Chapter 85: Dandelion is Well-Liked
With Geralt's distraction causing a lull in the conversation, Eithné's display of authority was completely derailed. Her brows furrowed deeply, indicating her displeasure at Geralt's lack of cooperation. She let out a cold snort, about to continue her attack, but then she glimpsed the look in Arthur's eyes.
The man's gaze held undisguised contempt and scorn.
How dare he?!
Eithné turned to look at the trembling Ciri: "Go, my child. Nothing can change your destiny. You are in Brokilon."
To the others present, the Dryad Queen's imposing presence was still quite potent. Ciri hesitantly took a step towards the door, only to be firmly seized by Arthur: "What do you intend to do with this child?"
He spoke first, Eithné thought, a victorious smile appearing on her lips: "I have my own arrangements for this child's fate, but you have no right to question them. This is Brokilon."
Ciri's body began to tremble. Arthur spoke calmly: "I am not trying to challenge your authority, Lady Eithné."
Eithné's smile became brighter: "Then release her hand and cease interfering in the affairs of Brokilon."
She glanced at Braenn. The young dryad was about to reach out to pull Ciri away when her body suddenly froze. A psychic message that did not belong to the Queen reached her mind:
[Don't move, unless you want to become the greatest criminal in two worlds simultaneously.]
After unnerving the young dryad, Arthur spoke earnestly to Eithné: "I have heard of your history. You were not always hateful towards humanity. Brokilon would take in abandoned sick infants and girls driven from their homes that wasn't so long ago for you. I respect your power as the ruler of Brokilon, but Ciri and Dandelion are not members of Brokilon. You should not decide their fate arbitrarily."
"Nonsense!" Eithné said coldly. The two dryads behind her swiftly raised their bows and aimed at Arthur: "This is Brokilon, and I am the one who makes the final decisions here."
Arthur pulled Ciri behind him. Koglgrim sighed, resting his hand on his sword hilt, and Zoltan eagerly lifted his axe, ready for a fight.
Arthur knew Eithné wouldn't be easily persuaded, but he hadn't expected her to be foolish enough to drop the pleasantries so openly. From the moment she claimed to reject human rules, the constraints of diplomatic courtesy had vanished for him. Theoretically, even if he roared her into dust, he would not suffer any moral condemnation not even from the dryads' perspective.
The atmosphere in the tree house instantly snapped taut like a bowstring drawn to its absolute limit, threatening to erupt into bloodshed at any moment. Braenn's body was rigid as stone, and the palms of the two bow-wielding dryads began to sweat. Fisstech desperately clawed at the cedar plank that formed the bed frame, trying to use it to shield himself.
Eithné stared coldly at Arthur, her gaze like ice that had not melted for a thousand years. Arthur returned her stare without flinching, like a mountain fire reaching up to the sky.
"Your Majesty!"
Red Kite bit her lip, then suddenly rushed into the space between the two parties, kneeling at Eithné's feet: "I have important intelligence that I must report to you!"
Eithné looked down at the human girl she had adopted, her hand gently stroking the beautiful hair at the back of the girl's head. A few seconds later, the Dryad Queen bent down and spoke to Red Kite in a gentle voice:
"My child, you have worked hard these past days. Come, I have much to discuss with you in detail."
After speaking, Eithné left the tree house immediately. Red Kite tried to follow, but her legs trembled and failed to obey. Two guards lightly placed their hands under her armpits and half-supported, half-escorted her out.
In an instant, only the humans were left in the tree house at the Heart of Brokilon, making it feel like a somewhat primitive, exotic-themed inn.
"What are those green hags planning? One minute they're shouting threats, and the next they suddenly walk away?" Zoltan scratched the back of his bald head, then frowned at the smooth sensation.
Arthur quickly walked to the window and saw that the dryads outside were still calmly walking and playing, with no signs of mobilization. He explained: "When the Dryad Queen's finger touched Red Kite, I sensed a faint magical wave. They must be engaging in psychic communication. The energy leakage was too weak for me to discern the conversation, but it mostly concerns me."
He knew that Red Kite must have described the terror of the Unstoppable Force to Eithné. Otherwise, how could the haughty Dryad Queen possibly swallow such an insult?
Koglgrim peered out from another window for a moment: "It looks like we've been placed under house arrest."
Arthur followed the Witcher's gaze and could vaguely see a few dryads keeping an eye on the location.
"It's not house arrest, at most it's monitored residency," he quipped: "It seems she intends to test our patience."
At this moment, Toruviel struggled and spat out the rag stuffed in her mouth, scoffing: "You shouldn't speak to Eithné like that. She is the Queen here, she can…"
"...wave her hand and summon fifty archers who can shoot through our hearts from a hundred meters away, right?" Arthur was completely unfazed by the elf's words. He signaled Zoltan to re-gag her and turned to comfort the others:
"Don't worry too much. Since we haven't been attacked, it means the negotiations haven't broken down yet. She is merely trying to pressure us." He patted Ciri on the shoulder the girl had been nervously fiddling with the hem of her clothes since the standoff began: "If anything, now that she knows our capabilities, the real negotiation is just beginning."
Zoltan finally managed to stuff the rag back into the elf's mouth, at the cost of nearly having his finger bitten off. The Dwarf slumped onto the floor without ceremony, wiping the sweat from his brow, panting: "You lot worry about the talking. Just call me if there's a fight. Right now, I only care about one thing how are we going to eat later?"
As if to coincide with Zoltan's words, Ciri's stomach let out a loud rumble.
Indeed, since being blindfolded, they hadn't eaten or drunk anything for hours, and the dryads hadn't shown any intention of sending provisions. They had dry rations in their bags, but they couldn't just choke those down without anything to drink!
Of course, if they got really thirsty, there were options. Triss's Book of Illusions contained a whirlwind spell; if he slightly modified the spell matrix, he could probably use it to draw water. However, the situation was sensitive, and he didn't want to give Eithné any more leverage.
Looking at the sun beginning to set outside the window, Arthur got an idea:
According to Red Kite, most of Brokilon's dryads were converted human girls. They were deficient in various abilities compared to pure-blood dryads, especially lacking in night vision.
He planned to wait until nightfall and have Kolgrim sneak out with him stealth was, after all, the Viper School's specialty!
Tap-tap-tap, tap-tap-tap.
Just then, a tapping sound came from the wall of the tree house. Immediately, a beautiful dryad's head peered through the window.
......................
I want to take a moment to express my gratitude to those who support me on this journey. Your contribution make a real difference!
As a patron, you unlock:
Exclusive Access: Get advanced +120 chapters ahead of everyone else.
👉 Join now: P-a-treon/Chaos_God
(Just remove the- hyphen to access normally)
Thank You so much For your Support and for Reading!