Emris watched as Xenia peered out the window of her home. Xenia has become increasingly agitated as the baby inside her grew. The little one was to be born within the next 3 months and Xenia's fears are overpowering her judgements. Emris had called for Radan Fairplex to come back to the castle to evaluate with her yet again. However, in their extensions Xenia had blocked Radan's passage privileges to roam to the Reaper part of the realm.
"Emris, have you heard from my sister yet?" Emris got up from his bed and walked to Xenia's side. Being Xenia's right hand man has been the world to Emris. If it wasn't for Xenia, he would have been gutted for a crime he never committed. He has given her everything she could ever want and need in security, however the 10-foot Fox demon is lost to help his friend.
"No word, but remember it takes time for a message to get to the human world. I know Quinn will get the message soon." Xenia laughed, a genuine laugh. Emris hasn't heard her laugh in the last few months, and no matter what her DNA, Xenia is a very lively person.
"Still can't get over the human name she picked?" She laughed a little more before speaking again. "You're not supposed to pronounce every letter in the word. So, it is not KUINN, Its Quinn." Emris isn't very fond of being corrected but he gave in to see his friend enjoy herself even if it was for a short moment.
"Madam, may I ask you, what do you want from your sister? I fear you are not calling her for her comfort. She has done all the appropriate notions to be a good sister from a distance. What is it you really want her here for?"
Xenia put her hand on her stomach, she took a deep breath in and then let it out in a long and slow exhale. Xenia then touched the window, the condensation swirled around her hand.
"Emris, what is beyond the Reaper City?" Xenia firmly asked.
"Umm, The Canva Fire pits and Lava Mank's." He answered with some confusion.
"And beyond that?" Xenia said calmly, still stroking her stomach.
"The Badlands and the graveyard tents." Emris tried keeping a calm voice. However, when Xenia turned to Emris, she gave him a stare that can make the largest predator think twice before fighting.
"Tell me how long is that territory?" Emris winced and stepped back by the tone of his friend.
"In all, I'm guessing 4,100 Km, as a hard estimate? Why do you ask?" Emris now could hear the fear in his own voice.
"We have the lowest territory ranking in the 8 kingdoms. We got those territories because no one wanted them, and they didn't want to control the rough population that had already inhabited these zones. Those inhabitants had and still have the mentality of, I rather be killed then let you take my home. The other Kingdoms think of this as disobedience. Now who do you give disobedient territory too, the dark races, Reapers, orcs, etc. Because we don't see in the ways that they do, and we won't bow to their so-called superior ways. In all of this we are one of the most disrespected amongst all people, Even the high counsel doesn't want to deal with us. We are the second lowest kingdom in society with no funding, Low territory, and hardly any resources to extend to others in need. Majority of people, when encountering us, will watch us like we are plotting behind their backs. And if suspected they will kill us on sight. My baby is going to be raised in that kind of place, where she isn't respected no matter the status she has under me."
"But Xenia?"
"Her father is also of a different race, and we all know no matter what he says, his people will never accept her. I don't want my only child to be bastardized and turned into a joke, before she is even born."
"She?" Emris tried to cut Xenia off, but she ignored him.
"I will not allow it. Radan and I knew it was a mistake to keep our relationship going as long as it did. Now, being stationed back into his hometown and me here we can never raise this child together, especially if the elders find out it is his. I will not let this…"
"Xenia! How do you know that child is a girl? It is forbidden for you to know the sex of the child before it is born. If the Elders find out."
"What will they do, Damn me to this castle for the rest of my life. That is already happening, I am a queen, which entitles being on 24 hours watch. I am also pregnant, which means I am not allowed to be alone in my own room ever again, for fear of me doing something unthinkable to my child or someone else assassinating us both. I am in a worse position than a caged animal. At least in the human world, domestic animals can roam wherever they want, even though they are categorized as property."
"You are not and never will be an animal, Xenia!"
"Then why do they treat me as such? I have no freedom; I am like a caged bird who watches from bars, but who is watch for others entertainment. Do you want to know why my sister is to see me?"
Xenia turned back to the window. The Canvas fire pits explode in the distance but can be seen like they are close to home. Xenia would have rather her sister to be Queen than her, but Quinn is her half-sister. Only Xenia wanted her on the throne. Out of all 20 of her siblings 10 blood, 10 bastards, she only trusts Quinn.
"After the birth, when the checkups are done, and I bond with the child, Quinn will be taking her to the human world, to raise." Xenia said in a calm voice, much calmer than she had been before.
"No! That is not allowed."
"It is, if I say it is! I will not raise a child here, so unless you want me to also live in the human world. I suggest you drop it." Emris was sad but also very scared, the counsel would never let this happen.
"What about Radan, he is the father."
"And what will a Blood Elf do, over the Queen of Reapers and the Undead! He has no say in what I do with the child that is growing inside of me." Xenia yelled at Emris and looked him dead in his eyes.
"Radan will meet his daughter when she is born. Then when she is of age she will return home, or when I allow her too."
"Xenia…"
"That is the end of this conversation, Emris." Xenia took another deep breath in and released it. She patted Emris on the shoulder.
"Please, alert me when my sister answers my message. And also, old friend." Xenia said as she walked over to her mother's old vanity.
"I know when you are lying to me, so please be my friend and not an ambassador. I ask you to not withhold any information, regarding me, my child, and my sister's arrival." She looked back over her shoulder and smiled at Emris. Emris bowed and walked back to his holding place.
"Thank you." Xenia whispered but she knew better. She walked to her vanity and sat to brush her hair. She looked around the room in the vanity mirror and scanned for intruders. She knew very well even if Emris didn't say anything to the counsel. There were spies all over her room, which is why the message she sent her sister was encrypted. And her sister will be coming in from a different entrance.
Xenia will get her child out of this hellhole one way or another. She will not let her live like a prisoner. The baby kicked as she could feel her mother stressing out.
"Your fine Lithia, there is nothing to worry about. Be a good baby for a bit longer." Xenia said out loud.
Emris glared at his queen with mixed feelings of rage and hurt. He didn't understand why she had to go and ruin everything they had planned. Emris thought she knew when she was sneaking around with that dirty Elf, she would risk getting pregnant and risk his job on security in the Pavilion. Now she is pregnant and wants to have the baby raised in the human world, which would get him demoted once again.
Emris is reaching his boiling point, and he wants her to stop before he does something worse than killing a prophet. Xenia brushed her hair watching Emris plot her murder. She knew when Radan read her prophecy from his book that she was one of the two women.
"A prophecy told, when two great reapers and their right-hand Companion (animal) rules their towns. One will fall to the hand of her companion and the other will fall slave to theirs. The dead woman will try to help her sister, but she too is suppressed by the evil companion of the other. Only when the Great Reaper is nearing the end of her life span will she be released. But for all her crimes, her cruel fate will be in the hands of a relative, almost 35 to 40 years later."
Xenia knows the only way the kingdom can be taken over is by her kin. But she has 6 siblings with companions. She fears enslavement will be her down fall and a sister of hers will die from jealousy. If so, she will not let her daughter be here to watch any of that grievance.
"Are you sure you know when I am lying?" Emris said to himself in a low voice. He smiled and stretched himself out. However, Xenia could hear every word. Which is why she knows that he has done worse things than killing the prophet in the Ellender's Lands. He has done so much worse, and now she will be his last victim. Like she said the day she saved him from the ax.
"We will live and die together, No matter murder or old age. I will not die without you and you without me!"
Even if that meant killing each other!