An Amethyst's Strength

Chapter 4

"The invaders didn't hold back, almost every urban area has been ransacked or destroyed. This had to of been an inside job!" Lord Corrant growled leaning heavily on the meeting table asking for opposition.

"You forget that any Drak worth their salt wouldn't conspire with the Zhul or a Corrupt for that matter." The elderly Lady Elseth said as she absentmindedly knitted more blankets for the crisis stash as those were lacking.

"I believe he means outsiders, Elseth,  like that elf that that fae brought to my infirmary. Or even the fae itself." The practically ancient Lady Opulence seethed passively.

"Oberon is a king in his own right, he has no need to try to gain this throne. As for the Elf, he was possessed." Tiana said over a low disdainful mumble about the outsiders.

"What do you know, little girl?" Lord Amrak, the Drak that is said to have been King Amethyst's brother, spat at the young woman.

"Lord Uncle, I may be as new to this table as a seedling to a forest, however unlike a seedling, I am far from little. Now the person responsible is in custody, our attention should be on reconstruction. Lady Greva, how badly were the Dwarvish-Drak hit?" Her cold militarily acquired demeanor shut the old man up.

"Only our various clergy members." Her accent betrayed her language of choice to be dwarvish.

"Then those who've got the know-how should start mining the stones needed to rebuild and repair the walls and the various other larger civil and military buildings." She watched the half-dwarf nod in agreement. "Lady Opulence, how badly were the Elvish-Drak harmed?" 

"There are... many grieving families and many more hatchlings that have no family any longer." The graceful woman bowed her head slightly as she thought in solemn memorial for the people she represented. 

"Arrange for your medics to take shifts providing grievance counseling and medical care, we don't need them to burn out. You may feel free to include me in the schedule. Lady Elseth, take some midwives and hatchery maids and set up a haven for the orphans who don't qualify for the requirements just yet. The palace has enough room for them. Lord Corrant, of the Survish-Drak, how hard were they hit?" She had taken charge as was her due, ignoring any scales that were ruffled.

"We are fairly unscathed, I shall have those who are able to, begin to clear out the wreckage and cleanse the blood. The Selection Sector is completely demolished as far as can be said, there were no survivors from our stock of potential mates." He looked grim.

"We will address that once we've straightened out the current situation. Until then we will rebuild the Selection Sector." Her violet eyes betrayed her inner thoughts as she frustratedly tried to figure out the best course of action.

"Your Highness, it would be best to take care of that now, as you cannot take the throne until you take a human mate," Amrak spoke up his deep aged voice hiding his disdain for the petulant girl.

"Lord Amrak, I cannot leave my people when they've been badly hit like this." Tiana looked thoughtfully at the table.

"He's right, young one, you must go find your mate now so that by the time you return your coronation may proceed and we can put this horror behind us." Elseth hummed as she finished her knitting.

"I don't need the throne to accept a title that holds little meaning if this tragedy happens again. Right now, we need to straighten this out and keep it from happening again. The Corrupted was one of yours Amrak, our ways have not changed for thousands of years, they were too predictable and it cost us, we need a change." Her hand hit the table in frustration.

"The girl's right you two.  We don't need the pomp and decorum that you demand, right now she is the figurehead that the people are looking at in this time of need. Her leaving directly after an attack on our way of life would only discourage our people further and cause unrest in the kingdom. We would be wise to wait on that subject, the longer that that throne stays empty the more it becomes a problem. She should be coronated before we hold the king's funeral." Lady Greva glowered at the two.

"We are not discussing when to have a coronation, for gods' sake woman, we are discussing whether or not she should go galavanting through a foreign land on a quest of the heart. Which at this time, would only weaken our people." Lord Corrant bellowed. "She is young, she has eternity to find a human that suits her fancy, right now is not the time."

"I'll send a diplomatic party to each of the four mateable nations once the people are both settled into a strong and secure nation again and are well. Until then we must tighten our belts as it were. Now, to deal with the traitor." Tiana rested her head on her hands as she listened to the resounding 'kill it' that went through the council. 

"Strip it of its power and of its magic." Lord Olreb the blind spoke up from his place beside Amrak. "Just as should have been done eons ago when its first transgression endangered our peoples."

"Olreb knows naught what he speaks of!" Amrak bellowed with his face reddening in shame.

"Why do you object? It gave up its right to be drak when it began sacrificing the mates to As'tus." His cloudy eyes seemed to bore into Amrak. (Side note: As'tus is pronounced like A-too. Elvish name meaning sky-like or heavenly.)  

"Who will do the necessary ritual?" Tiana asked the now painfully silent council only to receive a harrumph from Olreb.

"I will of course, as is my duty." The blind drak hummed before rising from his place. "I must prepare the necessary things. Please prepare the corrupted for the beginning of its end."

The council then went their ways and Tiana went to oversee the preparation of the corrupted. She was followed by Oberon, who was like a puppy following their owner.