Ask Of Valleys and Mountains

[Kalique Baize]

Due to its endless steep mountains and long stretched valleys, Valc might have seemed like a relatively barren and unspectacular world, but it was surely of important for the Empire as the planet had once been a loyal Imperial world, valuable thanks to its massive fortresses and the mountains that offered enough natural cover.

Kalique had hesitated, but in the end she had taken on the mission. Altair had sent for an Imperial Knight and after having withdrawn herself from the spotlight she had suddenly found herself in, she had decided she'd use the chance to not only assist, but speak with him.

There was a lot she had to say and the trial had been the last occasion where they had been on contact after the festival, which had obviously left plenty of things unsaid. She was feeling nervous, which was pretty uncommon for her, but even if a little time had passed she still terribly regretted that day on Columex.

It had taken weeks for her until she had learnt to overcome that permanent disappointment directed towards herself while she had trained and meditated day and night, only having taken breaks to eat and rest. She had avoided contact to other Knights and most of the Military whenever she could and had found a way to center herself, which had apparently been much needed.

She owed Altair an explanation, now that she had gained more insights about how this provocation had been too much after she had always been so patience, but obviously she had not come to apologize and justify her mistake. The gravity had been undeniable as she had not only violated protocols and law, but broken her innermost core beliefs by having lost control for those three fatal seconds and thus shattered the bridges of trust that had slowly been erected.

Her steps echoed through the corridor of the temporary Imperial camp. She was used to having a few sceptical gazes on her as a Knight, but it felt worse ever since, knowing what she had done even if they all hadn't. Her belongings had already been transported into her small quarters, but while she had armor and weapons with her, she was now adorned in an Imperial uniform, knowing that she was yet to be briefed about what would even happen.

Her head was lowered and she forced herself to breathe slowly, but she felt slightly queasy on her way to his quarters, the uncertainty about how he'd approach her unsettling her severely. In front of his door, she greeted the soldiers that stood guard before she inhaled deeply once again and knocked firmly. "Warmaster Din, this is Knight Demici reporting for duty. May I enter?".

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair was still coming to terms with the fact that he was a father now. It was insane how much he missed his daughter when he was away from her. He found himself frequently staring at her picture or asking Clove to send pictures. Regardless of him and Clove remaining as little more than acquaintances, the attachment he felt to his child was unreal.

He was distracted from his thoughts when there was a knock on his door. Altair hadn’t had the chance to read up on who was the assigned Imperial Knight, but this must have been them. When the door opened, the surprise was clear on his face. There was no anger, just surprise. He said nothing for a moment, thinking back to the last time they saw one another. He looked past her and noted they were alone, and he used the Force to close the door behind her.

“Hey, Kalique,” He said quietly, motioning for her to take a seat, “Been a while,” He remarked. What was he supposed to say? He had taken her rank and authority away. This all made things complicated. Was he supposed to make small talk? Was he supposed to go back to acting like they hadn’t met before?

“You..knowingly signed up for this?” He asked curiously.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Time seem to pass excruciatingly slow as she waited for him to approach and open. She was convinced he had seen who was about to show up and wondered whether he was angry, sad, rather impassive or as deeply disappointed as she had been.

As he suddenly opened the door and stared at her in surprise before he chose to adress her with her first name, she just blinked at him in confusion, not stirring for another second before she forced herself to enter, following his gesture towards the seat. She met his gaze hesitantly, however very surprised by the tone he chose.

Her throat felt incredibly dry and she was forced to swallow, the nervousity somehow squashed by how casually he asked her about the sign-up but then again something seemed off. It was absolutely absurd if they'd carried on as if nothing had happened and they basically started anew, especially because she had a few things to say, but somehow she struggled for words.

"I-". She forced herself to keep it together even when he had approached her in a way she somehow hadn't expected which was why she was a little caught of guard. Maybe she just had to begin speaking."Yes. I saw the request for a Knight and wanted to help. I feel ready again". She curtly explained, but that was only the official part.

There was more to it. "I was a little hesitant at first, I can't deny that. There were a few things on my mind though and I felt like it was about time". She was normally rather direct, bkunt and confidence, but this all had taken a serious hit after having met a version of her she thought she would never get to see.

"It was hard facing you during the trial...believe me when I say I was so terribly disappointed with myself...I can only imagine how you felt after having received the report...". She wasn't afraid of a tough conversation, yet she felt like she had failed him as he had gotten to know her as conscientious, dutiful and reliable as she usually was.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

He was quiet as she spoke. Truthfully, this was all a lot more than he signed up for. He missed those days when he was just another Sith in the ranks and he didn’t have to make decisions about anyone else’s career. The weight of the galaxy felt as if it were on his shoulders now. On top of that, a situation like Kalique’s added extra scrutiny to the Imperial Knights and rumors on whether they were that different from Sith.

“No use dwelling on it,” He said at last, offering her a faint smile. At the end of the day, she had accepted her punishment with dignity and poise, and she followed through with the training requested of her, “I don’t hold onto resentment,” He said with a shrug, clearing away any concerns she had about how he may have perceived her. Altair had his internal assessment of her, and he knew some of the rumors that surrounded her. However, he always judged people for himself instead of letting hearsay color his perception.

“Have you been to this planet before?” He asked as he rose from where he sat. He invited her to walk with him outside the office, “It’s real pretty,” Altair remarked, “Lots of places to hike. I was planning on wasting a good amount of time before getting to work,” He chuckled to himself, “Also the diplomat we have to deal with is….batshit,” He said, “I asked for an Imperial Knight in case she needs some mental sway to stop from hurling us over a balcony.”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She held her expressions neutral, trying not to dwell on this inner unsettlement about the uncertainty, however he waved his concerns off rather casually. She went with whatever he said and as he really didn't seem to be interested in an extensive talk right now, she didn't press for it. It would perhaps come up again and a few things weren't resolved for her. She had a feeling he understood her more than most after all.

His smile lacked the warmth from the festival back then but she tried not to be too affected by that. She nodded at last, following him with her gaze while she leaned back a little, forcing the initial tension out of her muscles. "I have not" she followed when he gestured, her gaze grazing the windows as they walked.

"Oh no..." While she was patient and had received diplomatic training, it absolutely wasn't her forte. She could sway minds and charm herself into someone's heart if she had to, but she hadn't inherited her mom's silver tongue, so she let out a sigh. "Given our luck, this will be bad". She had a bad feeling about this, which however let a smirk tug at her lips.

"What have you heard? How batshit are we talking?" maybe he had already gathered some first hand experience...She couldn't blame him for wanting to hike around in the vast, stony and partly grass covered mountains, but if this lady was problematic, they'd have to step up their game.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“For one, she refers to herself in third person and is convinced her husband is still alive,” Altair said, “The entire kingdom just…goes along with it to avoid upsetting her. That guy died five years ago during a rebellion,” He grimaced, “I wouldn’t be surprised if she has his skeleton in her room or some bullshit. We’re here because they’re worried about another rebellion. This woman has been off her rockers and it’s our job to convince her that she should look to Imperial support to fight the rebellion and keep herself in power.”

Altair came to a pause, “The other option is to assist the rebellion and put someone else in power with the condition that the new leadership allies with the Empire,” In truth, he preferred this option. The only downside was that the fortress was heavily armed. It was an almost impenetrable edifice and the rebellion had garbage weapons. They also had no discipline. If they chose this option, they would have to coordinate things with Kalique or Altair sabotaging things on the inside of the fortress, and the other one leading the rebellion charge into the city.

“What do you think?” He asked as they came out into the open. From here they could see over the valleys and rivers across the distance. The view was truly breathtaking, “...Reminds me of home,” Altair said quietly as he gazed out, briefly forgetting about the mission.


@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique continued to listen, however even after his first sentence she stopped where she was and just stared at him in disbelief. "You're joking, aren't you?". Turns out he wasn't joking. This was already worse than expected. The more details he added the worse it got.

"This is a pattern...Royals being super extra" she stopped, remembering he was that as well, but well, he was special in a different way, but it still let her smirk before she elaborated. "With that I mean those whose families have been in power for centuries...at some point things always go south and you end up with a mentally unstable leader". House Demici wasn't there yet, but she wasn't sure whether her aunt wouldn't get any close to that.

She rubbed her temples, trying to tell herself she wasn't maybe all crazy but they'd soon see for themselves. "Now this is a complicated case. It sounds like the folk is still loyal to her...removing her might displease them all. How big is this rebellion?" it did matter whether they were talking about a majority or not and how the general atmosphere looked like.

"Maybe we should meet her first and assess the situation ourselves", she suggested. They had to be clever about this, regardless of what they'd choose. What she did appreciate in all of this was how he still asked for her opinion after all that had happened which made her think that he had not fully lost faith in her, which kind of soothed her.

They stepped out into the open and received a truly wonderful view. "Impressive..." she agreed softly, marveling at the landscape before her gaze flicked up to him. She knew he wasn't referring to Raxus or Eiattu and as he seemed rather nostalgic for a moment, she couldn't help but to ask whether he had been alright as they hadn't seen each other for a while. "How have you been? Have you seen your family lately?". While she hadn't met any of them yet, everyone knew where he had originally came from.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair snickered as she corrected herself about royals being extra, “Oh, make no mistake, my family is extra too,” He remarked shamelessly. His little sister was the biggest spoiled brat in the galaxy, and that was before she became royalty. The tiefling nodded with Kalique’s approach on the mission, though he wasn’t looking forward to it.

When she asked how he had been, he paused. His daughter was born just a few months ago, but he wasn’t open to discussing her just yet, “The same.. Running a Kingdom and an empire,” He said casually, as if it was another day at the office. Truth be told, it was almost overwhelming. Every day he was nudged to accept the Emperor title, and each time he dodged it, “I have,” He answered, “Hard to avoid family when they’re royalty.”

Altair turned to regard her, “How about you? Do you visit Serenno often?” As much as he wanted the planet back within Imperial territory, he knew it would prove difficult with the heavy Sith ties. Him blowing up a palace there also didn’t help matters with the locals. He wondered if even Kalique harbored some sentiments against him because of it.

They were able to gain an audience with the woman that fashioned herself Lady of the Mountain. Thankfully, this planet was relaxed about aliens, or he would have had to likely sit this one out. Right away it was clear there were guards everywhere, the space extremely well defended. Any rebellion would likely fail unless there was some help from the inside.

The double doors opened and they were led to a grand hall with the Lady sitting on a throne. Right away Altair noticed there was a boy of at least ten suckling from the woman's chest. The tiefling cleared his throat to fight the urge to gag. He avoided looking at Kalique, knowing her face would probably make him break his attempt to be stoic.

“Lady Arlina,” Altair projected, trying to pretend the boy wasn’t there, “I am Altair Din and this is Kalique Demici. We represent the Empire. We believe we have a proposal of mutual benefit.”

“Lady Arlina welcomes you and she finds your muscles to be very pleasing to behold.”

Altair could only stare. This was already off to a great start.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

She did believe him when he spoke about his family knowing that hers was special for sure as well, however she knew how much he loved them all and hoped he had gotten the chance to spent some time back home. She smiled warmly when he did confirm he had seen them lately, however what lingered in her mind was how much weight he had on his shoulders.

"Yeah, I have to admit I don't envy you. One job alone is almost too much for one person to bear, yet you've got two". He had an immeasurable amount of responsibility and thanks to her he had also been forced to squeeze in an emergency meeting...He didn't want to dwell on it, she reminded herself, but she did really sympathize with his never ending pile of work and duties.

"I did spent some time there, yes. I couldn't bear spending too much time with the nobles though...funny how I'm no confronted with them again" she chuckled, clinging to the slightly more lighthearted mood for how long it was still there. It would change soon, she was sure of it as soon as they approached the throne room. Kalique mentally prepared herself by already arranging words in her head, running through courteous gestures and manners that were a little dusted in her consciousness, but little did she either of them know the Lady Arlina was very unique.

The heavy doors opened and they stepped in with Kalique immediately holding her breath. Even before she glanced up to the terribly wrong spectacle above where the Lady of the Mountain was...she didn't even want to try comprehending what the kriff was happening as it was seriously fucked up - she noticed the huge round two winged door in the center of the room.

Judging from how the wind blew out of it, it wasn't hard to tell that it was probably the most direct way down into the valley. Next was the very intense, even disturbing stare from one of the guards in the room that she actually found a little intimidating. She blinked a few times as she finally looked up and it costed her immense self control in order to prevent her features from slipping into a fully startled and immensely disturbed glance she desperately wanted to throw Altair, and respectfully inclined her head instead.

Kalique was happy to leave the talking to him, however he seemed to be just as paralyzed as she was, as he didn't immediately continue talking. It served the Lady of the Mountain right well as she kept examining Altair from afar, before she let out a shrill laugh that let the young teenagish boy raise his head and wipe the remains of the milk from his mouth.

Kalique's stomach turnt, yet her expressions remained unchanged. This was worse than a horror movie. "The Lady Arlina finds you very pleasing indeed. She has heard rumors of the horned Bachelor and before he speaks, she wants to present her idea". She motioned for him to come closer, but regardless of what he did, Kalique wasn't asked, so she stayed where she was and tried to ignore the creepy guard's stare.

"The Empire wants to help the Lady of the Mountain...a real Queen she is". Her so impassively smacked his lips before she leaned in and started suckling again. "She wants to marry the King of Eiattu to seal this Alliance", she stated rather flatly, as if it was the only logical conclusion. Kalique meanwhile just swallowed, trying hard not to just burst into laughter in order to process this all...somehow?!?!

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Keep it cool. Altair had fought many adversaries both physical and creepy entities. He saw the birth of a kingdom and an empire. But few things could prepare someone for this level of bizarre.

He stepped forward, his tail swishing behind him. He was quickly regaining his confidence. He didn’t come this far by collapsing anytime situations got strange. Altair’s jaw tightened at her proposal, but he didn’t flinch. He considered all his options and ran a few scenarios through his head. An idea formed in his head and he met the Queen’s gaze.

“I accept,” He stated flatly.

The Queen squealed in delight, clasping her hands together, “Oh! The Lady gets to marry the infamous Emperor Altair Din!”

The son looked furious, but Altair kept his head high, “I wish to marry this very day.”

“Yes yes yes!” The Queen lit up, clearly having been lonely for all that time since her husband passed.

Strategically this was the best move to obtain everything. Altair would marry the psycho and inherit the title of Lord of the Mountain. He would then cut a deal with the rebel leaders to get them on the same side. This would result in the entire planet coming over under the Imperial banner. He would need Kalique’s help in either dealing with the rebels or making the Lady come across an ‘accident’ while he dealt with the rebels.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique watched as the Queen spoke, expecting a few things from her, as for example how she'd start explaining her point of view on the rebellion, but she just casually blurted out her one and only proposal. Biting the inside of her cheek, she now assumed Altair would present the most perfectly slow elaboration on other options, but the Tiefling seemed to skip all the detours and jumped right ahead to the mist direct route.

She knew why Altair was doing it and what this would mean for her, now that he had chosen to speed up the professes. She'd have to deal with this Lady, better sooner than later, but as Altair said he'd even marry her today, her eyes just widened. No preparations? No discussions about how they'd proceed? She repressed the vehemt urge to comment on it and only swallowed hard. She didn't even know whether she wanted to burst out into laughter or scream, but the Knight's perfectly trained facade didn't even allow the faintest grimacing to show.

The meeting took a turn she hadn't expected and while she wondered whether she'd now have to take the position of the maid of honor, she still avoided eye contact with the staring guard. This was it. The most bizarre setting she's ever been in. Maybe they had called it after their meeting...

"The Lady Arlina can do it right away! Her son Arwyn should welcome his new father first though!", she nudged the son, who looked up and just angrily glared at Altair which just added to this extremely uncomfortable feeling this bizzare setting triggered. "And her husband should take of his shirt! The Queen shall marry topless as well! Excellent", she cooed, obviously delighted. Did she plan on holding the ceremony right here, right now?! And also, Kalique wondered how traditional those royals here were and whether Altair knew exactly what usually happened after the ceremony and the feast. A shiver crept down her spine. This was just absurd.

The Queen clapped excitedly and commanded her servants to "bring out the decorations" before she motioned for them to leave. "The Queen wants...mhhh 20 minutes! Then we shall begin!". 20 minutes...Kriff. As she almost shooed them out Kalique did turn and walked Altair out, not being able to fully process what had just happened. They walked out and crossed the corridor but only when she was truly sure there was no one in earshot, she turned at him in bewilderment. Finally, her face showed that she was truly disturbed. "I am...afraid of that ceremony" she admitted, wondering whether there was even a way to prepare what was possibly about to come.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

There was a sense of urgency because he needed to get ahead of the rebellion launching and ruining the plan. However, 20 minutes was too much even for him. Altair took a deep breath and exhaled softly, “While I’m also eager for this union, let us be wedded this evening. It’s only right that we prepare a large feast for all our guests. This is a joyous occasion, after all.”

The Queen paused for a moment, “Hmmm the Queen agrees with this view. And then she can take the Emperor right to her chambers. I have a feeling the Emperor will make her scream for all the valley to hear!” She squealed in delight, clapping her hands like a toddler. Her dipshit son also clapped along, the meaning behind her comments going right above his idiot head.

Altair kept a straight face through it all…somehow. They were given a moment to part and he stepped out into a corridor, frantically grabbing Kalique by the shoulder and yanking her into a discreet alcove, “This is one of the worst fucking ideas I’ve ever had!” He whispered in a panic, a complete 180 from the calm and poised confidence he displayed in front of the Queen, “I desperately need you to get into contact with the rebel leader and bring them here. I will suggest inviting them to the wedding as a show of good will. Who knows, maybe she’ll see me topless and agree to it.”

He paused to quickly contact ISB and tell them to cut off all media going out of here and have this space become a blackzone. He didn't want to risk news of his 'engagement' getting out anywhere.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

With Altair's charm, he did at least manage to persuade her to move the grand ceremony into the evening, so that they at least had a little opening they could use. Kalique hadn't even noticed how she reduced her breathing to a bare, flat minimum inside, having tried not to aggravate the guards with sudden movements, but now that she was outside, she did breathe deeply, trying to keep herself calm though.

It was Altair who suddenly exploded as he yanked her into the alcove, his eyes wide and tail swishing nervously as he was grasped by the panic she really didn't blame him for. She was not the one in the position of having to marry a maniac soon, so she forced the tension out of her muscles and decided that in order to help him, she had to be all cool headed and leaving this terrible bizzareness behind.

She slowly raised her arms and placed them on top of his, her expressions shifting from shock and irritation to a softened, attempted soothing gaze. "Breathe, Altair, we've got this". She sounded mostly confident, but the chain of rushed absurdities had left their traces.

Gently rubbing his shoulders, she wanted him to leave this completely frantic stage so that he was also capable of thinking straight even if he was about to strip down soon. "Remember how you said you'd rather hold meetings half naked? If someone can pull it off and even use it to convince the other side, it's you". She reminded him, actually breaking into a chuckle as her own emotions were still rather bottled up after this terrible exchange, but she was hoping humor would ease the tension.

On a serious note though, he obviously had a point, and so she shifted back into strategizing mode soon after. "Okay. Yes. I'll see it done immediately while you'll try your best to mellow the terms about who is allowed to attend. If you want that title and power, you'll have to get through with this wedding though". This had to be a planned thoroughly even if time was running against them.

"I'll negotiate with the rebels, see whether they are agreeing with our side and try to convince them to lay their arms down for now. We can claim the prospect of a new King at her side will help while the rebels are maybe in on this already". She wasn't sure whether he preferred simply aiding the rebellion, but that's what they were about to discuss.

"Second step, we plan an unfortunate accident. I believe it's best to be subtle...also, her people will accept you then I'd pressume" they could then find someone who could rule in his stead, so that he wouldn't have to administer yet another planet. "This would however mean you'd have to play along for a little longer and I'm not sure whether you could do such a thing". Not that he wasn't capable but that was just too gross...

"Or do we risk splitting society and just...deal with her and her loyal followers with the help of the rebels directly?". Maybe it was more clever to take that risk instead of doing the whole intrigue ploy though...After all, there was also the son who'd stay behind in case of an accident, but maybe his presence would ensure those who valued their traditions would stay in line, knowing her son would be next in line of succession then? But on the other hand, Altair would definitely have a still breastfed enemy...

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair had to laugh at her mentioning his own confident quip about holding meetings shirtless, “I’m worried about the part where she wants to do more than just stare at me,” He said with a shake of his head. He didn’t like sneaky ideas like causing accidents, but this woman truly was deranged. At the end of the day, the Empire did good, but they were definitely not above doing shady things to get to an objective.

“It has to be organic,” Altair said, “I can probably make something that will make her choke,” He shrugged at the likely suspicious look on Kalique’s face, “Look, I’m a great chef. Sometimes those skills can be used for evil,” He grinned at her, “She’ll have her accident during the feast and I’ll get out of having to introduce her to my piercings,” Altair shuddered at the thought.

He handed a datapad over to her, “That’s the last location of the rebel camp,” Altair paused for a moment, glancing at her, “Hey, be careful out there okay?” He trusted in her abilities. She may have had her rank removed, but she still had her strengths. He had full confidence in her ability to see this through, “I’ll meet you shortly before the wedding.”

With that, he slinked back into the fortress chambers.

The rebel camp was projected to be located just a few miles outside of the fortress. There was a bit of hiking involved, but Kalique would begin to see what looked like a small base camp with several tents in it. ISB had cracked down on this intelligence, but Kalique would have to play her cards right not to be killed on sight immediately.

The rebel leader was a barbarian woman by the name of Klava. She was most definitely not literate.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

Kalique gave him a hesitant grin that clearly said 'then you'll be fucked'. At the sheer disgust the thought triggered another shiver crept down her spine and she shook her head determinedly. "No no...we won't let it come to that", she assured him, slowly withdrawing her hands as he was indeed calmer now.

She pursed her lips at the mentioning of his plan before a smirk tugged at her lips. "Damn you're devious...how will you get in the kitchens though?". He'd probably find his way in, but perhaps they'd be suspicious. "Tell her you'll want her to try your signature love cakes...so you need access" she joked, but then realized that maybe she would even like to have someone bake something for her. "We have to be careful though...it's a bit clichéd maybe, but can work" she shrugged, wanting to use her little tour to make up her mind...Maybe there was even a safer option.

For now it was time to part though and after taking the datapad from him, she couldn't help but to smile. "I will be, I promise". Given the Queen's craziness, she was already trying to mentally prepare herself for whatever cray cray this rebel leader was. "I'll stay in touch. Please take care as well though...I don't like the idea of you staying with those people". She couldn't tell which task was worse but she grabbed her Knight Armor and equipment before she went off.

She knew she had to hurry and so she did, however she soon learnt that today's training could now easily be skipped after the intense hike it took to reach the coordinates. Kalique climbed up the last hill in her way before she assumed to run into the first guards. While the ISB had mananged to gather some intel on this Klava, they had no idea about how this warrior woman operated. She approached slowly, reaching out with the Force and making out the position of the guards before she took one last breath.

With raised hands and her senses on full alert but hands away from her sabers she slowly approached, still having a decent distance between her and the scouts. She'd stop where she was, waiting for them to notice her as she called over "The Queen will fall...we have come to aid your course!". Assuming they'd appreciate directness and strength, she was about to present exactly that, although for now she had to be led towards this Klava first.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Altair managed to dodge ‘walks on the balcony’ with the Queen. He found himself in the kitchen and he convinced the staff that he wanted to bake an extravagant cake exclusively for his wife to be. No one else was to touch it. He gathered specific ingredients, knowing that some mixtures would cause a severe allergic reaction.

The feast preparations were underway and the Queen was ecstatic and wandering around the halls practically dancing. The tiefling was just as giddy as he made his devious cake.

—​

Normally, Kalique’s loud proclamation would have gotten her a series of arrows to the face. Fortunately, the rebellion was composed of several tribes of very crude individuals with terrible weapons.

A woman that was clearly over 6ft tall and bulky walked out with a giant ax in her hand. She glared at Kalique who looked like someone she could break in half. It took guts to speak boldly in Klava’s camp, and the woman had done that.

“Who we?” Klava looked around with a smirk, “I only see you.”

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

As Kalique stood and waited for a response, she kept checking all around for incoming bolts, arrows or whatsoever. The scouts didn't speak to her, however she did hear them communicate in a language she had never heard before.

As the muscular, bulky woman appeared, she had a smirk on her lips, but Kalique wasn't sure whether she appreciated the bold approach or contemplating whether she'd have the blonde Knight as a little afternoon snack she'd split in many pieces.

As he adressed her, she met her gaze which must have looked comical as she clearly had to tilt her head upwards a bit. "I came alone as I'm just delivering the message. The rest of our Forces is already at the Fortress".

Her expressions remained rather neutral, thus not mirroring her smile just yet. "Tonight, there will be a feast as the Queen is about to marry. This shall be her last night though". She spared her unnecessary details just yet, wondering whether she even spoke Basic that well. "She would invite you to the wedding. Even without an attack, the lands will be yours as the Queen will hold no claims to it any longer. Their fortress is almost impenetrable, but I can assure you that there is an even easier way in". Until they'd believe her, it would probably take a moment, but she wanted to see her reaction first, even if it was nothing but a laugh.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

“Marry?” That caught Klava’s attention. The prospect of the Mad Queen actually marrying someone sounded promising. She pondered for a moment. This could very well be a trap. The fortress was impenetrable and this would gather all her people under one roof. She stroked her chin and decided she would have some of her tribesmen positioned on different spires in the mountains.

“You stick with us,” She said in her thickly accented Basic, “Anyone attack any of my people and I remove your head,” Klava said sternly. The truth was that a rebellion was costly and she lost countless men and women to the cause. If there was even the slightest chance for a resolution, she was ready to come to the table.

“Lead the way, tiny human,” She declared, pointing her axe.

Meanwhile…

It was almost wedding time and Altair’s Death Cake was baked to perfection. It was individual size to make it abundantly clear it was just for the Queen. He didn’t spot anyone around that appeared to have a high IQ, so he knew no one would really try to solve the mystery with forensics on the cake.

Unfortunately, Altair had to abide by the woman’s bullshit wedding ceremony rules. He was shirtless and, for some reason, oiled up and wearing what looked like a straw skirt. Of course, his physique was drawing quite a bit of attention not just from the Queen but also the staff women. The Mad Queen was also topless, gravity having been entirely cruel to her.

Altair hoped against hope Kalique would show up with the rebels. The Queen had been a lot more receptive to the idea of having Klava at the ceremony because he proposed it while shirtless and oiled up.

@LadyRen

 

[Kalique Baize]

The buff barbarian woman seemed rather content with the prospect of finally ridding themselves off the terrible plague the current Queen was for them. Even while negotiating with the tribes, Kalique's mind drifted back to Altair every now and then, hoping he had found its way into the kitchens.

"Agreed. Follow me". There was no need for more words as the whole entourage began to move, seemingly excited about the wedding and how this would finally allow things to change and them to take over.

While Kalique started the hike back at relatively fast pace, she did exchange a few messages to check in whether having the formerly rebellious would work, but as soon as she got the confirmation, her tension faded a little bit. It didn't feel great to walk alongside the bulky Klava with all of her tribesmen following behind with readied weapon, but it still seemed like they had reached an agreement.

Meanwhile the oiled Altair would not only wait for the rebels and Kalique to appear, but while he waited for the bizzare ceremony to begin, he would suddenly be approached by the Queen's son. "You are not my real daddy!", he angrily declared like a raging toddler, teeth gritted and a whitish crust of dried milk at the corner of his lips as he suddenly began reaching for his tail. "You will not hurt Mommy! I will protect her", he fiercely insisted, somehow assuming that having his tail as a hostage would intimidate the half naked Tiefling.

Kalique wouldn't reach the fortress for another few minutes so that it seemed like Altair had a little conversation ahead of him. More and more guests were piling into the room while the Queen's lusty gaze rested on the two of them. She dearly wished they would get along, but the son was demanded an answer.

@Sreeya

 

[Altair Din]

Being a Force user had many advantages. One of them meant higher reflex. As the kid went for his tail, it swished out of reach, making him pout even more. Altair turned to regard the kid. While most may have gotten irritated or brushed him off, the tiefling did no such thing. Regardless of how insane the Queen may have been, the child was still a child. He didn’t ask to be raised like this or to be born to a lunatic. At the end of the day, he wasn’t the bad guy here. Altair calmly addressed him.

“I’m never going to be your dad,” He said quietly, “No one can ever replace your dad. I will protect these realms and I will make you Lord of the lands beyond the Mountains.”

The kid’s eyes began to widen, “W-What?”

“With the Queen marrying me, the rule of the Mountain will extend far beyond the borders you know today. And I’ll need someone to take it over and bring peace with the mountain clans. That’ll have to be your job, little Lord.”

He gasped in surprised, feeling more grown up than he ever had in his life. His mother had treated him like a baby and never took him seriously. This was the first time an adult spoke to him about giving him responsibilities. He cheered happily and went around announcing to everyone that he would become the Lord Beyond The Mountains.

Altair straightened up then, calmly gazing ahead and waiting for the ceremony to begin.

@LadyRen