” Let me be me Muffet! I’m not built for war. I’m built for Diplomacy! Yes yes sire. Send me to our attackers. I will score a truce. I will save us all from untimely death.” He said and scampered foreword almost crashing into a cluster of little girls, squatted as they watched the height of cowardice like they had never seen in their young lives. They fled away like church rats to avoid getting crushed by the dandy fellow who no doubt had lost it in life. Surprisingly, he gyrated just before he could touch the ground and paused with his legs wide apart from each other before gradually gaining his balance and standing up straight. Before sashaying closer to the king but was sober enough not to cross his boundaries. He didn’t have the luck of Luitsi and he knew it. Even death could not harm her.
” I’m afraid I do not know what we would be against. We have been in peace with the Coyote howlers of the north. They used to be our most ferocious rivals. It’s been a hundred years since the truce and no sword or arrows have taken a life. It’s difficult to say if they plan on attacking us or not, but that being said. Tomorrow you shall embark on a journey to the north and ask them if all is well. Ask them if our truce still holds and ask them if any irregularities have were spotted on their borders. Get all the answers and get back to me as soon as you can. Take at most a soldier with you.” Said Catori in his tenor of Majesty that reigned of nothing but effortless command.
” Oh North yes I like that. I have friends in the north. I will do as you have said sire. Trust me when I say this journey of mine is the best for the peace of this land.” Said Agiyon and bowed with his palms, vertically merged to each other. While bent, it exposed too much skin and then too much lines, till the little girls who had evaded his anticipated free fall, looked away from the horridness between his rears. They mumbled damning words for what their supposed leader was doing to their innocence. Hell no! was he supposed to get drunk and stagger towards them. Hell no! was he supposed to bow like a pregnant woman and exposed their sight to his horrid butt. ” Hell no ! Hell no Hell no!” Was the mantra that flooded the minds of the little girls as they disagreed to agree that he had scarred them for life or at least, half of it.
“Good. Leave tomorrow by the crow of the first cock” Catori said, took his gaze away from the drunk chief.
” Muffet. A great task of battle rest upon our shoulders we would need all the men and things of the clan to win this one.” He added, turning his attention to his sane chief.
” Yes sire.” He said and amassed his fisted hands over his red chest.
” This two people here are my friends. They are your friends as well. They may leave and they may stay. Do not harm them. Treat them with respect.” Said the nineteen years old king as he pointed to the duo. It was followed by a murmur in the crowd.
” That’ being said. Everyone is free to go leave. Let the preparation for battle start this very moment.” Said Catori and stood up to face his own fears. If Luitsi had saw Amelia as his wife, then his wife she was going to be.
” You do a great job leading so much people. Well done brother.” Said Maximin with a smile on his face.
” Thank you it’s not easy leading them. It takes so much time from life. I will need a loyal woman to stand by me in leadership.” Said Catori and turned his gaze to Amelia who smiled heartily and bowed her face to the ground. It didn’t go well with Maximin. He found her first and he wanted her a lifetime.
” Maximin you wanted to leave. Your wounds is a better condition. The stitches wouldn’t break anymore. A thing like you should heal fast henceforth.” He said and tapped the shoulder of Maximin who just smiled and stood rigid.
” Amelia, would you stay here or would you come with me to Cincinnati.” Maximin with a staged smile that screamed of the opposite of what he felt in his mind. Amelia was mum for a while not knowing how to react and not knowing what to say. she had a lot of things going up in her mind and a thousand possibilities to how things could possibly play out.
” Amelia.” Maximin called to her again and reached for her wrist, holding it in his hands. Catori did nothing but watch. Her heart didn’t know what it really wanted, there before was a wealthy fellow who brandished a promise of gold and silver and also before her was Catori who was blatant about making her his queen if she chose to stay with him. It was a difficult call and the fact that she generally had a phobia for humans made her hate the city the most. The Cherokee people appeared to be simple and primitive in their lifestyle. They didn’t look like people who were going to turn judgmental towards her. Here, no one knew her and her name was safe from their woes. In the outer world, her father was a famous politician whose name was mentioned whenever corruption was heard. There was no saving her from the woes of the city even if she washed her skin away.
” Maximin. Catori saved my life and then he saved yours to. War is coming to him and I don’t think I should leave him at this moment. If I did, then I wouldn’t be any different from the red clan chief. Would I?” She queried with her gaze still bent on the floor. Maximin could hardly believe what he was hearing. Indeed, her loyalty to her friends was as rare as diamonds and he was a fan of rear things. If she was doing this to chase him away then he wasn’t going to fall for it. He reflected quickly and decided to take the bull by the horn.
” Amelia.” He said in soft sotto voce, while still holding her hands. ” If we kept loyalty apart, who among us would you love?” He added in an emotional plea of understanding.
” Love and loyalty are never apart. I don’t choose between any two good options. If you must go then go Maximin. I will stay here.” She stuttered and slowly shrugged her hands away from his grip. She was too indecisive to bring her gaze to meet his. On the floor where her sight found its solace, she could see a drop of liquid pelt over it, sprang up a few inches high and descended to pelt on the floor again. It seemed to happen in slow motion. ” Was the strong man crying?” Her conscience pricked her to inquire. Slowly and verily she raised her gaze to meet his. She was broken into a million pieces by his teary eyes and She quickly took her gaze away from the charm they exerted on her whole being. She wasn’t strong enough to confront it. Catori stood still like the warrior he was, watching the Drama unfold. The loyalty in Amelia’s heart and the defiance in the heart of Maximin. He made it clear to Make Amelia his Queen, the very one whose life he had saved was now standing as a rival in clinching the Gem he had lately found. For the first time in many weeks. The mind of the warrior was getting infuriated. It was a feat even the gods didn’t want to see.