Algernon Black

(Chapter 24)The Concerns of the Psychotic Prince

"Prince Loy," Devane called, failing once again to get the prince's attention in the midst of their meeting. He was actually thinking of the whereabouts of one servant he hadn't seen for two days now... like she was avoiding him. Loy smiled remembering Selice's shocked expression. If she was hiding from him, he was going to find her.

"Loy!" Devane snapped, his temper finally turning. "Are you not even going to pretend to be interested in the fact that one of the most powerful nations in the world is said to be taking measures to prepare for war?"

Loy rolled his eyes but his interest remained solely outside the topic at hand, as everyone in the council room could clearly tell.

"Emora has always kept their army prepped and prepared for war," Loy said, twirling his chain necklace around a finger. "But they haven't used it against Etilia in over 1,000 years. Even if their armies are stacked with graduates from Attwood, our soldiers are well-trained and seasoned, and we have the numbers. Plus they prioritize too much on their magic when we make greater advances in weaponry by the day."

"I'm not talking about Emora." Devane said, narrowing his eyes at the apathetic child. "The next great world power." He laid out a map before Loy's eyes, and removed his hand to reveal a great mass of land to the far north. "Estera."

Loy stopped toying with his necklace and grimaced upon the land. Etilia was a large country, with a very large population, far more than Emora, and second in population only to Estera. But that place was a wasteland, an undeveloped impoverished country, or so it was before the newest ruler took control. "We and Emora are the only two world powers," Loy declared, not liking the idea of another country coming to challenge that.

Devane narrowed his old but wrinkle-less eyes to the map, "Not for long. And especially not if they decide to attack. Estera has not had much influence or notoriety in the world over the last millennium, but that has been changing rapidly over the last two decades." Devane pushed over some documents to the prince. It showed reports from different spies of the state of Estera, from their perceived wealth to their military power to their people's feelings of their new king. "And now they have expanded their control to the territories all around them through their iron road trade routes running nearly the entire width of the content but most troubling for us is them restoring the north ports of the Sansen River." Loy scanned over the documents. Etilia's entire east and south border rested on the isle as did the many other countries residing and relying on it. The primary entrance was the south port controlled by Etilia, and because of that, they controlled the countries around them. Just like Emora controlled the nations in their proximity. No one much used the underdeveloped north port for fact there wasn't much trade or commerce to be made there, or so it had been until Estera's sudden rise to power.

"What's so wrong about that?" Loy asked. "It means the northern countries are finally getting more commerce."

"What's wrong is if Estera does decide to go to war, all those countries they are helping are now dependent on them, and if Estera asks anything of them, they can't refuse," Devane replied.

Loy sighed. Etilia would be fine either way if anything happened to the Sansen. The castle of their country, which they were in now, was at the edge of Etilia and overlooked the entrance to the inlet, but they had miles of ports on the south for ships to reach when the other countries had their only ports off the river that split the continent in two. Loy analyzed the map closer. About nine other countries rested in between the two powerful nations, and all survived using the transport offered by the river.

"And more dangerous than the armies they have at their ready, are the two artifacts of known rumored to be in their control."

Loy's quiet contemplation abruptly grew louder as he played with the chain necklace, though really he was trying to ease some of its weight. For something so small it weighed almost as much as a person, constantly giving him shoulder pain. It was a silver chain bearing one round pendant with sharp spikes coming from it. Over time, wearing it had made Loy's shoulders broad and wide, while his height suffered, though he was still a bit taller than average from a well-fed diet.