at her as if she were something to be devoured.

"That is the right question, Draconic Queen." Albedo's smile returned as fast as it previously fled. "You will accelerate the negotiations by offering him everything he wants. If he suggests something, accept it. He is a god after all."

"A god…" Draudillon sighed and splashed water into her face, more to hide it than to clean it. "I prayed to the Six, and they refused my call. If they cared anything for us, I couldn't see it. My women died and the elves we're called to despise, sang their spirits to the beyond… the followers of the six neglected to aid my nation… and at my lowest… I prayed that the Allfather would save me… I called for him, not for the gods… and here I am." She wiped her face clean and raised her eyes to meet those of the monster. "My Kingdom is his Kingdom. My people are his people. Tell the Allfather, that if he grants his eternal security to my land, I and all my heirs will be his most loyal vassals. I will even offer my child's hand in marriage to one of his heirs to secure the bond."

"You have no children." Albedo pointed out. "It's easy to offer what you don't have, human."

"Then we will arrange a marriage for me, to someone of significance, someone who will benefit my Kingdom and that of the Allfather… one of his champions, or a champion of an allied house. We will make this possible." Draudillon said, and in spite of herself and her natural contempt for the 'average' human… or perhaps because she knew that Draudillon's lineage included nonhuman ancestry, the Allmother felt a begrudging regard for the woman's decisiveness.

"That will do." Albedo answered her counterpart, "Enjoy your bath, we will leave in the morning, and we will have a carriage ready for you, and an escort suitable to your status."

"I will… and… give the Allfather my thanks." Draudillon said, though if Albedo heard her before leaving the room, the Draconic Queen could not be sure, as Albedo said nothing in response.

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Zesshi dropped the pouch on the table in their hotel room. It landed with a decisive clatter and a clang of coins, drawing the stare of both Brain and Layali. The black and white haired half elf put her hands on her hips and tilted her chin up. "See, I told you. We'll live in luxury all the way to Arwintar. Unlike Cenna, I was never allowed 'vacations' so this will be the first time in my life I've gotten to see what that's like. He always seems to enjoy it."

Brain lifted his gaze, "This is- great, and all." He said, looking down at the thick brown leather purse that was strained to the limit to hold all the coins. Even if they'd been mere coppers, he had no doubt that it would be a substantial sum, and somehow he knew, 'Those are not coppers in there.' However, he remained reticent. "But, what if something happens?"

"Oh, this is just what I was able to take out, the guild will send runners ahead informing the next leg of the journey that we'll be passing through and how much remains for me to draw on. Or so they said, I don't really know how it works… Raymond tried to explain it to me once but," she scratched her head while keeping one hand on her hip, "I don't really get it. Look, all I know is that the shiny stuff buys us what we want, and the shinier it is, the more it is worth, and we've got a lot of shinies. So relax."

"And what's that behind your back there?" Brain asked.

Zesshi turned a little red in the face, "I… had this flown here, if you want to know. Raymond has my weapon, and… I have no idea if I'm going to see him again. I still plan to fight, so I had these sent for me to use." She tapped one of the sheaths slung over her back. It rattled a little, "So… nothing for you to worry about."

"I see. I see." Brain deflated completely, his shoulders slumped and he sat down in the chair. "Good… that's, that's great." He said and tried to fake his smile up at Zesshi, and did a bad job of it even by his own reckoning.

"Oh, fuck! I'm bad at this…" Zesshi said and flopped down in the chair. "I lied." She said when Brain and Layali's eyes popped open in surprise at her sudden response.

"Here, I told Cenna both were for me, but they're not. One is, but the other one… it's for you. He probably had Time Turbulence fly out here, and probably called in a few favors too, but just like I hoped, they were waiting for me when I arrived." Zesshi said and thrust out a scabbard toward him.

Brain took it in both hands by reflex.

He stared down at the sheath, even that seemed inordinately expensive. "Is this… enchanted?" He asked, noticing the clear lightness despite the weapon within.

"For blade sharpening, it keeps the blade always ready for use, nicks and cuts are not a problem, sheath the sword and it will come out new again." Zesshi answered, and Brain took a look at the hilt. Wrapped with red leather from some unfamiliar creature, and with a long curved guard to protect the bearer and skid a connecting blade away, Brain's whole being called for him to draw the sword.

"It's… enchanted, isn't it?" He asked, his eyes welled up.

Zesshi's grin was as childish as it was genuine. "It is. Improved slashing damage, I noticed how you tend to favor slashing over thrusting, so… it's like it was made for you."

"I-I-I don't know what to say." Brain closed his left hand around the sheath and began to draw the sword with his right hand, the blade itself was a light shade of lavender, a blend of orichalcum and adamantite. He held it upright and let his eyes explore it with the same fascination that some men did with their lover's bodies. "This is… beautiful… I just… I've never had anything like this… nobody has ever given me anything. Let alone anything like this…" He spoke with breathless awe while Zesshi watched with her elbow on the table and her chin resting on the upright palm of her hand.

"So… you like it?" She asked.

"I-I do. Th-Thank you… I don't- I don't know what else I can say." Brain whispered as his eyes went up and down the sword's slight curve.

"So… you got a new sword… does that mean… you can fight again?" Layali asked and inched closer to him.

"I… I suppose it does." Brain stammered as if he'd briefly forgotten the entire point and been lost in the captivating moment of receiving the sword itself.

"Then… then does that mean you'll like me again, enough to keep me… does that mean I can stay…?" Layali asked and reached her arms out for a hug.

As soon as she spoke, Brain sheathed the sword, set it down on the table and turned to pick her up as fast as he possibly could.