Zeya: A Roseabelle's Tale

Chapter 48: The Destroyer's Prophecy

 "You have quite the nerve to willingly bring this human to me, brother." Zeya glared angrily at Lex, who just ignored it by avoiding eye contact.

"Weren't you the one that kept badgering me to get along with everyone, sister?" Lex asked with a shoulder shrug, welcoming himself inside her chambers. "I'm merely listening to your wishes as an obedient older brother would."

"... That still doesn't give you the authority to bring whoever you please to my private chambers." Zeya managed an insult before she turned to the princess.

Hesitantly, she stepped backwards into her room so that there was enough space for the human to walk in herself.

"I've been seeing you more often than I'd like, Princess. Were humans always this stubborn?"

"I'm just here to extend an invitation hailing from Toyah, Your Majesty." She explained before pulling out what appeared to be a formal letter. "Their advisors paid me a visit earlier today and had expressed their emperor's willingness to have the Roseabelles join this time around."

"... Are you saying Muir himself offered this invitation?" Zeya seemed surprised, checking the letter to confirm Kaari's claims. "Hm, since when were those water beasts so welcoming to outsiders like us?"

"... It appears like the two of you are close?" Lex inquired, noticing his sister's expression soften ever so slightly.

"... We used to train under the same marksman when we were younger. He was the only one who could handle being my sparring partner amongst the many other students." Zeya answered, placing the letter on top of her desk. "However, we did lose contact after father officially declared war with the Kaxarenes. I doubt he still remembers me now. It has been centuries since we last met after all."

After the war concluded, Stygia cut off all foreign ties with its former allies, turning into an isolated state.

Numerous nations, including Toyah, tried countless times to restore its ties with Stygia but Baron Reyes, Zeya's father, rejected those offers every time.

This strategy was primarily aimed at damaging their chances of attacking the weakened nation, given their heavy reliance on Stygian weaponry.

For once in her life, she had agreed with her father's decision and had no intentions of changing anything... at least for the moment.

"You shall go to Toyah alone, Princess. There's no point in letting outsiders into personal business. It'll do only more harm if Muir finds out I'm alive." She declared, determined not to fuel the rumors of her survival by revealing herself to Muir. "Now if that is all you're here to say, I'd like to ask you to leave so I can rest."

"Are you just going to reject the offer so easily?" Kaari asked, watching how Zeya effortless dismissed the invitation. "Please, I implore you to reconsider your decision. This could be a wonderful opportunity for our two species to grow closer-"

"I thought we already had this conversation before." Zeya shut her down, utterly unbothered. "Now leave, before I make you."

"Forgive me for what I'm about to say but... " Kaari spoke with hesitance, the fidgeting of her hands increasing with each passing second.

"I just can't help but feel as though you're going to this length because of your past with emperor Varen. Perhaps this is your way to get back at him... b-by making everything more difficult than it should be."

"..."

"M-My apologies, Empress." Kaari stuttered out an apology when she realized that she had gone too far.