Muet prepared nearly a thousand invitations to be delivered to known enemies of the Kingdom, calling on as many beast clans throughout the Banished Land and beyond. She was hesitant to trust others for help, but in this instance, Muet needed these allies to be successful. Creating the bespelled scrolls took much of her energy over the last month, but the drain was worth the favorable responses from her newfound allies.
The Krut clan was particularly excited to join the fight against their Mehk cousins, who always looked down upon them as members of the Flighted. Bramin from the Khway clan accepted the invitation on behalf of the banished horned oxen. The lions of the Singtho clan were willing to listen but made no guarantees to participate. Muet even sent her messengers as far as the southern realm of Yaaksit, where the Grand Giantess eagerly accepted the invitation.
Tonight was the culmination of all her efforts—the first meeting of a larger, more unified Night Army where Muet would unveil her grand plan.
From the luxury of her mixing room, Muet peered into her scrying bowl. It revealed the image of hundreds of beasts of varying shapes and sizes as if your worst nightmares came by for a visit. Many creatures resembled larger versions of common animals, but ghosts, goblins, and Muet’s monster sentinels also commanded the room.
While an electric energy pulsated through the prachum in anticipation of her announcement, Muet waited impatiently.
After what felt like an eternity, Plaek entered the mixing room.
“What took you so long?” Muet shrieked at her samun, hands raised to strike him. “Everyone is waiting.”
“I’m sorry, Mistress. I came as soon as I received word,” Plaek answered meekly.
“Just get over here quickly so we can get started.” She waved him over and positioned her scrying bowl accordingly.
Muet recited an incantation, and the silvery mixture wavered steadily until it settled into a solid mirror. Muet’s sentinels moved toward the prachum stage, where an elegant podium stood before a large screen. A loud gong rang, signaling the beginning of the meeting.
“Quiet down for our beloved leader, Mistress Muet,” the sentinel announced. The audience settled into their seats, and their heads looked to the stage for her appearance. Lights in the prachum dimmed in anticipation of her arrival, replaced by a faint blue glow of a silencing spell to ensure the privacy of the meeting. As the final ray of light settled around the prachum floor, the screen behind the podium flashed dramatically. The image of Mistress Muet materialized on the screen with a wicked smile that hid her anxious nerves.
“I thank you all for coming. Some may remember that I once lived at the center of adoration that upholds the Royal Family. I walked amongst the elite and held a place of honor within their sphere. But as soon as my beliefs went against the grain, I was exiled just like all of you. Stripped of all my dignity and cast aside to find my own way. Yet I found salvation in the arms of the harsh lands around us. Broken and bruised by the cruelty of the realm, I fought to survive. And I grew stronger. I found each of you and aided you in your battles.
As outcasts, we stand at the borders, allowing us to see the errors and selfishness of those in power. We have been mistreated and excluded from the joys and treasures of our homeland. All of us have been tossed aside and forced to yield to the demands of unreasonable royals. Those closest to our hearts and souls have betrayed many of us.
Phuen. Sahai. We have all grown together over the years but remain trapped in our exile. The time has come to reclaim our place in the kingdom and reclaim all we’ve lost. P’ chai lae nong saow, brothers and sisters, I have long searched for the key to our salvation, and after years of fruitless pursuits, I have succeeded. Behold! Our path to victory. The Long Lost Jao Ying of Tropos!”
Muet pulled Plaek to her side. Surprised gasps filled the room, and disbelief ran wild. It was rumored that the jao ying died shortly after having taken no more than a few weak breaths; she perished quickly in the arms of her mother, Queen Fauna. The realm had mourned her loss, and the palace held memorial services. With the appearance of Her Grace, alive and well before them, the exiles now knew that the death was a farce—it was the final reason to push them over the edge to help her and bring to light Muet’s victory.
“I have rescued the princess from her prison. After a lifetime of lies, she has been denied her legacy and left for dead in Lok Klang. But now, the princess has sided with us and will be our Champion. She will lead our troops and fight beside us to take back what has been stolen from all of us. The Royal Family will fall, and we shall rule the skies! Will you stand with me as I storm the palace to regain our place in the sky? Will you risk your lives to slay all who have wronged us? I ask you, my sahai, will you join me in this fight?”
The room broke out in boisterous cheers, screaming and hollering their allegiance to her cause. Muet looked upon the group with adoration and grinned at her successful deception. As long as she reclaimed the throne that belonged to her, she didn’t care who died in the process. The Royal Family would regret the day they banished her from the kingdom for a Palang she did not choose. Muet allowed the revelry in the prachum to continue a little longer before speaking again.
“I am thrilled by your support. We will reclaim our rightful place in the realm. Now, settle down and hear my plan for victory.”
Silence fell upon the room as the group listened intently to Muet’s plan. Squadrons were decided upon, and tasks were assigned. After countless hours of discussion, the meeting was adjourned and set to reconvene in one week’s time.
* * *
Throughout the day, Plaek stood stoically beside his mistress, not saying a word. He was critical to the success of his mistress’s plan, and he did not intend to fail her again. Plaek enjoyed the zeal and excitement his mistress exuded during the meeting, enamored with her passionate appeal to the group and silently cheering her on. But his mind wandered to the princess’s warm memories and noted how different they felt from life with his mistress. Why can’t I have those things here in the Banished Lands? Staring blankly into space, Plaek questioned his desires and whether he was worthy of the same happiness the jao ying had.
His mistress did not mention his apparent distance since his ploy as the princess did not require much of him beyond his physical presence. With pivotal missions delegated, his mistress concluded the meeting and refocused her attention on him.
“Well done today, Plaek,” Muet whispered. “We have made a critical step in the right direction to reclaim my rightful place. I am impressed with your ability to maintain this form with such ease despite the short time you’ve had it.”
“Thank you, Mistress, but I have not done anything extraordinary at all,” Plaek replied with a bowed head. “You have taught me much, and it is that instruction that allows me to do well for you.”
Muet briefly smiled at his remark. “Tomorrow, we will work on your demeanor and speech.” She began to pace across her mixing room. “We must also train you to fight as a Crown Princess is meant to do. You have a long way to go before you can convince that crowd that you are our champion.”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“From now on, you will maintain this form whenever you are in public.” Muet grabbed several ingredient bottles from her shelves. She carried them over to her scrying bowl, planning her next potion. “If you ever need to return to your original form, you may only do so in the privacy of your room. Do I make myself clear, Plaek?”
“Yes, Mistress.”
“Good. Now leave me alone,” Muet demanded, waving him away. “I have much to do.”
“Yes, Mistress. Good night.”
Plaek left the mixing room without much protestation as he was weary and fatigued. One would think that standing silently beside your Mistress would leave you full of energy, but Plaek found himself more exhausted than if he had been the one speaking the entire day. He crept into his cell, slowly shut his door, and collapsed onto his small hay bed. Silence can be as draining as speech, it seems.
As deep slumber overtook his mind, Plaek fell into another pleasant dream. As he opened his eyes, he was met with an incredible buffet filled with roasted meats and beautiful platters filled with fruits and vegetables, and beyond his reach was another table overflowing with the most mouth-watering cakes and cookies. Never before had Plaek seen such a bounty of food in the barren lands. Every meal was hard fought, and every scrap was treasured. The food before him would feed everyone in the mistress’s lair for months.
“Is everything to your liking, Your Grace?” asked the soothing male voice beside him.
“Yes. Everything looks delicious,” Plaek heard himself answering as he turned towards the melodic voice. He stared into the shining silver eyes of a young man with golden wings. His proximity and uniform showed that he was the princess’s guard. The young man smiled back at the princess and returned to his post.
Plaek realized he was sharing another memory with the Princess and wanted to cry at the joyous sight before him. Plaek knew there were no actual tears in the jao ying’s eyes because she was completely unaware of Plaek’s presence in her mind. The princess simply ate her meal, joined in the cheerful banter of the group, and enjoyed the company around her. Her life was so peaceful and so safe, and a rage of jealousy coursed through Plaek.
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted to a new room that resembled his mistress’s prachum. A movie played on the large screen before him, and he was surrounded by laughter as the characters sang and danced before them. Plaek looked around the room and saw the same guards he had seen before, along with the entire Royal Family and their protectors. No one appeared distressed or concerned that danger was lurking nearby. No one seemed concerned about the Night Army attacking. No one looked beaten, starved, or mistreated. Not the guards, not the princess, not the Royal Family. Everything was as it should be, which made Plaek even more upset.
He closed his eyes to calm himself. Taking several deep breaths, Plaek controlled the rage within him. Feeling his fury subside, he opened his eyes to find himself in another strange and unfamiliar room. He was floating in the air, high above the ground, on a giant platform. The room was relatively large but just as empty as his cell. There were no windows, and the lights were dim. He felt himself being tucked safely in bed and turning to rest on his side. Beside him in this room was the other young girl he had failed to capture. She yawned wide and loudly while reaching for the jao ying’s hand.
“Today was so much fun, Sofe. I think things up here aren’t gonna be as bad as I thought,” the friend confessed sleepily. She yawned again and shut her eyes as she whispered, “Good night.”
Plaek felt like yawning as well, holding onto the offered hand. The princess wished her friend a good night, then fluffed up her pillow and closed her eyes for the night.
As her eyes shut, Plaek felt his opening to reveal his cold, hard, dingy cell. The musty smell of the hay bed filled his nose, and the hall lights flickered beyond his door. Plaek was overwhelmed with longing and a sadness he’d never felt before.
His entire life in the Banished Lands was filled with hardship and pain, but he was always content because he knew nothing besides this meager existence. He loved his mistress more than himself, and though she starved him of her affection, Plaek knew she had her reasons for doing so.
Never before had he desired more than what he had. Never before had his world seemed so bleak and unfulfilling. Never before did he realize that the world had so much more to offer.
“I’m sorry, Jao Ying, but I want what you’ve shared, and I will have it at all costs.”
Plaek shifted around on the hay bed, unable to sleep anymore. His mind raced, knowing that he needed to plan and be brave enough to go after his desires. He would work to strengthen his connection with the princess and find the right emotion to control her, unbeknownst to his mistress. Although Plaek never withheld anything from her, he was determined to take this secret to his grave—he would choose happiness over obeying his mistress. Plaek’s tentacles slithered up and embraced him after his body subconsciously shifted back to his form while he slept. In this embrace, Plaek was lost to the jao ying’s memories that he wished were his. Time was not on his side, but he hoped destiny would be.