Page 31 of Fate of Draga

Vitto started serving the tea first, beginning with her. It was strange and Adelina stared at the cup he handed her, prepared exactly like she preferred.

It reminded her of that tea with her grandmother all those months ago. The last one before everything had changed so drastically. Adelina had been served last in a room with three queens.

Her heart ached as she remembered how Raena had been then…right before she’d changed. That was right before Drozer had started whispering poison in her ear wearing Darius’s skin.

Right before she’d lost her eldest sister forever without even knowing it.

“Your majesty?” Vitto asked quietly.

Adelina started as she realized she’d never taken the tea. “I apologize,” she murmured, taking the cup from him. “Thank you.”

Vitto paused at her thanks and Adelina nearly sighed. Another sign she wasn’t the usual queen. Her mother and father had never thanked a servant even if they had treated them better than well.

“What would you like to know?” Diana asked, accepting her tea from Vitto next.

“Excuse me?” Adelina asked, looking up at them once more.

She’d been studying their faces, trying to discern what set them apart from a Kalan other than DNA, but outwardly there didn’t appear to be any differences at all. Their coloring was as varied as her own people. As were their physical features, though Elizabeth had the loveliest upturned eyes that were a brown so dark they appeared nearly black. It suited her.

“You called us here, because you haven’t spent any real time with our people. What is it you want to know about us? Why are we here?” Diana repeated.

Adelina realized she very much enjoyed the Unchanged and their no nonsense attitude. “So straightforward,” she said with a small smile. Adelina set her untouched tea, that reminded her of Raena, aside. “I appreciate it.”

The silence was tense as the Unchanged council members shared looks with each other.

“I simply did not want to discuss the war for an hour or two,” Adelina admitted quietly, looking up at Vitto.

The servant gave her a nod as he served the last bit of tea. He knew – all servants always knew. He was from Draga. Her people out of everyone knew how unprepared she was for this role.

“I’ve only been queen a few weeks and already I need a holiday,” Adelina mused with a sad smile. “Perhaps I will get one after we all are safe and secure.”

“All of us?” Jared asked sharply.

“This is what I wished to discuss,” Adelina said, waving a hand. Vitto gave each of them a shreve she’d prepared. “I know you have a longstanding alliance with the Drakesthai. Draga now also has an alliance with them. By default the Unchanged and Draga are allies, but I wanted to make it official. You may call on us for aid and vice versa. This written treaty proposes trade and science agreements, as well as opening our borders. We will all be registered under our personal systems, but travel between us welcome and encouraged.”

She paused and gave them a few minutes to read her proposal.

Her people had been isolated for too long. Even Khara had barely spent time in Draga. She knew it was because of the differences in their culture, but Adelina wanted to believe that they would all come out of this war better…they had to or what was it all for? Would they even be worthy of their victory if they made the same mistakes again?

“There is also a request for an embassy from the Human nation to reside on Draga Terra,” Sarah murmured. “As well as ambassadors, doctors, scientists…why?”

Adelina picked up her cup of tea, the china so delicate, and sipped as she considered how to explain.

“Do you believe we have nothing to learn from each other?” she asked instead.

Again the Unchanged exchanged looks and Adelina wondered what Vitto thought of it. After all she’d just started paying him to spy for her. He had been on the list of Varan’s poor, looking for opportunities.

Jared didn’t reply, but he looked to Sarah and Sarah looked to Diana.

“We are a peaceful people,” Diana finally said. “We don’t build weapons or have standing armies. Almost all of us are trained as fighters and can form militias. But first and foremost we are artists and scientists. We focus on peace and prosperity. We’re…not run like you run Draga. I’m sure there are things we could learn from each other, but I’m not positive our people would be compatible.”

Adelina wasn’t sure what to say to that. She knew Diana spoke the truth and she saw the confirmation in the other’s eyes. “No one believed any sort of peace could be had with Khara centuries ago either,” she murmured, remembering her history lessons – brought by historians from Khara and unlikely to be tampered with as their Drakesthai texts had been.

She looked up and gave Vitto another nod. Then he started serving food from Khara, Draga, and Hai on small plates.

Adelina nodded at the shredded meat and vegetables on flatbread with spices galore, one of Nash’s favorite dishes. “Centuries ago Khara was little more than a system of war chiefs. Each planet fought with the other, fighting against unification. They could not coexist peacefully. But somehow they banded together and became fearsome. I remember reading about their potential threat to my own people. A warmongering kingdom must come looking for conquest was the thought.”

Did the Unchanged know the story, or were they in the dark since the borders had been closed for so long?

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