words
The sickly heat engulfed the tent. Regardless of the quality of the silk, the summer humidity was nearly unbearable. The distant screams of agony would normally be unsettling, but with the victory that they had brought, Aestra was barely phased. She lounged casually on her chair, eating fresh peaches and fanned by an assortment of personal slaves. Slaves were commonplace in this part of the world, under Lady Helene or no, slavery was accepted and simply seen as a more honest version of peasantry - the Feudal lords loved to call slaves a crime against nature, happily ignoring the serfs bound to them. Rather than wearing the broach of Aestra's house, however, they wore the crest of Lady Helene herself - a red Spider. As it happened, Aestra was the mouthpiece of the realm today, and so was treated to the privileges of such. On her flanks were two colossal, pitch black spiders, their many eyes focused squarely on the delegation in front of them. They had come representing the exiles - recently defeated on the Fields of Athae, after amassing an army to overthrow Helene they found themselves hopelessly surrounded by superior forces, and now came to surrender.
"Such a shame that such heroic noblemen come to me in these circumstances" said Aestra, followed by a mock swoon, "I had never seen athletes like you before, running so fast from a fight. I almost blushed!"
"Aestra Austranaii. The admiration is shared" stoically replied the battered general before her, clearly trying to suppress any signs of emotion.
"Now now, Harmodius. I jest. Once this nastiness is past, they will sing of the brave survivor of Athae, who ended the bloodshed with words rather than spears. I shall dispose the formalities firstly" said Aestra, taking a final bite of the peach, "Do you acknowledge that you, Harmodius of Julocisii, commander of the Exile League, surrender to the mercy of Lady Helene, Tyrant of Dacaii, Mother of Spiders, Weaver of Webs, whom is represented by myself, Aestra of Austranaii?"
"I do, I swear this oath" Harmodius said, laying down his short sword before her. "I swear before the Gods of Old-"
"Your own God, please. We don't want any little theological denials later."
"Let's not stand on ceremony here, Lady Austranaii. You have terms. Speak them."
"Very well", yawned Aestra, "Speak, slave."
A young man bearing a red spider on his toga opened a scroll, and read: "All claims on the Realm of Dacaii, including the borderlands, shall be henceforth suspended, and therefore recognised as the sole personal demesne of Lady Helene of House Archanaii, ect. All slaves taken by the Exile League shall be ceded to Lady Helene and freed. All captured soldiers in service of the Exile League shall be pressed into slavery, excepting those of noble blood, who shall remain freemen under the protection of Lady Helene and banned from passage out of Dacaii. All surviving leaders of the Exile League captured by the forces of Lady Helene shall be granted amnesty on the account that they leave Dacaii within the next month and never return. Any attempts by exile noblemen to restore their claims on Dacaian soil shall be considered illegal from now until the end of time. Further still -"
"You get the idea", interrupted Aestra, "You may read the agreement in your own time. It makes for droll bedtime reading but you will certainly pay more attention than I do."
"The other families will never sign this" stated Harmodius, shaking his head, "They will not simply end their longing for the homela-"
"You've always been a brave little warrior, Harmodius, but you've never learnt to accept defeat. Your cohorts are dead. Kleisthenon died by my hand in the skirmish. Helius ran, and some outrider is wearing his toga now. You are the only leader left", Aestra retorted, "I do like you, Harmodius. I do not like trying to kill you, but I shall, as I have done for your closest friends, hunted down like rabbits. Sign the damned thing and you can start afresh across a sea. I could join you, if you li-"
"A seduction is not necessary, Aestra, this is not a song. I shall think on it. If I agree to this, it will be with heavy hear-"
"Then go, damned fool. You've until tomorrow morning. You've already agreed to surrender, a treaty is a privilege."
Harmodius and his delegation left without further comment, and Aestra collapsed back into the chair, gesturing for a slave to bring more food.
"Changed, that Harmodius has", she sighed, biting into another fruit, "no use arranging for an 'accident' now, he's already agreed to surrender".
She wiped her brow, decadence like this was not unappreciated, considering most of the time she was a cutthroat in the service of Dacaii, rather than a diplomat. She could certainly get used to it...
"May I speak, sister Aestra?" spoke a loud, deep voice.
"Bristleback, you always have that honour" she said back, as the giant spider on her left turned to her.
"They will break this agreement. I know little of the law of your people, but these humans are full of falsehood. It is in their very flesh."
"I don't disagree. But it is was Aeston wants and what the Mother permits."
"They will come again" said the spider, fidgeting.
"And they will come alone. Their is nothing their religion hates more than an oathbreaker. Do not worry, Bristleback. They are flies on our web."
Bristleback stared at her with his many eyes, yet she seemed unphased, but still he spoke, "My kin have died to the points of these men. Your people have a phrase for words such as yours, 'hubris'."
Aestra put her head back in laughter, "Oh, only if we've lost. I don't lose often."
Prologue: Aestra
The sickly heat engulfed the tent. Regardless of the quality of the silk, the summer humidity was nearly unbearable. The distant screams of agony would normally be unsettling, but with the victory that they had brought, Aestra was barely phased. She lounged casually on her chair, eating fresh peaches and fanned by an assortment of personal slaves. Slaves were commonplace in this part of the world, under Lady Helene or no, slavery was accepted and simply seen as a more honest version of peasantry - the Feudal lords loved to call slaves a crime against nature, happily ignoring the serfs bound to them. Rather than wearing the broach of Aestra's house, however, they wore the crest of Lady Helene herself - a red Spider. As it happened, Aestra was the mouthpiece of the realm today, and so was treated to the privileges of such. On her flanks were two colossal, pitch black spiders, their many eyes focused squarely on the delegation in front of them. They had come representing the exiles - recently defeated on the Fields of Athae, after amassing an army to overthrow Helene they found themselves hopelessly surrounded by superior forces, and now came to surrender.
"Such a shame that such heroic noblemen come to me in these circumstances" said Aestra, followed by a mock swoon, "I had never seen athletes like you before, running so fast from a fight. I almost blushed!"
"Aestra Austranaii. The admiration is shared" stoically replied the battered general before her, clearly trying to suppress any signs of emotion.
"Now now, Harmodius. I jest. Once this nastiness is past, they will sing of the brave survivor of Athae, who ended the bloodshed with words rather than spears. I shall dispose the formalities firstly" said Aestra, taking a final bite of the peach, "Do you acknowledge that you, Harmodius of Julocisii, commander of the Exile League, surrender to the mercy of Lady Helene, Tyrant of Dacaii, Mother of Spiders, Weaver of Webs, whom is represented by myself, Aestra of Austranaii?"
"I do, I swear this oath" Harmodius said, laying down his short sword before her. "I swear before the Gods of Old-"
"Your own God, please. We don't want any little theological denials later."
"Let's not stand on ceremony here, Lady Austranaii. You have terms. Speak them."
"Very well", yawned Aestra, "Speak, slave."
A young man bearing a red spider on his toga opened a scroll, and read: "All claims on the Realm of Dacaii, including the borderlands, shall be henceforth suspended, and therefore recognised as the sole personal demesne of Lady Helene of House Archanaii, ect. All slaves taken by the Exile League shall be ceded to Lady Helene and freed. All captured soldiers in service of the Exile League shall be pressed into slavery, excepting those of noble blood, who shall remain freemen under the protection of Lady Helene and banned from passage out of Dacaii. All surviving leaders of the Exile League captured by the forces of Lady Helene shall be granted amnesty on the account that they leave Dacaii within the next month and never return. Any attempts by exile noblemen to restore their claims on Dacaian soil shall be considered illegal from now until the end of time. Further still -"
"You get the idea", interrupted Aestra, "You may read the agreement in your own time. It makes for droll bedtime reading but you will certainly pay more attention than I do."
"The other families will never sign this" stated Harmodius, shaking his head, "They will not simply end their longing for the homela-"
"You've always been a brave little warrior, Harmodius, but you've never learnt to accept defeat. Your cohorts are dead. Kleisthenon died by my hand in the skirmish. Helius ran, and some outrider is wearing his toga now. You are the only leader left", Aestra retorted, "I do like you, Harmodius. I do not like trying to kill you, but I shall, as I have done for your closest friends, hunted down like rabbits. Sign the damned thing and you can start afresh across a sea. I could join you, if you li-"
"A seduction is not necessary, Aestra, this is not a song. I shall think on it. If I agree to this, it will be with heavy hear-"
"Then go, damned fool. You've until tomorrow morning. You've already agreed to surrender, a treaty is a privilege."
Harmodius and his delegation left without further comment, and Aestra collapsed back into the chair, gesturing for a slave to bring more food.
"Changed, that Harmodius has", she sighed, biting into another fruit, "no use arranging for an 'accident' now, he's already agreed to surrender".
She wiped her brow, decadence like this was not unappreciated, considering most of the time she was a cutthroat in the service of Dacaii, rather than a diplomat. She could certainly get used to it...
"May I speak, sister Aestra?" spoke a loud, deep voice.
"Bristleback, you always have that honour" she said back, as the giant spider on her left turned to her.
"They will break this agreement. I know little of the law of your people, but these humans are full of falsehood. It is in their very flesh."
"I don't disagree. But it is was Aeston wants and what the Mother permits."
"They will come again" said the spider, fidgeting.
"And they will come alone. Their is nothing their religion hates more than an oathbreaker. Do not worry, Bristleback. They are flies on our web."
Bristleback stared at her with his many eyes, yet she seemed unphased, but still he spoke, "My kin have died to the points of these men. Your people have a phrase for words such as yours, 'hubris'."
Aestra put her head back in laughter, "Oh, only if we've lost. I don't lose often."
Last edited:
