Someone Else's Kingdom, BOOK II - Scene LIX

A small boat docked in the chill and pretty Woodville harbour. It's chief occupant, after much pleading and insistence, was ushered to the palace. After an hour sat waiting he was finally given license to face the Queen of Tunida. He bowed down before her, but she remained seated. His manner obsequious, but prideful.

"Is it not working out?" asked the queen, curtly.

"Things are fine ..just not quite perfect. We're here to put out some feelers. To see if potential avenues of cooperation can be re-opened."

"So things are not working out."

The Eldbeean official looked down at the floor briefly whilst choosing his words.

"Things are fine, we do well, but the war is becoming a tad wearisome. So we would prefer peace ..at some point."

"Let me guess," questioned the queen with an admonishing sigh; her long, thick dress heavy in the room, the red and browns of the weave like broad tree branches, deep-rooted in the earth. "You now have martial law - most, if not all, of your town commandeered; some of your goods confiscated; the privileges you once had squeezed evermore. Now you come here, in the hope of some wider peace, or, at least, for something to use as leverage to untighten the grip."

The needy official from across the sea looked small and ineffectual as he stood in the glossy palace chamber.

"Well.." intoned Queen Tunida, awaiting a response, "What is it that you actually want?"

"We just want to open up a discreet channel. To pass messages back and forth. So we can perhaps find a way out of this mess."

"You want to be go-between again. Sadly, however, for you, that has passed. Poor instincts. You saw which way the wind was blowing and you went with the wind. You could've sailed more wisely, but you took the easy course. There's nothing I can do now. I don't control the wind. Our message to King Mizmeam remains the same. He needs to lower himself, for the good of all the kingdoms. You are free to come back with information if you choose, but the leverage you had is gone. You are chattel in a simpler system. It's only your poor instincts once more that allows to think you could come here and be anything other. When mere word of this visit could see you executed ..and I would need poorer instincts myself to view you as having any agency in such circumstances. But I wish you well."

With that the guards escorted the once hopeful Eldbeean back from the palace, and down to the salt air of the harbour. To make his journey back to the dark Kingdom of Caster.