>>5688150“Everyone isss here,” you note, as the last few stragglers file in.
Olu bows his head in apology, but the Duelist just smirks and shrugs with a wink. She looks around for her 'opposite number' from among Wevenore's best, the Centipede Lancer, but she will not find them. Not right now. They're... Busy.
“Good. We have much to consssider, and to disscusss, for the future of our Bloodrise Kingdom, and the Coming Age!”
There is a chorus of assent, some more enthusiastic than others. The Bastard, you note, is among the more muted—unfortunate, and surprising. He is far from defiant, of course, but you sense his simmering irritation. Perhaps he feels slighted, that of the three great generals of the recent dwarf-war, only he was excludes from your meeting? Well, you will resolve that soon enough. First, though…
“We are a kingdom in truth now,” you continue. “NONE can deny uss! But I will not rule alone—for sso great and diverssse an emprie ass we are forging, we need more than a sssingle ssovereign, however great. We will have the input of two new memberss of this counccil… Membersss of the Royal Family!”
This sets off another round of whispered discussions. You pay them no heed—you have considered it well, and made your decision. You will not be deterred.
“Bloodrise will have itsss Dragon King… And itss Dragon King shall have THREE Queenss!”
“Three?” asks Eka’ eyebrows ascending her forehead in surprise and startlement; after all, she only just learned of the Novice, and does not yet know of who the third might even be.
“…Three?” asks the Novice, her own eyes narrowing. “You cannot mean—”
You were not so mad as to bring your entire brood with you—not so young, impulsive, and predatory as the wyrmlings are. You left the Lancer—beleaguered, exhausted, but still willing to oblige you—to keep them from killing each other or anyone else. This convenient babysitter in turn freed up your first mate—and newest ‘wife’—to attend. She now crawls through the doorway to the chamber, her forwards section easily entering but the great girth of huge bulbous body and eggsack behind it a trickier proposition that requires some manoeuvring.
Your council watch this with trepidatious silence. The Novice Fleshweaver, lowers her head into her hands and hisses quietly in consternation; Ekaterine cups her own mouth with her hands in a quiet gasp, regarding Glowie with open (if silent) horror.
Not… Not the BEST start, no.
