1032 - Rivalries and Promises (Patreon)

The latter half of Leon’s first day back fulfilling his role as King had him meeting with the foreign dignitaries that had arrived in his absence. Fortunately, they only numbered four not including any aides they’d brought, each representing one of the four Empires on the mainland.

‘That much I can deal with,’ he thought, though the idea of creating a Diplomatic Corps of his own was already starting to appeal. One man could hardly manage all of a Kingdom’s foreign relations by himself, especially if he divided his time with domestic issues, too.

He started the meetings off easy with the envoy from the Sacred Golden Empire. In that, however, he found himself more than a little surprised at just who was sent. He’d asked Cassandra to join him to ensure the meeting went smoothly, but her relatively subdued agreement should’ve had him questioning things right then and there.

The reason for her lack of enthusiasm, it turned out, was because the Sacred Golden Empire had sent her older sister to treat with them instead of anyone else. Leon didn’t immediately recognize her since her hair had been magically dyed midnight black, and whereas Cassandra typically wore her hair in a way that framed her face, her sister wore hers pulled back in a tight bun, putting far more of her face on display. The sisters shared their ruby red eyes, but Leon wasn’t given much time to speculate before the relation was made clear.

When Cassandra’s sister was called into one of his small, though comfortable and intimate meeting rooms, she strode in with all the confidence an Imperial Princess ought to possess. She was dressed in the relatively revealing Evergolden style, with bared shoulders, arms, and back, and a low cut in the front. Her stern features were completely impassive, however, precluding any thoughts Leon might’ve had about seduction attempts. Most eye-catching was her robust eighth-tier aura.

Accompanying her were several assistants, while Leon had Gaius and a handful of secretaries of his own sitting at desks around the edge of the room.

“Your Majesty,” Cassandra’s sister said as she gave him a deep, though merely polite and formal, bow. Leon was about to respond when she straightened up, turned to Cassandra sitting next to Leon, and said, “Sister.”

Leon was struck mute for a moment, just long enough for Cassandra to reply in kind.

“Sister.” Leon’s golden-haired wife then turned to him and politely, if a bit coldly, introduced, “Leon, this is my sister, Andromache, first Princess of the Sacred Golden Empire, and my mother’s heir.”

“A pleasure to meet you,” Leon replied with a wide, diplomatic smile. “I was unaware that you were acting as the Sacred Golden Empress’ envoy, else I would’ve met with you sooner.”

Andromache simply nodded, as if Leon making special arrangements for her was only to be expected.

“How has your stay in Stormhollow been?” Leon asked.

“Adequate,” Andromache neutrally stated. “I have been looking forward to meeting you for a while, Leon Raime.”

“King Leon,” Cassandra coldly corrected, and Leon could feel her tensing up slightly in anger.

“King Leon,” Andromache acknowledged, to which Leon gave her a strained smile. There was a lot more going on here than he was expecting, especially since Cassandra hadn’t ever spoken much about her siblings. Both Andromache and their brother had been adults when Cassandra was born and had rarely been in her life. From what Leon had been able to put together, Cassandra had been raised almost as an only child, with her siblings off fulfilling official duties elsewhere in their Empire, while she was back in Evergold being trained and pampered by her grandmother.

Cassandra immediately jumped in, “You are in a powerful court now, sister, and should show your host all due respect.”

“I thought I was merely following the customs of this land,” Andromache replied with a tone as light as a feather. “It was my understanding that my honorable brother-in-law prefers informality in private situations.”

“Private though this situation is,” Cassandra retorted, “you are still here representing Mother and Grandmother. Do not immediately assume.”

“It’s fine,” Leon immediately jumped in, hoping to defuse whatever was going on between the sisters. “I have no great need to be referred to by title; my name is more than enough.”

“As is your will, Leon Raime,” Andromache said, and Leon caught the ghost of a smirk sent Cassandra’s way.

Cassandra, meanwhile, sat back in a huff.

“All of you, out,” Leon ordered, casting his gaze about the room at all of the secretaries. Gaius and his subordinates immediately stood, bowed, and left, while Andromache’s assistants lingered until the Imperial Princess herself nodded to them to wait outside. Leon waited until everyone had departed, leaving him alone with the sisters, before glancing at the two and demanding to know, “Is there something going on here?”

“Whatever could you be asking about, brother?” Andromache politely inquired.

“Yes, Leon,” Cassandra stated as she turned to face him, a dangerous smile frozen on her face. “Are you implying something untoward has taken place?”

Leon wasn’t deterred, however, and sat back, crossed his arms, and held his wife in his golden gaze. “Your sister makes the long journey to Stormhollow, across the Argonaut Sea and the misty veil, and all I’m not told who she is?”

“That’s my sister for you,” Andromache stated with a smirk. “Proud. Strong. Beautiful. And utterly dismissive of her duties.”

“And that’s my sister for you,” Cassandra shot back. “Proud. Strong. Beautiful. And a jealous bitch.”

“Should I apologize for being Mother’s firstborn?” Andromache asked in an almost mocking tone that Leon took to be bait.

Bait that Cassandra, unfortunately, immediately took. “You have always tried to tear me down, sister. Ever since I was little, on the few times you saw me, you were always more concerned with putting me ‘in my place’ than being my sister!”

“And you were always more concerned with sucking up to Grandmother than doing anything productive!” Andromache fired back. “You are a Princess of the Sacred Golden Empire! Not that anyone would’ve ever known that from looking at you! The little Princess that wanted to play adventurer!”

“You could never get over how much more Grandmother loves me than she does you,” Cassandra stated. “Over how much stronger than you I’ve always been!”

Leon projected his aura as both women looked intent on ramping up their argument. His aura settled around them, and even the ninth-tier Cassandra froze in place, let alone her weaker older sister.

“That’s enough,” he growled lowly, though more than audibly. Though he didn’t intend for it to be so, his voice came out rumbling like distant thunder, and both ladies went slightly pale.

After a silent moment, Leon rose from his seat and retracted his aura. “Princess Andromache,” he said, indicating that she ought to rise, too, which she quickly did, “it’s a great pleasure to meet you. Please convey my dearest regards to your mother and grandmother. However, given the current circumstances, I hope you won’t be too upset if we call it here and meet another time in a few days?”

“That…” Andromache said, her voice trailing off as her ruby eyes darted in Cassandra’s direction. Leon almost thought she’d refuse him, but instead, she stated, “I would be delighted to enjoy your hospitality for a few days more. Until I depart your Kingdom, Leon Raime, I am at your service.”

Without another word and certainly without waiting for Leon’s formal leave, Andromache departed.

As soon as the door shut behind her, Leon flopped back into the sofa he was sharing with Cassandra and stared at her accusingly. “What the fuck?” he demanded.

“What the fuck what?” Cassandra asked, sounding almost like a scolded teenager who didn’t think she’d done anything wrong.

“I should’ve been told that your sister was here,” Leon scolded. “This shouldn’t have been the moment I learned of it. And what’s more, you should’ve told me what your relationship was like with her! I didn’t call her here to meet just so the two of you could exchange barbs!”

“No,” Cassandra defiantly agreed, “you called her here to get her out of the way, thinking that my Empire’s envoy would be easily dealt with!” Cassandra crossed her arms and turned her head, and Leon sighed in frustration.

But he held his tongue for a moment. In a softer tone, he said, “Let’s talk about this later. Let everyone cool their heads. I still have a ton of people to meet, and while I’d love to blow them off so that we can deal with this, I’m sure Elise and Iron-Striker and everyone else would be quite upset if I did that.”

Cassandra’s defiant scowl turned into a more serious frown, and she said, “Yes… yes, you’re right, Leon. I’m… sorry. Let’s talk later.”

Leon nodded, and Cassandra rose from the sofa and followed Andromache out of the sitting room, though not before shooting Leon an apologetic smile. Unlike her sister, she left the door open, letting Leon call Gaius and his secretaries back in.

“Is there any official business we should record from this meeting, Your Majesty?” Gaius asked, ever the professional.

“No,” Leon simply replied.

Gaius nodded and took several papers from the other secretaries and disintegrated them with light magic.

Leon sighed and sat back on his sofa before his eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. This was certainly not how he’d expected what was supposed to be his easiest meeting to go, but he’d deal with it soon enough. For the moment, he had to focus on the remaining dignitaries.

Another half hour later, Leon met with the representative from Ilion. Fortunately, this meeting went much more smoothly than Andromache’s, with the envoy introducing himself as the Ilian Empire’s new formal ambassador. Leon was thankful that his introduction was all he was there for, as well as to get Leon’s confirmation that he was setting aside some land for embassies.

After that came the envoy from the Sunlit Empire. Unlike the Ilian envoy, the Sunlit envoy wasn’t there to stay, but merely to confirm a pact of non-aggression, which Leon was more than happy to sign.  He also gave Leon a letter from Arcaion, who yet remained in power back in Thunderhaven.

The letter was filled with flowery and flattering language expressing Arcaion’s hope for continued peace between their people, but buried within were additional assurances that despite lobbying from the Pegasi States, he wasn’t going to press any reparation demands.

Peace, he claimed, was enough for him.

Leon, however, was far more worried about the factionalism that seemed to be setting into the Empire, and he asked in as roundabout way as he could if the envoy thought this was worth worrying about.

The envoy had few words on the matter, merely stating that the Empire was still looking for a proper Emperor. To Leon’s ears, it seemed like Arcaion was going to have some trouble keeping hold of power in Thunderhaven, so after the envoy gave him his regards and left, Leon noted with Gaius to make sure that the Jaguar wasn’t getting complacent with sea and air patrols around the Veins of Vigilance and the Argonaut Sea.

He couldn’t give Arcaion any meaningful support for fear that it might wind up weakening his position, but he was at least confident that Ilion and Evergold’s regard would be enough foreign support for him to remain in power. Whether or not he might manage to ascend to the throne was another matter, unfortunately.

‘And I still have to speak with the Director about that Titanstone foundry in the Sunlit Empire,’ Leon mentally noted. He hoped for many reasons that the Sunlit Empire didn’t further destabilize, and any potential Thunderbird salvage that might be gained from that Thunderbird foundry was near the top of that list.

Following Thunderhaven’s envoy came the final Imperial envoy that he was expecting, and the one that he’d saved for last under the assumption that it would be the most contentious he’d have to face that day.  The spat between Andromache and Cassandra made him reevaluate that assumption, though he still knew this meeting might be one of the most consequential of the day.

The envoy, Leon noticed immediately upon his entrance, was one of the ninth-tier mages that had attacked his villa in Occulara with the Keeper all those years ago, and his expression immediately fell in displeasure.

The envoy, however, pretended not to notice and bowed upon his entrance. “King Leon,” he intoned in a slightly high-pitched and nasal voice. “I am Ninth Guardian. My thanks for this meeting.”

Ninth Guardian, Leon noticed, came unencumbered by assistants, secretaries, or any other form of notary. He was dressed in plain brown robes that looked made of burlap, had a shaven head, and a serious expression carved into his face.

“My thanks for coming so far to my Kingdom,” Leon stated, his tone rather chilly. “I hope you’ve found naught wanting in my hospitality.”

“With great kindness and respect have I been treated since arriving at your shores, Your Majesty,” Ninth stated. “Nothing more could I ask in that regard.”

Leon breathed deeply and nodded to the sofa opposite him. “I am pleased with our two peoples remaining at peace,” he said. “I hope your visit to my home will end differently than it did the last time you paid me a visit.”

“I intend nothing but to follow the Keeper’s directive,” Ninth stated as he took a seat. “No directive I have been given ordered me to attack you or your people.”

“Fantastic news,” Leon stated almost sarcastically. “Then what directive as the Keeper instructed you to carry out?”

“To deliver this letter,” Ninth stated as he retrieved a letter from his soul realm and held it out for Leon to take, “and to carry with me his hopes for a long-lasting peace to take shape over Aeterna.”

“Peace is a wonderful thing,” Leon declared as he took the letter. “I have no intention of breaking what has been achieved without being given sufficient cause. Did the Keeper tell you anything specific about how he intends to handle relations with the Thunder Kingdom going forward?”

“He intends to watch over the Sky Devil’s Hell closely,” Ninth explained, drawing some withering glares from Leon’s Thunderman secretaries. “Should any sign of aggression be noted, he told me, then he will take all appropriate actions.”

“Delightfully vague,” Leon said as he examined the sealed letter in his hand. “Be sure to tell him that I’ll be watching him like a hawk, even though I hope for nothing but peace and prosperity between us in the future. Enough blood has been shed over the millennia without us adding to it.”

Unlike the other envoys, Leon didn’t even entertain the possibility that Ninth would be staying for long, let alone as a permanent ambassador. If he’d even tried to claim as such, then Leon would’ve flatly denied him. He truly did wish for peace between himself and the Keeper, and between the Thunder Kingdom and the Sentinels, but he wouldn’t tolerate someone who attacked his home and put his family in danger to remain in his capital without so much as an apology.

“The letter has been delivered, fulfilling my directive,” Ninth said. “I will now ask for Your Majesty’s permission to depart from your lands.”

“Granted,” Leon immediately agreed. “I will have an escort prepared for you as I believe you came alone…?”

Ninth merely nodded, bowed, and left the room.

Leon sighed as the door closed behind the man. Then he glanced at Gaius, and without even saying anything, Gaius ordered one of the other secretaries to take a message to the Tempest Knights to arrange proper transport for Ninth Guardian.

Only once that happened did Leon finally turn his eyes to the letter in his hand. He momentarily considered burning it without even opening it, for what could it contain when borne by a man that the Keeper had brought to try and kill him and his family? Sending Ninth Guarding here felt to Leon like an implicit threat, and he doubted the letter would be any different.

‘Still better to read what the man has to say for himself, if only to know for sure,’ Leon thought with a deep scowl.

With a quick swipe of his finger, the letter was opened. It was short, but the more Leon read, the more pleasantly surprised he became.

To King Leon Raime. Surprise and jubilation fill me the longer our truce lasts. I intend to ensure it lasts as long as possible. Though I shall watch you, know that I shall do no more, and that you have given me hope for a peace that I have never before felt. To ensure good relations between the Sentinels and your people, I wish to formally invite you to Memoria, where we might further discuss your request to access the Sundered Lands. Please come at your convenience, though I hope to hear from you before then.

Regards,

The Keeper of Memory

A smile spread across Leon’s face. He was hardly averse to accessing his family’s old property surreptitiously, as he had Argent Palace back in the Bull Kingdom, but he’d hardly dared to hope that his Clan’s capital on Aeterna would be freely opened to him.

This was not an opportunity he could ignore.

“Gaius,” he said, “we have some calls to make…”

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