To the Bastet, instead, Dolgus was the closest thing to a brother that he had ever had. When the rest of Mogar had treated him like the monster that Paquut had been, Dolgus had given him a home and offered him a hand.
“Thanks man.” Theseus patted the Griffon’s back one last time and then he followed the other Eldritches into the Chaos Gate.
“Do you need a ride to the Desert, Lith?” Zoreth asked.
“Yes, please.” After exchanging their contact runes, they bid goodbye to the Griffon as well.
Lith and Solus were sad to have lost one Mouth, but between the one they had gained and the new floors of the tower, they were going to be busy for a very long time.
***
Griffon Kingdom, City of Valeron, a few days later.
The Royals didn’t waste time and arranged their trip to the Blood Desert for the day after the terms of the honeymoon had expired. Now that the embassy was open again, Salaark accorded them an audience at her earliest convenience.
It was still the middle of the night for the people of the Kingdom, but in the Desert, the sun had already risen for an hour.
“Are you ready, dear?” Queen Sylpha asked.
She wore her full Royal garments as a monarch visiting a peer. Everything from her fur-lined brocade cloak to her long gown had been enchanted so that it wouldn’t impede her movements nor would the heat of the Desert bother her.
“I’m as ready as I can be.” Meron nodded, dressed in a similar fashion and wearing all the insignia of his status. “We must be prepared to bear with Verhen’s grudge and relieve his anger before starting the treaty.”
“I know.” Sylpha said. “It’s why I think that bringing along all this junk might do more harm than good to our cause. You’ve seen how powerful Verhen has become and the allies he has made. Wouldn’t it be better to wear more casual clothes?”
“Are you kidding me?” Both the King and the Chamberlain went pale. “We are still the rulers of the Griffon Kingdom and we are visiting Overlord Salaark in her palace. What impression would we give if we walked through the Gate wearing shirts and shorts?
“This attire is meant to not make us lose face in front of Salaark and show Lith how serious we are. They are not meant to intimidate him, but to make him feel honored for our presence.
“The King and the Queen of the country who banished him come in person to his door to negotiate his return. There could be no greatest honor or sign of sincerity. On top of that, by not sending a middle man we can settle things much quicker.
“There will be no back and forth from the Royal Palace. We have the full authority of the Crown and can accept or refuse his terms, giving him a proper explanation for the reasons we’re doing so while looking him in the eyes.”
“Fine.” Sylpha sighed. “But I still feel ridiculous. Wearing fur in the Desert is like bringing salt water to the ocean, a foolish endeavor.”
“I would love to argue more about Valeron’s etiquette, my dear, but I think that worrying about the color of our curtains while the war with Thrud has set our house on fire is even more foolish.” Meron said, putting an end to the conversation.
The Warp Gate in front of them opened, revealing on the other side an honor guard comprised of the elite members of Salaark’s nest who wore a ceremonial red suit of armor. Each one of them held a long pole flying Salaark’s silver and black banner.
The Royals stepped through the dimensional tunnel, using their own aura to resist the feeling of oppression that being surrounded by such powerful creatures caused. A silver and black carpet below their feet guided them to the next room, where Salaark waited for them.
The Overlord had made her guests come to her to establish the pecking order and wore a long black day dress worthy of a goddess. It was embroidered in silver with a feather pattern and decorated with several emeralds matching her eyes.
On her head rested a white turban made of the finest linen bearing a ruby the size of an apple on its center. A silver ceremonial scimitar sheathed inside a black scabbard was hung to her hip, the pommel resembling a beak while the cross-guard was shaped like wings.
It was the Overlord’s formal attire since she had unified the Desert under her rule.
‘Told you so.’ Meron inwardly grinned via their mind link.
“King Meron, Queen Sylpha, it’s an honor to meet you again after so much time.” Salaark gave them only a polite nod of her head while Sinmara who was beside her gave them a deep bow.
“I hope you won’t mind my discourtesy, but I can’t bend with such a dress at the moment.” She caressed her bloated belly, flushing in joy as the baby kicked.
“We would never dare to be so rude. We know all too well the hardships of motherhood. Congratulations, Overlord.” The Royals gave them a small bow and wore a huge smile, but inwardly they were quite scared.
According to the report that Manohar had handed down before his death, Lith was supposed to be the baby’s father. It would have explained the rumors about him having an heir so soon after the marriage and why Salaark was willing to share her domain with him.
“May I ask you who’s the lucky man who blessed you with a new child?” Sylpha asked, trying to sound as causal as possible.
“Thanks for your understanding.” Salaark gave them another nod. “As for the baby, I’ve gotten back together with the old lizard. Who knows, maybe this time things between us will finally work out.”
The jaws of the Royals fell onto the floor and their mouths went dry.
‘Good gods! This is much worse than Verhen being the father.’ Meron thought. ‘If the baby seals the alliance between the Desert and the Empire, the Kingdom is screwed!’
‘One problem at a time, dear.’ Sylpha said via their mind link with a soothing tone. ‘As you kindly pointed out a few seconds ago, if we don’t win this war, their baby is the least of our worries.’
“Please, follow me. I’ve already notified Lith of your coming and he’s waiting for you.” The Overlord gave them a final polite nod before turning her back to them and leading them through her palace.
‘Fuck!’ Sylpha thought. ‘He knows of our presence and didn’t even bother coming to greet us. This is the worst cold shoulder we could receive.’
Meron nodded and suddenly Tyris’s words ran through his mind again.
He could already picture Lith waiting for them in his Tiamat form, sitting on the Black Throne that the Guardian had mentioned to look down on them. No matter what they wore, the difference in size would put them at disadvantage.
‘I told you we should have worn more casual clothes!’ The Queen inwardly cursed. ‘First impression matters are we look like pompous old coots.’
‘Yeah, because looking like tourists would have been much better.’ Meron replied with a sneer.
