Breathe

Chapter Five - Treaty

Ava was seated on her bed the next morning eating the breakfast her guards had brought her just a few moments ago, when she heard a knocking on her door.

"Come in...?" She said, a bit surprised. Technically she was a prisoner there, so why knock and not just enter as they please?

She got even more confused when Decim entered, closing the door behind him. He looked less threatening this morning and much more relaxed, maybe because it all pointed out to the writing of a treaty between their people and not a full-on war. He still held himself very formally though but that was probably because they didn't know each other very well and he was still suspicious.

"Good morning. I'm sorry for interrupting your breakfast but I needed to talk to you about a few things, and I also wanted to know how you're settling in and all that." He said after he came in, sitting down on the chair that faced down the bed.

"Good morning. And it's okay, I know I'm still a prisoner and the commodities you're offering are much more than what I was expecting." She said with a small smile.

"Well, you're a valuable part of the treaties and if it weren't for you there really wouldn't be any negotiations at all." He said, shrugging. "Actually, I would like to apologize to you for ambushing you like that on the lake, it was wrong of me. I didn't want you to escape, as you sure understand, but I should have waited until you were dressed." He ran a hand through his long hair, his face showing how ashamed he was of himself.

"It's okay, I forgive you." Ava was pleasantly surprised by his apology.

"Decim- I can call you Decim, right?" She asked after a small but awkward pause.

"Yes, of course."

"Well, Decim, I wanted to ask you something. As you probably noticed, my people use these devices", she pointed to the back of her neck ", on the back of our necks and we need to fill it up with saltwater regularly to breathe.It has been a while since I filled up mine though and I wated to ask you if I could go fill it up or if you could appoint someone to bring me a galon of water, whatever gives you less problem, really. I don't want to be a nuisance, especially because I know my place here but I really need it, please."

"Ok." He said after a while, nodding. "I'll personally ask someone to fetch you up some water right now. Can it be any kind of saltwater?"

"Yes, any kind. Thank you so so much." She was incredibly thankful since she actually needed the water to survive. Also, she was expecting him to doubt her, maybe think it was some kind of ruse but he seemed to believe her, which pleased her a lot. Decim seemed like a good leader but now she knew he was also a good person.

"Anytime." He answered with a smile just before he got up. "Before I forget, I actually came here to tell you your leader will be here shortly for a meeting and I wanted you to take part on the negotiations, if you don't mind."

"Of course I will!" She got up from her bed too, a wide smile on her face as she thought about seeing her father in just a few hours, maybe less.

"Great, I'll send Lavinia to get you when it's time, then. A gallon of saltwater will be delivered to you in a little while too, just like you asked for. If you need anything else, ask any of the guards and they'll bring you." He walked to the the room's door and opened it. "See you soon, Ava. "

"You too, Decim."

---

After he had told one of his men to get some water for Ava, Decim went to the kitchen to get some food and rest until the meeting with the outsiders. When he entered the room, he saw Noah and Lavinia there, seating at the kitchen's table, talking and pecking on a bowl of grapes.