XXXII

Eclia Meeting MXXII

After the standoff with my in-laws, Anastasiya and Rurik came to get the four of us. Rurik seemed to have a stoic look on his face, and almost a scowl when he looked at Minjun. I'm guessing nobody ever told King Rurik that he has to play nice and be neutral with the other Kingdoms.  Rurik guided us through the hallways and through the House of Ice. Ana was standing right next to him, their hands together, and walking in time together. Everything about them was in sync. Rurik was one to lift up his free hand and to flick his wrist against the office doors. The double doors open, scraping against the floor, and opening to a room full of Eclia leaders. I walk in and the room is huge, an obvious meeting room with the big roundtable in the middle of the room. There's chairs all around the table and everybody is sitting, except for Nova. She's standing behind my father's chair, up against the back wall, against the bookshelves. She holds her hand up and gestures for me to stand against the wall with me. So I walk to the bookshelf and I stand next to Nova.

"Trouble with the in-laws?" Nova asks me in Embery, and thank the Gods she does. I'm not really wanting to explain everything in Draconei. From my view in the back, my father is at the end in front of us. From his left and circling around it goes: King Devyan Naidu, Princess Kiara Naidu of Baingani Storm, King Minjun Cha, Prince Jaejin Cha of Black Soul, King Asad Elmi, Queen Eniko Kardos-Elmi, Princess Calaso Elmi of Dahab Mountain, Queen Anastasiya Vasiliev, King Rurik Vasiliev of Bely Glacier, King Diego Serrano, Prince Néstor Serrano of Turquesa Costa, Queen Khepri Badawi II, Princess Lapis Badawi of Alsada Shadow, and finally on my father's right side, King Souta Aikawa along with Princess Setsuna Aikawa of the Shinchu Fire Kingdom. All of them are here, it reminds me of the day when I came to Red Blaze. It reminds me of when I saw most of these Kings around my father's round table when I first saw my father after how many years. Anastasiya is the first to clear her throat and all heads turn to her.

"This year is Bely Glacier's turn to host this year, meeting number 1022, and here is to another year of a meeting of Eclia leaders," All the leaders applaud and Ana smiles, "I'm going to implement a new recording system that way we don't need a transcriber from the outside no longer, just a device that we can put with the other files in case we need to go over it once again."

"Did King Rurik spend too much on his shoes again, Queen Ana?" It's Prince Néstor Serrano who makes the jab, Orion, and Rurik smile.

"Not this time, Néssie." Rurik winks and Néstor rolls his eyes at the ridiculous nickname.

"Okay boys," Ana rolls her eyes, "It's just a recording and camera device. Sounds good? Any objections?"

"Why not type it up? Isn't it easier than watching us and waiting for us to say something about the certain information you are looking for?" It's my Uncle, King Asad Elmi.

"I will be transcribing it before the next meeting. I am stating that whoever's Palace it resides at, the ruler should transcribe it so that we have no traitors to later exterminate down the line." Ana says, calm and collected. I bet that her parents are proud of her. No one objects so she sets up four tripods, set up against every wall of the room, pointed towards the table. Maids pointed them and settled them, I heard them click the button to record then escorted out of the room.

"Numbers, let's get this over with." Queen Ana says with a deep sigh. "When I call your Kingdom, please give me your stats from the past year, but I will state my Kingdom first. On Economics, we are up by five percent from last year-" I stopped listening after that. I didn't care about numbers or anything about that. I cared about the thought of what these leaders were going to say when they found out I was the youngest son to Lucijan, that I am also mated to the enemy Kingdom. I am forever tied to him and there's nothing else I could've asked for other than that. 

"My in-laws cornered me," I whisper to my sister, who whips her head to me as they continue to speak with one another, "They saw the crown on my head and the mark on my neck."

"And? How well did that go?"

"He's going to give us the treaty, Nova. No spinning the narrative. Just... giving her freedom back. All of our freedom." I told my sister and she couldn't help the small smile that spread across her lips.

"Pluto, that's great, that's really great-"

"Now that we've gone over the numbers from the past year, we need to go over a few other things." Queen Anastasiya speaks up and I look at her, paying attention again.

"A list of new announcements, we'll go by Kingdom. First one is Alsada Shadow, Queen Khepri Badawi II." King Rurik takes over for his Mate and we all look to the Queen. Lapis Badawi looks just like her mother, Lapis has the same mouth and nose of her mother. The same beautiful black locks that are both in layers, resting across their shoulders.

"None from the House of Toxin." Lapis announces to the table and to Rurik who nods once.

"Dahab Mountain, King Asad Elmi and Queen Eniko Kardos-Elmi." Rurik asks.

"The Crown Princess would like to announce something, actually." My uncle tells the room and Calaso looks shy, that behind the dark skin we can see her subtly blushing.

"I have met my Mate, he should be presented here, at the next meeting we attend."

"Name and profession?" Ana asks and grabs her notepad, along with a quill.

"Xirsi Ali, Sky High General of Dahab Mountain." Calaso responds and Ana writes more. It was impressive who her equal was. Sky High General's are mostly explained with the name, but they were the ones who started as a Warrior, to General, to High General, then when they learned Draconic and bonded with or if with a Dragon, they were granted the position of Sky High General. They called the shots from the Skies, always knew who was flying in the sky, and always knew if an enemy dragon was in their skies of the Kingdom they worked for. It was an impressive position, only the best of the best were able to make it past High General. I don't know why my sister never wanted anything to do with the position, but of course, Sebes Vereb, the 67 year old man was sitting on my father's senile court.

"Baingani Storm, King Devyan Naidu." Rurik asks and Devyan nods towards his daughter, the heir.

"I have found my Mate." It's hard to hide my smile so I cough into my fist. Nova swears in Embery and looks down at her feet.

"Name and profession?"

"Don't remember. I'll find out." Princess Kiara says and Nova snaps her head up, squinting her eyes.

"Don't remember? I am going to gut her like a fish." Nova angrily  whispers and Orion turns his head, to look at the both of us. Orion brings his finger to his lips and makes a shush sound.

"Shut up, you two." Orion snaps and turns back around in his seat.

"Kardos family, anything you would like to add?" Ana asks us from across the table, all the leaders turned around to watch us. My father looked at the three of us and sighed heavily.

"I am going to act like I am yelling at you stupid children! So I will say it once, quiet or I will send you in the hallway." My father snaps at us in our language, and I nod once.

"Turquesa Costa, King Diego." Ana ignores us and Jaejin is staring at me with his mouth pulled in the corner, as if he's trying not to laugh at us.

"Prince Néstor Serrano has found his Mate, Valentina Rojas, she's the daughter of my Accountant. She currently helps her father with my invoices. She'll be here next year as well." King Diego explains and Néstor nods. Anastasiya nods and again, writes in her little notepad with the quill in her hand.

"Bely Glacier has no announcements, other than Princess Anya Vasiliev will be residing in Baingani Storm as an ambassador for Bely Glacier, starting next month." Ana says and I'm surprised but not really anymore. Anya is Anastasiya's little sister. She was young when the accident happened and Ana had to stand up to the plate to raise her. She just turned 19 yesterday.

"We will welcome her and let me make this clear, Queen Vasiliev, she will be treated like she is my sister that I never got to have." It's Princess Kiara who promises and Ana smiles at her, then gives her a polite nod.

"Shinchu Fire, King Souta."

"Princess Setsuna has found her Mate as well, his name is Genji Sasaki, he's the heir to my Royal Spymaster that is to take over when Setsuna takes the throne."

"Red Blaze?" Ana looks up from her notepad and Rurik is on the edge of his seat. Here it comes. I stand next to my father who is still in his seat.

"We have an announcement," My father clears his throat, "The young man beside me is what all of the Kingdoms known as Prince Jaejin's second in command, Pluto Kwon, but that's not it at all," My father tells the leaders and I gulp, know what's coming next, "His name is actually Prince Pluto Zorán Kardos III, youngest child to King Lucijan Kardos and Queen Astraea Kallis-Kardos." Gasps circle around the round table and I can't say that I'm surprised in any way possible.

"Demis sake, Kardos. You sent your son there as a toddler?" King Diego snaps at my father from Ana's side.

"I had no idea that the woman was mated to his general. By the Gods, it was their decision. We just know that at the beginning of this year I was blessed with finding my son. That is all." Lucijan snapped, and banged his fist on the table. Small sparks came out of the top of his first, and his jaw was clenched tight. "As if I haven't-" I place a hand on my father's shoulder and squeeze gently.

"Aita, lasai." I tell him and mean it.  I tell him to calm, I don't want him ruining relationships that my brother will have to fix. Not to mention, with getting our freedom so closely, my father's temper was not going to ruin this chance.

"I will reinstate Pluto in the books and will tell the media of this news, King Kardos. Congratulations on finding your son, I'm glad something so pure could come out of the tragedy of losing your Mate for 15 years. No one should go through that." King Rurik says, and I can hear the edge in his voice. There's a silence before Ana clears her throat.

"Last Kingdom, Black Soul." Ana says and Minjun holds his hand out to Jaejin, to let him speak. Jaejin and his father stand up from their seats. I start my way to walk over to both of them. I was seven feet away from them when the sentence out of Jaejin would change the course of our lives forever.

"Pluto Kardos is my Mate, and we are fully Mated. Pluto Kardos will be taking the throne with me after our ceremony." Jaejin announces and I close more distance between us but that's when everything happens in slow motion. My family is yelling my name and to watch out, Minjun Cha is lunging for me, and Jaejin Cha looks like he's ready to rip his father's spine out.

And me? As my father-in-law stretches his hand out to spray me with acid, I use both of my hands, outstretched in front of me, and bring up a fire forcefield to protect me from the King of Acid.