The Meeting

[Callidora]

Daedalus and Ariadne rushed to Saphrius, King Metion’s palace, as fast as they could swim, churning waters behind them and scaring schools of fish off course in their haste. Neither one was sure what would come of this diversion Eurydice had ventured upon, but they hoped that their king would have an answer for them. Or at least a plan of action. It was unheard of, at least to them, for a daughter of the sea to entertain a land dweller, let alone befriend one.

Once they had arrived, the two guards set at the entrance of the great hall parted to let them pass. What they found, however, was an empty room crowned by an empty throne. Their king nowhere to be seen.

“I don’t understand,” Ariadne spoke up first, her eyes on the vacant throne before turning to her companion, perplexed.

“I don’t...he should be here,” Daedalus added, the confusion in his own voice clearly evident. He had turned to look at Ariadne as well, but his attention was stolen by a sound and then a voice coming from somewhere off to their side.

“Tsk Tsk Tsk,” came the soft, barely audible chiding sound as black and red tentacles slowly curled around the rock that formed an entrance to a hallway there. The face that emerged soon after was familiar to both of them, causing Ariadne’s eyes to narrow and Daedalus’ features to harden. “Poor Daedalus…,” the woman continued, slowly coming into full view. Phaedra looked...different...comparatively. Instead of hair upon her head, bony protrusions formed a sort of a crown that ringed her skull and from the back, two additional tentacles splayed down her back in place of the luxurious mane most of her kind possessed. Her body too, pale white in appearance, was marred with blood red natural markings that looked more like war paint than anything else.

“Once again you are too late,” she continued, swimming up to the man until she was nearly face to face with him. Looking up, the corners of her lips lifted and lips split to reveal pearl white teeth and an absolutely devilish smile at her own inside joke. Facing the man as she was, black eyes slid to his side to regard the woman there and the smile faded, replaced with a glance that nearly ticked one corner of her lip up in disdain. “Ariadne.” she scowled.

“Phaedra,” Ariadne answered derisively. Phaedra, taller but thinner than the other woman, tightened her grip on the staff she held at her side, her eyes squinting ever so subtly and her lips pressing into a thin, unamused line. Turning back to Daedalus rather than pursue mutual contempt, her features instantly softened when confronted with her one time lover and she nearly purred.

“The king isn’t here. He has gone to Ta....,” she started. As she began to explain the king's whereabouts to the man, she slowly brought her free hand up, intent on running a pale hand over his chest as she leaned forward.

Both the words and her actions were immediately halted when Ariadne, angered by the woman’s forwardness, sent her crystal topped staff in the woman’s direction. Attempting to knock her back from her current lover, the blow was answered in kind by Phaedra’s own weapon, sending arcs of blue electricity through the water immediately surrounding all three that crackled from the impact. Phaedra, ready for the attack, shot a glare at the woman and coiled in anticipation, waiting expectantly to see what the woman would do next.

“Enough!” Daedalus shouted, pushing his way between the two and backing away from Phaedra with Ariadne. ‘We don’t have time for this,” he added, citing their earlier haste to inform the king of recent developments. Phaedra, with her eyes still boring into the woman now at Daedalus’ back, relented and relaxed, though her gaze remained transfixed menacingly.

“King Metion has gone to Taemoria, to warn the queen,” she said plainly, her stare finally averting to look at the man as she gave her answer.

“Taemoria!? Why would he...Phaedra, what have you done?” Daedalus questioned, his eyes now narrowing at the woman too. Ariadne, still corralled behind the man, reached up and placed her hand upon his shoulder, squeezing gently when she heard the concerning answer from the other woman. It was a curious situation indeed. One that neither of them had ever encountered before, but the need to ‘warn’ seemed out of place, especially if Metion had gone to warn queen Callidora herself, of all people.

“I have done nothing. I simply informed the king of what I have seen. Oh…,” she stopped, blood red markings that took the place of brows going up and a hand coming to her mouth exaggeratedly. “Did you...did you think you were the only one that saw?” she asked, her mock surprised expression melting again into that devilish grin while her shoulders shook slightly from the laughter that followed. “That ship and her captain will cause nothing but trouble. Mark my words. Better they are dealt with now before things get out of hand.”

“But, you don’t know that!” Ariadne interjected, peering over her lover’s shoulder as she protested. Daedalus, canting his head back towards the pleading cry, looked towards Phaedra and nodded his agreement along with a look of warning. Reaching back, he took hold of Ariadne’s hand and grasped it with his own as he spoke to the woman in front of them. “You don’t know that,” he echoed. He knew the sly, self servient ways of Phaedra well enough to know that neither his words nor Ariadne’s would sway her way of thinking. With that in mind, he turned his head back towards the woman behind him again and nodded. “Come. We must go and explain what has taken place,” he began, shooting another glare towards Phaedra. “What really took place.” he added.

“If anything happens to this kingdom because of your recklessness, it will be on your head,” she quipped, shooting a look over his shoulder as she finished. “Both of yours.” she added with a glare.

“You…!” Daedalus started, but soon thought better of his words.

“Me,” Phaedra finished, her icy stare moving back to him and that grin betraying teeth once more as she leaned forward to emphasize the word. It was fitting really. Concerning the castle, the kingdom, the king and all that resided under him, the only thing she really cared about above it all...was herself.

Daedalus knew there was no swaying the woman and they were wasting precious time. Perhaps that was her intention all along. To stall them so they couldn’t correct the wrong she had done. Whatever the case, he looked back over his shoulder and gave Ariadne’s hand a gentle squeeze. “Come on.” was all he said, and then they were both on their way to Taemoria to join the king in hopes of swaying queen Callidora before more damage was done.
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The journey to Taemoria was made in the same hastened fashion that they had exerted going to Saphrius. At times Daedalus led the way and at others Ariadne held the lead. Regardless of who was out front, the same determination etched both of their faces until they’d reached their destination. When they had reached the queen’s castle however, their arrival was not received as well as it had been at Saphrius.

Three guards stood watch at the entranceway of the great hall of Taemoria instead of two, and all three were far more apprehensive to the rapid approach from the two arriving from the distant kingdom. Iron tridents quickly crossed, barring entrance as smaller, thinner tentacles dangled from the bulbous domes atop their heads. Tentacles that were infinitely more dangerous and deadly than anything either Daedalus or Ariadne were equipped with, which gave them pause.

Having stopped an appropriate enough distance away to avoid raising even more alarm, Daedalus regarded the three politely, if not a little anxious, while Ariadne craned and canted her head, trying to get a look beyond the three silent guards.

“We seek counsel with queen Callidora to inform her of new, concerning events,” Daedalus explained.

“The queen is already in counsel with *your* king and has given strict orders that they not be disturbed,” the lead guard countered. An emissary was normally sent in situations such as these, but with king Metion showing up in person, the guards reasoned that he should have all information available to him. Queen Callidora’s command that they not be disturbed was equally effective in making sure the guards gave no ground.

“The king has been...misinformed. Unfortunately.” Daedalus started, then sighed. Admitting misinformation and untruth from his own kind, especially to the king, was not something the man was happy to admit, especially to members of Callidora’s court. They had to reach the queen however, and truth, however unfavorable it may have been, was the best course of action in the moment. “We have first hand accounts of the situation that we feel the queen needs to be aware of before making a decision on the matter.” he finished.
The lead guard, not liking what he heard in the least, looked to the guard on his left and then the guard on his right, unsure of this new development. Looking at the newly arrived pair again, he gave the matter a few moments more of thought before he gave them a brief, “Hold on.”
Once again looking to the other two guards, he gave them each a solemn nod, which they returned and then settled their gaze on Daedalus and Ariadne, somehow more serious and determined than before. The two from Saphrius looked on anxiously, having no choice but to wait for the lead guard’s return.

When the lead guard did return, after an interminable amount of time, Daedalus and Ariadne both slumped with relief when they learned it had been agreed upon to allow them to interject in king Metion and queen Callidora’s counsel. “I’ll warn you,” he began with a glare . “Neither seem happy with the intrusion.” he informed them with a stern look of disapproval. His station was in jeopardy as well, taking the word of two strangers to interrupt a royal meeting he had been given explicit instructions *not* to disrupt.

“I understand,” Daedalus said. “The intrusion will not be in vain.” he added, trying to reassure the unconvinced guard of their intent. The guard, wary of the two and curious if he had made the right decision, stared hard at the man for a long moment before finally giving a nod of acceptance and then stepping aside while motioning to the other two to do the same. Once the path had been cleared for them to enter, both Daedalus and Ariadne slowly proceeded into the grand great hall, unsure of what awaited them inside but steadfast in their duty to inform.

The great hall of Taemoria was immense. Emerald pillars lined the outskirts of the marble floor that was once home to the pairing festival until Callidora moved the festival off the coast of RhyDin to Ponoris plateau. Inlaid in the center of the elaborate flooring lay the royal crest of the family. At the corners of those massive pillars grew long strands of vibrant green kelp that waved lazily in the calm, serene waters held within. Amidst all of the majesty and intricacy the room they now found themselves in held, Daedalus and Ariadne both couldn’t tear their gaze away from directly in front of them.

At the top of a short staircase standing to the right of the throne was king Metion, back straight and hands clasped behind him as he looked down at the pair that dared intrude on royal counsel. As intimidating as their own king was with his disapproving glare, two sets of eyes couldn’t help but drift to the figure next to him. There, nestled lazily on her throne with one leg crossed over the other, queen Callidora herself looked down at the two as well. The quiet concern that shown on her face didn’t mask an edge of curiosity and appreciation for such a brazen act as to barge in on two royals, but she stayed her tongue, for now, as sapphire eyes examined the two that had done just that. A moment of silence allowed her gaze to traverse the length of the woman before moving to the man and doing the same, a fingertip coming to the edge of her mouth before being taken with teeth and a smile found itself tugging at the corners of her lips. They looked absolutely petrified. Good.


“Well, well…,” she began slowly. The time for examining the two over with, Callidora slowly unwound one leg from the other and sat up on her throne, placing one hand upon each of the arm rests as she leaned forward. What happened next had both Daedalus and Ariadne blinking in surprise and stiffening reflexively as Callidora gave a swift push off of the chair and closed the distance between them before anyone else in the room could react. Nearly face to face with Ariadne first, that bulbous hood crowning her head mere inches from the woman’s face, she began, her words slow as they seethed through pale blue lips. “Do tell me…,” she started, then whipped to the side and slipped between the two. At Daedalus’ back now, she tilted her head at the back of the man’s head and continued. “...what is so urgent that would require you to interrupt…,” Another subtle kick of her legs and wave of her hands brought her around the man so that she was now face to face with him, the bulbous half globe atop her head floating just in front of his forehead as she went on. “...a royal counsel meeting?” she finished, the inflection at the end turning it into a question rather than a demand. Dark eyes gazed deep into the man’s, shifting briefly to the woman’s expectantly before moving back. She wondered who would have the courage to go first.

“We...we were afraid that…,” Ariadne started first, stuttering out the first few words. Callidora shifted immediately, moving in front of the woman and staring intently as the woman started to speak. The movement caused Ariadne to stiffen slightly and stare at those expectant eyes, cutting her words off mid sentence.

“We were under the impression that the king might have been given false information,” Daedalus interjected once the queen was no longer in front of him and Ariadne’s words had been stifled. “Eurydice seems to have laid claim to a ship and the crew are...feeding her.” he continued. “Their intentions do not seem ill, but they are headed for the emerald islands.” he finished. In truth, neither knew what Phaedra had told the king. Only that she was not to be trusted and her tone during the admission wasn’t conducive to the truth.

“Feeding her?” Callidora shot an inquisitive glance to the man while he explained what they had seen, then turned to regard king Metion, who had stiffened visibly at the news. Slowly, Callidora floated away from the two so she was not ‘on top of them’ anymore, though her eyes remained on the king. “That’s not what I was told.” she added, tilting her head and quirking a brow and the now very embarrassed king.

“My apologies…,” the king started, but it was too late.

“Send Perdix,” Callidora said immediately, cutting the king off before he could continue.

“Per...dix?” the king echoed curiously.

“Yes…,” Callidora answered, closing the distance on him as she had done the two earlier. “Perdix…,” she said again with a lilt of her head. “The woman who taught me? Your lead combat instructor?” She tilted her head the other direction. “I’m assuming she is still employed as such?” she questioned.

“Yes. She…,” the king started, again.

“Then send her. I want a reliable witness to these events and I want to know what is really going on. Especially if Eurydice is involved, and especially if she is leading them to those islands,” she said, cutting the king off again. "And make sure she understands I don't want anything to happen to that ship." she added. Eurydice was more kin to Metion’s people than she was Callidora’s, but the emerald islands were in Callidora’s kingdom so she had a right to know. The fact that all three were inside Taemoria gave her authority as well, not that her reputation hadn’t done that already.

“Yes, your majesty. It will be done,” king Metion agreed with a bow to the queen. Even a king knew not to argue with Callidora. And with that, Callidora reclaimed her throne and watched as the three filed out of the great hall, intent on carrying out her orders. These turn of events were very interesting indeed to the woman. A ship with a crew that could hold sway over a kraken was not something to be taken lightly. Perhaps she needed to meet the captain of this ship. At the very least, she wanted to gaze upon the man, or woman, that could tame such a magnificent beast.