At The Heart of Tale Kingdoms (COMPLETED)

9. ING IX - Gift Box

Ing Ix woke to a dim lit room, it was dusk. The day before the engagement. For the last week, he had turned the days to nights as he feigned occupation to avoid courting the Iling girl.

He looked around and knew Ye Li must have come into the room to light the candles and clear the dishes. The young boy never asked questions, he always moved silently like a lizard to not disturb him as he rested.

The commander sat up searching the room, knowing somethings must have woken him up. He heard something move in his planning room.

He rubbed his eyes and got to his feet, it would probably be his nephew he guessed. He was the only one who sneaked to his quarters freely. Ing Ix had chosen to ignore the boy's endeavors since the boy was respectful not to invade his resting room.

He moved around the double wooden blocks that concealed the contents of his private room from those who would be outside.

The planning room was brightly lit with more than fifty candles. The map rectangle table with five stools was the only furniture in the room and it remained untouched. His nephew always chose to sit on top of it. A sigh came from the main entrance.

"Commander, I am sorry to disturb you." The Sycvoriss girl with sapphire eyes stood at his door and she didn't look sorry.

"Aah..," Ing started , not knowing how to address her.

"Kaduri, you don't need to use any fancy words to address me. I have come with a gift from the dark lands, for the emperor."

"Well, this is not the emperor's palace. It would be best if you could offer it at tomorrow's ceremony." Ing responded, still standing at his bedroom door.

"I hadn't noticed, all the buildings in this pink city look similar." Ing could tell she had noticed and wondered why she bothered to lie. His palace was a quarter of that of the emperor and very far from it.

"Kaduri, its.." he tried to search for the correct words. "It's not usual for an unescorted lady to enter a man's quarters. It won't be taken well." Though he expressed concern for the people of Aset, he was more worried of Nerti's take on her friends visit at such a late hour .

Kaduri walked up to him in a slow stride. She was wearing a thin golden velvet coat that reached her knees over matching leather pants. It must no longer be cold for her, he thought.

She came to stand two steps away from him, her hands holding a mysterious green box, he hadn't noticed. She offered it to him.

It's from the dark twins and the Sycvoriss, its content are only for the emperors senses." What's so special about a music box? Ing had no choice but to accept it.

"Please forgive my unusual intrusion. The rules of Qxlong are different." she looked at him, her eyes sinking to his feet and rising to the last inch of his hair. Ing almost though the stare had a malicious tint.

"You can give it to him after the occasion, so he doesn't think the Sycvoriss came with bare hands." She turned to leave.

"You can still hand it to him yourself. I believe it would suit the ceremony." She sniggered, turned and came back to stand where she had previously stood.

"I could or you could. In fact, why don't you present it to him then. To show your good efforts to be familiar with dark child." The vileness was back. The girl didn't like his interaction with her Darkese companion.

"Qxlong intentions are only diplomatic, we hope to form a true friendship between our two states." Ing cleared but Kaduri smirked.

"The dark lands are not a state. We are a concept you have never seen or heard of before and which would bother you to understand. Please pass the gift, as a token of our diplomacy." She turned and left and this time didn't stop to look back.