184: The Queen's Gambit

184: The Queen's Gambit
\[Eleanora\]

The peaked ceilings of the Aerie in Skyfall seem to fade into the sky they are so impossibly tall, the spires reaching beyond the clouds. It has the airy loftiness often seen in the structures designed for the children of the air and is a fitting place to hatch the future kings of Luxandra.

And I find it pleasant, watching the birds and dragons fly past my windows. It makes dealing with all the ugliness of today much easier.

The first group to speak before me is a rag-tag collection of survivors from what was supposed to be a simple fetch-and-return mission. Fetch the princess, my prince, and anyone else associated with his disappearance, and return here immediately to deal with their sentencing. Search the premises for any sign of the Technician and retrieve my specialist if possible.

Simple enough. Especially since we had a person on the inside and the element of surprise.

"So tell me again, very slowly, why it is that you return to me empty-handed," the ends of my talons click along the arm of my golden throne as I glare down at the few soldiers that managed to return. There had been over 200 air dragons, now there are only 11 strong enough to kneel before me.

"We arrived on the shore and sent our envoy with your message requiring the return of the royal family, including Princess Juliana." Their general, an old air drake, falls to one knee, his hand across his chest as he bows. "They were also told to give up any information they had on the Technician."

"And?"

"They refused to acknowledge our request," he deepens his bow. "Your Majesty."

"They refused?" I do not raise my voice, only my chin as I look down upon them determining their fate. If Segundus was here right now, he'd have already stolen the air from their lungs for their idiocy. He didn't tolerate excuses for failure. Every mission is fraught with potential danger. This general failed his men with poor leadership and they all failed themselves with their excuses.

"How can they refuse a direct order from their queen, did you neglect to deliver it properly?"

"There is something else we need to show you as well," the general pushes forward one of his men.

The poor soldier trembles, almost dropping the delicate celestial-made glass tablet in his hands.

"As we were retreating, Princess Juliana also sent along this message," the young drake holds the tablet up so that I can see the image of a wide-eyed girl with a fluid shock of blonde hair and large blue eyes dangling within a glowing blue suit. "UNDERSEA serves no queen of Luxandra. I am Queen Juliana Koralis Majere, and I take back the throne by right of my father TRITUS." Standing next to her is a young drake with blue lightning at his fingertips who smiles as he says, "Long Live the Queen."

The sound of the self-proclaimed Queen Juliana's ear-splitting laughter lingers even after the transmission has ended. Trying not to wince I ask again. "And why was it that you were unable to go inside and fetch her? You went with the entire Western Navy!"

"It was destroyed," the general gives a detailed account of how the fleet was upended by the appearance of a giant mechanical Kraken that rose from the depths like the tales of long ago, a mighty sea monster on long tentacles and strong trident bearing arms.

"We lost almost everyone, including the Royal Kraken Army who had come to assist in exchange for retrieving their prince," 

"This...Queen," he spits in disdain to hide his trembling as his eyes stare unfocused on something only his mind can see--a memory he wishes he could erase. "She used her trident to electrocute the Kraken High Council. It was one of the most disturbing things I have ever seen in all my years of service."

The council was her only real barrier to taking the throne. A branch of the Terran high council, they ruled the land and the sea with mighty fists, keeping both kingdoms on friendly terms. It looks like that long-standing peace has ended.

"General, you will stay here with me to relay the details of your mission while your men," I clap my hands and Antony comes to my side. "My Captain will make sure that they receive the special treatment they deserve for their loyal service to the crown."

A guard moves to either side of the general as we watch them leave the chamber. As soon as the doors are closed, they clasp his arms in place as we listen to the sound of their strangling last breaths.

The general is released and falls to the ground, his face blank, his eyes unfocused.

Turning away from him, I direct my question to my chamberlain, "What other news do we have today?"

A group of finance ministers came next to tell me that their efforts to collect taxes were not working because their convoys were continuously under attack by "organized roves of rebels." When I asked them if they had tried disguising their convoys, the ministers nodded. "It's like they know what we are planning before we plan it, Your Grace. We must have a spy in our midst."

"Perhaps," I acknowledge. "But that doesn't negate your responsibility to keep that money secure. How am I to pay loyal lords like yourself if our revenue keeps finding its way into the rebel hands?"

"I'm not sure, Your Grace," the fire drake bowed, his horns scraping the floor.

"Alas, I was hoping you'd have some kind of a solution," I muse aloud. "I guess I will just need to confiscate your lands and revenue until the royal coffers are refilled," I smile sadly. "Only temporarily, of course, until you manage to solve our little problem."

He opens his mouth to say something but then closes it quickly when he looks up briefly to see the ice in my gaze. Bowing deeply, he pushes his way out of the room, not daring to turn his back on me after angering me so profoundly with his incompetence.

The wind blows the doors open and a foul stench rises from the landing below. Walking up the stairs are three tall drakes and one drakaina, each pulling several human slaves chained together. Their bodies are covered in massive sores oozing a shining blue pestilence.

"My Queen," the drakaina, a beautiful fire dragon with a streak of gold in her ember black hair, takes her knee before me, her armor clinking on the marble floor. "We have come from the Starstone mines and are requesting compensation for our losses and a request a cessation of mining this mineral until we've made the conditions safer." She rattles the chains she holds, bringing the humans forward. Their smell is overwhelming as they stand on rotted legs, large sections of flesh missing. "This is what happens to our workers after weeks of working with the starstone. It doesn't seem to affect dragons to this degree, but..."

"So this is only affecting humans?" I raise my eyebrow. "Why is this being brought to my court? You could have filed a simple loss requisition form and..."

"How do we know this won't happen to us next," she insists. "We need to protect ourselves from.."

I raise my hand, pausing her banter. "I have heard enough. You may collect whatever humans you need from the village below and report your losses using the proper forms. You are excused. Please make sure to take your livestock with you.

Bowing stiffly, the drakaina leaves the chamber, motioning to the others with the wave of her hand that they should follow. No longer useful, the miners drag their screaming humans by the chains to drop on the village below, freeing them to grab new merchandise when they descend.

Waving one of my advisors over I whisper, "Have someone look into the mine situation and report back, discreetly," I direct him. This is the third report like this I have received in recent weeks, of humans falling to a new blight, one that might be caused by the starstone. The starstone is more efficient than the soulfire we used to harvest from sun dragons. It doesn't require us to have entire warehouses full of containers of dragons waiting to be harvested that needed food and shelter. Even better, it has far more uses than just energy--uses we may discover if we can find the edges of Elfholm and our way into their world.

But first I need to get control over Luxandra. Then I can worry about the Kraken and the Elves.

As Antony returns, I hold my hand out to him and he gratefully helps me stand. His strong arms easily lift me, my belly round with eggs. "Antony, I need to beg a favor of you."

"Anything, My Queen," he bows deeply, kissing my hand.

"The boy, the one in the video with the Kraken Queen. I remember seeing him with Queen Carnelia's guards. Find him." I squeeze his hand, smiling. "I think he's the key to finding Primus and the Technician."