"Ah, I see," Amie seemed completely amused.
"Queen Amie, Your brother should not have left without completing his duty to us. We do not dare say you can fulfil this duty, but we must know where your heart stands," the clan chief said.
"Chief,..," she started.
"Lord Hurr," the older man next to him answered.
"What duty was this?" she asked.
"Lord Krain as the husband of the heir was responsible for the safety of the clan," he said.
"In other words, he kept your enemies at bay," Amie said and Lord Hurr frowned slightly.
"He supported the power and stability of the clan," he said.
"His name supported the power and stability of your clan. Lord Hurr, I have already tied my name to another's. I believe you are too late," Amie joked.
"Queen Amie, it is not easy to marry an ancient. Marriage has always been a transaction. We have only this one heir. Who she married must be of benefit to the clan. Your brother understood this," he said.
"Yet he left you behind," she said.
"Yes, and you as well," he answered and Amie chuckled.
"Lord Hurr, my mother usually says, only when an eagle has fallen will it spare the hawks a glance," Amie said.
"As great as this daring praise of our clan as eagles are, I dare to ask if you are the hawk of this story," Lord Hurr said.
"Eagle you may be, look as much as you will, this Queen was never a bird," Amie said and they all frowned.
"Your Majesty…" Lord Hurr started to say.
"Yes, you finally speak as should," Amie said and their faces turned ugly. Lord Hurr wished to reach out his hand and snap Amie's head off her body, but would not dare. He was not sure how he somehow ended up addressing this girl as Her Majesty. He stared her down and restrained his anger.
"We are in-laws after all," he said carefully and she relaxed a bit. She had gambled with this insult. If they did not kill her, her support was of extreme importance to them.
"And as such?" she asked.
"Our relations warrant that you try to complete your brother's responsibility in his place. Helen…"
"I paid my debt. I delivered myself to her cousin. I basically walked glass to his doorstep," she said.
"Your brother.,"
"..is not in Thriergor," she continued.
"I must fulfil my duty as his sister, and I did," she said and they all tensed up.
"I was an obedient sister and did as told, paid myself over to complete a deal. All deals from now onwards must benefit me immensely. So, Lord Hurr, what can you offer this queen?" Amie asked.
"What do you want? Our clan can provide," Lord Hurr said.
"I will be seeing my brother again, who I favour will join me. So, how do you intend to gain my favour?" she asked and they all paused. Amie took in their serious faces. She could tell they were considering her words and smiled.
"I will ask you again, what can you offer me?" she asked.
Lord Hurr looked at this girl again, his gaze deeper than before, "The ancients and four powers of Other-side," he said and she smiled deeply.
"How can I ignore my in-law's plight?" she said.