[Veilbinder] - Chapter 24
And now, back to Aestrahd. Writing anything that involves people of power talking to each other is way out of my comfort zone so rest assured that any semblance to a coherent plot is purely coincidence.
[First]
"Please, be seated. Make yourself comfortable." King Eramius stated, gesturing to the plush seats in front of his desk, "Would you care for anything? Tea? Something stronger perhaps?"
He sat with his elbows on the desk, his hands clasped together, and his chin nearly resting on his interlaced fingers. A servant patiently waited off to the side while Tarod had taken position behind the king. The armored orc stood at relaxed attention.
Devan, the man who was being addressed, was on the portly side and looked about ten years older than he actually was on account of the dark tired lines under his eyes and the sag of his cheeks. The scant few hours he'd had prior to his arrival to recuperate and freshen up couldn't undo weeks of hard travel. He had a nervous air about him, the cause of which was at least in part due to where he now found himself, King Lucen Eramius' personal study.
He gave the king a quick bow before sitting down. "You are most gracious, your highness. Hot tea would be most welcome."
The king shifted his gaze to the servant and nodded while also giving them a hand signal to bring himself something with a little more kick. The servant gave a curt bow before quickly disappearing through the entrance.
"Very well then, shall we begin?" the king asked rhetorically.
"Yes, of course. Ahem. If I may, your highness, this is quite unusual. Would this meeting not be better served in a more official setting?" Devan asked as he shifted uncomfortably. This meeting should have been taking place in a designated hearing room.
The king gave a wry smile, "You aren't wrong, but you did request an immediate audience..." his expression softened into one that was more friendly, "I apologize, mayhaps I was a little too eager. You are right, of course, but it has been a long while since a representative from Eoch has graced my city so I ask that you grant me this indulgence."
Devan's eyes bulged in shock.
"No! I mean- You have nothing to apologize for, your highness!" he stammered, "I would be more than glad to speak with you here." This wasn't playing out as he had imagined.
The reality was that the king and his commander had been wary about the envoy from the moment they learned of its existence. They had arrived almost without warning having first been sighted just a few hours before at the outskirts of the city by a passing patrol. The heraldry on the carriage outed them as being from the Styllani Empire almost immediately. Not only did this fly in the face of expected courtesy, it meant that they had been actively avoiding regularly patrolled routes. They wanted to be a surprise.
But why? The king had thought. What kind of game was Kaitellus playing?
Back in the present, the king gave the envoy a warm and well-practiced smile.
"I am glad to hear it."
With a click the door opened once more as the servant returned with a small tray balanced on one hand. In front of the diplomat was placed a stone tea set while the king received a bottle of Balmiran whiskey and a crystal tumbler. Alongside the refreshments was placed a small dish holding a set of four roughly hewn stone spheres, though the design was purposefully rustic. Rather than have the servant pour his glass, as Devan did, King Eramius insisted on pouring his own measure of the amber liquor. He grabbed one of the stone spheres and dropped it into the glass before filling it about a third of the way. The enchantment in the stone activated immediately on contacting the bottom of the glass as frost started forming anywhere it was still exposed to the air. He paused, allowing each of them to savor their drinks and to give the diplomat a chance to relax, before tilting his glass towards his guest.
"As I said earlier, it has been a long while since I've had the pleasure of hosting a guest like yourself. That said, we would have appreciated some warning. Isn't that right?"
His tone was casual, conversational, as he directed the question over his shoulder to Tarod. Stoic as ever, the orc gave a polite nod and replied with just a single word.
"Indeed."
"Though," the king continued, "I'm sure your lord has his reasons."
Devan unconsciously gripped the teacup in both hands before catching himself. He placed the teacup back on the table and rested his hands on his lap before answering.
"Yes, well... For better or worse, Lord Kaitellus deemed a courier to be redundant. With how quickly we were dispatched and expected to travel, we would have arrived at the same time as any messenger we sent."
"Is that so?" the king asked with a cocked eyebrow, "In that case, I'm curious to know how long you've been traveling. The journey from Eoch is long and-I'm sure you will agree-at times, arduous."
Devan let out a bark of laughter, though there wasn't much levity in it.
"That is certainly an accurate description. The First Thaw mud did us no favors. By my reckoning, we were on the trails for a little over two months, which brings me to the purpose of my mission: to address the offense committed against you and your people by one of our own, and hopefully to see it made right."
The king's expression grew serious as he studied the diplomat. Assuming he was telling the truth, they would have set off around the same time the Earthborn first arrived at the city. That made sense if the survivors of the ill-fated attack had wasted no time in retreating back to Eoch but even at this time of year over two months of travel was a little lengthy if they had taken the most direct routes.
With a sip, the king finished the last of his glass before setting the tumbler down on his desk.
"Very well, speak."
"As you well know, long-standing tensions have been rising between Eoch and Estyra-"
The king nodded, only half-believing what was being said. Anyone could see that the relationship between the two cities was souring but to call the hostility long-standing was a stretch. He remembered a time in his youth, during his father's reign, where the peace between their kingdoms was genuine, or at least it seemed that way. It was only once their current ruler took power in Eoch that the relations had started to break down.
"-but my lord has never wished to involve in this conflict those that had no bearing on it in the first place, and so you can imagine his... displeasure, when he learned of what had transpired against your village."
"You wish to imply that your lord did not order the attack on my people?" the king asked as his brow furrowed.
"Ah, no. I wish to state, explicitly, that one of my lord's orders regarding this conflict was to keep it strictly between the domain of the Styllani Empire and the lands of the Forum. Inquisitor Trenner was always ambitious. His interpretation of his orders did not align with my lord's wishes and his resulting actions have sullied the name of my lord and reflect poorly on our country and its people. As such, my lord wishes to make amends."
Devan paused with an expectant stare, awaiting King Eramius' response as the king closed his eyes and mulled over the diplomat's words. He only continued when the king gave him a nod.
"He is willing to offer thirty thousand crownweights of gold as well as labor for any rebuilding. Furthermore, if you so wish, he is willing to cede land along the Northern Twinlake as compensation for any farmland that was rendered nonarable for the season."
The king stamped out his immediate reaction of recoiling though his eyebrows raised in surprise. It was too much, the gold alone was enough to fund a completely new town and then some. Surely the Styllani ruler was well aware of how poorly the battle had gone for them.
"The willingness to make make right by me and my people is recognized and and humbly appreciated and I would have you convey that to your lord."
"As you say, you highness." Devan answered.
"But if survivors were able to make it back, and they surely have, then you should see why I need neither gold nor land."
Davan let out a questioning grunt as confusion crossed his face.
"-Both Aestrahd and Eoch are members of the Treaty of Four and as such I consider the offer alone to be more than enough. So again, please convey my gratitude to your lord and let him know that the actions of a single wayward inquisitor have not affected the relations between our houses."
"... Of course, your highness, I will gladly do so," Devan said, though the tension and nervousness written on his face betrayed his voice's steadiness, "My lord, if you will permit me an imposition in Lord Kaitellus' stead?"
The king gave Dravian an inquisitive look, "I will allow you to make your request, though I cannot promise I will be able to meet it."
"Thank you, your highness. As you say, I- we are aware of the outcome of the incident. We are also aware that accounts from the men that returned made mention of a group of travelers who intervened on behalf of your village." Devan swallowed, "They, too, have been wronged by this business and I would like to convey my lord's apologies and restitutions to them if you would be willing to enable a meeting between us."
The king's eyes narrowed as he studied the diplomat for several seconds. He couldn't be sure exactly how much they knew about the Earthborn outside of their existence nor was he sure of their intentions. That the Styllani ruler was keen to keep him out of their conflict was clear enough and he briefly considered announcing the Earthborn as allies of Aestrahd. That was quickly rejected when he realized that, depending on exactly what the Styllani knew, such an announcement could very easily shift that stance.
"While I sympathize," the king started, "I am unfortunately unable to grant your request."
Devan looked like he was about to protest before the king cut him off by holding up a hand.
"This isn't due to unwillingness, but rather inability. You are aware of how they arrived, yes?"
"... By ship, I believe it was said." Devan said carefully.
"Yes, and they have since moved on. Not long after the conclusion of the... incident, as you put it, they departed east. According to the mayor, they were on their way to Vilsir proper, though reluctant to share their ultimate destination."
"I see..." was all Devan said as the king watched him retreat into himself in thought. The diplomat's eyes darted back and forth as he lost himself in his musings. The king waited for several seconds, only speaking after he had given Devan ample time to respond and the diplomat had started chewing the inside of his cheek.
"Will that be all?" the king asked.
"Eh?" Devan's head shot up suddenly as he was snapped out of his thoughts. It only took him a moment to realize who he was keeping waiting, "I- I am truly sorry your highness! Yes. That- that was all."
The king nodded and stood, prompting Devan to do the same.
"In that case, I do have other matters to attend to. Thank you for bringing word from Eoch. I'm sure I will be sleeping more soundly tonight because of it. A guard will escort you back to your quarters and I will have an aide standing by if you have aught else. Feel free to stay a few days and recuperate before setting off." he said, gesturing to the door.
Devan gave the king a bow. "Many thanks, your highness. By your leave, I will do just that." he said before turning towards the entrance. The king watched as he exited the study. Just beyond, he could see one of the diplomat's escorts accompanied by one of his own palace guard before the servant quietly shut the door.
With a sigh, Lucen Eramius sat back down. He poured himself another three fingers of the whiskey before picking it up and channeling a little more aether through the enchanted stone. Within a few seconds the glass had started to cool until a wispy layer of vapor had formed inside it.
"Curious." Tarod said, stepping forward from his place near the back of the room as the king took a swig. The icy vapor left a curling trail from his mouth to where he had set the glass down on the desk before spiraling into nothingness.
"Nothing was mentioned about potential survivors or prisoners." the orc continued.
The king grunted, still savoring the smokey sweet flavor of the alcohol as it warmed before swallowing.
"Why do you suppose that is?" he asked as a chill followed by a pleasant warmth raced down his throat.
"They either don't know or don't care."
"I doubt it's the first. Dravian Kaitellus isn't a fool..." Lucen trailed off before turning towards Tarod, "Any word from the good captain?"
"Not yet, but if they are on schedule then they should have arrived early this morning."
"And what of the road?"
"Little more than game trail for now, though their carriages make short work of the brush."
The king grunted in agreement. Watching those wheeled armored monstrosities plow through and over obstacles without effort was certainly a sight to behold.
"Let us keep it that way for a while yet. Dispatch a courier to them and inform them that the Styllani are aware of their presence, likely to a greater degree than they are letting on. Let them know that they should cease all travel for the time being. We still have a few of their exchange workers being hosted here, yes?"
"I believe so."
"Confirm how many there are and send couriers to them too, explaining the current circumstances. Stagger the dispatches if needed. Have them stay indoors, place them under house arrest if you have to." Lucen ordered before adding under his breath, "Hopefully it's not too late."
"Right away, my lord."
---
Down the coast to the south, about a days ride by horse, the UNS Bornholm sat inside a sheltered bay. The sheer cliff walls were too high for any Cadonian ship to actually make use of, but the superstructure of the steel behemoth was tall enough that a rope bridge could be run between the upper deck and the land once the ground team had arrived. To keep the ship in place, a spider's web of mooring lines had been run from the ship and anchored to the land, with the lines ready to be cut loose in case the ship needed to make a hasty getaway.
On land, Brian Okoda, Gabriella Perez and James Dawes watched the disconcerting sight of only the upper third of the Bornholm gently bobbing up and down. Idly, the sergeant wondered what else was in store for them.
[First]
Posted Jun 25, 2026, 6:51 AM UTC