The Next Erased Title for Security Reasons

Chapter 14: Two Missing Queens and an Ace

[Fast forward]

Dom-Cor, Chara

The two Queens of Chara and Meltinzer sat for tea in the greenhouses. The latter yawned in a very unladylike manner. "Ah, dammit, I'm bored."

"Shall we sew together? Or weave?" Asked Mami who was stunned by such unrefined behaviour.

"Sew? I'd rather go boil my head. Ah, I miss the skies, I want to fly!!!" Pappillia complained. "Climb into a wingboat and zoom all around the continent, what could be more awesome? Anyone who forces an avian like me to sit and sew should be butchered and fed to the dogs! Present company excluded, of course", she added hastily.

"Uh-huh. So you've got contacts in the Federations who gives you (uh, what was it, wingboats?) rides?" Mami didn't believe it. Pappillia smiled dreamily and told her all about the young ace of the wingboat swarm of the Eighth fleet. And about Ioscis. "You wouldn't believe me until you've seen it, but Ioscis flies a wingboat like hell. He won't if there's some other (mostly illegal) way to travel, like stowing away in the Generals' carriages or hiding in some barrel on a boat, but when he flies, he's awesome! I've only seen him fly a wingboat once, but that was the ride of my life!"

"Io? That green haired brat, Shiik? Lin's pet? Wait, you mean to say he's a rebel? From the Federation?" Mami's eyes went wide open. She ran out to the King who was sitting in the empty courtroom, going through petitions and weaving flowers into Shiik's hair. The latter was nibbling on some hard boiled candy and discussing politics.

"Lin! Lin! This brat is a rebel!"

Ima-lin calmly looked up from his work.

"Lin, darling, let's execute this brat on your lap; he's a rebel from the Federation. Must've come to spy on you!"

Ima-lin shook his head and went on with his work. He completed and admired his art on the boy's head. Ioscis smirked at the dumbstruck Queen. He smiled innocently.

"Dear Queen Mami. What my Papa has indirectly said is that it has been a year and a half since Chara officially formed an alliance with the Federation. Why do you think we burnt down Merdane so easily despite them having Charsch reinforcements? Why else did they return unscathed when it was a sure loss? We control the skies, Princesse, and that gives us the best vantage of the battlefield below." He left the rest of his thoughts unsaid:

The Federation plays marionette with the Kingdoms, and you are merely a string in the Behemoth's hands. You should dance as we want, because once the string is broken, it is just broken. We have far too many good threads for a single broken one to change anything.

Mami tossed her golden braids and royally strode out, seething. Ioscis climbed up the King's chest and snuggled. It was almost time for him to leave. He had come to love his Papa's warm hugs. I'll miss you, Papa. He thought. And I don't know if we'll ever meet again.