Chapter 258: The Invitation (III): Plans

The snow elves would be leaving first thing the next morning, Rezar had asked Alistair to show them around the city and get them squared away. However, the moment they were led out, the throne room fell silent as Lenore, Screet, Gynaika, Jason, Kitagawa and Samira. This could be considered his closest circle of confidantes with the exception of Alistair who just left with the snow elves. This meeting was not something as simple as an invitation to a banquet, the snow elves had another reason for being here, and it was probably to gauge what sort of king and what kind of kingdom Morte Bianca was.

"WE shouldn't talk too much, let's just kill them and be done with it." Gynaika immediately suggested, her pearly white fangs glinting as her red eyes promised vengeance.

"We do that and we start another war, and this time we're the aggressors, not to mention the snow elves aren't people we can deal with at the moment. They're just as powerful if not more so than we are, they wouldn't be able to beat us, but neither would we be able to beat them, so put your fangs back in their place Gynaika." Lenore said as she rolled her eyes at the queen in waiting's bloodlust. What she got in return was a hiss and massive glare from Gynaika.

"Master they didn't come here with good intentions, is it necessary to attend this banquet?" Screet asked as he leaned on a pillar, his staff held tightly in his hands.

"it is necessary Screet, if not for anything but for the fact that all of us would be allies and potential enemies might be gathered in one place, forget the technology we now have, we're still pretty much blind to the rest of the world, and we're facing enemies that Morte Bianca as a whole is incapable of facing alone. So we need to see who we can work with, and who would be next on our list of targets. And calm yourself Gynaika, the snow elves just made it to the top of that list." Rezar said as he leaned back with a clenched fist under his chin.

"What would you have us do then, I take it certain steps would have to be taken to deal with this current situation. The snow elves aren't exactly normal opponents." Lenore said as she looked at him, Rezar looked pensive before Gynaika took the lead and started speaking.

"I reckon the snow elves would be thinking the same thing, and in such a scenario if I were them I would do one of two things. I'll use friendship as a pretense and plant someone within you, and it has to be someone important. The security measures of Morte Bianca are now so sophisticated that I doubt they can plant any spies amongst us, but underestimating the enemy would be a mistake I don't think we can afford to make.

But obviously a power play has been made, and once we arrive at that bloody banquet there would probably be, more power plays. As far as kingdoms go, we're the black sheep of not just the Bahrenburg wildlands but probably the whole of Elysium, they're probably expecting us to reject the invitation, after all an image has been painted of us, and arriving for that banquet would make it seem as if we were cowed by their collectiveness into coming or at least the might of the snow elf kingdom.

We should hold back the spokesperson and send the other back, it might seem like a futile attempt on our path to hold on to our dignity or power in front of the others, but that still works in our favor. It means they would underestimate us, and Rezar being as young as he is would have the other rulers looking down on him, but this would be a two-step plan. Leave the snow elf with me for a few days…." Gynaika said only to be cut off by Kitagawa.

"Do your intent to torture her for information then? No offense Lady Gynaika but I don t think Torture is something you should bother or occupy yourself with. I'm pretty sure Samira and the daughters of eclipse have methods to make her talk."

"Don't be so crude, and do try to keep your animosity for me hidden Kitagawa, its unbecoming for the lord commander of the king's Kings Guard to hold the queen in waiting in mind. Besides I'm a vampire, a look is all I need to get that freaky blue eyed bitch to start spilling her guts. Literally and figuratively."

Rezar raised an eyebrow, Gynaika was now a lot more loose with her words, maybe it was because they were alone with people they trusted here, but it showed something, she wasn't playing a game anymore but was instead showing her real self. And frankly even if it was an ugly personality, he would prefer to see it than to deal with a fake.

"I suspect that we could be cowed into making decisions that won't exactly be favorably for us if we go there, and frankly speaking refusal might get us in trouble if not killed as we would probably be outnumbered. Master if I'm not stepping out of bounds, I would like to ask that you cover all of our bases.

Every policy that needs to be taken care off should be, a princess is about to be given up in marriage, and you're a young unmarried king. It's an obvious trap, maybe not for you, but for any other ruler with something to offer. We head for the snow elf kingdom in a week, marry the queen in waiting in two days!" Screet said, forcing the entire room to fall silent, as this wasn't what was expected from the undead. Rezar took a long hard look at his first undead, obviously telepathically communicating with the mole-man.

"Very well Screet, Kitagawa call Alistair and have him prepare for a grand wedding. It would be held in two months, and the Queen in waiting...and the first general of Morte Bianca will take their place besides me as the true queens of our esteemed kingdom!"

"Huh?"

"What!"

"...….."