Chapter 496: Chapter 496
Belissar went through his morning routine, making his offerings to the gods, then made his way over to the Beecity to check on the bees and congratulate the newly evolved dancers and dronedancers in person. He’d have loved nothing more to watch them and see how they integrated into the hive of hives…but that would have to wait. He was on a schedule today, so he left the new bees to the hive of hives and moved to make his own preparations.
He made his way over to the karnuq settlement where they dressed him in the latest incarnation of his diplomacy outfit, complete with a new spear with a metal tip. He then travelled with Chief Rohsuak and a full escort of soldier bees and karnuq hunters to the nexus door to await their first set of guests.
A silver elf man adorned with a bright robe and jewelry strode through the door, flanked by two silver elves in gleaming, mana-imbued armor.
“Ah, Signatory Belissar. I trust all has been prepared…adequately?”
Belissar didn’t like the man’s tone, reminding him all too much of Duchess Bereginna. He supposed he should have expected as much from the representative chosen by her. Fortunately, Chief Rohsuak and the pixies had given him some advice on how to handle it. Rather than answer the man directly, Belissar just glanced at one of his karnuq escorts, who saluted to him.
“All preparations have been completed, Tower Keeper. We are at your command, and ready to ensure the safety of the representatives.”
The silver elf looked like he wanted to say more but the other representatives began walking through the nexus door behind him, so he was forced to step out of the way. Next came a black elf man in decorative, jewel-inlayed armor with two guards of his own. Henilett flew overhead, Captain Karpakynne and one of the Royal Pixie Guards staying in Belissar’s Tower joined her from Belissar’s side. Loremaster Anyadre was the last through the door, joined by Wardmaster Varilold and another of the wardens, both to act as his guards and as consultants should any questions regarding the proposed wards arise.
Today was the day the negotiations between the sigmaka and the Compact would begin. Belissar exchanged greetings with the four representatives of the Compact, five once Chief Rohsuak joined them on his own behalf. A few other fair folk joined them as observers, but would not participate in the talks directly. Once everyone had gathered, the escorting bees and karnuq took up a formation around the whole group and then Belissar led them away. He took them to the nearest shortcut, then directly to the Tower’s exit.
In the clearing just outside of the Tower, the karnuq had been hard at work. With the Third of the Third’s help, the karnuq had built a lodge to hold the talks, as well as a kitchen to supply refreshments and a small barracks for the hunters. A wooden palisade surrounded the area, going just short of the forest around the Tower’s clearing. They had even managed to build a watchtower or two, inspired by the wooden platform Belissar had once built for Beero and the hive of the fallen when they were still injured. The source of this content ɪs novel-fire.ɴet
And, of course, there were bees everywhere. Formations of soldier bees and their various evolutions flew overhead in regular patrols, the Third of the Third’s construction team helped the karnuq reinforce the palisade, and the Third of the Fourth’s hive was helping the karnuq chefs light the kitchen fires. The Fourth of the Seventh expanded her mini-hive in the ruins off in the forest, the soldier bee army now filled it with soldier bees ready to deploy at a moment’s notice while workers brought them honey and pollen. Further out, nomadic bees soared high in the skies above, using their big wings and big eyes to monitor the entire purified area for incoming trouble. If an incursion occurred, the hive of hives was ready to pounce on it long before the representatives even knew it had happened.
The lodge consisted of one large hall in the center with two smaller sections on either side, where the different parties could rest and discuss amongst themselves in privacy. Belissar lead the Compact’s representatives to one of the private sections, then moved to the entrance of the Underway.
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Shortly after he arrived, the sigmaka made their way out onto the surface, escorted by Metsaitti, his hunters, and the digging and blinding bees. The sigmaka had sent three of their number, Second Queen Berbiya, Fourth Queen Pezuya…but the group was led not by either of them but by another sigmaka woman Belissar had not met before. She introduced herself as First Queen Nyoyanke.
Belissar led the sigmaka to the lodge as well, letting them rest in the other private section for a bit. He moved to the central hall, where the karnuq had built a big circular table for the meeting. Belissar stood in front of a throne that was not at the table itself, but placed next to one of the side walls and at the center of the room’s length. Where he would watch over the discussion as the host.
Metsaitti and the karnuq hunters took up positions along the walls, while the soldier bees settled into nooks and beams spread high up in the lodge for them. Karnuq hunters then knocked on the doors to the private sections on either side of the hall. The sigmaka and the Compact’s representatives made their way into the hall at the same time.
A karnuq hunter on either side introduced the Compact’s representatives and the sigmaka’s queens, then Belissar welcomed the two sides to sit down. He motioned as pre-determined and Leijaliuk entered the room, guiding karnuq cooks and the Third of the Fourth’s hive as they brought in refreshments. They just provided a light breakfast for now, but accompanied it with tea and a bit of swirled honey to mix in, having acquired some extra tea sets from the Compact for that purpose. Belissar hoped offering the best honey he had available would put everyone in a good mood to start with.
The silver elf representative sniffed the tea and turned his nose up. He scooped just a touch of the honey into the cup with light, graceful motions, stirring an exact number of times before gently tapping the spoon to return the tea drops on it to the cup. He lifted the plate and the cup up not too fast but not too slow, and closed his eyes as he took a small sip.
The moment the tea touched his tongue, his eyes shot open and he audibly gasped.
“S-Signatory Belissar…what is this?”
Belissar, fortunately, had been told to expect some sort of reaction to the honey, so he had a response ready.
“Swirled honey, the very best my bees can produce.”
More gasps filled the room as the other fair folk and the sigmaka queens had much the same reactions. Henilett, having already tasted the honey before, stifled a laugh. Or rather, pretended to stifle her laugh while making it very obvious that she was indeed laughing.
The silver elf representative began to quiver.
“Would…would it be possible to acquire this honey?”
Belissar suppressed a grin of his own while Henilett winked at him. The pixie had mentioned what might happen if a silver elf tried swirled honey mixed with tea.
“That is a matter we can discuss at a later time. For now, please enjoy the bounty of my Tower while we discuss all of our peoples’ mutual friendship…and the future wellbeing of our homes.”
The silver elf frowned but quickly came to himself and controlled his expression, giving a polite nod and a smile.
“Of course, Tower Keeper Belissar, great friend of the fair and esteemed signatory of the Compact, our most gracious host. Allow me to thank you on all of our behalf for your generous hospitality. We shall, of course, conduct these discussion in the same spirit of friendship.”
With that, he turned his attention to the sigmaka. First Queen Nyoyanke was staring at her cup until Second Queen Berbiya quietly cleared her throat. The First Queen then put a smile on her own face.
“Allow me to thank you as well, Tower Keeper Belissar, who has ever been a friend of the sigmaka since the day we met and who we have fought beside to keep both our peoples safe. Let us continue to stand together and protect our homes.”
Somehow, neither the silver elf nor the sigmaka’s smiles made Belissar feel happy. But he just smiled back and gave a solemn nod, he was only here as host, after all, and wouldn’t have to address the representatives directly once the discussion began. He thus sat back into his throne as the sigmaka and fair folk greeted each other directly and began the talks. And then he kept his expression solemn as he let his tower sight wander, watching the bee army and bee scouts in the name of “reviewing security” while Niobee and the bees in the room kept track of the conversation for him.
And so, the sigmaka and the Compact began negotiating a new, three-way alliance…