09-16-2015, 08:33 AM
She hopes that one day she has the calm and collected composure of the king standing before her. He is fully confident in his ability to rule, unshakable and powerful. She is the polar opposite of him, doomed to fail and, eventually, pass her title onto someone who is actually worthy. She’s done nothing to prove that she’s ready to lead an entire caste; she’s done nothing to prove to herself that she’s got the ability to carry out her position successfully. She isn’t confident and she doesn’t know which words go where. She doesn’t know how to do diplomacy; she’s nervous just thinking about it.
‘I think you will do just fine, Cress,’ he says and she smiles half-heartedly, because how could he truly believe that she’ll do just fine? He doesn’t know anything about her, just her name. He doesn’t know the kings and queens in her pedigree (in fact, neither does she; she only knows of her parents) or the fact that both of her parents failed in their jobs—as parents and as rulers. Their names probably aren’t even remembered much anyways, with the new generations constantly coming in and taking over. Oxytocin’s rule seems like it was so long ago, when in reality less than a decade has passed since he has been seen.
“You seem to have a lot of confidence in someone you hardly know,” she tells him, this time a smirk crossing her face. She feels herself calming down as she draws in a deep breath and she tries to relax her stiffening limbs. If he can have so much confidence in her, maybe she needs to instill some of it within herself. She’s going to be fine; it’s not as if she has an entire kingdom to run like he does! She doesn’t want it, either, and she hopes he knows this. If she can prove herself as Salaam, it’s where she would like to stay.
“The Chamber is a very strong kingdom,” she agrees. “I believe a group of diplomats have already set off for the Chamber to speak with Straia; I will leave them to that, as to not interrupt.” One less kingdom that she has to travel to. She wouldn’t mind, but the fact remains that there are only four other members of the peace caste; they will all have to travel a fair amount to visit other kingdoms.
He speaks next of the Amazons, and she nods. “The Jungle is always a strong kingdom to appeal to, and perhaps the change in leadership in both kingdoms will convince their new queen that an alliance,” she muses aloud, lost in thought. The warrior women of the Amazons have always been an intimidating force in Beqanna and their strength combined with the Valley’s building energy could be powerful. “I will travel myself to the Jungle to speak with their new queen, Lagertha.” So many changes are coming to the world, and Cress nearly trembles with the foreshadowing of things to come. She is no warrior but there is something coming.
The next kingdom to cross off the list is the Deserts. Cress remembers the stories her mother would tell her as she would be drifting off to sleep, of Oxytocin’s constant rivalry with the then-king of the Deserts. He hated Oxy, Kindling would claim, for seemingly no reason, simply for ruling the Valley. It was a personal vendetta that bled into the diplomatic relations and the two kingdoms have not been friendly since before Oxytocin’s rule. “The Deserts have been no friend of the Valley in recent memory,” she warns him, not realizing that it’s something he’ll wonder how she knows. “I would suggest a diplomatic visit and perhaps a truce that allows friendly steals and challenges, but no more. The two kingdoms may have changed hands since those times, but there is no doubt that some of the hostility still remains.”
As for the rest of the kingdoms, she has no idea what to tell him. “The other four kingdoms are weak and always have been,” she says, but there is no malice in her words. “The Gates hasn’t been powerful for many generations and neither has the Dale. The Tundra is nearly silent and the Falls have always been a neutral entity.” She pauses. “It probably wouldn’t take much to overpower any of them, especially the Falls, but we would have to build a better army first. No matter, though, because diplomacy is my caste, not war.” She smiles again, this time meaning it. She is not advocating for a raid (they are not even strong enough for that), but at the same time she is not advocating against it.
If they want to be a powerful kingdom, they have to have powerful ideas.
‘I think you will do just fine, Cress,’ he says and she smiles half-heartedly, because how could he truly believe that she’ll do just fine? He doesn’t know anything about her, just her name. He doesn’t know the kings and queens in her pedigree (in fact, neither does she; she only knows of her parents) or the fact that both of her parents failed in their jobs—as parents and as rulers. Their names probably aren’t even remembered much anyways, with the new generations constantly coming in and taking over. Oxytocin’s rule seems like it was so long ago, when in reality less than a decade has passed since he has been seen.
“You seem to have a lot of confidence in someone you hardly know,” she tells him, this time a smirk crossing her face. She feels herself calming down as she draws in a deep breath and she tries to relax her stiffening limbs. If he can have so much confidence in her, maybe she needs to instill some of it within herself. She’s going to be fine; it’s not as if she has an entire kingdom to run like he does! She doesn’t want it, either, and she hopes he knows this. If she can prove herself as Salaam, it’s where she would like to stay.
“The Chamber is a very strong kingdom,” she agrees. “I believe a group of diplomats have already set off for the Chamber to speak with Straia; I will leave them to that, as to not interrupt.” One less kingdom that she has to travel to. She wouldn’t mind, but the fact remains that there are only four other members of the peace caste; they will all have to travel a fair amount to visit other kingdoms.
He speaks next of the Amazons, and she nods. “The Jungle is always a strong kingdom to appeal to, and perhaps the change in leadership in both kingdoms will convince their new queen that an alliance,” she muses aloud, lost in thought. The warrior women of the Amazons have always been an intimidating force in Beqanna and their strength combined with the Valley’s building energy could be powerful. “I will travel myself to the Jungle to speak with their new queen, Lagertha.” So many changes are coming to the world, and Cress nearly trembles with the foreshadowing of things to come. She is no warrior but there is something coming.
The next kingdom to cross off the list is the Deserts. Cress remembers the stories her mother would tell her as she would be drifting off to sleep, of Oxytocin’s constant rivalry with the then-king of the Deserts. He hated Oxy, Kindling would claim, for seemingly no reason, simply for ruling the Valley. It was a personal vendetta that bled into the diplomatic relations and the two kingdoms have not been friendly since before Oxytocin’s rule. “The Deserts have been no friend of the Valley in recent memory,” she warns him, not realizing that it’s something he’ll wonder how she knows. “I would suggest a diplomatic visit and perhaps a truce that allows friendly steals and challenges, but no more. The two kingdoms may have changed hands since those times, but there is no doubt that some of the hostility still remains.”
As for the rest of the kingdoms, she has no idea what to tell him. “The other four kingdoms are weak and always have been,” she says, but there is no malice in her words. “The Gates hasn’t been powerful for many generations and neither has the Dale. The Tundra is nearly silent and the Falls have always been a neutral entity.” She pauses. “It probably wouldn’t take much to overpower any of them, especially the Falls, but we would have to build a better army first. No matter, though, because diplomacy is my caste, not war.” She smiles again, this time meaning it. She is not advocating for a raid (they are not even strong enough for that), but at the same time she is not advocating against it.
If they want to be a powerful kingdom, they have to have powerful ideas.
infected.