fate of their daughters
Vax returned then with a rather shaken up Mattan. His legs were weak as Vax led him to a seat.
"What did I miss?" Vax asked.
"Hawthorne is still a maiden." Lucia responded pointing a finger to him.
"What?" Vax was confused.
"And Elara—"
"Shut up Lucia. He will find out when it's time." She cut him off not taking her eyes away from Vax.
"Where did you take him?" Hawthorne asked as he rose to his feet.
"I only showed him a bit of what our future may look like."
Mattan found his strength and stood up.
"We really aren't the enemy here." He waved his hands in the negative.
"We believe you Mattan and that is why this partnership is going to be a good solution. Like I said before, the royal house has chosen to bind themselves in an alliance with your kind."
"How— how so?" His eyes held a certain glint of hope that things could go well.
"They propose a marriage. One of your daughters will be set to marry the only heir in line to the throne." Hawthorne finally delivered the reason they came.
"What?" Mattan still a bit shaken was now confused. "A marriage, to us? What will that prove?"
"That we are in this together and will face a soon to be common enemy together." Hawthorne explained.
"I will think and talk about it with my people and let you know." When he noticed they neither moved or showed signs of leaving he asked. "Are you waiting for a response?"
"Dear Sir Mattan, you do not want blood on your hands do you?" Vax said in a steel voice. "We are not to return to Tahu without a bride for the Prince."
"So it's already decided?" Mattan asked.
"Not exactly. Think of it this way, our minds are made up and we are not going to let down. Also we have a few prospects in mind, you don't need to trouble yourself with who it may be." Hawthorne explained
"You can't stay here," Mattan looked around his small living room, there was so much going on his head that he wasn't sure why he was thinking of them passing the night in his home. "I have no beds to spare."
"Don't worry about us. We will just pass the night in the carriage outside." Phina said softly.
With that they all filed out as they had earlier done and stepped into the cool night to an even bigger crowd than had been when they arrived.
"Just ignore, we only have one mission and with any luck he would see reason with all that's been said." Hawthorne said.
"Oh he is going to agree, I can feel it. As long as his daughters aren't the ones of course." Elara said as they moved through the crowd to their carriage and stepped inside to rest.
"You are quite good with words Hawthorne, if I didn't know this was just a sham to cover up for the fact that we only want their daughters as instruments for a punishment to a once way ward prince I'd have surely believed you." Lucia stated.
"It's not far from the truth, our kind have been getting missing for years now," Esra explained. They were all soldiers of Tahu except Hawthorne and Phina and by such weren't surprised with the approach the prince had chosen to take, they only found it quite clever. "But I see your point Lucia." He gave him a quick smile.
A knock sounded on the carriage door alerting them. They slowly opened the door to see a lady covered in a dark cloak.
"I hear you need a place to rest your heads for the night. I may be able to help with that." Miss Neoma spoke slowly as she took of the hood of her cloak. A certain spark in her eyes as she spoke. She didn't look fascinated by them like the others who stood behind her, no. She had familiarity in her eyes, and interest too.
"You will open your home to us?" Phina asked a bit surprised like the others.
"What does it matter what I open, if you so need it, you will enter. I promise no harm will come to you all," she said seductively.
"Fine by me," Lucia said lifting his hands up like one would when they surrender to a higher power.
"Follow her." Hawthorne instructed their coach.
"Yes sir."
Miss Neoma started down the path towards Mora on her horse ignoring the whispers and stares and judgement of the people she's lived amongst all her life.
——
It was almost midnight when Mattan gathered the men in the town's square hall to finally talk to them.
Kish sat quietly in a corner, as he watched people pass words around.
He had instructed his daughters and family to stay home and under no circumstance were they to step outside.
Chief Mattan told of all he saw in the plane Vax had taken him to and fear still laced in his voice as he narrated it.
"I saw destruction like I've never known before, destruction as bad as the ancient tales of Sot. If they look to us as the enemy, surely a war is on the brink." he had said.
"If they truly look to us as the enemy, why haven't they attacked?" Shouted one villager. A few cosigned what he said as it made sense to them.
"Do you want them to attack us? Our best fighters can't measure up to them and you know it!" said one man.
"Exactly, looks like you want a war! If you think loosing your life is a tragedy, wait till you find out what they would possibly do to your wife, our wives and daughters!" Another lamented as the other got quiet.
Loud voices filled the air as tension rose, their faces etched with worry and some with fear.
Kish said nothing at all, deep down he was afraid his input will open their minds to blaming his daughter again.
Mattan quieted them all. "They do no wish to attack us. They have actually proposed a solution. And this is from their King and Queen." He said hesitating to deliver the final deal. "They wish to have one of our daughters marry the only heir to the throne. They do this as a means to avoid to a conflict that could bring ruin to our homes and families."
"That's a whole lot of bullshit and you know it. The Royals are werewolves! That is a suicide mission!" Cried a fellow.
"Wait. There is a curse on them. They can't attack us. They die if they do." One man stated.
Some argued it, and some didn't.
Mattan stood, tired to his bones. He was to be a voice of reason. His eyes, though weary, held a glint of resolve as he addressed them again. "Gentlemen, we face a perilous choice. The Royals is a force to be reckoned with, and their alliance could indeed spare our people from the horrors of war. Although we must tread carefully, for this is not a decision to be made lightly."
The hall filled with murmurs of agreement and disagreement, revealing the complexity of the situation. Some believed that the alliance was a necessary sacrifice, while others clung to their pride and resisted the idea of surrendering their daughters to a life with a being so vicious.
"They already have a few names as prospects of their own." Mattan added.
"How do they know what names to have on such list?" One asked.
It was then they remembered Kish Lod and they turned to him.
"What insolence. My family may have given their own share of trouble but we would never ever betray our own."
"Your daughter hasn't exactly being the most loyal. She loves that side of the world." One person commented.
"You don't need to know how far she would go to defend our own but I know my daughter. She will never do such." Kish stood his ground.
"You can never know—"
"Shame on you. Crown has suffered harsh judgements in the past at our hands. Aren't you tired of blaming an innocent child whose heart sought a little adventure." It was Old Mick that spoke. "I know her well enough to know she has done nothing wrong to bring this upon us."
As time passed and arguements raged on, the weight of the decision hung heavily in the air. They knew that whatever choice they made would shape their future. The hall was filled with fathers torn between their love for their daughters and their duty to their land.
"Enough!" Mattan shouted. Silence fell on the scene. "I cannot bear the thought of giving my daughter in marriage or any of our daughters to a creature of Tahu. But if it means our safety and the peace of our land, we will do what we must. Let's find our rest tonight, we will find out more in the morning."
After all said, the hall emptied, leaving behind a solemn air of uncertainty. The fate of their daughters and the future of their land rested on what decision they finally took.