---

Lyselum. Seated on the far western side of the continent upon which it sat, nestled in a large bay which jutted in from the curving coastline like a nose and sitting on gently-rolling hills which surrounded the water, it had served as the capital of the Kingdom of Lyselum for time immemorial. Based on its geography, it had also been a natural center of trade for both seaborne and airborne commerce, and this economic wealth had bred artistic and cultural wealth as well. This continued wealth expanded upon itself over the centuries and millennia, and the people who benefited the most of it were the royal family of House Lyseli. Even under kind and gentle rulers, who kept taxes low, the sheer wealth of the inhabitants of the city brought millions of credits into the royal coffers; when the poor and cruel rulers took the throne, it only increased the royal revenue. Lyselum became a center of international trade and culture, and its universities were the envy of foreign academics. The Lyselis began to spread this wealth throughout their province, expanding cities, building up infrastructure, and fostering culture and education aross the land, from the ocean to their eastern borders. Yet the Lyselis were not satisfied. This wealth could only continue to increase for so long, and even though the outer limits of the city itself expanded outwards, the Lyseli kings knew that there would be a terminal point, when the city and indeed the province could no longer expand. It was not a question of if; it was a question of when.

So the Lyselis put their money towards another venture: military. The Lyseli family can be criticized for focusing on their legacy, and indeed even their words, “Ancient is our Power,” speaks to their claims to descend from the captain of the Starward Destiny. Historians and pundits have said that this is a weakness, that they should focus on the present, but the greatest plans take many years to hatch, or so the Lyselis would argue; they have evidence on their side. The initial plans which would eventually lead to the Lyselis conquering the entirety of Gylif were born centuries before the first Lyseli armies ever marched beyond their own borders. Money was put into technological advances, into training and expanding their military forces, and laying strategic and logistical foundations for their future conquests. It showed during their opening wars, especially during the long and brutal conflict against the Lyselums, rumored to be an ancient offshoot branch of the Lyseli family. The Lyselums were powerful and well-trained militarily, but in the end were no match for the Lyselis, especially after the death of their duke, and the Lyselis’ first victory was won.

Over the next nine centuries, war after war expanded the holdings of the Lyselis, but foresight again proved to be valuable. They knew that in the culture of Gylif, the long-standing Great Houses were all well-liked by most of their people and indeed tied to their lands. A foreign power coming in, usurping them, and putting themselves in charge would be viewed negatively by most, if not all, and dissention would ferment. Perhaps not immediately, but over time, grudges and anger only gets worse, not better. And so the Lyselis ensured that each former kingdom was granted a measure of self-rule; enough so that they were not overly resentful, but with enough oversight and control that ensured that they were still subordinate and loyal to the Crown. Rebellions were crushed quickly and efficiently, loyalty was rewarded handsomely within the Kingdom, and in the end even more wealth flowed back westward to Lyselum.

Here now, the master of all the wealth which made Lyselum what it was, was Laurent Lyseli, King of Gylif, the Lord of Lyselum, and Ruler of the Planet. He stood on a balcony in the main throne room of the ancient Lyseli fortress, known simply as The Stone, leaning forward with both hands on the railing and looking down at the throng of people below, Lords, Ladies, and attendants all. His graying hair was combed sideways on his head, his matching beard trimmed tight and close. He knew the importance of appearance, and this day, as any day, was as important as ever. Thus he was dressed accordingly, in a rich blue outfit, pants and a jacket with a high collar, all trimmed in silver lining with silver buttons and silver cuffs, and silver piping curling up along both of his sleeves. Atop his head sat the golden crown of Gylif, set with blue precious stones and gleaming pieces of silver specially engineered to catch the light and sparkle even when he stood still. To finish it all off, he flashed frequent smiles at whoever happened to look up at him, a warm, disarming grin which would make even the most hardened men laugh and every woman giggle.

Beside Laurent, flanking him on his right, stood his son, Tilyr, dressed in a fine dress uniform of bleached white, his left breast dotted with medals, and with golden epaulets and a golden and blue sash draped across his left shoulder down to the right side of his waist. At his waist he wore a golden belt, from which hung an ornate blaster pistol on one side and a ceremonial blade at the other. His dirty blonde hair was cropped close against his head in a military fashion, and his steely blue eyes scanned the Lords and Ladies and their attendants below carefully and deliberately. He was a military man, through and through, and though these proceedings bored him, one look at the occasional lopsided smirk he gave off would tell anyone that he was pleased to recognize several military officers from various provinces with whom he had sparred in exercises over the past few years.

On Laurent’s left side stood his daughter, Keira. Like her father and brother, she looked her finest on this day, dressed in a magnificent blue gown with a silver stripe running across her chest and down to her ankles, standing several inches higher from her heels, and wearing eye-catching jewelry to match. Her hair was done up behind her head in a style that would be copied across the planet as soon as the holonews sent their videos out; she was a trendsetter, that much was obvious, and she reveled in it. She stood cockeyed to the crowd, one hand supporting her on the bannister, and appeared to glance only occasionally downwards to blow a kiss, wave her hand, or wink. Only she and her brother knew that she was carefully identifying and reading everyone who saw her, all the while playing her role as the court maiden.

Laurent looked down at his Lords and Ladies, coming from across the Kingdom here to Lyselum, as he had requested, for a Grand Council to discuss the new ambassadors. He had attendants who were keeping track of everyone who arrived, but he liked to keep a count himself, and attempted to make deliberate eye contact with each of his vassals as they entered his hall. There were still several missing, but Laurent was content to wait; he had set a relatively late starting time for the Council, and there was plenty of time until then. A Grand Council was a proceeding which had been established at the conclusion of the Conquest Wars which won the Lyselis the throne. They had created the event as part of their appeasement of the defeated Houses, allowing them to bring grievances before all the Great Houses in the Kingdom in the throne room of the King or Queen and have all the voices of the Houses be heard at once. Any Great Lord, or the Monarch, could call a Grand Council, allowing the Great Houses to bring forward their issues with the Monarch without fear of reprisal. In the past it had served various purposes, from trying to weaken the King to trade issues, but never before had it been summoned for something like this, something which would shake Gylif to its very core, and change the course of the planet’s destiny forever.

“What are you thinking, father?”

Tilyr’s voice snapped Laurent out of his thoughts of the future. He turned his head to smile at his son and said, “About this.” He stood up and extended his hands in a sweeping gesture. “About all of this.”

“This…nonsense?” asked Tilyr.

“The arrival of the ambassadors to our world is a great event, my son,” said Laurent. “Never before has something like this happened. People believed that the tales of the Republic, of the Starward Destiny, were just that: tales, myth, legend. Now we know that there is so much beyond our own system, a whole galaxy that we have been separated from for millennia.”

Tilyr scoffed. “You don’t need the Lords and Ladies here to decide what to do,” he said. “You want to rejoin the galaxy, so do it.” He swept his own hand out. “Who cares what these people have to think? You are the King.”

Laurent shook his head and smiled. “I am, but there are still rules to be followed.”

“Nonsense,” said Tilyr. “What have your efforts been for over the past years if not to get rid of those rules, those ‘protocols?’ This could seal your power over the planet. You could make a decision now, choose the Empire or Republic, and forever put the Houses where they belong: truly subservient to us.”

“That is not my way,” said Laurent. “And it should not be yours. A King has much responsibility. True, to join this community we will eventually have to be united completely as a planet, but we cannot do that today, or tomorrow. It will take time. You know our words. That power did not come overnight. It came over thousands of years. Now it will not take thousands of years to consolidate our power on Gylif, but it will take time. You have to step back, watch the players, and do your dance with destiny.”

Tilyr nodded, but clenched his jaw and said nothing as he turned back towards the hall below. Laurent did as well. His son would make a good King one day, he knew, he just had to help him get there.

Henry Callidum VII waited patiently at the landing pad, the rest of the pads were quiet, everyone else having arrived. He sighed to himself, his daughters knew how important this council could turn out to be and yet they were late, no doubt dallying in some shopping center or other. Being late would only raise House Callidum in the view of the others, daring to defy even slightly the Lyseli but he would prefer if it was planned and not just some whim of his daughters! One of the two suited men with shiny reflective visors covering their eyes who stood at his back stepped forward leaned in to whispered in his ear. He stepped up to the window and shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand gazed up spotting the small speck on the horizon, he watched as it quickly grew bigger until he could make out the telltale symbol of House Callidum emblazoned across the craft's nose, the craft boosted higher and then in a daring maneuver, spiraled down towards the landing pad stabilizing at the last second and landing with a thump. No need to ask who the pilot was, indeed his thoughts were confirmed a moment later as Kylara jumped from the cockpit, the ramp at the back of the craft slowly slid to the ground and out came Sam followed by 2 more men with shiny visors. A harried looking servant stumbled out behind them carrying 3 large bags, seeming to struggle under their weight, Henry smirked as he almost dropped a bag, Mathew, the head of his security team, did always like to avoid attention.

The girls burst into the waiting room with their usual energy and in seconds he was being hugged with shouts of "Dad!" echoing around the room, he let himself enjoy the moment before stepping back and appraising the girls. Kylara was by far the worst offender, although he had to give her some credit for wearing clean clothes this time, She had dressed more like a bounty hunter than a high lady but at-least she'd dressed like a stylish bounty hunter, her messy blonde hair was... stylishly messy, the black leather jacket was made to fit and the denim jeans gave her a sort of oldie look, denim was making a comeback in certain circles he though with a frown. Sam, whilst not dressed as a high lady, was wearing her Navy dress uniform, hair straightened and falling down her back, not a bad choice and it wouldn't hurt to remind the other houses of the strong armed forces of House Callidum, indeed Maridian forces had taken part in the conquest of many of the lands of the Houses after their own fall. The girls eyed him warily as he made up his mind, it wasn't beyond him to order them into dresses at this very instant and a dreadlike tension left their shoulders as he nodded "I don't expect your mother will be approving of you traipsing around high society dressed like bounty hunters and street thugs but we really must get going, come along"

As he lead the group towards the main hall the girls started chatting merrily behind him, discussing different shops, new fashion trends, their thoughts on the new Tornado Gunship.. Sometimes he despaired of them. Still, they had work to do, as the rising sound of chatter grew louder he dropped back to them and quietly gave them their instructions. "Sam, I want you to try and get into a conversation with Alan Slaggard" he paused to check she knew him " you don't need to talk about anything serious, just lay some friendly groundwork. Ky I want you to try talking to any Lyseli you see walking about, try and confirm what this council is about, we have strong suspicions but..."
They approached the group of noble's and in two long strides Henry was ahead of the group again, at the door an announcer spoke in a loud voice telling all of the arrival of House Callidum. Heads turned to stare as they made their way into the hall. Henry himself had dressed in a simple black suit, It was fine and well tailored but at the same time simple and to the point, he was not here for games.

On a balcony far above he saw the King looking down, he waited until he had the Kings eye before bowing his head slightly.. the forms did have to be obeyed.

Alan Slaggard and Micah Slaggard both adjusted their black suits as they strode into the hall with a troop of four bodyguards in full combat armor following closely behind them as the announcer at the entrance to the hall announced the arrival of the House Slaggard. Alan and Micah reluctantly made eye contact with King Laurent and gave slight bows before disappearing into the crowd of people that was filling the hall as the Grand Council drew closer. The Slaggard's were not known for traveling past their protected borders very often, so as they pasted other houses and nobles they received strange looks with their four guards following closely behind them with hands always on the pistols and batons that hung at their waists. They made their way to an empty section of the wall where their guards made a semicircle around them so that if anyone wanted to talk to them then they would have to be checked by the guards first. Alan didn't trust the Lyseli family to not try anything underhanded against a family which had made it a point to stand against them by rebuilding their defensive capabilities and even going so far as to built a space platform that doubled as a floating fortress in geostationary orbit over the Dulucan capital of Deca.

"Remind me that we still need to make contact with Henry Callidum before this day is through and the sooner the better." Alan told his son as he scanned the crowd of people for any familiar face and was not able to find any.

"Don't worry father. I can go find him if you would allow me and I can set up a time for us to meet after the Grand Council." Micah responded back as he also looked out at the crowd but for other reasons all together. He had noticed that many younger women where attending the Council and none of them were bad looking in the slightest with their flowing dresses on and if his father would allow him he would love to go mingle with them for a few minutes before the Council started.

The leader of the House Slaggard gave a sigh as he knew his son's intentions but knew he couldn't control his son. "Just remember why your here and don't get lost. Also take a guard with you so that nothing happens" Micah gave a nod and than smiled at Alan before he pushed off the wall that he had been leaning against as he headed off into the crowd of people with a guard tailing closely behind him so that nothing would happen to the young heir.

Sam frowned at the Slaggard guards intimidating front, there was no way she would be able to slip into a natural conversation with their leader Alan Slaggard, being searched by guards in the middle of the hall would no doubt bring attention and comment. She'd been sipping a rather fine wine over by the refreshment table, if there's one thing she'd give the Lyseli credit for it's their hosting, when the announcer announced the arrival of the Slaggards. She'd made her excuses to the young man who'd been flirting with her and disappeared into the crowd, trailing the Slaggard path. She'd integrated herself into a conversation about Lady Keira's new hairstyle, droll stuff but appearances must be kept.

The young man, heir to Slaggard... mickey? left the group to go and mingle, the old man stayed put with his ring of guards, Father had asked her to lay some friendly groundwork with the head of the house but it was clear she wouldn't be managing that, however the heir... She'd have to get his name off of someone first though. She again made her excuses and moved on, trailing the heir to Slaggard and making polite conversation with the other guests.

Kylara leaned back against the wall next to one of the Lyseli guardsmen who stood periodically placed around the halls perimeter. She very obviously looked him up and down and when her eyes met his winked. She watched his reaction, red shooting into his cheeks but he didn't respond. She made her guess and hoped for the best "So new on the job?"

Prince Bas'jun Dieuwert, of the esteemed and noble House Dieuwert, stood towards the rear of the vast throne room. Wearing only the finest violet silks, the man cut a friendly appearance, and none present would call the man dishonest or untrustworthy. His eyes wandered easily through the crowds, placing names to faces and taking mental notes as to who was sticking with whom. Numerous guests had still yet to arrive, but the stunning court was already nearly full. It truly was wondrous, seeing the nobles of the proud world together for civil discussion. For millennium, their world had been enraptured in conflict. For that cycle of violence to be brought to an end, with the hep of his forefathers nonetheless, was truly a humbling thought.

Of course, that raised questions as to their current situation. It had been some time since the last Grand Council had taken place. They were uncommon, to say the least, and for one to be called so abruptly- It spoke volumes of the significance of whatever was going on. His thoughts wandered, trying to once again piece together the puzzle. It had to be confidential, for him or his contacts to not have heard of it. Possibly a scuffle between two major families, but not to the point its come to blows? Except that wouldn't merit such an abrupt Grand Council, likely not a Grand Council, period! Could it be something related to the encrypted messages sent from their exploration teams? Possible, but they were just rumors. The more the Prince thought over it, the less things made sense.

Glancing over towards his brother and confidant, Duke Dezmark Dieuwert of Marju, Bas'jun voiced his concerns. "What do you think this could be about, Dezmark? I have spent some time pondering this, but nothing quite makes sense. Nothing concrete, at least."

Dezmark turned towards his brother, equally fine clothing shimmering slightly as the crystal lights hit them. "I'm not sure, brother. I haven't been able to gleam anything from the other families in passing conversation, and nothing our King has down would hint at a purpose. For now, I'm assuming it's another petty squabble that's gotten out of hand.. But of course, it could be something far different," the Duke responded. Bas'jun only nodded, turning back around to glance at the crowds once more, this time uneasily. Hopefully any violence could be averted, if it really was just a House conflict.

Hoping to change the subject, Prince Bas'jun smirked. "Where do you think that niece of yours ran off to? Neferati said she'd return from the fresher quickly. What would you bet that's she's enjoying too much wine?"

"Oh, and what would you bet it's some handsome young Lord hoping to sweep your daughter off her feet?" chuckled out Dezmark, making his brother's brows narrow. Seeing his elder's reaction, the Duke could only give an uncharacteristic roll of his eyes. "She's thirty-two, Bas'jun. Relax. She should think about getting married anyways."

"I worry about her, that's all. Sometimes she reminds me of myself at a younger age, craving the adventure and opportunities of far away places. Other times, she's like one of those stick-in-the-mud ladies of the court. I don't want her to marry one of the scum I remember so fondly during my times in the Lower Quarters, but I can't imagine being married to some self-righteous Lord would be any better," sighed Bas'jun, exasperated at the actions of his one and only child.

Dezmark grinned, his perfectly white teeth catching light better than any robes. "Brother, your daughter is spoiled! She's nothing like you. Her idea of adventure is exploring the newest resort or drinking wine during a distant flight. If anything, she'd love to spend time with some handsome young nobility. Face it, Bas'jun. She's out of your hands."

"I thought maybe she'd take after her name sake a bit more, or maybe even her mother, bless her heart," Bas'jun said quietly. Both pairs of eyes went downcast for a moment, before Dezmark came back with fire.

"Naming your daughter after a Lower Quarter's whore, no matter how fine, should have seemed like a bad idea no matter what, my Prince." Bas'jun, having taken that moment to take a sip of wine, choked and fought to suppress his laughter. Nearby House members narrowed their eyes and stepped away, while the Prince turned back to his snickering brother.

"That woman took care of me, for better or worse, while I was at my lowest. That whore was a saint!" declared Bas'jun, causing them both to chuckle. A peaceful silence settled in once again, as the pair waited patiently for their lovely young Countess to come back.

"No, he's not, but you can't expect every man to maintain his composure around such a beauty," said Tilyr from behind Kylara. He wore a lopsided smirk that reeked of confidence and poise. "Kylara Callidum, a pleasure to see you again," he continued, drawing the girl's attention away from the hapless guard. "It's been entirely too long. How is your father?"

Kylara eye's widened in surprise, she hadn't heard anyone approaching, though perhaps that wasn't a surprise in such a crowded hall. She fiddled with the hem of her jacket feeling underdressed as she took in his regal baring that reeked of aristocracy. "My prince" she bowed her head slightly in respect but added a wink, no need to show too much respect. "Father, seems to be doing well, though between you and me this council business seems to have put him on edge. Our agen-" her smile widened and the hint of a predatory grin slid across her face "We've heard the most exciting rumors, but rumors being rumors..." She paused to see if he would interject.

Micah was enjoying his time mingling with the other guests of the Grand Council while picking up useful information on the statuses of the other houses and figuring out where their alliance stood with the Lyseli.He also had another goal with mingling with the others and that was to make light conversation with all the young women in attendance before the Council started as he rarely ever left Duluca and never got to meet women of noble decent. As he finished off his second glass of wine, he scanned the crowd of someone to talk to and that was when he spotted a girl in a Maridian naval uniform which he thought was interesting for a event as grand and rare as this one and knew that she might be interesting to open up a conversation with. "It's rare to see someone in a Maridian military uniform here in the capital. What brings you this far north?" Micah asked the girl when he had approached her and given a slight bow out of respect.4

Sam resisted the urge to chuckle at her luck. "The climate up here is too warm for us military types, I'm just here for the high council business, there are all kinds of rumors flying about, do you know anything about it? I'm Sam by the way, Sam Callidum."

A hint of recognition flashed in Micah's eyes for a second as the girl introduced herself as Sam Callidum. "I actually have no idea what this who thing is about myself. My father just dragged me along because he can be hopeless by himself at times with delicate matters. As for my name, I am Micah Slaggard." He said with another slight bow before straightening back up and gesturing over to his guard. "The mean looking one here is Mace and needs to loosen up a little since there is nothing to worry about right now. Anyway lucky that I ran into you as there was something that I might need from a Callidum."

-Sam-

"Ah, security types, I'd say I know the feeling but mine all appear to have got lost" she gestured at the air as if wondering where they'd gone.
"It's nice to meet you, Micah Slaggard" She bowed just an inch to give respect.
"What might you need of a Callidum then? I will see what help I can be."

"I am actually not sure myself, but my father told me that we need to make contact with him sooner than later. I'm guessing he would like to set up a meeting after this whole Council business it over with." Micah told Sam as we also wondered what Alan Slaggard would gain by meeting with the Callidum lord. He was raised with the belief that the House Slaggard didn't need help from anyone and that he took care of their own problems alone. That was one of the reasons that Duluca had become an isolationist nation even after they had been defeated by the Lyseli. "Whatever the matter is between our parents that can wait till later. While we still have time I would prefer to enjoy this time before the Grand Council starts." He said as he picked up his third glass of wine and started to sip on it.

"I don't deal in rumors and gossip, Lady Kylara," replied Tilyr with a grin of his own. "My father called the Grand Council for a reason, but did not make the reason immediately known. If he had wanted everyone to know, do you not think you all would know now?" Leaning back against the wall, Tilyr looked up at his after and said, "But I'm a straightforward man, Lady Kylara, but surely you know this. The games of court do not amuse me. My father wished to keep the purpose of the Council a secret until it began, but that will be within minutes, and you are not going anywhere until then, so here is no harm in confirming what you already know: the galaxy has come to Gylif, and we are going to join it."

"And yet rumors did spread, if you'd like a neutral party to investigate your agencies for the leak don't hesitate to ask." Kylara kept the smirk that threatened off her face with an effort of will, they both knew that House Callidum did not rely on rumours to gather information.
"Ah, how exciting, to live in such times. So what is this galaxy like? The utopia predicted by so many or..?"

Sam nodded in acceptance and looked around for one of the servers walking around with trays of drinks. Once she'd acquired another glass of wine she chatted with Micah, waiting for the Council to begin.

Keira made her way through the crowd, her eyes scanning the room as she brushed by nobleman and touched them gently on the arms, or flashed a smile at the noble ladies. Yet always her eyes returned to the same target: a beautiful woman in her early thirties with dark blonde hair. Keira closed the remaining distance between them and smiled just in time for the woman to turn towards her and catch her glance. "Countess," said Keira, her smile warm and inviting as she addressed the Dieuwert heiress. "Surely you are looking for my brother, but I can't for the life of me figure out where he went," Keira continued jokingly.

---

Tilyr chuckled at the mention of the galaxy being a utopia. "Far from it," said Tilyr. "They are at war, the Republic and an Empire. Both of them have sent envoys to us to try to pull us into their fold. My father wishes to join one of them."

The Countess flashed a smile at the ever-beautiful Princess Keira Lyseli, noting her rather fashionable gown and hair. She would have to remember that style; it truly was stunning. Her own violet gowns, trimmed in brilliant golden lace matching her hair were nothing to look down on, of course. "Princess Keira Lyseli, it's an honor to see you this evening as well," she smirked, mirth in her eyes. "To answer you though, you're somewhat correct. There's a number of handsome young lords flirting about, your brother one of the more.. Eligible. However, there are still quite a few bachelors roaming around, as I'm sure you have noticed." Neferati allowed her eyes to wander for a moment, to one such man walking past in a modern looking navy suit.

---

Bas'jun felt awkward at the moment, mingling with a couple of minor vassal lords, whose names he honestly couldn't remember. His brother stood beside him, as usual, but he was silently enjoying the torment his brother was going through. The minor lords seemed to look towards the Prince, hoping to hear his opinion on their discussion. "I believe I agree with you," he nodded towards one of the men, a younger man in traditional robes, "when it comes to the matter of business loans. Too many of our young entrepreneurs are discouraged by the sometimes outrageous rates that these loans are made at, and it hurts our local economies.

"However, the idea of restrictions as strong as you suggest are.. perhaps a bit much. I am by no means qualified to offer my voice on the debates of banking and economical desparity, but there are some things we must remember. In the hierarchy of the world, us nobility are only a step above the banks and corporations of our world. Although they lack the protection we have, they share many of the benefits we share: Such as being landholders, and our properties having personage. If we begin eroding the rights of those directly below us, we whether away our foundation; Who's to say we aren't next?" asked the Prince, drawing the glares or wide eyes of those listening.

"That's preposterous!"exclaimed an elderly man, his robes slate grey and solemn. "Our rights have been guaranteed for millennium, and they will continue to be guaranteed for millennium more.What you're suggesting is fictitious at best, treasonous at worst. Your ancestors were one of the first to turn and ally themselves with the Lyseli.. Or do you forget that?"

The surrounding nobles muttered among themselves, some in agreement and others in worry. Bas'jun only raised his eyebrow, before replying. "I don't think I quite see your point. What I suggest isn't treason, it's merely that we, as a people, must stick together. When we begin to erode the rights, of any persons or peoples, we open the gates to the same happening to ourselves. Look towards out own history as proof; The ancient Kalgari empire had a history of doing much the same. His genocides would kill millions, after eliminating their very rights; When none were left, he would move on to the next most troublesome group, repeating the process of eliminating their rights before their total extermination. We are but another group who must look out for ourselves, and we must stand up should anyone's rights be challenged, lest we be next to the chopping block."

That speech seemed much better, Dezmark noted. Those around them nodded their heads, thoughtful expressions crossing their faces. Stick together, or die alone, a chilling message. The two broke apart from the group as their whispers continued, retreating to an empty table near the back of the hall. They were silent, drinks in their hands and reserved expressions on their faces.

-Kylara-

A republic and an empire, now this was interesting, with careful maneuvering a third smaller party could throw much above it's own weight in negotiations but what had them interested in Gylif, surly with presumably hundreds of star systems one could not be that important, do they try to recruit every star system into their factions...
"Thankyou for your conversation my prince, I daresay we will be starting soon and father asked that I be near once we begin so I must take my leave of you, it has been a pleasure" She bowed, this time leaving out the wink and deepening the bow to a properly respectful level. Then she spun on her heels and began searching the crowd for her father.

Keira smiled as her gaze followed that of Neferati, to the man walking by in the navy suit. With a giggle, she said, "Oh, yes, I certainly have noticed." Looking back at Nerfati, Keira said, "Believe me, though, if you have eyes for my brother, you'd best put on your best charms; he is a bit of a hard nut to crack. But enough about him....your gown is lovely! The colors of the Diewesh Flower, if I'm not mistaken. I remember seeing it when I visited last year; it is quite a beautiful sight."

---

Tilyr bowed respectfully to Kylara as she walked away; no doubt she was about to tell her father about what had been spoken of, but it did not matter. He looked up at his own father, King of Gylif, and nodded. Laurent nodded in return, and Tilyr knew that the Lords and Ladies were all in attendance. Laurent held up a hand, and rapidly, the entire room grew silent. "My noble Lords and Ladies of Gylif," he said, his voice booming through the room thanks to the excellent acoustics. "If you would, please, enter the Council Hall, we will begin shortly." As he lowered his hand, two Lyseli guards, dressed in silver and blue, wearing full-face helmets and holding ceremonial vibro-pikes in their hands, opened two massive wooden doors beneath the balcony upon which Laurent was standing. Beyond the doors was a large circular room, in which sat a large round table which followed the contours of the room, with dozens upon dozens of seats for the noble Lords and Ladies of Gylif, and plenty of standing room for their attendants. Laurent walked down the stairs with Tilyr and watched as everyone filed in; they would be the last to enter.

Neferati giggled with the Princess, spreading her arms to better show her gown. "Thank you! And you are correct, I have always loved the beauty of the Diewesh flower. I had my assistant commission it for a ball my father was having a week from today, but decided an occasion such as this required only the best," she smirked. "And of course, your own gown is marvelous, as usual! You'll have to refer me to whoever did such a wonderful job on the-" Before she could finish, King Laurent Lyseli asked everyone to retreat to the Council Hall. "It appears we may have to continue this another time, my Princess?"

---

Prince Bas'jun and Duke Dezmark turned as their King spoke. The two exchanged glances and nodded to one another, as they both began walking to the Hall. The Duke fell in line behind his brother, falling into the gentle procession into the grand gathering place.