The sudden sound of wind and several cries of alarm caused Akamatsu to turn toward the disturbance. Zhou's display of firebreathing was--while not entirely safe--rather amusing. He was one person that Akamatsu recognized, although it was not a friendly recognition. Back in Zhou's pirating days, he'd been quite a nuisance to the traders and fisherman who traversed the waters between Liang and Nihon. Oh yes, he knew quite a bit about this "Pirate Prince" and very little of it was good. Akamatsu spared himself a small smile, satisfied to think of what a fool the other man was making of himself right off the bat. It was definitely amusing. Judging by Niklas' reaction, he too must have been on a similar train of thought, although it was quite obvious that he didn't see any humor in it.

Turning away from Zhou and the commotion he caused, he found that they were being greeted by yet more newcomers. He said very little, just a customary greeting and preferring to observe. He supposed he could loosen up a bit. These people were unlike his own, and while a certain sense of formality was called for, it wasn't nearly as strict as the one he grew up with. What was rude according to his people's standards would probably not be so here, still he ought to tread carefully. He had several months to get to know these people, and while he had a very general knowledge of most of their countries he admittedly didn't know much about them personally. The reason being he firmly believed you could only truly know a person upon speaking to them face-to-face, without the bias of whatever media had to say. And if he did happen to need some specific information, Ueda Haruka was on hand to provide it.

A thought crossed his mind briefly as they were joined by another young woman. Whomever it was he married might just have a hard time adjusting to Nihon's culture. He wasn't sure if his expectations had been different, but the more he thought about it the more he realized he really had no expectations at all. Until now, he'd just assumed that his life would go on just the same after the marriage, but that might not be the case. Especially if his new wife was ignorant of Nihon's ways. This troubled him, he didn't have time to play tutor to some foreign woman. And what of being a husband? Well now that he had time to actually think about it, the whole thing sounded extremely unappealing, and he realized with no little amount of shock that he really didn't want to get married. As he pondered and worried, his outward expression remained the same. As cool and collected as ever. He cast a glance across the room where Haruka stood, speaking to one of the guards, and the memory of the older man's words came flooding back. Maybe he was right, and Akamatsu wasn't ready to get married. He was still very young, most men in Nihon didn't marry until they were at least thirty. This vacation was turning out to be quite a pain.

Returning his attention to the present, he heard Niklas speaking to Karma. He couldn't whether or not the man's tone was mocking or not, though he certainly seemed to be insinuating something. From what he knew of the Königreich Prince, he certainly liked to throw his weight around. Arrogant, but with good intentions. It would be wise to befriend him. As for this Karma Kennen, Hiko knew nothing about him, but he had the appearance of someone who is not accustomed to dealing with other people. Better tread carefully.

"Prince Niklas, if you're a sparring sort of man I would be honored to test my skill against yours," he interjected while they were on the subject. "The best way to get to know a man is to meet him on the field of battle, after all, whether you are fighting against or alongside him, it's all the same." He decided he liked Niklas, he could be friends with this man. "The invitation extends to you as well, Prince Amun and Prince Edwin."

As Amun and Meenakshi broke off to introduce themselves, Akamatsu was again reminded of the reason for his coming here. Was she even here yet? He hadn't seen her coming in, but then, he had been kind of distracted for the last several minutes. A quick survey of everyone else in the room soon revealed her location. Amberlyn Manera, of Viracian. He admittedly didn't know much about her, just what she looked like and some facts about her family. She was sitting on the other side of the room and conversing with a man that Akamatsu didn't recognize, although he seemed to be more interested in his cell phone than the woman sitting in front of him.

If he was to go through this ordeal, he may as well introduce himself to his future wife, and so excused himself from the others.

"Pardon me, Princess Manera?" Akamatsu said as he approached and offered a slight bow to her. Up-close she was even younger looking than in her pictures, though still fairly beautiful. He supposed that was all right. "My name is Akamatsu Hiko, son of the Emperor of Nihon and, I believe, your future husband." Should he say something else? Something flattering perhaps? "I hope that we can be friends." Good enough.

---

Ah, Niklas, always the gentleman. Upon the arrivals of the other royalty, Raven would smile and accept the gifts graciously, returning smiles, curtsies and the like. "Ah, Prince Amun. Lovely to meet you. Welcome to Aciras." she would say. Princess Liviana caught her eye, the way that she was dressed and her height was a little out of the ordinary. Instantly Raven was interested in learning about her kingdom. Then again, she had took the time to read up on each and every person that was now standing at the door to her home that she held so dearly to her heart. She simply nodded her head to Amakatsu and thought that Edwin was very polite. "Meenakshi, what a lovely dress. Pleasure to have you here. A pleasure to meet you as well, Delia." Clearing her throat softly and brushing a stray piece of hair behind her ear, Raven would reply to Prince Henry next. "Greetings to you as well. I believe you are to be my.. betrothed. Excuse me if that sounds a bit strange. Didn't really have any other way to put it." Upon seeing Elizaveta, she would smile once more. "Why thank you, dear. You look lovely as well, if I may say so myself. Thank you dearly for your gift."

With a deep breath and everyone that had arrived inside, Raven would take a deep breath and turn to Niklas. "Ready," she asked, walking through the open doors. Her father gave her a quick glance, one that said, you know what to do. Clearing her throat once more she would raise her voice to get everyone's attention. "Ladies and Gentlemen of our fellow Kingdoms, Empire, and Countries, first and foremost, Welcome to Aciras. We hope that you enjoy your stay and would like to invite you to breakfast. If wishing to attend, please follow Jasper," -she waved her hand lightly to the man in the corner- "to the dinning hall. My father has informed me that the Kings and Queens shall be sitting at their own table, as well as the heirs shall have their own table as well. There is no set order in which we want nor need you to sit, so feel free to make your own choices. Each of you have your own room in which we have done our best to make it feel like home by decorating it with things from your Kingdom and what-not. Once again, enjoy your stay." By the time that the speech was finished, Raven's cheeks were a bright red. If there was one thing that she didn't like, it was making large speeches in front of people. Nonetheless, she walked gracefully around the pack of people in the main room towards the dinning hall.

---

---

Waking up this fine, sunny morning Alexander would be hyped for the ball. Of course he was opposed to being betrothed to anyone and everyone, his heart already lying with someone that was so close to his heart. Naturally Lucian did not know this, the two boy's being best friends all of their lives and having to play the part of the perfect prince. Dressing in a blue blazer, white shirt and jeans Alec would step outside in into the morning not bothering with formalities and slipping into the car with his mother and father. Upon arriving at the Castle of Aciras, Alec would give a bow to the King and Queen, the princess and last, but most definitely not least, the boy he believed to be Niklas. Of course the military uniform gave clear evidence to the empire of which the heir belonged, but, oh well. "Ladies and Gentlemen, a pleasure to meet you. I am Alexander Belmont, heir to the Empire of Mirena. I hope that our kingdoms can get along most pleasurably." With a small smirk the young man would then proceed to walk into the main room and chat with a few of the other arrivals.

To say that Lucian was in no mood for any social gathering was in understatement. Having gone to bed so late last night after a rather long and engaging game of chess with his grandmother, he'd been unable to sleep for some time. Ice-blue eyes squeezing shut in a futile attempt to block out the bright rays of sunlight that bathed his room in light, Lucian had the urge to simply decline the invitation and sleep for awhile longer.

Of course, that would be the moment his room for is opened and a familiarity disapproving sigh fills his ears. He curls tighter into a ball beneath his sheets and listens as soft footsteps make their way into his room and towards the large windows that are the cause of the annoying wakeup call.

"It's rude to lay about why others are hard at work." The voice chides as the sounds of the doors being open fills the silence, Lucian wrinkles his nose at the jab but refuses to move, he was tired. His bed dips a few moments later and the covers are tugged gently, Lucian grips them tighter in his hands and remains still.

"Your Majesty? The car is waiting below for you and My Lord." A voice informs from his door, his grandmother pats the spot where his head is and hums softly.

"Thank you, Daisy. We'll be down shortly." The sound of retreating footsteps fill the silence for a few moments, Lucian sighs when his grandmother remains still and hovering quietly where she sits at the edge of his bed. "This is an important step little prince. I wouldn't be asking this of you if it wasn't necessary, Alec will be there if it's any consolation."

"I know, Grandmother. Alright then." He sighs tiredly and slowly uncurls himself before slowly emerging from his nest of blankets. His grandmother is smiling at him, her head tilted slightly and silver-blonde hair coiled into a tight bun atop her head. Lucian offers her a smile before easing himself from his bed and towards his bathroom, ten minutes later he emerged and made his ways toward his now made bed. He'd found a pair of his favorite pair of black dress pants, a black shirt and black suit jacket, placing his wet towel on the back of one of the closest oak chairs he picked up his comb and began to brush his hair.

Turning he finds his grandmother seated in the second chair with his gaze focused on the expanse of sea that his balcony windows overlooked. Smiling and moving towards her, he lifts an arm and bows his head when she arches a brow. He offers his arm once more and she takes it, allowing him to guide her towards his room door, they make it down to the car with a comfortable silence around them. Lucian blinks when a cup of coffee is offered to him just before they leave the kingdom, he takes it was a polite nod and sips at it absently as they begin their journey.

Arriving at Aciras, Lucian awake now that the caffeine had settled, leads his grandmother inside and towards the King and Queen. He bows to both in turn before the princess and a male that if he remembered correctly, must be Niklas.

"It's a pleasure to be invited, my name is Lucian Kernaghan, prince of Sxialis. I hope we can along amicably." He bowed respectively and turned to head into the large room where several other familiar faces drew his interest. He paused and turned to his grandmother has she introduced herself and greeted the King and Queen with a smile, he took her hand and placed a kiss on it before turning and heading into the room.

He needed to find his friend and make sure he didn't get into trouble. He also needed a bit of space from the adults for a bit.

Edwin watched Raven closely as she spoke; Initially, he thought it was just a trick of the light but by the end of the speech there was no doubt in his mind that she'd gone red. He couldn't blame her; She had to address a congregation of the next generation of world leaders, it was not a matter that could be taken lightly. Edwin and Richard, flanked by their guardsmen, followed Jasper to the hall. He had to admit that it was impressive and certainly very beautiful.
The line of thought was cut short as his mind was quickly forced back to the matters at hand as he listened to what more Raven had to say. Out of the corner of his vision, Edwin saw Richard glanced over to him as he heard that the kings and queens would sit at one table and the heirs at another. That created complications for their security plans, particularly given their individual statuses. Edwin was more than willing to tackle the problem immediately, however, and he spoke up only a few seconds after the words had been spoken.
"Harold, you're with me." Edwin ordered as he glanced over to the soldiers behind him. "Richard, sit with the monarchs. Arthur, you shall stand with him and be on your guard." There were a handful of sharp salutes from the two soldiers and Richard nodded swiftly
"As you will." He paused for a moment before leaning in and whispering to Edwin "Are you sure this is wise?"
"You are a king. You shall be treated as one in my presence." Edwin replied with a small smile before turning on his heel and stalking over to the table, taking a seat towards the end and pulling out one of the chairs beside him. Harold remained stood behind him for several moments as Edwin sat patiently.

He had hoped Harold would get his meaning, unfortunately it appeared he did not. It was to be expected of course, the young man had been trained as a bodyguard and bodyguards typically did not get invited to dine with the people they were supposed to protect.
"You may take a seat, Harold." Edwin said as he motioned to the seat beside him.
"The table is for the heirs, sir." Harold replied
"Come now, you've eaten with me before, what's the difference now? I'd be glad of the familiar company and there are spare places set." Edwin replied as he motioned to the seat. Harold hesitated again before taking the seat beside the prince
"Whatever pleases you, my lord." He relented as he sat down, glancing out over the hall. Edwin turned his attention back towards the other heirs, deep in thought. This was a monumental occasion; Not entirely unprecedented, to be sure, but extremely rare none the less. He had no doubt in his mind that this day would go down in history due to the abnormal amount of betrothals occurring in this one place. His father had certainly seen it as a prestige boosting event that the family would have been remiss had they failed to attend.

An occasion that's grandness was only overshadowed by the unfortunate consequences in the lives of the many heirs assembled here, most in their teens still and a few barely our of them. That wouldn't likely be found in any history books; the commoners took love for granted. It was something they were free to find in their own time and he envied them for that, just as they envied him for his power and wealth. It was a trade he would probably have made, if given the option.
Instead here he was at a dinner hall in a country so far from home, preparing to meet the girl he was to marry and attempting to fulfil his fathers... Considerable agenda.
He sighed weakly as he snapped back into reality, sitting straight in the chair and glancing over to Richard, who had seated himself at the other table, before scanning the heirs once again with no small sense of trepidation.

Amun felt heat in his ears as Meenakshi blushed. It was a bit of a comfort; his fiance was as flustered as he was. Of course, he tried his best to retain composure for all of five seconds before letting a genuine smile cross his face.

"It is pretty strange, isn't it?" he replied, "I mean, you read about it in history books; heirs marrying people they've never met. But you never expect that it could happen in the modern day." He had to smile. "Although I must say, Meena - if I may call you Meena - that this is going far better so far than I had expected."

Amun inwardly groaned as soon as the words left him. He had meant to imply that she was impressive and likeable, and he hoped she didn't take it out of context as an insult.

Glancing down, he had to clear his throat, and willed the storm in his gut to subside. However, his hopes really had been uplifted: He'd been convinced that he would be engaged to some wretch of a woman and end up having an affair and ruining the dynasty forever. But, if Meena were as lovely as she seemed to be, his outlook on the future had just become much brighter.

He could hear Menes in his head now. "See brother? Have a little faith in me. I'm not a total idiot."

He was about to offer the princess a drink when he was interrupted by none other than the hosting princess herself. She announced that all were welcome to join them in the dining hall for breakfast. Amun found himself inwardly rejoicing. Finally! Some kind of distraction! At least now he could get to know Meena without fearing that every pause between words was a five-year silence.

Eyes bright, he turned back and offered his arm to Meena. "Would you care to join me?" He allowed himself a mischievous look. "I promise, I'm decent company when I behave myself."

Niklas greeted and responded to his fellow royalty amiably enough, taking the time to make sure that he didn't leave anyone unsatisfied with his responses. He made sure to answer fully and completely, complimenting often. He didn't, after all, want to alienate anyone- unintentionally, that is. He replied affably to Prince Amun, accepting his sparring offer, making sure to add that he was looking forward to it. And he was- he had a file on all the royalty's known physical abilities, which gave him both the advantage of knowing he had more and better training, and knowing the styles that most everyone practiced in, if they did at all. It was not totally concrete information- people can practice in private, after all, even away from the ever-reaching eyes of Königreich spies and informants. After all, who thought of there being the harm in reporting their prince's or princess's extent of physical training? They didn't ask for hours or times or any of that, after all...

Niklas dutifully turned his attention to Raven as she began addressing them all. He waited for her to finish, bowing his head slightly in response as she did so, and attached himself to her side as she began leading the way into the hall, neatfully sidestepping around another prince.

Whispering to her, he said, "My compliments on your address- couldn't have put it better myself, methinks. Talk to you later, yeah?" He flashed her another smile, a genuine one, because he truly liked Raven, even though he had known her only a little bit more than everyone else. Their nations being close together as it was, he had seen her every now and then, maybe every other year, and he had arrived a day or two before the present.

He gave her another head-bow as he detached from her side, letting her go on to her place at the table. He turned in a neat about-face, watching everyone file in and take seats at the table. Again, he plastered on his winning smile, and greeted people as they neared the Heir's table.

After greeting a couple, he picked out a few of the others that he hadn't talked to, and began formulating his thoughts on people.

His foremost negative opinions- Prince Zhou, first of all. A misplaced pretender, in his mind, as well as a fool. He had nearly shot the man, and he just wanted to show off. His mind momentarily darkened; he hoped he could 'spar' with this man later. Königreich actively hunted pirates, after all. Prince Henry, secondly. The man greeted his hosts- the very minimum- then stood off on his own and texted. The man had just met his to-be wife and her parents, who are the cultural leaders of the world. He was in the presence of the future leadership of the entire world, really- and he texted. The dismissal of the soon-to-be Kings and Queens of the modern world in favor of a few lines of text with a friend was... disrespectful, at the very least.

He made a vague, indistinct hand gesture, with his right hand. After a moment, Adlers, who had been lurking near the wall and tracking his charge's progress, appeared by his side. He held a hand out; a moment later, Adlers had fished out and deposited Niklas's hands-free ear headset. He turned it on and popped it into his ear. He waited a moment, before the operator's voice came through- speaking Weltsprache, of course. Weltsprache was the primary language of Königreich der Welten- "World Language." He replied, quietly, ducking his head for a few moments to give an order.

Aciras was the cultural beacon- but in order to keep enemies of Aciras from shutting down the great flow of media and information, they gained Königreich's aid in securing and upgrading their cyber security and connectivity. As such, Königreich had agents in place to wreak havoc on the Aciras system if need be- but they could also serve finer purposes. Three sentences was all it took for Prince Henry's cellular connection to be severed for the duration of the breakfast. He was not pleased with the way the Prince had forgone his fellows for someone that, for the moment, was inconsequential.

He took out his headset, the small thumb-sized device so powerful in his hands for such a small object, before pocketing it. He nodded at Adlers; a moment later, he disappeared into the shadows by the wall. Not very many shadows in such a well-lit room, of course, but he pulled it off nonetheless.

After a moment, he scanned a crowd- and settled on one slender red-haired figure. Picking her out, he decided to seek out a conversation with the green-clothed figure, standing and studying them all. He wasn't at all trying to be sneaky- she had probably noticed him studying her the moment he started.

He stopped in front of her, and paused for a moment. He was just, for a moment, flustered slightly, because this was really one of the first times he had actually greeted someone foreign in his own fashion. He had, after all, been greeting everyone else in their own country's own greetings, because he was the one being greeted, letting another take the first move. A short flabberghasted moment of wonder whether or not to greet her in his own way, or her way, even though he was the one making the first move.

After a moment, he decided to greet in his own language.

"Guten morgen, Cara O'Brien. I would use your title, if I knew what it officially was, other than "heir to the Celtic throne," he quoted, smiling agreeably and warmly.

"Miss O'Brien, since I see that you are not currently escorted..." He turned slightly, angling himself a little more towards the breakfast table, taking a step the side so he was closer to her side than he was standing right in front of her. He proffered his arm, the crook of his elbow inviting her to slide her own arm through.

"Might I have the honor of escorting you to whichever seat you may be inclined to? And if it were not too much to ask, may I be graced with your presence in a conversation? I would very much like to hear about the Celtic Consortium." He waited, eyes twinkling.

---

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---

As more and more of the royalty entered Elizaveta looked each one of them over. She kept quiet, she was taught to always observe before she approached. You could learn so much by the way a person a carried themselves, how they spoke to others; especially how they spoke to those they felt were beneath them. She had been taught that the way we treat those less fortunate than ourselves reveals our true selves. She smiled softly as the wind caught her hair, it was such a warm and pleasant change from her homelands, though she would not lie and say she did not already miss them and her people. She felt she could do them far better good with helping back at home than here but this was what was required of her, so here she was.

Sergi stood behind her, ever watchful over the Grand Duchess, filling her in on this person and that from the information they had gathered from before the trip. He had tried to fill her in during the journey but she had so much on her mind and ended up on the phone with her grandmother back home most of the time approving this and that. One project she had been deeply involved in was a childrens orphanage she had commissioned to be built in the capitol. It was her prized project right then and would help hundreds of children still struggling with a home, clothing, food and to her; most importantly was the education they would be provided.

Her phone at that time rang and she quickly answered it. Her grandmother calling to ensure she was there, being treated properly and safe. She reassured her time and time again that she was perfectly fine, that she was enjoying herself and that everything was going smoothly so far. Her grandmother worried so much, too much in her mind, but she understood why. Granted she wondered just how much trouble she could get into in the last hour since she had last spoken to the woman. She laughed, told her once again that she was fine and hung up, turning the phone off. She knew she would get an ear full later but she truly did not care at this time. She had work to do, for her nation, it needed her attention; not her grandmother.

As they were told that they were to go for a meal she rose from her place and grasped her clutch in her fingers. Spotting the one she had leaned she was betrothed to but she still did not approach him; in her old worldly mind it would not be right for the woman to make such a move. Perhaps she needed to start joining the present century but she preferred the class that the old ways provided. It was just who she was. There was nothing that would change it. Everything she did from the way she carried herself to her views on the betrothal was all rooted in the old ways. If they had not been, she would not have attended and would still be at home as her grandmother wished.

Stepping into the dining hall she glanced around, her azure eyes darting around noting the differences in the architecture. It was truly beautiful to behold. Stepping over to the table she picked a seat that had not been spoken for as of yet, near the center of the table so she could listen with better ease to each person as they spoke to each other. She cared not to place herself in a position of old power by choosing one closer to the head of the table. "Observation is key my little one," she thought, her grandmothers voice ringing in her mind.

Setting herself down comfortably she rested her clutch next to her in the chair and leaned back. Looking at the flatware, the table setting, the attention to detail that had been placed before all the royals. She had to admire someone who could put this together. Their staff must be well versed in such things to pull it off to look so opulent and yet effortless at the same time. She was impressed and grateful as well, she would have to find the head of staff and thank them personally herself.

Sergi came up behind her once again and she groaned inwardly. Turning her head she motioned for him to get away but he stood his ground, another look as she lowered her head but half an inch while her eyes caught his and he nodded, moving off to the side of the room. She smiled and turned her attention back to those there. She felt a little silly thinking she should just say hello but then again, she would have plenty of time to get to know each of them over the next three months. this was her first time out of her nation and she intended to enjoy herself, no matter what the reason behind her having to be there was.

Collab between me and Ayz

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The Princess of Aciras-Raven-invited the royalty assembled to the dining hall for breakfast. Mai appraised the younger woman from a distance, following Zhou, Liu, and Zheng to the dining hall. With pale skin, eyes in a rather striking shade of blue, and thick dark hair, Mai found Raven to be quite pretty. She liked the other girl's dress too, although it was a little informal for Mai's tastes.

"What in the world were you world were you thinking earlier?" Mai hissed, coming up behind Zhou and lowering her voice as they walked to the dining hall.

"Just some amusement," Zhou casually strolled down the halls, "And to get some attention. Can't say it wasn't effective."

Mai narrowed her eyes ever-so-slightly. "Attention? You sure as hell got your attention," she muttered. "I'm pretty sure the girl you are betrothed to already thinks you're some uncouth idiot."

"Then again, don't most people? Liu would agree." Zhou pointed to his servant who was nodding in silent agreement, "Besides, its otherwise really damn boring. They could have at least gotten some entertainment. I could probably have given them some recomendations too..."

"Well, we don't want most people to think that you're an idiot, though sometimes I'm inclined to think that it's true," Mai replied. "And forget about entertainment. Do you even know which princess it is that you are to marry?"

"No I do not but I am inclinded to think I do. Besides, there's more pressing matter at the moment." Zhou stretched as he admired the halls, could use some touching up if he was really honest, not enough gold.

Mai let out an exasperated breath. "Delia Anne Oblitus-Veren, of the Verenonblith Empire," she answered him. "The only daughter of Emperor Magnus and Empress Aliena. Blonde hair, blue eyes, flawless skin, in the dark orange dress and wearing a necklace with a big pink diamond in it." Mai paused for a moment. "And she was also the one staring at you while you were messing around earlier."

"Sounds like you're trying to sell me a model to be quite honest." Zhou muttered under his breath before raising it again, "That's lovely I guess, she' still not my greatest concern however."

Mai raised an eyebrow. "The Verenonblith Empire is a formidable ally and an even more formidable enemy. I'd prefer it if you didn't start a war while you were here," she responded. "If the woman you are to marry is not your greatest concern, do tell me-what is your greatest concern?"

"Liu's mother." Zhou quickly side stepped a punch from his servant, "But really its what every man is concerned about."

Stopping right there in the hallway, he put a hand on his chest and raise the other into the air as if he was about to sing some really bad opera before proclaiming, "THE FOOD OF COURSE!" After pressing Liu down to the ground to use his back as a stepping stood, Zhou promptly listed off many different types of food he hoped would be present at the grand feast. There was also a far bit of things most people would consider to be inedible like anti-freeze cocktails, but that wasn't Zhou's problem. Then again he might have just been making stuff up to troll his sister, there was still at least some alcohol in his system.

Picking Liu up from the ground (and absent mindfully dodging Liu's kick to his pirate pecker tenders), Zhou returned to normal and continued to walk, "So yeah. I'm just really hungry. Johnny Walker and street food isn't exactly very filling stuff, especially after a day of digestion you know."

As Zhou made a scene about the food, Mai felt mortification rising up her throat. She inwardly cringed when he began to list specific foods, although she was careful to keep her expression in one of mild shock rather than complete irritation. Zhou stepped off of Liu's back and continued on his way to the dining hall. Mai flashed the rest of the people an apologetic smile before following Zhou. She walked up next to him, doing her best to keep from spewing profanities at him. It would have been extremely unseemly of her to do so in front of the world's most important royalty, and besides, the charming and lady-like princess from Liang that Mai was supposed to be would never do something like that.

"Why must you insist on drawing so much attention to yourself?" Mai asked him. "I can't believe you just did that. I've half a mind to believe that I was hallucinating or something. In fact, I wish I was. That was the rudest thing you could have done, especially at an event like this."

"I don't know xiao mai mai. Who knows? Maybe you are high on something fierce." Zhou twirled around in front of Mai and bowed with one hand on his chest and the other outstretched, "But shouldn't we be worrying about the feast of which is about to be beset upon us? Or hath thou's exquisite noble grace hath decided upon that consumption of mortal foods is unneeded for a princess."

"Sir, you're being fancy again," Liu spoke up, "I think everyone in company agrees that no one likes your fanciful, Shakespearian voice. Not even you."

"Hmm... Good point Liu. I'll have to clench my buttcheeks harder to make sure not too much of the fancy gets in I think."

Mai gritted her teeth slightly. "First of all, I'm older than you. Secondly, stop with that ridiculous bow and that even more ridiculous voice. When we get to the dining hall, you will not make a huge scene like you have been doing this entire time, is that clear?" Mai spoke in a soft whisper, though there was a certain edge to her voice. "And can you at least try to remember that I have a future husband in attendance as well? I saw him reach for a weapon outside while you were playing with fire. If you're going to ruin your own marriage, don't ruin mine as well."

"Fear not," Zhou went back to walking, "I will not be playing with fire anymore. Liu's got my lighter."

"Clicky, clicky." Li played with Zhou's lighter from behind him.

"Don't worry though. You're a wonderful enough of a woman that you'll be able to woo anyone with your oriental charms. Niklas should be no different, I'm sure you've got it in the bag. I'm sure I will be seeing him every so often at new year's soon enough I suppose. And that als- OOFM!"

Without realizing it, Zhou had walked straight into a servant who was carrying a large cheese board, now currently flying through the air. Without a second's waste, Liu sprung into action, diving to catch the board and its contents exactly as they were before as if nothing had happened.

"Wha- How-" the servant stumbled on her words, "What just happened? How did you do that?"

"Any Liang butler worth his salt can do that," Liu bowed with the cheese board held above his head, "I'm just one hell of a butler."

"Thank you Liu," Zhou got up and Liu handed the board to his master who then handed it to the servant, "I apologize for that incident, here is your cheese board back."

Waving the servant off as she rushed into the room next to them, Zhou finally took note of where he was, "Oh. Seems like we're here at the geat hall. Shall we go in Mai?"

Mai felt her mood darken at the mention of Niklas, and said nothing while Zhou made a fool of himself yet again. Zhou had casually assured her that he would be "no different", but Mai had read enough to know that Zhou's assumption was far from the truth. However, there would be no time to brood over that right then. Mai sighed heavily. "Yes, I suppose we better go inside. We're already behind everyone else because of you." Mai located the table meant for the heirs and began to walk toward it, surveying the dining hall. Mai found the castle itself to be elegant in a Western sort of way, meaning that she did not believe it to be as beautiful as the ones from home. Of course, it was beautiful in its own right, with the pristine white walls on the outside and the opulent corridors-but Mai had never been very fond of Western styles of decor. She much preferred the reds and golds of Liang, and the intricate wood carvings and the like. But she supposed that what she thought about the decor did not really matter. "Alright. Zhou, we are going to sit down and behave like civilized people. You will not eat like a homeless person. You will not take excessive amounts of food. You will not make a mess. You will not do anything, anything at all that is even the slightest bit improper." Out of the corner of her eye, Mai spotted Niklas-the prince she was betrothed to-approaching red-haired Cara O'Brien. She mentally winced; Mai had not been able to greet Niklas properly earlier because of Zhou and his antics.

"Alright, got that. I'll behave myself." Zhou panned his eyes around. Nice place he had to admit. Still could use more gold and maybe a bit more crimson like the grand hall back in the Imperial palace but oh well, not like he was in charge nor knew the man who made this place. There was already people bustling about, servants moving around foodstuffs, royalty mulling about or socializing, still unfortunately boring. Zhou wondered where the alcohol was, seemed like this place could also use a dragon. Maybe even a dragon roar assuming he could get his hands on a megaphone...

"Hey, Mai,"Zhou nudged his sister, "Whose the red head over there? If I remember correctly she's from the Celtics. Clara? Mora? Clovis? Cholorplast?"

Mai turned to Zhou. "She is Cara O'Brien, heir to the throne of the Celtic Consortium," Mai clarified. "And before you even think about it, please don't go up to her and call her chloroplast." Mai paused for a second to sit down. "Also, it's quite ironic that you know who I am betrothed to as well as the name of some other princess, yet you didn't know you were to marry Delia Oblitus-Veren," she remarked dryly. "Maybe you should go introduce yourself and apologize for that fire show you put on earlier."

"I'll keep that in mind." Zhou approached the table and sat down in a chair, "Ain't apologizing for the dragon though. Dragon does what dragon wants."

"Well, 'dragon' will not do what he wants here," Mai hissed, shifting slightly in her seat and subtly moving her long skirt out of the way. She lifted one foot and slammed the wickedly sharp heel of her stiletto down onto Zhou's toes. Maybe that would get him to behave for once.

Zhou suddenly felt something on his foot, something sharp, something fierce, something fiercely sharp. Then he realized it was Mai's shoe knife thing, god damn why did she have a hidden weapons fetish? The pirate prince calmly stand up, his face clearly trying to hide his pain and put his hands on Liu's shoulders. Just looking at him in the eye made Liu very confused, even more so when Zhou started to hobble away. Once Zhou had rounded the corner, a loud number of curses boomed following the blood trail from his foot. Zhou cursed in every language he knew, and some he didn't.

Mai remained seated as Zhou abruptly stood up and began to walk away. Never underestimate a girl with spiky heels, she thought to herself. A few seconds later, the sound of Zhou shouting swear words reached her ears. Some of the assembled royalty was looking in Zhou's direction, while others were staring at her. Mai smiled sweetly. "He is fine," she reassured them, feeling a wry smile twitching at her lips even as she donned the sugary sweet one. Yes-Zhou would be fine, and he would hopefully stop acting like an idiot. Mai rearranged her skirts and waited for Zhou to return to his seat.

Zhou continued to loudly curse as he got further and further away, now mentioning Liu's mother. Hastily rushing out, Liu went to search for his master, who by the sound of it had knocked over something or someone. A loud slapping noise was heard soon after before Zhou soon arrived (half dragged really) by Liu. Now sporting a fashionable full foot bandage only seen when his pant leg flipped up. Sitting back down in his chair, he popped a pair of painkillers and just smiled as if nothing had happened.

"Thanks for the acupuncture xiao mai mai." Zhou whispered as he waved a hand for a servant with a tray of drinks to come around, plucking a glass up and holding up to Mai, "Cheers."

Herpdy Derpdy, Clock fk'd up >.<"
[RETRACTED]

"Of course you can call me Meena, I prefer to be called as such. Meenakshi might be a mouthful to some." Meena smiled in return, nodding along as she listened to Amun. It was a relief to Meena that she had found someone that she could get along with, and it was a bigger bonus that said person was the one she was to be married to. She was prepared to be engaged to someone whom she'd dislike, and to see that that wasn't going to happen, she was more than happy.

"Far better than you expected? I'm glad I'm not the only one to think of this situation that way." Meena laughed. Again, she was happy that he at least liked her in return.

This could prove to be quite a good match.

Before the conversation could continue, the Princess of Aciras had invited all the attending royals to breakfast. Good timing too, because Meena could feel the emptiness of her stomach, and she knew it wouldn't be too long before it would cause her embarrassment. The Princess pressed her palm into her mouth, trying to muffle a giggle as Amun offered his arm. Meena took his arm, carefully linking the two before she began following the other royal children - if they could even be called that anymore - towards the table, dragging Amun behind her.

Rather than sitting down, Meenakshi stopped just before the table, turning to face Amun. "Um, well, do you mind sitting beside me? This might be a good opportunity for us to get to know each other, but if you want to sit with someone else, I don't mind." She asked. Meena thought it would be more polite for her to ask what he wanted, rather than just assume that he'd sit beside her.

The answer might've been obvious, but it didn't hurt to ask.

“Greetings, Columba. The words made her blush. Did he… how… How did… For a second she was too flustered to respond, though she did ultimately succeed in forcing the emotion off of her face as she looked steadily up at Niklas. “What did you just call me?” she asked him softly.

His repetition of the word, of his too-charming tone, made a flash of irritation go through her mind, though she again masked it. He was a foreigner. He couldn’t understand that to call one a “dove” was to imply an emotional attachment… could he? After all… the dove was the favorite pet of none other than the goddess of love…

A roar and a wave of heat on her face, and Liv was startled out of her thoughts. She jumped back in shock as a man seemingly decided to turn himself into a human dragon. As reckless as the behavior was, she had to admire the man for trying to make an impression. Gods above, she wished she had the ability to do something of the sort without lighting her eyebrows on fire.

A creeping feeling up the back of her neck distracted her, and she instinctively turned back to face the arriving nobles. Ah, the delegation from Verenoblitus. The one she assumed to be the bodyguard…and also her betrothed… turned and gave her an empty, blank stare. Liv returned the expression exactly, holding her gray eyes wide and unblinking and empty, though she managed it for only a moment before someone else intervened… Niklas.

"Greetings, Karma Kennen. You'll have to show me what you know, in some sparring, later, if you'd allow me. I wouldn't mind it, if you won't. Though I understand if your... duties require you elsewhere. I'm sure Delia appreciates your… companionship. I certainly would, if I had it.”

Liv could not resist the slightest snicker. Oh, goodness, but this boy knew how to stir the flames. An implication of a morally-backwards, incestuous relationship… oh that was good. The tall youth glanced back at her once more with a friendly nod, and Liv slightly inclined her head to him and gave him a tiny smile. Then she focused again on the crowd of other young heirs, watching, as she often found herself doing.

The princess of Aciras spoke to everyone, though Liv did not hear exactly what was said. However she got the gist of it as people began flooding down a hallway. She saw around her, the various princes and princesses linking arms or hands and heading what she assumed was the banquet hall. She internally wilted. Of course, they’d be ignoring her. At least no one had tried to escort Aelia… yet.

“Well, we could always walk together.” Aelia murmured. Though it would be imperceptible to others, she could see the flicker of doubt in Liv’s eyes. “Better that way for both of us.”

The small girl brightened at the suggestion, and the two linked arms and traversed rather uneventfully almost all the way to the banquet hall… at which point the doors slammed open and both girls jumped to the sides, Liv narrowly missing being tackled by a… howling hyena monkey dragon… thing… in the form of an enraged, cursing Zhou. She looked at Aelia, mouthing What now? the maidservant shrugged, and went to open the door for Liv, only to again need to jump backwards as someone dressed in a similar style to the hyena dragon prince burst through the door. A muffled exchange in some foreign language as again the girls hurriedly exchanged looks. They made it approximately halfway into the room, in full view of everyone, and then said hyena dragon prince and his dragon-tamer of a butler…? Came storming back in, the butler pushing through servingfolk and nobles alike, sending poor Liv sprawling. As luck would have it, she landed on the stairs from the dais, and, stepping on her dress, tumbled, head over heels, backwards down them. To add insult to injury, as she rolled to a stop, she crashed into the knees of a servant who was carrying a cheese tray, causing the other girl to fall and cheese to go flying.

Aelia, by some work of seeming magic, jumped down the few stairs and caught the tray, saving the vast majority of the cheese. Panting slightly, the girl held the tray in one hand and helped the serving girl to her feet with the other. Also during that exchange, Aelia slipped the girl a silver coin, and mumbled, “Apologies, fair maiden. I try to train her to not go tumbling but it never seems to work.” Which earned a shaky smile from the girl.

Then she turned to Liv, who still remained on the floor, shaking. Aelia reached down and with one hand lifted the princess to her feet. The tiny girl was bright red from a combination of fury and mortification, trembling with rage, angry tears in her eyes. She marched over to the table of heirs, Aelia following close behind, and for a long minute stared Zhou down, her mouth open like she was about to curse at him, but she didn’t. Instead she took a deep breath and sat down beside the unruly prince, saying in a casual, if forced, tone, “If your butler is going to so ungraciously send me for tumbling practice, the least you can do is be my dinner partner.” The girl, as she lowered herself into the seat, muttered, ”ingratus suus.”

Stormy grey eyes watched arguably the most powerful people in the world casually converse with each other. Cara didn't fit in amongst them and she knew it - every step, every word, every flicker of emotion across her face seemed to hold the scars of her past, scars which trained eyes could pick up on. Well, if she was being fully honest, she didn't make her heritage as known as that idiot Zhou Mei; she refused to think too harshly of the man, however. He was the only person she could relate to, after all.

In her thoughts, she barely even realised that someone was speaking to her. Blinking back the part-confusion, part-shock at the sudden presence of the large figure in front of her, the long lessons on etiquette drifted away like clouds in a dream. And so, they stood awkardly, one blinking in silent confusion and the other flustering over some great secret which Cara didn't really understand or more appropriately, which Cara probably didn't want to understand. The entire thing stunk of what it was like in school again which wasn't exactly a welcome thought but the man whom she quickly recognised as Niklas König wasted no more time in awkward proceedings, thankfully.

"Guten morgen, Cara O'Brien. I would use your title, if I knew what it officially was, other than "heir to the Celtic throne,"

Her eyes narrowed, eyebrows arched and a playfull smirk graced her lips. Niklas König, heir to the Königreich der Welten, one of the greatest military superpowers in the world which meant that the charming young man in front of her, whose own movements seemed to betray him as well, was one of the most powerful men in the world. This would be a fun game - Niklas was definitely one of the more interesting characters gathered.

"Maidin mhaith, Niklas König. My people are a little backwards - we don't really have titles until you prove yourself and rise to the throne." A knowing smile replaced the trickster's one and cast doubt on her words, as if she herself didn't entirely believe them.

"Might I have the honor of escorting you to whichever seat you may be inclined to? And if it were not too much to ask, may I be graced with your presence in a conversation? I would very much like to hear about the Celtic Consortium."

Turning himself subtly, he faced towards the table that the rather hot princess of Aciras had directed them towards. Cara may have forgotten most of what she was taught but she knew how to respond to this. Smiling, she stepped forward and slid her arm under the crook of his, silently looping it around and resting her hand on his forearm. Her eyes darted down quickly and caught the sight of marks on his hands before he turned them away. His charm seemed endless and if she was younger and a little more stubborn, she would have melted into him as well but she remained poised, back straight and chin eye. Her eyes followed the curve of his arm up to his wide shoulders before finding his face once again. He was hiding something - she didn't like secrets but she would work it out sooner or later.

"You're way too kind, you do realise that? I'm from a meagre little state that doesn't have much to do with the ways of the world. Perhaps you'd be better conversing with the good Prince Edwin and the merry ol' chap who is apparently the King of Wales? I'm sure they'd be ever-so... interesting." Smiling, she allowed him to guide her to the table, making sure her voice was low which was a fruitless task considering the fact that everything they did and said was probably being listened to. "And Niklas, a tip for your beloved - try not to let a lady know you've researched her." Her smirk rose and she raised her eyes to watch his reaction.

Niklas König just laughed, a rich and deep sound, amused and delighted at how to-the-point Cara O'Brien is. He grinned, afterwards, knowing that she'd be an easy match of wits.

"Very true, Miss O'Brien, on all points. However, I must disagree; having information and pretending to not can be very advantageous, but I do not want to seem ignorant and oblivious; no, I want it to be known that I know, and am kept up to speed. Anyone here with a mind for politics- as we are going to be buried in them from here on out- will know the advantage of knowing. I, of course, intend to know as much as possible. And likewise, I know that you are an exceptional student of education; you are, no doubt to me, an equal to all of us here, even if you may not be seen as 'royalty.'

"To address my kindess, well, I enjoy being kind. That, and friends are better than enemies, don't you think? And mind you, you are a formidable meager state. The way your leadership is selected is cause for worry among more traditional royalty, and frankly, you are entirely defenseless.

"Königreich der Welten is, as you know, the most powerful military power, and has its hands in every nation, for obvious reasons- our universities. You know that, everybody should know that, even if no one says it."

Arriving at their table, Niklas, gentleman as he is, gently disengages his arm, in favor to pull out a chair for Cara, waiting for her to seat herself, before going and seating himself at the chair right next to her. For the moment the chairs at either side of the two of them were empty; he was mildly curious to see who would sit down next to the Consortium and the Königreich.

"But we are not taken so seriously, despite knowing most things going on and about. The Consortium has some assets that my father and I would like to have access to. We may have the biggest and the most guns, but we are interested in peace and diplomacy. I'd rather be friends, you see."

He paused, just enough for Cara to start responding, before he cut in again.

"Of course, it helps that the future ruler of the Consortium is a beauty. Red hair is somewhat rare from Königreich der Welten. You're very intelligent, and I'd enjoy having such traits as both an ally- and a friend, personally." It didn't bother him at all that he just spoke so frankly- he knew it would work his favor. Very few people had had the time to come into the room, before the event, and bug the room- most nations wouldn't be able to listen in, without using their own eyes and ears. And no news or media company would dare let what he was saying spill out- it was too up-front, too political, to let it go out.

Cara had a good mind for when people were lying or trying to cover up something but to her surprise, Niklas König was full of sincerity. Maybe he was just better at covering things up than she was or maybe, although unlikely, he was a genuine person. It scared her, especially in a room full of these sort of people - it was those who told the truth that you had to be wary about. When he mentioned her lack of royal blood despite her intelligence, her eyes flashed dangerously before a warm smile took over her features.

"I'm glad - you at least have the balls to admit what people are but thank you for the compliment, nonetheless. And I'm sure no one is really afraid of us. They're just afraid of the idea of us because ideas are very scary to people who lack conviction. In reality, my friend, we're just a small little state that could be crushed under the heel of just about anyone who sets their mind to it."

Pausing, she allowed Niklas to break away from her and drag her chair out. This guy definitely knew how to get what he wanted - from males or females. His masculinity alone was enough to inspire a little bit of teenage kicks in anyone he came across, she imagined. Even she was his enjoying his company perhaps a little too much - maybe the other royals weren't massive dickheads? As she sat, her eyes drifted back towards the Prince of Königreich der Welten who had already taken his own seat. Niklas was nice and she suspected no one else would treat her in such a friendly manner but there was still something there that unsettled her. She had done her research - he was a tactician and tacticians were renowned for making the winning move before you could even realise. She tilted her head to the side in silent curiosity and grinned as he complimented her.

"You enjoy having both beautiful and intelligent friends? Sorry but I don't think I'd ever want to meet them. They sound very scary to a little country bumpkin like myself. Also, I see no problem with friendship. The Consortium has more than enough renewable energy so our oil fields are mainly useless to us."

She shrugged before a small smile took her lips captive and she lowered her voice.

"Would you like to know something very interesting, Niklas? Do you see our good Prince Edwin over there? Would you believe that such a charismatic character holds the most danger to me, enough so to warrant caution on my part? He's a gentle soul but power leads men to dark places. He wishes to be the greatest in his line but what would make him great? The Britannian Empire has spread to all parts of the globe but their greatest embarrassment lies in the very reason to why I'm here talking to you. Would it not be glorious for him to retake the home they had lost? To give the Prince of Wales some validity to his title?"

Cara was pretty, not beautiful, and she got on well with Niklas but he needed to understand that these were very dangerous times and she needed reliable friends if she was to get anywhere.

Niklas just smirked a little, and nodded his head in assent.

"Indeed, you might be made of a target. But he doesn't have anything specifically on you, that he can force you to dance to his tune, correct? No, you'll only be a target because of what it'd mean for him, not because he has anything against you. It doesn't matter; we dislike the conquest of smaller, third-world or second-world countries by the Lusitanians, but we don't intervene because, because it's honestly better to be part of a major nation than not. Though, Lusitania, from what I've heard, might be pushing the limits of what my father thinks is acceptable. A major nation moving on another major nation would not be acceptable at all- and we are not close allies with Brittania anyhow. There's always been some competition between our nations; no love would be lost if they decided to attack a nation, and we decided to defend them."

And then there was a hint of grin, buried beneath Niklas's more serious expression, which came around whenever he talked about war, or possible war.

"Britannia has many lands, but their homeland is not so far away from mine. And if there's one thing that we have better than anyone else's, it's a navy-airforce combination. If we declared a nation that they're attacking to be our allies, and wage war on their behalf, they'd certainly think twice. Anyone would, since we can play God. We could smite someone, and with how much we've invested into our military, there is little they could truly do. They'd need allies to face us, and who would want to ally someone who started an entire war in the first place, against the military superpower?"

There was just a hint of something beneath there- a hint of relish, of anticipation. Niklas was a tactian and a politicker- he could make the right moves on the dance floor, and on the field. But behind there came the part that only showed when he had been crossed- he enjoyed the chance to stomp someone down, who had dared to defy. It was present in all of the König line- the entire reason why their military was as strong as it was.

And then Niklas was back to normal, that hint of bloodlust gone.

"And besides, if you are indeed my friend, then I have my first beautiful and intelligent friend. Most of my friends are just guys. Not beautiful at all. And besides, bumpkins are cute. Concerning the oilfields- well, you could certainly curry a great deal of favor. My father will certainly enjoy that, especially with how much more expensive oil has been getting nowadays." He raised his eyebrows up, assuming a look of mock surprise. "It's almost as there is only so much oil in the world, and it's being used up!" He cracked a grin, flashing her with clean, shining, white teeth.

Then he glanced about, still smiling but without the teeth.

"I wonder when the food comes..."

Checkmate. Cara was quite surprised that she got the information that her research simply couldn't provide in such a small space of time. Niklas, although sweet and undoubtedly a good friend or partner, was a lot more bloodthirsty than she imagined. She had to read between the lines to realise what all his talk of war was about but when it did hit her, the perfect image of this hot foreign guy (who in another life she totally would have done) became corrupted. He wasn't so lovely - he was bloodthirsty. Silently, she wondered what life would be like for his bride, Mai Mei. How could you ever love a man who needed suffering to pump through his veins, who had taken war itself as his paramour? She may have been melodramatic but she grew very cautious of the young Prince, even if she didn't let that show - the good tactician never shows their move until the last possible second.

"One day, someone's totally gonna take advantage of your kindness and let me tell you, you're so-called first beautfiul and intelligent friend will have to pick up the pieces! And for your information, bumpkins are horrible people - trust me." Despite the joking attitude, her cheeks were fixed with a twinge of red which faded as she grinned with his joke.

"You're an eejit, Niklas König!"

Niklas turned back to Cara, smile at the ready. "Why thank you, Cara O'Brien. I'm honored that you think so highly of me. Truly, I'm touched." The playfulness was obvious, in his cheery, friendly attitude. But as he stared at her, he picked up something- just tiny tells, really. The same kind that he had been trained in, that she had to have been trained in. He had been studying her every moment he had her in his view, just as he had with everyone, just as most everyone was doing to everyone. And he saw that, perhaps, he maybe let himself get a little carried away. No matter; he'd just have to be so overwhelmingly friendly that she would doubt that she saw anything at all. And if she did remain firm in what she may have seen, then no matter; he needed her as an ally at the very least.

He paused then, and took on a look of playfully intense concentration, purposely scrunching his face up to obviously scrutinize her.

"My... maaanly nature does not allow me to return your heartfelt sentiment with a matching one of mine!"

Niklas paused for a moment, hesitating as he considered a sudden idea, and debating to himself whether or not it would be advantageous or useful. And after a moment, he did.

"Princess Cara O'Brien, would you do me the honor of a meeting, sometime later today or tomorrow? Perhaps we can take a quiet walk. Among other things, I believe I would very much enjoy your company." He smiled brilliantly, laying on his charisma. "I wish to know this brilliant beauty in front of me, truly. It is not every day that I meet someone like you, after all." He glanced about surreptitiously, taking in the other ladies in the room. "A great many beautiful ladies here, and despite others being, ah, larger than you, or taller than you, or in some way 'better'-" he made air-quotes for false emphasis- "I think you're the most regal of us all. We all hold ourselves above the common populace, as if we're a breed higher. You're one of the common, technically- you're proof that such is not true."

At that moment, he was a little vulnerable. He hoped that he had judged her correctly; she was very smart, but all reports and intelligence said that she wasn't vicious, or really manipulative. And despite all of what he was trying to do, he did like Cara. And, given the right push, the right resources, the Celtic Consortium could become a major player. Especially because the changes she and her nation could bring about could destabilize the current powerholders of the world- which would leave openings for smaller nations that don't rely so much on the old system. And if prepared, one could quickly ascend into the power void. Niklas and his father would just have to play his cards right, and maybe make allies- and friends- along the way.

"Manly nature?" She spluttered, breaking out into a fit of giggles as she rolled her eyes at the young prince. Despite this, she fell silent as he offered her the opportunity to talk with him later with the connotation of it being private, she imagined. Every part of her screamed at her that this was a very bad idea and to keep her distance but power was two-fold. If he wanted something and she knew what it was he wanted, she would always win. And the prospect of talking to him further interested her - he was mostly a nice person and it wouldn't hurt her to make a friend amongst the World's royalty.

She tried to keep serious but once again, she burst into a fit of laughter, another red twinge gracing her cheeks - a surprisingly genuine blush which caused a decent amount of embarrassment on her part.

"Are you calling me small, Niklas König? And those air quotes really make me feel that you mean a lot more when you say 'better'! Is that the nice way of saying they have a great rack!? Nevertheless, thank you for the compliment. I'll gladly take up your offer. A friend here might ease the whole being by myself thing."

Niklas shrugged easily, grinning still. Fates, he enjoyed talking to Cara, careful as he must be. "I'm glad you saw the wisdom of choosing this admirer as your friend! I am, however saying nothing about that first bit. However, I do not mind you the way you are. One does not need this thing called a 'rack' to be impressive. You're plenty impressive as is." He made sure to keep a straight face as he acted oblivious to her comment about a 'great rack' and his response to it.

"For as long as I'm about, you've no need to be alone- Heavens, what goes on over there?"

And in response to his question, he turned towards a racket off towards another end of the hall- where he caught sight of a Liviana of Lusitania falling down a flight of steps. He was, for a moment, visibly torn between getting up and rushing to help the poor girl up- but the more political side said that showing too much towards her might not be the best for both of them, and that he really didn't want to drop his conversation with Cara to rush off after another girl. Even if he was trying to woo them all, he didn't want to just abandon one. But she- no, she had her maid, who was helping her up. And then she walked straight to who, based on her fiery expression, was the source or part of the source of her fall. Either way, it looks to have been handled.

So he turned back to Cara and gave a pained smile, wincing slightly at the thought of such a fall.

---

---

"Hey, Liu," Zhou leaned over to his servant who bowed slightly to lend an ear, "Did she just call me an 'ungrateful soup'?"
"I don't think so," Liu whispered back, "I'm pretty sure she is speaking in Latin. Fear not, my knowledge of the subject is extensive. I believe she called you an 'ingrained soul' sir."
"So she's calling me a 'established soul' or something? Sounds rather strange. I shall take it as a compliment! Must be something like that in her culture."
"I know. Perhaps you should engage in conversation with her."
"You know what, that's one of your better ideas for today. I think I shall."

Straightening up and putting on his best smile, Zhou held out his and opened his mouth, "Greetings princess! You too are quite the ingratus suus! How are you?"

Walking to the dining hall has her heels clicked, Raven would give a small smile at her ally's response. She sat at her place at the table, her parents going on about their way. Sitting and speaking to no one, but instead listening to the other's conversations, a small voice in the back of her head would point out the fact that the food should be here by now and the whispers coming from the Kings and Queens table were something out of the ordinary. Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes would lock with her fathers for a split second before they both went back to their previous doings. Sitting and continuing to wait, her father would come over and tap her on the shoulder.

"Raven," he said, his voice hushed, "A word please." Raven glanced at the other heirs, then back to her father. Surely if she slipped off no one would notice the absence seeing as she had not spoken, right? Getting up from her seat and pushing it back to the table where it originally sat, the girl would follow her father out of the dining room and into the main room once more. Her face full of curious concern, it was now Ravens turn to speak. "What is it, Father?"

"The betrothal arrangements have been changed."

"You're kidding me. No one would ever dare authorize such a thing."

"You need to tell the other heirs. As a future leader and the hostess, it's your responsibility."

"Father! You're being ridiculous! This can't have happened. The arrangements were practically sat in stone."

The man held out a piece of paper that Raven took. Looking over it, it was plain to see that her father wasn't joking, lying, or even kidding the slightest bit. She looked back up at him. "I've known you my whole life and I can tell you right now that it was you who came up with this idea and it's is plain stupid. It's going to make our Kingdom look wishy-washy and un-able to make a decision so I hope you're happy." The look on her father's face was shocked. Turning on her heel and gaining her posture, the girl would decide on what had to be done. There was no other choice but than to deliver the message. Walking back into the room, paper in hand, Raven would take a deep breath while walking over to the table and standing behind her chair. Raising her voice once more, she would begin to speak once more.

"Everyone, may I have your attention please." She waited until all eyes were mostly fixed upon her. "I.. I have another important announcement. The betrothals have been changed. I don't know how it happened, but it did and now here is the list." She cleared her throat once more. "Niklas and Mai are still paired as they were originally. Meenakshi Banerjee and Akamatsu Hiko. Amunemhet Sipar and Alva Weston. Lucian Kernaghan and Amberlyn Manera. Alexander Belmont and Julieta Aragon. Liviana Traianus and Lenwood Heath. Cara O'Brien and Zhou Xianshi. Edwin Drakewine and Elizaveta Romanova. Raven Willow and Karma Kennen. Delia Oblitus-Veren and Henry Peterson. I don't believe that the Weston Twins have arrived yet. If you have any questions, I'll answer them to the best of my ability. That is all." Folding up the paper and sitting back down, Raven would wait for reactions and stay silent until she was spoken to.

Edwin was about to rise in protest when he heard his name called and, hearing the subsequent name, sat back into his chair for several seconds, deep in thought. What a curious decision; This move was sure to bring a political nightmare. What could they possibly hope to accomplish with this move, other than turning themselves into a laughing stock.
"An interesting turn of events, my lord." Harold whispered to him as he lent over "What would you have me do?"
"Nothing. Both of us exchange a betrothed we've never met for a betrothed we've never met. Emotionally its nothing. Politically... Well, this is a far more advantageous marriage, potentially to both of us."
"But my lord, to allow them to decide the betrothal... The Drakewine name will command less and less respect, letting ourselves appear led..."
"We need not concern ourselves with petty image contests; The people are well educated, they will understand our decision to follow through on this new betrothal and besides, I don't believe that any such thing was the intention here. I don't understand the move, and I would definitely like you to learn what you can about this decision, but for now we shall treat it as a blessing; Elizaveta us the last of her line; Her family and national history is tragic and I wouldn't wish it on nobody- But it presents certain opportunities to us that we must take. Should this betrothal go ahead to marriage and should she and I produce an heir, that child shall sit on the thrones of Britannia and Noslainia. She is an intelligent woman; She will know this herself. Her empire is still unstable, this marriage will help secure her land."
"I know of her, lord; Some believe she will go mad like her father." Harold said quietly as he glanced to Elizaveta out of the corner of his eye.
"Many things make a man go mad; Not all of them are inherited. She should be fine. If not; We can cross that hurdle when it comes but I'm sure it can be treated. If not, well, powers can be limited and lets not assume the Noslanian's are stupid; her father went mental and caused near irreparable damage; I'm sure some sort of protocols have been designed for appointing a regent should a monarch become mentally incapable." Edwin replied, glancing over to Harold for a moment. "It's very unlikely, Harold."
"You know what I meant." Harold replied ominously as he turned his upper body towards Edwin
"I am sure it won't be a problem." Edwin insisted
"Are you sure?" Harold asked, raising his brow inquisitively. Edwin hesitated for a moment as he rose from his place on the table. If Harold was right it would certainly bode ill for the future assuming this betrothal went ahead. Whatever the case, wild speculation alone was not sufficient proof in his mind and so he buried the thought.
"Yes." He said simply as he glanced down and checked his uniform was in order before proceeding down the table towards the centre. An interesting place that she'd picked, sitting at the centre of the table. He observed her carefully as he approached, trying to garner what little he could learn about her from her posture and clothing. Part of him was very unsure about approaching her; His father would be absolutely furious if he managed to ruin this and on the other hand she had suffered enough in her life without a loveless marriage. He had heard she had chosen to come rather than having been forced to by a parental figure; It was an interesting choice if this were true. In fact, he had heard much about her; The state of Noslania had long since been news in Britannia. The northern parts of the empire shared a border with Noslania and as such the business of Noslania was considered of interest to Britannia. That said, given how far the Empire stretched, it shared borders with many countries and so in less civilised times Britannia had been constantly suspicious of invasion and conversely many of nations had also been vigilant for any signs of British invasion. The past was certainly a brutal place, filled with mistakes and wars and horror.
He approached Elizaveta, smiling nervously as he placed a hand against the seat on her left hand side.

"May I join you, my lady? I thought that it might be best to meet you earlier than expected given our new and arbitrarily assigned betrothal." He asked, before pausing for a moment and running his eyes up and down the tablets, scanning the faces to try and gauge their reactions to the situation, before glancing back to Elizaveta and silently awaiting her response

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Elizaveta perked a brow as the princess host stood and brought it to their attention that the betrothals had been changed. This was an interesting turn of events and rather unexpected but it did not register on the Grand Duchesses features as she sat there and listened to the new pairings.

When her and her future husbands came up she merely blinked. That was not someone she had considered being wed to but now that it was out there she had to admit to herself that it could be a promising change. His empire was as old as hers but had had a far more prestigious rule than her. It had a more stable foundation.

Tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear she continued to ponder the possibilities. This would ensure a Czar without a history of cruelty and insanity; this could bring further peace with her people. An heir with him would also help to further remove any such maddening genes that may have been passed down. A genetic cleansing. Though no one knew what had driven her father mad, it being genetic had not been ruled out.

Elizaveta had been diligent though, she made sure to be evaluated constantly on her mental stability; even under going many blood tests to search for genetic defects as well as changes. Though her doctors assured her that she was in no such risk it was still her greatest fear. That she would become what had torn her nation apart; to become the monster so many feared she would.

The Grand Duchess had worked hard over the last five years to integrate herself in with her people. She showered them with everything she was able and was not above being in the trenches with them as they rebuilt. She felt that is madness could destroy a nation that surely true compassion would rebuild it. The progress had been great but there was still so far to go. It took far less time to break something than to repair it.

She decided she would need to contact her grandmother soon to let her know of the change in betrothal but that would have to wait. They needed to finish the dinner and frankly she did not want to listen to the woman go on and on about pieces on a chess board. It was a lecture she had heard far to often and was more than happy to put it off a few more hours.

Turning as she saw a hand on the arm of her chair she looked up to see Edwin standing there. She smiled softly and without hesitation towards him; this was not a time to be anything but courteous.

"Yes, of course you may," she said gesturing to the empty seat next to her.

"It would be a pleasure to become better acquainted; especially considering the circumstances. I do hope the change does not displeasure my lord, I believe this could be rather advantageous for both our empires in many regards," she said in a kind voice as she shifted slightly in her seat to better be able to speak to him one on one.

"And please, call me Veta. I see it only fitting at this point."

Edwin nodded to Elizaveta as he he pulled back the chair "Thank you." He replied as he sat down beside her, pivoting his body towards her and smiling weakly as he pulled the chair against the table. He examined her quickly; It was an interesting choice of clothing, certainly not what he had expected a princess to be wearing... And yet somehow it just seemed to fit. It was elegant and refined, not excessively flashy or extravagant. He could appreciate that; it definitely showed that care had been put into the choice of outfit.

She seemed to cordial enough so far; Apparently she was quite the compassionate woman, having established herself as something of a peoples person. If this were also the case behind closed doors then it was an absolute blessing that this betrothal had come about; The last thing he wanted was to marry someone who was malicious or whom he would absolutely despise and in turn be despised by.

"I too think this could be an excellent opportunity for both our empires. And the change has certainly not displeased me; As my father is adamant that I enter this political marriage circuit, then I'm more than happy to be betrothed to a woman such as yourself. On my part, I hope the change doesn't displeasure you either, Veta. It would be disastrous if we married and then it turned out we couldn't stand each other so I'm hoping we'll at least be able to get along. Its an honour to even be talking with the future Tsarina of Noslainia, truth be told. Its one of the few countries that Britannia has a border with that I haven't visited, I'm afraid. I have always wanted to see it but I was never allowed to. I suppose my father was fearful that the country was too unstable to be safe. You and your grandmother have done an excellent job repairing it though. It would be lovely to see it at last." He said with a friendly smile, glancing over his shoulder for a second before looking back to her. He wondered whether he really should have brought that up, she probably wouldn't want to be reminded about the mess her father made after he began to lost touch with reality. Indeed, the repercussions of it had surely dominated her life and he could imagine that she was under a lot of pressure, being the last of her line. Probably best not to finish speaking with that...

Edwin glanced over towards the far side of the room quickly, examining it before furrowing his brow in thought and turning back to her and speaking "What do you think of the castle? I find it to be very impressive myself. Its renaissance, I think; not really a castle so much as it is designed to resemble one. We do love emulating the past. My father had me learn to fight with a sword and ride on horseback, and I can't imagine either has played a part in ruling an empire in over a century now." He paused for a moment, before finishing by adding "At least it was fun."

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"Thank you for joining me," she said softly as she sat there, resting her hands in her lap as she watched him rest himself down next to her and observing that he was cordial enough to turn in her direction to face her; a simple sign of respect instead of watching her from the corner of his eye. She appreciated this small gesture; more than most may realize. Far to many times in working with people she had had them only give her a side ways glance until she had proven herself in their mind and even well past that.

"No, I am not displeased with the change in the arrangement; in fact to the contrary I am rather welcoming of the change. Which I will admit is something different for me, sometimes change does not sit well but from what I know of you and your nation I should not be fearful. Granted fear and worry does nothing to help any situation but we all do have our little hang ups no matter how much we may try to hide them; we are only human after all," she said with a gentle smile on her lips.

It was true, she did fear change much of the time but what was there to fear from this? To change from one unknown to another? It seemed a change was not something to fret over at this point. He seemed kind enough thus far but only time would tell if that was just a show for the masses or his true self. Elizaveta was never one to have a face for the masses and then the rest; who and what she was clearly showed at all times. She had spent enough time of her life sequestered away, she would not go back to that on any level.

"I do apologize for the restrictions on travel that my empire has put into effect. It is something I am trying to change; rather adamantly. I see no reason why we should hide our down fall or or rise. To me, we all stumble; some fall harder than others, but a nations strength is built on how well they can climb out of the rubble. It is like the old saying; it is not how many times you are thrown from the horse, it is how many times you climb back on," she said thoughtfully as she laced her fingers together in her lap. While her fathers madness was a tender spot in her life she only worried that it too would take her. Other than that she felt that knowing and speaking of the past helped one learn from the mistakes and move forward, something she was trying to instill not only on her people but those around her.

"Considering the current betrothal, I look forward to you seeing your future empire; it is truly breathtaking, especially in the winter; if you enjoy the cold that is. Pristine white snow will fall in flakes as large as gemstones, scattering the ground with a dusting at first and kissing the needles of the pine trees. Then as it deepens you wade through it as you would through the waves crashing in on the shores on a summer day. The waters freeze and smooth over thick enough for horse draw carriages to be pulled over them. You will see your breath and words even as you hear them. for me, it is a truly wondrous sight each year," she said in a memorable voice as she thought back to each winter she remembered. Then she let out a small chuckle and waved her hand slightly.

"Do forgive me, it is my first time away from my home and I am already struck with homesickness it seems," she said letting out a small sigh before continuing and addressing his question. "I think it is truly beautiful in its architecture, I believe they have done a fine job with the attention to detail, though I will admit I have not seen, outside of images, one such as this. Our palace is still of its original construction, something I am sure you are used to in your nation as well."

When he mentioned horseback riding her smile brightened somewhat as she straightened herself in her seat, nodding in agreement. "I have not learned to use a sword though I would enjoy it, however horseback riding is a past-time of mine. Some of our more outlying villages still can only be accessed by horse or sled come winter. It is a relief to know that a future ruler will be able to handle himself. I enjoy history and the past, I do not look at it as emulating it but learning from it. Keep the good, repair the bad and try to build from there. Without history and memories we are doomed to repeat things we should not," she said settling back in her seat.

"If it would not be to bold of me to ask, I am curious... Would a future King be willing to teach a future Czarina how to use a sword? I am afraid I could not teach you much, besides perhaps how to use a hammer and nails; something I have come to know more than a Grand Duchess probably should in the eyes of the court," she said with a light hearted voice and a shrug. It was common that royalty was not to get their hands dirty but even now it was clear, beneath her manicured hands, that she had done many hours of hard labor; a few callouses showing on her palm when she spoke and moved her hands about; they were marks she was not ashamed of but in fact took pride in.

Mai laughed softly at Zhou's remark about acupuncture. "I'm older than you," she reminded him in a lightly teasing voice. A minute later, a small girl with brown hair accompanied by her maidservant marched over rather angrily. Mai raised an eyebrow. Liviana Traianus of the Lusitanian Empire. I wonder what she wants, she mused to herself. Mai noted how the princess was glaring at Zhou. Dammit, what did he do now? Mai took in the younger girl's appearance, letting herself get distracted for a moment by the pretty purple wrap that she wore. If Mai was to be completely honest, the girl who accompanied the princess looked more, well, royal than Liviana herself, despite the fact that her clothing was simpler and she wore less make-up.

"If your butler is going to so ungraciously send me for tumbling practice, the least you can do is be my dinner partner," Liviana Traianus of the Lusitanian Empire said in a strained tone, taking a seat beside Zhou and muttering something under her breath. Mai opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off by Zhou.

Zhou stood up confidently. "Greetings princess! You too are quite the ingratus suus! How are you?" Mai internally groaned. She was tempted to stab Zhou again, although she kept her expression carefully arranged in one of mild interest.

She obviously wasn't complimenting you, you dumbass, Mai seethed silently, eyeing the exchange. The tiny princess was reported to be somewhat stubborn and very intelligent, though not physically strong. Because of that, it seemed like she was consistently de-valued by her own family. Mai thought that the emperor and empress of the Lusitanian Empire were making a grave mistake in doing so. The smartest people were always the most dangerous, or so her uncle had told her. Indeed, that had proven itself true many, many times in the past. Liviana Traianus did not look like much, but Mai was not a fool enough to underestimate her like the rest of her family did. And she certainly did not want the Lusitanian Empire as an enemy, which was why Mai decided to intervene before Zhou further insulted Liviana.

"What Zhou means to say," Mai interjected in a wry voice laced with a slight hint of mirth, "is that he is terribly sorry for what happened and that both he and I would love to have dinner with you," Mai said smoothly, flashing the princess from the Lusitanian Empire a semi-sheepish smile, glancing pointedly at Zhou. "To be truthful, I am glad that you decided to confront Zhou. I've been dying to ask you about that gorgeous wrap all day," Mai continued, motioning to the purple silk. That part, at least, was genuine.

There, that wasn't so bad, was it? she thought. If I can pretend that I don't know what the nobles at court back at home say about Uncle, Zhou, and I when we're not in the room, then I can certainly pretend that I don't want to smack Zhou right now. Liang was currently in a rather unstable situation, to say the least. There were still people who didn't want Ming Mei in power, although he was doing everything he could to improve the country in every way possible. When Zhou first barged into her life-quite literally, actually, by kicking down the door-Mai knew at once that he would despise the nobles and their conniving schemes. He was too genuine, too completely and utterly honest to accept anything less from other people. She deduced that much by watching him flat-out ask her uncle what the hell was going on. Anyone else would have tried to work their way into his good graces and find solid evidence to their claims before bringing it up, but not Zhou. Zhou would never be so subtle. She supposed that was one of the reasons why Ming was so fond of him. Ming Mei himself was just as blunt as Zhou, though he didn't always say the first thing that came to his mind like Zhou did. And he had years upon years of experience in dealing with the complexities of court life, something that Zhou sorely lacked.

As for Mai herself...Mai thought back to her early teens, when Ming would tell her to go by a fake name for months at a time. Mai soon lost count of all the people she'd pretended to be. She'd been Yin, the orphaned daughter of a powerful landlord, she'd been Xing Xing, a poor peasant girl, she'd been Yue, a skilled art student...the list went on. But through it all, Mai never forgot who she really was. She was Mai Mei, the heir to the throne and the daughter of arguably the worst rulers that Liang ever had. Mai was no stranger to lying, but she refused to lie to herself. She knew that her parents were horribly inefficient and wasteful, and it only strengthened her resolve to not make the same mistakes when it was her turn to wear the crown. When she was traveling with Ming Mei around Liang in order to bolster support for his cause, Mai Mei was always who she was in her heart, if not officially. Mai Mei was real. Mai Mei was who she really was.

Nowadays, though, even Mai Mei was starting to become a lie. Every day for the past six or seven years, Mai had donned a mask of charm and etiquette and reticence, behaving like a proper lady should. She never directly spoke her mind; that freedom had disappeared long before Ming Mei had taken the throne, when Mai was to hold her tongue in front of invading soldiers and her uncle's enemies, keeping her head down and staying under the radar. She was to pretend that she was Yin or Xing Xing or Yue or whichever name she had taken. Reavling her true identity would have been suicide, Mai knew, but some part of her ached to scream that she was Mai Mei for the world to hear, consequences be damned. And now that was exactly what Mai did-everybody knew who she was, everybody knew that she was not Yin or Xing Xing or Yue. She was Mai, and the whole world knew. It should have been a relief, all things considered, but if anything, it just brought more pressure. Pressure to hide her feelings behind chocolate-brown eyes twinkling with mirth and rosebud lips curved up into a coy smile, pressure to always keep her expression neutral or pleasant, pressure to respond politely to thinly veiled insults and pressure to remain calm and pressure to keep her mouth shut. One step out from behind the curtain, and everything that Ming Mei had worked for could come crashing down. Mai hid her true emotions so frequently that it was now second nature. She didn't even have to think. The mask she wore was starting to become the real thing, the real Mai. Only Zhou and his ridiculousness seemed to be able to bring back the Mai that Mai wanted to be; the Mai who wasn't afraid to stab somebody if they did something stupid, the Mai who wasn't constantly watching the other people in the room, the Mai that wasn't forced to hide her true abilities with bladed weapons under long silk skirts and deep red lipstick.

The sound of Raven Aster Willow, or the princess of Aciras, speaking caught Mai's attention. She snapped herself out of her reverie and focused on the dark-haired princess. What the hell are you doing, daydreaming like that? Focus, she chided herself silently. "Everyone, may I have your attention please," Raven began. The room quieted as the other princes and princesses looked at Raven and fell silent in order to hear what she had to say. "I.. I have another important announcement. The betrothals have been changed. I don't know how it happened, but it did and now here is the list." Mai felt shock and surprise flicker through her mind, but she didn't have a chance to fully process the gravity of Raven's words before the princess began listing the new betrothals. "Niklas and Mai are still paired as they were originally. Meenakshi Banerjee and Akamatsu Hiko. Amunemhet Sipar and Alva Weston. Lucian Kernaghan and Amberlyn Manera. Alexander Belmont and Julieta Aragon. Liviana Traianus and Lenwood Heath. Cara O'Brien and Zhou Xianshi. Edwin Drakewine and Elizaveta Romanova. Raven Willow and Karma Kennen. Delia Oblitus-Veren and Henry Peterson. I don't believe that the Weston Twins have arrived yet. If you have any questions, I'll answer them to the best of my ability. That is all." Raven sat down again, and the room was immediately abuzz with confusion. Mai herself was at a loss. Why would the betrothals be changed so suddenly? And who in the world would do something as...as irrational as that?

There was also the nagging question of why she and Niklas remained betrothed. Mai supposed that it didn't matter. Nothing had changed, at least for her. She was still to marry the soldier prince, whatever that entailed. As for Zhou...she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. So. He was to marry Cara "chloroplast" O'Brien. Mai had absolutely no idea if Zhou had done any research at all on the other royalty, but she decided that it would be the safest to assume that he did not even know most of their names. From what Mai had read, Cara was an intelligent princess of humble origins, with a sarcastic sense of humor and a fiery temper. She and Zhou are either going to get along dangerously well or end up killing each other, Mai thought dryly to herself. Speaking of Cara, Mai had yet to formally introduce herself to Niklas. She wondered if the report given to the prince of Königreich der Welten mentioned anything about her past, about how she'd been all over the country and seen things that she would have given anything to be able to un-see. Mai didn't think that it was very likely, considering the fact that she'd taken on false identities for safety reasons, but she couldn't be one hundred percent sure. Königreich der Welten was a major world power; they were bound to have sources of information about the nation where their heir's bride was from.

Mai nudged Zhou gently. "Both of the people we are betrothed to are over there," she said quietly, gesturing in the direction of where Niklas König of Königreich der Welten and Cara O'Brien of the Celtic Consortium were currently seated. "Should we go introduce ourselves?" Mai glanced at Liviana Traianus; she supposed that it would be rude to leave the princess here by herself, so she turned and asked Liviana if she would like to come along with them.

For a split second, anger clouded Liv’s vision. Then she realized that the Liang prince was clearly clueless and not intentionally trying to insult her.

"What Zhou means to say is that he is terribly sorry for what happened and that both he and I would love to have dinner with you. To be truthful, I am glad that you decided to confront Zhou. I've been dying to ask you about that gorgeous wrap all day."

Liv flashed a (slightly strained) smile at the princess. “I’m sorry, Princess Mai. I didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner with your cousin. My name is Liviana Traianus, but please, call me Liv.” To the comment about her wrap, she smiled, brushing her fingers over the soft fabric. “It’s a traditional garment of my people. The palm fronds,” she said, indicating the gold embroideries “are supposed to signify victory, although to be honest I’m not sure what exactly I’m supposed to be victorious over.” She gave a little laugh, trying to calm the nervous fluttering of her heart.

“I absolutely love your hairpins; that beading is simply divine.” she said, returning the compliment with no less sincerity. “And your shoes are exquisite as well, though I would never be graceful enough to walk in shoes that tall without going tumbling. That is, tumbling more than I already seem to.” Just the slightest barb tinged those words, as her gray eyes darted over to the dragon-hyena prince Zhou.

She was distracted from anything further by the princess of Aciras making an announcement. Wordlessly she listened to the change in the betrothals, her face going even paler than usual.

“Lenwood Heath? Who in all the Underworld is Lenwood Heath?!” she hissed, in Latin, to Aelia. Her words were so rapid and quiet that even Liu, with his pseudo-latin skills, wouldn’t be able to discern the words, much less decipher their meaning.

The maidservant had an angry blush on her cheeks, and she frowned, leaning down to whisper in Liv’s ear. “Lenwood Heath is the second-born child, and only prince, of Alduin. And his family announced months ago that he wasn’t to be attending.”

Liv felt an angry rush of heat up her neck and face, but she carefully kept her eyes blank, though the blush would likely betray her true thoughts. “I should protest.” She whispered, barely more than a breath of air, still using her native language. “I should call Father right now and tell him that it was a waste of time to send me.”

Aelia grabbed Liv by the forearm, under the table, and, still in Latin, whispered. “Damn you, Liv, you will do no such thing. If you go back to Lusitania it will be in disgrace. People will never let you forget how you were so immature that you had a temper tantrum and got sent home from the gala.”
Liv hissed in pain, her maidservant’s sharp fingernails drawing blood, and leaving a bruise, on her wrist. “And if I go back in three months, what will they think? That I was betrothed and my future husband left me for some prettier girl? That he likely only left after soiling me and ruining me for future marriage?”

“You WILL stay here, Liv. Who knows? There could be a late arrival. They could re-match everyone again. Stay for two months and if nothing is sorted out, then you can leave and go back home and marry Petrus like everyone thought you were going to.”

Liv rolled her eyes, but the angry color was mostly gone from her cheeks. She turned to Mai when she was again addressed.

…Oh, of course. Mai and Zhou were going to go talk to their future partners. Liv could not stop herself from slightly deflating.

“Thank you for your invitation, Princess, but I must decline. No sense in me being awkward and ruining the first conversations either of you will have with your betrothed. I shall wait here and see if my future husband makes himself visible.” The girl spoke in a somewhat strained tone, but smiled as sincerely as she could at Mai and Zhou.

After the two from Liang walked away, Liv sighed, looking around at the crowd disinterestedly.

A proper princess would have protested. Claudia or Lucia would not have taken such a disgrace demurely.

Liv squared her shoulders and went to rise, her eyes on the dais, but Aelia again grabbed her by the wrist, digging her nails in and drawing blood a second time.

“Liv, are you insane?! You can’t go confront the king of Aciras about this.”

“I can and I will.” She said, using her other hand to grip Aelia’s thumb in such a way that she could break it, if she applied enough force.

Aelia took the same grip on Liv with her other hand, her golden eyes smoldering. It was with an iron-hard voice that the maid said, “No, you won’t.”

Liv struggled for a moment, then went limp. “I won’t. Okay. But you had better come up with a way to explain this to my father.”

“Don’t you worry your little head, princess.” Aelia said, with a sarcastically formal tone, as she let go of the death grip she had on Liv’s wrist and other hand. “Now, do quit looking so glum, dearie, you’re scaring away all the potential suitors.”
Liv just frowned, her gaze darkening again. This evening would doubtless take forever.