Chương 1122: 1152 - The Ocean's Desires

"I must make my protestation known once more," the Jaguar whispered to Leon as a party approached the edge of the misty veil, with the leader once again bearing a sword that had been nailed into its sheath above her head.

"The Kingdom relies upon you. Should we lose you, we lose everything."

"Then I'll endeavor not to be lost," Leon murmured. More seriously, he added, "Look upon our city and ask yourself: how much more can we take? How many assaults can our meager defending force weather before the enemy enters the valley and destroys all that we've tried to build? I don't think we can take even a single assault more." He jerked his head to the approaching party, still too distant to hear his words with the Jaguar.

"Not that they need to know that. Agreeing to entertain these peace negotiations on my own will help to project strength."

"Not going at all would also project strength," the Jaguar replied.

"Sending Clear Day at the head of a negotiating party would be a better plan."

"Only a King may negotiate with a fellow monarch," Leon responded.

"Though, she isn't a ruler in her own right, as far as I'm aware, it's still basic courtesy. If I don't go, then the negotiations might break down at a perceived insult." The Jaguar sighed. After Leon had agreed to negotiate at dawn, he and many of Leon's surviving advisors—the list of whom had grown worryingly small—had done their best to argue Leon out of going to meet with Princess Miuna, especially since she was insisting they meet in her palace, wherever that was.

Despite his words to the delegate the day before, Leon was willing to go through with it. As a Princess, her hospitality had to be inviolable. It had to be. If it wasn't, then no one would ever trust her. He was certain enough that, based on her position alone, her offer was genuine, but he couldn't deny his nervousness. After all, if her offer wasn't genuine, he would be paying the price. Whether or not Miuna's standing decreased or not wouldn't matter to him much if he were dead.

He cast his gaze back at his city, now nearly devoid of life as everyone who could so much as lift a brick was busy trying to repair as much of their broken defenses as possible before the next potential assault came. Even the Iron Order warriors were helping to clear debris around the southern Talon—Marcus still hadn't been found amidst the ruins, and Leon's heart rate accelerated a bit in worry and fury at the thought. His darkened gaze returned to the Diluvian fleet gathered in the south.

Whether or not peace was reached during his and Miuna's negotiations, he wouldn't be forgetting this as long as he lived. When the familiar delegate arrived, flanked by a dozen other women, she held the nailed sword aloft and declared, "WE ARE HERE TO INVITE LEON RAIME TO DISCUSS PEACE!" Leon gave the Jaguar one last almost sorrowful look before flying out to meet the delegates, flanked by Gaius, Alix, Clear, and half a dozen Tempest Knights.

Enough to guard him, but not enough to so intimidate his foes that they call off the negotiations.

"Leon Raime," the delegate coldly stated as he and his small party emerged from the dense mist.

"My Princess was most distraught at your refusal to come to her yesterday, but in her magnanimity, has agreed to your proposal to postpone negotiations until this moment." Leon bit back a retort about how noble and worldly the Princess must be if his postponing negotiations by barely more than twelve hours had her 'distraught', and simply said, "I'm already compromising by agreeing to meet with her in a place of her choosing. But we don't need to relitigate that, let's just be off."

A withering glare later, the delegate turned and led her group in the direction of the ethereal jellyfish, which had floated once more out in front of the Diluvian fleet far enough that he could say it was on its own. Leon and his group fell in behind her group, speeding to the jellyfish in less than a minute. As they approached, the glowing translucent surface of the jellyfish's bulbous head split open as it had for Terris less than a day ago, revealing the enormous teleportation portal within.

Without a moment's hesitation, the delegate's group dove in, and Leon, after indulging in the moment of hesitation that they skipped, dove in after them. Their group didn't linger long in the teleportation tunnel, getting barely a glimpse of the dark place before appearing on a picturesque beach. White sand, gentle blue water, and tropical trees not far in the distance made for the image of the perfect place to relax and live.

The delegate was already waiting for him in a pavilion of polychromatic marble beneath a roof of shining gilded tiles. His eyes were drawn to the marble statue of a nude man wrestling some many-tentacled sea beast. Giving him no time to observe his surroundings, the delegate imperiously called out, "Her Highness awaits!" She extended her hand to a long stone pathway leading further along the beach.

With his magic senses, Leon was able to sense some large structure just over a couple hills, but it was so heavily warded that his magic senses scattered before he was able to get much of an idea of how big it truly was. Leon led his people up the marble steps to the pavilion, breathing a quiet sigh of relief at the lack of armed guards that he could see.

However, the delegate's all-female group had been joined in the pavilion by a dozen women of incredible beauty, all dressed in similar gowns of purple sea silk and gold embroidery featuring various sea creatures. None of them so much as smiled, but all were fairly powerful at the eighth or ninth-tier. For such powerful mages to be little more than servants—at least, as far as their dress suggested—spoke volumes of the power that Princess Miuna possessed.

Silently, the delegate and her party escorted Leon along the stone path and over the hills blocking his view of the palace, revealing its splendor to him in its entirety. A palace of green marble and coral sprawled over the island before him, with pools, canals, and well-watered gardens filling the spaces between the complex's buildings.

Murals and statues decorated courtyards, all, as far as Leon could tell, featuring scenes of the ocean, and of certain men and women who shared amber eyes and hair conquering the threats beneath the waves. Into the palace the delegate led Leon, and through sumptuous halls and many doors of polished bronze. The wards weighed heavily about his shoulders, only growing weightier the deeper they moved through the palace, but Leon found it easy enough to stand tall.

They were led to a beautiful antechamber with seating for at least a hundred. The walls glittered with mosaics made from jewels showing the ocean and the island around them, while from the gilded bronze ceiling hung the skeleton of an enormous leviathan with a thick, stubby body and long, almost serpentine neck.

"Your retinue may wait here," the delegate stated.

"Only the two of us may proceed and enter the presence of the daughter of divinity."

"You would separate us from our King?" Gaius said warningly as he took a threatening step forward. The rest of the delegate's entourage looked as ready as Gaius was to fight, but Leon raised a hand, stalling him, and by extension, them.

"That's fine. I prefer speaking with fewer people around, anyway." This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it. Gaius bowed slightly before standing at Alix's side. His short display over, the heavy bronze doors opened, leading into a wildly ornate room.

Skeletons of fallen sea beasts hung from the tall ceiling, the floor was white marble streaked with gold, while the walls and ceiling were enchanted to show a scene from underwater, giving the illusion of having set foot into a palace beneath the waves. Beautiful multicolored fish swam just past the 'surface' of the enchantment, while just 'above' the ceiling lapped the waves, allowing the sun to shine into the clear water.

Coral and sea grass stretched to as far as Leon could see, while forests of kelp and other tree-like sea flora stretched off to one side. On that 'forested' side, Leon was able to see an alcove separated from the rest of the hall by a thin, sheer curtain. A thick carpet with several kneeling pillows sat in front of it, showing him exactly what he was supposed to do. But he was a King, and he didn't kneel. He strode over to the carpet and stood, facing the alcove, ignoring the kneeling pillows entirely.

On the other side of the sheer curtain, he could barely see the suggestion of someone reclining on what looked almost like a large bed or covered seat. He couldn't see much of her aside from long hair and what looked like thick robes.

"You dare …!" the delegate growled when she noticed Leon staring at where he thought the shadowy woman's eyes would be. He almost rolled his eyes at her reaction, until she declared, "It is punishable by death to look upon a daughter of the Ocean King! Turn your filthy gaze aside!" Furiously, the tenth-tier woman drew a polearm with a thin, curved blade at the end, and realizing her seriousness, Leon almost drew Iron Pride.

Then a powerful aura blew out from the alcove, freezing the delegate in the midst of her drawing her weapon. A sonorous voice followed, so melodious that it sent shivers down Leon's spine.

"That will be quite enough, A'Rei. I do not mind such behavior, uncouth though it may be." The woman obscured by the curtain spoke with a barely detectable accent that he couldn't place. In response, and with clear reluctance, A'Rei stood down, pulling her weapon back into her soul realm while retracting her aura. Leon scoffed as he, in turn, relaxed. Shaken more by the Princess' voice than A'Rei nearly attacking him, he said in a voice that subtly trembled, "You don't even allow yourself to be seen?"

"A certain… mystique ought to be maintained when dealing with those of lesser standing, should it not?" the Princess responded, a smile audible in her words.

"Depends on who you're trying to impress," Leon said, his voice much steadier now. Though her voice was attractive, it still didn't hold a candle to his wives, as far as he was concerned.

"Shall we get introduced, then?" she asked, "and see if we ought to be impressed with each other?"

With her cue, A'Rei stepped forward and declared, "You stand before Princess Miuna, Thirty-Third Daughter of the Ocean King, Chrysogennetos, Nobilissima of the Blue Court, Favored by the Waves, Keeper of the Golden Reef, Lady of the Blue and the Green Waters, Tamer of Leviathans, Vanquisher of the Blue Death, Most Honored of the Northern Currents, Protector of the Abyssal Confederation, Mediator of the Qwrazitine Marches, Peacemaker Most High, Lady of the Boiling Mountains, Strategitissa of Aluthor, Pon du Henri, Languearde, and Massiya, Despotissa of Eletriya, Jorgarde, and Kilea, by the Grace of the Wise and Powerful King of the Universe's Waters!"

As the titles continued, Leon found himself being surprised at the mention of the Princess being both a Strategos and a Despot. He hadn't thought she held such titles in her own right, though apparently she did. He couldn't sense her aura, but at the very least, it spoke volumes about her power.

Leon waited an almost awkward amount of time following the extended introduction before getting to his own, both mulling those titles over and wondering if A'Rei had actually reached the end of the Princess' long list of titles. He tapped his chest and, staring at the shadowy form of Miuna behind the curtain, said, "Leon Raime." An even longer moment of silence stretched following his introduction before Miuna finally said, "I was… expecting more, Leon Raime. Have you no titles of your own you wish to claim?"

Leon scoffed.

"My name is title enough." The Ocean Princess giggled, her musical voice echoing pleasantly in the grandiose room.

"Let us get to the point of our meeting, shall we?"

"We are here for peace," Leon replied.

"I am most eager to get to that."

"Then let us speak of peace." She paused a moment and her shadowy figure straightened up.

"You have fought against Despot Terris valiantly and honorably. I greatly value both of those qualities and wish to show you honor, in turn. I am willing to order Terris to pull his forces back and acknowledge your rule over this former border region."

"… But?" Leon said with an expectant smile.

"Nothing comes for free. What is the price of this generous concession?"

"I will not ask for your submission, Leon Raime," she replied.

"But I will make a price for my acknowledgment of your rule, lending my legitimacy to you, is a binding peace agreement between you and the Ocean Lords of the King's Ocean; an agreement on your part to maintain neutrality in matters between Ocean and Storm Lords; and finally, an equitable split between your Theme and my household of that Titanstone mine on the coast." Leon grimaced.

"Those terms can be interpreted as both generous and harsh. The peace agreement is easy enough to agree to, if on its face. Maintaining neutrality is harder to like. It sounds like you wish to prevent my Kingdom from making friends or allies amongst other Storm Lords."

"Then allow me to be clearer," Miuna replied.

"What I want from you is a commitment to never get involved in the conflicts between Storm Lords and Ocean Lords. Interact with your fellow Storm Lords as you wish, but do not pick a side if any Ocean Lord comes to blows with a Storm Lord."

"I can't guarantee that," Leon said.

"How about this? I'll promise to wage no offensive wars against the Ocean Lords without being given due reason." Miuna laughed again, but this time harsher and more condescending than before.

"And what is 'good reason'?" Leon thought for a moment, then said, "Why don't we maintain contact?

'Mediator' and 'Peacemaker' were some of your titles, weren't they? Should I ever have problems with Ocean Lords, I can commit to negotiating with you, or a representative you appoint, before waging war." Miuna remained silent for a long moment, hardly moving as far as Leon could see.

"I will amend my peace offer, then. You will consult with me to solve any disputes between yourself and Ocean Lords before any waging of war is to be considered. Should you go to war without my leave, then this agreement is to be considered null and void."

"That's… fair enough," Leon stated. How stifling it might be would depend entirely on how belligerent his Diluvian neighbors became. If Terris' leash was held, then he thought this wasn't going to be that onerous of a term.

"The Titanstone… I'm willing to agree to that stipulation. Despot Terris has invaded my land and stolen much of what I considered mine. Many lives have been lost defending Artorion, as well as trying to destroy it."

"Are you asking for reparations, Leon Raime?"

"They would go a long way to making me agree," Leon replied.

"We also have a number of prisoners that will require ransoming, if you'd rather not be seen giving me something for 'free'. As for running the Titanstone mine…" He trailed off for a moment as he thought about the problem. Half of the mine's output would already be a tremendous gain, and he was sure that there were other deposits around Artorion if that massive deposit was there. Still, he hated the idea of giving up on any resources that he considered his.

But he hated the idea of losing Artorion over avaricious claims to Titanstone. If he lost Artorion, then the Titanstone was lost to him anyway.

"I'm willing to agree to an even split," Leon said.

"But what I would insist upon is that all Titanstone already stolen by Terris is to be regarded as part of your split. Furthermore, each prisoner's weight in Titanstone will be exempt from this split. You would not receive any of the mine's output until that balance has been made up."

"How many prisoners have you taken?" Leon frowned and thought for a moment. Just over a thousand by his count, after all the fighting that had taken place over the past month. There had been opportunities for more, especially after this last clash, but given how depleted their manpower had become, taking even more wasn't feasible.

"One thousand," Leon stated.

"A few more than that, really, but I'll round down."

"If we agree to this ransom, all of these prisoners will be counted and weighed upon their return."

"I see no problem with that. Do we have a deal, then?" Again, Miuna quietly contemplated his offer, and he thought he heard the shuffling of some paper from behind the curtain.

"It is quite the large deposit…" Miuna murmured aloud.

"And Terris will not refuse to turn over what he's already mined to me… Very well, I can agree to that. The only question remains is who will operate this mine."

"My people can handle that," Leon quickly answered.

"No," Miuna responded.

"Half of the mine's operators will come from the Ocean Lords, to be chosen by me and my household." Leon smirked.

"Fine." Miuna nodded.

"It sounds like we have a tentative agreement, Leon Raime."

"That it does, Miuna," Leon replied, drawing a look of restrained, but white-hot fury from A'Rei. Miuna herself didn't say a thing about him ignoring her style.

"There is something we can do to make sure that the peace lasts…" the Princess said. Leon, his curiosity and alarm rising in equal measure, asked, "What?" Hardly missing a beat, Miuna said with the utmost seriousness, "Marry me."