~Mirandiona💎

I was on my way to the council chamber when a loud shriek had my head whipping around to find the source of the noise.

Ovah was bounding up behind me with glee at my safe return. Trotting to a stop at my side, he lifts his head and rest it on my breast.

I ran my fingers through his soft downy feathers until I came to one of his large pointed ears and stroked my thumb across the lush fur.

Lightly pushing on his head he gets the signal and backs away a couple of steps.

Turning back down the corridor I continue on my way to the council meeting. Ovah happily trotted by my side and turned aggressive whenever someone passed by.

He was an amusing companion if nothing else.

Making it to a large set of dark wood double doors guarded on each side by a royal guard fully armored with a large spear in hand and short sword at their sides.

One moved to open the door while the other stayed visual. They were trained to be no other way and it had to have taken them both centuries to be considered good enough for the Royal guard, they certainly weren't going to risk their jobs by slipping up in front of the queen.

Walking through the open door with Ovah close behind I step into a room full of chaos. Men and women alike shouting at one another. Not a soul in the room was quiet.

"Silence." I lift my voice just over the din of the rooms occupants.

The shouts and rants ceased and the room fell into an abrupt and thick silence.

"Would someone like to explain why you are all screeching at one another like a pack of wild babbo's?" I ask, my voice dripping with disdain from their actions.

There was a long pause were no one answered, most wouldn't even look up. Finally a man with blended pink and white wings spoke up.

I recognized him as Saltur the head of messengers and communications between Skyris and Ocenalos.

"Word has been sent by his majesty, the Deamon King of Ocenalos. They request aid in the form of supply to fight a war that has been declared against the throne. Open fights and warfare are already underway." He answers with a solemn air. "No trade will be accessible between us until all war like actions have secede."

All war like actions. That would be the issue. If the Deamons have fallen into a war and we can not open trade with them, our economy will be severely hit. Darqira will doubtlessly be effected and that will cause countless repercussions throughout Skyris. And if our economy falls, the rebels will declare war and anarchy will no doubt follow soon after.

Closing my eyes I take a deep breath and calm my racing thoughts. Letting the air out in a slow stream I open my eyes and level my gaze at the rooms occupants. All eyes in the room were now on me, waiting with bated breath for my response.

"We will not be sending any form of aid to the deamons." I state in an unwavering voice to make it clear that this decision would be final.

"Why not?!" A woman with light blue and green speckled wings spoke up. "They need our aid, and if we can not trade with them how will we keep our own economy running smoothly?"

My wings flicked in slight irritation, today was not the day to argue with me. "Because we do not know how long this war will be and we'll need all of our resources to fight off the war here that is already knocking at our doorstep. We can not give them recourses, because we have none to spare." I almost snarl at the impromptu woman.

The room falls silent once again at my decry. "As you all know, it pains me to say this." Avar's baritone voice fills the silence. I brace myself for what he is about to say, but find my self flabbergasted by his words anyway. "The Queen is right. We are too close to war and offering any aid to them will only hurt us."

Sounds of shock fill the room as people look around in bewilderment. Never in my century long rein had anyone heard Avar agree with me on anything.

As shocked and suspicious as I was, I had to be grateful to him for cementing my decision. If Avar agreed with me, then the others had no reasonable argument to disagree and fight my decision.

"Is there any other matters that need to be discussed?" I ask the room.

"Rebellion soldiers are being spotted more frequently and there is talk of them hiding amongst the ranks." Another woman with dark brown and red tinged wings responded. Her name was Zyna if my memory was to be trusted, she was the military minister and a friend of Katal. "We have yet to find completely credible proof of this allegation."

"Look into it, no matter if the information is credible or not, matters of security are to always be looked into. Especially now." I state, my voice resonating with all the authority in which I held. There was no more time to waist and prepare. The effects of trade cut off would be rippling through the kingdom within the next few days. Time was of the essence.

"Yes, your majesty." She answered dutifully.

"Are there any farther matters that need immediate attention?" I ask the room once again.

"No, your majesty." Echoes around the room as they all answer.

"Good. All of you get back to work." I dismiss. They all started to file out the door behind me but paused at the sound of my voice. "Except for you Avar." I speak up as he begins to make his way toward the door.

Stopping he gives me a measured look as he waits for the others to leave. He wasn't the only one who gave me a strange look, but one scathing glance around and the room quickly emptied.

"Yes, your majesty." Avar ask in his usual obnoxious tone of speaking.

I did not respond right away, I simply stood there and studied him.

Ovah was now jumping onto the table to take a seat a few feet away from the man and starred at him with an unwavering predatory glare.

That was another thing I could always appreciate about the quirky gryph, he always knew who to unnerve and who he needed to play nice with.

Avar starred at me with a locked gaze but not all of his attention was on me. As entertaining as it was to watch Avar squirm under Ovah's scrutiny, I needed the mans full attention.

Clicking my tongue Ovah swivels his head around to look at me. Meeting his gaze he obediently stands and trots across the table, jumping to the floor he takes a seat at my side.

Resting my hand on his head I turn my gaze back to Avar. He was noticeably calmer and now focused his full attention on me.

I still didn't speak, I wasn't entirely sure what to ask first. Why he decided now to listen and support my decision or why he went to such lengths to try and hide important matters from me that could very well determine wither this kingdom falls into a devastating war or not.

"Is there a specific reason I was asked to stay behind at this time?" Avar asked in his usual irritating tone with an undertone of agitation peaking through his voice.

"I'm sure you can answer that yourself." I answer, not taking my eyes from his dark gray irises.

I absentmindedly stroked Ovah's head making him purr contentedly. A deep rumbling sound emitting from the very core of his chest.

"Are you going to punish me for taking your side in an argument that could determine the fait of this kingdom and its people?" He almost sneers.

Keeping me lips in a neutral expression, I swallow a snarl and speak. "Punish you, no. Though I am rather curious about that fact. Of every decision I've made to avoid this very predicament you have fought tooth and talon against me. So it's only natural I would question why you suddenly agree with me now of all times."

The edges of his lips twitch down but he shows no other outward sign of distaste about our conversation.

"Because this time I agree completely with your decision, we can not afford to spare resources in this time before war." He answers. "Nowhere in the world has there been a war since The Purge of Fire. Unless we are counting the disagreements and few scrimmages that still arise from minor conflicts with the Lycanthrope tribes."

I didn't respond right away, he was right and I had spent the last century of my rule trying to dissuade the rising issue of civil unrest and prospect of war that I inherited along with the throne. The Purge of Fire was over a million years to date. We lived in peace for that long, we didn't know how to deal with war or how to fight one. I didn't know how. But it was looking more and more like we would all have to learn.

"It may not always seem like it but I am on your side, your majesty." He says this in such a sincere and respectful tone that it throws me off.

It takes a moment longer than it should for me to respond. "That remains to be seen." I state turning my back to him and leaving the council room with long confident strides.

The light click of talons behind me calms my nerves, not much but enough to be grateful for.

Entering the the hall I make my way through the labyrinth of corridors until I reach the library.

Grand doors stood open letting bright sunlight spill into the hallway from the far wall that was entirely made from a strong fire forged glass substitute. The main floor was large with towering bookshelves forming a maze around the rooms curved walls stopping against the glass. More book selves lined the balcony walls but left a clear open path around its outer rim and along the back wall slowing for all the sunlight to shine through the glass and down the immaculate marble stairs.

The railing along the stairs and balcony were made from the same type of ivory found throughout the rest of the castle. The floor was tiled marble with swirls of black, white, and gray. The giant bookshelves were made of carved dark red wood with gold accents. But it all paled in comparison to the vibrant array of books filling every slot, some lay in stacks or left open on the large tables arranged around the open space of floor not occupied by the bookshelves.

Thousands upon thousands of books some were new but most were centuries old, there were even a few saved from before the Purge of Fire. Many of these ancient scripts had to be translated to our script. If what I remembered from my studies was correct we spoke the same language they did but somewhere along the way our writing took a massive shift changing from one symbol to another entirely.

I was after one such book, sapiens were best remembered for there inane knack for war. Hopefully there greatest fault would help me now to prevent us from total devastation.

~💠~

Sighing for the millionth time in the past five hours my frustration gets the better of me and I hurl the leather bound book. Where it landed I didn't know, nor did I care.

I searched high and low along the spines of every ancient book and read countless pages searching for any information, anything that could help me fight this impending war. But no matter how many books I read how many sentences I scrutinized there was nothing.

I suppose I should have seen this coming, the first angelo scribes wouldn't want to copy a book of warfare they had already fought for life in the Purge. Why would they want to write about more war and fighting.

Sighing once again fall back against the bookcase, my wings taking the blunt of the force. Running my hand through my hair I pull the glossy black locks to one side and fiddle with ends as I focus my gaze on the ground.

I was thankful no one was there to see me, not even Ovah who left after the first three hours of watching me search through stacks upon stacks of old manuscripts in a fruitless endeavor.

"You'd get along well with my daughter." A voice sounds from above.

My head snaps up so fast I'm afraid I may have injured my neck. But my focus stays on the woman leaning against the balcony railing above my head.

"Why aren't you being questioned?" I ask ignoring her statement.

The other woman actually has the gall to smirk and give a low chuckle.

My jaw twitches in irritation but other than that I manage to keep all signs of annoyance off my face.

"That was finished up a while ago, and your precious guards left me in a room all by myself and expected me to stay there." She says in way of answering both my spoken and unspoken questions.

"I see. How long have you been standing there?" I ask before pushing myself off the bookshelf and squaring my shoulders.

"Long enough to wonder what has the queen searching so dutifully through ancient books."

"Are you always this charming or am I special?" I ask with a fake smile.

"If you don't like my attitude, wait until you meet my daughter. She couldn't care less about what other people think of her and doesn't spare a thought about others half the time." The older woman shoots back.

"She sounds delightful." I half mutter turning my back to the balcony and the woman standing on it.

A low chuckle has me listening to her whispered words as I walk away. "You two really would get along."

Ignoring the statement I continue at a brisk pace out of the library. No one gets along with someone like me.