💎A Collision of Fates💎 (Straight to Gay) (MxM) (18+)

137 - Uwo and Djaro

The Imperial Legion shall be controlled by the one-hundred Lords who gather beneath the diamonds.

Clause three of the Paxtan constitution swam through Djaro's head as he looked around at the men who had gathered to discuss the movements of the imperial legion.

The Hall was a gorgeous complex, intricate and finely wrought in delicate metals and stone. But the chamber, where the lords gathered to discuss matters of state, was the prize of The Hall. It was an oval-shaped room, presided over by a glittering ceiling of diamonds that reflected light and made the interior of the chamber twinkle with silver rain. The room resembled a theater, really, one where the High Lord occupied the center of the stage and the other ninety-nine lords surrounded him on ascending levels.

Djaro was one of those ninety-nine lords, being gifted with the honour by virtue of his birth. Falzo and Duli were standing beside him. All three of them were dressed in the ceremonial black robes that were expected for a gathering such as this. And spread out, on both sides of them, were dozens of others, dressed exactly the same, grouped by faction. At the other end of the room, the wenarzis twitched and scowled as they waited for the remaining men to take their place in the chamber.

Djaro breathed out. He was strangely nervous. It had been a long time since he had attended a chamber meeting. And, with everything that had happened, everything that had changed, he didn't know what to expect. He turned his head upwards and scanned the gallery, which perched on a balcony that overlooked the chamber. As Girvo had suggested, Mark was there, accompanied by Nick.

Goddess, he looked good. They had been in Izal for several days, but Djaro was having a difficult time getting used to the sight of Mark in an eeb, in a Mijat eeb. His strong, hairy legs were built, thick. His torso was perfect, not too chiseled, not too bulky. There was a nice amount of fat on the man, which only added to his overall attractiveness. And that smile. That face. Those dimples. That short hair.

Djaro smiled at his prospective, trying to slow down the beat of his heart, and failing. Mark met his gaze and nodded down at him. The small gesture was enough. It was as if that nod shot liquid courage into his heart. Djaro steeled himself as the final lord took his place.

His father was the first to speak. He was in the middle of the chamber, standing on a raised dais of polished marble. The diamonds sparkled above, making it seem like High Lord Valliz had been created of the precious mineral. Silver was flicking off of his thin face as he spoke.

"My Lords, we are gathered, we are one, we are Paxta, here to discuss the people of this nation and the future of this land." The expected, ceremonial opening. High Lord Valliz stared up at the gathered men, pausing, letting the words settle upon the room. There was a palpable tension in the air. Already, Djaro could see the wenarzis growing restless, shifting, as though eager to speak, eager to interrupt Djaro's father.

"As you all know, I have recently returned from a visit to Sesstria. And I fear that I do not need to be the one to provide this update, as it is common knowledge, but I think the chamber should recognize that Sesstria has now fallen to The Golden Spire. King Esteck has revealed himself to be The One, the leader of The Golden Spire, and has seized the city in its name." High Lord Valliz spoke the words, but Djaro had lived it. He could still remember the suffocating terror of the siege, the horror and panic of the final assault, the shock he had felt upon learning of Esteck's betrayal.

"It will not be surprising to any of you that I feel, as the High Lord of this country, that we need to discuss this development. The global political situation is quickly evolving, and Paxta will need to decide where we stand, and, importantly, where we're going to send our legion."

Again, Djaro looked up at Mark. He knew what the outsider wanted, of course he did. Mark needed the Paxtan legion to invade Sesstria. He needed their help to save his son and to stop The Golden Spire. If it had been up to Djaro, thousands of soldiers would have already been sailing for the shores of the northern country. But it wasn't up to him, and they were going to have to be delicate.