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One
Elva
I've worked for this day my entire life.
I've earned this.
And now that it's here, I find myself dreading it.
Countless sleepless nights have led me here, from when I first began my education to when I spent every waking moment campaigning.
Rhyma is the only nation in our world that elects its officials based on merit and not power, and I have earned my spot among them. Nothing can change that. But that all means nothing in the face of the dread growing in my stomach.
Mich has been carrying on for what feels like hours about his new station and what he promises to bring to our nation for the duration of his term. Starting today, we'll both dedicate six years to this work, helping Rhyma move into the future with a clear vision of what its people need to thrive and grow.
I was given my seal during the transfer ceremony roughly an hour ago; I haven't stopped twirling the ring on my finger since it was placed there, considering all that led to this moment and all that's to come next.
Since they announced my name as the Ambassador for International Relations, an entirely new position in our government colloquially called the AIRhead, I knew exactly what that meant. And in the following weeks, my fears were confirmed.
They're sending me to Oksangui.
When Oksangui's King Rivchi passed— was brutally murdered— six years ago, the plotting had begun. Nothing could be confirmed, of course. But the hope was that the new king would be more open to negotiating a treaty than the last. Thus far, though, his only response to our missives is the senders in body bags.
The Horned King, they call him. And for good reason. He took the old king by surprise, storming the castle in a helmet made from past victims' skulls fused to an elk's antlers. With a handful of his allies and an army of the dead, he tore through the building, adding to their ranks along the way until—
"Whether Zalig or not, I pledge to serve you all equally," Mich utters, breaking me from my thought spiral, and I barely contain an eye-roll. That's the job. You don't get extra praise for doing the bare minimum. "While this position was not my first choice, I've come to see that it's the place where I belong. Here alongside all of you." His eyes are on me, and try as he might to hide it, we both know he was furious when I was elected to this position and he was chosen to stay here.
The fire in his blue eyes chills me to the bone. Long gone is the boy I idolized growing up. Now, he's replaced by the kind of man who can only care for you if you stay in your assigned place. And my assigned place is beneath him— both metaphorically and decidedly not. Declining to sleep with him a second time might have been a forgivable offense if I had not then taken the job he had his heart set on.
I'm tempted to cower underneath that stare, to look away from how his hair nearly glows golden in the bright sunlight. The skylights above us seem to amplify the sun's rays, turning him into some unearthly thing, like an ancient god full of fury, and all of it is aimed at me as he says, "And now, we'll hear from your first Ambassador of International Relations, Elva Aistin."
The crowd around us breaks into applause at the end of his rousing speech, giving us an excuse to look away. The cadence of it speaks to how much they adore the walking facade before me. But if I reveal what I know, then they'll all know what I'm capable of, and I've worked too hard to have the legitimacy of my position questioned. While there's no rule against my kinds of powers being a part of our leading body, those who have already been serving for years recommend we keep our abilities secret from the masses for their own sake.
"Your turn," Mich tells me, patting my shoulder with just a touch too much force, jostling me in my seat. I clench my teeth to hold back the vitriol sitting on my tongue.
I smooth down my pants, a gesture I've perfected over the years to dispel some nervous energy. Then I stand, approach the podium, and face the people I love so much.
My dearest friend, Alya, stands before me and gives me a wink. When I begin speaking, she uses her gift of sound manipulation to ensure my voice is heard throughout the coliseum and by those standing just outside in the common area of our capital, Drechire.
"Hello, everyone. I can't tell you how grateful I am to be standing here before you. Over the years spent training, I've met so many wonderful people. You've shared your concerns, your ideas, your guidance. I'll never be able to thank you enough for gifting me with that kind of trust, and for electing me to be the one to represent you in meetings with our allies and our possible allies."
Mich scoffs beside me, and a few in the audience chuckle. Possible allies. Everyone knows I'm speaking of Oksangui and its mad king. Every other nation on our continent has agreed to the peace and trade alliance proposed ten years ago. A slight smirk appears before I can tell it not to, the feeling of being part of an inside joke with an entire nation completely overwhelming.
"As some of you may know, I'm going to be making the journey to our neighbors to the east," I try to swallow my fear, "Oksangui, to meet with King Laichnek and negotiate terms-"
The room fills with disbelief and outrage. Shouts of how he's going to kill me the second I cross the border, screams of what a monster he is.
I try to speak over them and assuage their fears, but their voices far overpower mine. A shrill whistle fills the room, echoing off the walls and causing many to cover their ears to escape the onslaught. Once the coliseum is silent, Alya winks at me again and gestures for me to continue.
"I understand how you're all feeling. I know our short history with their new king has not been easy, but I've been assured that he's willing to take a meeting with me. We've received word that he agrees to our terms of my guaranteed safety for the entirety of my time in Oksangui, or else he invites war with us and all of our allies."
Silence fills the gaps between my words. Even with all five of our neighbors fighting alongside us, there's no guarantee we could win against the king and his army of the undead.
"His response is better than any we've had from him thus far, and we hope that it means he's willing to work with us, all of us, to better our entire world. The kind of power he wields does not determine what kind of man he is, nor does his abrupt ascension to the throne. We are in no position to pass judgment on how another nation passes the crown from one head to the next."
A few heads nod before me, begrudgingly seeing the truth in my words. Others stand stoically, staring at me as if they're simply ready for me to be off to the painful death they believe awaits me.
"Once again, I'm so grateful for the opportunity you have given me to correspond with those who live outside our borders in your stead. I vow to do so with empathy, with an eye on the future, and my heart here with you."
