Chapter 303

Renner, as it turned out, could not hold her liquor. 'I suppose even the most brilliant mind can't calculate everything.' Neia thought, in trying to keep pace with the military veteran so as not to disgrace herself, Princess Renner's best efforts only revealed that she was in some ways, quite innocent.

"Whas the bucket?" Renner slurred.

"You're going to need it." Neia said when she came back into the room and slapped it down on the floor between Renner's feet before returning to her side of the table and reclaiming her seat.

Renner appeared only confused. "Whersh Climb?" She looked around as if he should be there.

"I assume back home managing your Kingdom." Neia said and poured herself another cup. "You've… have you ever had a drink before?" The Queen of Frost asked, and Renner gave small, slow nods, which seemed to be the best she could manage.

"Yesh. One. An with water… idn'this that?" The Golden Queen slurred.

Neia felt her jaw drop. "Who waters down their alcohol? Oh by the gods we're getting rid of…" The Queen of Frost began to click her talons on the table as she drummed her fingers there and said, "I was going to say you owe me one, but it looks like I owe an apology instead. It never occurred to me that you'd be watering down your wine…"

"Climbshnot here… oh… shome… yesh…" Renner's waving head tried to focus on her opposite, "Wheresh yer Climb?" She drunkenly slurred while Neia slowly drank.

"I don't have one." Neia answered.

"Cause yer shougly?" Renner slurred.

Neia neither winced nor changed her expression. "Yes." She said and snapped her mouth shut.

"Theyreall shtupid." Renner slurred back with contempt.

'Is this her being… nice? Is the Golden Queen a 'nice' drunk?' Neia wondered, before hearing 'the burp'

A kind of a half gulp and burp noise made only by the intoxicated about to vomit, her cheeks were full, and then she leaned forward, head over the bucket, and hurled the contents of her stomach into the wooden container. A very noisy 'Bleaaaagh…' sound went with it, and then the noise of faint spitting for several seconds.

Two pale, perfect hands slapped on the surface of the table one by one, and the Golden Queen began to push herself back upright again. Neia set her cup down and asked, "Are you feeling a little better?"

Gasps of heavy breathing were her answer for several seconds more, and the Golden Queen flung herself back against the chair so that her neck arched over the back and she was looking straight up, her hands fell away from the table and hung at her sides.

"Yeah, you'll be fine, just… give it a little while longer, I've seen this a thousand times, though I didn't expect you to be such a lightweight." Neia said, and Renner, without looking at the Queen of Frost asked…

"Whashit like… to aschually kill schomone… you done it… lotsh… right?" Renner asked.

Neia's mouth formed a deep frown. "I did. And… if you want to know? The first time is awful, but it gets easier until it's routine. But it's not something meant to be enjoyed. I still don't like it, and I hope to never have to do it again."

Renner's head bobbed in what might have been intended to be a nod, but it didn't come back up. "I… I shink I can walk, long as you help me… nobodyll schnow I drunk…"

"Fine, let's get you to your room for now…" Neia said and coming around the table, she took the Queen's arm and helped her to her feet, and then slipping herself so that they were arm in arm, she began to walk the Golden Queen step by step, back to her room.

Thanks to the late hour, only one or two persons were about, and those were quick to bow their heads, and so did not see the slightly drunken look on Renner's face. All they saw was two royals walking together in private conversation.

Neia closed the door behind themselves as fast as she could, and walked Renner to the broad four poster bed. "You'll want to sleep like this, just in case." Neia stated, and as she helped lay the Queen down, she rolled Renner onto her side, she then went to the corner of the room, took the chamber pot, and laid it on the floor beside where Renner's head lay at rest on the pillow. "I think you left everything in the bucket, but… just in case."

Renner mumbled something unintelligible that sounded like it might have been gratitude, and then Neia began to beat her wings, raising her feet slightly from the floor, and carrying herself to the exit in silence so as not to disturb the young Queen. The faint sound of snoring hit Neia's ear before the Queen of Frost could even leave the room.

'So that's what she's like when her guard is down.' Neia thought, and made her way back to her quarters.

Back in Renner's room, eyes closed, popped open. Steady snoring, stopped. The Queen who was laying down, got up and went about removing her dress, laying it carefully aside for servants to tend the following day before climbing smoothly back into bed and getting under the covers. Wide, staring eyes looked up at the ceiling, and the Golden Queen relaxed herself saying, "So… that's what she's like when her guard is down."

She then yawned, and began to think of Climb again before drifting off to sleep.

A day later, Queen Draudillon watched from her place in the wagon as they rolled into the capital city of the Baharuth Empire. Arwintar was bustling with life, vigor, and activity in general. The population walked with swift steps, horses cantered past with the riders barely noticing anything, and carriages clattered about as they went to and fro down busy streets.

She immediately compared it to the cities of her Kingdom, what was left of it, and a burning anger settled in the pit of her stomach when she craned her neck to look at the spires of tall buildings, the proud architecture of ancient stone and the sturdy buildings that lay lined up side by side. 'It's not fair! If we didn't have the beastmen to the east of us, we could have this too!' She thought and looked down at the manacles on her wrists. She was chained beside the same pregnant elf woman who assisted in the care of the human and elven victims of the King, who was in turn chained to someone the King had not 'finished with' yet.

There was no way for just 'one' of them to run. The woman to Draudillon's right leaned down at her, "Don't let him see you angry, child. Don't ever let him see that. Be passive, be silent. Don't think you can escape just because you are here among other humans." The woman said with a bitter snap.

It brought Draudillon out of her reverie and brought her to look up at her long eared comrade. "Why, there's a tournament of champions here, anything could happen, if I can get word to one of my country's allies…"

"They're a long way from here, child of royalty." The woman said reprovingly, "Naive girl, nobody else is rushing to be here, this is the first year of guaranteed peace in forever, and nobody is rushing to end it. The 'month' has been drawn out, I'm sure of it. The royals of all nations may come here as you've said, but they will not come looking for war. They'll treat this like you did, as a gay, joyous holiday. You said yourself, didn't you, that you were going to join with them, meet your mother, and all come together?"

Draudillon began to tremble. "But the city… Baharuth won't…"

"They're in no position to fight anyone now, not with their fate hanging by a thread." The woman whispered.

"Then… my maids… my attendants…" Draudillon made neither statement nor question. It was simply words of despair cast out into the uncaring world.

"Maybe when your mother arrives… at least you can go home… if she'll bear the price. But nobody will fight for the elf King's 'leavings'... I'm sorry." The woman whispered down to her, and then wrapped her arms around the white haired Queen in disguise, and comforted her as best she could until the carriage finally rolled to a stop in front of a gated and towering estate.