The Summit

The two leaders stood face to face, their armies poised for war.

‘Negana,’ began Denaasi in a loud voice. As she spoke she turned to her own line, ensuring that as many people as possible could hear her lines. She’s good, thought Emily. ‘It is time to end this folly. Disband your forces and retire from the field. You have my word that they will receive safe passage.’

Emily checked her notes. Why wasn’t Denaasi reading from notes, she wondered?

‘Queen Denaasi, your rule over these lands has come to an end.’ She tried to speak as loudly as possible, projecting her voice as far as she could despite her nerves. ‘I am not here to disband my army, but to negotiate the terms of your surrender.’ A few cheers rose from behind her, this was fun!

‘I am a kind and noble ruler,’ Denaasi replied. ‘If you kneel before me now and pledge allegiance to the Holy Order I will allow you to live.’

‘Your lands are scorched, your subjects are dying. You rule with an iron fist!’ Emily was really getting into this. ‘I will never kneel before you! My armies thirst for blood, and before the day is out their thirst will be quenched.’

‘Your insolence knows no bounds!’ laughed Denaasi. ‘I will strip you of your power, and then I will strip you of your armour and display you on my castle gate, naked and defeated so your followers can see you for the pathetic figure you really are.’ Now the Holy Order side was cheering. What was that about being naked and defeated? Emily checked her lines again.

‘Evil laugh. You are the one who will be stripped and –‘ Ted interrupted her. She wasn’t supposed to read out ‘Evil laugh,’ she was supposed to do an evil laugh.

‘Oh, sorry.’

Emily cackled menacingly. ‘You are the one who will be stripped and humiliated in front of your army!’ Now the Saviours were cheering, but Emily was uncertain about all this talk of stripping each other. ‘You will be a plaything for my soldiers, their prize for victory, to use as they wish!’ More cheering.

‘Then you leave me ****. I will slaughter every last one of your followers who refuses to bow to me. The Holy Order will prevail. The Saviours will perish!’

Both sides were cheering and stamping their feet. The sound was deafening. Both queens returned to their lines. Ted gave Emily her next instructions. She stepped in front of her army with her blue lighting sword raised above her head. ‘Saviours, charge!’ she cried, and a thousand warriors thundered past her.

They were at war.