ATLANTION - LAYLA BOOK1

Part 54 Queen Nimiane/White Empress of Atlantion

Queen Nimiane looked at the young woman in front of her, studying her every move and analyzing her appearance. She couldn't help but feel a sense of disappointment that this was the long-lost relative that she had heard so much about. The girl was beautiful, yes, with long flowing hair and a youthful glow about her, but she seemed so...ordinary. Nimiane had expected someone more extraordinary, someone with a powerful aura that matched her own. Instead, she saw a girl who was like a wildflower - beautiful, yes, but also vulnerable and unprotected.

As she circled Layla, Nimiane couldn't help but notice the fear and uncertainty in the girl's eyes. It was clear that she was out of her depth here, surrounded by beings of great power and magic. Nimiane had seen this before, of course, with other mortals who had stumbled into her world. Most of them were quickly dispatched or sent back to their own realm, but something about Layla intrigued her. Perhaps it was the fact that she was family, or maybe it was the feeling that there was more to the girl than met the eye.

"You silly girl, how can you be so ignorant and daydream in front of your Queen?" Nimiane's daughter Maris scolded Layla, her voice like a shrill dagger cutting through the air.

Nimiane held up a hand to silence her daughter. Maris was young, impetuous, and prone to emotional outbursts. She lacked the composure and wisdom that Nimiane had acquired over centuries of ruling. But she was also her daughter, and Nimiane loved her fiercely.

"I see you have no training at all, Layla," Nimiane said, her voice firm but not unkind. "You are like a wildflower - beautiful, strong, but unprotected. Anyone can pluck you from the ground. It is an unsuitable quality for one of your talents."

Layla lowered her gaze, and Nimiane felt a pang of sympathy for the girl.  But she also knew that Layla would need to learn quickly if she was to survive in this world.

"So how do you explain your sudden appearance at my court and your intentions, young lady?" Nimiane asked, her eyes piercing Layla's.

Layla stumbled over her words, clearly unsure of what to say. Nimiane could sense the fear and uncertainty radiating from the girl, and she wondered if she had made a mistake in bringing her here. But then the Dark Duke spoke up, and Nimiane felt a flicker of interest.

"I brought her here to meet you, my Majesty," he said, his voice smooth and seductive. Nimiane couldn't help but feel a spark of attraction at the sound of his voice. The Dark Duke was dangerous, yes, but he was also intriguing. And if he had brought Layla here to meet her, then there must be something special about the girl after all.

Nimiane smiled, her mind already turning over the possibilities. Layla may be a wildflower now, but with the right training and guidance, she could become something truly extraordinary. And Nimiane was just the one to provide that guidance.

"I brought her here to meet you, my Majesty," replied the Dark Duke. His voice had a touch of flair; he was the flirtatious type once again. He wasn't buying her, but doing her a barely noticeable favor.

"So, now I am your Majesty? Has the Underground frozen or have you come to your senses and abandoned your little bastion of beasts?"

"Neither, Your Majesty. I could give you a gift of mercy and return your lost niece to her family. It would be a substantial gift to Atlantion now that you find yourself in such a unprecedented situation."

"We are in no position to return my niece."

She is  famous for her arguments, charades, and ways to spin the situation in her favor. Still, the nobility would see the saving of their home in this girl, one way or another she wil lwin something out of this joke. 

"As you could see, your Majesty, the tree reacted to her. She healed the branches; it accepted her as a member of your family. So this is the child of your long-lost, precious daughter. The second princess of Atlantion, a hero, conqueror of Hadal Citadel and Oriental Coasts you cherished so much." Sait the Duke and smiled but it did not reach his eyes. 

He grimaced when he said the words "hero" and "Hadal Citadel," but he could endure it for his people and his mother.

"She looks a lot like her mother, but what is that horrible tattoo on her left side? First, her dress and tunic left her arms bare to the sight, and now her strange crawling plant on her left hand is in plain sight; it even glows a little if you look closer."

"It is another proof that she is the daughter of your deceased daughter and the son of Assassins Guild master. Everyone from their alignment gets the shadow mark and inherits the possibility of becoming a master of shadows. So she, one who descends from the one who had to inherit their bloodline, has this sign. I am more than sure that many are aware of this minor matter."

"Yes, I am aware of this." The Queen confirmed nothing, just nodded. 

"Would you acknowledge this long-lost child and take her back to her rightful place?"

One would read this as, "would you give her the right to fight for her place?"

"It is a matter of time and consideration. I would allow her to stay in Atlantion. We would settle the issues with our ministers and guild masters, consider everything, and make it right. As I am a fair and kind ruler, am I?"

"Yes, Majesty, you are the kindest of all. So, you would forget our long disagreement and allow my men and my safe passage on your lands, as we would not ask any reward out of you for bringing this immense happiness to your house."

The Queen's mouth pouted for a moment, but then she smiled and laughed. Her pale mouth opened wide, and she boomed like a wave smashing on a rocky shore. "You should be named the master of words, dear Dark Duke. You have outdone yourself this evening. I would always enjoy the company of a cunning enemy, even one as little as you are."

She doesn't know how much she might regret her words later, but later will be. Now her crystal sharp mind moves mountains to find the best solution, to use this new weapon fate has put in her path.

As Nimiane gazed upon the shimmering ball, memories of her childhood flooded her mind. The wheels of fate had spun before her then, just as they were spinning now, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of fear creeping in. A horde of hawks watched her every move, ready to pounce at any moment. But Nimiane knew better than to underestimate herself. These fools would soon learn that she was a force to be reckoned with.

She looked upon the frightened little girl before her, Loralai, with pity. If she was truly Dio's daughter, as some had whispered, she certainly resembled her. It was difficult to forget how sweet and young Dio had been, how beautiful and fair. If only her odious hair would not give away her rotten nature. But now, everything had rusted away, and the city had turned her into a mere machine, a slave.

It was strange to be a queen, to hold power and yet be rooted in one place, with doom and treachery always lurking in the shadows. But now that she had gained control over the underworld creatures, she refused to be dismissed by anyone, least of all by this foolish tree.

Nimiane's anger grew as she watched Loralai dance with the Dark Duke. Les, her most dangerous enemy, was certainly charming, but Nimiane knew better than to let her guard down around him.

She couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret that her mother wasn't there to witness her rise to power. Nimiane had always wondered where her daughter had disappeared to, and now here she was, like an eyesore that needed to be removed.

But perhaps, Nimiane realized, Loralai could be of use after all. The tree needed sustenance, and if they bound Loralai to it as a priestess, the tree could take her life to support the city.  It was a small price to pay.

And so, as the ball continued on, Nimiane made her plans to institute a new order: the Order of the Crystal Tree. Loralai would need a husband and many children to feed the tree, and they would all live and die for a noble cause. Their great Queen Nimiane would live forever, and their tree would be more potent than ever before.

It was a great day indeed.