June lifted his head and found Estrella's eyes bouncing between him and Quin for a moment before she spun to face Layhanna. "What is the meaning of this, Lady Milliadry?"
Layhanna's gaze fell to the floor as if it held the answers to Estrella's question. Luckily for her, June stepped forward and answered Estrella's question. "Forgive, but Layhanna here called at my request. I believe I have a proposal that you may be interested in."
Estrella turned her glare onto him. "And who are you and your companion supposed to be?"
He flashed her his most charming smile. "I'm June-Tae Mikkelson, but you can just call me June. And this is my daughter."
He gestured at Quin.
"It's an honor to meet you, Your Highness. I'm Quin-tel Granwoad, but Quin is just fine."
Estrella's scowl remained as she stared hard at them. June surmised that their nonchalant attitude had completely thrown her off. She probably wasn't used to being addressed so casually.
"So what is this proposal?" Estrella snapped, breaking the silence.
He held up his hand. "Before I get to that, there are some things you should be aware of."
He then explained what had transpired the past day, telling her the truth of what actually happened at the castle. He even included his confrontation with an Adjudicator.
Estrella's face had grown pale as he told his story, and by the time he finished, she was on the verge of fainting. "You purposefully provoked an Adjudicator into a fight only to treat him like a lapdog when you defeated him? Are you mad? The Imperium's justice will come for all of us!"
June waved off her comment. "I've met men like him before. He won't return to the Imperium with his tail between his legs. His pride won't allow him to. No. He'll remain here, plotting up a scheme to eliminate me and all those that I care about."
Estrella's mouth fell wide open. "To court death in such a manner. You truly are mad."
"It's only crazy if I didn't have a plan to deal with him."
Estrella's chest heaved as she combed her fingers through her hair like she wanted to pull them out from their roots. "And what is this plan of yours?"
"That is an issue to be dealt with at a later time. First and foremost, we have to deal with Ravengel and his co-conspirators."
Estrella froze like prey caught in a predator's gaze. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know how informed you are of his dealings, but from what I've gathered, I'm not a fan. If I'm to settle here, I wouldn't want someone like that living in my backyard."
Estrella frowned, possibly not getting his reference. "You intend to settle here in Revelcroft?"
"Oh God, no. We had planned to offer our assistance to the Shining Arrow Guild. In fact, that is the very subject we wanted to discuss with you. I offered to be a patron of sorts to Layhanna once you reinstated her nobility and gave her the right to lay claim to Castle Dumar. But it would seem that she is your loyal subject."
"So, I want to offer you the same proposal. I'll support you and your endeavors to rid your kingdom of the plague that is Ravengel and his allies."
Estrella's eyes narrowed into slits. "Why would you do that?"
"I don't need any other reason than to build a safe place I can call home."
She clutched her hands to her chest as if to shield herself. "And what do you want in return?"
June shrugged. "Honestly, I don't want or need anything from you."
She looked at him as if he were some sort of dumb animal or child before she turned to Layhanna. "Lady Milliadry, do you trust this man?"
"Yes, Your Highness, but…" She paused and looked at him with apprehension. "There is an important detail about him you really should know."
"And that is?"
Layhanna looked at him once more, and he slapped himself on the forehead. Estrella looked between them, confusion clear on her face. It had slipped his mind, and he had neglected to mention that he was in the Divine Realm. If he wanted Estrella's trust, that would be something he should share, especially considering that he'd already told the others in the room.
He nodded at Layhanna before she continued. "June and Quin are both in the Divine Realm."
Her words dropped like a bomb from an F-22 that Estrella wasn't expecting. Then again, it wasn't like people ever noticed the bombs until after they hit their targets.
"What?" Estrella asked, looking between them.
"You're jesting," she said with a nervous laugh.
"Right?" she asked when no one responded.
"Forgive us, Your Highness, but it's the truth," Matil said.
Estrella's face became ghostly as she fell to her knees before June and Quin.
However, before her knees could even touch the ground, June, through his clone, caught her with Wind Essence and tossed her back onto her feet. "There's no need for that, Your Highness."
She stumbled and fell back, at a loss for words.
Again, June caught her with his Wind Essence and steadied her. She trembled visibly, and her chest heaved with short, quick breaths. It looked like shock was settling in, and he'd need to calm her if he wanted to continue their conversation.
With a thought, he channeled some Life Essence mixed with Psionic Essence to soothe her mind and calm her raging emotions.
A loud bang sounded behind her, and a man shouted for her. "Your Highness! Are you okay?"
A tall Althori man garbed in decorated armor ran up beside her and pulled her into his arms. "I detected a foreign Essence coming from your chambers!"
He must have been Yander, Estrella's loyal guard and rumored lover.
Yander's eyes landed on him, and his face twisted into a snarl. A sword appeared in his hand before he pointed it at him. "What is the meaning of this? Explain yourself!"
Before he could answer, Estrella pushed off of Yander and pulled his sword arm down. "Yander, no!"
She then turned to face him and bowed. "Please forgive his rude behaviour, Your Radiance."
June rubbed his brow and sighed. "There's no need to address me as such. Just June is fine."
Yander's scowl transformed into a frown as his gaze jumped from Estrella to him, then back to her. He must have concluded that Estrella wasn't in danger as his sword disappeared, and he bowed. "Forgive me, Your Highness. I did not mean to intrude."
Estrella remained silent and still bowed, so June answered for her. "Nonsense, you don't have to apologize for just doing your job. And Estrella, can you please raise your head? It'll be difficult to continue our discussion like this."
Yander lifted his head slowly. His confusion was still evident as he stared at Estrella, who remained stock-still.
"Come on, Estrella," June said, his voice slightly strained. "Can we get back to the topic at hand?"
Yander stepped forward, fury burned on his face. "How dare you—"
"Enough, Yander!"
Yander flinched from Estrella's rebuke, her glare boring into him.
He dropped to a knee, his head bowed low. "Forgive me, Your Highness."
"Okay, can we drop the formalities?" June interjected. "It's becoming really cumbersome having our conversation interrupted every five seconds."
Estrella's face became unsure as she looked at him. "Alright… June."
"Thank you. Now, do you accept my proposal?"
Yander stiffened, and Estrella sighed with defeat and bowed. "Lysia and I are at your service."
Yander's head snapped up to look at her, his mouth wide open in shock.
June shook his head. Why was everyone being so difficult?
He, in fact, knew exactly why, but couldn't help but mentally ask the question.
It is you who is being difficult, Sarah said, exasperated. You're the one who refuses to adhere to their customs.
It was a rhetorical question, Sarah. Besides, you already know I hate their view of gods.
Sarah remained silent after that, yet he could feel her annoyance with him through their connection. He just mentally shrugged. There was nothing he could do about their differing views, so he returned his attention to Estrella.
"No, you have it wrong, Your Highness. Quin and I are at your service. That is my offer, not the other way around."
Yander's expression shifted to confusion. "Wait, your proposal wasn't one of marriage?"
June laughed, understanding why he was so distressed. Ah, young love. It was so refreshing, which was a funny thought since they were most likely a couple of centuries old. Yet, to him, that was young.
"No, Sir Yander. What I offer is an alliance of sorts. My assistance in the coming conflict against Ravengel and his allies."
"Of course, June," Estrella said, her head still bowed.
June could only sigh at her actions and moved on to more important topics. "So, shall I dispose of House Ravengel and their allies?"
Estrella's head snapped up to him. "What?"
June's attention briefly slipped to his clone before replying. "Now's the best time since they're all gathered in the throne room."
Estrella and Yander's eyes widened in shock. Estrella's eyes then narrowed in suspicion. "You already had spies in Lutingrad?"
June laughed. "Nothing so trivial."
When he didn't clarify, Estrella continued. "Then what?"
A moment later, a knock sounded from behind Estrella and Yander.
"Not now!" Estrella shouted over her shoulder.
The knock came once more, and before Estrella could yell once more, June spoke up. "You should get that."
Estrella looked at him briefly before nodding at Yander, who turned and made his way to the door.
The door swung open, and June's clone stuck his hand out. "Nice to meet you."
Yander frowned and turned to look back at him through the seeing mirror before turning back to his clone. "How?"
"Who is it?" Estrella asked and turned, gasping when her eyes landed on his clone.
"May I come in?"
Yander hesitated for a second before Estrella rushed over and pulled the door wide open. "Please come in."
He nodded and entered.
Estrella's room was lavish, covered in velvet and draped in silks. Her massive bed sat on the opposite wall of the door. A modest tea table rested against the left wall, and the right wall was nothing but windows that led to a balcony.
He made his way to the table and sat in a chair. "Come join me."
Estrella glanced at the seeing mirror, hesitation holding her in place. June raised a hand and swiped it down, cutting it off from Estrella's Essence and turning it off. Estrella spun and faced him, her fear clear on her face.
He gave her a disarming smile and gestured at the empty seat across from him. "Join me."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estrella shakily settled into the seat opposite the god. The day was not going the way she had expected. There was no way she could have prepared for the appearance of a random Divine being coming to her to discuss a partnership.
A partnership, she thought.
She couldn't wrap her head around such an arrangement. It wasn't right. He was above her station in every way, yet he insisted on proceeding as if he weren't.
She looked at him and immediately averted her gaze, staring at her trembling hands in her lap. If she clenched any tighter, her nails just might break through her skin.
How was she supposed to keep her composure when he just sat there so nonchalantly?
"Would you like some tea?"
Startled, she looked up and found a teapot sitting on the table. Steam billowed from its curved mouth with three sets of wooden cups on top of small wooden platforms arranged for her, Yander, and himself.
"It's a green tea blend, at least, the taste is. I've had to improvise because of the ingredients available to me."
A delicate green liquid flowed from the mouth of the pot as he poured some into her cup. Without ever touching the cup, he slid it over to her, displaying masterful control of his Essences. The tea's floral aroma wafted over to her as it came to a stop before her.
With a nod from him, she tentatively picked up the cup in both hands and brought it up to her lips. He moved on to pouring a cup for Yander while she blew to cool the hot drink before taking a sip. Its bitter taste reminded her of the drink her mother loved, but then the bitterness faded to a clean, gentle sweetness that she instantly loved. Taking another sip, this one longer, the warm liquid soothed her nerves as she savored it to the fullest.
Before she knew it, she had completely drunk it all. With a bit of embarrassment, she returned the cup to its pedestal, and June refilled it.
He placed the pot on its own little wooden pedestal and picked up his cup, sipping from it. "Would you want me to clean out your house?"
Yander stopped mid-drink and sputtered.
Estrella's eyebrows raised in confusion. Why would he want to clean her house?
Her expression must have told him what she was thinking because he explained himself. "I meant, was, do you want me to rid you of House Dumar and their allies?"
"Oh," she said, setting her cup down and letting out a deep sigh. "I don't think that's a good idea. Doing so would only rally the nobles against you, and when they discover that we're allies, it'll turn into a full-blown revolt. Unless…"
A single eyebrow raised on his face. "Speak freely."
She hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Unless you reveal your Divine status. If you do, no one would dare stand in your way."
June grimaced and looked away, clicking his tongue. "Yeah… It's a little early to reveal who I am to the world. I only told you for the sake of trust."
"You trust me?"
He turned to look her in the eye, and she shrank back a little in her seat. "Well, you've got to give some to receive some, right?"
Her cheeks flushed with heat at the implied innuendo, yet he remained as calm and collected as ever, as if what he had just said was normal. It probably was for a Divine being like him.
"I'm sensing a misconception here. I was talking about trust."
Her eyes widened, cheeks now burning from embarrassment.
She remained silent, so June continued. "How did you plan on dealing with Ravengel then?"
Her gaze fell to her lap as her embarrassment turned to shame. "I don't know. I have been trying to gather allies to my cause, but Ravengel has whittled them down to almost zero."
"Were you expecting things to escalate to a civil war?"
His tone was just as commanding yet kind, reminding her of her brother, Nathander. She could offer only a slight shrug. "I don't know; my brother and father usually dealt with these kinds of issues."
She could feel his eyes boring into her, judging her. Eventually, his gaze shifted, lifting the tension from her shoulder. "Yander? What's your opinion?"
She looked up and found Yander frozen in place, mouth open as if to throw a retort. But silence was his only response, as June had caught him unprepared. She could see that he struggled with not knowing what to say and his duty as her guard and lover.
"Go on, Yander. You can speak freely as well."
Yander took a quick breath before looking at her, his eyes gentle yet steadfast. "Civil war is inevitable, for we will not stand idly by and allow Ravengel and his traitorous allies to take the throne. Not while we still breathe."
Her heart thrummed at his exclamation, and tears welled up at the edges of her vision. She didn't deserve a man as fine as Yander, but in that moment, she was over the moon for him. If it had only been the two of them in her chambers, she would have leaped at him and ravaged him. Alas, they weren't alone.
"With that being said, we can't be the first to strike."
June's sudden appearance and revelations had thrown her for a loop. But now, hearing Yander's words, she finally remembered their earlier conversations and strategy meetings.
Yander turned to her, signaling her to speak. "He's right. We believe Ravengel has been sowing dissent amongst the populace, riling them against my family. If we were to strike first, he'd turn the civilians against us."
June nodded. "I see, and the other noble houses?"
Her face fell. "They're preoccupied defending their fiefdoms against banditry and constant raids from our neighbor, Lupinval."
"We believe Ravengel is in league with them, considering the circumstances of how the king and prince passed. We just have no evidence to prove his treason beyond our suspicions," Yander added.
"You're correct in your suspicions," June said before turning to stare out of the windows on the opposite wall to theirs.
His face deepened as if in thought, and he remained like that for a long moment. The silence became deafening. Every subtle shift Estrella made, every ruffle of her dress, was as ear-splittingly loud as a banshee's screech.
So she remained as still as a gargoyle, staring at and studying his face. She had never before seen anyone with such striking features, which weren't as sharp as an Althori's. His eyes, shaped like a Langoos nut, were wider instead of rounded like hers or Yander's.
However, his face was nearly symmetrical, unfamiliar yet still handsome. It overall held a quiet strength that dignified his status as a Divine being.
She startled slightly when his eyes suddenly met hers, catching her staring. He, however, didn't seem to mind; in fact, he didn't seem to care that she had. "So you want him to be the first to strike, giving you justification to eliminate them all, correct?"
She looked at Yander, who gave her a subtle nod.
"Yes," she said, turning back to June and nodding. "However, there is little we can do besides consolidating our own allies and waiting for them to make their move."
June shook his head, tsking all the while. "I don't like the idea of just waiting around for them to make the first move."
Yander's eyebrows rose high. "Do you have some sort of plan, sir?"
She leaned forward as well, her curiosity stirred.
"We force their hands."
When June didn't continue, Yander spoke up. "How?"
"You may not like this plan since it'll affect not only Ravengel, but the Imperium as well."
She frowned. "I don't like the sound of that."
June shrugged. "I'm just going to be upfront with you. Once I've dealt with Ravengel and his allies, the Imperium is next."
The silence that once hung in the air grew cold as a shiver ran up her spine. "That's…"
Yander then finished her sentence for her. "Blasphemy."
June tilted his head to the side as if he hadn't just spouted heresy of the highest order. "That right there is something that I can't abide. They're not gods; none of them are. They're nothing more than false idols who've declared themselves gods and forced your entire species into subservience. You're nothing more than slaves to them."
Her body trembled, teeth grinding as he spewed his words. How could he believe such nonsense? But then again, who was she to judge him, a Divine being? His words held more weight than her own mortal thoughts and whims.
Taking a deep breath, she steadied her beating heart and stared at June. "If that is your wish, then I am at your command, June."
"One step at a time," June muttered to himself with a sigh before returning to the topic of Ravengel. "So, how would you hit Ravengel where it'll hurt the most without throwing the first punch?"
Her mind raced to come up with an answer. But sadly, the sudden pressure to provide an answer, and who was asking, left her mind completely blank. Her gaze dipped, and she could offer only a tiny shrug as a response.
"There's no shame in not knowing the answer, Estrella. That is why you have people like Yander and me here to help shoulder the burden."
Her eyes raised and found a gentle smile on his face that reminded her of her father.
"You are not alone in this fight."
She struggled to hold back the tears that fell despite her fight.
"Here, Your Highness," Yander said and handed her a handkerchief.
She accepted it without a word, her throat choked with emotion. If she said anything right now, she feared her composure might crumble under her grief and relief.
After dabbing away her tears and retaining some semblance of composure, she returned her attention to June, who patiently waited for her. "Forgive me. I don't know what came over me."
June raised a hand in a placating gesture. "There's no need to apologize. Now, the answer to my question would be his wallet."
Her brow furrowed in confusion. "His wa-llet?"
A chuckle broke from June's lips. "Sorry, I meant his purse."
Her frown deepened, so he explained. "Economic warfare. We'd move to strike at his money and infrastructure, crippling him and his operations. It'll force him either to back down and submit or to reveal his true colors and attack. My bet is he'd go for the latter, and when he does, you'd have every justification to eliminate him and his allies as traitors to the crown."
She didn't fully understand his plan, but got the core of the idea. "That sounds like a feasible plan. If Ravengel can't pay his men, then he'd have to worry about his own rebellion. But how would this affect the Imperium?"
"Well, I planned on introducing a new currency. One that is readily available and backed by Soul and Essence Crystals. Eventually, I'd like to eliminate the use of Soul and Essence Crystals as currency."
"By doing this, we'd disrupt Ravengel's businesses since he'd have to submit to our new currency and risk the ire of the Imperium, which we will certainly gain, or refuse to and lose out on influence within Lysia. It also doubles as an attack on the Imperium since I'd openly challenge their authority with such a drastic change."
After listening to his explanation, she had trouble speaking, on account of having to pick her jaw up off the floor. When she did, she remembered her lessons on economics and trade deals she had received and found a flaw with his plan. "The people wouldn't readily accept such a drastic change. You say that Soul and Essence Crystals would back this new currency, so I'd assume they'll have to trade what little Crystals they have for this new currency, correct?"
June nodded.
"How can you guarantee people would accept this?"
A broad smile broke across June's face. "The answer is quite simple, really. Let me ask you this: how does one grow stronger as a Cultivator?"
She quirked an eyebrow at him as if he had just asked the dumbest question. "By absorbing Soul Crystals."
June readily nodded and leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "So, we'd exchange their Crystals for our coins, then sell Crystals for less than what they received."
She huffed a breath of annoyance. "And how can we afford to do that? If you haven't noticed, the Imperium has full control of all the dungeons."
June then held out a hand toward her with a ring lying in the center of his palm. She stared at him, befuddled, before he raised it in her direction.
"Go on, take it. Consider it a gift for my proposal."
She hesitantly reached a hand out towards his. But just as she was about to accept it, the implications behind his words finally hit her, and she quickly retracted her hand. "What is the meaning of this?"
June raised his one free hand in reassurance. "Sorry. I know you're looking for a suitable suitor as an ally to fight against Ravengel and put an end to his schemes of legitimately claiming the throne through marriage. I could play the part of a wealthy merchant who has won your heart and hand."
"Of course, it'd only be an act, no offense."
Her face turned into a scowl. Even if June had meant no offense, his words had wounded her pride as a woman and as the princess of Lysia.
"That… sounds like a reasonable ploy," she said through gritted teeth as she reluctantly accepted his ring.
When she put it on, she immediately realized that it was a storage device and channeled her Soul Essence into it, binding it to her. For the second time that day, she had to pick her jaw up off the floor when she took a peek at what was inside the device. A literal mountain of Crystals sat on her finger, the weight of it nearly crushing her.
Was he serious?
She looked at June, who had leaned back in his chair, arms wide open, with a devilish grin. "Now, the Crown can afford it."