The Eldars

50

They walk into the council room, or rather hall, since it's so big. The humans seem ill at ease to be there until they see Montani and their tension seems to relax. That makes Montani look hard at the elven representatives.

"You've been baiting the humans?" Her voice isn't asking, it's hard and cold.

"Just a bit of fun before we get down to work," an elf that Montani isn't too fond of answers.

Lenax and she have never gotten along well. His views on the humans have always been low.

"Why is Lenax here?" She demands of Leear.

"He is the people's choice, Montani. We couldn't deny him into these counsels." Lenax has always been a problem, but a favorite of the people.

"Fine," Montani turns from Leear and faces Lenax, "there will be no further baiting. You will respect all members of this counsel or you will be removed."

Lenax sneers at Montani, "Why should any of us listen to you?" His tone is insolent and Montani reacts to it, just not how the others thought she would.

"Because, unfortunately I'm being forced to be here. You will not waste my time. Besides, I can whip your ass any time and any where." She reinforces this statement with her magic. She throws Lenax against the wall and holds him there.

"We need each other at this time and don't have time for posturing and preening. If you can't behave and at least pretend to have respect for the other members of this counsel then you will be asked to leave and another appointed in your stead. If the people have a problem with that then I will talk to them. I have better things to do then have to deal with your shit." With that Montani lets him fall and Lenax makes the smart choice of staying down as he looks at her wide eyed.

Montani smiles, "Yes, I'm no longer the human Katiri that you've hated so much. I've been adopted by the Eldar. My name is Montani." Lenax starts at the name of power that she now sports.

"No one told him?" Montani never takes her eyes off of Lenax and he starts to sweat.

The king responds, "No, we thought it would be more amusing to have you tell him. We were right. Now if you are done playing we should get back to business."

Montani turns her back on Lenax and goes to her seat. The king offers her the high seat and she looks at him in surprise, "You are the one that has brought us all together, it is fitting that you should take this chair."

"But we are in your home, it isn't right for me to take over the proceedings."

"The other vacar will be here shortly, perhaps we should introduce our dwarven friend while we wait?" Teondae says breaking the stale mate between Montani and the king. The king  settles things by taking a seat just to the left of Montani, leaving the seat to her right for Mant. Leean and Leear and Jewel all take seats quickly. The humans still not entirely sure of their welcome hesitantly take seats leaving just a few seats for the vacar that are yet to come. Lenax has the choice of sitting next to the humans or next to Teondae. He sneers at the humans as he takes the seat next to them.

"You are a slow learner Lenax. I told you to behave yourself, sneering at the other members of this counsel doesn't count as behaving. This is your last warning," Montani is beyond angry at this time.

Lenax sneers at Montani at this, "You may have grown in power but it doesn't change the fact that you are still nothing more than human. If it weren't for the humans we wouldn't even be having this counsel."

"Okay that's it. Get the hell out of here." This time it's Leean that stands up and orders the insolent elf to stand up and get out. But he isn't the only one. The other members of the counsel also stand up and they are angry, all except the humans, they sit back and look at him terrified and shamed.

"One more word of your contempt and you will be thrown in jail for being a traitor." The king is beyond angry at this point. Lenax finds himself surrounded by elven guards ready to take their weapon out and more than willing to use them. 

"What the hell? I'm just stating the obvious." Lenax says with wide eyed innocence at the other members of the counsel.

"If that had been the case then the dwarves wouldn't have bothered to come join this alliance." Jewel states and gives the elf a look of contempt.

Lenax returns her look with one of his own. "We don't need the stinking dwarves to help us fight, nor do we need the humans."

"Guards take this traitor to the cells and make sure that he won't be able to use any magic." The guards all know just how important this alliance is and are more than happy to comply with their king's wishes.

The king stands before the counsel red faced and shamed. "Please forgive me, I knew that he would be bad news, but I had no idea that it would be that bad. He will be tried and punished as a traitor."

"Well at least he didn't manage to insult us all," Teondae says sarcastically. He hadn't liked how the elf had insulted the dwarves or the humans.

"He insulted us all, Teondae and well you know it. Even his own people, although it wasn't a direct attack like it was against the humans or the dwarves." Mant is furious over the insult to Montani and the others. She had done a great deal and sacrificed more than that fool could imagine.

As for Montani she was taking deep breaths to keep from exploding. Once she gets herself under control she talks to the king. "I need to talk to your people before we can continue. That fool is delaying things and we might not have the time for this delay."

"I'll call for a meeting for tonight." The king says softly still shamed for Lenax's actions and words.

"Good. I'll take this time to relax then since we won't be able to proceed until that ass is replaced. I didn't leave my babies just to be insulted and have my friends insulted as well."

The king and queen of the elves had known of Montani's children and realized the sacrifice that she's doing by being there. But the human's hadn't known and are shocked. "You have children, Montani?"

Montani pauses as she is about to leave the table. "Forgive me, I'd forgotten that you wouldn't have known. I haven't let it be widely known because I didn't want them to be targets. I gave birth just days ago to twins."

The three representatives from the human settlements all smile and wish her and Mant congratulations. It also makes them understand better why she was so short tempered with the elven representative earlier.