The Next Erased Title for Security Reasons

Chapter 7: A Set of Negotiations

[Rewind]

The White Palace, Dom-Cor, Chara

The three wingboats, heavily armed, escorting an ornate carriage, landed in the inner courtyard of the White Palace. The carriage landed, and a woman in a tight vermilion leather jacket, with matching pants and a quiver strapped to her back stepped out. The rebel escort carefully unloaded a cage from the carriage. Pappillia sat inside, in her old, now faded Meltinzer gown. The woman, incidentally was the same archer, Alpha General Phoenix, who had witnessed the Charsch rocket test-runs. She was very eager to meet the Charsch Regent on whom the Federation's spies hadn't been able to gather any information.

When the Regent met the Alpha General, she was at her wits end. Lady Phoenix had never been good at diplomacy, and her temper was as red as the Regent's hair. She knew violence best. But she was the only General available with the least semblance of humanity, and, well, woman to accompany woman. Having to negotiate with the guards alone drove her crazy. When the Regent started a verbal battle......

No kidding, give us the kid, and we'll give the girl back." Phoenix replied. The Regent was thoroughly amused. So this was who they sent to negotiate with him, the master of verbal manipulation. "Which kid?" Phoenix glared at him. On receiving this death stare, the Regent rephrased his question. "Why?"

The Regent smirked. "I want the boy, not the girl. You came to the wrong place. You should have gone to Meltinzer, that's where the girl is needed. I have no interest in securing the girl. So, why exactly should I return the boy?" Pappillia had heard of the Alpha General's ferocity in the battlefield. On seeing her tongue-tied, and timid, she muttered "wrong battlefield......" and started to sob. "Help me...... Please help me, I want to go home! They said, they said I could go back to my father if they got an important hostage back. Wuu....... Wuu....... help me, old uncle......" She sobbed into her exquisite puff sleeves.

"Hey, whom exactly did you call old?"

Pappillia had been sitting with head bowed, but she immediately straightened up, and took a good look at the Regent. He was elegant, and most surprisingly, younger than her betrothed, Naffiel. Then she threw him a pleading look. "Can't you exchange a useless spy for me, the Meltinzer Princess?"

"Spy?"

Phoenix took over. "Ah, yes, we caught a Meltinzer spy. He escaped our ship. He has information we want. He may have found too much about us too. We want him back to torture the hell out of him. Teach him what happens to those who try to steal from us. Otherwise we wouldn't have bothered. Just give us the green-haired brat."

"And, in what way does telling me that he's precious to you going to help, especially after the part where you say he has valuable information on you? You forget this is Chara, and we're currently at war with each other, in case you haven't noticed." Seeing Phoenix's dumbstruck expression, the Regent struggled to contain his laughter. Pappillia shut her eyes and turned away hopelessly. Ioscis had been listening to the whole negotiation; he was at present hiding beneath the hall. That group of idiots, the Regent was smarter than the whole of them put together. He was surprised that the Regent was actually playing along their façade.

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Ioscis walked into the hall. Everyone assembled there eyed the adorable child in a bunny suit. He reached out to the Regent. "Papa....... I'm lonely. I'm bored. Will you play with me, Papa?" The amazed Regent pulled him close and cuddled. He placed Ioscis on his lap, planting a tender kiss on his cheek. "My precious Ima-shiik!"