Ilora‘s father had always told her that one day everything would be engulfed in flames and they all would have to stand trial to a higher power. In hindsight he had probably meant this in a religious sense, yet it fit her situation precisely: The city was burning, citizens running through the left overs of their houses, grabbing frantically at their belongings, all the while supervised by giant warriors with red paint all over them. If it was paint. She felt bile rising in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She did not have time to be sick right now- her trial was coming, in form of the higher power called General Isu. Her secretary had announced her already and it would not be long until she would step into her office.

She was as prepared as one could be. However, she could not stop the shiver running down her spine, when the awaited knock on the door finally came.

„Enter.“ She focused on her voice, making sure it sounded determined, though not too harsh. There was no point in antagonizing opponents that had already defeated you.

The door swung open and poor Adles stepped in, accompanied by a woman that bested him in height by almost two heads.

Unlike a lot if the warriors Ilora had seen today she had shorn her hair to a mere stubble on her head. Combined with the delicate red lines on her face it served to emphasize the hard lines of her features, the taught muscles of her neck. Her armor was minimal, protecting only her chest, back and abdomen, leaving the large mass of toned, dark limbs exposed. Ilora would have called in impractical, if the message of it had not been so clear: She did not need it, since no one would ever be quite skilled enough to injure her anyways. A bold statement, that might have impressed her, if she had not learned early, that boldness is nothing but the gateway drug to a foolish death.

She could not deny that the General made for quite the imposing figure. All the better, she thought, that would make her job easier.

She gave Adles a smile that she hoped was reassuring.

„Thank you, Adles. You may leave us.“

He nodded quickly and walked right out, although he wasn‘t fast enough to miss the General‘s derisive huff.

„You thank your servants?“

Ilora pulled the right corner of her mouth up into an ironic half-smile on instinct. „Why, of course. They provide valuable services. Does your Queen not thank you, General?“

The anger flaring up in Isu‘s eyes told her she had struck a nerve. „I am not a servant“, the General hissed, and added, as an afterthought: „And my Queen knows that I would gladly die in her service. Anything less is simply routine. She needn‘t thank me, because none of my wins could come close to what she has done for our Kingdom.“

„I see“, conceded Ilora calmly.

Her lack of awe seemed to bother the tall woman, so she went further. „You would not understand, I suppose. There is a difference after all, in the affairs of a Queen and those of a mere Mayor.“

„Exactly“, agreed Ilora, making sure to keep her tone cheerful. „And that difference seems to be that I thank my servants and she does not.“

„That is hardly the only difference. But you would know nothing of that.“

And there it was. Her chance.

„No you‘re right. I really don‘t.“ She leaned back against the window, bending just slightly at the waist. „You‘ll have to educate me then.“ Her voice changed just the smallest bit, but the shift in the General‘s expression, from enraged to incredulous and intrigued showed that she caught her meaning.

„I...excuse me?“

If the circumstances were less dire she might have found it cute how flustered General Isu seemed. Instead she made the most innocent face she could muster, while simultaneously sitting down on the windowsill and leaning forward, treating the other to the view of her décolletage.

„What‘s wrong, General?“

„Nothing‘s wrong...just...why are you doing that?“

„Doing what?“ She fluttered her eyelashes at her, before leaving her space near the window and sitting down at her desk instead.

„Now, let‘s talk. Since you‘re here I presume your Queen has some sort of interest in a formal capitulation?“

„I am here to offer you a peace treaty.“

„A peace treaty?“, she couldn’t stop her eyebrows from twitching. „You destroyed most of my city.“

„Yes“, the General stated proudly.“But don‘t worry, we will build it back up. Provided you let us do that without further resistance, obviously.“

Apparently she hadn‘t learned from her mistakes, because when Ilora took this line as a clue to stick out her chest and reply „Does it look like I‘m resisting to you?“ in a low purr, she reacted almost as shocked as she did the first time, a bead of sweat forming on her temples while she shuffled her feet uncomfortably, trying to look anywhere but at Ilora and failing pathetically.

Adorable really, if there wasn‘t the tiny suspicion in the back of Ilora‘s mind that the red smears on Isu‘s left elbow might be stemming from one of her citizens.

She shuddered at the thought and tried to bring her attention back to the conversation at hand. General Isu has gone back to standing normally, shoulders squared aggressively and arms flexing and unflexing in what was either a sign of nervousness, an attempt to show off or a barely concealed threat.

„Just say that you accept our conditions and capitulate.“

Ilora grinned. „Oh, that‘s easy. I accept your conditions and capitulate.“

The relief passing through the warrior was almost tangible, and it made her enjoy her next words even more.

„I don‘t know your conditions though.“

Isu stiffened visibly.

„That doesn‘t have to be a problem though, does it? After all, I‘m sure you can explain them to me in great detail. Tonight, over dinner maybe?“

It was astonishing, really, that someone so fearsome would be capable of blushing like a maiden, yet she was sure she didn‘t imagine the dark spots on her prominent cheek bones.

„I-I will see you later then.“, the General spit out, before turning on her heel and getting out of Ilora‘s office as if the devil was behind her.

Now, that had been an easier victory than she could have ever expected. And she was confident that the General would review the conditions according to what she wanted to happen later that evening, before meeting with her