When Aidan arrived at the palace, it was already surrounded by crowds of people. Aidan had to leave his horse outside the gates, and he still barely managed to squeeze through. Once inside, he saw even more people - the nobles, the generals, and stuffy officials. It seemed everybody and their mother was there to witness the envoys from the savage lands.
Luckily, Aidan soon spotted a familiar General he had seen before at the fort – a thin guy with a face like a dried-up persimmon. Aidan followed him, continuously shoving people in his way and awkwardly apologizing for it.
They entered a familiar hall – at least, it looked like the one where General Lox's trial took place. But Aidan wasn't very sure about that. Who knew how many similar halls were there in this ginormous palace that could probably fit in a small country?
Aidan immediately spotted the Prince at the high table. As usual, he was dressed impeccably, yet he looked tired and sleep-deprived. Jake-the-Regent was sitting on the throne next to him and seemed to be in a very foul mood.
Aidan barely managed to take his place among other Generals on the sidelines when three hooded figures entered the hall, and the Regent motioned to the servants to close the doors.
"We, the People of the Ruan Empire, welcome you in our lands and promise you safe conduct for the time of your visit," the Regent announced with a polite smile, but Aidan could see the hostility in his eyes.
In response, the three envoys silently threw off their hoods, and Aidan had to cover up his mouth not to gasp out loud. All three were men with long dark hair and pitch black eyes without pupils. But that was not the most creepy thing about them. All of them seemingly emitted clouds of smoke and their clothes were ornamented with live snakes.
The room went quiet while everyone's attention was on the unusual guests and their dramatic appearance.
"May I ask for a reason of your kind visit?" the Regent said after a while – he was the only one who remained entirely unaffected by these weirdos.
"We seek to unify our nations in the name of peace and prosperity," the three men responded in unison.
"Our leader The Great Diviner is willing to overlook the recent disagreements and as a sign of goodwill is offering to wed a royal Atarian from the Ruan Empire."
"How very generous of The Great Diviner," said the Regent. The smile had never left his lips. "But if I remember correctly, your leader is already married. Have there been new developments that I'm not privy to?"
"Indeed, The Great Diviner has many wives and husbands. But our customs do not prevent him from having more," the men responded, yet again in unison like some kind of Gregorian choir.
Aidan couldn't help but smile. Were these guys really asking the Regent to become the n'th spouse of their leader? There was shameless, and then there was this. The Prince, who previously looked entirely uninterested in the whole debacle, even raised his eyebrows.
However, the Regent didn't seem to be particularly bothered.
"I see," he said calmly. "What if we decline your generous offer?"
"That would not be advisable." It seemed that the smoke emanating from the bodies of these men suddenly got darker. "The Great Diviner wants to avoid the war in any way possible. But if you refuse his goodwill, he will have no other choice but to take it as an act of further hostility."
"Further hostility?" the Regent's calm exterior finally showed some cracks. "When have we ever been hostile to the Lands of The Great Diviner?"
The men exchanged surprised looks. "The Ruan Empire one-sidedly cut off our trade relations, did you not?"
YOU ARE READING
In Pieces
RomanceA majorly depressed slacker transmigrates into a medieval RPG where he is supposed to be a ruthless General. Now he has to deal with his issues, as well as with a young royal who becomes dangerously obsessed with him.
