Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK I - Chapter 65

As King Mizmeam was raging beneath the red sky in the north, the King of Tunid was heading south, on his way to Eldbee. He'd decided that his stay on the mainland was long overspent. Word had also made it to him from Prince Reach, regarding the situation in the southern seas. Such messages relayed via bird were always somewhat enigmatic when they related to Outer Tunida, and for good reason. Even so, the message was clear enough. There had been a leak. Two ships had crept into the proscribed channel, one of which had been destroyed. Needless to say, the pressing issues back home now outweighed any issues further afield. Though the king would have to contend with both.

Before his carriage took the final road back to Eldbee he was meeting Madame Drua Maleeva for one final time, who was fresh back from her own journey to Brynnyfirdia. News had already spread that a native from the island, the wily Eartaria, had relayed the full contents of her meeting to King Brijsk. The unwelcome information travelling quickly through the network of spies and treasurers that webbed in and out of the various towns and villages on the mainland. The details, ironically, reaching the king via Seaspell, who had filled in almost seamlessly in his mother's absence. For once Maleeva herself being uniformed and the last on this long grapevine. As she finally received the news she was at first peevish, then defensive.

"See, we can't deal with the Brynnyfirdians," she snapped, "A nation of children. They need to be schooled rather than conversed with."

"Did you see my son?" enjoined the King of Tunid, in a much more sombre tone.

Maleeva recomposed herself accordingly, but couldn't quite shift her mood to accommodate the king. "They treat him well. One of their elders, a man going by the name of Colm, has particularly taken a shine to him. So he's well looked after. That elder in particular was somewhat open to our offer, but it would be like herding cats getting the rest to agree. They also had one of your guardsmen captive."

"Not anymore. The islander that brought word of our conference also hitched him to the mainland. No doubt to convince Brijsk of the veracity of his claims. By now Mizmeam and Kaspria will also have word of all this. I can imagine their reaction."

"I can fix it," stated Maleeva, with her normal steely confidence.

"Let's hope so."

The king then climbed the steps to his carriage and gave the signal to leave. As the horses galloped off, and the carriage train rolled on into the distance, Seaspell arrived from the opposite direction. Maleeva hugged him tightly. He could smell the ocean on her clothes. Further south the king's ship, the Merbird, waited impatiently in the harbour. Ready to take him back to his natal island.