Sheep Among Wolves

                The three had been more than a little surprised when they had found out the small ceremony that night at the feast hadn’t been the actual thing. News had quickly been spread around the islanders that had chosen to stay and serve Queen Rhys that they were to be honored properly a full week after the feast had happened.

                Word had gone out via Oviraptor, the messengers running from group to group as the islanders worked on attempting to repair the dome still. The ceremony would take place later that night, and all were expected to be there. By that point Apocrypha had grown accustomed to how the Court and their Queen spoke. And as the oviraptor that had come by and informed her as well as Kallista and Frankie departed, she knew there was no aggression meant with the word choice.

                They were expected to be there. A simple way of saying that the queen looked forward to seeing them at the ceremony and that she had no doubt that they would show up. After all, any that were still there after a week of orders and nothing but hard work were there to actually help Atlantis. It had been the final way for Queen Rhys to sift though those that were trying to get a free hand out and those that actually wanted to help.

                “These guys throw a lot of parties.” Frankie said, popping a small piece of carefully prepared meat into his mouth from the bowl of seared meat chunks that he’d brought with him from the town earlier that day. The three sat with each other as the rest of the group they had been tasked to work with that day all sat around and ate lunch and rested from the work they’d accomplished that morning.

                The food had gradually grown better through the week as well, and now the Queen had ordered the town cooks to ensure the work groups were well fed so they could use their strength to try and save her beloved bio-dome. The very bio-dome that was not anywhere near being fixed.

                Every day it seemed as if the water levels rose higher and the cracks in the dome above and around them only grew bigger.

                “I’ll take a party after all the work we’ve been doing. I just want a day of rest.” Kallista muttered as she scooped up the glazed fish that had been packed for her into her beak and tossed it back.

                After the three had finished eating, they had gone back to work with the rest of their group for a few more hours. By the middle of the afternoon they heard the bellow from the ‘taskmaster’, as Frankie had come to call the Iguanodon, to signal that work was finished for the day. They were being allowed to leave early in order to clean up and ready themselves for the party that night.

                The streets had been decorated with banners, just as they had been that night when Rhys had returned to the city to welcome the islanders and extend an invitation to them to join her. It made Frankie feel on edge, as if there was going to be another hitch. Something else thrown at them that would further divide them all from the islanders. But as the ‘sun’ started to set and the trio heard the music from the market square, his concerns were quieted. The joined the rest of the islanders as they all made their way to the market square that had been cleared out and made into the gathering place for the feast and celebration. It had been set up almost exactly as it had been the night of the first feast, with tables all around on the edges and a single long table full of all sorts of food. And at the front of the square for all to see, was a ‘throne’ for Rhys to sit upon instead of the long table that had been there at the original feast.

                A single vibrant red carpet had been rolled out, leading directly up the shallow steps to the throne of sticks, thorns, and leaves for Rhys. It was a sight to see, and completely awe inspiring to the islanders that beheld it for the first time in their lives. To the Court and its Courtiers, it was just another knighting ceremony. Just one more reason to celebrate and party and eat entirely too much.

                Apocrypha led Kallista and Frankie over to one of the tables that had been set up for everyone that had attended. She sat and smiled a bit as Kallista quickly got up onto her back and Frankie looked around to see who all was there that he could chat up while they waited for the Queen to show up and get everything started. He didn’t even have the time to leave his mothers, or for them to get food, before the music died down and then started up in another tune. This one grand and demanding attention with its heavy use of drums and horns.

                Rhys made her way forward, striding down the center of the plaza on the carpet and up to her throne where she turned swiftly and slammed a hand on the ground and bugled for silence. The drums and trumpets cut off, the people around the area silenced, and all eyes turned to Queen Rhys.

                “Court and commoner! Thank you all for being here today. This ceremony is nothing new to most of you, but today we have guests we never thought would actually be here. Among us tonight are ex-islanders. Individuals that have dedicated themselves to our cause and have proven themselves worthy of the title of ‘Atlantian’! Behold, our new friends. These that remain are true allies to ourselves, they have stayed with us through the grueling hours of work, through the harsh demands and criticisms of the labor managers, and through the insults and put-downs that we have crafted to weed out the weak. These that stay are one of us, and I expect each and every one of you to see them now, and know they are fully one of us. They have been tempered through the flames of our trials, and have come out on the other side, worthy of our time and attention.” Rhys said, her voice loud but not yelling, carrying through the courtyard.

                “Tonight, we Knight those that have stayed. They are better than any messenger among us, better than any brute that would simply do as they are commanded. My dear Court, I present to you the new blood among you all. They have thought through everything that must be done, considered all their options. They see us, each and every one of us, for who we are. They see how great Atlantis is and have pledged themselves to us. Tonight, I will seal this deal. From this night on, you will treat them as you do any other Courtier. No matter what task they are doing for myself or Atlantis, they will demand the respect that is given to you all. So your queen demands!”

                Apocrypha glanced around at the rumble that had started up around them as Queen Rhys had continued and quickly spotted the source. The Iguanodons, all of them, had started to stamp their front feet on the ground as Rhys spoke. The rumbling noise building until Rhys had finished speaking, by that point the tables had started to shake as well as all the food on the tables that the Oviraptors were quickly trying to hold down and ensure didn’t roll away and onto the floor. And as she spoke her demand, the Iguanodons around the area roared, bellowed, and bugled their approval of what she said. The feeling of joy and excitement palpable, and filled even Apocrypha with the want to call out and have her voice join those of the Courtiers around them.

                The feathers on Kallista stood on end as she looked around the area, Queen Rhys calling for the islanders to line up on the carpet that let up to her throne, single file so that they could walked up to kneel before her directly. She watched as everyone did as they were asked, every one of them filled with pride as they stood before the Iguanodon Court and their Queen. Apocrypha stood to get in line with the rest of the islanders, glancing down at Frankie along with Kallista to see how he was doing.

                Frankie just smiled a bit as he trotted after the pair and puffed himself up.

                The idea of having a queen did not sit well with any of the three, but they found comfort in the fact that their work had not gone unnoticed. The queen of Atlantis did actually seem to care about them. She cared for the Court and the people of Atlantis. She was harsh, but fair.

                But still. Frankie could not help but wonder if Cleric had it right by not being there. By having raged against the Court and their queen. Time would tell, he supposed. He only hoped that he and his mothers were doing the correct thing.