Chapter 259 - Ultimatums

Note : Chapter 263 has been written and added to the queue !

Chapter 259

Red Sands Desert, Duchy of Sarth

City of Darthar

This time it was Surnise who asked, begged really, for parley.

Alexandra granted it…and met them on the breach, making their delegation climb on a mountain of their own people's corpses to get to her.

And behind her…behind her stood ranks upon ranks of stakes.

Each topped by the decorated, heraldic helmet of one of Sunrise's noble officers.

The message had come across loud and clear by the time the envoy reached her.

"Lady Crystal." The request for parley had been addressed to her, directly, and despite being flanked by Philia and the commander of the city guard, it was clear the other side knew there was only one person they needed to negotiate with.

"Envoy." Said Alexandra, coldly, as she smiled. "I recall a similar meeting, not too long ago. I believe I went out of my way to meet your leader in person. It seems your duke's successor isn't intent on returning the courtesy."

Whatever the envoy had expected to hear, this wasn't it, and he paused, clearly choosing his response with exquisite care.

"With the absence of guarantees, and the current situation, he felt it prudent. Furthermore, he has much to do with the aftermath of the battle." He gazed at the soldiers arrayed on the breach, and the corpses, his voice suddenly softer. "As do you, I imagine."

"We all have to deal with the consequences of our actions, envoy. Now, your lord called this meeting for a reason. What is it?"

"We wish to negotiate a truce, to collect the dead, and pave the way for a longer term settlement."

"No."

"No? I-"

Alexandra raised her hand, imperiously.

"We will not allow you to recover your dead. Especially not when it would allow you bring them back to fight us again."

"But…if they're left here…"

"They will never be brought back?" Alexandra glared at the envoy. "So will many of ours. Consequences, envoy." She gestured at the stakes. She'd relented from her original idea at Ghost's insistence, but they were still striking. "Even your lords are not free from them."

The envoy swallowed. She'd seen right through the proposal, and knew what the true goal of the truce was. To recover as many of their nobles and command structure as possible, plus elite troops.

After all, they could replenish their slave troops at the next town. Their true limitation was the number of people to command them.

"Very well. And what about a longer term settlement?"

"My offer still stands. Hand over the slaves. Take the rest of your forces, and leave."

"Even our siege weapons?"

"Even your siege weapons."

What little good it would do them anyway. She'd thoroughly proven by this point how outclassed they were in the artillery department. Though they might have some utility against Asaria, or Sarth.

Actually, she almost wished they'd try and use them against Sarth. She wondered how long it would take them to realize their mistake, and get shredded by the howitzers she had supplied to Willard's uncle, the duke.

The envoy seemed to genuinely consider the offer.

"I will have to confer with the brigadier, he had hoped…"

"Hope for the best, prepare for the worst. I expect his response shortly. After all, there isn't much time."

The envoy swallowed, again.

It was clear which side was rushing against the clock.

"Of course. Lady Crystal, if I may take my leave?"

"Be my guest." She waited for him to turn around and start walking down the pile of corpses before she spoke up again. "Oh, and envoy?"

"Yes?"

"Do give the brigadier my regards."

The envoy looked at her, then the stakes, and shivered.

"Yes lady Crystal. Of course."

"Thank you."

She watched him leave, before turning around, still flanked by the two officers, and walked back into the city.

She had a meeting with the count.

And tomorrow, a remote one with their majesties.

*****

Cassissa covered her mouth with her hand, horrified, as she looked at the report.

Her sister's lockdown, and let's face it, home arrest order had gotten looser over time. Both officially and unofficially, with the guards relaxing their surveillance, and people more willing to pass things along to her.

The Imperial princess couldn't even bring herself to read the words on the crystal tablet.

The images were enough.

A literal mountain of corpses, ending up on a gutted airship.

What…what in all the hells had Allya allied herself with?

The more she learned about what her old savior and lover had done, the more she worried.

Especially with the talisman she had been offered. She wore it, everywhere she went, as a form of good luck charm.

This dungeon core…many saw her as a thief, riding on stolen Tarkian technology. But she knew better.

Crystal had invented new arcanas. New magic, never before seen upon the world.

No one became an archmage of this level in less than two years.

Unless…unless they had help. The advisors? No, they'd never violate their orders.

Who then?

She froze as it crashed upon her.

An extradimensional. One skilled in coding.

Just like Alexandra.

Who was still missing.

Her hands tightened as her eyes narrowed.

The Order…they had kidnapped the extradimensional. And the wars surrounding the dungeon were ever so slightly odd, ever so slightly…convenient.

She needed to ask some questions. Exceedingly discretely.

Her line was tightly intertwined with the ancient Order…and its cause. There was no telling who knew what, or who would betray her.

That wasn't even counting the inquisition's increased activity.

"Olivier!"

The old butler entered a room a few seconds later.

"Yes, your highness?"

"I need to send a message."

"To whom?"

Cassissa thought it through, then she nodded.

If she couldn't trust him, who could she trust?

"Erik."

"Eriksen Dragonslayer?" The old butler looked surprised. "Of course, but your sister will not be pleased."

"If she finds out."

"Of course. I will make the arrangements."

"Thank you. And Olivier?" The old bureaucrat tilted his head. "Be careful. Really. This…this is about Alexandra."

The butler nodded.

He knew of the guilt Cassissa bore over her failure to protect the extradimensional…and who had done the deed.

"Of course. I will be the very soul of caution."

"Thank you Olivier. Be safe."

"I will be your highness. I will be."

*****

Alexandra sighed in relief as she hopped out of the ambassador golem, leaving only a sliver of attention to it, and hopped back into her avatar.

She'd thought Sarah and Ella were stifling in their constant attentions.

Now she realized that, if anything, they were scandalously hands off.

After talking to the count, she'd been surrounded by maids and escorted to her quarters, CQ in tow. She'd protested, said that they didn't need a place to stay, at which point the head maid had pointed out that her ships were trashed. Plus, it would have been a great dishonor to let the heroes of the city sleep in the rough when the count's palace was right there. Implied, of course, was that it would also be a great insult, and maybe even a significant loss of prestige to the count if she turned it down, so she'd caved in.

CQ hadn't really needed any convincing, she had an occasion to truly feel like a princess, and like any girl she couldn't get enough of it.

The reaction of the city to her had stunned her. She'd expected the people to be ambivalent, given the number of innocents she'd just butchered, but no.

They'd lined the streets. Sweet Gods, they had to pull people off the walls to serve as riot troops and an honor guard so they wouldn't be swamped by the jubilant mob.

So many flowers had been thrown that they'd literally paved the streets she walked with petals. Everyone was waving Asarian flags, or flags of the principality. Many of them were crude, clearly made in a hurry, but they were there, the tree of Rebirth rising above the mesas of the city, all under the arch of her dungeon.

Then, once she had been in her suite -no, let's face it, they'd basically given her an entire wing, the place was freaking huge!-, the maids had tended to her. She had to explain to them that, no, she didn't need help changing her clothes, bathing or brushing her hair, it was just a hologram over a golem. They'd still insisted with the bathing, and she finally had to wrangle a compromise out of the head maid, with a single servant helping her scrub the less accessible part of the golem.

That wasn't even the worst part. The head maid had straight up asked if she wished for one of the maids to remain to warm her bed, or if she'd rather have a butler.

Alexandra had sputtered, outraged, and gone on a small, virulent tirade that she wasn't going to force anyone to share her bed. The head maid had then simply pointed out that it was quite the opposite. With her victory, she was so popular there was no shortage of volunteers...and had to actually change the duty roster to prevent some of the more enthusiastic members of the personnel to throw themselves at her. They all knew the fate they had saved them and their loved ones from, and she was a bona fide hero. There were already artists drawing paintings of her, and there was a petition going around the city to build a statue of her.

The dungeon had calmed down, before taking the head maid aside, and telling her that while the offer was flattering, no, absolutely not. And if they dared do the same to her daughter or have any member of the personnel make a move on her, she'd throw them from the top of the ramparts herself.

The head maid had looked like she was going to have a genuine heart attack, and left sprinting for her daughter's chambers like all the demons of hell were after her.

Which wasn't the case. There was something far, far worse.

"Welcome back milady."

Alexandra blinked, and smiled as she looked at Ella.

"Hey. Mission accomplished."

"We saw. And heard. The party still hasn't died down."

"The party?"

The maid gestured at one of the command center's many screens, and Alexandra's eyes went wide as she saw the streets of Rebirth.

Hot damn. It was like the aftermath of the battle against the Old World constructs all over again!

"Well, I guess we did save the city most of them came from." Or lived in, or passed through. A lot of people in Rebirth had their roots in Darthar, and those that didn't knew a lot of people there. "Where's Allya?"

"She has retreated to her private quarters." The maid coughed. "With her knights, I suggest against disturbing them."

"Point taken."

"What about the young lady?"

"She decided to stay in the count's palace. To treat her wounds."

"Wouldn't she be better off here? Couldn't we heal her more effectively?"

"Yes, but I think she enjoys some independent time away from her parents. Plus, she's being treated like royalty there, and she really likes the place."

Technically, had they wanted to get her healed the quickest, it would have been more efficient to execute the boss and resurrect her. Subtlety had even pointed it out, and then promptly found something else to do on the far side of the city after Alexandra gave her a stare that would have frozen supernovae.

Ella wasn't about to make the suggestion of course. Actually, she would probably stab one of Subtlety's avatars on general principle if she learned the AI had said that.

"Any alerts? Anything peculiar while I was gone?"

"Everything that came up was handled by Seraph."

"Excellent. Alright. I'm going to be offline for a bit, I need to talk to Ghost, and-"

Alexandra felt the vampire's hand on her shoulder, and almost hit the ceiling. Fucking hell, she hadn't even seen the maid move!

The maid leaned forward.

"Milady, that can wait."

"No it can't. There was an emerge-"

"It. Can. Wait." Said the maid, and Alexandra stopped talking. "Lady Emilia awaits you in your chambers."

The Earth-born swallowed, heavily. Was it to chew her out for letting CQ get hurt, or celebrate her return and victory?

Knowing the advisor, it was probably both.

"...I'll see her immediately."

"Good. I shall ensure none disturb you."

"Thank you."

The maid gave her a very toothy smile, as well as an elegant bow.

"I live to serve."