The Divine Gambit Ch. 02

She sighed and pressed her head into my neck as she finally got her breathing under control. "I'm sorry; I know it's crazy. Being here in your arms feels more right than anything has in a long time. I'm scared I'm going to wake up tomorrow, and it will all have been a dream, and I'll be in Paul's shitty one-room apartment still dealing with his bullshit."

"You know, I was kind of hoping that I would wake up back in my apartment and you and I could calmly talk about last night over some coffee. I don't think my dreams usually include an hour of silence on a car trip, though, so I think we're stuck here."

Beth let out an adorable squeak and sank deeper into me as she relaxed. I kept rubbing her back, and we simply sat. The heartbreak she had felt earlier was gone, and the soft breeze carried it away. Ten minutes passed before Cynthia and Sam returned to the car, and when they did, I could feel Beth had fallen asleep. They got into the car, and I finally shut the door.

Cynthia spoke first as she started to drive, "I think it would be best if you left the voice alone for the foreseeable future. Until we can get you a teacher."

"Sounds good to me -- He asked to be left alone to rest, anyways. Anything you want to tell me about your call?"

"I moved you up the queue. They assigned me as your permanent handler rather than a temporary transporter and gave me a business account to use for any expenses."

"What kind of new expenses would there be if you were already compensated for bringing me there?"

"This account is for your expenses, not mine. You'll be requested to stay in the area longer than I had anticipated. As in, permanently. Will probably need to acquire some things for the day-to-day."

"And you and Sam? And Beth?" She exhaled and squeezed me for a moment when I asked about her.

"Anything I need will be expensed. Sam had been trialing in a local position like this, so she'll stay with you for quasi-work experience. There won't be a more interesting awakening in our lifetimes, so I probably couldn't order her to leave even if she didn't want to--"

Sam coughed and interrupted Cynthia.

Cynthia restarted, "So Sam and I will be covered. The account should cover what you and Beth need for the time being. It's hard for me to tell you more confidently before we arrive and the decisions are made."

"Alright. So, we're going to meet the Seat in person, right? And they're the equivalent of the president politically within this world? Who are they, and what do I need to know before meeting them?"

"Yes, we're going to meet the Seat for the Atlantic American region. She's the ultimate authority for this entire part of the country, and you've been fast-tracked to her. She's the one who will ultimately decide how your introduction to our world will go."

I nodded, and Cynthia continued speaking.

"The Atlantic American Seat is a banshee queen who uses the name Aisling. She is considered fair and consistent among the Seats but not particularly hospitable. She's politically skilled -- less favorable subjects might suggest scheming or manipulative -- and this has helped her hold this Seat for about 200 years now. I would say to be honest with her because you have enough power for her to be wary and keep you out of many games.

"Her court consists of advisors from different races who represent the interests from around the realm and ambassadors from other regions. A couple of humans provide input, but most of the members are mythical beings. You'll probably be required to attend several times for the advisors to get a feel for you. They will want to control you and use you as a tool. Many of the things they'll ask for will be things you'll want to do anyway. Remember to get your dues, especially from them.

"Aisling prefers to be addressed as 'Your Highness,' like a queen because, after all, she is one. She was a queen before she was a Seat. When we meet her, try to hold your own. Don't be an ass, but don't give in and submit to everything she says. If you show any bit of spine to her at the start, she will respect you more. There are humans she will listen to over some court members because they can talk to her without capitulating."

"Are you one of those?"

I could see Cynthia blush in the mirror. She replied, "Ah, no. I've only met her once before, and it wasn't a personal meeting like yours will be. I think I only greeted her when my name was called and remained silent for the rest of the meeting before returning home to shower the fear and anxiety away. Do you know what banshees are?"

"Female ghosts?"

"That's certainly not incorrect, but it's not the whole story. They're a Gaelic mythic that connect to a single family and carry souls of the departed from that family to the other side. So, as a human, the only time I should be interacting with one is if I'm dead and they're there to help me leave this plane. It's not something I could get past instinctually. She wasn't even trying to pressure us, and I was scared stiff."

"So, your advice about standing up to her and holding my own -- will I even be able to?"

"You might be able to. If you ask your voice to help, you should do it. He's not human, but he is you. He won't have that instinctual fear gripping him like a mortal."

Surprisingly, during our entire conversation, Beth remained deeply asleep in my lap. I didn't have any more questions for the time being, so I let my mind wander to the nature of my relationship with Beth as I watched the highway mile markers slip past. The dragon soul in my mind assured me she was one of our mates. She needed his protection and my affection, but she would be an excellent fit for us once she was comfortable. He thought I was already doing a great job in familiarizing ourselves with her.

I wasn't comfortable with that line of thinking. It felt like he wanted me to manipulate her or that he already had. The possessiveness he exuded was disgusting to me. She was an individual -- she could make her own decisions, and we didn't need to interfere. He disagreed -- She was in our care now and had already told us she preferred it. She had pointed out that she wasn't proficient at caring for herself in the past. We would do better, and she would love us for it.

I felt myself fading off to sleep to the rhythm of the car. The distaste I had in my mouth from the discussion with myself lingered. My last thoughts were of how it would be impossible to care for Beth as it was currently -- even if I wanted to go along with those plans, I didn't even know where I was sleeping that night. How could I care for others in my current situation? My thoughts blurred together, and I joined the girl I held in dreamland.

~

I awoke to the car stuck in traffic in a city I didn't recognize. Beth was still asleep in my arms, her own wrapped around my neck. Cynthia spoke softly as the cobwebs of sleep faded from my mind, and I looked at my surroundings.

"We're stopping at a hotel a few miles from here if we can ever get there. You need to shower and dress for the meeting. The rest of us, too, I guess."

"You'll be there? That's comforting." I had been a bit concerned that I would have to talk to the woman who would be deciding my future alone.

"I don't think we'll be much assistance. Even if we can overcome the Lady's presence, you will be the center of attention. The two of you."

"Your attendance will be comfort enough for me. I won't be completely thrown to the wolves and misled if someone with more knowledge can warn me when it's happening. Where do we get clothes for me to wear? It's not like I brought anything with me."

"There will be clothes in the room that's provided."

"Is this a magic hotel?"

"No, it's a completely mundane hotel owned by the organization of the Seat. Think Air Force One -- it's not owned by the individual that is the president but rather the position maintains it. It's a completely standard hotel, though."

The car was maneuvered into an underground parking garage, so I lightly shook Beth. Her eyes shot open frantically, and the automatic fear there made my heart ache. It rapidly faded when she realized she was still hanging onto me in the car. I explained where we were and why, and she relaxed and pressed her head back against my chest but never released her grip on me.

We left the car, and Beth held onto my hand. A man wearing a suit and nametag greeted us and shepherded us into the building and through the lobby to a bank of elevators.

Shortly, Beth and I were alone in a room. There were clothes on the bed for both of us, alongside a toiletries kit. A pair of awkward showers later, Beth and I were dressing in clothes that weren't ours for what would almost certainly be the most important meeting of our lives.

"James? Can you help with this?" Beth asked timidly. She had the zip to her dress three-quarters of the way up. She turned away from me, and I stepped behind her and grasped the zipper. When it was done, she turned around and stepped into me, placing her arms around my neck and piercing me with her eyes. The perfume she was wearing was enticing, but the hint of lust coming off of her was incredible.

"I haven't ever worn anything this nice before," she whispered. She pressed on the back of my head with her arms, standing up on the balls of her feet. Her bony wrists were cold on my neck. Her face was millimeters from mine, and I could feel the shallow breaths she took on my skin as our noses brushed together. We held there for what felt like an hour but could've only been a moment.

A knock on the door shook Beth to the safety of arm's length. Cynthia's voice came muffled through, "James? Beth? Are you ready?"

Rather than shouting back, I opened the door. Cynthia and Sam were waiting on the other side for me, both in their own formal wear, and I held the door open while they came into the room.

"Well, you sure clean up all right." Cynthia stepped past me and saw Beth frozen in place. "Oh Beth, darling, you're absolutely stunning." Cynthia went over and hugged the younger woman, which relaxed her. The spike of anxiety she had from the door knock faded to a more moderate level. Beth had cleaned up well, but all the expensive clothes in the world only made her seem out of place. She appeared as uncomfortable in this situation as I was, unfit for the high society we were being shepherded through.

Sam, Beth, and I followed Cynthia back down through the hotel. She had put on her metaphorical professional hat and explained all sorts of protocols and procedures we might need to know for our meeting. Apparently we were having a dinner meeting, because many instructions had to do with which fork was used for each course, how to address servers, and so on. She also firmly reminded us that we were going to a dinner with the highest magical power in the region and that we would potentially be seeing wild things that no warning would prepare us for. She continued her spiel as we made our way back to the car. Beth sat on the seat but was still clinging to me.

I tried to absorb as much of what she was saying. I felt as though I was Jack on the Titanic, being given the crash course of high society a few hours before I had to join it. He was doing it for love; I just hoped my next week went better than his did.

Between my thoughts and the overwhelming instructions Cynthia was flooding us with, I hadn't noticed where we were going. I found myself in front of a nondescript stone building, with Cynthia encouraging me to hurry up the steps and inside. It was official and imposing without being particularly conspicuous.

The hotel we had been in was formal and upscale, but as it was a hotel, much of that was a facade to give off the appearance of class without incurring the costs for the owners. The building I was now in was authentic. The four of us were led by a frail-looking elderly man wearing an impeccable suit through a maze of hallways and back chambers to a dining room.

The table in the center of the room was smaller than I expected. I don't know what I was expecting -- but this room felt relaxed and unimposing, perhaps intimate. The table was oval-shaped and had eight seats surrounding it. Six of them were set for dinner in two groups -- a bunch of four, a space, a pairing, and another space. The four of us took the intended seats.

The man leading us to the room informed us that "The Lady Aisling, Her Royal Highness," had been occupied by her work and would be along shortly. As he departed, a much younger man in a white uniform brought a cart and served a large plate of food to the center of the table. He then bowed and left the room without a word.

Sitting on my left, Beth leaned over and whispered, "I think this meal would've cost more than everything I owned." I looked at what was placed in the center of the table. A smoked fish -- salmon? -- several types of cheese, a collection of small sausages, and mushrooms. This was an appetizer serving the dual purpose of providing a starting point for the meal and stalling for time before the host arrived.

The four of us ate lightly from the dish. We had very little conversation, uncomfortable with the setting and unsure of ourselves. The young man in the white outfit returned, removed the platter from the table, and provided each of us with a small salad with some kind of thick, brown dressing. When it reached my nose, I recognized the ginger. It wasn't something I had tried before in this style.

The young man departed, and the elderly man returned. He cleared his throat and spoke in a much firmer and more authoritative voice than I had expected him to be capable of.

"It is my honor to introduce the Eighth Seat, Her Royal Highness, the Queen Aisling; Long may She reign."