The large room was flooded with light from the lanterns on the white-bird-engraved walls. Silence loomed over the table. Tanaka sat quietly, his dreadlocks hanging as he tilted his head, his golden earring glinting ever so lightly. Gazi finally stood up and took a bow toward the chief.
"I was hoping to do this in a more proper setting, but it seems we do not have much time now."
"Chief Onye of the Yera Shiri village," the chief's hand paused halfway to her mouth as she raised an eyebrow.
"Sworn vassal of the Yera Shumba village—please, I ask you, due to the unforeseen death of your liege lord Gris Tabhani, I humbly come before you asking you to swear fealty to Tanaka Thabhani, fifth son of Gris Tabhani, the last heir... Your liege lord."
"Oh?" Chief Onye calmly said as she placed the glass back on the table. Her eyes widened ever so slightly as her lips curved into a cunning smile. She took a sip of her wine, placed her hands on the armrests of her seat—which looked an awful lot like a throne—and stood up... slowly. She looked at Gazi, who still had his head bowed as a show of respect.
"No."
"Heh?" Tanaka's head snapped up as he looked at the chief's face. "Excuse me?" Tanaka rose from his chair, causing it to screech as he pushed it out.
"You do realize this can and probably will be treated as treason, right?" Gazi chipped in.
"By who?" she asked, her face contorting into what looked like disgust, no longer trying to mask it.
"Please," she scoffed. "Do you know we have been dealing with Yera Shato soldiers for the past few weeks here? Long before they attacked your precious palace."
Ro—"
"Know your place, Guard. I am speaking, and I would prefer you do not interrupt me," Chief Onye commanded, lifting a silencing finger toward Gazi.
The silence from Tanaka was all the answer she needed.
"Of course not. Because you do not care if we get slaughtered or starve to death as long as you are all set on your high horses. Life can go on as if nothing bad is happening."
Tanaka searched for a response, but all the words he thought of stuck in his throat. He tried his very best to mimic his father's demeanor as he stood.
"I have nothing against you, Prince Tanaka, please believe that. But if we openly ally ourselves with you—even if we're technically your vassals—we will get a target on our backs. One bigger than the one already on it as we speak."
She paused, letting the frustration in her voice simmer down. "And so I apologize. I truly am sorry—sorry that I care for my own people a little bit more," she said as she pinched the air, "than I care for yours, PRINCE." She spoke with her voice elevated and spiked as years of bubbling resentment showed through, her attempts at concealing it failing horribly.
Gazi tried to speak, but as soon as his lips parted, two Yera Shiri guards stepped forward with their blades drawn. Chief Onye raised her hand, stopping their intended advance.
"And I'm sorry for the fate that befell your family, Tanaka. Truly, I am. But I WILL NOT invite that very same fate to my doorstep in the name of... loyalty."
Tanaka tried to speak. Before he could, Gazi quickly moved his hand to cover Tanaka's mouth.
"Okay, I understand your position, Chief Onye. Yours is a difficult situation that, even if I don't agree with, I can sympathize with."
"I do not care for your sympathy, GUARD. Are you Yera Shumba so prideful even in a moment such as this? You dare consider yourself someone of note, much less an equal to me? In my own tribe, no less?"
Gazi tried his best not to clench his jaw. He let go of Tanaka and unwrapped the fist behind his back.
"Can you at least give us the Liege script?" Gazi said meekly.
"The Royal Blood Rite script?" She looked taken aback. "Is that your Hail Mary? Hoping this boy obtains enough chipo to defeat a human who defies all the bindings of mortality's natural laws?" she snided.
Tanaka was seething with anger. He clenched his jaw as the outline of a vein showed on his forehead, but he knew to let Gazi handle the situation rather than intervene.
"I was doubtful of this choice before, but now it's clear as day that I am right. You Yera Shumba lost your edge. You are all so blind, so..." she paused, shaking her hands side to side as she looked for the proper word.
"...Weak. Too weak to see the imminent threat that was standing right before you all this damn time. And now you... you lack the basic knowledge of how our world works. You lack power, and hell, your village is oppressed as we speak. And your Hail Mary is a weak, inexperienced, unknowledgeable, uncouth little BOY," she spat.
Tanaka's forehead wrinkled and his eyes, along with his chipo marks, began to glow, causing the brightness in the room to intensify. The guards instantly moved, weapons poised.
"Do not forget yourself, child." The words dripped slowly as she looked right at Tanaka. "You are in MY home. I would hate to have your blood on its floors."
She moved, gesturing as if Tanaka and Gazi were just there to waste her time.
"Honestly, siding with you, boy, would just be an unnecessary suicide for my people. We would be risking everything to gain nothing." She let out a breath and sighed, lowering her voice as the candle flames crackled. "We owe nothing; hence, we shan't do anything."
Gazi threw both his hands up in surrender.
"There's no need for violence, my lady. And I apologize on Tanaka's behalf. Just give us the script and we'll be on our way and out of yours."
"Gazi, is it?" she asked. "It is the Liege script. Meaning no one but our liege can demand it from us, and whether that is your apprentice here or King Naga is still to be determined."
Gazi, now visibly annoyed, scowled at the aged woman. "You will regret this," he muttered, barely above a whisper.
"Better later than now, my friend." She looked to her guards, signaling them toward Gazi and Tanaka. "Gentlemen, please show our guests to the door. Oh, and do make sure not to forget their clothes."
"Come on, boys," one of the guards said, shoving Tanaka and Gazi outside the royal home. The Chief wiggled her fingers in a goodbye while sitting back down on her throne with a smirk on her face.
While being escorted out, Tanaka looked back at the Chief at the table. He grit his teeth.
"You will regret this."