Another day, another meeting for the Royals. This meeting was centered around how to divvy up those in attendance for each suggestion for keeping the people calm. \u201cIt looks like there are five categories for us to play with,\u201d remarked Elgrad. \u201cThe way I see it, we can make teams based on each category and organize people based on them. I\u2019ve only got one suggestion of a list, so if there are any more, put them forward.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI might have an idea,\u201d called Jeefef. \u201cWhy not have each person who suggested their idea be a part of the categories each one fell under? How did you categorize them?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s the general category, which has Feymay, Hanako, and Orbak\u2019s suggestions,\u201d replied Elgrad, \u201cthe volunteer category, which consists of Emfam, Ufnamfa, and Pofomofo\u2019s ideas; the tour category, consisting of Arsha and Lardeth\u2019s ideas; the entertainment category, with Roomef, Olmarfa, Teefmanam, and Malnar\u2019s suggestions; and home life, made up of Jeefef, Endram, Elmpam, and my suggestions.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThen I think we have a clear idea of how to form the teams already,\u201d declared Jeefef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGotta admit, the formation makes sense,\u201d mused Lardeth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m down with that,\u201d agreed Elmpam.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cCan I suggest something?\u201d called Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWhat is it?\u201d asked Hanako.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYes, the idea is that these ideas can be used to calm people before the Final War starts,\u201d explained Arsha, \u201cbut couldn\u2019t they also be used at war\u2019s end? If and when we win and begin reconstruction, I want these ideas to be put into effect as part of the reconstruction plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026You know, I think that\u2019s a good idea,\u201d remarked Roomef.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAll those in favor of doing this in reconstruction, say Aye,\u201d called Elgrad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAye,\u201d called the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAgainst?\u201d No one responded to Elgrad\u2019s question. \u201cSounds unanimous. Okay, then the next vote is to see if we should go ahead with the formation. All in favor?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAye!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAgainst?\u201d Silence again. \u201cThen we\u2019ve got our teams. I trust everyone will\u2026\u201d Domesta then burst into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty! Come quick!\u201d she called.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cDomesta, what\u2019s going on?\u201d asked Arsha. \u201cWhy are you panicked?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBecause Queen Andwayla Narven is dead!\u201d Domesta\u2019s news echoed in their ears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u2026That\u2019s\u2026that\u2019s impossible!\u201d breathed Arsha.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was VERY possible. Andwayla\u2019s body was lying on a mortuary slab while doctors tended to Calandra, Rellmeer, and the Crimson Diamonds\u2019 Staff. Calandra couldn\u2019t speak, she was so grief-stricken, so Rellmeer, as she took an eye restoration potion, explained the whole incident to the Royals and Elmar. As she spoke, a pair of Nagas continued fixing any wounds, changing any bandages and mixing up potion doses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s time for another dose,\u201d advised the woman Naga, Dr. Mika Erad. \u201cDaren, how go her vitals?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThey\u2019re climbing to normal standards,\u201d reported her husband, Dr. Daren Erad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cSo, Crimson Diamond techniques were used against you all,\u201d muttered Elgrad. Calandra then turned to Headmistress Tanfa, her gaze turning from sadness\u2026to rage. She leapt off her bed and pounced on Tanfa, beating on her in fury! She then picked the old woman up off the bed and slammed her against the wall repeatedly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTHIS IS YOUR FAULT!\u201d she shrieked. \u201cYOU TRAINED THAT PSYCHO! YOU LET MOTHER DIE!\u201d Her hands then went around Tanfa\u2019s throat and squeezed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat\u2019s enough!\u201d called Elmar as he grabbed her arms and pulled her off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cLET GO! LET GO!\u201d roared Calandra. Elmar refused to let go, keeping his grip as Calandra flailed and howled in rage and grief. Tanfa coughed as she regained her breath.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe\u2019s not wrong,\u201d remarked Elgrad. \u201cYou should have screened her more carefully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe passed the Initiation Test!\u201d gasped Tanfa as she pulled herself up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAnd you didn\u2019t think to check her mental health? Her morals?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s hardly anything moral about assassination!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019ve just justified my position. The Crimson Diamonds must disband as you\u2019ve allowed someone like her to exist.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIf we disband, you won\u2019t be able to learn our secrets!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve all received your school\u2019s instruction in some capacity, I think we can easily add assassination avoidance to Realmfleet Academy\u2019s curriculum. Your staff is to seek new work outside of assassination and your students will find new means of schooling.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPlease, show leniency! Yamta never gave us any reason to consider her an enemy until her last days!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour mistake!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesty\u2026!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour King has spoken!\u201d Tanfa\u2019s arguments died in her throat. She then looked at Calandra who had stopped thrashing against Elmar\u2019s grip and simply contented herself to look at Tanfa in fury. Tanfa declined her head and sighed before she took out a paper and signed her name to it. She handed it to Elgrad, and he read it. It was a paper affirming that the Crimson Diamonds would disband and avoid assassination work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYour Majesties,\u201d called Dr. Mika, \u201cyou need to see this.\u201d She pointed to one of the screens. On it was Dr. Borg as she gave a speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFor too long, the Realms have sunken to chaos,\u201d she proclaimed. \u201cTime and again, we\u2019ve all tried to enforce order, but the rulers are content to let us squabble while they waste time and money on crude law enforcement methods. Well, the Realm Trinity Empire has had enough. We\u2019re going to see the Realms change one way or another. Andwayla\u2019s death is only the example of what happens when you waste our time!\u201d The broadcast then ended, leaving the room silent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After she was healed, Calandra started packing her things. Andwayla\u2019s body was returned to the Galdredan Lava Kingdom to be interred the day after Calandra returned. Like it or not, she had to ascend to the throne and become Queen. She heard the door chime. \u201cCome in,\u201d she called. Elmar stepped into the room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not facing this alone,\u201d he insisted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cElmar, the Endeavor<\/em> needs you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI need to be there for my wife!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd don\u2019t think, for a second, that I don\u2019t appreciate it! Believe me, I do! \u2026But the Endeavor<\/em> needs its Chief Science Officer and Arsha needs all hands on deck.\u201d Elmar shut his eyes in frustration. \u201c\u2026Could you at least accompany me at the Coronation?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI would be honored.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Andwayla\u2019s body was interred at the Royal Tomb, next to her husband\u2019s. A day after the Funeral, the Coronation was set up. The Throne room was lined with people, the aisle to the Throne remaining empty. At the Throne were Calandra\u2019s siblings and a Priest. The trumpets sounded and the doors opened, revealing Calandra and Elmar in new outfits. They walked down the aisle, Calandra holding Elmar\u2019s arm all the while, and approached the Throne. The Priest then held out the Codex, the religious book for the Realms, and Calandra placed one hand on it while the other covered her heart. \u201cI, Calandra Narven, do solemnly swear,\u201d began the Priest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI, Calandra Narven, do solemnly swear,\u201d repeated Calandra.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I will execute my duties as Queen of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom faithfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I will execute my duties as Queen of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom faithfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will uphold the laws and dreams of my people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will uphold the laws and dreams of my people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will care for those that are in dire straits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will care for those that are in dire straits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the help of the Divine Ones, I will not let evil corrupt my judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the help of the Divine Ones, I will not let evil corrupt my judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf necessary\u2026\u201d the Priest faltered before continuing, \u201cI will give my life to save my people, should disaster strike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf necessary, I will give my life to save my people, should disaster strike.\u201d The Priest then turned to Elmar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI, Elmar Narven, do solemnly swear,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI, Elmar Narven, do solemnly swear,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I will execute my duties as King of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom faithfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat I will execute my duties as King of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom faithfully.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will uphold the laws and dreams of my people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will uphold the laws and dreams of my people.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will care for those that are in dire straits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI will care for those that are in dire straits.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the help of the Divine Ones, I will not let evil corrupt my judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWith the help of the Divine Ones, I will not let evil corrupt my judgement.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf necessary, I will give my life to save my people, should disaster strike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf necessary, I will give my life to save my people, should disaster strike.\u201d The Priest then stepped back and Calandra and Elmar sat down on the Throne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI hereby pronounce Calandra and Elmar Narven the Rulers of the Galdredan Lava Kingdom!\u201d The crowd applauded as the two waved. Calandra then stood up for her speech.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy beloved people,\u201d she began, \u201cthis\u2026this moment came from something sad. I am aware of my mother\u2019s reputation for being headstrong and getting ridiculous ideas in her head, I frequently tried to stop her\u2026keyword being \u2018try\u2019. Now\u2026now I wish she were here with an idea. I will miss her greatly, as will those who loved her. She DID give us a method against Splitters that, despite Dr. Borg\u2019s insistence, proved effective both in money AND time. Dr. Borg has proven that, while she has smarts, she doesn\u2019t exactly think long-term. Well, we all have goals in mind that extend beyond my own reign, and, with everyone\u2019s help, they will be fulfilled. Now, unfortunately, Elmar\u2019s job still isn\u2019t done. He\u2019ll be going back to the Endeavor<\/em> to help Arsha and her ship so they, like us, can teach Dr. Borg a lesson. She has told me that having a friend of hers get wounded or die in her own Realm is a stain on her pride and she\u2019s angry enough to help us as we will help the Realms. My King\u2026good luck and hurry back.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs soon as I\u2019m able, My Queen,\u201d promised Elmar. They kissed, then Elmar walked back down the aisle and left. The people followed and Calandra sat on the Throne again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201c\u2026First order of business, get the kingdom\u2019s security up to scratch,\u201d she declared.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Back in the Royanas\u2019 castle, Orbak fiddled with a silver quill, contemplating his next move. What he was going to suggest was bold, but it would unite his fellows under a common purpose. \u201c\u2026Right, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d he declared to himself. He pulled out a piece of parchment and started writing a Blood Contract.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Another day, another meeting for the Royals. This meeting was centered around how to divvy up those in attendance for each suggestion for keeping the people calm. \u201cIt looks like there are five categories for us to play with,\u201d remarked Elgrad. \u201cThe way I see it, we can make teams based on each category and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[97,236],"tags":[482],"class_list":["post-3183","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-three-realms","category-the-three-realms-book-3-the-first-strike","tag-fantasy"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3183","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3183"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3183\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3186,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3183\/revisions\/3186"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3183"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3183"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samueljvinton.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3183"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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