Chapter 62: 60 – End of Hostilities

POV - Princess Zahra Zarate

The day has finally come. After a civil war that my father couldn't solve, in a few short months, Lia has done what was impossible for us. I admire the Vampire Queen from the bottom of my heart. The way she can transition from casual to regal at a moment's notice, her ability to plan for various scenarios, and her balance of ferocity and gentleness.

"Are you ready, ZaZa?" Granny Dharma asks me.

"I am. Thank you, Granny." I smile nervously back at her.

Lia has arranged the outside of the wall for this meeting, just beyond the fields so there's room. There is a table in the center of the path. At the table on my side, is Granny. Lia and Princess Perrin with her bodyguard are on either side of us, with Queen Nikita floating above. Talon is standing with Lia, while Mitena is with Princess Perrin. 

Behind us is a wall of soldiers, with the Midnight Special Forces on one side and the dwarven guards on the other. Beyond that wall of armored people are the elves that made their way here with me. They're anxious, excited, happy, and angry. We've all been through so much, and I'm ready for this to all be behind our people. 

As we see a mass of elves walking towards us, I begin to get worried. What if things don't go well? What will I do if this isn't the end? How can I be the queen of our people if I can't end things here when given a chance we don't deserve? As I'm beginning to panic in my head, Granny reaches out and squeezes my thigh under the table. When I look over, I see her giving me the same smile that I've known all my life. My heart instantly calmed.

A few minutes later, Lia calls out in her magically enhanced voice so that everyone present can hear. "Elves of the defeated separatist movement! If you do not remember, I am Dalia Midnight, Queen of the Vampires. Do not pass the line burned into the field. Send your representatives forward to formally recognize your unconditional surrender!"

After less than a minute, six elves walk forward. The rest stayed well away from the burnt grass line drawn across the field. I never did ask what Lia did when she met with the group, but from the reactions I can see, they appear to be terrified of the line and her voice.

Once the six get near the table, Lia speaks again. "Stop! Take off all armor and weapons and leave them in a pile. Any action outside of this will be seen as refusal to surrender and all separatists will be treated as hostile!"

The six elves freeze in their place and slowly, yet deliberately begin making piles at their feet of all of their armor and weapons. Once done, they each stand, waiting for further orders. Whatever she did, she is in full control of the entire group of elves.

"Come forward, introduce yourselves to Princess Zahra Zarate and Priestess Dharma, then have a seat," Lia said.

They all walk forward with one in the lead. When they get closer, they all kneel with their heads bowed. 

"Princess Zarate, I am the temporary leader of this group. My name is Kiryl. Thank you for your mercy in letting us surrender and work towards rebuilding the bridges that we ourselves burned."

Then the other five introduced themselves. I'm still a little stunned at their completely submissive behavior. However, Lia told me about what she expected would happen in advance and I have played out this situation many times in my head.

I then address them, imitating my idol as much as I can. An enchanted tool on the table makes my voice heard by everyone in both groups. "I am Princess Zahra Zarate. Rise and have a seat. We are here to recognize your formal surrender and to explain how your group will transition and be treated in the future. 

"With us today as witnesses are Queen Midnight of the vampires, Queen Nikita of the fairies, and Princess Rancorock of the dwarves. With the God of Order and the Goddess of Chaos watching these proceedings, let none ever question what happened this day."

They all got up and took a seat. We then began to go through the two copies of papers on the table. Written out was a formal surrender, as well as details on what is to come. They will all have weapons and armor confiscated indefinitely until they are returned by me personally or someone I designate. Details on the current housing situation are also explained.

It is explained that they will work to complete three tasks, be it physically or by supporting the workers in some way, shape, or form. They will be paid for their work, with the initial funds coming from Queen Midnight. 

Those that refuse to work or support the rebuilding of the elves will be incarcerated and treated as traitors in violation of these accords. 

The first task is to complete the needed longhouses as well as train in magic. We will live, learn, and build more housing in Midnight until it is time to leave. We will leave for the next task once the tunnel project is completed.

The second task is migrating to a second location with my group to repair and build a castle, wall, and houses. There will be a mine that we will get up and running. For our work in building and working the mine, I will be given a large portion of the gold, silver, and copper that is mined. This will then be turned into coins that I will use to pay my people, trade for supplies, and use to slowly build a reserve so we can be independent.

Finally, once we have the reserves of food and coin to support ourselves, the last task is returning with me to the elven forest to rebuild the ruined castle, walls, and a house for every elf. 

Once these tasks are complete, all elves will again be under the rule of the Zarate family and reparations will be complete. All elves will be treated fairly and with dignity during this process.

Any physical harm brought to the other elves will be treated strictly, with murder being a capital offence. There was an explanation of the laws of Midnight. Finally, the requirement of their rejection of Sol and acceptance of the God of Order and the Goddess of Chaos. All of these proceedings were read aloud and an enchanted tool that Queen Nikita made was sitting on the table and broadcasted our voice to all of the elves in the surroundings. Unless one is deaf, there should be nobody that doesn't understand what was said and what is being agreed on. 

At long last, the three witnesses sign both identical copies. Then, I sign them along with Dharma. Finally, Kiryl and the others sign. It feels like a weight was lifted off my chest and Dharma squeezes my hand under the table, smiling brightly at me.

Lia then speaks again. "With this, it is done! The Elven Civil War is over, as recognized by both parties and witnessed by the vampires, fairies, and dwarves. In accordance with the signed concord, form two lines and present all armor and weapons to a soldier along with your name. They will be collected and stored until Princess Zarate decides for them to be returned. We welcome you to Midnight!"

Like a group of well behaved children, they all form the lines and present their items to soldiers on both sides who place the items in a large sack, write the name on the bag, then place the bags into one of the new dimensional bags Queen Nikita has been making. 

For almost thirty minutes, I stood by and watched as all of the elves did as they were asked and began to make their way towards the city, led by guards.

Then I heard a scream.

"Die!"

Time seemed to freeze as a small group of elves from the crowd brought out daggers and pounced on the freshly unarmed elves past the shield wall. As quickly as they attacked, they themselves were subdued by guards. 

People began yelling, and all eyes turned to me as the three attacking elves had their hands bound and were brought before me. However, the same couldn't be said for the three elves lying dead that had just been attacked.

As I looked at the three being forced to kneel before me by the guards, I immediately recognized them. I had known them all my life, as I have most of the elves in my group. The husband looked resigned and couldn't meet my eyes. The son stared at me with burning anger. Finally, the mother couldn't stop crying while hysterically muttering, 'They killed my baby,' over and over. 

Before I could say anything, the son yells, "How dare you make peace with those traitors! Those bastards killed my big brother! They all deserve to die!"

I don't know when it started, but I realized I had tears running down my cheeks. This family had lost their oldest son during the attack that killed my parents. I grew up listening to stories about their deceased son, and I know very well how angry their other son, the man in front of me, is at the death of his brother. He was only ten at the time, and always looked up to his big brother. I had known this man all my life. We chatted on hunts, and he even accompanied me to the edge of the forest when I was initially leveling up.

I want to ask, 'why,' but I know very well why. They couldn't forget the pain of losing their family member. They needed to lash out. To get revenge for his death. Lia warned me a situation like this may occur. That the wounds of this stupid war run deep.

"Princess Zarate." Lia called my name.

No, it wasn't a call. It was an order. With how forcefully she said it, I knew exactly what she meant. 'Do what must be done, or I will.' These are my people. I want to become the Queen of the Elves. The agreement we just made was painfully clear what the punishment for murder was. There were hundreds of witnesses. If I don't follow through with a punishment, what type of leader would I be?

I can't help but to think back to when Lia captured the spy. 'The day may come when you're forced to kill a former ally. If it does, then it should be for the safety of your people.'  

For the safety of my people. I know this family well enough to know they won't stop with this. If this war is ever going to truly end, we can't afford to be separate groups. I need to protect my people, even those that just returned to my banner.

I drew Nyota. It has always been heavy, but right now it feels even heavier. I have another sword, but I feel this one is needed right now. Using all my strength, I raise my sword and shout as the tears keep coming.

"Elves! I am your Princess and ruler! For murdering another of my people, I sentence you to death. This stupid war is OVER! I will end any further conflicts with my own hands if I must! We are one people, and together we will prosper! We must not let hatred bloody our road forward! Leave the bloodshed in the past! So I command!"

I bring my sword down on the neck of the husband. He doesn't move, fight, or resist. He's completely resigned to his fate. As his head rolls, I step towards the mother. She's still crying hysterically and mumbling to herself, and in one motion, her head also falls. Finally, I walk up to the son. The man I've laughed and shared many meals with. Who I considered a friend and ally.

The entire time, he has been cursing me. Yelling at me, calling me a traitor, wishing every evil possible on me. He was struggling so hard that there was no way I could kill him cleanly.

Then Lia comes up to me and places a hand on my shoulder. Coils of darkness appear and hold him in place  gagging him and ending his struggling. I nod to her, raise Nyota once again, and bring it down on his neck. Within a minute, a family I have grown up with was dead. With my own hands, I killed them. The first people I ever killed were ones I knew and that never meant me any harm. 

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As I stand there, unable to move or say anything with my legs turning to mush, Lia grabs me by both shoulders. She keeps me from dropping to my knees and holds me upright before talking to everyone gathered.

"Let it be known, that all elves are under the just rule of Princess Zarate. That none of her people are exempt from the law. That regardless of how long someone has known her, she will seek just recompense. Let the six elves that died here today be the last. Revenge will only bring more bloodshed. War has no winners, only losers. You have all lost friends and relatives over the course of this pointless conflict. 

"What have you gained from war these past centuries? Nothing! You have only lost things. Princess Zarate sheds tears for the lives on both sides of this conflict. Mourn the dead, for their lives were snuffed out too soon, but be the change you hope to see. If killing hasn't given you anything, then follow your ruler. Follow Princess Zarate and her dream of a unified elven race!"

A few cheers went up from both sides, and the lines slowly began moving once again. You're wrong, Lia. What I did wasn't for such a reason. It wasn't something noble that I did. I never shed tears for the three that were murdered. In fact, I haven't even thought about them. I just did what I thought needed to be done… 

Ah… I see. You also did what you thought needed to be done. Just like when you told us to not tell the full truth about the second oracle Granny supposedly received that told about the group coming, you also did the same here. By dramatizing my actions, you're hoping to use this as a catalyst to end further bloodshed. 

I still have so very much to learn from you, Lia. Where is the line? Where do I go from being just to being a tyrant? I don't know. I'm not sure I ever will. I'll strive to be better. I'll do my utmost to be worthy of being a queen, to one day stand in front of you as an equal. For now, though, please keep holding me up and supporting me. My tears won't stop and my legs have gone weak. I'll do my best, but the weight of being a ruler is so very heavy. Please help me bear it until the day comes that I can do so independently. 

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POV - Dalia

This girl…

As I stand there, keeping Zahra upright, the soldiers move the bodies away with their bags. However, the blood in both spots still stains the grass. How big of a bastard am I? I realized those three were going to try something. It was obvious when I saw their crazed yet determined faces, jittery movements, and nervously looking around. That's why I mentally moved good guards by them, but I didn't tell the guards, nor did I stop it.

I very easily could have prevented this. However, I made the decision that this would be a good thing for multiple reasons. First, it got rid of a group that sooner or later would've caused problems. If they didn't kill here, they would do it at a different time. 

Second, it showed both sides that the old elves will be held to the same standards with the same punishments. It displayed that Zahra wouldn't pick and choose who to punish.

Lastly, Zahra needed to be seen as someone who would uphold the law, even with deadly punishments. She needs to be seen in contradictory ways at the same time. Strong enough to kill former friends, but weak enough to cry for the dead. Stern enough to dole punishment, but kind enough to forgive her former pursuers and strive for peace.

I have treated the new elves like a bad cop by being forceful with them. Zahra needs to be the good cop, and gain their trust, but is always still a cop.

Yes, I truly believe you needed this, Zahra. Not only to cement your rule over the elves, but to help you grow. You came so close to losing the faith of the elves if you ignored punishment or were lenient. You refused to kill spies once, but slowly you're learning the weight you must carry to reach your goal. Just like I carry the blood of the six lives I could have saved here.

Will it bring everyone to her side? Fuck no. Even still, it will reassure many that were on the fence that she'll stand up for them, even against the elves that were with her for years.

For me to be able to execute the plan that has been slowly forming and morphing for years, I need peace and stability here. With me giving in and taking in all of the elves, I can't afford any infighting. With that as my need, I used you and your people. I knew that by doing this and not interfering, that the first people you would have to kill would be those you knew for years. I won't ask forgiveness, because I would do it again if I needed to. I just hope you may someday understand if you ever find out how big of an asshole I truly am. 

After five or so minutes, I felt her tense up and stand by herself, so I let go of her shoulders. Being held up couldn't have felt good. I even used dark magic to coil around her legs under her dress to keep her standing more easily. As she regains her footing, she turns and looks at me.

In a low voice that only I can hear, she said, "Thank you, Lia. For supporting me, and for giving myself and the elves a chance. For ending our war."

This girl… She's way too nice to be forced into the dirty world of politics and manipulation. 

"I'm proud of you, Zahra. You took a large step forward and did what was needed for your people as a whole."

She looks momentarily stunned at my honest praise. It's true, I am proud of her. If she didn't kill the elves, pretty much any chance of ever bringing her people together and becoming a queen would've been lost. I would've had to play a much larger role, which I have no interest in. The elves may have even lost their sovereignty entirely and just become my citizens.

Eventually, all of the elves had their weapons confiscated and were led to the longhouses. As they were originally walking, it looked almost like a death march. I'm sure that many had questions about their living conditions or treatment and most likely expected the worst. 

Even with the current wording, it would've been extremely easy to treat them as slaves. However, that would do nothing but breed resentment that would eventually cause another conflict. 

Even on Earth, there is an argument to be made that Germany's World War I reparations was a significant factor that led to economic turmoil that paved the way for World War II. Hell, I don't think they finished being able to repay it in full until 2010 or some shit.

Hopefully by structuring this in a way that both sides keep their dignity and are treated fairly, it should lessen tension. Both sides working on the same projects together may also help.

As we followed behind the last elves, including Kiryl who waited for everyone else to be checked before entering, we saw how much their expressions changed. 

When we reached the longhouses, many were already putting up tents and temporary shelters. Alienor, Degare, and all of the priests had done as I asked and moved tables and chairs to the lots that had been cleared. They were serving food and water to any and all elves. Dharma went back with the first group of elves and was handing out food as well. People were smiling and seemed excited and elated. 

The housing wasn't complete yet, but I made sure that the plumbing for the buildings was done. The new elves got to see first hand the joys and convenience of pressurized water and enchanted water-spritzing toilets that had temporary walls around them. Being given food by the Church of Balance should also help to slowly reinforce it as a pillar of their community, and stamp out anyone who tries to worship a fake god.

Yes, these elves will have to work for reparations. I'm definitely getting the best deal out of this, since they will essentially build my smaller second city for me, as well as complete all of these longhouses. Even after they leave, I'll keep building some, as well as making a couple multi story apartments. Once we strike, there will be people that begin to make their way here. I'm damn sure not going to be caught in this position again, of almost running out of surplus food, not having enough housing, and quickly making infrastructure.

Tomorrow, Zahra and a couple of her leaders will begin handing out the magic books Anastasia and the maids printed. Then, they'll get to work. Building, helping make food, and doing all of the other support jobs needed. Honestly, damn near anything could count as 'support.' I worded it like that for a reason. I don't want slaves or indentured servants. They need to feel like they still have their dignity. I really just don't want them sitting on their asses. I don't give a flying fuck what job they do, just do something to be useful to everyone. Even childcare or patching clothes is fine and can be considered as support. Same goes for cooks, teachers, or any other job for that matter.

Watching over and seeing elves from both sides begin interacting, I'm happy with what I did. As fucking annoying as it was, I feel like I pulled it off. I'm sure there will be some fights here and there eventually, but with my soldiers and the new dwarves that were sent, we should be able to handle it. I'll need to thank King Rancorock for sending them. Even though they're arguably getting more out of the deal, it was still a huge convenience for me.

Turning around to head back home, I'm looking forward to the final prep. Conquer another dungeon, get the final preparations ready, and finally strike. It won't be in weeks or even months. However, soon, a storm will blow into the Empire, and I'm certain that nobody there will be prepared for what's to come.

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POV - Gods

"Ha! Look at that, Order! She got those elves all sorted out!" Chaos said, spinning around and full of energy.

"Yes." Order nods with arms folded. "She did a better job than I was originally expecting. Her solutions and maneuvering behind both groups should be successful."

"Told you!" Chaos said. "Mortals are so fun to watch."

"This next dungeon should be relatively easy for her as well. It will not be long before they begin their attack," Order said.

"Right?! I'm so excited! Have you been watching how her plan has changed and morphed inside her head? This will be great!"

"It certainly has. The closer she gets to enacting it, the more it solidifies. Even her soul has stabilized to a degree… Do you think—"

"That if she pulls this off, it might happen? It's looking better and better! Eeeee!" Chaos squealed in delight. "You were so right! Not only did she handle the elf problem, but it got her to think much harder about the decisions needed when overseeing people as a whole! We got a two-fer, just like you thought!"

Order comes up and pats her on the shoulder. "Then let us witness her next steps and how this will continue to mold her."

"Hmm!"

The two gods turn back to the screen as the silver haired vampire returns to her castle.

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