Tales of the Pearly Kingdom (Pearly Tales Vol. 2)

153. Declaration of War

[Days to Ragnarok]

[9 days]

Shayley was justifiably worried by the sight of the Nobles who had called her to a council. All the major players were here, between her enemies and her allies a dozen and a half elegantly dressed souls stood before her throne.

The last few days had only gotten worse, despite all their best efforts, her people were still vanishing at an alarming rate and the riots only continued to increase. They weren't just the refugees either. Many protested the guild, believing the Guildmaster was unworthy of his position and standing. Whether they were jealous that he had gained too much influence too quickly, or that he could have done more since he knew about the coming armies. Word had only recently gotten back to them about the fall of the great elven city of Moytirra.

Even though it was one of the largest if not the largest elven City-state in the northern forest, they were one of the most hostile groups towards Calphian and had done everything except declare open war against them... again. The reason why was because they used to be the capitol of the largest of the four northern nations of the elves. But after their king and army vanished due to the last war against the City of Perils they had suffered the biggest loss. The Elven nations dissolved into warring city states for a time until it was clear no one had the manpower left to establish a new elven nation due to the massive loss they all suffered against the High Elves of the City of Perils.

Nobles dissatisfied with those City-state nobles moved to the Pearly City as refugees during that warring period. These same nobles and their descendant raised their own political power within the Pearly city and were incredibly put off by the loss of the cultural City of Moytirra.

"Cultural City" meant less than nothing to Shayley. It meant they had once had the backing of gods she didn't care for and lost it. It was a city of spoiled children who only knew how to point their finger at someone else and blame them for their troubles. A dishonorable legacy left by the once great king Cornelius. In her opinion it was no huge loss that it had disappeared overnight. They'd been openly hostile and rudely rejected her offer of alliance and the reparations that she tried to pay.

GOOD RIDDANCE!

The nobles paled when she made that sentiment. It had been their homeland once... the homeland they'd abandoned. She couldn't understand why they were losing their shit. Unlike the Dravenkin or the original high elves of the Pearly city, the pale elves of the northern forest cared about a great many things she'd never been able to understand. Clera had often advised her to be sensitive to those though, since the nobles often(not always) reflected the opinions shared by the pale elves that had been in her care.

They did manage to bring up an important point. That city had been turned into a powerful undead army, and those undead had split into two groups. One headed north, away from the kingdom of Calphian on the east shore, and went to conquer the other elven City-states. The other made their way west to the beastkin nation. She had already sent a message to them to warn them of the coming army.

But the Nobles wouldn't shut-up! She repeatedly refused to send any reinforcements to the elven cities. If she did, she knew she'd be sending them to their deaths. They wouldn't welcome her armies, and her fragmented forces would never stand a chance against the undead horde.

The undead army was essentially killing her enemies for her... another sentiment that the pale nobles didn't share. And for every reason they had to compel her to action she broke with the reasoning of a warrior queen.