The Exiled Gem

Triangular Plot

Liam stood in front of his chair, gestured them to sit. They did. Then he sat down.

'Hello,' Alexandra whispered.

'Welcome back,' he greeted. She knew he loved her, but if she didn't, he was so composed, she would never know. How Liam was as opaque, was a mystery. But perhaps it was because he didn't have any living relations - when that happened to a person, they were naturally reserved.

'I should be saying that, welcome back to Idgard.' Alexandra beamed. But he shook his head, more to himself, with a hint of a smile. Left to him sat the Prime Minister, who cleared his throat, getting the attention of them all.

'Alright, Lords and ... Lady,' he coughed, 'we've got no time to congratulate ourselves on this victory. Doveland was in alliance with Ethoris. If Doveland is defeated, Ethoris will certainly bite back. Sooner or la-'

'They won't.' Alexandra interrupted, before she could stop herself. She felt a slight tinge of regret as all eyes turned to her.

'Agent, all alliances dictate for it,' the Prime Minister maintained, turning to her, 'in case the nation they are allied with, has entered into a war, all its allies are bound to enter too.' He spoke to her like she was a foolish, headstrong child. The one thing Alexandra didn't like at all, because she had endured it for an annoyingly long period of time.

Still, she tilted her head and nodded, 'Yes sir, alliances do lay down that condition. But we have got higher intelligence - if I may speak?'

Liam gave her a half-amused, who in the world can stop you sort of look and nodded, 'Please continue,'

'Thank you,' Alexandra smirked, 'Doveland, actually surrendered not because it had lost hopes of winning or because it had realized some mistake. None of those,' she clarified, 'they surrendered, because just a day before, on the seventh of February, when it was clear that Doveland stood no chance - Ethoris broke the alliance.' She concluded.

Her words seemed to travel and hit each minister separately. One by one they gripped the table, their eyes widened, or they gasped.

'What?' Asked the Prime Minister, as if on behalf of all the others who were staring incredulously at either Alexandra or each other. A few shook their heads - like it wasn't possible.

Liam stared at the polished table, all his emotions vanishing - his amber eyes glazing over, the way they did when he was thinking hard.

'Ye-s,' Alexandra continued, 'the Agents have recovered the Doveland-Ethoris terms of Alliance, few of which - I think I should point out here, for things to get clearer.' Alexandra had simply stuffed that paper into one of her pockets as a last minute change of mind. She anyhow had had the points committed to memory. And she had thought they wouldn't be discussing it. That they would think of the future than of what had already happened. Though now, she was glad for having brought it along - as proof, if these men had the audacity to ask for it.

'Point number one- "Doveland must cede one sixteenth of its yearly produce to Ethoris."' she said, letting that point register, 'You all know, sirs - better than me, I can guarantee - what an unjustified and mammoth amount one sixteenth of the total produce is, and that too for a nation in famine.' She stared at them, expressionlessly - marveling at how calmly they were taking it all when she had been almost pulling out Moira and threatening people with it.

'Though,' Alexandra continued, 'it is not the worst of them. The second point is "Doveland must pay yearly revenue to Ethoris, equal to quarter of the total revenue collected." Let it register.' She stopped again, resentment tumbling within her too, though it was the hundredth time she was reciting this, 'which utterly insane country agrees to such terms?! Doveland did. Question arises - why? Because they knew that Ethoris was planning something big. Something that would make it a huge power. And the Dovish wanted to a part of that scheme. For personal benefits, no doubt.'

Now, the gazes weren't on her any longer. All were unfocused and bewildered. Gazing at corners of the hall. Gazing anywhere, but at Alexandra. The prime minister, on the other hand, was looking unconvinced.

Alexandra knew that unconvinced look well. She knew almost all looks well. She knew how to read people. And this minister, was, sooner or later, going to ask for proof. Still, Alexandra continued.

'The third point is the most important one, hear it, Sirs, "Ethoris may, at any point of time, break the alliance, according to its wishes. If the Revenue and Produce for the year have already been collected previous to the breaking of the alliance, THEY SHALL NOT BE RETURNED."' she finished.

There was pin-drop silence in the hall, Alexandra wondered if she should continue. Nobody was saying anything and she took that as her cue to continue, 'I have questioned their ruler.' She maintained, 'Everything is crystal clear to me. This whole thing has happened because of one plot of gaining power and one double-crossing. Both of which were done by Ethoris. Our cells belong to the Ethorians-'

'Agent, where is the proof? That is a very serious accusation. Ethoris has never been inimical to us. It has never openly opposed us!' The Prime minister burst, which Alexandra had been expecting for long.

What she had not anticipated, was that she'd be so furious when he would speak. For she now was. He dare ask for proof? Alexandra wanted to know how many times he had stepped out of Idgard - while her whole Council had been playing with danger.

'Minister!' Liam chided, 'Proof?'

'Exactly, proof, Sir!' Another minister repeated, 'And how can we derive our own meanings from anybody's actions?!'

Alexandra felt a ball of flaming anger lurch in the pit of her stomach. Did they need everything to be rubbed on their faces to understand it?! 'Ministers,' She said her voice shaking with the effort going in trying to control herself, 'did Doveland ever come and tell us that they were in famine? Did Akwanda come and tell us they were going to send attackers on the king? Did the terrorists in Losiane come and tell us that they were against us?!' She inhaled, 'No! But who foresaw it?! The Espionage did! Ethoris chose this time to break its alliance. Why would it do so unless it had plans?!' She tried to explain, 'this was a joint plan of Doveland, Ethoris and Cartania. Doveland launched an attack on us, then, Ethoris would say that its ally was in war and it had to help, so saying, it would enter. Cartania would then say that Ethoris was its ally, and they would enter. Together, the three powers decided to crush Vedessa. Though - after seeing the Vedessan troops in battle, Cartania backed out from the plan - a week into the war, when preparations were going on to enter. They foresaw that the loss would be theirs. Ethoris isn't foolish either. They knew they didn't stand a chance without Cartania. So they broke the alliance and withdrew, leaving the Dovish in the quicksand.' Alexandra finished, her rage still boiling, 'Still, if there is anything more than this I can do, to make you believe me, tell what it is!'

'Well, you gave us the alliance points. Where is the real document?!' The prime minister continued, making Alexandra eyes blaze.

'Real document? Have it!' She spat, putting the folded parchment on the table. The prime minister shot out a hand for it - but Liam picked the sheet up when he was midway through - opening it.

'As far as I can make out,' one minister, a lot younger than the rest, perhaps younger than Alexandra too - clean shaven and slender, began, 'the Head, with her accent and tones - is certainly Dovish.'

Alexandra was stupefied when she heard the last line. The final, inconceivable accusation he was putting on her. They doubted her loyalty? They thought she was helping Doveland?! She had just opened her mouth to retort when-

'Enough!' Liam snapped, slamming the parchment down on the table.