“Stop there!” Va’il yelled when the two delegations arrived. “Now commanders to that rock!”
“We’re the commanders, as asked,” the red commander, a middle-aged man, said. Va’il had stopped them at forty meters out. Murasaki nodded when Va’il looked at her.
“Twenty meters, come a bit closer, just three from each! No archers!” Va’il yelled out, and both the red commander and Murasaki complied.
The red commander looked at Va’il and Ruby, and then across at Murasaki, who kept a good distance from his delegation. Murasaki, though, was looking at Va’il and Ruby intensely.
“So boy, the noble girl?” the red commander asked.
“She’s a rich one. See the ring here,” Va’il said, holding out Ruby’s arm, “it’s real.”
“It probably is. But is she one of our nobles, or one of theirs?” the red commander asked. He was looking at Ruby, squinting a bit.
“Ah, that’ll be answered in a bit,” Va’il said, sneering slightly. “But you’ll only get her back when one of you pays me. If you don’t, well.”
Va’il’s hand appeared to squeeze her throat a bit, and Ruby made a small sound. She closed her eyes.
“Don’t harm the girl,” Murasaki said. At the sound of her voice, Ruby opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Murasaki slightly. Murasaki looked at her in return. Ruby watched, and then lifted the corner of her mouth slightly, so that Murasaki could see, but the red commander could not.
“Of course, not yet,” Va’il said.
“But who are you, and she?” the red commander asked.
“Oh, you don’t know, Jandese?” Murasaki asked. “I should say, that’s quite funny. For I know my noble families quite well. And I have quite a knack for interesting situations. I see. You must understand, I wouldn’t pay a dime in ransom. Though, as a hostage, yes, I think she’d do quite nicely.”
“Don’t try to fool me, Lady Murasaki! I know your lies too well,” Jandese, the red commander, said.
“I knew I’d find a reasonable buyer,” Va’il said.
“Well, Jandese, unless you have anything further to say?”
“So it’s just a purple noble. You’re tricks won’t work on me. The battle will resume,” Jandese said.
“Sure, resume the battle,” Va’il said. “Now that I know how much easier it is, I’ll be sure to come to you again with better goods, Madam Commander. Do you think this general would recognize his own daughter, at least?” Va’il asked.
“Oh, he doesn’t have a daughter, but I can definitely provide you with the location of a duke’s niece. I’m quite sure he doesn’t know what she looks like either, and the duke does love his niece quite a bit,” Murasaki said.
“You villain! Fine! We’ll depart for today! Do not harm the girl! If she is a red noble, I don’t know, I just don’t know. If she isn’t, what a travesty! Murasaki, the reds will win soon enough,” Jandese said.
“That’d require you to win any battle at all in the first place. Take care Jandese. Tell your grandfather I said hello. Oh, and ask Lady Travermoy how her pretty blonde teenage daughter is doing these days. That’s another girl you don’t know, do you? But you know what’d happen if Lady Travermoy was upset, right?” Murasaki asked, her mouth in a wide, wicked grin.
“You fiend. One day, cousin, I’ll have your head,” Jandese said.
“I love you too,” Murasaki replied.
Jandese rode back to his camp, and their army prepared to leave the field. Murasaki’s group rode back as well, with Va’il and Ruby slowly following, Va’il still holding Ruby tightly.
They entered the commander’s tent, and Murasaki sat in her chair.
“Guards, stand down. Do nothing to the boy,” Murasaki commanded. The commander of them objected, but she rejected him quickly. “Do as I say.”
The guards all lowered their spears and watched Va’il carefully as he and Ruby made their way into the middle of the room, Ruby still acting as a hostage.
“Now, boy, you can release her. I assume you’re a friend of hers,” Murasaki said. Va’il looked at Ruby, who nodded lightly against his grip. He then let go of her. She shook out her arms a bit and moved her head around. The guards looked like they wanted to jump at Va’il, but they followed Murasaki’s command.
“Yes, we’re friends,” Va’il said.
“I’m glad you caught on so quickly,” Ruby said. Murasaki let out a long, heavy sigh before speaking.
“You’re the lucky one. I could’ve let Jandese take you. I had half a mind to as well, let you truly play the victim again,” Murasaki said.
“I’m sure you were tempted. But I’ve saved you a day of battle. And you got to play a rather fun game with him, didn’t you? Isn’t that enough?” Ruby asked.
“A little. Don’t think I’d make light of a battle, a war, again. We would’ve won, but I suppose a reprieve is fine. It’s sure to shake their morale in the future anyways, once that hot-headed commander realizes what went on. Well, I suppose he’ll never really understand. And his head will be gone before the next time you’d ever meet him again, I suppose,” Murasaki said.
“What’s going on Ruby?” Va’il asked.
“Oh, right. First, this friend of mine is Va’il. He’s been watching after me. I suppose you already know, Murasaki?”
“Yes yes.”
“And Va’il, this is Murasaki. Queen of Hallum. And my sister,” Ruby said.
“Queen? Sister? Oh, wow. Amazing!” Va’il laughed, and then bowed. “Forgive my rudeness. Thank you for your actions out there.”
“Well, the beast does have a few manners. Though I suppose that act was all planned out by you, Ruby?” Murasaki asked, her voice flat.
“Yes, sister. I saw your banners and realized it’d be best to seek refuge with you for today. So I decided on a course of action that’d stop the battle for the time being,” Ruby said.
“Half-sister. My stupid half-sister. I’ll forgive your insufferable intrusion into my country’s matters today. Do not repeat it. Or next time I’ll look the other way, or give you to Jandese myself. But, considering mother and what I barely know of your situation, I’ll make an exception for you, for now. I’d rather not consider her reaction to me passing over your existence now. How long has it been since she last sent me a correspondence? That last one inquiring about your whereabouts was quite a while ago. How many months? A year, almost, maybe? I suppose in light of that we could catch up. As sisters, even. Ha!”
“Is she?” Va’il asked. Ruby gave him a sharp look before he could say another word.
“Yes sister, it’s been a while. Truthfully, I’m trying to return as soon as possible. It was against my will that I left, if you were thinking otherwise,” Ruby said.
“Even you couldn’t decide to take such a leave. Can’t go too far with your own strings, isn’t that right, little puppet? Well then, I’ll deliver you back to mother. Won’t she be surprised? Maybe even look upon her middle daughter with greater favor again! Look mother, I’m a queen! Oh, but only of Hallum. Look mother, here’s your little toy back! Won’t she be pleased?”
“Thank you, Lady Murasaki,” Ruby said. She then bowed deeply. Va’il looked at them both, and then bowed as well.
“Take them home! Dress them, bathe them, and get them ready for tonight!” Murasaki commanded her guards and attendants, and all obeyed.
