The heavyset elf beside her gave a hearty guffaw that made his jowls shake. “Spoken as a true scribe. With all due respect to your ministry, the rest of us have grown accustomed to choice and luxury, not to mention reaping the profits of selling our goods to the other kingdoms. We need those routes to preserve our way of life.”
“Thank the goddess for the resistance,” the lanky elf beside Leena chimed in. He sipped his wine before adding, “Almost everything is still available via the black market, although the prices will rise, I’m sure. Worth it, though, considering the risk they take now that Everfield has fallen. Word is the Obsidian Guard is permanently stationed along the east side of the Sanguine River.”
“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the queen of Darnuith is sitting in a place of honor at the head table,” the man beside her added. “They likely called us here to tell us what they plan to do about the blockade.”
“I don’t trust her,” the woman with the jade necklace added. “You can’t trust witches any more than dragons. If there’s anything our history teaches us, it is that both are only interested in more. More power. More things to collect. More magic.”
Leena couldn’t hold her tongue. “Excuse me, but didn’t this gentleman just mention that the resistance and its black market are keeping Rogos afloat during this difficult time?”
The woman’s prominent upper lip curved like a duck’s bill as she tucked in her chin to stare down her nose at Leena. “Yes, girl. What has that got to do with anything?”
“Well, it’s only that the Defenders of the Goddess are led and run by dragons, the former heirs to the kingdom of Paragon. And there are witches helping them too. I’ve met them myself.”
“What’s your point?” the heavy elf said.
“Only that it’s probably not fair to judge an entire species based on the actions of a few. I’m sure to dragons and witches, elves seem stubbornly hands-off during times like these. Neutral and independent we may be, but we are more than ready to enjoy the benefits of those who are not when it suits us.”
The lean elf grunted and drank the rest of his wine. “The young always have such idealistic views.”
Leena leaned back in her chair, regretting that she’d said anything.
“You were right, daughter,” Marjory whispered. “Don’t be discouraged to speak your mind. These elves always want to have it both ways.”
“I’m just looking forward to returning home to Niven,” Leena said softly. “All of this unsettles me.”
Marjory frowned. “It should unsettle you, dear. The world is changing. Nowhere is immune to it, not even the temple.”
Before Leena could say another word, the servant rang his bell again and the crowd went silent. “If I can have your attention, please,” the tiny man announced. “High Lord Niall has an announcement.”
Leena reached for her bag and pulled out her quill and a blank scroll.
Asfolk Palace
Rogos
Year of the Goddess: ?βιθ, Capricorn 3rd
I,Leena of Niven, scribe of the Order of the Sacred Pools, am honored to be a guest of Asfolk Palace, charged with recording the historic event unfolding this night. High Lord Niall has called in representatives from every district in Rogos for an exclusive banquet and special announcement. Speculation is high about what this announcement might be given the recent closure of trade routes and the occupation of the Sanguine River by the empress of Paragon. With the traditional meal concluded, the attendees wait patiently for our high ruler to speak.
Murmurs slowly fade and then stop altogether as Niall stands and accepts from one of the servants an enchanted crystal meant to amplify his voice. At the head table behind him, the witch queen of Darnuith, wearing a silver-blue gown that makes her appear as if she’s brought the icy power of her kingdom with her on her person, looks on with nothing but admiration in her expression. Beside her, the ambassador to Darnuith, Claxon, watches stoically from his place of honor.
A weighty silence spreads across the room as the high lord prepares to speak. “It pleases me that so many of you could join us on such short notice for this celebration and announcement.” His sleek ebony hair frames his face as he looks out over the tables. “The kingdom of Rogos has a long tradition of maintaining neutrality. For the four hundred years I have ruled, our isolationist policies have served us well. We have flourished and become self-sufficient.”
The crowd gives a short round of applause.
Niall frowns. “But times have changed. The empress of Paragon has recently closed off all trade routes between the five kingdoms. Everfield has fallen under her heel, giving her control of the entire Sanguine River and what remains of the Empyrean Wood. She claims to want to unite the kingdoms, but what we’ve seen in Everfield is the manifestation of her true desire, to destroy them and enslave their people. Enslaveourpeople!” Niall’s voice rises, passion bleeding through his words.
A quorum of boos rings out. Elves dart glances at one another and thump their tables with their fists to communicate their displeasure at the thought.
“You may have noticed that Queen Penelope has joined me tonight,” Niall continues. “You may have wondered why. The day before yesterday, it rained blood in Darnuith, a dark spell cast by the empress, meant to poison their crops and force that kingdom into her hand. Thankfully, their queen, our powerful ally, thwarted the curse. Darnuith has closed their border with Paragon and cut off all diplomatic relations with the empress.”
A cheer rings through the ballroom. The crowd applauds the queen for her courage standing up to Paragon.
“But the threat is still there to both our kingdoms. Daily, I receive a falcon from the empress of Paragon asking for me to bend the knee. What she tried in Darnuith, she will try here in time.”
Now the room grows so quiet this scribe can hear the bubbles in the wineglasses fizz. No one needs to speak for everyone to understand. While Queen Penelope has the type of magic that could shelter Darnuith’s crops from blood rain, Rogos does not. Elfin magic is strong but, unlike Darnuith’s, their crops and industry are spread across the kingdom. A protective spell of impossible size would be needed to protect it all, an effort far beyond elf magic.
“I am convinced that neutrality is no longer an option for Rogos,” Niall says.
