Nayuta's Dream
Nayuta's Dream
Following shortly after her defeat at the hands of the Commander of the Gate, The Fair Folk scooped Nayuta up into his arms and kissed her, and as he kissed her, she began to dream. She awakened in her dream, stiff and sore from her fight. She saw that she had been put back into her clothes, her armor, and her artifacts, but her iron spear was nowhere to be seen. Hazily, she walked out of the tent she was resting in, alone, and emerged in Cathak Anano’s camp. Fair Folk and hobgoblins were everywhere in the camp, but there was no fighting going on. Nayuta limped her way around the camp until she found the rest of the brotherhood. She asked the brotherhood what was going on. Their reply was simply that there had been a misunderstanding, and that the Fair Folk were actually here to help us, and that this was the best choice for the future. Nayuta objected, stating that the Fair Folk were evil, but the reply was that once you got to know them, they were actually just like normal people.
Nayuta tried to run away, but in her condition, she was easily stopped by a few hobgoblins, and they said that the whole lot of us were actually prisoners until the Chamberlain says otherwise. In no condition to fight, Nayuta was forced to cede to the will of the Fair Folk, and played the part of the prisoner for the time being.
The Fair Folk confiscated the Manta, and they slowly marched down the Imperial Mountain until they reached Ejava’s camp. At Ejava’s camp, there was no fighting to be done, either. The vermillion legionnaires were happily drinking with the hobgoblins, and the Dragon-Blooded playing cards with the nobility amongst the Fey. The Chamberlain of the Vengeance in Scarlet Regalia was there, speaking with Ejava in the fortress. Nayuta protested again to Ejava, but Ejava replied that this was all just a big misunderstanding, and that there was no need to kill any of the Fair Folk.
A few days later, one legion of each of the houses of Cathak, Sesus, and Mnemon showed up at the foot of the imperial mountain, ready to crush the Vermillion Legion, as well as the Fair Folk. The Chamberlain stepped forward, and explained calmly that the they actually here on the blessed isle on orders from The Scarlet Empress herself, and that they were actually intending to return her body and help with the funeral. This seemed like a satisfactory explanation to the new generals, but they demanded that the actual traitors who killed The Scarlet Empress be executed. The Chamberlain said that, as Dragon-Blooded, they would be entitled to a fair trial for their crimes. The generals agreed, and they all marched back towards the Imperial City, under close guard from the legions, where the trial would await them.
They arrived a few days later, somehow, and the defendants consisted entirely of Nayuta, Myar, Kiba, Alano, Ejava, and Arada. The prosecution brought forth seven experienced Dragon-Blooded lawyers, and the fair folk provided seven noble defense attorneys.
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The first lawyer of the prosecution argued that they killed The Scarlet Empress in broad daylight and should all be executed. The first of the Fey lawyer argued in return that The Scarlet Empress was a power hungry tyrant, citing the actions taken against house Iselsi and repeated assaults against Lookshy for no reason, and that the real reason for the war against the Deathlords is because The Scarlet Empress wanted to subvert them and master the evil force of Necromancy. The defendants knew this, and that is why they were declared traitors. They had actually done the world a favor by getting rid of her. Much hubbub was in court that day as the first argument of the prosecution was defeated, and court was adjourned for the day.
The next day, the second prosecutor took the stand, and he argued that the Empress may have been corrupted, but such a decision was ultimately up to the Deliberative to decide, not to be placed in the hands of vigilantes. The second of the fey lawyers stood up and cited the time when The Scarlet Empress killed everyone in the Deliberative for overturning her decisions. She certainly would not even allow a discussion of whether or not she was corrupt to even happen. By acting as the defendants did, they saved the lives of hundreds of Dragon-Blooded. Once again, the Dragon-Blooded prosecution was defeated, and court adjourned for the day.
On the day after, court reconvened, and the Third Dragon-Blooded Lawyer took the stand. She argued that The Scarlet Empress was necessary for the defense of the world, as she had the only means of stopping another cataclysm such as the Great Contagion. The third fey lawyer spoke in return, saying that the Defenses of the Realm were an evil artifact, crafted by the Anathema. They would save the world in the short term, but in the long run, if they were to be continued to be used, they would ultimately result in the complete destruction of the world, because that is the device of the Anathema. Defeated again, the Dragon-Blooded lawyers slunk down in their chairs and court was adjourned, the defendants would live to see another day.
The next day, court met, and the fourth of the Dragon-Blooded lawyers stood up, and took a different angle. She accused the defendants of having treaties with the Fair Folk, and therefore, they were also anathema. The fourth fair folk lawyer scoffed as she stood up, and said that it was clearly the last wish of The Scarlet Empress that the Fair Folk come upon the Blessed Isle, or else none of them would even be here at all. She claimed that the Fair Folk were their friends, now, and everyone in the courtroom had no choice but to believe it. Perhaps it wasn’t a supreme a victory as their other arguments, but nevertheless it had won them the day.
On the following day, the fifth of the Dragon Blooded lawyers took the stand, and he made a clear, firm statement, that the Fair Folk cannot be trusted, that the traitors, and all of the Fair Folk should be put to death. The fifth of the Fey lawyer stood up and said that the Fey were much more trustworthy than the Dragon-Blooded. He argued that they always keep up their end of the bargain, when bargains are made, which cannot be said for the dragon-blooded. He argued that despite overwhelming odds, they seek for single combat, even against the Anathema, which the Dragon-Blooded have never done. He said that they could be trusted because they were honorable. The honey-tongued painting of the Fair Folk done by the lawyer was easily enough to convince the court that they could indeed be trusted. Everyone believed the Fair Folk, easily, and court was adjourned again.
The next day, the sixth of the Dragon-Blooded lawyers rose to take the stand; he said that Fair Folk have no honor. The fact that they attacked in the wake of the Great Contagion has proved it. The sixth of the Fair Folk lawyers laughed softly, and she said that now that The Scarlet Empress was dead, they could invade again if they wanted to, and this time there would be nobody who would be able to stop them. She said that they haven’t invaded because they were doing the honorable thing, and following the orders of the woman who fairly defeated them in the past almost eight hundred years ago. She also cited their honorable deals with the Haltans, which they have never broken, and their deals of diplomatic immunity to the Deceivers, which is a cherished tradition. Defeated again, the Dragon-Blooded lawyers walked away with their tails between their legs.
The Dragon-Blooded would make one last offense against the Fair Folk and their defendants. The Seventh Dragon-Blooded lawyer stood up in court, and she claimed that the Fair Folk had compacts with Anathema, and therefore they must all be destroyed, and the traitors who are allied with them must suffer the same fate. The final Fair Folk lawyer stood up, and he compared it to demon-summoning. He said the reason demon-summoning was possible, was because of a pact the exalted had with the Yozi, so that, in essence, the Dragon-Blooded all also had a pact with the Yozi, and made sure to mention the extreme distaste the Fair Folk have for demons, and those who summon them, and that summoning demons was not possible for them. The judge had finally heard enough this day. The trial had been going on for a week now, and he was convinced that the prosecution had no arguments that could not be countered by the defense.
It was ruled that day, that the traitors would be absolved of their crimes against the state, and that, in accordance with The Scarlet Empress’s last wish, the Fair Folk were welcome on the Blessed Isle.
The Commander of the Gate returned to Nayuta again after the trials were finally over. He was the one who appointed the lawyers and saved the realm from yet another war. Nayuta felt a debt of gratitude to the fey noble. Later that year, they were married, and with the approval of the Deliberative, they started a new house, House Nayuta. Together, they had many children. Many of whom became Dragon-Blooded, others became prominent Fey-blooded. All of the Fair Folk on the Blessed Isle joined House Nayuta, and it easily became the most powerful house on the Blessed Isle. They built their house, and then finally, on the day of the Empresses 1,000th anniversary, the Commander of the Gate secured the Scarlet Throne for himself, usurping the position from Mnemon, and the realm was forever after prosperous.
