The queen sat in the center of her inner chamber on the highly polished wooden floor. It was dark but for one candle burning on an altar, an altar the queen had constructed with her own hand. The inner chamber was a rectangular room with luxurious furnishings fit for a queen. She had designed the space after marrying the king. The king's first wife had died in childbirth. She had married him to insure an alliance between the Fifth and Fourth Realm. As the new queen, she hated the furnishings of the inner chamber she inherited and spent time and money on decorating it properly. She made sure to leave space for her altar.
She hid her worship practices from everyone, bringing out the altar only when alone. The altar piece was simple and easily assembled. She must keep secret that she was a devoted follower of the Ayyubi, a cabal of outcasts who resided in the Fourth Realm. The Ayybuian sect was hated and feared among the Five Realms. The altar was a way to communicate with her fellow Ayyubi, using the ancient rites as portal to communicate with other devotees hundreds of miles away.
Queen Maenia closed her eyes and began to chant the ancient tongue of the Ayyubi. The words were couched in tonal vibrations, her voice humming with a songlike moan. Her musical rhythms would have been pleasant to most ears, even though they represented the darkest creatures of nature: the hiss of the snake, the growl of the wolf, the chirping of the Cromonian beast.
"I'm here," a voice from the dark filled the room. "Why has Maenia summoned me?" The voice was deep and guttural, unpleasant to the ear. "Have you news to share with me?"
"Praise to you, Sala Ayyubi," the queen said. "I would never contact you unless it was important. Our plan is coming together nicely. We have an opportunity to take the next step." Queen Maenia was careful not to move or turn her head toward the figure standing behind her in the dark. Sala Ayyubi was a powerful being and she knew it was easy to anger him.
"We must be careful," Sala said. "Are you sure circumstances warrant it?"
"The king is leaving tomorrow to battle the Nprudi," she said, looking at the candle as it flickered in the dark. The low light was soothing, and she felt comfortable in the presence of the Lord Sala Ayyubi. "We have this opportunity to strike a blow."
"Very well. Proceed." Sala's voice was firm and unyielding. "Do not fail."
