Merlot's Eyes

Chapter Eight

Raw winds slashed at my face as I stood on a balcony near the top of Heartland Castle. Nilou had dressed me in a heavy cloak with a many-layered, knee-length tunic and buckled boots. Wintertime in Korath was the coldest in all the kingdoms. The lakes and rivers froze over for months, not thawing for quite some time. It was why most fishes and seafood were imported from Iakkethis since Korath only got few warm months. I tucked my hands in the cloak's pockets and stuffed my face in the scarf.
"Ready?" King Dren said from behind me, walking out onto the balcony with Samsara following him.
"Will she be coming along as well?" I asked.
"No, no. She is simply here to open a rift."
"A rift?"
"Watch, child," the necromatrix said stiffly. Dren's arm looped around my waist, pulling me into the heat of his body. I noticed he was a few heads taller than me, meaning he had shed his nymph form for that of a human. Blush crept about my nose and I was immediately happy for the cold weather. Hopefully His Highness couldn't notice my redness.
Sparks alit the woman's hands as she spread her fingers towards the expanse over the balcony's rails. Darkness swelled and sounds of chiming bells twinkled in the rush of the wind, flurries of snow gathering with that of the dark sorcery. Soon, they had all gathered together, creating a circle of crushing blackness, swirling and moving as if it were alive.
"Come now," Dren said, tugging me towards the edge of the balcony. I peered down at the hole and swallowed hard. The king's face was all smiles. "Fall."
I blinked harshly at his command. "What...?"
Dren gave me no warning as he shoved me away from himself, right over the edge of the balcony. I screamed but it was cut short at the horrific realization that I was falling fast. Suddenly, I was sucked mid-fall, right from the sky itself—sucked into that black hole of necromancy.
My scream suddenly echoed and within a short second, I slammed onto something hard. Splaying my hands, I felt a marble tile floor beneath me. In that moment, I was never thankful enough for gravity and ground until then. Feet pattered to my left and a hand grasped mine, pulling me to stand. Dren's laugh sparked at my ears. "Ha ha! What a sight to see, that was!" he chuckled.
"Ugh!" I scoffed, pushing him away and touching my chest to make sure I was in one piece. "That was cruel!"
"Cruel, yet worth it." Dren winked at me.
"Your Highness," a woman's voice said, clearing the redness away from my gaze at the king. "... and His Highness' guest," a maid said, bowing slightly. "They await you beyond those doors." She gestured to two large, ornate double doors and scurried off without another word.
"Now, Merlot," King Dren said quietly to me as we began walking step for step towards the doors. "Remember: only speak if you are spoken to or allowed to do otherwise. Address them both as 'Your Highness', despite their looks. If one of them touches you, call for me. Stay away from the black-haired one; she has a taste for young women. Be not afraid—I will be with you." Before I could ask questions, the double doors creaked open.
Sunlight smacked me in the face, along with an impending warmth. The room was expansive and filled with furnitures I'd never seen before. Curved and dipped couches, leaning tables and chairs without legs rested on a large, carpeted area. It certainly looked like something out of a fable. Everything had a smooth, orange glow to it as if they were floating in an imaginary space.
Someone was draped over the couches like a blanket, a glass filled with a bubbling liquid between their fingers. They immediately cocked their head up at our arrival. The sunlight kept me from seeing them clearly until Dren spoke up, "Hello, Momi. Fine to see you again."
"You flatter only yourself, you fucker," the woman said lazily, drinking deeply from her glass. "What precious tidbit do you have with you?"
Dren sat down on one of the strange couches, gesturing for me to sit next to him, which I did without hesitation. The cushion was as soft as fresh velvet and I couldn't stop myself from running my hands across it.
"This is Merlot Elfhallow," King Dren said, scraping my shoulder with his knuckles to get my attention. "Merlot, this is Momi Nokomis, Ruler of the Viridescent Isles of Iakkethis and Keeper of the Verdant Sentinels of Ataraxia."
The woman made eye contact with me. A snake-like tongue dragged across flush, red lips. Her skin was a pale grey, her eyes a deep hue of green and purple. She was inhuman yet hauntingly beautiful. Nails of onyx tapped against the near-empty glass she held. Pushing her obsidian hair from her angular face, Momi smiled, showing off rows and rows of pearly-white fangs. "My, my... what a treat you have brought, dearest Dren."
"She's not for eating, Momi..." Dren said exasperatingly as if most of his conversations with her is nothing but telling her she cannot eat humans. "She has a few words to say to the council."
"A human girl speaking to the Three?" Momi scoffed and finished off her drink. "This is certainly a first. After she runs her mouth, we get to eat her, correct?"
I shivered as the asp-like woman sized me up with her eyes.
"No." Dren's answer was harsh enough to make the woman sigh. "You're truthfully dull, Dren," she said, her mood changing from favorited to bored. "You owe me a meal for getting my hopes heightened."
Blatantly ignored what Momi had said, Dren asked, "Why is Conleth not here."
"You know the little bastard likes to take his time," quipped Momi. "He's probably finishing up his oatmeal and waiting for his mama to wipe his mouth off before he can go off on big adventures."
It surprised me how much the Three disrespected each other. When I had heard of a meeting, I believed everyone would be sitting at a large, round table barking out words and waiting for each other to speak before expressing themselves. They were no better than children fighting over play pieces. Before I could think more of it, the doors slammed open, startling everyone.
"You know I have excellent hearing, you nit," a child's voice said. I turned my head towards the door and saw a child walk in. He was no more than four feet tall, wearing a robe of fine indigo with silver embellishments: the royal colors of Calanthe. The child plopped into one of the legless chairs and crossed one leg over the other. "You took me away from my game, Dren," he said, scratching at the wolf-like ears atop his head. "This better be worth it." Conleth's raven-black hair was spiked and unruly as if he'd just gotten out of bed.
"Welcome back, Three," Dren said, ignoring the little one's attitude. "I declared our last meeting to be unfinished. We have important matters to discuss."
"If this is about my game, I'm going to shove this cane up your ass," Conleth grumbled, toying with a diamond-studded cane.
"It is not a game, Conleth," snarled King Dren, showing his teeth as he'd show his fangs if still in nymph form. "It's a bloody war. One that you started!"
"I know: a game." The child kicked his feet onto a small footrest and beckoned for a maid to bring him a drink. "Do you think devils and serpents can defeat the chosen of gods? No need to worry, fellow rulers. Lend me thy Sentinels and all will be well come the next moon."
"Are you seriously thinking we can defeat the Pale King and his army of serpents with naught but visitants?" crowed Momi, smashing her glass suddenly onto the tiled floor. "Did your mother drop you on your head when the midwife pulled you out of her bum?"
"Momi, please," sighed Dren. "We do not need to bicker over this again."
"How many times have I told you that I'm a god trapped inside of a child's body?" Conleth whined, kicking out his legs. "One more sideways comment from you and I'll have your head!"
"Sorry, love, it doesn't work that way," crooned Momi.
"Please," I whispered, shaking my head. "You're gambling with lives, Your Highness," I said to Conleth, who looked at me as if just noticing I was there. "People need to know if you're declaring war on the shadowland. They need time to flee, time to prepare. If this is truly all a game to you, why not settle it with the Pale King in Köd Kunta and leave the Threefold Kingdoms out of it. So many innocents will perish."
Conleth looked me up and down with strikingly azure eyes. "Who gave our dessert permission to speak," he snarled.
"She's not to eat!" exclaimed Dren. "Merlot, I told you not to speak until you—"
"This is getting nowhere!" I said over the king, standing and staring at the other rulers. "I was brought here to make a speech—to make an impact and I plan to fucking do it. I know I should be respectful, but seeing as how none of you give a rat's ass about respect, I figured I could be more heard if I didn't either." I turned to Conleth. "Child or god matters not. Do you realize what you're doing to this continent? Lives will be lost because you think playing with other lands is naught but a game to you. Pawning off Sentinels and recruits into a fruitless and penniless war is not the answer to your fucking boredom!"
"The human makes a point," said Momi in a sultry way. "Where in hells did you find this one, Dren?"
"Please," I begged, turning to the lady. "What do I have to do to make you both see past the clouds? Come back off your high horses and listen to what I'm saying. Meet with the Pale King at least. Or sneak a spy into his lands. Gather accounts of his soldiers and weapons and battle plans. You're going into this headfirst and blind! There's absolutely no point in making a war over nothing. Others will suffer the consequences of your failure and whether you care or not, it will affect how you live your daily lives. No longer will your people worship the Threefold daemons with open hearts and minds. It will cause mutiny and panic. And I think that all of you have your heads too far up your own asses to see the future of the Three Kingdoms if this war is to take place. Listen to what I have said here today and perhaps we can meet again on the morrow to actually discuss terms."
There was a stricken silence following my words. I sat back down next to Dren and folded my hands in my lap, lowering my eyes as if I was simply a maid awaiting her next command.
"Such powerful words from such a salacious mouth..." whispered Momi. "I stand behind the selfish human. Conleth, this is the day we ground the rules to dust and focus on what we should be: the future of our people and lands. Knowing that Dren brought her here today, he is also on her side. It is two against one. If you act out on your own accord, you will be breaking the oath you took before becoming one of the Three. You will not receive any help from our Sentinels or our grace. Do give it a thought because your title and position depend on it."
Conleth's face was noticeably red. "Gah," he spat, standing and heading for the doors. "That bitch of a maid never brought me my drink. I'm off to get one. Hells knows I need it since I had to listen to a mortal complain in my face. We will reconvene tomorrow at first light." With that, the god-child left the room, slamming the doors loudly behind him.
"Dren darling," Momi crooned, slouching back onto the couch, "why not stay the night? I have many rooms you can choose from. You and your"—she looked me dead in the eyes—"little miracle are more than welcome to stay. Better than leaving your necromancer tired upon opening rift after rift."
"I agree," said Dren, standing. "We will bed here and leave on the morrow after the next meeting. Merlot."
I looked up at him. "Whatever you decide, Your Highness."
"Oh, you've taught her so well..." Momi crooned. "I want one."
"Come, Merlot. Let us tour the grounds." Dren offered me his gloved hand, which I took eagerly. I was more than ready to get out of the layered clothes Nilou had put me in. The heat of Iakkethis was unbearable.
"Join me at dinner!" called Momi as we left the room. "I'm more than happy to serve you and your little pet, Dren Heartland."