The Only Son Amongst The Daughters Of Eros

"...seventy-five thousand bushels of grain, sixteen thousand barrels of livestock, ten thousand barrels of oil, and three thousand five hundred gold coins. As usual, my region continues to report the best returns and contributions as we thrive through trade and industry, and my people have delivered beyond expectations."

A ripple of silence crossed the room. It was not unusual but Guinevere's returns were higher than even Aurora's, and everyone, even Aurora, had managed to have an increase this year in comparison to the last.

So it was quite commendable that Mother Guinevere had managed to still have the highest tax returns.

However, the Mother of Moonlight was not especially impressed. Selene's sharp eyes narrowed slightly, and her silver-clad fingers tapped against the table.

"Impressive, Mother Guinevere," she said with an almost cool voice. "But there is a problem that has left me curious and perhaps you could explain it to me. Tell me, Guinevere, why is it that your Region has seen a decrease in your tax returns as compared to last year's?"

Mother Guinevere had a frown on her face that said, 'She can not be serious.' All the other Mothers stayed quiet, eyeing each other silently.

"My Region still has the highest amount of tax returns amongst the rest. By far I might add so that doesn't really matter?"

However, Mother Selene was not letting it go. "I don't see how it doesn't. All the other Regions, mine included, registered an increase in our tax returns compared to last year. Your Region produced lesser offerings for the Realm. Why is that? Especially for a Region so densely populated and bustling with trade. Surely, the taxes you gather should reflect the true wealth of Starlight."

Guinevere's gaze hardened, wanting badly to hurl a fistful of fire at the wretched, cunty Queen. But, she continued to hold herself.

"As you all know," she began after a deep breath. "My Region has suffered the brunt of the beasts and monsters that show the signs of the incoming Wave. Gulydark, as an example, has been unable to produce anything as close to what they did last year."

"Because of this, I have ensured that the burden of taxes does not fall unfairly on my people. While they are industrious, they are not to be exploited. Every bushel, barrel and coin collected comes with their well-being in mind."

Selene's smile turned faintly mocking. "A noble sentiment, but this is not a time for sentiment. It is a time for survival. Perhaps you should reconsider your approach."

Guinevere's eyes narrowed to slits of her building anger. She was quickly losing patience. "Approach? I do not see how approach has anything to do with it? I am only mitigating the effects of suffering on my people. Exports have also been slow this year as compared to last. All these are considered when deciding the percentage to tax my citizens."n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

Mother Selene sat forward and raised a brow. "Exports? You speak of exports when you were the one who built a wall of elements around your castle, denying the outer regions and even your own people from communicating with you."

"That wall had been up for seventeen years, it did not harm our businesses then and neither did it now."

The other Mothers continued to look at each other, watching as the everlasting rivalry between these two Mothers once again interrupted an important meeting.

"That wall was nonsense!" Selene snapped. "Redundant. It did nothing but set the unity of Realm in a backwards trail."

Having had enough, Guinevere's voice sharpened. "Well my reasons for building the wall were very much justified. Because my son's life was in danger, and you... you were the one who sent an assassin, dressed as a courtesan after my son."

The room fell silent, the tension palpable as Selene's silver eyes locked with Guinevere's crimson ones. For a moment, the air itself turned solid and it began to crackle with unspoken power.

Perhaps one of the Mothers was planning to fire a burst of Divinity at the other. The other Mothers glanced at each other knowingly. Mother Aphra even cleared her throat as she was not a fan of such passive aggression.

"So this is the place you decide to bring up such conversation," Mother Selene said finally, her voice icy, her eyes turned to thin lines, glaring at Guinevere.

The Mother of Starlight didn't back down. She glared back. "You started this nonsense, Selene. How dare you? How dare you attempt to kill my son."

Mother Lylah gave Guinevere a cold look, as though she herself was fine with the idea of killing the only Son.

"You naive girl! I never attempted to kill your son. Erimyra was simply a spy, not an assassin." Selene snarled.

"So why did my son have to fight for his life?! Just after his virginity had been taken and his ritual completed!" Guinevere's anger began to show on her reddening cheeks. "I still can not believe that he performed his ritual with a Moonlight whore! You took my son's special day from him!"

"And you fed the body of my loyal spy to sharks!" Selene snapped back. "If I had Erimyra's body, I could have accessed her last memories before she died. I could have seen what truly happened and what she must have seen that drove your abominable son to murder her and lie!"

Flames erupted. One hand of Guinevere had fire and the other had ice steaming out into cold vapor. "You dare call my son a liar?!"

Selene instantly responded by turning her body completely into a form of glistening powerful silver. An entity of pure moonlight energy. "Go ahead, Mother Guinevere! Challenge me if you dare!"

"Enough!" A burst of shadows exploded out of Mother Lylah's body and instantly surrounded the room, causing a rush of strange magical wind that made all their powers summoned to vanish into thin air.

Mother Lylah's eyes were burning black as she did this, and slowly, the blackness faded and returned to their normal color of dark blue as Guinevere and Selene continued to stare each other down.

"Our husband looks down at us with anger and disappointment this very minute!" Mother Lylah said, glaring at both Mothers. "This is a place of the Divine and we can not disrespect it with petty arguments!"

Mother Aurora placed a gentle hand on Guinevere's shoulder, helping the Starlight Queen to calm down while Selene looked at Lylah, realizing that she had overreacted.

She sighed. "You are right, Lylah. I apologize. And I apologize to you as well, Mother Guinevere." She turned to Guinevere and said.

Guinevere looked at her once again, her jaw tight but her resolve unshaken. In the end, with a nod from Aurora, she managed to say; "I apologize to you, fellow Mothers. And to you as well, Mother Selene."

They looked at each other for a while, knowing this wasn't over. Afterwards, Selene looked away and cleared her throat. "Let us move on with the numbers of Knightguards at our disposal. The Moonlight Region had a total of a thousand new recruits amongst men and women. Seven hundred men, and three hundred women. How about you, Mother Aphra?"

The meeting pressed on, but the weight of the confrontation between Mother Guinevere and Mother Selene still lingered like a storm cloud over the council.

Eventually, it was concluded as plans for the upcoming Wave Battle were arranged and the Mothers all returned to their Regions.

Mother Selene returned to Moonlight with a particular thought on her mind.