Conia: A New Beginning

A Haughty Deal

Ever since Vangelis was arrested from the Vengestone mines that he planted under Shintaro had been stopped, Shintaro's income, for making the Kingdom better, had been decreasing since then. Making this beautiful and amazing kingdom, struggle financially.

Nowadays, the Shintarian villagers would take any chance that they will get to earn some extra cash, from whosoever person they get it from.

Back to the castle with Cole, Vania, and this man, Herod, were making a deal. Or, in Herod's eyes, a trade.

"The King of our Kingdom requests that your daughter, whoever she is, shall come to our city when she grows to the appropriate age. And live there," said Herod, grinning, which revealed his deep yellow teeth. "But, of course, I know that both of you will say no, so our King has agreed to give you fifty thousand of our gold."

"Why do you want our daughter?" asked Cole, sceptical about this trade. "Is there something you want to do with her there?"

"The King has found some, what's a good word for this, interesting things about that baby," said Herod, beginning to get bored with this conversation. "It's your choice. Take it or leave it."

"Before we do anything," started Vania. "who is this unknown King you say you serve?"

"Of course, you have heard of him," said Herod. "King Ethbaal? Father of Princess Jezebel who visited this so-called 'Ivory City', eight or nine months ago?"

"It's that King who wants to take our daughter from us?!" said Cole, transfixed. "Wha-"

While Cole was stuttering and mumbling words under his breath, a thought then came into Vania's head.

"Don't believe everything you see or read,"

"No," said Vania, firmly.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Herod.

"Cole and I will not give Lilly up," said Vania. "And that is the final decision. I won't take anything back from what I said."

"I'll give you one week. And only one. To finish finalising that little decision of yours," said Herod, leaving the room. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you two that Her Majesty, Princess Jezebel, would come to visit here again."

The couple did not reply in the last statement, but Vania just fidgeted with her fingers, and Cole, staring at the door closing.

"I just can't believe him!" yelled Vania, as she and Cole made their way to the bedroom where Lilly was. "He wants Lilly! Taken to another different Kingdom!"

"I know," sighed Cole. "I wonder what's the special thing this Ethbaal saw in Lilly."

"And Jezebel was right," said Vania, irritated. "You really can not trust everything you see or read."

"Me or you?" asked Cole. "I don't really know much about other kingdoms. Heck, I didn't even know Shintaro existed in the first place."

"Shintaro was once fabled, you know," said Vania. "And there's my little Lilly!"

Once they had reached their bedroom, they saw Lilly, awake inside of her cot, chewing on her pacifier.

"Hi, Lilly," said Cole. "Did we take so long?"

Cole looked at his and Vania's daughter in the cot, her little light blue eyes open and blinking. As soon as Lilly saw the blurry image of Cole, her father, she gave a small smile through the pacifier she was eating and chewed on.

"Do you like that?" asked Cole. "Is it good?"

Lilly giggled as Cole slowly picked her up and put her in his arms.