"So", now seated upon my throne, I began, "What did I miss"
[# Everything, host #]
"I know that much; how extensive is everything"
[# Very very very extensive, host #]
"I know, just- you know what, never mind!"
Meanwhile,
Down in Vasyti, seated on a throne of their very own, there was suddenly a very sleepy queen.
The sudden drowsiness was confusing yet tempting to the queen, whose eyes just closed for the fifth time in the span of three minutes.
"Your Majesty, do you desire that the meeting be postponed in consideration of your need for rest?" A councilman asked her.
"Honestly, I need sleep, thank you" Before the councilman could respond, she was already halfway to the door.
"Noted, Your Majesty. Meeting adjourned" The soft click of the closing door served to punctuate the now postponed meeting.
It wasn’t long until the Queen arrived at her bed chambers; upon entering, without care for her shoes or her garments, she plopped on the bed, the act void of the grace and elegance attributed to a lady of her social standing.
"Hello, Your Majesty"
Her eyes opened, half ready to rebuke the speaker who cut her sleep short before it even fully formed, but that thought died as she saw the garden her bed now stood in the heart of
"Over here", the voice called out again, her head following the sound, until her eyes landed on a quaint little set-up, 2 chairs and a table, a set of cutlery, teacups, a teapot, and a variety of snacks pre-arranged. Seated on one of the chairs was a man; his presence exuded an aura of safety, not the cosy kind, the kind that felt like nothing could ever reach you where you stood. His eyes were golden, like the sun at high noon, just with a hint of warm amber. His skin, a warm, healthy caramel; his hair, moonlight, a silvery-white that almost glowed.
"Who are you? Why am I here? Who sent you?" she rapped, now on alert as she was in a place she didn’t recognise, with a man she didn’t know.
"Hello..." My voice trailed off for a moment, as my eyes glowed for an almost imperceptible moment. "...Aithara, worry not; I’ll answer your questions. Please...just take a seat"
She was hesitant; I mean, who wouldn’t be in such a weird situation, but after a 1,001 sceptical glares, she sat down.
"Now, Aithara, as for who sent me, no one did. I’m here for personal reasons, reasons that may, in fact, they will, benefit you. Why am I here? To talk. And who am I? I assumed you’d have seen my face once or twice in Vasyti’s temple, but I’m Astrael."
"Right, and I’m Saint August. Listen, you have 5 seconds to start speaking" The space around her began to haze; the threat hung in the air like a guillotine, and the very chair I was sitting on morphed, clamping onto me like a miniature prison.
"Temper, temper. Honestly, back in August’s day, you mortals were far more submissive" A crisp finger snap resonated in the air, her previously flaring magic now snuffed like a candle flame in a winter breeze.
"How?" her voice weak, her expression confused.
"Interesting ability you have there; what is it?"
"Why do you want to know?" the question barked, though it lacked bite. "Material Transmutation", her lie smooth, scanning my unflinching demeanour for any lapses
"Really?" The golden glow in my eyes intensified for a brief second.
‡ Follower Profile‡
Name: Aithara Glacei Farath
Title: Queen of Vasyti
Race: Vasytri
Ability: Imaginative Manifestation (SS-rank); The user has the ability to materialise things they have sufficiently understood, either by drawing information from something they have seen or constructing it mentally.
Affiliation: Astrael
Divine Blessing: None
’Glacei...where have I seen that name before?’ But before I could give the thought any more, I pushed it aside, returning my focus to Aithara
"Since when are Material Transmutation and Imaginative Manifestation the same thing? But, I must say, it’s quite the ability for a queen to have"
Her expression turned rigid, her face petrified with shock. This encounter was not going in the direction she was trying to steer it, and for someone who’s royalty and probably used to getting their way, I can only imagine how jarring the feeling must be.
"What did you say your name was again?"
"Astrael"
"I thought it was a children’s tale"
"What?"
"My grandmother, she always told me about how she saw Lord Astrael when she was a child, and how he’s the one who gave Vasyti a chance to be what it is today; without him, she might have never awakened an ability or become the first reigning queen. I assumed it was a child’s tale; she told us to make us behave, these stories of Saint August, and how you descended to punish those with an evil heart"
Grandmother??? Met me???
"Eh? You’re Freya’s granddaughter??!" The surprise in my voice was palpable as I finally pieced it together: the last name, those pale blue eyes, the silver hair, and that unapologetically sharp tongue.
For a moment, her expression shifted into something that resembled indignation. No one ever dared to call her grandmother’s name so directly, but right in front of her, this man said it like she was an old friend; even worse, an inferior. But she schooled it as quickly as it came.
"Yes... I’m her granddaughter, the third queen of Vaysti, Aithara Glacei Farath." Her head dipping in a courteous bow
"That girl had potential, but I never imagined she’d become a queen" I stroked my chin as I murmured
"Wait!" My eyes lit up with a thought "If she’s your grandmother, you must know of Aspen, Kazel, Igris and Slyva, no?"
"Not completely. Granduncle Aspen, Granduncle Kazel, and Granduncle Igris still come visit, but Grandaunt Slyva departed from us a 5 moons ago"
The reveal, like a glass of cold water after a bite of unleavened bread, was nice at first but left a bitter taste in the back of my mouth
"Oh...I see. Nevertheless, unto the instructions I need you to carry out"
With the next few moments that passed, the details of the meeting were revealed to her, not the in-depth discussion, just the needed information.
"So, I hope you understand what you need to do", I concluded after the debrief
She shook her head in affirmation before adding a very important detail
"Lord Astrael, if I may call you that?"
"You may"
"The kingdom, though flourishing, is... limited... territory-wise"
"And?"
"The trade routes, the interconnection and everything you mentioned- in fact, none of it is going to work, because outside that barrier are plagued lands for miles and miles. And it has remained the same for generations"
"And now, it’s like that same protection has become a golden cage?" My words, a knowing statement wearing the skin of a question, elicited an agreeing nod from her.