Rebirth and Second Chances

Chapter 207: Confrontation

"If you would wait here, Princess?" General Ilse asked. "I will announce your arrival."

There seemed no harm in waiting, the position he asked us to take gave us a clear line of sight to the events within, enough of a view resulting in confusion. The 'banquet' that General Ilyse escorted me to was anything but.

Certainly, Caesar was eating, a rather large lap table of gold and diamonds had been placed in front of him with servants scurrying to fill his mug or replace empty plates with new delicacies. A young man and woman took turns peeling grapes to hand feed him. There was no attempt to hide the hedonism or lasciviousness as Caesar took turns fondling first the young woman's breasts than losing interest to turn his attentions to the young man.

For the rest of the people gathered, this was more an opportunity to fawn. It might be considered a Court function, those gathered seemed inured to the display of gluttony and avarice that Caesar was engaged in. Perhaps this was typical for a social gathering in Rome.

He had ordered his full council, even the most insignificant scribe to be in attendance, and I understood his goal as soon as I noticed each scribe poised to document the events as they unfolded. I thought the use of scribes trite, an affectation that paid tribute to the past. There was no reason for them to put quill to paper when there were M-AI recorders available.

He hoped to better ensure that word spread of how the Sidhe savages were humiliated and too stupid and barbaric to understand that they had been subjected to ridicule and slights. He could use his scribes. I would rely on magic and technology to record events. I had already agreed to Lord Aesin's suggestion that he release a bevy of Aziza to record today's proceedings. Based on the tableau that greeted me when I entered Caesar's hall, that decision was prudent.

That I had forced them to wait hours for my arrival did much to turn that perceived humiliation into a major insult to Caesar and those he had assembled. The fact that my actions had infuriated him enough that he was visibly attempting to hide that fury by indulging his baser appetites highlighted one of the major differences between the Sidhe and the Olympians.

The Sidhe would never respond to the slight or insult that I had given, there would be no trace of anger, no rants of vitriol, instead; there would be cool disdain and retribution. But we would remember. And even if it took a thousand years, that slight or insult would be repaid. The Olympians, on the other hand, were creatures steeped in hubris and emotion. They had little capacity to control their lusts or incentive.

Envy, sex, greed.

Those in power, especially, were slaves to their emotions. They had never been denied, never told no, and never punished if they broke their toys, even if those toys were other people. If they wanted it, they wanted it now. And they spent little thought on what fulfilling those desires would mean to themselves or others in the future.

The relationship between their Gods, between Zeus and Hera, was fraught with cautionary tales as Zeus would act on his lusts without thought, and Hera would respond by attacking the fruits of those lusts. All those children persecuted because of the sins of the father. Women who had been taken advantage of forced to pay the price for Zeus' infidelity. The children of those unions persecuted and forced to endure Hera's attempts at murder.

It was no wonder the planetary governments of those worlds claimed by the Olympian Pantheon were so corrupt. The Sidhe could be cruel, but their motivation was almost always based on sanity. The recent actions of Queen Mab and her court were abhorrent, and aberration that should never have been allowed to stand.

Caesar had embraced the worse vices and characteristics of his Pantheon, and there was no one willing or able to stand up to him because any criticism of Caesar was a criticism of Zeus and Hera.

"Great Caesar," General Ilyse proclaimed slamming his right fist to his heart and dropping to one knee in respect, "I present Princess Ailis Wynne de Knocker, she begs your pardon, and petitions for the right to enter into and seek an audience with your august presence."

I had wondered why our group had been asked to wait outside the chamber, our entire party left cooling their heels, now I knew. We were meant to see and hear what was going on, the pageantry and show that Caesar was orchestrating had been modified, but we were still being treated as subjects. We would be introduced as supplicants, as lesser people begging for Caesar's attention.

That could not stand.

We owed our fealty to the Sidhe Monarchs. I would not beg my own King to stand before his Court, I certainly wouldn't beg a despot that thought his machinations to embarrass us was something we were too stupid to see through, or too cowardly to counter.

"It seems," I said my voice loud enough that those within could hear, "that Rome was not serious in their offers, or the agreements they signed with our King.

Guards did attempt to bar our way, but when you are encased in metal, and attempt to stand before a Knocker that has complete control over the Domain of metal, the chances of that are infinitesimal. I didn't hurt them, but I did move them. The very gold and steel they had enchanted as protection became their cage as I swept them aside, striding into the hall without invitation or Caesar's approval.

"I think," I continued addressing the room at large, "that General Ilyse has misspoken, either that or he has been misinformed. We do not beg or petition, nor do we seek an audience.

"If we never stand within these chambers is of no concern to the Sidhe. We have agreed to an exchange of ideas and techniques, a sharing of artistry. We have not agreed to stand as a stooge or backdrop as someone attempts to use our arrival for political advantage.

"Our refusal and demands made at the Portal Authority should have made clear our stand and our intent, we are not citizens of Rome or subjects of Caesar.

"I am Princess Ailis Wynne de Knocker, Benefice of King Teigh Mac de Beleros y Cyronax.

"I have stood before the Goddess Danu, the God Beleros and the God Cyronax as they reached forth their hand and created a new race, as they breathed life into the Cernunnos and restored the Volar-fey from extinction.

"My duty to King and Tuatha de Danaan is absolute, and those I owe fealty towards would be appalled if I were to prostrate myself before a Potentate that is more concerned with his lusts than his duties.

"I will bend the knee to no person, ever. Nor will I kowtow before any God that is not part of the Tuatha de Danaan.

"This pretense, this political show to demonstrate the power and authority of Caesar was ill-advised," I warned. "We have signed accords. Accords on what our rights and responsibilities are during this exchange, and nowhere in those accords does it demand or suggest we play these games.

"We are Sidhe, well versed in glamour and illusion, we see the intent behind these optics. You would demonstrate to the Universe at large that we bow to the might of Olympus. We refuse.

"Of course, you may choose to ignore the agreements you signed. But if you do," I warned, "you risk the Wild Hunt, for the Sidhe will not abide an Oath-breaker. And were Sidhe stand, the Wild Hunt may ride."

"You would threaten Caesar?" One of the people standing behind him demanded. "His lineage is Divine; he has the blood of the Goddess Athena coursing within him. He would have no need to fear this Wild Hunt."

"Are you sure the Divine blood comes from Athena and not Bacchus?" I replied fearlessly pointing out that Caesar's gluttony.

"This idiocy, this attempt to humiliate the Sidhe is something the Goddess of Wisdom would have no part of. And scoff as you will at the mention of the Wild Hunt. But know this, simply invoking their name has gained their attention. Be careful you don't risk your mortal existence, even the Gods of the Tuatha de Danaan would not risk gaining their attention if Their words and oaths were false."

"Enough," Caesar said, his words empowered by magic. "Clear the room. We would have a private discussion with the Sidhe Princess."

I watched in amusement as people began leaving, most of them glancing at my party and me with confusion. In some cases, with delight. I was uncertain if that delight was because of how we had embarrassed Caesar or the belief that we were about to be crucified in response to our impertinence.

They would find that my words held merit. I had been serious about calling the Wild Hunt, but only as a final recourse. If Caesar decided he would respond to my words with violence, I would see this palace destroyed, and if I could not realize that destruction with my own powers, if I risked death, I would call the Wild Hunt and level Ephesus, Rome's capital.

King Teigh Mac de Beleros y Cyronax had played games of politics when he'd confronted the Senate all those years ago. He had gained concessions for the Sidhe, but he was King, he looked forward towards what was best for all Sidhe.

I was a mother still in mourning, a woman that was bristling to exact vengeance for that lost daughter. I would not accept concessions, compromise, or insults.

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