Cassandra Pendragon
"Are we expecting an attack or an invitation to a coronation," I inquired, while I scrutinised the colourful gathering in front of us. The dwarfs were, to the last lad, clad in armour and they had polished every nook and cranny to boot. They resembled nothing more than a glittering army, ready to march into battle. But they weren't the only ones who had given in to, what I assumed, had been my mom's demands. Aspera was wearing her silver mail, but her sister, as well as everyone else, had dressed elaborately, as if we were all planning on attending a ball together.
Even the fey and the kids had been shoved into formal and, frankly, audacious clothes. Seriously, what was it with that woman and her obsessions? Forcing our family to look the part, I understood, but this was too much, in my humble opinion. I was surprised, Xorlosh had played along. On the other hand, the dwarfs probably didn't need much coaxing, when it came to showing off their gear. Why then, were they looking grim?
My brother, wearing a dark, flowing, embroidered robe, his trusted sword at his side, replied with a forced smile: "maybe both? There's… Cassy, you should listen to what mom's got to say. There's a pretty good reason for all the theatrics. The reunion with our dear brother might become a bit more troublesome than we expected." I was starting to feel anxious, the whole situation vastly different from anything I had pictured. Reflexively, I tightened my grip on Ahri's hand and spun around to face my mother. The worried looks I caught from the corner of my eye didn't help, either. What the hell was going on? And why were Ahri and I the only ones who didn't know?
"Care to explain what he means," I confronted the silver vixen. "Last we talked, I wasn't under the impression, there'd be a need for… this. What's going on?"
"I guess, it'd be for the best to start from the beginning," Xorlosh's deep voice cut in, as he leisurely made his way across the deck, packing his pipe. "'N that's me story, first and foremost." He waved his boys away. "Feed the prisoners 'n bring 'em sails up, would yah, lads? And stop ogling the girls. They're darn pretty, but this is not the time. Come with me then, ladies, gents. 'T might be best to show you." He didn't wait for a response and called over his shoulder: "Atosh, bring 'em crystals, would yah, laddie? Right." He walked towards the quarterdeck, already beginning his explanation.
"I already told you, while you were under, I received a message from me lads. They had encountered a battlefield, which looked very much like the place, the fleet of Free Land met its end. Now, most of you have already heard this part, but bear with me, a few details I've omitted on Her Majesty's request." By now, our group consisted of the usual suspects and Lyra and Liz, who seemed a bit lost. Ahri stood on my right and Reia on my left, her indispensable entourage behind her. Even the fey and the vampires were with us, Layla clutching onto her mother's hand. From the looks of it, this wasn't solely a family matter. I swallowed dryly, glancing around.
The sun had risen above the horizon, its warm light dispersing the remnants of last night's storm. A mild breeze carried soft, wispy clouds across the sky and brought with it the scent of salt and the faintest hint of smoke. Even though the wind was coming from the sea, the miasma, still clinging to the smouldering city, hung in the air like a bitter tang. The harbour hadn't been damaged, the few merchant vessels, docked along the wooden bridges, were groaning in the wind, a constant stream of wares and people flowed hither and to, as the captains prepared to take off, eager to leave Free Land behind. A prudent decision. From where we were moored, I couldn't see too much of the town, but the muffled sounds were enough to convince me of the brewing unrest. Distant screams, the occasional clash of weapons and the heavy drumbeat of studded leather boots shattered the illusion of a calm, busy day.
Xorlosh cleared his throat, commanding my attention. "Now then, me lads stumbled over mutilated corpses and tortured, half dead men, their bodies grotesquely carved up with heinous runes." He sighed, his eyes darting off to the side, when he added: "I told 'em to end their suffering. We've already seen too much necromancy and vile arts… Anyways, me warning came a tad too late. They had already brought the ones, they didn't deem lost, on board." My wings manifested of their own accord and I took an involuntary step towards him, but he held me back with a placating gesture.
"No one died, lass, but some were injured. Your brother among them. Ever since, his wife has taken command and we've been trying to deal with that hag, but… I guess it isn't me place to tell. That part, your mother knows much more about." The vixen strutted to his side, tails held high.
"It's not much to tell, but it's troublesome. Sylvia blames us, or rather," she turned to face me. I already knew what was coming. "You." I hissed and my wings crackled in the air. What the fuck?
"I know," my mom continued, "but try to put yourself in her shoes. All she knows is, that ever since you were born, we've had to face one disaster after the other. For the first time in centuries, we were attacked and we lost our home. Now, her husband is wounded and since she's had all the time in the world to talk to the remaining children, she's bound to have heard some unsettling rumours about what you are and what you can do. She had to protected her family and her people. Long story short, she doesn't want you anywhere near either. As for the rest of us… she'd like to talk, but I think she's mainly just reserving judgement. Now, it should be plenty clear, why I'm so insistent on greeting them the right way."
"Screw them," Reia suddenly blurted out, blushing when she realised, that every gaze was settling on her. Still, she didn't back down. "We don't need them, we've manage well enough without their help. If they want to blame Cassandra, they can go right ahead, but I'm not going to give them the time of day." She grabbed my hand and added: "if they want me to choose, I'll stay right where I am." Gratefully, I squeezed her fingers, even though I knew, it wouldn't be that simple. She'd come with us, anyways, but for my mother and brother, it was quite a different story.
If I had understood correctly, they'd have to choose between me and the survivors of their people. An impossible predicament. The only solution was for either me to cut ties with them, something I couldn't even imagine, or I had to find a way to make up with Sylvia. Waiting it out was also an option. Arthur would soon retake his position and I didn't believe, he'd share her views. Unfortunately, that would only force him to solve my problems and I didn't even know, if he could. No, the easiest way would be to convince his wife to let go. My mom had probably arrived at the same conclusion, hence the elaborate getup, she had forced upon us.
"I agree," Mordred said. He turned to me, smiling. "You've saved my hide, just as recently as yesterday. I'm not going to exchange you for anything in this world. If it's up to me, she can take her demands, shove them, where the sun don't shine, and fly back to where she came from."
"Hear, hear," Xorlosh rumbled. "She hasn't exactly ingratiated herself to me lads, either. Say the word and I'll have her thrown overboard, before they arrive." I wasn't sure, whether he was being serious or not, but I still appreciated the sentiment. That is, if he wasn't willing to go through with it. Otherwise, we were going to have a completely different discussion.
"I wouldn't go that far," my mom projected, "but if we can't convince her… I won't abandon my daughter for anyone, especially if they are audacious enough to demand it."
"That's all well and good," Alassara interjected, "and I agree, wholeheartedly, but what exactly are we," she included everyone, who wasn't a kitsune, with a sweeping gesture, "doing here? It's a family matter, isn't it and our opinions should be evident. We've never even met the people, you're talking about. For me, at least, there isn't much to contribute. Of course I'm standing with Cassandra, whatever she wants to do."
"Same here," Viyara added. "But I'd also be willing to scare them and demonstrate, what it might mean to ostracise Cassy. I'm not above a little intimidation."
"Thank you," I said, touched by their words, "but that'd make everything so much worse and would only serve to prove her point. No, this is my problem, isn't it? But I'm also curious, why didn't you tell me in private, mom, and instead decided to air our dirty laundry publicly?"
"Because you're… Ah, we can show you" Atosh came running, two crystals and a massive mirror in his hands. The panting dwarf skidded to a halt, offering his precision cargo to Xorlosh. "Got 'em, boss, 'n they're already connected. Just gotta watch." Nodding, he placed the mirror on the ground, gesturing for us to gather around.
"What you're gonna see," he explained, "isn't a direct feed, but a set of memories. Think of it as a memory crystal, except the scenes aren't stored, but transmitted." He pricked his thumb and smeared his blood across the topmost part of the mirror, where tiny runes had been etched onto the glass. "'Lo and behold, the reason for this little get together." The smooth surface rippled and images appeared, fuzzy at first, as if the connection hadn't been established properly, but they soon became clear. I didn't have to wonder anymore, why they were making such a fuss.
Battle ships, Arthur had come with honest to god battleships, filled to the brim with an army of many tailed soldiers, their weapons resembling nothing more, than a thicket of steel and mithril, shimmering coldly. I couldn't even count their number, the images were changing much too quickly, but judging from the spells alone, which constantly pushed the hulking behemoths forwards, filling their sails with supernatural winds, they had enough magic users with them to level a small island. They represented a force, much stronger than anything Free Land could muster at the moment, which explained, why my mom was so insistent on having everyone here.
The woman was already a step ahead of Viyara. She had called us here to show our relatives exactly what they were dealing with and how much trouble they'd invite, if they were to go against us. The presence of a dragoness alone could dampen everyone's urge to fight, after all.
"You already spoke with her," I addressed my mom. "I want to know what she said. She doesn't want to have anything to do with me, yet she's heading here, instead of turning around and you're preparing for a battle, aren't you? Adding two and two together, I assume she's not coming here for biscuits and tea. What happened?" The mirror was now showing an impressive array of operational ballistas, many more than even the dwarven ship contained.
"No, she isn't. I… I made a mistake and told her pretty much everything, she wanted to know. She's family, after all. Cassy… you must understand, she's frightened and…"
"I know what scared people can do," I snarled. "Tell me." She prowled up and down.
"First of all, she's keeping your brother in an induced trance, to speed up his recovery, she claims, but with the amount of magic at their disposal, he should already have healed. And then… she wants to exile you, for all to see. She reckons, her people will be safe, from whoever is hunting you, if there are no ties between you and them. She wants everyone to choose, sever the cancerous limb, a clean cut after which they can live in peace. Someone already told her, that you were on the verge of being exiled, before we had to flee, and she intends to enforce the verdict."
"Is Sylvia really trying to protect her people or is she afraid of me?"
"A bit of both, I reckon, but it doesn't make much of a difference. She's determined and has already made up her mind. The only way to avoid a complete disaster is to show her, what she stands to lose, the allies she'd alienate and the power she'd miss out on." Everyone's eyes were on me and judging from their expressions, they were expecting an outburst of some kind. I chuckled dryly, grinning. Once upon a time, maybe, but right then and there, I couldn't get myself to take it all seriously. It seemed so… petty.
"Maybe I should have worn armour instead of a dress. Right, I don't think this will work. She'll only feel cornered and a cornered fox lashes out. Wouldn't it be for the best, if we met on her terms, where she feels safe, in control?"
"You want to fly to her, before she even arrives, don't you," Ahri asked.
"I'm thinking about it. Would you join me?"
"She isn't the only," Viyara interrupted. "I want to be there, when she realises, whom she has been toying with. Nobody is stupid enough to ignore a dragon and her rider." I rolled my eyes.
"I don't want to intimidate her. Quite the opposite. Look, if we don't want to escalate our problems, Sylvia has to willingly let go. And a sister, rushing to her brother's aid is inconspicuous enough. It's not even a lie. But a show of force… we can just as well wait for them, if that's what you want to do." I felt a tug on my hand and when I looked down, Reia asked:
"Does that mean I can come?"
"If you want to. I'd also take you along," I indicated my mom and focused on her, "but that's it. What do you think? Is there a chance to convince her?"
"Maybe," she replied slowly. "We won't know until we try. Besides, we can still exchange pleas for threats, later, in case there isn't. When do you want to leave?"
"Now. I'll change beforehand, though. As imposing as we all look, it's a far cry from how I want to meet her. Give me minute. Unless there's anything else?"
"You want to try reasoning with her and if it doesn't work scaring her," Xorlosh summed it up succinctly. "What will happen, if neither yields the desired result?" Straight to the point. I sighed.
"If it's up to me, I'll accept whatever punishment she wants to dish out to assuage her fears. If it makes her feel any better, so be it, but I'm never going to stop protecting my people. If not openly, then behind the scenes. I don't need a crown to know who I am."
"No," my brother growled, his voice a hoarse rasp. "You won't. By the Great Fox, so help me, I'm not going to stand by idly, while you're being blamed for something, you very nearly managed to prevent. If anyone has to take the fall, it will be me. It's my fault to begin with."
"And what good will that do," I hissed. "Whichever way you spin it, this isn't solely about protecting what's left of our people. She's afraid we might undermine her power, hers and Arthur's, and she's picked me to make an example out of. I might be able to talk my way out of this, for reasons you very well know. No heirs. But if you get involved, it'll change. If there's half a chance for her to eliminate a rivalling line, she'll take it. As a mother and a queen. Don't give her an excuse to get what she truly wants."
"So what? If everything goes downhill, as it most often does, you expect me to smile while you're being painted as a traitor, for all you've done? No. Cassy, I love you and I've learned to respect you, but that's not going to happen." He turned around, including everyone present when he added: "Sylvia isn't the only one, who apparently needs to understand what you mean to us. Everyone here has fought and bled for us. Go on, ask them, if they'd still continue to do so, if you were banished. We need your friends, Cassy. You can't abandon us."
"I never would. I just don't need to be recognised for it and that's all she can ever take from me."