“If you wanted different garments though, all you had to do was ask.” I noted. “I’m sure Lymarith would be happy to make you actual garments more in your style, instead of these improvised scraps.”
“Will you just do it already?” She demanded curtly.
I raised a brow. “Do what exactly?”
“Anything!” She snapped loudly, “Beat me! Chain me! Starve me! Rape me! Whatever it is you’re going to do, just get it over with!”
The door to the hall opened and Creadean rushed in, fully clothed and ready. During her small tirade, Ki’Amura’s arms had shifted and the naked blade in her hand was now visible to my battle matron as she entered the room.
“You snake!” Creadean called, her hand flashing to her blade, and it was only my witts that got me in pace to catch her wrist before she sprang on the Shadow Elf.
“Creadean, stop.” I demanded.
“But she snuck in here to kill you!” Creadean exclaimed, “Look at her! Everything about this proclaims her guilt! If you hadn’t commanded her to stop, you could be dead even now!”
Ki’Amura had retreated to the corner, away from the enraged she-elf.
“I did no such thing.” I informed her. “Yes, she may have had bad intentions when she entered my room, but she chose not to follow them on her own.”
“What is going on in… oh, no.”
The rest of the household had gathered and at the sight, Diamiutar and Lymarith were clearly horrified and Narusil had gone pale. Heilantu was working into a rage, and Tavorwen had to push her way through to figure out what was going on.
Creadean was clearly the only one who hadn’t been in her bed, the night clothes worn by the rest were still creased from being slept in.
It didn’t help that in her fear, Ki’Amura had both hands on the blade and had raised it, pointing it at Creadean.
“I need everyone to, please, calm down.” I stated, careful to not word it as a command, but a request.
Creadean met my gaze for a moment, then moved to resheath her blade.
“Ki’Amura is just struggling to adapt. Everything is fine. No one is hurt. Nothing bad has happened. Everything is going to be okay.” I stated firmly, to both my matrons and to Ki’Amura.
Tears were welling up in Ki’Amura’s eyes, and I could feel the way her emotions were twisting and rolling.
My explanation seemed to help most of my matrons relax, though several were still on edge.
“May I have a few minutes to talk to her, then we can all talk and set everyone’s fears at ease?” I requested.
I could tell Creadean had objects. I understood them. Honestly, they were valid. Under any other circumstance I would totally agree with her.
Were I on Earth, a woman as strong and intelligent would never concede on this, but after a moment Creadean bit her lip, nodded and stepped out of the room. The rest of my household joined, some more willingly than others.
Ki’Amura was still wide eyed in the corner, knife clutched in both hands and held out at her chest level.
I sat on the bed, and motioned to the chair she’d been sitting in earlier. “You are welcome to take a seat.”
She stood there for another minute. Finally, her arms started shaking and she lowered the knife.
“… What is wrong with you?” She finally demanded. “You do nothing as you should and don’t act like any male I’ve ever heard of.”
I shrugged, “Well, as you probably know, I wasn’t born here. I was summoned. Maybe that’s the difference. Regardless of why I am the way I am, I’m me and that’s what I’m going to stay.”
I could see years upon years of distrust and caution fighting, telling her not to listen, but something in her seemed unable to resist.
Slowly, she walked over and sat in the chair.
“Thank you,” I acknowledged. “Now, I’d like to really talk. I understand there are a few things that are probably bothering you, and, unless I’m reading things completely wrong, you’ve never really had much of a say in your life, have you?”
“What do you mean?” She asked cautiously, “I’ve been able to speak, though it was usually better to hold my tongue.”
“Oh, sorry,” I noted, “Where I’m from, ‘having a say’ meant you got to choose things for yourself. So for example, choosing what to wear, what to study, where you go, what you eat… stuff like that.”
“I am… was… the daughter of the Queen of the Shadow Elves, there were many things expected… of me…” She replied, drooping like a wilting flower.
“Of course,” I agreed. “But now, while we can’t do anything about the sigil around your neck, what we can do is work around it and try to let you have some of that freedom you never had. That’s why you decided not to attack me, and to stay, isn’t it?”
She looked away, “… and I’m not hungry here.”
I blinked, “Oh, yeah. Ya’av doesn’t let your people conjure food, right?”
“Do not speak her name with such disrespect!” Ki’Amura snapped, then seemed to realize where she was and shrank in her chair.
“My apologies, I’ll try to be more respectful.” I noted.
“And it is not that she withholds the spells from us, the Bastard God of these so called ‘High Elves’ prevents our magic from working, and causes any such magic we capture to fail.” Ki’Amura countered.
That’s right, that was the propaganda that Risavis had talked about.
“Now, I could be wrong, but I was given to understand that X’thallion couldn’t actually do that. Something about it being outside his control or something.” I noted.
“… Well, yes.” Ki’Amura admitted, “But when he overthrew the Great Ya’av and drove her into the depths of Shadow, he captured the rest of the elven goddesses and bound them to him, forcing them to obey his will. So while it is outside his domain, his matrons, Noriva and Mythrin, work together to block the power of Ya’av.”
Well, at least the propaganda thought about some of the circumstances around their lies.
“How much do you know of all the elven gods?” I asked.
“Enough, but what does that have to do with… right now?” She demanded.
“Well, I was hoping that we could reach an understanding.” I admitted. “Trust is built on mutual understanding. Like I understand that I need to take care of you, and if you understand that I’m going to take care of you, then it will go a long way toward helping us be able to work and live together.”
“Your words are a bit strange.” Ki’Amura admitted.
“Sorry, it’s probably the translation magic at work.” I explained.
Ki’Amura blinked, “Translation magic? You do not speak the language of the elves?”
I shook my head, “Nope. It’s all translation magic. I just hope it’s better than Google Translate… It seems to be.”
Ki’Amura was clearly confused. “Goog… what are you talking about?”
“Nevermind. That’s not important.” I redirected. “Back to what we were talking about, I was hoping we could get on the same side here. Because you still seem convinced that the great Ya’av is the true God of the elves, and everything she has done is justified, but everything I’ve seen said otherwise.”
“Of course. You have been fed the lies of the ‘High Elves.” Ki’Amura acknowledged.
Then I had a thought. If only things were this simple back on Earth…
“Ki’Amura… I’ve spoken with the gods a couple of times… Would you be willing to come to the temple and try to speak with them? Surely the gods themselves can vouch for the truth.” I suggested.
Ki’Amura paled. She put a hand over her chest in mortification and the fear that crept through our bond was intense. “You would have me stand before the Great Betrayer?”
I cocked my head to the side, “Well, I guess his word wouldn’t be too helpful, but what about the other gods? They showed up when I was bound to my matrons in the temple.”
Ki’Amura’s eyes couldn’t get any wider, “You had MULTIPLE GODS appear before you?”
“They didn’t say much, but yeah, I think all fourteen showed up. The last time I went, only X’Thallion was there, but I think they’d make an exception…” I didn’t say it, but I was hoping it would work because of how happy X’Thallion had seemed about her.
“I would not wish to be in the presence of the Betrayer, and am unworthy to be in the presence of the Enslaved Gods or their deceived offspring.” Ki’Amura declared.
Note, the Gods of the Elves had God-Children among them. I was beginning to wonder if there weren’t parallels to the Greek and Roman gods or something going on, but then I remembered most religions had Gods having children becoming new gods. I guess even Christianity did with Jesus being God’s son and all, but there was some weirdness about being his son, but being him at the same time. That had never made sense to me.
“But wouldn’t that be the fastest way to prove who is right?” I pressed. “If you are right and X’Thallion has some sway over them, shouldn’t that become apparent? And if not, then they’ll be able to clear up the whole situation.”
Ki’Amura was clearly uncomfortable, but couldn’t seem to come up with an argument.
“If the Gods prove that X’Thallion is the betrayer… Then I’ll come with you to El’Muth’Ran, and help you bring justice to the elven world. But if Ya’av is proved the betrayer, then you’ll stay with me and help us. The worst that could happen is we get to walk and get some fresh air, and then we come back no worse off than we were.” I pointed out.
“No.” Ki’Amura insisted, “If the Gods commune with you as easily as you say, then the only reason they would stay away is if the Betrayer kept them away. So if they do not answer your pleas, then we will know of a surety of his guilt.”
That put a lot more pressure on this than I had expected, but it had been a gamble either way, and Ki’Amura just significantly raised the stakes. Part of me was very uncomfortable, because while I hadn’t read my bible much, I did know that the God of Earth didn’t like being forced to show himself. I really hoped the Elven Gods were more accommodating.