A short while after leaving the library, and after having spent the meanwhile in conversation, both Serin and Mariel were reunited in the banquet hall, a resplendent hall with great windows overlooking the sea. Serin had been deeply surprised to find Mariel walking in together with the queen, and the banquet felt dragged out as she burnt up inside with question for her daughter. Mariel on her side had noticed the new addition to Serin’s dress, and she too was eager to ask about it.

The king delivered a lengthy speech and the pleasantries continued. Seated around the table were the spiritual heads of the seven faiths. Dedicated to: Yulie, Tyrik, Aeterni, Acrypha, Stavres, Rethinas and Skaldbar. A couple of families of lesser nobles, The commander of the city- and royal guards. A pair of foreign ambassadors whom spent more time talking among themselves, and some merchants from the city.

The banquet soon divided. The dignitaries and the lesser nobles and merchants moved on to the next room, leaving the archpriests, the guard commanders, the royal family and Serin and Mariel. The king ordered the doors shut, and the table cleared.

“My dear peers, friends, faithful… I wish to make an announcement.” The king began while a servant brought him a heap of paper.

“For a decade, building on the continuing stability, prosperity and progress of our small nation I wish to enact a great project.” The king waved his hand and the servant began passing the documents along the table.

“I wish for this nation to finally step out from the shadow of oppression, and offer not only freedom to the demonkin, but also work, safety, and rights….”

Before the king finished his sentence, a heated discussion broke out around the table.

“Silence!” The guard commander planted his fist on the table with a sharp bang. “My lord, please continue.”

“Some of you may be opposed, some of you may agree… That is why, I wished for you all to see that such an arrangement, impossible as it may be, is possible… Lady Serin, would you please stand… And you too Mariel, dear child.”

The two stood up. Mariel shot a glance at her mother and found some reassurance in her calm demeanour. She herself felt the gaze of everyone on her, and shrunk under the weight of their collective gaze.

“I beg your Majesty to leave my child out of this. I will happily be a political chip to be played, but my daughter does not need to be involved.” Serin protested.

“Mariel… Will you explain to us the feeling of wearing a magic collar?” The Queen interceded.

“Your Majesty!” Serin’s effort at protest were ignored.

“I… Um. At the moment of putting a collar on. A sharp pain shoots down one’s spine. Your eyesight dims, and you feel as if detached from your body. Every order is obeyed without hesitation… But the fear… The fear of doing something you don’t want to… And then do it anyway, experiencing it… Reliving it every tiny moment when sleep and tiredness overtakes you. It is a fate worse than death.”

Mariel turned to her mother and put up a brave smile.

“I love this city, but the way my kin is treated should not continue. I believe, that it would be better to let them be free, but I do not know what will happen if such a thing does occur.”

Mariel’s voice finally cracked and broke, and she tried to hide her face in her hands.

A round of hushed whispers began floating among the people present, before a man in a blazing red garb stood up.

“I… Appreciate the deeply touching story!” The archpriest of Tyrik roared. “But imagine what will happen! Revolt! Uprisings! Thousands of people will die at the hands of the oppressed demonkin!” Some agreeing nods were exchanged, mainly from the guard captains and the priests representing Skaldbar and Acrypha.

“But does not such a reaction prove that the mistreatment is real?” The priestess of Rethinas stood up as well.

“I concur!” The archpriest of Yulie stood up. “Lady Serin has shown her generosity, and is favoured by Yulie. Peaceful co-existence is a basic tenet of Yulie’s, I will support this notion!”

“As will I!” The next to stand was the Queen herself.” Mariel has remained a sweet, loving and cheerful child despite the horrible abuses she has suffered at -our- hands, by not acting on this sooner… I too will support this move.”

One by one, the other priests and priestesses ended their discussions. Around the table, comments of hushed approval appeared, and one by one, the representatives stood, along with the captain of the royal guard. Only the city guard commander and the archpriest of Tyrik remained seated.

“We have majority… But tell me, why does the city guard and Tyrik’s voice disapprove?” The king asked. The first to speak was the guard commander.

“My lord. My foremost duty is to maintain peace and stability. Therefore, I cannot support any motion that will unsettle this priority…” The commander heaved a sigh. “With that said, if your majesty desires to go ahead, the city guard will remain loyal and maintain the peace.”

“Thank you Arek…” The king nodded. “And what about Tyrik?”

“Tyrik will never support this motion… His honour is tarnished after the blasted demons got away with the Dragon Cliff Flaying.” He archpriest of Tyrik spat back.

“Will Tyrik’s followers openly oppose this development?”

“No… Any dissent will be swiftly crushed… But I must make you aware of his disapproval. A renewed war is inevitable!”

The king nodded. With a grave tone to his voice he declared: “Then we have union. As soon as the details are worked out, and we have concord with the land- and slaveholders… I will publicly announce it.”

The doors were opened, and the mingling began. Serin took Mariel aside and the two stepped out on the balcony, the cool evening air calming their vivid emotions.

“I didn’t mean for you to become a piece in a political intrigue.” Serin began but Mariel quickly hugged her mother.

“The Queen asked me to, and I agreed. This change can finally do away with that awful collar… And the sadness I see in your eyes every time you put it on me.”

“… Mariel.” Her mother struggled to keep her tears in, while closing her own arms around her.

“You’ve grown up so much… I am so proud of you…”

The two shared a bonding moment together, but before long, the door opened, and another person stepped outside.

“Well… I had a feeling this farce would be unpleasant and tried to arrive late… But here you are to brighten my evening.” The voice belonged to a tall, muscular man, with trimmed sideburns and wearing an imperial diplomat’s finery. Serin immediately pushed Mariel behind her.

“Wimar…” Serin sneered.

“Oh, I’m so happy you remember me! Here you are… Mingling among those above your rank and station… How far you’ve fallen…” The man sighed. “Oh but there’s no end to your shame Serin… Another daughter?” The man snorted.

In the blink of an eye, Serin was at the man’s throat, with a fierce spark cracking in her hand.

“You don’t want to do that… I’m an ambassador.”

“You are scum… A filthy little bootlicker with no honour.”

“Indeed? Says the confused little girl that ran away from her own wedding…”

“Be quiet!” Serin roared, but before she had managed to rip his throat out, he stumbled backwards and fell on his back onto the balcony floor.

“Mariel!” Serin finally understood. Her daughter had used the opportunity to move in behind him and kick his feet out under him. He now lay slumped out on the floor unconscious.

Immediate a couple of guards rushed the scene. “What happened here!?”

“This good man… He slipped on this slippery stone floor and hurt his head in the fall… He might need some first aid.” Mariel spoke very calmly and with a confidence her mother had never before noticed in her child. The two guards nodded and moved the unconscious Wimar from the balcony.

The rest of the evening passed in an uneasy silence. After the dust had settled on the debacle on the balcony, Mariel retreated back into herself. No matter what Serin tried, her daughter quietly refused her attention and remained separate. All of Serin’s attempts to talk to Mariel fell flat as she had long since retreated into her shell. Going back inside, they split up. The queen took Serin aside and the two women sat down with some refreshments in a quiet corner.

“Your majesty? To what do I owe this honour?”

“Your daughter actually… A magnificent child, brightest I’ve met, since you. The lengths she will go to ensure your happiness… As a mother I am jealous. My hot-headed son will not show me the same appreciation.”

“Our stations are different my lady. But yes, I love Mariel deeply, without reservation.”

The queen sipped her tea and nodded, deep in thought.

“How’s your husband doing these days, I cannot help but notice my invitation to him went unanswered again.”

Serin made a difficult expression and bowed her head apologetically. “He just does not wish to attend these parties… Speaking of attendance… You invited an Imperial ambassador here?”

An affirmative nod was followed by an exasperated sigh from the Queen, whom rubbed her temple with her free hand.

“Let’s just say the invitation was rather one-sided… And I didn’t know they’d send that snake to attend… I’m sorry for what happened.” The queen leaned a little closer and whispered: “As one woman to another though… I was hoping you’d punish him a little more harshly…”

Serin smiled sadly and nodded.

“I would have killed him, but Mariel prevented me… I’m sorry we might’ve broken down the relation with the Empire…”

“Not at all… In fact, that balcony is known to be extremely slippery. We have offered all the normal consolations… I doubt anything will come from it, but please avoid him for a while.”

Serin nodded. “I didn’t exactly plan to visit him or anything.”

“Serin, something’s on your mind…” The queen leaned closer and stared intently into Serin’s eyes, noticing her dodging gaze.

“No… I.” She began.

“Come on, I know you too well. Did the ambassador evoke painful memories? Or is it that I used your daughter for my political agenda?”

Serin nodded.

“Both then… I apologize, but all I did was to give her some details… She decided this on her own.”

Seeing that Serin was not convinced, the queen related to her what had transpired in detail.