Chapter 31: Chapter 30: royally annoyed

We are currently in front of the throne room. I address my guards "you two, please wait outside. I will address the king myself. I don't want to walk inside with any weapons, so just stand here. I am sure that if something happens you will hear it." I then made eye contact with the queen. 

 

She got the message, "Greya, I personally guarantee your safety. Your actions prove I can trust you, now follow me."

 

I then replied "yes your majesty, I will follow you." Well, it is more like I am being escorted inside, as I am surrounded by four well-armed royal guards. Oh boy, I just want a day off already.

 

The doors open for us, and we step inside, the queen speaking in a loud voice to her husband "Osmund, dear, your guests from Eshar have arrived."

 

I am then told to stand in front of his majesty. I wait for him to introduce himself, but he only stares at me. I feel really uncomfortable. I remember what happened to the prior miko here. 

I then decide to bow to him, a deep respectful bow, then I curtsey like a true princess. I think these people are not really fond of bowing that much. Then I introduce myself, "honoured king of Acria, I am...."  but am again interrupted, by a royal guard no less.

 

"A filthy fox... "  

 

I look angrily at him, mentally preparing for battle. 

 

"Stand down." The king says, looking at the guard, but he ignores the king's command while drawing his sword. 

 

The guard continued "my king, I only serve to protect you, what kind of business does a filthy little fox have with his majesty?" 

 

The king, also a wise man, remembered the eerie similarity of what is happening today and what happened to his predecessor, his father. The day the miko was killed.

 

"I will not repeat myself, now stand down!" the king shouted, glaring at the disobedient guard. 

 

I raise my hand and signal the guard to stop, but he moves his sword in the attack position, but cannot do much more. His sword instantly becomes so white hot, that he has to drop it. He burned his hands pretty badly. "Ouch whatta?" he shouts.

 

I think to myself "thanks for the save mom!"

 

I then bow, my hands visibly resting on the front of my legs, to show that I mean no harm. Then I straighten my back. And address the guards with a smile, "I am a healer, may I heal your burns?"

 

The guard still doesn't trust me, but the king orders him to accept my offer. 

I heal the guard, who is then dismissed.

 

Finally I can address the king. 

 

"Honoured king of Acria. I come in peace. I am Greya, princess of Eshar and heir to the throne.

Your emissary delivered your message to us. We are aware of your needs and come to offer you our

help as good neighbours do. We hope that you will consider stopping a war before it can start. Again, we offer you our peace and help."

 

The king then looked at me, from top to bottom and back, and said "princess Greya, please forgive me for being careful. Many of our stories tell us to be careful with visitors who claim to be friends, especially if they claim to bring help. And that magic trick you did to the guard was not really an act of trust."

 

 "Dear," the queen interrupted, "you should see what she did earlier today. She healed our...."

 

"Not now darling," the king said.  

 

What should I say now? I look at the two, and don't like where this is going. 

 

"But dear!" the queen demanded attention.

 

"No, I will not hear this, now leave this room immediately." He said, and the queen glared at him, then shrugged at me and left.

 

"Dear king, would you please.." I said, but again he doesn't allow me to continue.

 

"No, I do not trust you. Baldric may have convinced you to come along, but I need more proof than a so-called princess to tell me to stop a war, just hoping that you will actually help us. Why don't you start with restoring the river back to its original course?"

 

And that is when I got royally...annoyed.

 

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"Now listen," he continued as if I were a little girl, only waiting for daddy to tell her what to do. Well, this little girl has some nice fangs. Time to show them, I have been patient long enough.

 

"No, you listen!" I said with a thunderous loud voice. I startled myself, but that is a secret.

 

"I am Greya, princess of Eshar, daughter of goddess Ima. I am here on a mission of mercy." 

Then for some reason, my divinity became visible. A white halo surrounded me. Shining as bright as the sun. 

 

"Your father allowed a foreign miko to perish, she was trying to help you. Will you repeat his mistake, or will you listen to reason so we may stop your suffering?" I still shouted that in the same loud voice.

 

Everyone in the room, including the king, immediately falls to their knees, of their own free will.

Guards come rushing in, see all the kneeling people and look at the king, "what are you orders, sire?"

 

"Stand down, and kneel. That girl is a demi-goddess." 

 

Now I have their attention, even the guards kneel. But I don't want this, this can go to my head easily. Time to stop this.

 

I return to my normal everyday kitsune form and normal voice. 

 

I kneel in front of the king, and put my hand on his shoulder as I say: "it's okay, I understand you were only acting in your country's best interest. But know that our offer is genuine, we truly seek peace between our nations and are ready to send emergency goods to your people. In the meantime, you can give your people your own rations, as you all appear to be well-fed in the palace." I showed my smug smile and stood up.

 

"Everyone, stand up. I do not deserve that you kneel before me. I do not deserve your worship, I only want your respect as a friend and a reliable neighbour. Now dear king, how shall we proceed? Do you accept our friendship and stop your war efforts, or are you ready to suffer the final divine judgement?"

 

"Would you really punish us for not accepting your terms? It is more like you are the victor, just because you are a goddess and you are forcing me to agree to your terms." the king said.

 

"Mother, please help me,"  I thought. And she did. Or someone else did, because I immediately received brief instructions on how to proceed. 

 

The instructions included an update about what had happened in the godly realm after Noburo stepped down. Apparently the other deities had decided that the cat-kin were guilty of three charges that required divine punishment, namely: planning to start a war, allowing people to starve when there were still resources available and being a threat to the natural resources of Mirai. By majority decision, divine punishment was demanded, unless the cat-kin agreed on terms dictated by those deities. 

The instructions made clear what I had to do, but they were so harsh that they made me swallow. It was up to me to relay those demands to the king. I quickly sent a mental "thank you" for the information update, even though this doesn't feel right, I cannot go against the deities. So I continued my conversation with the king. 

 

"Really?" I said. "Really, you still don't understand? Let me make small words. 

Due to your stubbornness, your inability to see reason, things have just changed to your disadvantage.

I ask you to stop the war now. Your deity one last time demands you listen to them. If you comply, you will live.

We will provide emergency food and we will become best friends. 

 

If you refuse, and you can refuse our kind and honest offer, YOUR deity will give their final judgement to you today. Not maybe, not perhaps, but certainly and definitely today, before the sun sets!

 

But understand this. I do not judge you! My country, Eshar, does not judge you. 

Your own deity does! I only offer you a choice. Their choice. 

 

You refused THEIR way of life. You people murdered an innocent miko, only sent here to help, just as I'm trying to help today. You do not honour your ancestors, you don't respect your deity, you abuse your land. Do you know how much your deity has suffered to prevent your imminent death? They have offered to step down from their position as YOUR deity, and they have. You are currently without any divine blessings.  

That is why your river runs dry, why there are no children born, why your people are starving.

But you only see hatred and conspiracies everywhere. It is not me, not us kitsune who are harming you, it is you yourself. It is your way of life that has become your demise.

 

Even though your deity tried to protect you from annihilation by stepping down, the other deities demanded divine punishment. 

 

Enough!

 

You will choose now, your majesty, you will comply or you will die. A final act by the deity that has abandoned you because you choose to ignore all blessings like ungrateful, arrogant children!" 

 

I then showed him my most angry face ever, and shouted so all could hear "choose NOW to live or choose NOW to die. I will have your answer NOW! You are officially out of time!"

 

"Live. We want to live!" people immediately shouted all in the room.

 

The king bowed to me, tears in his eyes. His ears were drooping, and his once proud tail hung lifeless on the floor. Then he said in a low voice  "I surrender, we choose life and await further instructions."

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