Chapter 15 - Evening Meal

The servants arrived 2 minutes later and prepared the bath for me. They placed some herbs and other powders into the tub before one of the servants, a mage, filled it with hot water using magic. Needless to say, the bath was very relaxing and I spent a long time letting myself relax and enjoy the warmth. The fear I had felt earlier slowly passed and I found myself wishing that I could bring out my summons. I hadn't realized, but the presence of my summons made me feel safe and calm. I could technically bring them out since I was alone in my tent but I had no idea if the queen or others could sense them using magic or kor, and a servant could appear at any time, so I decided It wasn't worth the risk. I would find out more about Adarra before I let my summons out. After I was done bathing I dried myself off and put on the clothes the servants had bought me.

I gave an appreciative nod as inspected myself in the mirror. I was wearing a silver tunic with a blue vest on top of it, black pants, and a pair of short black boots. The clothes felt smooth and comfortable, although the boots were a bit tight. I had also finally gotten a look at my face, and I have to say I was quite pleased. My eyes as I had been told by Trudy were indeed royal blue, although I couldn't see any sign of them glowing. I also had a strong jawline, higher cheek bows, and symmetrical lips. I wasn't perfect, but I was definitely handsome. I brushed a hand through my short raven black hair as I heard the sound of the tent flap opening and turned to see a servant.

"The queen has sent me to fetch you," she said in a respectful tone. I nodded and gave one last glance at my reflection before following her out of the tent. We stepped out into the evening night and I took the chance to get a better look at the camp, as I followed the servant. Most of the tents were the same size and all were silver and blue, which I was starting to understand was the colors of the kingdom or of the princess faction. We passed groups of soldiers sitting around large campfires, eating and chatting with one another, tents that were filled with the sound of metal on metal, and patrols of soldiers that nodded to us when we passed them. Torches and floating balls of light were all over the camp, keeping the place very well lit. I would have spent more time looking at the camp, but we arrived at a large tent after just a few minutes.

The servant ushered me inside and I thanked her before she bid me farewell and left. The inside of the tent was lit by more floating balls of light and was quite simple with just a large table, that was filled with many different types of food, at the center of the room. The 5 people sat at said table were looking at me.

"Welcome, Nathan, I am pleased to see that you dress up quite nicely," said Adarra in a sultry voice. She was wearing a similar dress to what she had worn earlier in the day, but this one was green, silver, and low cut. I tried to stop myself from staring but failed miserably, and she winked when she caught my eyes. I stifled a groan. This woman is gonna be the death of me, I thought to myself. As I walked to the table to take a seat I examined the other four people sat at the table. The man and woman that had accompanied Adarra when she had first met me were seated on one side, while an amazonian like woman and a... bird beastkin? were sat on the other.

The Amazonian wore tight-fitting leather armour which showed off the muscles beneath. Her hazel eyes and heart-shaped face were framed by medium length black hair. Her lips were upturned into a smile, and she gave me a nod which I returned. The bird-like beastkin had a head of black feathers instead of hair, and two eyes not unfamiliar to Adarra's own but more bird-like. His black robes moved as he followed my movements with his gaze, and he too gave me a respectful nod which I returned. I was happy to see not everyone apart from Adarra hated me the moment they saw me.

"Before we eat, I think introductions are in order," said Adarra at the head of the table. She waved a hand to her right side where the woman and man from earlier were sat, "The two you met earlier are Aldith and Allard. Aldith is the captain of my personal guard, while Allard is one of my most trusted generals." Both Aldith and Allard straightened and puffed their chests at the queen's word. Great, I thought sarcastically, neither of them seemed to like me at all. The queen waved to her left side, "These are Gisela and Leubast. Gisela is the commander of my armies and Leubast is my spymaster and head of intelligence gathering."

"These are my most trusted advisors," she said and turned to Audrey and Oscar, "Allow me to introduce you to Nathan..."

"Storm," I interjected. "Nathan Storm, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Aye, I've heard of ye," Gisela said with an accent I couldn't place. "You came in on that big ol beasty.' She laughed, "Gave the soldiers quite a fright."

I smiled at her, "Rath can be quite intimidating, but he's a loyal beast." Despite her Amazonian appearance, her voice was light-hearted and her tone jovial. I could definitely get along with her. Adarra snapped her figures and servants entered the tent and started serving each of us. They were a huge variety of dishes to choose was from, and I had to hold back the urge to salivate at the smell. The servants left after we had been served and we started digging in. My plate was filled with different cuts of meat, vegetables, and potatoes covered in a creamy sauce that tasted amazing. It was kind of awkward at first since Adarra seemed intent on watching me and tracking my movements the entire time. She smiled and winked every time I caught her watching me and I saw Allard scowl whenever he saw.

"So, Nathan, may I ask where you're from," asked Adarra as we ate. "It's clear that you're not from our kingdom, but I'm interested in knowing if you're of our empire or not." I felt a shiver run through me as her eyes locked onto my mine and a slight tinge of fear. I didn't know how but she seemed to be able to change her eyes or something, as I swore I felt some sort of pressure from her gaze. It wasn't suffocating as it had been when I had first met her, but it was definitely there. Was it some sort of magic or kor related?

"I'm not from anywhere in the Tyrofell empire, I'm actually from quite far away, and I only recently arrived in Larra," I answered. I wasn't going to tell her where I was actually from because she'd probably think I was crazy and if she didn't then what did that say about her?

"I see," she replied. "And are you aware that there is a civil war currently going on?" I was pretty sure she already knew what my answer was, but I spoke anyway.

"Yeah I'm aware," I answered. "The first place I arrived when I entered the kingdom was a small village on the outskirts. They informed me of the situation."

She folded her hands together and narrowed her eyes slightly, "What do you think the best way to end this war is." I paused in my eating. I was starting to think she liked making me off balance because this question came out of nowhere. Why was she asking me this? Was it some sort of test to see if I was loyal or something? In any case, I couldn't just straight up refuse her, and I felt frustrated at that fact. I was in her domain and she was in control, something which I wasn't used to. I was keenly aware that all eyes had turned to me, and that my answer could reflect poorly on me. I mentally sighed, I might aswell give it my best try, I thought, what's the worst that can happen.

"Well in my opinion there are two ways you can go about this," I began in a serious voice. "The first way is to end your enemies quickly. Position yourself well and cut off the head and supports. A long and drawn-out war is not what you want. A spider cannot function with no head and will find it harder to walk with fewer legs." I really hoped they didn't see my nerves, and I hoped they understood what I was saying.

"The second way is through negotiation, but that can be quite a tricky path," I said. "You might want to negotiate, but your enemies might see it as a chance to kill or harm you. For this situation, negotiation would be harder since there are 3 factions vying for the kingdom, not just two."

Adarra was silent and still for a minute, her eyes narrowed and mouth a thin line. The others seemed to be waiting for their queen to talk and were also quiet. I held my breath and hoped that I hadn't made a mistake or said something wrong. Should I have said something about her strength or her forces?

"I'm impressed," she finally said and I let out the breath I had been holding. "Most would simply try and get on my good side by complimenting my power and saying that a head-on approach was best. None have ever even offered a peaceful solution." A seductive smile appeared on her face, "Handsome and intelligent." I saw Allard scowl at that and he shot me a dirty look. What the hell is this guys problem, I thought to myself.

"I like the way you think," said Leubast, tilting his head at me. "But do you not find the first method unhonorable?" I felt a quote pop up in my head and despite trying to resist, I couldn't stop the words that spilled from my mouth.

"Stand amongst the ashes of a trillion dead souls, and ask the ghosts if honor matters. The silence will be your answer." It was a quote I had seen online and I had always wanted to use it. The bird beastkin tilted his head further and a small smile appeared on his face, "I really like the way you think."

"Morbid, but understandable," said Adarra. "I'm afraid however I must keep my honor in my mind because the way I am seen matters a great deal."

"They won't care about what they don't know," I replied and Adarra shot me a smirk.

"I think battle is the best way to win," said Gisela in a cheerful voice. "It's the most fun and also very fulfilling."

"Maybe fulfilling to you," snorted Leubast. "But I think it's a waste of time and soldiers."

"Oh shut up you sneaky ol bird," joked Gisela. "You know you like fighting just as much as I do. I've seen the look on your face when you fight."

"No idea what you're talking about," Replied Leuabst, folding his arms.

Gisela placed a hand and Leusbast shoulder and ruffled his fathers, "Oh yes you do!" Leubast struggled and shoved Gisela off, "Get off you brute." Gisela just laughed and turned to me, "You should see the way he preens his feathers after a battle," she joked. The image brought a laugh out from me and I quickly covered my mouth as Leubast turned to me in indignation.

"I do not preen!" he shouted. "She's the one who talks to her axe."

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "You said you wouldn't bring that up anymore!" I was finding it harder and harder to hold back my laughter as they spoke. Compared to the Adlith and Allard, they were a blast of fun. The scene reminded me of my friends back home, and I quickly pushed down the sadness and pain the thoughts brought up. Not now.

"Would you two act more sensible," said Adlith, rolling her eyes at the two.

Gisela turned her gaze to Adlith, "Oh be quiet Mrs sniffer." Mrs sniffer?

Adlith face turned red, "How dare you-"

"That's enough," interjected Adarra. "Let us finish our meal in peace and quiet, ok." Everyone, including myself, nodded and focused back on their food. The rest of the meal passed quickly after that, and I felt myself grow more confused and angry as Allard kept sending me dirty looks and sneering at me. Not even Adlith was doing that, and I could tell she didn't like me. When we had all finished eating, everyone stood and bid the queen goodnight before leaving. I was actually surprised at how the meal had gone as I had been expecting to be asked more questions, but I wasn't going to complain about it. I stood from my chair but stopped when Adarra's silver eyes met mine and she shook her head, "You stay. I have more I wish to speak about with you."

I held back a sigh and sat back down, guess I spoke too soon.