Chapter 12: Negotiations With The Queen
As women, we're always in negotiation of how we are being perceived versus how we feel.
~Sarah Gadon
She had come by handwritten notebooks when she was sixteen in the headquarters of the agency. Ink smudged on the yellow curled pages. A young Saki, hidden underneath the desk, found them scattered about in the folder cabinet. Secretly unfurling the tattered pages of Ethaniel and Esther from her feeble attempt to learn about her birth parents was notes scribbled below Ethaniels name. He had a daughter named Esther. She was born in Denmark, grasslands: her mother also known as Yscyra Vasilisa, captain of a revolt to free the Amazonian slaves from the Greeks, Yscyra had taken the nickname of Denmark’s mistress of beauty when her husband died of unknown circumstances. Yscara was captured and raped on the battlefield by an Amazonian king, her dead allies an audience. Leaving her people to die by the king’s command. She had spent the duration of her pregnancy in the walls of the king’s castle as her life idled away. The ink ran out after the notes told her she had baby Esther in a C- section.
Saki assumed the agency had certain secrets the commanders would have learned of, but this one was cryptic. Thinking back, she had never once seen a library in one of the many rooms the organization owned. Myths and legends were false, a figment of the imagination so how the hell was the daughter of Ethaniel sitting in front of them. Esther Vasilisa, known as the mother of the ghouls. Esther had taken after her dad, leading her kingdom of ghouls. Ghouls were a different breed of a monster. Instead of being cold all over, similar to a vampire, ghouls had the white hair and sun kissed skin. They could control their bloodlust, they could reproduce like any other being. Immortal enemies. Ghouls were giving a skill, each unique power depending on the ghoul.
Confusion made her brows upturn as she addressed the ruler of ghouls. They were shadows of the ancients.” I don’t believe it, if you’re the queen your kingdom has been spouting, all mighty powers and what not, why do you need our support? Humans, the very beings you despise. Huh, queen? Her head tilted to the side, analyzing her prey. “You’re not the queen. A queen would never ask her foes for aid, even go as low to beg for it. Stop this parade while you still can.” She knew she was spitting nonsense. She had no hopes of going against someone who lived as long as Esther, but damn if she didn’t try,
Onyx jewels on the throne chair melted down by hot coal and crafted with the bleeding hands of her willful subjects gleamed as Esther’s figure approached it. The throne shimmered in a sea of jade as the queen took her place on the cushioned pillow. Out of repetition she breathed in the sense of her power, her long limbs creepily shifted into place as her legs and arms hung a couple centimeters off it.” Mrs. Ayase, for my kingdom, here, we are family there stands no titles to which my name has inclined. Here in my people kingdom, we are one. My people are precious to me, some would say more precious than my life. They seek shelter here simply because your world has no shame in their doings. I would give away.
My entire castle and sleep outside the dungeons of Kasper for my people. I would not eat for years if need be. Do not underestimate my love for my people with your humane weakness. The love I have for them is centuries old, I have been with them ever since my king Ethaniel had given them to me for my fifteenth birthday. Witnessed weeping children grow into a force to reckon with.” She leaned forward in her chair as her silver discs focused on Sage and Saki.” This kingdom will be my grave before someone takes me from it.”
Saki scoffed at the fact her father had given Esther an entire kingdom for her birthday. For fifteenth birthday she had been sporting a fever of 102, forcing her baa-baa to wipe her down with a cool cloth to stabilize her temperature. She could still hear the whipping sound of her grandparents arguing while the cramps from her fever made her curl into a tiny ball. Her baa-baa’s voice demanded her ojisan to let her out of the next day’s training.It didn’t take a minute before he gave his reply, Saki was too weak she needed to be stronger, her speed too slow she needed to surpass her sensei. She had hidden under her covers that night, crying the last tear she would ever cry. Her heart sliced open by her grandfather’s words like the metal of her blade. The next morning as she got dressed, her grandma gave her a dejected stare as she watched her pull her kimono on in the corner of her mirror. Her fever had gotten worse overnight her baa-baa knew.
Royals and their dramatic ass ways of doing shit. Her head snapped towards Sage. He was on his knees, his arms restrained behind his back. She could see indents from the binds made on his wrist, his lips ashen white. Another second and Saki was sure he wasn’t too far from fainting. He looked like shit. His now faded jeans, stretched v-neck shirt displayed his golden collar bone. His chestnut curls covered his mossy orbs as he watched her. It was unlike him to stay quiet for so long. She wondered if the appearance of Esther shocked him; it wouldn’t be wrong.He was a rookie who had never had the chance to encounter a mission with a Khoullabet. Time is what he needed right now. “Do you expect me to just sit here and believe you’re the daughter of Ethaniel? Do you take me for a dumbass?”
“A dumb person, would be very profound for me to call any of the kingdom’s citizens. Why must you speak so informal to someone, you just have been introduced to? Do you not have home bearings? have we not shown you enough hospitality? call me a liar but I am telling you the truth, I have no reason to lie to your kind.” How the queen said this all in a low tone was from routine visits with the audience of her country. Esther stared at Saki incredulously as her voice peaked. The vexing conversation caused a protruding vein in her neck.
She added the pieces together Saki had her doubts in the back of her mind about the agency hiding a secret from them. She witnessed the briefings that only the generals and captains could attend, but she ignored it. She thought they would be smart enough to know what they’re doing heck they had went all the way to recruit her from the very mountains of kimohomo, japan. She applauded her intuition. The agency kept this realm hidden for a reason: she would be dumb to believe this imposter in front of her, demanding she was Esther, but in another hand she had no reason not to. Why would an entire kingdom deceive them and show their respect if it wasn’t a hint of truth in what she claimed.
who the hell was she to imprison her and Sage, for her sake, starving us for two days, playing dress up with her body like she was some model on a tabloid.” She glanced at herself with revolt to get her point across.” How about you just let us go? My friend here is frozen with shock and this little game of tall tales is getting old. To be honest with you, I had no awareness you were back from the pits of the underworld.” her brows rose with uncertainty, “For the better part of your sake just let us go and I seal my lips.”
Esther rolled her silver orbs to Sages stricken form as he examined her from afar. She nodded her head to the back of the room where a woman with autumn locks sat in bloodwood pews; her face painted by an artist who had a fetish for young girls. The woman reciprocated Esther’s nod and craned her neck, her long lashes caressing her high cheekbones in approval as she clutched the full of her skirt with delicate hands, her thick belt hugging her tiny waist when she maneuvered them between the pews.
Danielle, not the one to make any sudden move without Esthers permission, walked towards Sage. She stared at her queen with a guarded gaze as she hesitantly dropped to the rug in front of him as the velvet material of her skirt made a chartreuse puddle on the floor. Nose bridge to nose. Her hand slid down his angled jaw as she mastered holding her breath, pupils enlarged, she rubbed her index above the bow of his plump lips with curiosity before she planted her mouth on his with a soft gasp. Sage fought for control as she gripped his chestnut locks, his eyes widening in pain.
A sharp sting in her belly made Saki wince as she fisted the threads of carpet underneath, her nails scraping her palm. Show no weakness, any flicker of emotion was lost. She wanted to scream until her voice squeaked, bang her head on something. Feeling in her throat as the woman kissed Sage. Her heart thudded against her breastbone as she viewed the two after the intimate show of affection. Her posture square, she adjusted her neck to its full height, her persona taking over. No weakness, she said as she tossed sage a grin.” Never told me you scored with the women, you sly dog,”
After the kiss, Daniella side eyed Saki
as she stood between the two, a small smile playing on her mouth when she touched her bottom lip slightly. She caught sage staring at her. Dark brows knotted as a look of puzzlement crossed his face. Daniella threw her hands to cover her face.” Don’t think nothing stupid, m-my queen wanted me to I was just doing as told.” she stuttered.
Saki was not expecting him to talk, he had been a mute since she figured he was in this mess too. She lowered herself on her haunches, “How nice of you to join us, and for the sweet introductions. Mrs. Esther here was just telling us how the kingdom is in great trouble. She needs our help in doing so, but she has yet to clarify herself.” Saki said sarcastically as she poked her bottom lip out in boredom. She surveyed her surroundings as Sage took in everything that came out her smart mouth.” Also, you have a girlfriend here. She angled her head towards the side where Danielle stood awkwardly, “Forget it, she said, shaking her head clear. “Why don’t you just ask your girlfriend if she will let us go?”
“Girlfriend? he said as his body jerked back it took a few minutes for the dim wit to get it together, almost like she could see a bright lightbulb hovering above his head, “oh, fucking hell.” he said in a foreign language.
“Happy your back partner for a minute there I was thinking you were a goner, now all that’s left is to figure out why they have us here in this godforsaken realm, nice outfit by the way.” She said in humor as her caramels ogled him in a funny way.” Did you have dinner date plans?”
“I should ask you the same thing. I was actually at Daniella’s performance.”
Performance? Knowing Sage for months now, she didn’t think he was the formal person. She always thought he was a loner, someone who never cared for entertainment. Someone similar to her. They had a couple things in common. Maybe there were more things to know about him than she thought her orbs set downwards to the floor. She urged him to continue. “And? What happened after that?”
Sage unconsciously pursed his lips, the vein in his forehead straining as he rehearsed to Saki the breath-taking performance Danielle delivered. The images were hazy as they came back to him. He remembered his breakfast, waking up to knocking and Danielle speeding to get to Groovy Discs. He remembered voices and darkness. “That’s all I can tell you he said as he let out a scowl.” Sorry, I’m a bit aggravated, Daniella had placed me under a spell that banned me from speaking, I was basically a puppet to her.” he whispered to Saki.His voice went somber as he brooded. “speaking of why did you address the queen the way you did earlier this could’ve gone a completely different way,”
“Are you telling me you believe the bullshit she’s spouting? “Her nostrils flared as she faced him, “You have got to be kidding me.”
“I never said I believed her but the odds are against us look around you Angela, we’re in shackles, we have no weapons, we won’t get out of this shit unless we listen. You don’t have to listen, move or do anything, just let me talk, I’ve seen the way you communicate and if you continue, we’ll never get out of this alive.”
She scrunched up her dark brows with pent up frustration; He had a point she was being reckless with her delivery, taunting the queen when her life was literally in her hands she looked to the back of the room. The doors to the room guarded by men with gauntlets, merlot breast plates that shone on her distant reflection stood with long swords hung to the side of their waist, the shadows she walked in all alone for years never seemed more welcoming than now, there was no time to die, not yet; she closed her orbs and inhaled a beat of air.” Fuck it.” she mumbled under her tongue.” Talk to the queen, let’s see where this gets us.” For the first time in her life, she had placed her trust in someone else.
Sage laughed. A mix of childish and relief flooding his attractive features. “Esther! he shouted, his voice squealing.“
“I see with a bit of encouragement by your partner you’re willing to give this kingdom your full attention,” Esther said from her throne. Her octaves called to them as they sat on the floor in front of her.” Let us begin,” she said, opening her extended hands in consent in the room’s silence. They could hear a dry cough come from Saki.
“Go ahead, queen Esther.” Sage said as he threw Saki a grave look on his face. He wished her recklessness had a power switch.
“In the days past the relatives of my peoples kingdom have been going missing, their bodies drained of blood in the most despicable way, The citizens of my kingdom say the deceased jugglers missing,” she shifted her position uncomfortably, her face dimmed with unmistaken pain for the dead. “With speculation It is said that someone had stuffed a device into parts of the body, I will not go further into details here.I see you have the champion tamed somewhat,” What the queen experienced here was the same thing that happened to the agency people, Larynx torn out and chips inserted, Saki thought this was just because the humans of finally had enough balls to rebel against the organization and had been getting together and killing a person with an ability, no it was deeper, the same thing that happened in Tokyo was happening here.
The wrong words had just came out of the queen’s mouth and he knew it, his neck snapped as he rapidly searched Saki features for any hint of reaction. Esther had spoken words that made her face tingle with the likeness of a caged bird: Saki grew cross, her face convoluted into a hard stare as her lips snarled up in a feral manner before anyone could stop her she slid her leg under Daniella’s feet. Daniella dropped to the ground in a flurry of kicks.
She screamed in panic her butt hitting the floor in a hard thud, it was too late as Daniella tried to get up to a standing position Saki’s thighs muscles flexed as her leg strained over Daniella’s throat, her windpipe crushed with muscles.
A flash of gold flew in the air above them as it took a minute for Sage to recognize the cape of the Esther. She pushed Saki into the blood pews with a crash. Her glowing sliver discs shining in the darkroom. The pews caved in on itself in a heap of dust. Saki’s head smashed against the wood as it cracked from the force of the Esthers push, her nose spewing blood on the floor.
Sage watched with dread on his knees, Saki’s shaky arms struggling to get up as she spit the blood out of her mouth. She peered at the queen coddling Daniella limp form in her arms.” Now who is the one that’s tamed.” she said as she gave her a fierce smile of bloody teeth.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone