Day 16

  T?ra Trazzie went to the peace talks. General Nathan Steal was by her side. Keimoni was not with her. She was without an advisor.

  “Where is your advisor?” Barron Hill asked.

  “He is fulfilling duties elsewhere.” T?ra answered.

  “I think we can propose equal status for all.” Nix said getting straight to business.

  “What do you mean by equal status?” Namir asked.

  “I want us to be recognized as a tribe able and allowed to hold any position we are able.” Nix said.

  “You already have been grated this. I made all tribes recognized as people with a voice able to speak up. Before I asked you here.” T?ra responded.

  “You did?” Nix was surprised.

  Zazo nodded agreeing with what T?ra had said.

  T?ra asked Zazo to sit as her advisor.

  “My queen?” Zazo’s confusing was seen.

  “Sit and advise me. Keimoni is away. He has a task to fulfill. So, I need someone to sit with me.”

  “I am nothing but a servant.” Zazo said.

  “Not today.” T?ra answered “Now sit here, you’re making people stare.”

  He looked at the shocked table of representatives.

  Zazo sat with T?ra.

  T?ra stood up.

  “I have had two people try to kill me last night. So, let’s discuss what will happen if I die.”

  “What!?” Drake exclaimed.

  “If I was dead would any of you still be here. Making peace? Would you all leave with horses loaded with my things? Would you fight some more causing more blood to be spilled?” T?ra asked.

  “I think we should focus.” General Pan said.

  “Focus on?” T?ra asked.

  “Focus on matters at hand. Peace and restoration of the tribes.”

  “Are not two attempts on my life a matter at hand?” T?ra asked.

  Silence followed.

  Glisson put his hand up.

  “Yes, speak.” T?ra said to him.

  “My queen. We are afraid of you and your questions cause us to fear more. Are you trying to trap us so you can kill us? I don’t believe you are, but I believe it’s why no one wants to speak up.”

  “Well, I am tired and weary of achieving nothing. My friend is dead, and I wish to mourn and cry. Not sit looking at the disdain on your faces. But here I am. Trying. But unless you also try, I will have to find another way to achieve my goal of peace. So, make your choice, be a coward too afraid to speak up. Even though you have seen me you still don’t believe. What more can I do? Is there anything that can be done? Or are you determined to waste my time?”

  “My queen.” Nix began “My queen we want a fair wage for our produce. No more taking from us. Leaving my people with nothing.”

  T?ra looked at Hodge and then turned to Zazo.

  “Do my men steal food from the Village Fish?” she asked.

  “My queen, your men bring that food here, for you.”

  “What!”

  T?ra was grieved to hear it.

  “How much do I owe you for your produce?” T?ra asked.

  Nix looked to his advisor Kawthar and his guard Rain.

  They discussed it and then Nix answered.

  “Give us payment for this season only and fair wages from now on.”

  This made Irania feel brave. She was representing the Mystic Healers. Ranger was not there.

  “My queen, we have been given our freedom and I do not want to sound ungrateful. But may we be given a place to make a home. Land to build a city for our people?” she asked.

  T?ra looked at Hodge. He knew things. She looked at Zazo.

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  “Did they have land?” she asked Zazo

  “I do not believe so.”

  T?ra called Hodge over and asked him.

  “Did they have land?”

  “No, they did not. Should I give them land?” T?ra asked “and where?”

  “If you give land others will ask as well. If you give them nothing you might cause others not to speak up.” Hodge said.

  “Why do you want land?” T?ra asked.

  “So, my people can build become a tribe.” She answered.

  T?ra thought about it.

  “I will give twenty silver pieces to every Mystic Healer that comes in person to collect it. This will give each one a chance to build a life. Buy land if they wish.”

  This answer pleased Irania, it was even better than land.

  “Thank you, my queen.” She thanked.

  T?ra sat with her back to the door. This was so she could look out of the window. Victoria had sat opposite her. Now that chair was empty. There were a lot of empty chairs at the table.

  This was how T?ra’s morning continued.

  She was learning to be a queen.

  At break Drake came to her.

  “My queen. I have sent word for our bonding ceremony. My family will receive it and come. I will have your earrings made. Do you want anything added?” he asked her.

  “I trust you. Thank you for asking.” She replied.

  In truth she had no idea what he was asking, and she didn’t want to be caught out. With Hannah gone she had no one to ask these things of. Only Hodge and she couldn’t trouble him all the time. It wouldn’t look right.

  T?ra went to the dungeon. She found Tiffany. She was smelly and dirty.

  “I see the dungeon is not a good look for you.” T?ra said.

  Tiffany glared at her.

  “Why are you here?” she asked.

  “I am going to marry Prince Drake of the Skiopia. Well, we are. He is good looking so at least there is that.” T?ra said.

  “How did you get Prince Drake to agree to marry you?” Tiffany asked.

  “I asked.”

  Tiffany glared at her.

  “What do you want?”

  “I want to go home and leave the kingdom in the hands of the lost heir who I have discovered is real and were to find her. I want you to become a nice person. I want to… feel safe.” T?ra finished.

  “Boohoo the imposter is having a hard time. I don’t understand how you managed to fool everyone into believing you are me. But when I get out and I will. I will kill you myself.”

  “I am sure you will try. As many others have.” T?ra answered.

  “Why are you here?” Tiffany asked.

  “We are opening the sugs. Life is about to change even more so, and I am about to marry. And…”

  Tiffany cut her off

  “You want someone to talk to, to reassure you that you aren’t ruining my kingdom. Well, you came to the wrong place. I am not going to put your mind at ease. Opening the sugs is the only right thing you have done!” Tiffany snapped.

  T?ra began to wonder why Tiffany wanted the sugs opened.

  “So glad to hear that. I will just not open the sugs.” T?ra responded.

  Tiffany walked to the back of her dungeon.

  “Like I said when I get out, I will kill you and take back my kingdom.”

  “Will you kill Drake our bond mate?” T?ra asked.

  “Depends on how I feel.” Tiffany replied.

  Zazo was concerned and followed T?ra to the dungeon.

  “Have you ever done something not based on how you feel?” T?ra asked.

  “Why would I do something I don’t feel like doing?”

  “Because it’s your responsibility!”

  “No, it’s everyone else’s responsibility to keep me happy.” Tiffany answered.

  “I do not understand why your men didn’t kill you?” T?ra stated.

  “They feared me. No one tried to kill me ever!” she snapped.

  T?ra wondered if she was a weak queen. If that’s why killing her seemed like a good idea. If that’s why Griffith was brave enough to put a bounty on her head.

  But then she reminded herself. They wanted her dead because of what Tiffany had done. She just stepped into Tiffany’s shoes before they got a chase to try kill her.

  “They will love me and be loyal to be because I am fair to them. You are why people are angry.”

  “Oh Please! No one is happy. It’s pointless trying to please them. No matter what, they will hate you. At least fear kept them under control.” Tiffany replied.

  Zazo listened. This was the second time he had heard his queen speak to another in the dungeon as if they were the queen.

  “Goodbye Tiffany. I do not think I will be back.” T?ra walked away.

  “Wait!” Tiffany called.

  But T?ra kept walking.

  “I am the queen! You can’t leave me here.” She yelled.

  Zazo realized why the queen was so different, why she didn’t remember and why she didn’t know things she was meant to know. She was not Tiffany the queen. Who was she?

  T?ra found Joe.

  “I was wondering where you were.”

  “I was training. General Nathan was with you, so I wasn’t needed.” Joe replied.

  “What if I get discovered and I can’t pull this off?” T?ra expressed to Joe.

  “They already believe you are the queen. Why would they change their minds now? And in my experience leaders or big people don’t like being wrong so even if Tiffany got out of the dungeon and told people. No one would accept her claims as it means they were tricked. They will hold onto the lie to protect their reputations. The truth will be the lie.” Joe said.

  “Wow, you make sense. How are you so good at this stuff?” T?ra asked.

  “I keep in simple. Others live in the grey. I do not. That’s how.”

  “I don’t want the grey.” T?ra said.

  “Grey is your life. But I am here to bring color.” Joe teased.

  “Are you making a joke?” T?ra asked excited.

  “Not anymore.” Joe replied.

  “I liked it.” T?ra said smiling.

  “Do you think I should marry Drake?” T?ra asked.

  Joe looked at her confused.

  “You are going to do what you think is best no matter what I say. So, I will not add irritation to myself by saying.” Joe replied.

  “That felt rude.” T?ra objected.

  “Am I wrong?” Joe asked with a raised eyebrow.

  “No, but,”

  “But nothing.” Joe said.

  “I need to do something to unity people. I have thought about many options, but none assure peace and stability. Only marrying Prince Drake. At least he is cute.” T?ra sighed.

  “Then make your decision work for you. Get to know him, set relationship rules. Make it work so you can be happy despite the lack of what you are looking for.”

  “You are right.” T?ra smiled. “I will talk with Prince Drake today.”

  T?ra sat down for the final session of the day. She noticed that Chase was not there. But it didn’t bother her as Joe and Zazo where with her. She felt safe and everyone who needed to be there was there.

  T?ra looked at Drake. He was indeed a handsome man. He had shown the capacity for kindness. He was finer than then the suitors her gran had presented and despite her uncertainty she believed she could make it work. She made the decision and decided not to let herself doubt about it. But rather to make it work so she could be happy with this stranger.

  She stroked Otchulissa on her lap. She chose to see all the good she had in her life and the good she could do.

  Her cub also provided comfort and if she returned to earth, she would take her with.

  The session was successful and T?ra felt like things were finally moving. Something good was coming of her hard work. Everyone left the room happy.

  “Please walk with me?” T?ra asked Drake.

  Drake walked with T?ra in the garden. The night flowers bloomed and glowed under the stars.

  “I want us to be happy not just a symbol to everyone. Your people are powerful, and an alliance could be what this world needs. I am hoping that we can become more than duty. However, I have rules, there are things that I will not compromise on. First is, I am the queen and our child is the heir. You will never have a claim to the throne. That way your parents will not plot to kill me but rather help us for their grandchild’s sake.”

  Drake listened as they walked. T?ra was clear but he could see she was nervous. It was brave of her to want them to love each other and not just fulfil a duty.

  “Second, your men will need to obey me and if they cannot, they must return with your parents. Third I am allowed to keep secrets. I cannot tell you everything all the time. But I will protect us all the time.”

  So, T?ra set out rules for their relationship. Rules that would make her feel safe.

  “How old are you?” Drake asked.

  “I am twenty years, I mean cycles.”

  “I believed you were older.” Drake said.

  T?ra suddenly felt like a child in trouble. She had no idea how old Tiffany was. So, she just answered.

  “What shall I call you?” Drake asked.

  T?ra stopped walking.

  “Not Tiffany.” She answered.

  “What would you like to be called?” he responded.

  “T?ra” she replied.

  Drake smiled

  “I like it. I will call you T?ra.”

  T?ra felt flustered. Her heart pounded in her chest. She felt caught out in a lie, yet everything was still going well. Drake seemed to have no idea.

  “It’s like you are a new person, so a new name seems right.” Drake agreed.

  T?ra started walking.

  “Our bonding ceremony can be to your people’s traditions. I just ask that everything is run past me before the day, so I am not caught off guard.”

  “You honor me, and my people. Thank you. My queen T?ra.” He made a little bow.

  The truth for T?ra was she didn’t know any of the traditions. She didn’t want to be caught out.

  She beamed with happiness as she went to bed. She walked into Joe’s room.

  “You seem happy.” Joe said.

  T?ra grinned.

  “Still not sleeping in your own bed?” Joe asked.

  “I’m too scared.” T?ra paused, “I don’t even like getting dressed in there.” she cringed.

  “We will need another bed in here if you plan to keep this up. You hog the whole bed. Drake is in for a surprise.” Joe said making space for T?ra.

  T?ra gave her a toothy grin and climbed in.

  “Thank you”

  Joe grunted.