Light gleamed down on an overlong dining table inside a dinette, coming from the unclosed window that allowed the sunlight to shine through the Harumyeon Palace's highest bamboo-walled dining room on the seventh floor that was occupied by every reigning House ruler of Aechleranne. Yanica was seated at the table; searching through the notes on her soft-bounded book. Her feet oscillated ill at ease.
Yihn entered from the open door where the light passed through. Holding a tray, she laid it on the table beside her daughter, consisted of a bowl smoking luscious aroma of porridge, a glass filled with milk, an empty teacup and two platelets; one laid on with a wrapped herbal plant with a strong scent and the other a fried egg and two strips of bacon.
"Yanica," Yihn delectably greeted, eager to see her daughter enjoying learning new stuffs, which she had always wanted for her as she grew up. "Give it a rest, child. I have wakened you up too early to study our history. Perhaps you might want to have your breakfast first."
Her words seemed deaf to Yanica. The child kept prattling random words as she read the history book, not even giving her mother the briefest of glimpse. Yihn slowly put down the food containers at the table one by one. And Yanica did not seem to make physical responses despite feeling the warmth of the food-filled bowl and plate close to her left arm.
"Come on, honey, while it is still warm," urged Yihn as she untied the herbal plants and fetched some strips of those.
Yihn waited a moment for Yanica's answers as she sank the herbs by pouring hot water into her cup. But the child's entire attention was just focused on the book, that was why she did not get to reply. Yihn mixed the hot water and the herbs together, and resulted in the beverage to smoke hot and the craving tang of the tea leaf elevated.
"Or you would want me to feed you," Yihn offered. After finishing making herself some drink, she pulled a chair and sat next to Yanica.
Yanica carried on reading. Yihn first grabbed a wooden spoon and dipped it into the porridge, followed by a pair of untarnished fork and knife she placed on the disk of egg and bacons. She first fed Yanica with a spoonful of the porridge; her feeding did not distract Yanica from learning the notes from the book.
Much as she knew that Yanica would pay less attention to whatever she would say, she still chose to speak out her thoughts to the child. Yanica could still hear her but she would only understand a few of it when the latter even knew when will her mother pour down a tablespoon of porridge into her mouth; feeling it every time her sight of the book darkened at the approach of the shadowy arm of Yihn.
Yihn went to insert the tablespoonful of the soup into Yanica's mouth for the third time, when she began putting her thoughts into words: "I have no idea whether to feel proud or sorry for being advanced in forcing you to take interest in grasping historical learnings. I know you should still be playing games with other children your age, but here you are reading the facts about our House."
She continuously fed Yanica with the cereal without rushing, and with the same wooden spoon, Yihn cleaned every liquid of the soup that slowly drooled reaching the latter's lower lip. Not allowing even a single droplet of the solvent on the table.
"Of course, I am still looking forward to have you playing with children to keep you away from boredom," she went on. "Nevertheless, I am pleased to see you rooting around answers early before it is too late."
Gentle knocks sounded from the living room next door. "Lady Yihn!" followed by the calling of a young man's voice.
"Come in!"
The bamboo door creaked as it opened–Sachiro–he peeped through the ajar sections. Had he not seen Yihn when he opened the door, but heard her voice for sure. Knowing that he was onto the Baroness, he crept up and trailed on every room next to the rambling lounge.
He found his leader spending her remaining time feeding Yanica in the morning. Sachiro tried to slow down and quieten his footsteps; despite all of that, Yihn was able to sense him approaching her from behind when she suddenly offered, "Have a seat, will you?" without even looking back.
There, Sachiro discontinued his sneaky plan and just went straight to pulling a chair and sat down. His muscles tensed to the thought that his arrival could be distracting the mother-daughter bonding. He stayed silent and simply watched Yihn and Yanica, now feeding the child with slices of bacon dipped in the fried egg yolk. Eyes half closed, his mouth agape as if something was new to what he was seeing in sight when it was just the typical interaction done by a parent and a child.
"Anything to say, my messenger?" Yihn broke into Sachiro's attention-caught silence.
"Uh," Sachiro did not know how to start his announcement clearly after having witnessed Yihn's dedication to motherhood. Speaking with the Baroness got some certain topic entering his mind. "Your Excellency, I just came to inform you that we have to be extra careful. The gathering will take place on Neanthylaenean soil."
"I know," answered Yihn to the lightest insolent voice as she poured milk into Yanica's mouth now that the top of the glass touched the lips of her daughter. "I have always been vigilant during House meetings."
Sachiro had his mouth zipped after those serious responses. It was not Yihn's tone that hushed him. It was Yihn's motherly actions. What snapped in his mind was the fact that Yihn was the current leader of Aechleranne, and a leader has many responsibilities for the good of the House, nevertheless, Yihn still scheduled a division of time between doing her duties as a Baroness and a mother, in spite of the dual difficulties she might encounter.
He gazed for a moment longer at the way Yihn fed her child. So caring and with an evident proof of tender love.
"Pardon me, my Lady," excused Sachiro, pausing Yihn and she turned to him. "What you are doing is very uncommon for a leader," Sachiro noticed. "Usually, I am used to believing that nothing can equal a leader's prioritization of his House. Not even the guardianship of his children."
"Oh, you know me so well, Sachiro," Yihn commented with a grin. "I want to be fair. My daughter was only a week old when I assumed the leadership of Aechleranne. At her age, I must have my duties must be divided into two. Apart from doing my responsibilities for the House, I should also be the mother Yanica has today."
Sachiro carried on watching Yanica munching the food she was fed while still reading. "You are so true to your words, my Lady," he said. "You always advise Aechlerenne parents to rear their children in love and free from brokenness."
"What good am I for a Baroness if I will not prosecute my teachings to the people?" Yihn gave a confident smile after saying so. "My actions speak louder than my words."
Sachiro nodded in understanding. He followed up with a question of different subject. "So, what will you do next, Lady Yihn?"
"Of course, we will prepare to leave for Prythermo," her delighted tone fell out. Rarely giving the messenger a glimpse. "You will call for Kervumasa, and you will assemble the political council and our chosen guards together. While I will take Yanica for Mokiri to handle without me."
"Mokiri is not coming?"
"Until she has given birth, she will not be attending gatherings on foreign soil."
"And Hevihara?"
"Hevihara stays with his mother," Yihn confirmed. "I entrust Mokiri's safety to her growing son."
Sachiro stood. He pushed the chair under the table and took hold of a scroll with him, preparing to leave. "Alright, then. I should get this message to the Henchman."
"Very well, then," the Baroness replied warmly. "Do not forget about the guards to come with us."
Yihn waited for her herald to leave, she locked her eyes around Sachiro's direction, and when he started walking out, Yihn's eyes trailed on him. Sachiro walked away, exiting Yihn's unit from the seventh floor of the Harumyeon Palace to do his business. Even when the latter finally had the door shut, Yihn gazed at the lounge longer to ensure that Sachiro has departed. Afterwards, she looked back at Yanica and resumed feeding her.
"Yanica, I have to take you to one of the council members later, while I am out," she notified.
After having said so many words to Yanica lately which she did not seem to hear, only this information was able to break into Yanica's fully-focused reading. She stared up at her mother; asking, "Where are you going?"
"Just out."
"Can I come?" Yanica's cute pitch amplified in pep.
Yihn shook her head. "This is for me to do. I am going to a House meeting. Today, I will take you to Mokiri and Hevihara to watch for you."
Yanica's shoulders tensed when her mother mentioned these unfamiliar names. She gave the wooden table a blank stare when she felt the wave of angst surged through her.
***
Yanica was taken away from the arms of her mother as Yihn handed her to Mokiri, whose tummy was no longer protruding in pregnancy for a few years now. Standing beside her was her Hevihara, who has aged five years older; moons closer enough to reaching his teens. There was an increase in his height by a few centimeters. Yanica often looked back at Yihn in hesitation to have herself cared for a short time.
Her attitude was opposite to the ones her mother's colleagues had been showing her. Anxiety laid bare in her eyes. Yanica hardly fixed her eyes on Mokiri and Hevihara's.
"Mokiri, promise you will keep an eye on her."
"You can count on me, my Lady," swore Mokiri. She warmheartedly looked down on the timid child, who constantly stepped backwards every time she was pushed closer to them. Her confident eyes softened as she crouched down and kneeled to greet her Baroness' daughter. "It is alright. You will be fine."
An obvious hunger and excitement manifested in Hevihara's grin. He could not wait longer to make friends with their beloved leader's only child. "Hi there, little one!" he bid in the friendliest tone of voice.
Mokiri stood her ground while her son tried to befriend Yanica. She was on to Yihn. The women exchanged smiles of trust, to be followed by a question from Mokiri: "Lady Yihn, I am not trying to complain, but why have my leave extended for years? Should not I be participating in House meetings, now? After all, it has been five years since I have given birth to Mikino."
Yihn answered in behalf of the friendly-toned voices done and words spoken out by Hevihara. "I understand your concerns, Mokiri. I could not doubt your steadfastness to the House of Aechleranne, for all the contributions you and your husband brought throughout these years. You know very well how cautious I am when it comes to gatherings. What is more, you are a mother of two."
"What about Kervumasa?" added Mokiri to her concerns. "He had been so active that he needs a rest."
"The only thing I do not like about your husband is his stubbornness," Yihn confessed. "Even I could not convince him to pass on his duty to others despite his exhaustion. That is how loyalty matters to him."
It pleased Mokiri to hear such praises from the highest nobility figure of Aechleranne. She nodded, getting her ruler's point.
"Generally with gratitude, I adore Kervumasa's devotion." The two members of the Aechlerenne administration council shared a prolonged moment of trading smiles, until the swift, gentle footsteps of Sachiro sounded padding towards Yihn. Still to Mokiri, she bid, "Well, I think I'd best be on my way. Do not forget to feed little Yanica."
"Anything, your Excellency."
Yihn bent her body, having a final gaze at her shrinking daughter before she departed. She touched Yanica's cheeks and rubbed it with her thumbs; saying to her, "Be good, my child. Behave yourself." She concluded by kissing Yanica to the forehead.
She rose to her feet and handed Yanica once more to Mokiri. She had an uncontrollable tremor, as if she was entrusted to strangers masking their dark nature with clean characters when not. Yanica whimpered now that she was in the arms of one of her mother's trusted fellows.
"Mama! Mama!" she cried out.
Mokiri and Hevihara helped out each other in taking hold of the child's wobbling limbs. "Relax, Yanica," said Mokiri, her voice soft. "Your mother will be back in an hour."
"It will not be long, Yanica!" Yihn promised by the door, before it was shut closed by Sachiro.
***
Riverbank on the quiet town of Prythermo.
A wooden yacht with emblematic yellow jibs and mainsails drifted downstream, nearing a smudged coast in the midst of the breeze. Its passengers hurled an anchor; the heaviness brought by it had its fluke plunged into the soil. The vessel had been immobilized and settled its parking place by the shore. A birch plank was lowered leaning down on the ground.
An orderly line of the sailboat riders crossed the slanting flat piece of timber, led by ten scouts in front armed with bows and arrows each. The travelers were the assembled Aechlerenne nobility party and authorities; treading on the footsteps of the officials from behind were other group of ten armed guards. Securing the authority figures; the scent of dampened earth coursed through their nostrils when they stepped foot on the verge of the river.
The place seemed new to the visitors, with a different ambience. It was not rich in tall grasses and fresh crops unlike the Aechlerenne domain. Presence of stones met their entrance on the borders. Towering dust-brown pinnacles from the distance skirted the village. They paused for a while; Yihn took this opportunity to clue in on the features of this alien territory. She stared at a single mountain planted with the tiniest of grasses; built on the peak of it was a silhouette of a castle with flagged pointy roofs. The Baroness looked so daring with the narrow-eyed expression she held in her looks.
The guards and the government figures waited for an answer. The front guards looked back at the Baroness. Yihn signaled them to get going with a serious nod. Her stern look kept reminding them that they have to stay cool. Not too far from them now, the Aechlerennes made it to mount the hill.
Thunder rolled the graying clouds. As they got closer, dark moving figures spawned in their sight. Realizing how insecure they were; how much more once they make it up to the castle. The Aechlerennes' muscles tautened when they passed into the grassed portion of the pinnacle-rounded House gathering citadel's gardens. Little did they know earlier that there were Neanthylaenean folks, guards or not, sent to watch over members from rival Houses.
Death stares were shot at them by the foreign people. Their hostile gazes meant that war will commence when one makes a mistake on Neanthylaenean soil. Dead silence fell quite lately even at the arrival of Yihn and her party as if quietude was planned as a silent sign to threaten their adversaries. The Aechlerenne authority figures were extra careful now.
Yihn and Kervumasa stayed dauntless to this antagonism, as shown clear by their fierce eyes, yet still avoiding meeting their enemies' stares for they have come only for the said meeting.
"We did not see this coming, my Lady," muttered Sachiro beside Yihn.
"Keep your comments to yourself, Sachiro," Yihn whispered. "We are not safe for now."
There was a gap between each incoming Houses. The next House following Yihn and her accompany on their way to the Neanthylaenean forum were folks.
A majority of the women of the next House had white cords tied onto their heads, that had the triangular ethereum symbol cemented glued in front of the strand; situating the logo on their foreheads. The cords fastened transparent orange headdresses with sparkling glitters. It lengthened down to their lower backs. While the men wore black handkerchiefs on around their forehead with seamless, ethnic pattern that were a combination of vertical stripes in colors of lighter purple and shamrock green. The separating these two colored lines were white, small upstanding triangles centered by chained, tinier diamonds.
***
Pews were split into five columns inside a boundless section in the Neanthylaenean castle reserved for the exact location of the Five Houses to gather. Two sides were divided for the formal placing of each House's twenty-seater columns–left and right–only two rows belonged to the left side, while three went to the right side.
The government figures of the House of Neanthylae were already there; they have occupied the red corner on the left side of the rotunda. Witnessing the arrival of the first foreign House–the Aechlerennes' footsteps echoed throughout the chamber as they had their assigned seats to the Neanthylaenean nobilities' right with a two-meter gap. The Aechlerennes settled silently, ignoring the cautious stares of the red party.
Yihn and the rest of the Aechlerenne administration members occupied the frontline bench. Same went for the rest of the authority figures from the other Houses. The highest authority figures were positioned at the centermost space of the pew lying first and on the lowest ground, off the stair-like side treads.
The Mehvs were the third of all to enter. They claimed the reserved pews to the left of the blue side's perspective. The one marked by an orange banner, and their columns faced against Aechleranne from the opposite side.
Yihn's once firm-mannered eyes widened in dismay minutes after taking their seats. She locked her eyes around the blue party, the fourth House to come after Mehvrelli, who were about to have their seats at the center of their opposite side. They were the most formally-dressed of all the Houses, and each highly-respected authority figures of them were marked by their crowns of gold. The Baroness rarely feel a pang of alarm even in the darkest hours of her House, her muscles strained at the arrival of the House of Tarska.
Among the Tarskan frontliners were led by two Royal Guards. Followed by their herald, Karydev and then their beloved Royal Family from the third row; consisted of their Royal Majesties–King Tip and Queen Garinka, Princes Oreebis alongside another woman with alluring physical features dressed in a gown that glittered, and Prince Sagan.
She felt this sharp feeling crawled over her when she saw Tarskans coming over to the gathering, but worsened when she caught sight of Oreebis, whose gaze was fixed only in front. Although Yihn might have seen Oreebis and the appealing lady with him walking together, the Baroness was not fearful or jealous of it, but it was like a feeling of guilt that stiffened her nape. Yihn sighed heavily and simply looked down on the polished wooden desk. Steering clear of the blue party's glances whenever they would do so.
The air bore a strange alteration when the last House crossed the threshold of the forum. Its members do look scary and fierce. They were more of a tribe rather than a House. Padding towards the right side, where the green banner was situated, with aggression, in a manner like they were psyched up to start a war if ever one House makes mistakes. The House of Ardaja.
All four Houses trained sharp-eyed gazes on those tribe people; finding difficulty in swallowing their dread down. They were all heavily-tattooed and had linear face paints, both men and women. Marked by feathered head accessories. Their row of seats was situated next to Tarska's blue corner.
All five Houses were marked by color-coded banners of the kinship tribes; hanging in front of the first pair of seats and lengthy desks per group.
Kervumasa, seated next to Yihn, bestowed them a death stare in secret. Out of all the Houses, he was wariest of the green party. The Aechlerenne Baroness otherwise, for she was desisting from capturing a glimpse of the Tarskans.
Neanthylaenean guards were sent to feast their eyes on the four Houses; they were sitting by the red corner from the second to the fourth row of seats.
Hammer pounded on the desk thrice. "Before we begin, first of all, I would like to thank you all for making it here on the Nean Forum," those words came from the House of Neanthylae; marked by their red banner. It was their king, his whiting gray hair receding that left him with a bald spot in front; a hipster-style beard who spoke for the opening remarks, "Now that we have gathered ourselves in our respective Houses, I would like to say that I, Overlord Rabiro of the House of Neanthylae, officially declare the commencement of our meeting, and I hope we may undergo this summit conference in peace."
A long-haired man with a scar that stretched up from his right cheek to the side of his left eyebrow, seated on the centermost space of their side's bench from the Ardajan corner casting a menacing stare at the Feudal Lord Rabiro on his introductory lines. His outfit was the most decorated from the tribe–a twenty-feathered headdress and bold full-sleeve tattoos. Could he be the tribe leader?
"I convened a meeting of the noble Houses today. Just to remind you, mining is part of the Neanthylaenean livelihood given our rock-strewn terrain." Rabiro held the pleasance in his voice steadily. "The storm that happened a week ago flooded our coalfield. Mining has not been undergone for seven days. My kingdom needs dense blocks of stones for our daily construction."
A voice cut in from the orange corner. "Does it not cost much of your energy?"
Rabiro randomly paid a blank glance at the Mehvrels, whomever intervened in the middle of the delivery of his concerns. Raising an eyebrow in spite of the rug-covered interspace the flooring at the midpoint creates. "We do this for a living, Countess Szόfrin. New structures need to dwell in our vacant tracts."
The braid-haired Mehvrel rolled her eyes.
"I am saying this for a chance that one House would volunteer for a share of unused rocks. We badly need it."
Low chatters among the Houses were sent off coming from their respective areas. With the Neanthylaenean Lord's silence, he gave the other Houses some time to make their decisions regarding his request.
"Attention!" Everyone's point of forming resolutions was interrupted by the hammer's noise that welted from the Tarskan front-seaters. It was King Tip who whacked their desk for heed. "I have made my decision yet!"
Yihn moved her head up off her palm, after an extended juncture of flicking her hand under her chin and spending a couple of minutes giving the empty table a fixed eyeball, finally stared up at the elderly Tarskan when she heard the latter's familiar voice. Not the Ardajans' entry lately prior to the beginning of the meeting, not Rabiro's speech; only King Tip broke into her stifled qualm. Her eyes remained twitchy.
All eyes inspected Tip.
The monarch stated in a formal manner, "Friends, our territory is a mountainous plateau that was adorned by the thick piles of snow covering our domain. For now, I officially give the House of Neanthylae the consent to have a ratio of any kinds of rocks we have in the Tarskan uplands. Besides, our zone has the largest land mass."
"Oh, yes? But you always refuse when us Ardajans implore the needs we lack!" a crude tone alluded from the green corner.
Everyone switched gazes from Tip's to the Ardajan challenger. All eyes stretched wide in stupefaction. Disrupted stillness fell.
"Jaghar," Rabiro humbly called, with Jaghar giving him a burning view five meters apart from the opposite side. "You are in place of Chief Zohaymar?" he changed the subject for a while, in hopes to discard the interruption of his rowdiness.
Fury still ruled Jaghar's emotion. "Oh, yes. He is not doing so well now," the anger in his voice softened to the slightest extent, but still held the roughness in his tone.
Jaghar's angry retort got Rabiro biting his lip. Jaghar and King Tip caught each one's glowering gazes, whose Houses just sit next to each other, with the quieter Houses of Neanthylae, Aechleranne and Mehvrelli watching out for the conflicting rulers of Tarska and Ardaja.
Yihn, hands crossed and flabbergasted, inspected the confrontation between King Tip and Jaghar in suppressed trepidation.
"Jaghar, do not take us alone for an exception." His voice austere, Tip may not be aggressive as Jaghar because of him growing old, regardless, he gave onto him with guts. "We are all enemies by nature! You know the historical tension that exists between our Houses. The code of the Tranquil Feud states that we should supply our own needs!"
"And yet you are so quick to give in to the reds' demands!"
"Lord Rabiro only asked rocks for his people!" rasped Tip. "The stones in our territory are no use to us! For this one time, I have thought it is best to send every whole to those who are in need of it rather than leaving it to clutter our ground!"
"But us!" Jaghar meant himself and his fellow Ardajans. "I remember sending some of my finest warriors sailing towards the Tarskan borders. They have come in peace to ask permission from you for an amount of fish for our food supply! Yet still, you set up a platoon of your sentinels that caused two of my scouts' deaths!"
"Do not deny it! My guards detected those poor souls encroaching into our territory without our consent!" Tip proved. "Is that what you called 'asking of permission?!"
The sword-armed Tarskan and spear-armed Ardajan guards ploddingly prepared their weapons as the argument between the two heated up; Tip and Jaghar stood already for a likely combat. Rabiro did not fail to see this, and knew he had to stop the chance of tussle in his home soil.
Queen Garinka and Oreebis, to Tip's left lately, attempted to hold him down, while Sagan and the rest of the high-ranking Tarskans to his right blocked him from drawing close to the unstable Jaghar.
The rest of the other three Houses alertly rose to their feet.
"Cut it out, you two! Learn to respect my home soil!" Lord Rabiro bawled. "We should be making this meeting happen in peace!" He cast brief glance at his guards and commanded, "Guards! Cease the hostilities!"
The Neanthylaenean guards from the red corner jumped out of their seats to intervene in the steaming quarrel. The reds had themselves centered by the green and blue, blocking the leaders from touching each other. The reds found difficulty in putting an end to the spar over the shares.
King Tip jogged his memory with the duties of a Royalty; he realized how he should not be fighting someone else in the course of a gathering, whoever it might be. He had a reputation that can be negatively altered. He put his arms down strenuously off the hold of his Queen and sons.
"I am not fighting you, Jaghar," Tip surrendered to the unworthy chances of a one-on-one skirmish. "I have learnt to show some respect!"
"No, you are just a coward." Jaghar defamed him with a scorching look of contempt.
The Aechlerennes and the Mehvs blankly stared at the argument between one of the leadership figures of Tarska and Ardaja, interrupted by the Neanthylaeneans for peace. The yellow and the orange corner did not want to get themselves involved.
Tired of King Tip's turndown to his challenge and the red guards' sustained blockage of the two sides, Jaghar had decided to plump himself back. Even swayed by Lord Rabiro's whim to resume the general assembly without war of words.
As the blues and greens had their places, Rabiro opened up to the attendants, "We have come to make this meeting happen in peace! Can we just respect each other's decision?"
Jaghar and King Tip held themselves still. Their noses smoked out airs of choler.
"Alright, to the other Houses, my apologies for the struggle earlier." Lord Rabiro glanced at the yellow corner to the red side's right and at the orange corner on the opposite side contrary to the Aechlerennes. "Going back to the needs of Neanthylae, I wish to hear choices from the other three Houses regarding my concerns, now that the King of Tarska has confirmed his decision. From the green corner?"
Jaghar had not made his choice. The incident between him and King Tip was the only stuff thronging his mind, now. Rabiro expected that he, as the current acting-leader of Ardaja, would speak out his answers right away, but Jaghar stayed silent in wrath. He was making low growls.
An Ardajan authority figure sitting next to Jaghar raised a hand to Lord Rabiro. "Your Majesty? May I put myself in place of our Koupfron Jaghar to give our remarks?"
Koupfron–a word used by the Ardajan people to formally address the male child of their House Chieftain whom the reigning tribal leader has chosen to supersede his title in choices of either abdicating the Ardajan throne or death.
"Yes, you may, Tahzir."
"As you know, our territory lies in a rainforest," Tahzir explained. "We are surrounded by wet grasses, moist earth, rivers and tall trees. You know what I mean," he briskly outstretched his arms. "We cannot give you a costless trade of rocks."
Jaghar ended his grim, prolonged stare when Tahzir sighed and had a seat. Contented with Tahzir's apologetic refusal.
Lord Rabiro reacted with bigger, astonished eyes. "I see. I would have no reason to counter," he next switched his look to the orange corner. "May I know the opinion of the Noble House of Mehvrelli?"
"By a hair's breadth," Szόfrin was passionless, eyes unshakeable. "We live our normal lives only through needlecraft and unitarily practicing ethereal rituals. What stones can you get from fabrics and quintessence?"
You said too much, Rabiro thought to himself. "Alright, then." It would not be Lord Rabiro's decision to amend the choices of his fellow leaders. His apprehension raised higher than his feeling of contentment, hearing that the number of the Houses who refused to contribute rocks to them were growing higher than the one and only Tarskans, who agreed for a free trade without asking something in return. "And may I be cognizant about the opinion of the Baroness of the House of Aechleranne?" Rabiro looked to the yellow side beside his House, with a flick of his curly beard.
The Baroness of Aechleranne did not reply at once. She, who had been twiddling her crossed fingers above the desk, stopped when the Neanthylaenean ruler addressed her with formality. Yihn turned uneasy when she caught the eyes of everyone from the five Houses directed at her to check her response. Her body stretched tighter when she picked out the rest of Tarska, especially upon seeing the blues' Royal Family.
Facing them in public does not make her petrified or insecure. With clarity, something was up between her and them; the way she stared at one of the monarchs and the same terror-stricken manner that one from the male royalties exchanged with her. On the other hand, she fought this feeling deep inside by clearing her throat as she should focus on the responses Lord Rabiro was waiting for.
"Well, uh," Yihn would not have stuttered if not for the grain of twitchiness minding her. Despite that, she was able to overcome it and state her words clearly. "Getting straight to the point: Probably, if you dig through our soil implanted with the freshest, pest-free crops you would spot larger rocks. For certain, however, I would not give my people consent to halt the growing process of our harvests which will later grow up to be our staple dishes."
"Fine, if that is how you feel," Rabiro's heart did not sank in despair for the insufficiency of Neanthylae's primary resources. At least he was able to ask favor from Tarska, "then there is no more reason for us to extend this gathering. Except that we wish to tackle our trading agreement with the House of Tarska." The King pounded the desk with his hammer once more, announcing, "This meeting is finished! Houses of Ardaja, Aechleranne and Mehvrelli may now exit the venue."
"Off we go now, tribe!" ordered Jaghar.
The first to move out were the Ardajans, when it was actually the House of Mehvrelli or either the Aechlerennes as their assigned corners were closest to the double door. Jaghar intended to signal his comrades roughly to make known to the two other departing Houses that they should go first. After the incident between King Tip and Jaghar, the two sides knew that the Prince of the Ardajan tribe was prone to starting quarrels and physical combat even for the smallest of reasons; just to prove himself correct.
Jaghar was leading his allies as they exited the Nean Forum. He was accompanying a male twelve-year-old child close to him with shaved hairs on the sides; the child's hair was thin with a short, kinky-textured top. Following closer behind were his guards armed with spears and long, oval shields with pointy ends.
Some of the Aechlerennes wanted to jump out from their seats and confront the arrogant Prince, only to be blocked by Yihn who stretched her arms to prevent them from doing so. The Baroness, yet still, was casting a vigilant stare on the green siders, who were now drawing closer to the door opened for them. Yihn and the Mehvs' gazes were neutral. The Tarskans otherwise, it led them to throw sharp after what Jaghar attempted to do with their beloved ruler, fierce looks at the tribe.
The House of Aechleranne followed after the Ardajans. The Aechlerenne nobilities and authorities were still led by their frontline scouts; slowing down in order to have a short gap created between these two Houses before the yellows even exited; trying to steer clear of any of the Ardajan people. Yihn had been fixing her scowl at the first House to leave, from behind their backs without one of them looking back.
Kervumasa paid heed to his Baroness, who could not find himself to ignore her black stare against the Ardajans. "Is there a problem, my Lady?" asked the Aechlerenne loyalist.
"I do not trust them, nowadays," Yihn murmured. "I can sense a fiendish governance coming."
Her henchman took a gander of the Ardajans.
"Do you have any plans yet, my Lady?"
"Yes. We will discuss it when we get back to the Palace."
Like Yihn, Kervumasa threw a sharp look at the green-coded tribe; trying to catch the same impression as Yihn had now for them.
***
Time marched onto the late noon after a journey from Prythermo, Neanthylae back to Drangtien.
Mokiri was doing what she promised Yihn prior to her departure for Prythermo; caring for the Baroness' only child with the assistance of Hevihara, who had been playing with their leader's offspring for quite a while now. Concurrently, she was watching over her younger daughter as the youngster read through the same history book Yanica searched information through earlier in the morning at the time of her breakfast. Mokiri heard low, uncertain sounds from below up in the seventh floor of the Harumyeon Palace.
She stood from her chair and went to check whose noise was it from the outside. Four carriages, occupied by those who attended the meeting back in the Neanthylaenean soil, made their way home back to its vehicle housing beside the frontal stairs to the Harumyeon Palace. The Aechlerenne maroon wagons were secured by five guards outside per vehicle.
The authorities departed the carriages by its housings. And the guards accompanied the administrators on their way to the Harumyeon Palace.
Mokiri was never more enraptured at the safe homecoming of her compatriots, especially at the arrival of Yihn-Vihaan and Kervumasa. Her doubled time of parenting work will be dissolved now that Yanica's mother was back home. The other thought that made her gladdened was that her husband will get to spend the remaining hours of the day with her and their children together after the one-hour meeting.
Through the hours while the Baroness was out to Prythermo, Yanica seemed to have learned to behave herself at last thanks to the affectionate caring of Mokiri and Hevihara's sisterly treatment.
Mokiri and Hevihara rose to their feet just as the door creaked, opened by Sachiro and made way for Yihn and Kervumasa, who have stepped their feet on the same room in the seventh floor a few minutes passed after going into a number of stairs. Yihn surprised Mokiri with a confident smile.
"Hello, my loving wife and children," Kervumasa showed up right behind his leader.
Mokiri and Hevihara happily rushed towards Kervumasa while Mokiri held her younger daughter with her. Yihn beheld the family as Kervumasa embraced his wife and children. Seeing this interaction full of love, trouble broke into the Baroness' impression that led to her dismal mood. Yihn could not resist thinking how she wished she also had a husband of her own, not only to co-lead Aechleranne, but to have made the same happy family as her loyalists had today. It was only Yanica and herself.
Yihn felt something shaking her leg. "Mama, you are home," she looked down to the ground, seeing it was Yanica moving it. Her cute and sweet tone pierced her mother's heart with a warmer feeling that the Aechlerenne ruler's smile has been redeemed. She kneeled, puts her feathered rod down in a while, embosomed Yanica with tenderness and nuzzled the child's forehead.
Yanica seemed fine under the custody of Kervumasa's wife and son, while her mother was out for a meeting.
Kervumasa and his family loosened their arms around each other. "Father, you said you are going to show me how a freedom fighter fights!" Hevihara reminded his father.
Kervumasa and Mokiri exchanged heartened smiles, and put an end to their family embrace. He would not want to break this small promise. "Alright, alright. As long as we do it only in the backyard."
Mokiri bowed to Yihn as she caught her gaze. Asking, "So, how did the symposium go?"
Yihn exhaled stiffly, "Not as good as Rabiro hoped for it to be. There had been some hostility between the Tarskans and Ardajans."
"Why was that, your Excellency?"
Yihn sat down on a nearby living chair and set her rod aside, slanting by the right arm of the chair. "Jaghar made things a big deal when King Tip chose to give all the rocks away to Neanthylae, for that seem to mess up Tarska's elevated plain. He accused King Tip for his so-called lack of generosity."
"And Chief Zohaymar?"
"Jaghar attended the meeting for him," replied Yihn, leaning her back on the chair. "I heard he is growing ill, now."