The Tail of the Sword and Shield #Wattys2020

Chapter 19: Negotiations Don't Go As Planned

The kiss scene between Cordelia and Volsair was edited for clarity.
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During the negotiations between the Dragon King, represented The Dragons. The Fae Queen, represented the Fae. Alkanos and Volsair represented the humans.

The negotiations took place in a smaller dining room, but none the less opulent. Hardwood furniture shined with gilded legs. Golden chandeliers hung from the ceiling. A thick rug was under the dining table and chairs. Multi-paned windows like double doors, a foot from the floor, were closed with a latch. With a view that faintly showed the closest peak through a field of moderately falling snow.

Because of the timing of the negotiations, a moderator could not be found. To amend this, each party, wrote on a piece of parchment. Each party vowing to be willing to work with each other to depose the King of Eldoria and to instate Alkanos as King. If possible to avoid an all-out war.

Then each member signed their full name and title with the document. Once signed, all the parties were magically bound to the promise.

***

Meanwhile, Cordelia worked on her embroidery, while sitting on the love seat in the common room. She worked in methodical concentration on the pattern she had come up with.

"Cordelia, mind if I join you?"

Cordelia looked up, from her needlework. "Oh, Imelda. Go ahead."

Imelda sat in the armchair across the low table from the love seat. She brought her embroidery supplies out of her sewing bag and picked up on her project where she had last left off.

They worked in silence for a few minutes, then Imelda asked, "So...why aren't you at the negotiations?"

Not looking up from her work, Cordelia said "I'm a Siren. The ocean governs itself. Also, I've been away from the sea for so long. I severely doubt I would know how it will affect it."

"Okay then...But it will affect you, so why sit it out?" Imelda asked, threading the bright green thread through the eye of her needle.

"I'd be ready to choke too many people," Cordelia said, accidentally pricking her finger with the needle. "Ouch," she hissed, she wiped the blood away, examined her finger, then went back to her needlepoint. "Besides, it's been almost a year since I last worked on embroidery. I don't want to fall out of practice."

After switching the color of her thread to a deep maroon, Cordelia asked, "How long had you been waiting in the ice cave?"

"Since Prince Alkanos left to see his father." Imelda responded.

"A few months?!" Cordelia exclaimed, losing her needle, "How on earth did you last that long?" she asked, looking for her needle.

"In Dragon form, if we eat a big enough meal and take a nap, a Dragon can last a long time. But eventually, we will need to find food. That was when Alkanos pulled the sword." Imelda explained.

"You just said, Alkanos instead of Prince Alkanos. How-OW!" Cordelia yelled, finding her missing needle. It had wedged itself between the love seat cushion and arm.

"Are you alright?" Imelda asked, looking concerned.

"I'm fine. Just found my," Cordelia muttered something, "Needle," she pulled out her needle, wiped away a drop of blood, then re-threaded her needle. "As I was trying to say...you had called Alkanos by his name, instead of Prince Alkanos. How come?" Cordelia asked.

"Isn't it obvious? I know I favor my brother more, but still...alright, fine. I called him that because I'm Alkanos's aunt. I'm the King's sister, Alkanos's mother was our sister. Same parents for all three of us." Imelda said, with a you didn't know? look on her face.