Jazmyn Kallarya

Sandstar, the capital city of Valdor

JAZMYN SAT IN the large audience chamber that hosted the meetings of the Grand Council, the only governing vessel above the power of the Queen. The theatre was a large half circle, rising up dozens of rows, and wide enough to seat two hundred in a single row. Every seat in the audience was filled with members of the Valdorian society, high and low, which was unusual for council meetings. Typically, very few attended besides the council members themselves and those who had to be there. But this wasn't a topic of settling a new village or increasing trade taxes, the matter for this meeting was was far more interesting, and far more intricate. Today was the day the Queen would disclose the rumor of the elves' existence, the day the council would decide what course of action they would take.

Next to Jazmyn sat the Kings Squadroner, Sir Miles Vallyrian. His black hair had grown longer and shaggy, and his chin beard had wrapped around to his ears and above his lips. His blue eyes were studious of the scene, the bustling audience chamber, and the buzz of their hushed conversations. He wanted to leave for Jorden almost a week ago, but Jazmyn insisted they remain for the council meeting. He scratched his jaw, and leaned over to Jazmyn's ear.

"So, you're more used to these council meetings than I am...how do these things usually go?"

Jazmyn had never missed a council meeting if she could help it. She found them interesting and enlightening. To her, life was a grand, quest for knowledge. She couldn't say the same for other the other scholars of her college, though. It was a pity her opinion was unpopular.

"Well, the council will open and recognize all present, and then the subject, in this case, the Queen, will provide her proposal to the council, then-"

She was interrupted by a thundering gavel, and the buzzing of conversation went silent. The members of the audience stood, as did the council members on their high seats. There were seven in total, four men and three women, spread out amongst seats upon their pillars. One pillar was higher than all the others, and a bald man with tan skin inhabited it. He had a graying black goatee, and a tribal tattoo covering half his dome.

"This meeting is now in session!" He boomed, his deep voice echoing off the round walls of the Council Chamber. He licked his lips, and looked around at the audience before him. "The council recognizes all present members of the Valdorian society, and its elected council members."

The six other council members laid comfortably in their chairs, some fanning themselves, others hardly listening or bolt upright.

"Who's the bald guy?" Miles whispered in Jazmyn's ear.

Jazmyn wanted to shush him, but figured he'd just keep asking. "That's the High Councilor, Vayrdin of Zerkus," she whispered back.

"And all the others?"

"Just councilors, be quiet!"

"The council now recognizes Aaliyah of Zandae, Queen of Valdor, daughter of Gerim, and patron of Family Zandae."

The queen emerged from a hallway that led under the audience chamber, and sauntered to the center of the chamber, before the Grand Council. She wasn't nearly as revealing as when Miles first met her, but still had a fair amount of skin showing. Her black hair flowed behind her back, braided all the way down. The members in the audience rose, and Miles looked around, rising hesitantly. Then the audience knelt, and Miles did so too, lagging fairly behind. He only hoped eyes were on the queen, and not on him. The queen turned to the audience and smiled, and held her arm up.

"Rise," she said, her voice smooth, like silk. The audience did so, and sat in their damp chairs. She turned to the council members, who now had set their fans down and were all sitting stiffly.

"You may present your case, Queen Aaliyah," said High Councilor Vayrdin. He sat, and fanned out his white, flowing robes as he did so.

The queen smiled, and looked around the audience chamber. "My people," she glanced back at the council members, "my council, we have long been a city of thought, of sophistication, of philosophy, a city where any man or woman could pursue their quest for knowledge and discovery, yes?"

The crowd murmured agreeingly, then shushed quickly as the queen spoke again.

"Our society was founded on such ideals, and have always strived to meet them, and to exceed them, and now," she held the gazes of different members in the audience, the council, "we have a chance to cement that, to carve it into stone, a chance to make history. A scholar, of the College of Nazor, and her companion, a man of Jorden," Jazmyn blushed somewhat at the small, anonymous acknowledgement, "has recently told me of their findings within the castle of the Red Ocean, the kingdom that shook the world nearly two moons ago.

"And my council," she said, facing the seven members on their pillars, "they have found history, the remnants of a lost species, relics of ancient time..." she paused, and nearly everyone within the audience held their breath. Silence filled the room, and the Queen drew it out as long she could, the words dancing on her tongue, eager yet patient to escape. "They have founds elves."

The gasping that occurred could've sucked all the air out of the room, straight out of Miles lungs. The noise that broke out soon after nearly deafened him. He could hardly make out any of the words among the chatter, even Jazmyn's, who sat just next to him. Her lips moved and moved, but nothing came out, nothing audible, at least. Any other time, he might have considered this a blessing. But this was not one of those times.

Finally, the gavel tore through the noise, a loud bang, and echoed off the walls and through Miles being.

"Silence!" Roared the High Councilor, stretching out the syllables of the word. He looked around, his face stern and his eyes squinted, making sure no lips moved. Finally, he cleared his throat, and looked down to the Queen. "If!" He looked around to ensure nobody had second thoughts as to speak, and then focused his skeptic eyes back upon the queen, "if...what you say is true, Queen Aaliyah, what would you have us do? What is your goal with this information, these...elves?"

Queen Aaliyah looked thoughtful, deep within her mind, her hands held together at her waist, her back long and straight. She looked every inch of a ruler, strong, firm, noble.

"I believe we have been given a great opportunity, from the Gods, the beings of the Heavens, at not only a chance for amazing discovery and study, but at a chance of redemption. We know the stories of the Revolution, when man united and overthrew the Elven race, but..." She bowed her head, exhaled deeply, and looked up to the audience, "it was more than an overthrowing. It was a purge, a movement to slaughter our ancestors, to rid the world of their kind. And it has brought us, the race of men and women, great power and freedom, but at what cost? Countless innocents lost in the name of only bloodshed, an entire species eradicated as if they were nothing more than a plague-"

"A species man was enslaved too, my Queen. The actions of the first men were just," argued the High Councilor.

"Were they?" The Queen challenged. Her lips twisted into almost a sneer, but not quite. "Was it justifiable to render an entire species extinct because they were slavers? Had they no redeeming qualities?"

High Councilor Vayrdin cocked his head, and furrowed his brow. "Do you attack our founding fathers? The men who gave us this land to rule? Do you mock them, and deny their actions as just and noble?"

Queen Aaliyah took deep breaths, and met the Councilor with hard eyes, unbowed and unmoving. "Yes, Councilor." Her words were strong and sincere.

"Blasphemy!" Shouted one of the other Councilors as he bolted upright, his jaw tight and teeth bared. "Our very own Queen, a woman sworn to uphold the legacy of our kind, shits on it now, before us all!"

The queen shot the councilor daggers with her eyes. "Watch your tongue, Councilor Ferris! I am still your Queen!"

"No Queen of mine would speak such traitorous words as you do now!"

"Councilor Ferris!" Shouted Vayrdin. "Guard your tongue, or have it removed!"

The Councilor sat back in his chair, his arms crossed and his face scowling. Aaliyah felt as if steam rose from her pores, as if red was all she could see. She hadn't executed someone in nearly eight years. Perhaps now would be a good time to remind the councilor of her power as queen.

Vayrdin turned his head back to the Queen. "What has you compelled to say such things, your Grace? That the first men were wrong in their actions?"

The Queen put her hands behind her back and stood tall with conviction. "I have been a scholar my entire life, before a woman, before a daughter, before a mother and before a queen. My life, and how I govern my people, have been dictated by my aptitude for knowledge since I was a child, and since I took the throne. Now, we have a chance to meet the very kind we extinguished, a chance to hear them speak, to learn of a time long lost. A chance to learn from the other side. To not do so would contradict what we as a city, as a people, have built for centuries. And that is why we raise the blue flag, High Councilor. To show the world who we are."

The look within the eyes of the High Councillor was of reluctance, of uncertainty, but they shut themselves not in defeat, but in acceptance as he sighed. "Queen Aaliyah speaks true, of herself and of our history." He banged his gavel. "The council will now vote. In favor of the Elven restoration, say for. In favor of extinction, say against." He looked down to his right, to the farthest Councilor, a woman dressed in robes of white and lavender, gold jewelry hanging from her neck and wrists.

"Councilor Phiala, what say you?"

She held the gaze of the Queen for a few moments, her eyebrows raised. She licked her lips and turned to High Councillor Vayrdin. "I say for, High Councillor."

Vayrdin nodded. He looked to the man next to her, a large man, bald and dressed in blue. "Councilor Zendir, what say you?"

The large man smiled beneath his beard, and nodded. "I am with Councilor Phiala. For."

The High Councillor nodded, and turned to the woman directly next to him on his right. "Councilor Diedrah, what say you?"

Perhaps the oldest of the council, the grey haired woman looked tired, and hardly alert. But she had been. "For, Vayrdin, I say for. Our Queen has made a very compelling case."

High Councillor Vayrdin banged his gavel. "The Right Council has voted For. What have you to say, Left Council? Councilor Derkin, what say you?"

The fat man lazily fanned himself, and opened his chubby mouth, folding his fat neck into many thick rolls. "I say for, High Councilor." His voice surprised Miles, he found it rather high in pitch. Certainly unfitting for a man his size and age.

"What say you, Councilor Sera?"

The woman, Sera, was young, beautiful, and scowling. "I am displeased with my fellow councilors, if I am completely honest. Not that it matters, as the majority has voted for...so...I suppose I shall as well. For." Her voice shocked Miles more than that fat man's did. She sounded more like a grumpy old woman than a young lady.

Vayrdin nodded. "Very well, Councilor Sera, your point made. Councilor Ferris?"

The scrawny man sat with crossed arms, his face in a sneer. "For," he said, hesitantly, and angrily, with a roll of his eyes.

Vayrdin banged his gavel loud. "The Councils have voted, Valdor will raise a blue flag! This session has ended!"

The councilors quickly left their stands as the chatter amongst the crowd broke out, the opinions of the concerned citizens going unheard. The queen was quickly ushered away by her guard, down through the small opening she entered through earlier, and Jazmyn sat quietly, her chin held upon her hand, much to the surprise of Miles. He cocked his head.

"You're awfully quiet...what's got you?"

Jazmyn turned to face him, subtle concern in her eyes. "We've raised the blue flag..."

Miles cocked his head, unsure of her demeanor. "Aye...I thought that was a good thing..."

Jazmyn neither nodded or shook her head. "For the elves yes, for me yes, but for the world," She shook her head, and sighed.

"It means war."