The Queen And The Mermaid

Chapter 8: The Negotiations

Berenice’s point of view.
Your military has the strongest and fastest bred horses in all the land. They are trained to run through much worse than what they are put through currently.
By dawn you have made it to the border’s of King Jericho’s nation.
The King’s own border guards were already there and waiting for you. One of your men blows his horn announcing your presence. They in turn blow their own.
Nobody makes a sound. Only the sounds of hooves hitting the ground and foot soldiers running in formation.
You stop and dismount your horse. Your guards, follow tall behind you. The strongest men in your nation.
Meeting you there is the king and his men. At his side is his sister, Lydisi.
“So good of you to come.” Even his voice is grating on your nerves. The way he talks down to you, nothing short of condescending. It does not waver your resolve.
“You wanted to talk negotiations. Let’s talk about them.” Your voice is level and diplomatic. The king is shocked by how calm you appear to be.
“Right! Of course.” He extends his arm, indicating a tent set up just past his borders. “Over there. I will not wage war if you cross.”
“Alright. Then.” You move to follow them. Lydisi sweeps up by your side. Your arms brush. The princess has more subtlety than her brother. You give her a wider berth, in essence giving her the cold shoulder.
Your guards wait right outside of the tent. Inside it is the three of you. He pulls out a bottle of wine and three goblets.
“Wine?”
You answer him with a hand out in front of you and a shake of the head. You sit down in front of the desk.
He pours him and his sister some of the wine. “I’ll admit, I was childish when I spirited away with the mermaid. I reacted before I thought about it.”
You lift a brow incredulously. You can smell the bullshit coming from his breath. “I was well aware that you were going to say ‘no’ when I made my pilgrimage to your country.”
“Yet. You did it anyway.” You cross your legs and lean over forward, clasping your hands over your knee.
His brow furrows deeply, giving him intense frown lines. Then he takes a hefty swallow from his goblet. “I offered you everything. From the bottom of my heart. I thought, you would see the gestures I’ve made, and you’d see I could have been the exception.”
You really want to roll your eyes. You remain seated there with your composure calm. “Oh? By offering your sister to me? Whether she would want it or not?”
“I’d assume the two of you would fall in love. You’d be happy with a woman. Our countries united to make an unstoppable force.”
He really has an excuse for everything, doesn’t he?
“It is true, I can only love women.” You lean over even more, your eyes narrow only slightly, but it is enough to show your displeasure. “But I am not a man. I love like a woman. I feel like a woman. I don’t want to be with a woman, who I may or may not grow to love. Especially, if the woman was made to do it. In the first place.” You sit back up.
“There is also the matter of making an heir with you. Of which I would never ever do to any man, no matter how many gifts he drops at my feet.”
“You could eventually get use—”
You cut him off right before he can finish, “There will never be an ‘eventually’ as far as men go. If you were a woman, who could only love a man. Would you even think of saying yes if I stopped by and offered my hand? And what would you do if I said ‘You’ll eventually get used to the idea of being with another woman’?”
He can only stare at you. He is unable to come up with an answer.
“I certainly wouldn’t take the ‘gifts’ I’ve given you, after you undoubtedly would say no.”
“Brother? She does make a good point.” Lydisi shocks you with her words.
“I did not ask for your opinion, sister. You sit there and look pretty.”
“If that is how you treat your sister, I made a wise choice in saying no. You shouldn’t shut your sister out like that.”
It is your turn to surprise Lydisi. She gives you a grateful nod.
“If I wanted an opinion about how I talk to my sister, I would have asked for it.” Jericho says through gritted teeth. He is such a childish and foolish man. He really should not be this immature. He is only three years younger than you.
“Now.” He leans over forward and steeples his fingers together, “You did come here to negotiate.”
“I came here to hear what those negotiations would entail. I did not exactly come here for them.”
“Same difference.”
You really are starting to want to choke the life out of him. You feel sorry for his sister and his subjects. He is already showing signs of being a terrible king. You also know he has never been told ‘no’ before in his whole life. Which is why you are sitting here now.
“Perhaps, if I show you the good little mermaid, you might change your mind.”
You bite down on the skin of your inner cheek hard. The way he says that, does not fill you with comfort. If anything, it is the opposite of that. Your heart begins to pound. Your hands start to shake. It is a struggle to remain poised and regal.
He picks up a small bell on his desk and rings it. Two guards hurry in. Standing between them is: Galatea.
Her wrists are bound behind her back in wrought iron chains. There is a horse’s bit, that is human sized in her mouth. Her clothes are torn, and she is covered in bruises, cuts, and blood. The guards force her down to her knees.
You stand to your feet. When you see her face more clearly, her cheeks are stained with her tears. Still glittery as if they were still wet.
“Perhaps now, you’d like to negotiate?”
One of the guards holds a double-edged dagger to Galatea’s throat.