Author's Note
This story is referring to very ancient times, unknown in the history, with immortals and mortals, but without magical powers and gods.
The first meeting between immortal Emperor Oren and a very young immortal, Iris, was a complete fa...
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She had no objection to speak first and she put on the table her map.
This sight of her among these warriors was very strange, indeed. Her white delicate skin, the thin fingers, the slender body and that so beautiful face and womanly manners were fascinating, but they fitted neither the roughness of these men nor the tough matter of the war. However, the Emperor was thinking that the appearance perhaps expressed only a side of her, probably her will and mind would reveal another side, not hidden but not obvious at first sight. Iris was trying to concentrate on the map and her thoughts, to ignore his presence. He was making her feel inconveniently. The man! Had he the habit to fix his stare on somebody like this? She remembered him since that distant awful day, when he was penetrating her with his cold aggressive eyes without speaking and looked like a dark figure in her eyes. She gave him a wondering look, but it was enough for him to understand that she had not "forgotten" his behavior back then and that she had in mind an aggressive image of him.
Iris: Yes, I will speak first, because I am the inexperienced one here, but I hope I can help in some way with my perspective. First, I was wondering what the barbarians want to gain. I suppose that they have four aims: first, to unite the barbarian area, which means to defeat the civilized part of them, second, to conquer that piece of your land (looking at the emperor) which has borders with the civilized barbarians who are your allies, so that they become useless for you and easy to be defeated, third, to conquer the north zone of King Bendin's kingdom and, fourth, to control the two important trade-towns (pointing on the map) town A in your kingdom and B in King Bendin's kingdom, which are in the same desirable zone. If I am right, then, the main battle will take place in this area and we must have thorough control over the strategically significant points of it before the battle, as you know. These two towns are too important for the whole empire.
The Emperor interrupted to make a question:
Oren: Queen, how did you conclude that they are interested in the two trade-towns?
Iris answered, but trying to avoid his penetrating stare.
Iris: I have made this conclusion, because I noticed that the barbarians are trying to control the trade-routes wherever they attack or interfere last years. This would strangle emperor's kingdom and the empire itself. As the matter of fact, I am not sure if there are not traitors in the kingdoms wanting to help them or, worse, to use them.
Oren: Why do you suspect that some traitors may use them?
She gave him a stare smiling.
Iris: Because the barbarians, even if they achieve their goals in this battle, cannot have the illusion that they are able to face or to have control over the whole immortal world, if they challenge it like this. They'll have to resist its full power afterwards and, as far as I know, they have not the ability and the power. Their movements last years indicate that this is their aim, but on the other hand these movements don't fit their habits, way of thinking, way of life and their abilities. In the past, they had not such aims. I studied their history and could not find anything similar to this. Their economy is different than ours and till now it has not changed. So why should they make war for such an aim? Such an aim must be an immortal's aim. That's why. But I am not sure. However, one priority for us must be to protect our back against possible traitors during the war. I suppose that the kingdoms which face a greater danger must be, mainly, King Karendim's and Kind Bendin's kingdoms, because they are the ones which have boundaries with the barbarians. So, these two kingdoms must take more precautions against internal enemies, who could help the barbarians in many ways during the war. My country can help with cavalry, which can move very quickly from my kingdom to the battlefield area. The worst problem is Bendin's kingdom, because he must have lost the control over it.
