Chapter 336 - Bee-vine Assurances
The next morning, Fourth Queen Pezuya and her warriors escorted King Ratuatapi and First Queen Nyoyanke to Belissar’s Tower. Belissar met them with his own guard of bees and karnuq, then the whole group traveled through the nexus door to Tarwantrad’s dungeon. In the center of the flower nursery room, the signatories of the Compact arrived as well, gathering around the stone table engraved with the compact between them and Belissar. Tarwantrad was seated on a big chair grown from flower bushes that oversaw the table, much like Belissar’s own in the negotiation hall outside of his Tower. She would be hosting the talks today, instead of him, so that today’s participants wouldn’t have to expose themselves to either the Hunger…or to their guest from the Conclave.
The reason for the change in location was the change in participants, and not just because King Ratuatapi was here today. Familiar faces like Nenavann, Queen Vanieskon, and the forgemaster were present, but there were some new individuals among the fair folk Belissar hadn’t met yet. In particular, a new silver elf man sat among them instead of the usual Duchess Bereginna. A man wearing even finer clothes than she…and with a thin crown made of silver-colored metal with a glowing white gem at its center. Belissar thought it might be silver, but noticed an unusual amount of mana flowing within the metal.
A man Belissar had only seen once, briefly, when signing the Estelende Compact before them, though they didn’t have the chance to speak back then. Fortunately, one of the silver elves went and introduced the man, he was apparently King Taranskare, ruler of the silver elves, and their actual signatory. No representatives had been sent today, everyone whose name was on the two compacts was here this time. All the signatories would speak with one another today, as well as with Belissar and with the king of the sigmaka.
King Taranskare looked over at Belissar after the introductions concluded.
“My personal greetings, Tower Keeper Belissar, you have been especially gracious and hospitable to my people. Were you, by any chance, responsible for the hospitality we receive today?”
Belissar returned the greeting and then tilted his head.
“No? Dungeon Master Tarwantrad is today’s host, right?”
King Taranskare briefly glanced down at the tea set before each of the participants.
“That is…true. I…must thank Dungeon Master Tarwantrad for her hospitality today, then.”
Tarwantrad smirked.
“You should try the tea first.”
King Taranskare raised an eyebrow but obliged…and then his eyes shot wide open. Tarawantrad giggled.
“Tower Keeper Belissar has been most generous in his dealings with me, wouldn’t you say? I can only be grateful he considers me a friend, one close enough even to share his bees’ honey with.”
King Taranskare turned back to Belissar.
“Indeed, you have been so fortunate. As have we, the Compact, also to share in your friendship, Tower Keeper. Let us discuss…”
At that point, Forgemaster Ughlarer interjected with a grunt.
“The potential crisis we gathered here to discuss. You can talk about tea later, King Taranskare.”
King Taranskare glanced over at the forgemaster out of the corner of his eye but let out a light sigh.
“Yes. Then, let us discuss this offer from the Dragon Banner General and the humans he represents. Loremaster, if you would.”
Loremaster Ayandre took out a scroll and read General Rippotis’ offer from yesterday to the signatories. Belissar let his mind wander since the bees had already memorized the offer for him. His attention drifted over to Chief Rohsuak, who was entertaining the general today to buy time for these talks.
He…still did not have a great impression of General Rippotis, if he was honest. Yes, the man had apologized for everything the Conclave had done to him…but if General Rippotis truly found Belissar’s treatment atrocious, then why did he let it happen in the first place? Not to mention that General Rippotis had butched the fair folk in the past…apparently on behalf of the very wicked kings of old that the Tower Lords so condemned!
General Rippotis’ gift had mollified Belissar at first, a gift of flowers for the bees was indeed one he appreciated…until Belissar’s friends among the Circle pointed out a problem. How did General Rippotis know to bring flowers for the bees in the first place? Had the Tower Lord’s son or the Tower Guard with him managed to report back on Belissar’s defenses before they died? Or did the Conclave have some other means of scouting the area? Clairvoyance magic was a thing according to the fair folk, so it was possible the Conclave had a way to spy on him.
So, did General Rippotis bring all that as a sincere apology? Or, was it all part of a plan? Had he spied on Belissar and determined the best means by which to manipulate him? Was it all another deception by the Tower Lords that had filled Belissar’s entire life with lies? Belissar found he couldn’t trust anything a High Councilor of the Conclave said or did!
He had asked Chief Rohsuak to try and gather any information she could in the meantime, but he didn’t expect the general to just admit to the lies, so he wasn’t confident they’d learn anything from him. He could only hope that Queen Vanieskon and the fair folk would point out any holes and tricks in the general’s offer…
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At that moment, Chief Rohsuak asked the general about the gift in response to the general’s own question about her relationship with Belissar. To Belissar’s surprise, the general answered directly…with an answer that shook Belissar to his very core.
General Rippotis…was blessed by the God of Bees?
But Belissar’s mind resumed quickly and he frowned. If this was a lie too…Belissar had to know, so he went a Tower message over to Velebee.
“Velebee, can you ask the God of Bees if she truly blessed General Rippotis?”
Velebee’s reply came back immediately, as if the God of Bees had been waiting for that very question.
“Queen of All Bees said did! General raised bees, made happy, so Queen of All Bees gave Hive-Builder’s magic palace! Amazing, incredible! Hive-Builder’s hives best hives!”
Belissar’s vision spun and he had to lean back in his seat.
General Rippotis…was blessed by the God of Bees. For raising bees and making them happy…for which the God of Bees gave him the beehouse feature Belissar had designed. The feature that bore Belissar’s own name.
Which meant…General Rippotis…hadn’t lied? He truly had heard Belissar’s name from a reward from the God of Bees…and so he did have a reason to bring flowers for the bees. He brought something he knew bees would appreciate!
So…was that a manipulation, a gift meant to strike at what Belissar held most dear? Or was it a sincere gift, from one beekeeper and Tower master of Bees to another?
Belissar had to know more.
“Velebee, can you ask the God of Bees if she knows why General Rippotis told all those lies? Why he let the Conclave do…well, everything they did? Especially burning our home?”
Velebee replied quickly.
“Queen of All Bees says doesn’t know, wasn’t watching general back then. Going to ask Queen of All Fire.”
Belissar blinked at that, but all he could do was wait. In the meantime, Loremaster Anyadre had finished reading General Rippotis’s offer and now everyone was considering it, so Belissar didn’t have to refocus just yet.
After a long wait, Velebee finally replied.
“Queen of All Bees says Queen of All Fire told! Hive-burner wasn’t General’s worker, was from other queen’s hive. General busy fighting shades, Queen of All Bees says like Fourth of Seventh and First of Fifth’s First Daughter! One queen take care of hive so other can scout!”
Belissar’s eyes widened. That…would make sense, wouldn’t it? General Rippotis was, well, a general of an army. He had been told all his life of the general’s battles, the general was indeed said to be constantly at war with the Hunger, which the God of Fire apparently confirmed as true. If the general had been off fighting the Hunger all this time and left it to other Tower Lords to handle the Conclave…then perhaps he hadn’t actually known how the Tower Lord in question, who apparently wasn’t the general’s subordinate to begin with, had treated Belissar and his village?
So…maybe General Rippotis wasn’t lying now. Maybe his gift was sincere…and maybe his apology was as well. Maybe he truly did find the other Tower Lord’s deeds atrocious…maybe he truly was sorry for how Belissar was treated.
And maybe…he truly was here to make peace. Maybe Belissar could trust the words he spoke now.
“Tower Keeper Belissar, is something the matter?”
Belissar snapped out of his thoughts after Loremaster Anyadre addressed him. He thought for a moment before nodding to himself. This was probably something he should share. He sent one more question to Velebee before he started to explain.
“Velebee, can you ask the God of Bees…is General Rippotis truly here to make peace?”
“I was speaking with Velebee, the Oracle of Bees, about General Rippotis, to see what the gods have to say about him and his intentions.”
Loremaster Anyadre nodded.
“That indeed could be useful. Has the God of Bees imparted any oracles?”
Belissar blinked again as Velebee’s response came back to him…before making a small smile.
“Yes, she has…she, General Rippotis’s primary patron the God of Fire, and the God of Light, the god the Conclave considers the savior of humanity and the world…all confirm General Rippotis is truly here to make peace. They charged him with that mission to begin with and we can trust that his offers are genuine.”
The signatories and sigmaka all glanced at one another. King Taranskare furrowed his brow.
“So, the gods are as involved with their side as they have been with ours. Still, I have to wonder, if they wish for these negotiations to succeed, why send the Dragon Banner General, the Butcher of Blackwood?”
Nenavann rubbed his chin.
“I think his past with us may have been incidental. Tower Keeper Belissar said the God of Fire is the Dragon Banner General’s primary patron and the general introduced himself as a Disciple of Fire. The Circle has Dungeon Master Urubran, who also received a mission from the God of Fire regarding these negotiations, while Tower Keeper Belissar has the God of Fire as a secondary patron and Chief Rohsuak, another Disciple of Fire, as his sworn defender. The gods may have chosen the Dragon Banner General as a high-ranking member of the Conclave who shares a patron with the main parties involved.”
Everyone mulled over that for a moment. Forgemaster Ughlarer broke the silence with a scoff.
“So, the God of Fire wants this to happen and wants us to know it. That doesn’t mean we need to jump at his call, the gods have always had their own agendas and don’t bother to take our best interests into account when they order their followers around. It’d be typical for the God of Fire to pick someone he thought best without giving a thought to the man’s bloody past.”
Queen Vanieskon smiled.
“No, we do not need to jump at the God of Fire’s call…but perhaps the Butcher does. If he is both a disciple and dungeon master of Fire, commanded by his god to make this peace happen…then he risks direct consequences if these negotiations fail. If that is the case…we need not question his sincerity in these negotiations. Instead, we may ask…how far is he willing to go to make them succeed?”
First Queen Nyoyanke matched Queen Vanieskon’s smile.
“So…we have the advantage in these talks. We can not only confirm our safety…but seek our own gain as well…”
One by one, the participants began to smile. Forgemaster Ughlarer frowned and grunted…but did not raise any objections.
As for Belissar…he smiled as well. Even though General Rippotis might be a fellow beekeeper and even though he may not have been personally responsible for how the Conclave had treated Belissar, he had admitted himself that the Conclave’s behavior was atrocious, and he was still one of its High Councilors. Belissar not only had a lifetime of grievances from the Conclave but had even lost the lives of bees due to their attacks. So, he might just find it all easier to accept if General Rippotis would pay that restitution he had already promised. Besides, if he was a fellow follower of the God of Bees…he should not mind working to make the bees happy and safe, shouldn’t he?