Welcome to chapter eight. I hope you stuck around through the wait. Somehow chapter six took over-long to post, and seven less-than average time, so they posted the same day. Eight hopefully will post on Thanksgiving, but nine will be delayed because both myself and my editor have obligations over the holiday.
Thank you for reading, and don't forget to vote and comment!
*****
Sounds of greeting and of anger woke Erin a little later. She peered down on the meeting hall to see the strangest mixture of creatures jostling and vying for positions on the benches. Animals spoke with human voices, demanding spots in which puffs of mist had settled, while humanoids switched back and forth to animals, mostly large predators.
No one seemed to notice her in the shadowed ceiling area. She listened in to some of the conversations that wafted up to her.
"What good is another meeting? We haven't made any progress in almost twenty years. I don't even know why it matters any more if there are two separate groups of supernaturals," said a male humanoid to the beaver he sat beside.
"Riahn will never be happy until she is queen over all of the supernaturals," the beaver responded in a disgusted tone, "I thought this war was about independence and self-rule. All we've achieved so far is a different dictator."
Another humanoid sat down next to the beaver.
"Hello Armand," the pretty girl said lightly, "I'm surprised you came."
"Felicity," the beaver answered, "I know better than to ignore the summons of the queen."
Felicity smiled again, but there was pain in the expression.
Erin considered the comments of Armond and his humanoid friend. They didn't seem happy with the way the extended civil war was going, and especially didn't seem happy with Riahn. Could she possibly find support among the disgruntled rebels? For the first time, Erin wondered what caused the split in the first place. Why hadn't she asked Luka or Leighton for more information on the rebels? She had been so shocked by the revelations of the past couple of days, she really hadn't asked anything useful to her current situation. How was she going to learn what she needed to know to garner support?
Miko entered the chamber from a side door and stepped in front of the dais.
"Thank you for coming on such short notice," he smiled wickedly, "Our Queen has something of great value to share with you." He hesitated, then with a wave of this arm toward the door through which he had come, he announced, "Queen Riahn!"
Wearing a form fitting business suit, Riahn entered the room. Everyone stood and remained stock still and perfectly silent as she climbed the dais and stood before the throne, which continued to glow softly, but dimmed as she neared it.
"We are at a turning point!" she yelled out to the assembly, "We now have the ability to bring the council to its knees and wrest from it the power to self-rule!"
The audience remained silent, looking confused. Miko clapped his hands exuberantly and then scowled at the others until they clapped unenthusiastically along with him.
Riahn looked angry at the lukewarm reaction to her announcement, but then pasted on a smile and snapped her fingers, causing Erin's cage descended to head level between the crowd and the dais.
"I present the princess Erina, our prisoner!" Riahn concluded.
A few of the gathered clapped again, others gasped, and many just stared. Riahn appeared surprised, but that quickly changed to enraged as the glorious reception she had expected fell flat.
"Why are you all not ecstatic? Have you all gone soft? This is the last member of the ruling family that kept most of you relegated to second class citizens, if not slaves! Don't you see that with her here, the council will finally realize it has no power, its last hope to maintain the status quo is gone?" Riahn screamed, pacing the dais.
"Are you sure she is Erina?" came a tentative voice from the crowd.
"Of course we're sure. Don't you see the arrogance of our dead dictator in her face?" Miko yelled back, perusing the group, seeking the identity of the speaker.
"What are you going to do with her?" It was another shaky question from amidst the assembly.
"Why, use her as a bargaining chip, of course," answered Miko again. "We will tell the council that we will release her only if they enact equal rights and representation for all supernaturals into the articles."
"And declare me the Queen!" Riahn added quickly, causing a general intake of breath among the assembled.
No one seemed willing to say anything after Riahn's announcement, which seemed to grate on her excessively. She scanned the room, and the eyes of the audience fell to their laps in response. One humanoid in the rear of the room met her eyes, and her fury flared.
"What have you to say, Garrett?" she spat out, motioning slightly with one finger for her guards to move in on the tall, blond man.
"Only that the installment of a new ruler was never part of our goals. We fought for the right to self-govern, through a council or parliament," the striking young man with iceberg-blue eyes responded as he put his arms out for the guards to grab him. He appeared to know exactly what the consequences of his statement would be, yet was willing to say it anyway. Erin liked him immediately.
The room was awash in murmurs.
With another small motion, Riahn ordered Garrett placed in chains.
"Firm leadership is needed to pull the supernatural community back together after this long rift. I will provide that guidance. Once peace and stability are achieved, the elections will proceed to create a council that reports directly to me. We will have our self-government," she responded.
"That is the mirage of self-government! Freedom! Freedom!" Garrett yelled out, as he was clasped into manacles attached to the rear wall of the room.
Before he could make another sound, one of the guards punched him hard in the stomach, then brought a knee up into his face. Garrett slid down the wall and crumpled to the floor.
"Any other comments?" she asked with saccharine sweetness. Riahn smiled at the assembly.
This time the room was silent, and no one met Riahn's eyes.
