Serpent's Claim (Serpent's Touch 2)

AMIRA

Ifollowed the king from the council meeting room down a wide branch that led us to the great hall. His chair whirred softly, cushioned by air to glide over any bumps on the way.

“They sure got mad back there,” I muttered to myself, processing what had just happened.

The king chuckled. “You did ruffle some senties.”

It had been two months since I started coming to the council meetings with the king. By now, I’d caught up on the processes and all the major issues discussed. I had my own ideas and opinions, too, but as a good pet, I’d kept silent. Until that morning.

The Council had been concerned about the increase of werewolf attacks along the border. The peace with Sarnala was protected by a trade agreement, but only for as long as trading was possible. However, during the green season, the flooding of the travel routes between the two kingdoms forced the trade to stop, which lifted the restrictions of the treaty.

When that happened, gorgonian border towns suffered from frequent raids. Wearing veils like my own, or even blindfolded, werewolves viciously destroyed gorgonian property and looted the towns’ resources. Murder happened, too.

The magistrates repeatedly petitioned King Zeldren to mitigate the attacks. He agreed to send an ambassador to negotiate a possible extension of the treaty period. I’d asked to be considered for the position of the ambassador. Of course, the councilors didn’t take it well.

When I’d spoken, the shock on their faces was as if a piece of furniture had suddenly come to life. Then, all hell broke loose. Some had laughed, others yelled, but no one had given me the chance to explain.

The king maneuvered his chair up the grand staircase.

“I don’t think I’ve ever managed to get them as agitated as you did today.” He sounded amused and even somewhat envious.

I felt deflated. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut.”

“Why would you?” The king shrugged, turning into the hallway to his bedroom. “Generally, sending you to Sarnala makes sense. Werewolves are always wary of gorgonians. Negotiation would go more smoothly, I imagine, if both parties could look each other directly in the eye.”

“Yet the Council would never support sending me now, just because the suggestion came from me.”

He didn’t argue with that.

“The position of a Royal Ambassador is highly coveted by many,” he said. “No matter what, there’d be competition. Regardless of the Council’s decision, though, I wouldn’t send you, anyway.”

I whipped around to face him. “Why not?”

He shrugged casually. “Why would I risk one of my most precious possessions being stolen by a bunch of dirty werewolves?”

That summed up my position at the Court of Lorsan. I was the king’s current favorite toy. A precious one, maybe, but still just “a possession.”

I pursed my lips. “That’s a shame. Because I also have an idea for improving the trade with Sarnala. Year round.”

Lifting my chin, I marched ahead.

“What kind of idea?” The king sped his chair after me.

I didn’t reply, as we came within earshot of the guards by the door. After we’d entered the royal bedroom, I closed the doors and leaned against them.

The king turned his chair to face me.

“Speak up, Amira. What are you talking about?”

Well, at least I still had “the king’s ear.” He looked ready to hear me out.

“The trade with Sarnala stops because of the floods, right?”

“Yes.”

A flood would never prevent gorgonians from traveling wherever they wished, but werewolves disliked water. They wouldn’t venture far into Lorsan without passable roads.

“Sarnala needs dry roads for the werewolves’ wagons and horses to travel, in order for the mutual trade to continue.”

“Right,” the king agreed.

“I studied the map of the Ahonne River, and I believe at least one of the roads could be saved from the flood. The one that runs along its north bank.”

“Saved? How?” He seemed intrigued.

“By building a levee.”

The king blew out a breath, shaking his head. “We don’t do anything that would restrict the natural flow of water in Lorsan. It’d be akin to blasphemy.”

“A levee wouldn’t be really restricting, just redirecting it. Think about it. Wouldn’t it be worth it? A dry road year-round would facilitate the trade and automatically extend the treaty, which will save people’s lives and property.”

He didn’t look convinced. “The Council’s recommendation is to increase armed patrols along the border.”

“I know.” I sighed. “Gorgonians tend to rely on force in conflict resolution. Werewolves do too. But things could be solved without aggression and violence. In this case, at least.”

He rubbed the back of his neck. “The construction can have its own problems.”

“True. But that’s where thorough planning is important. Werewolves have built quite a few levees in Sarnala. Their land is so flat in some places, they’d have wetlands, too, had they not contained the floods. Instead of negotiating the treaty extension, you could have the ambassador pitch the levee idea to the werewolves and acquire their assistance. Here.”

I grabbed a book from under my pillow and opened it on the page I’d bookmarked.

“See. This is the map of one of the arms of the Ahonne River in the territory of Sarnala. The levee here was constructed just sixty years ago, and it’s been working amazingly well.”

He cast a glance at the book in my hands.

“What if it causes a drought in my lands?”

“I don't think it will, but of course, we’ll need to consult much better experts than myself. However, with the werewolves’ expertise and gorgonian magic, a lot can be accomplished.”

“Let me see.” The king rolled his chair to the table. Moving the current board game aside, he placed the open book on the table and leaned over it, studying the map.

“And here…” I placed another book next to the one he had. “This is the map of the flood area along the northern bank of the Ahonne River, with the trade road running through it.”

He squinted at both of them, studying the maps for a minute.