210 You're In For A Trea

Aether immediately senses that Vy was here. He went towards the entrance and let her in. He was in his human form for easy movement and so as not to scare the Mothyleks when he arrived. When Anja saw that Vyrena was here, she gave her a nod to acknowledge her presence. 

"This is simply too dangerous for you and our people. You are our leader, and we cannot lose you," one of the elders said. 

"Elder Rova is right. Let's not forget how disrespectful the Papillons were," Hallvard said as he folded his arms.

"They are so full of themselves and that Grand Advisor."

"Yes but…" before Anja could state her point, someone else butted into the conversation. 

"If they can't even show decent respect to Hallvard and our warriors, they won't respect anyone else! The way a subordinate act is the reflection of their leader."

"Indeed, I agree. But…" yet again Anja was cut off. 

"If they are not willing to comply, then there's no further discussion needed," 

"Yes, let our weapons do the talking."

Anja slammed her hands down on the table. The sound made some of them flinch, but she immediately had everyone's' attention. Vy was impressed, she had not expected Anja to make such a move. 

Anja looked up at Vy," Vyrena, could you weigh in on this? I would like to hear what you have to say."

Vy walked over to her. All the men in the room parted ways for her. Aether trailed closely by her side. The outfit she wore got her most of the attention but it did not matter. 

"First of all, I don't think we should judge how the King would be like just based on how their subordinated had acted,"

"Second, I think everyone deserves a second chance. Understanding both sides and their intentions are the best way for an agreement to be made."

Hallvard rebutted, "But we can't show them that we're weak. If we told them what we needed from them and the reasons behind it, that would only give them the chance to take advantage of us."

"It's not like we have nothing to bring to the table," Anja added. 

She walked over to the side and brought back a scroll. She unfurled it on the table as it's contents were evidence that backed what she was about to say. 

"We have resources not native to the Kingdom of Papillion. Having us as an ally would benefit them greatly as well," Anja explained. 

As she continued her justification, the rest of the elders and advisors in the room began to see their leader's point of view. However, they were still hesitant and worried about their leader's safety and the potential disrespect she would face. 

"While I still don't fully trust the Papillions, I trust you, Leader Altas," Hallvard said to Anja. 

The other elders in the room echoed his words.

Through telepathy, Vy informed Lycster on the progress that was made so that he could inform King Sylvy that everything was going according to plan. Anja poured herself a cup of herbal tea and one for Vy as well.

Both of them sat down at the side of the large table. Anja leaned back in her chair as she looked at Vy from head to toe. She did not have a chance to take a better look at what Vyrena was wearing earlier, but now she did. 

It was very different from what she was wearing the last time they met. Seeing how focused Anja was, Vy joked, "Does it look flattering on me?"

Anja laughed as she shook her head, "Flattering is one way to put it. Definitely not something I would go for"

Anja could not remember a time when she had worn a dress. She probably did wear one when she was just a child, probably her mother had put her in one for an annual celebration festival. 

But ever since she was able to shoot with a bow and wield her long spear, she had outgrown the confines of a skirt or dress. Anja needed her mobility, not just for hunting, but also to be on equal grounds with those that surround her. 

"How do you deal with it," Vy asked as she took a sip from her cup. 

"Deal with what?"

"You know, all these people fawning over you. Worried about everything that could happen to you, Talking over you…" Vy probed. 

Anja laughed, "I thought no one else noticed it but me!"

Both of them shared a good laugh. There were not many women in power amongst the ranks of the Mothyleks. Most of them who had posts eventually stepped down when they started a family or got married. But that did not mean that they lacked strong women. 

It was easy to be seen, difficult to be heard by everyone. 

"You weren't kidding when you mentioned the 'Full Papillion Experience'," Vy commented. 

Vy told Anja all about her experience in the city that had led her to purchase the outfit she was wearing, along with the incident at the candle stall. 

"That really happened?" Anja asked in surprise. 

She knew the Papillions were traditional, but she had not expected them to follow their old rules to such an extent. Everything she knew off so far was information fed to her by people around her. Anja herself had never been to Papillion, although she hoped that she would be able to see it for herself one day. 

Anja leaned forward as she asked, "So you were able to meet with the King?"

"Yes," Vy replied. 

"What were they like?" she asked out of curiosity. 

Vy grinned, "The King is intelligent and…" she did not want to give too much of it away, so Vy asked a question in return instead, "Anja, do you like surprises?"

The Leader of the Mothyleks was thrown off by Vy's sudden question, "I guess so." 

Smiling, Vy replied, "Good, you're in for a treat."