Unity

Chapter 39

Admiral Vaehil escorted me down to the palace where an impromptu meeting with Queen Shaniir had been arranged. As we exited the shuttle, we were approached by a young looking woman wearing a simple white dress with thin silver bands worked in. The white dress along with her white eyes and hair gave her almost an ethereal appearance.

She greeted me diplomatically and was barely able to restrain her shock when she glanced at Admiral Vaehil. It took every ounce of self-control I possessed to keep a mostly straight face. Admiral Vaehil didn't look pleased to be the sole focus of this woman's attention and I could see the frustration building. I cleared my throat to try and gain her attention. She realized she was staring and looked at the ground while her face took on a red hue. She quickly composed herself and greeted me, "Welcome. Queen Shaniir has instructed me to guide you to her personal garden where she will meet with you." She turned and started walking, motioning us to follow.

We followed her brisk pace as we made our way through the labyrinth that was the Tuleeririan palace. Without knowing her name, it made it difficult to try and get her attention. She never bothered to look back to make sure we were following. I nearly ran into her as she abruptly stopped in front of a set of large double doors. She knocked twice then walked away without saying a word. We waited while one of the doors was slowly opened from the inside by two guards in ceremonial uniform. Two of my senses were immediately overloaded. Calling what was in front of me a garden was like calling the Zrynt a nuisance. The garden was a sprawling area covered in lush vegetation. There were flowers in every conceivable color carpeting the ground, and their smell was altogether foreign. The exotic and potent perfume of the various flowers combined with the smell of damp earth to form an almost overwhelming assault on the sense of smell.

I walked towards the center of the garden, stepping carefully to keep from destroying any exotic plants. I saw Shaniir carefully working the soil around what must have been a newly planted flower. She seemed relaxed as she painstakingly compressed the soil at the base of the plant. She looked up as we approached, and I could tell the moment she saw Admiral Vaehil as she went from shock to outright laughter. Her laugh was infectious, and soon I found myself laughing once again at his expense. "What happened to your hair?" Shaniir asked after she calmed herself.

"I lost a bet with Captain Ryan," he admitted sheepishly. She shook her head at the childishness of it as she brushed the fresh soil from her hands and clothing.

Her face took on her usual political appropriateness as she looked back at me and asked, "What are these urgent matters you need to speak to me about?"

"Have you ever heard of a Zrynt Lord?" I asked.

"I have never heard of that title before, but I did read Admiral Vaehil's report that he transmitted once you arrived," she answered. I had forgotten about the nanites' communication capabilities.

"So, you are aware of the danger they pose?" I asked probingly.

"All Zrynt are a danger," she answered simply. "I don't see how this changes anything."

"We are not strong enough to take on the Zrynt as a whole," I explained. "If we fought one of their elites and somehow managed to claim victory, do you think that would go unnoticed? We would be painting a very large and attractive target on ourselves. We need to weaken the Zrynt while growing our own strength."

She seemed to consider my words for a time before asking, "Is this the reason behind your attempted subterfuge at the Zrynt facility?"

"It is." I answered. "If they thought there was an enemy nearby strong enough to hurt them, they might take preemptive measures to neutralize the threat. This can cause our current tenuous situation to quickly spiral out of control. However, if we make it look like another lord is trying to get the upper hand, we can keep them fighting amongst themselves, which gives us time to build our strength. A house divided cannot stand, and I prefer not to give them a reason to unify."