I sit with Alvaryn to my right and Aeris beside him, they had finally started showing up to council meetings now father was awake and war was an imminent threat. They still weren't speaking to me and while it was infuriating, no matter what I said they refused to listen.
It felt odd to be on opposite sides for so long. Yes we had fought, it was only natural as brothers that we bickered and fought but this was different. We had never fought over someone else, especially over a woman. And our fights never lasted this long. We were planning to go to war and the last thing I wanted was for us to be on opposite sides.
I stand with the others around the table as the doors open and Father enters the room breaking my train of thought. He does his best to hold himself to his full height but I can see the slight struggle as he makes his way in and takes a seat at the head of the table.
He looks around the table, taking in each member. "Where is Varis?" He asks no one and everyone.
"I am here Your Majesty!" Varis calls out, rushing into the room breathless and holding a letter in his hands. "Apologies Your Majesty but I have just received a letter from Nievenyth with the Kings seal." He says taking his seat beside father.
"What does it say?" Father asks as I tense, feeling the leather of my uniform as I cross my arms over my chest and lean back into my chair waiting to hear what they have to say.
Varis opens the letter and clears his throat.
"To Your Highness, King Harwyn of Wyndelle, I write to you because by now you would have received our first warning. My brother, Prince Arden's visit was not all it was intended to be, while the idea of peace between our kingdoms is noble indeed, our true intention was to ascertain the truth of a rumour we had heard regarding your plan to marry your sons to humans. While we too have made an agreement with our neighbouring humans to carry on our lineage, we cannot support or allow you to give these lesser creatures positions of authority and rulership." Varis takes a steadying breath before continuing. "We have united ourselves with all neighbouring human villages and cities and now have a sizeable army. We are willing to forgo the attack on your kingdom if you agree to the following terms: Firstly you will acknowledge Nievenyth as the ruling kingdom and I, Callin Valgrin, your King. Secondly you are to dissolve the treaty you currently have with the humans that live at your borders and return their daughters to them immediately. If these terms are met we will withdraw our army and our two Kingdoms can be at peace once more. If you do not heed our warning and agree to our terms then we will attack with our full force. You have ten days. Signed, King Callin Valgrin of Nievenyth."
The room is silent as I sit staring at the letter in Varis hands.
"A warning," My father mutters. "He calls that attack a warning!" He snaps, hands fisted on the table in front of him.
"Your Majesty, we now have the proof needed to free Queen Marlia from her rooms and announce her innocence to the people." Varis offers, staring at the page he holds.
"Yes, we now have proof that they never intended peace between our Kingdoms, that what they want is for us to surrender ourselves to them and bow down to Callin!" Father raises his voice. "He wants us to destroy our treaty with the humans who have supposedly joined his forces and return our chosen!"
"He could be lying." Alvaryn says leaning forward in his seat. "We have no proof that the humans have joined him."
"You're right, we need to see for ourselves whether or not he is telling the truth, and how big this army of his is." Father agrees.
"Let me go, I'll take a few men and go and scout out their camps, get a number and find out if he is telling the truth or not." I say quickly.
He nods in agreement. "Yes, take two of your best men, scout out their camps, I want locations, numbers, weapons of war and whether or not the humans are fighting for him."
I nod, finally happy to be able to do something instead of be stuck behind these walls.
"If he is telling the truth and the humans are fighting with him, they are a large people, their number would be in the tens of thousands." Alvaryn says calmly.
"Why would they agree to fight for Nievenyth, surely their situation can be no better than the one they have with us?" Aeris asks leaning forward.
"I don't know, but if it's true and they are fighting for him, your brother is right, it would be a large army." Father says shaking his head.
"Ten days." Varis says quietly and the others turn to him. He shifts in his seat. "He says right at the end, you have ten days. Prince Demwyn you will need to ride hard and fast if you are to return before the time is up."
"I can make it back in time." I reply.
"Their arrogance cannot be allowed to stand." Father says, eyes hard as he looks around the room to each of his council members. "They cannot be allowed to rule, and we will not stand by and let their attack go unnoticed, nor will we surrender to their demands."
"Your Majesty, you know our houses stand with you." Lord Wyrthmere says looking at the other lords around the table as they nod in agreement.
"Good, but it may not be enough, we may need the support from our allies as well." Father says, brow furrowed in thought.
"I have already sent word to our allies Your Majesty, I can send a request for support if you require." Varis replies quickly.
"If what they claim is true and they have the humans fighting with them then I fear we may need their support."
I tighten the strap on my horses' saddle checking it's ready before looking over at the two I chose to come with me.
I look back to the palace and see Alvaryn and Aeris walking towards me and I turn towards them.
"Safe travels brother." Alvaryn says with a simple nod.
"Thank you." I nod in return, still feeling the gap between us and the strained energy as Aeris looks around the courtyard clearly unhappy to be here.
"Let's hope Callin's letter is full of shit." Aeris smiles up at me tightly before clapping Alvaryn on his shoulder and heading back towards the palace.
"Well at least he came to see me off." I say watching him walk away.
"Only because I persuaded him." Alvaryn replies and I let out a heavy sigh. "He isn't going to just change his mind and get over it Dem, this isn't one of your usual fights."
"I know it isn't one of our usual fights because if it were it would be over and done with now!" I snap bitterly.
Alvaryn shakes his head. "We can't just forgive you for what you did, and we can't move on when we know you are against us."
"Us? How can there be an us, Alvaryn? How can you both be with one woman?" I ask trying to understand how on earth they still couldn't see it.
"I know it doesn't make sense to you, or Father," He mutters more to himself. "But it isn't something we can just let go of."
"I'm trying Alvaryn, I am trying to understand your side of this but in all honestly it seems completely ridiculous to me. I am your brother and I love both of you, I want you to be happy, but this, this is complete madness. You are both working towards something that is impossible. I know you Alvaryn, I know you don't waste your time on impossible things." I say genuinely, hoping he can understand where I am coming from.
"It isn't impossible." He says gritting his teeth and looking away, eyes hard as he takes a steadying breath and calms himself. "Look, I just came to see you off, not start a whole discussion. You should get going, it's going to be a long ride."
I nod, holding back all the words wanting to get out, knowing they won't make a difference and he was right, I did need to leave, I was already wasting daylight.
"I appreciate it." I say sincerely. "Oh, I won't be here for your name day, I was going to give this to one of the servants to give to you but seeing as you are here." I say reaching into my coat pocket to pull out the small rectangle box and hold it out to him.
"You didn't need to get me anything." He says taking it with a look of surprise.
"Well it's your 250th." I shrug.
"Thank you." He says holding the box in his hands. "Safe travels Demwyn." He looks up at me and while once, before we had been on these opposing sides we would have hugged, clapping each other's backs and trading jokes to one another. But now, I only nod, turning towards my horse and pulling myself up.
I look to my two riders who are ready and waiting and nod to them, squeezing the heels of my boots into my horse he starts walking towards the gates.
Once Alvaryn and Aeris might have been the ones riding with me, eager to see for themselves the army we were about to face. We would have ridden together as we had many times over.
But now things are changed, all because of one woman.
How I wished that things were different, that they had seen her as they did all the other chosen, or if just one of them wanted her instead of both. Or better yet, she wasn't part of this offering at all, that she was never bought into our kingdom, never met my brothers, never bewitched them and made them choose her over their own family and kingdom.
It seemed like they had made up their minds and no amount of persuasion was going to change them. I didn't know what I would do, I was running out of ideas. I only knew that if they continue on this path they would end up tearing our family apart and I couldn't allow that to happen.