Alderth Castle
Highark [capital city], Raeo [planet], Aurum [star system]
22 December; 10:46:20 Hours
Thud, thud, thud. The sound of armored boots on the marble floor echoed toward the gigantic double doors of the throne room. King Laes stood beside his throne, chest puffed out, hands folded behind him, and his back was to the throne room doors as he looked upon the colossal Wendale flag that hung behind the throne. There was a muffled voice nearing, and upon the doors creaking open Laes could hear his daughter.
“<I know how to get to the throne room! He’s my father!>”
The soldiers marched Dax up to the foot of the throne, where Laes slowly turned around to them. He motioned the doors closed and as the King’s Guard began closing them, Laes turned his attention upon Dax.
“<I told them to bring you to me,>” he growled, “<So enough with your pettiness.>”
Dax’s nostrils were flared and she gritted her teeth. “<Very well, Father.>”
“<Good. Now, why have I summoned you…>”
“<Yes, why?>”
“<We’ve received an invitation,>” he said and brought his left hand in front of himself,
holding a black invitation in it.
“<Invitation?>” Dax sneered, “<From whom? For what?>”
“<The Depth.>”
“<The Depth? They’re inviting us to what? A trap?>”
“<No, a ball - Throx wishes to make peace with our empire.>”
Dax smiled from nearly ear to ear, pushed a dreadlock out of her face and behind her ear, and leaned her head back as she chuckled. “<And I hope that you told him the only peace that we will grant him and the Depth is our heel on their throat!>”
“<No, I told him that we’ll oblige,> Laes said as he sat down upon his throne.
“<You, you what?>”
“<I will not repeat myself to you.>”
“<The Depth has killed thousands of our people! Throx, he refuses to grant them mercy when doing so, and now you want to make peace?>”
“<I want to continue our expansion and with the growing rumors of the Union and United Galactic Republic merging, that will be far more difficult if we don’t have another universal might on our side!>”
“<Is that weakness I hear in your voice, Father?>” she hissed.
Laes slammed his right fist on the arm of his throne, and a thunderous boom ripped through the chambers before he roared at Dax, “<ENOUGH! Enough with your childishness! You are the Archangel of this empire; you are the heiress to MY throne! Act like it!>”
Dax bit the corner of her lip, nearly panting as she folded her arms in front of her chest. “<Well, I hope your talks with the Defiler of Thrones go well, my King.>”
“<You mean YOUR talks,>” he corrected her.
“<W-what?>”
“<Yes, again, you are the heiress and Archangel - So, you will be attending the Black Ball and negotiating the treaty between the Depth and our Sovereign Kingdom of Wendale.>”
“<You want ME to negotiate with that heretic…” Dax clenched her fists tightly, her eyes began glowing bright blue as she said, “I’d rather kill—”
“<Did I stutter? You will negotiate this treaty with Throx; you will make sure that our empire is in the position to continue its expansion unhindered; you will do that, or—” Laes had interrupted her only for Dax to cut him off.
“<Or what, Father?>”
“<Or perhaps your sister, Haelex IS more fit to be the Archangel than I originally thought.>”
Dax’s lip quivered, her fists clenched so tightly that her knuckles cracked. She stared her father in the eyes, one of which was light blue while the other was covered by a silver eyepatch, as he leaned back in his throne. He then raised the invitation and a King’s Guard retrieved it before taking it to Dax, she snatched it from him and looked at it.
“<Then when will Waelum, Kaendra, and I be leaving for Ravelous?>” she asked, still reading the invitation.
“<Waelum will not be accompanying you - only Kaendra will.>”
She looked up from the invitation, her eyebrows perked and mouth opened slightly. “<Why?>”
“<It does not concern you.>”
“<It doesn’t concern me? Am I not the Archangel? Am I not the heiress to your throne? Where is Waelum, Father?>”
“<It is of no concern to you,>” he growled before shooing her off. “<Now on your way, you will be leaving tomorrow.>”
Dax continued glaring at her father, though the soldiers soon tugged on her. She was quick to yank her arms from them before finally giving in. The nine, four soldiers in front and four behind her, marched toward the opening throne room doors as Dax glanced back to her father again. She saw an all too familiar grin creep over his face, feeling chills flood over her, but then losing sight of him as the doors closed behind them.