Silvertree Chronicles Bk. 01 Ch. 36

He nodded, "That happens when I am infuriated and usually results in prophecies and visions. Like I know Jarron will have two children that he will never know of while I am alive. He will remember this day when that happens. Has he already briefed you? If so, I will not apologize for it and it is likely very true.

If he has not it is because what occurred between us was 'Dragon Business.' The business they wish for me to conduct in your Palace even when it has nothing to do with the current safety of the Elven Kingdom. In fact, it jeopardized it! Then I take it directly to them, they fucking freak out!

They are grateful long enough to tell me to leave immediately and do not return directly again. If they want everything I do to go through the Palace, they will communicate with me through the Palace. Lord Regal's communication crystal is sitting in a million pieces across a field of grass."

The Queen looked at Eldar, "Why would you not do it here?"

He looked at Jarron, "Because it is against my code to bring harm to the Elven people. This could have brought attention that the elven people did not need. Cost even more elven lives. As such it is not Elven Kingdom business. I will not risk it. Not now or ever. I WILL NOT EVEN SIT IN THE SAME ROOM WITH HIM!

I have made it clear from the first day when my code and Knights come into conflict the Code will come first. He is fucking with my code and I will not stand for it, Your Majesty!"

She looked at Jarron, "Do you have any more information than what he has given me?"

Jarron looked at the Queen, "No, Your Majesty. They have not been forthcoming with me on what happened."

He looked at the Queen, "They will not because it is Dragon Business. How many times have I heard that told to me? If we are allies in this fight, they have to trust us. Else do not ask for our help except when it deals with us both, Your Majesty."

The Queen looked at Eldar, "Wait here. Jarron, have Lord Regal meet me in the conference room now."

Jarron started to open his mouth at Eldar and he stared, "DON'T! The Queen has made a request of you! When you hear nothing or he actually tells you what transpired then come to talk to me. Only IF you think it will change my mind on the matter. Which I seriously doubt!"

About an hour went by and the door opened and Lady Silver Hair inched her way into the room. She held up a hand, "I just finished talking with Charlemagne. She is furious with us as well. She did not destroy or ask to return her crystal. She did tell the Queen everything. Lord Regal is furious that she knew so much.

I explained that we had this discussion before and you have an open and honest line of communication with your wives. They have to deal with you when we send you into a fury. The one thing the Queen made plainly clear is that you were right. This business had no place in the palace and she wished she had not heard it."

He glared at her as she approached. She kept her distance because she knew he could go off at any second. "Charlemagne also told us all that they have not taken care of your aggression issues. Because of the wedding, so a fight in the palace was very likely if we put the two of you in the same room right now. The Queen agreed that it would be a bad idea."

He stood and looked straight at her so she could see his eyes, "You are going to propose that when an issue like this occurs that we meet in another location. The cavern where I first met Jarron. The one inside the dragon territories in an area known as the Dragons Waste. Nothing will grow there from all of the dragon blood that was spilled in that valley.

Dragon's avoid it like most humans avoid a desert or quicksand. Great place for the base. The only lives at risk if the Lich happens to track me there are other lives, non-dragon lives. The risk is non-existent to the Dragons directly in the short term. In the long term, it would cripple the Dragons because another Dragon War will come that much faster.

His attack there would kill Jarron and all of his connections. That is bad for the Elven people and is not a suitable alternative. I will never return to that cavern. I will never meet with him face to face again, even if I live to be 800 years old. You are better off assigning a different sponsor who is not a coward and treats his allies like shit!

I bring a great enough risk to my people with that lich by staying on the southern border. This way he already knows where I am located. He will come at some point. Lives will be lost but not near as many as if I leave the southern border. If you are wanting to hand me that gold crystal you have in order to restore my communications, we have to get something straight now.

If it is Dragon business, I will come to the dragons to conduct that business, but not with him. If you are forcing me to push it through the Elven Queen then you better have a better answer than 'Dragon Business.'

That will no longer fly with me, I never want to hear that phrase from any of you again. You cannot answer without talking with Lord Regal and that is a discussion I can see. But I will leave some mystery in your life for now. Other than to say three blues, two blacks, and two more red dragons is a bit more than one seeking his service.

Two of them will attempt it again in the future. Because your council lacks the teeth to deal with the what-if question. I would say balls to him as he has apparently lost his if he ever had them! Yet, your a woman and teeth are more appropriate as you can apply it to both sexes in your Council. Next time they may succeed. Correction, they will succeed, some of them will fail but try.

Then again you might have yet another Silvertree or hundreds who work to help to save your collective ASSES again. Not all destinies are set. Yours is. You will deal with this problem again and remember this day. Do not feel the need to return with an answer. The Queen will tell me what I already know."

She watched as his eyes calmed some. Some of the purple in the iris returns. But nowhere near normal. She left the room and glanced back at him several times as he stared her down.

---

She teleported straight back into the room. Jarron was off to one side holding his head because of all the screaming. The Elven Queen was giving the Gold King a piece of her mind on the matter.

The Gold King turned to The Silver Queen as she spoke mentally at him, "He is in full out premonition mode! He knows how many and what type of dragons tried to use the lich. He does not wish to see you EVER again! He called you a coward who treats his allies like shit. He would prefer a different sponsor.

He told me I would be dealing with this in the future because some of those we captured will succeed in the future! He is a champion to a god who is telling us this whole issue with the lich is going to bite us in the ass again and you are not helping!"

The Gold King looked at her, "I am his sponsor and he will answer to me."

The Elven Queen glared, "He does not answer to you! He answers to the gods and me in that order. You're so far down on the list with him now and you are making it worse!"

Jarron stood, "I will work with his wife to see if we cannot build a bridge here somehow. I agree he should not meet face to face with you. He should come to my location if he wants to meet and you can send someone else. You do not have to meet with him face to face."

The Silver Queen looked over, "One of the predictions he made was that if he returned to that cavern, and he knows its location by name! He said the lich would attack there, kill Jarron and all of his contacts would be lost. He won't do it for the sake of the elven people."

Queen Goldeagle looked over and raged, "Then he is forbidden to travel there! I will not have him jeopardizing the elven assets I have invested in the Knights! I contact the other Rulers and they are likely to agree with me for their own assets in the group. Don't test me on this!

He will take that crystal and when needed contact you to inform you of any relevant changes that are dragon business. If it is something I should not know, then it should not be conducted in my palace. PERIOD! You have two others through his wives who can see him face to face if the need arises.

I do NOT have to ask for your permission as you obviously don't have a clue how treaties are supposed to work! Non-interference, remember! He does not need to ask you for permission! He has informed you of things in the past as a courtesy, or when dealing with your evil relics because that would impact you.

He will not meet with you face-to-face, that is going into effect with that Duchy as long as he is alive and I'm still on the throne here! Else I will pull our support for the Knights right here and now! He is working to build up assets for the Knight globally. Let him do his job and stop this now!"

The gold King walked off, "When he passes, I want a say in who takes that over."

The Elven Queen looked over, "That is a conversation for another time but he is a Duke in my court with a hereditary title. The Gray Blades are a mercenary company, sponsored out of my Kingdom. I will listen to your suggestions but the answer is mine alone or my heirs to make. NOT yours.

You do not rule over the Elven people. You have elven assets in the Knights and they are independent of YOUR Kingdom. You have a representative that provides oversight but it ends there. I have looked at the numbers. He has brought more Knights into the group in the last few months that the Knights have recruited in the last 10 years! He is just getting started!"

Jarron sighed, "Your Majesties, His ideas with the bard are sound to drive the right kind of recruits to deal with this horde that was started by a rogue dragon asset. It should increase our numbers across the globe. I was just told about Sgt Walder that we thought was dead 30 years ago. We did not have assets to go and investigate the massacre for almost a year and a half and the bodies were gone.

We assumed they were consumed. He is finding lost assets as well as legacies, his apprentice Moon Ray. Her father was a Knight that died in the caravan attack and she will have a Moon Blade in her hand and he has plans to send her to me when she finishes training."

The Gold King looked across, "Fine. We will leave it be for now. I cannot afford to lose all of the elven assets we have in the Knights, let alone if the other races follow suit. I will say dragon business if appropriate whether he likes it or not."

Queen Goldeagle took the Crystal and walked away, "You are being one stubborn ass fool in this matter. I will speak to him."

---

Eldar gave it 15 minutes and started making his way for the front door. The Queen and Jarron were at the bottom of the staircase as he approached the door, "Your Majesty, I know they agreed to my terms. I know the whole discussion.

He extended his hand she places the crystal in it. He looked at her, "I told you I know the whole discussion, no need to try and threaten me about destroying the crystal. They shielded it against magic missiles and being shattered. A disintegrate will still work with one shot. Jarron can, and will, pass that message back. The next time I hear dragon business that will happen. Thank you for supporting my position for the Kingdom and the Elven people, your Majesty."

Eldar turned and left the Palace to find a guard and horse waiting for me and it was approaching the mid-day mealtime. He rode the horse double-time through the city streets leaving his guard behind.

Queen Goldeagle looked at Jarron, "You tell him! I am just as furious at the moment as he is at what they are doing."

---

Jarron walked outside and activated his crystal, "Royal Majesty, are you with him?"

She sighed, "Yes I am."

He sighed, "I had a message given to the Elven Queen and she told me to make sure it was delivered. The message was the crystal is shielded from magic missiles but not disintegration. The next time he hears those words he will likely destroy the crystal again. I can all but guarantee he would."

She sighed, "Message received." She ended the communications and looked at him.

"The Knights are mine to oversee! You asked to be a sponsor, not a ruler over all of the elven people! Eldar did not take the crown of the humans and he had that available to him, legally! He turned it down. You need to keep in mind right now we need these people to do activities we cannot do.

We do not have an accurate number but the chromatics outnumber us. They are not following the treaty. Another Dragon War will come. It is only a matter of time. Even when you still refuse to see it. He told me the Council lacked the teeth to act. In your case, he said you lacked the balls if you ever had them!"

She stormed out.

The Gold King looked at the crystal and sighed to himself, 'Bahamut was right. This would create a rift and I am standing here jumping up and down on the crumbling ground and seeing it I cannot make it worse. I have no solution to make it better. Not yet and definitely not with Eldar. I burned that bridge to ash.'

---

Eldar got to the front gate of House Silvertree, "Tell the stable boy brush down, food, and water. Nothing is broken, just a little swollen. Nobody is to ride him for the next week."

He walked over and saw Silver Moon. She did not like the look in his eyes or it might just be the eyes themselves as there was very little of the purple showing. He joined her, "We are all here."

Silver Moon teleported them in front of his home. He looked at our guests, "Brides are in my house, and brides should go to my house. Grooms to the Silver house this way. He is Charlemagne and Annette's father. Silver Moon, tell Charlemagne and the others I am back and I should be left alone until I return at the evening meal."

She nodded but looked alarmed. He pointed at the house, "That is the Silver house knock and Karra will answer the door. She is married to one of my training officers. Tell her I will be back later."

He mounted up and headed for Silent Falls and dismounted. He stripped down to his pants and jumped in and did several laps and then set up the stones for this evening ceremony. He got out and drew his sword and went through four hours of sword practice at double pace non-stop.

He switched hands every ten minutes and finally finished. He sheathed his sword. He rinsed off and dried himself. He stripped down to put his armor on and put his wedding clothes on. He rode back to the village. Commander Tranosa came down the road. Eldar pulled up in front of the house, unsaddled the horse, and cleaned the blanket. He brushed down the horse while Tranosa got the troops in place.

He ensured he was still clean. He looked at the layout and nodded to him and teleported away. He looked around and the Ambassador sat there and looked at him, "Back again?"

He smiled and opened the door. He saw the Duke coming down the hall in one direction. The Princess and her military adviser from the other. He opened the door and watched as everyone entered. The Ambassador looked surprised.

He got everyone together. Eldar looked at the ambassador as he stared at them, "Retire from the diplomatic core when you find the time. This posting will be your downfall."

Eldar teleported them away and he arrived within seconds of the Queen. Tranosa yelled out, "Sword salute!"

The human military adviser looked shocked as all the swords went up. The Queen was surrounded by Moon Blade wielders and a few guests in the back.

Eldar looked at the Captain, "This man is the Princesses Military Adviser. I want the two squads on horseback on each side. I want a Squad of Centaurs right behind them. One squad of Gray Blades on either side of the main group. I want the two village squads in front of the Gray Blades.

Commander Tranosa please inform the Village Elders of this village we have Royal guests in attendance. Captain, you will lead this group to Silent Falls once you see the lights go away from over the tree line in that direction. Princess, there is a sword ceremony that we have to attend to first.

Apprentice Strong Oak, go see to my Grandmother and Elder of the other village. Let her know we have Royal Guests. Ride over and leave your horse in the village. All blade holders and blade candidates move to the front and bring your guests with you."

He looked at the Duke and his wife, "Your daughters are in there. You will have to wait with the Princess but if you want to take a minute and say hello to them before I take them to the sword ceremony that would be fine. Jarron, glad to see you made it and with Lady Amy Tryst."

Lady Silver Hair briefed Lady Amy Tryst not to engage Eldar as was bordering or going hostile if he found her motives to be out of line with his own. She had told Lady Silver Hair she wanted the best for Annette and her son. Nothing out of line but she was invited to a wedding and was going.

Eldar looked to the Military adviser, "These are only the troops you see. There are more in the woods watching. As soon as the Captain sees the light show from the ceremony go away then he will start to lead you forward. I have to take the Moon Blade Wielders, candidates, and the guests for that ceremony up to Silent Falls."

He heard the wagon pull up behind the men. He looked back, "Hello Cook, our Queen and the Human Princess from our allies Kingdom are here."

Cook looked shocked at that news. The Princess worked to get all of the information in and she had Centaurs behind her. Eldar looked at her, "I have four squads of Gray Blades, one from each village, and the Centaur Captain Broxam with a squad of his soldiers behind you.

Then I have every other officer from our unit who if not on patrol will be attending and lining up shortly for tonight's events that will also be behind them. The wagon contains all the tables, plates, and food for tonight's feast. You will never be unguarded and after the ceremony, you will have Thirteen Moon Blades on top of everyone else."

The Princess appeared to be in awe of the forces he had in place to watch over her. She looked at him and nodded. Eldar looked at her Military Adviser, "They are not Royal Guards, but they are better trained, dedicated, and determined to see to your security needs.

Let the Centaur Captain Broxam behind you know if you have an issue, he will send someone up to let the captain leading the group to address the problem immediately. Cook, make sure the villagers are behind the military escorts."

He moved up to the Queen, "I hope the Princess is feeling secure, your Majesty."

She looked back, "She better be with everyone you have around her."

Eldar shook his head, "That is not everyone, your Majesty."

He looked forward, "Commander Tranosa, you take point column of Moon Blades on either Side with the Queen in the middle. My other apprentice will be leading my Grandmother to the falls and meet us there.

He reached into his bag and pulled out a box and removed the sword. He grabbed the box with his bag and passed it to Karra after putting the new sheath on it. "Can you put that in the house for me and let the ladies know they are keeping the Queen and the Gods waiting. To the other guests of the Blade Singers please line up behind my ladies as I will be behind the Queen."

He looked over as they came out, "Victria do you have the house stone with you?" She nodded. "Would you please pass that to the captain upfront, please. To any guests that are here. If you have not specifically been invited to the sword ceremony, stay away for your own safety. The light alone will burn the eyes from your skull.

Someone tested that at the last ceremony. They did not like the results. We have a couple of clouds in the sky this evening. They will not be a problem if anything they will give a reflective glimpse of what the light at the falls will look like. Also, how damaging it is. Commander, lead us out."