Court
In my former life I was just a normal sport blogger writing about arsenal. I had no exceptional skill or anything. Yet you might wonder why I haven't started a lucrative business here in this world once I found myself reincarnated in it. Well that is because I know next to nothing about business. Secondly, why haven't I recreated something common on earth that we don't have in this world here? Something like bicycles or sweets? That's because I don't know how all those work, in fact I know next to nothing about cooking or making things, maybe except origami. Ah, fine so why don't you plot perfectly with hindsight on your side? You could take over the world!; well, I don't know, maybe I'm a dumb ass?
I mean I try to come up with plots and the like to change situations but these things are not as easy as there appear. That's why I was excited about the nature of the discussion in court today. I wanted to see how these things work from the masters so I can plan how to exploit these kind of situations better in the future.
That aside let me go back to telling my tale. Now that afternoon we returned....
The winter court had gathered in the throne room. All of the dignitaries had seats around the long table set particularly for this meeting. They were unoccupied chairs too but I wasn't deemed worthy to seat on any. Though Celestine as the princess had a seat besides my mother. It annoyed me to no end, I won't lie, but there was nothing I could do about it. Besides I had expected it. So I stood with folded arms leaning against the hall's wall between sentry guards. Their faces below steel helmets irritating me more.
"Greetings queen Viktora," an old man looking in his seventies, white of hair, rose and said. "What is the reason for the gathering of the court, if I might ask?"
Facing him from atop the throne Viktora nodded. "I summoned you all to discuss the current situation we found ourselves in." She said, "our allies have all turned their backs on us, Crystalis pagans are a week or so from prowling around our territory like hungry wolves, and our people mistrust us,"
"True your majesty," the old man nodded. He's called Zeelakr, Vala's brother and currently the most powerful lord in the Coldfire region after Viktora. Since Vala's disappearance he'd always hated Viktora. "Though," he went on, "we do not know why all these disasters follows after the other. First it was the Storm that caused deaths and famine, then our allies distancing from us and dirtying our good names with vile rumors! They said you had dug out a devil's child, I am half inclined to believe them,"
Viktora scoffed in disdain. "You disappoint me lord Zeelakr. Say you are as easy to rile as a farmer's wife. No, I did not dig up a devil's child or bone," she paused and smirked, "but if it was an Eye, that I might have done,"
The hall fell silent suddenly. You could hear a pin drop. "What do you mean your majesty?" A long silver haired guy in a black kimono asked. He's one of the border lords. Lord Natt.
"I mean what I mean, do you know what my family has been searching for for years?"
"By your family you mean the Coldfires?"
"Am I not a Coldfire?"
"I did not say that majesty. I was just clarifying things,"
I believed him. Lord Natt is not the kind to troll or even care about matters pertaining others. "Fine, the Coldfires," Viktora said.
"You mean the Eyes of winter?" Another guy asked. This one was old and fat, wearing a blue coat so embroidered in gold that it looked garish.
"Eye," Viktora corrected.
Zeelakr narrowed his eyes and said, "so you expect us to believe you found something that eluded Fana, Liex, and even Vala, three generations! Besides even if you did how would we benefit from it, when.....?"
"Well that's rather easy," Viktora cut him off smirking faintly. "The benefits of the Eye is not little. Imagine using it for a good farming season, imagine how it could transform your garden,"
"Sure majesty, but how do you suppose we protect it? From what you say we'll literally be surrounded in weeks from armies all round!"
Viktora playfully feigned looking troubled, "About that...." she said, "the eyes can not only grow vegetables right?"
"What do you mean?" Zeelakr questioned.
"You know exactly what I mean lord Zeelakr, the question is what do you guys want? We have been betrayed and plotted against by our closest allies just because they ask for something we wouldn't give. In my opinion this Eye is meant to lead the Coldfires to greatness, if any of the others want an Eye of the laws they should find another themselves. They are eight more scattered around the world.
"I'm going to war winter court, as I will not lay down and be bullied by fools and scums. I want you on my side as we lead our home to greatness. Are you with me?"
The hall fell silent again before the men started speaking. "I am,"
"I am,"
"I am,"
"...
After everyone agreed Zeelakr turned back to Viktora. "We are yours majesty," he said grimly, no matter how he hates her he thinks of Coldfire first before making a decision. All he does is for the family, and always the family. "What now? How do we win this war?"
She told them.
Rea smiled at Scars as the later scowled at her. "What did I do this time?" The archer asked.
"Good question," Rea replied. "First thing you did was search for your bow and arrows, but since your possessed self didn't know where you kept it you went down to the kitchen to get a knife. I sensed something wrong then subdued you when you returned,"
"Then how did they end up here?" Beside the table the two sat at, three girls lay unconscious on the ground. There were Nuni, Kara, and Fatima.
"Oh you returned with them. Now that I think of it you might not have gone for only the knife, you wanted reinforcement too,"
"And you defeated me again, easily at that..." Scars said staring at her hands helplessly.
"Don't take it to heart Scars, you are plenty powerful. Besides, you didn't have your bow and arrow,"
Scars fell silent for a moment then sighed. "I'm not your level Rea, it's the truth, anyway, what should we do with them?"
Rea glanced at the girls she had beaten then shook her head. "What's there to do? we'll take wake them and chase them back to their rooms,"
And so it began. Kara was first, Rea explained what happened, as it has happened countless times already, the girl understood quickly, nodded in thanks and left. Next was Nuni, then Fatima. After they were all gone Rea yawned and got ready to sleep on one of the three beds in the room. If only their last roommate would return so she could lock the door and feel safer as she slept.
Well it was no matter, as she could sense danger after all. That's even the only reason she sleeps in the same room as Scars, despite Scars tending to get possessed and want her dead from time to time. Just as she was beginning to fall asleep, the bedroom door opened and Betty Lace walked into the room. Betty is a beautiful blond haired girl in her third year. She was wearing a pretty blue dress and red high boots. Rea liked her fashion taste.
"Oh you are back senior," Rea said, Scars was already asleep.
"En, it took me long listening to the announcement, you returned early?"
"Eh?"
"Don't tell me you didn't attend it?"
"I was asleep before waking not long ago," more like when she heard of the announcement she couldn't go because Scars started acting weirdly. After the fight she'd forgotten completely about it.
Betty looked skeptical but continued. "Anyway they said that school will be closed till further notice,"
"Why?!"
"Because of war. Crystalis and the whole continent will unite to destroy queen Viktora of Fen castle after she became the avater of the devil,"
"Avatar of the devil, like in end times?"
"I don't know, the church probably exaggerated quite a bit, all you have to know is there's a war, and no more school. Luckily you are already home, I'd have to start the journey to Sarr,"
Rea glanced at her sleeping friend then clenched her fist. Already home? She didn't think so. What about Scars?
She'll be on a journey too.