Princess Annalise stood beside her father greeting guests as they arrived. There was a feeling of joy in the air, but also tension. Still, the eldest princess remained polite with a gentle smile on her face. Her own feelings bordering on excitement and nervousness. What would the suitors be like, was she really ready to marry someone she doesn’t know for the good of the kingdom, would her and her sisters be okay? All questions that swirled in her head, hidden behind her smile. Today was supposed to be a celebration after all. It was a time to be happy. It was for the good of her kingdom and the neighboring kingdoms.






The half-Orc Prince resisted the urge to stare out the window of his carriage at the vastly different kingdom from his own. His piercing blue eyes instead focused on the other side of his carriage as he tried to recall all the advice his mother had given him before he left. He risked a peek out the window and noticed the people staring at his transport, or rather at the large beasts pulling his transport. Two large oxen sized boars pulled his carriage. Sure his kingdom had horses, however the boars native to his land made for heartier beasts of burden and had a habit of fending off potential small-time bandits just by their appearance. Eventually his carriage came to a halt and his door opened, signaling him to exit. As he stepped out of the carriage the murmurs of the onlookers only grew louder as the green skinned prince exited. His mother had informed him that other kingdoms were not accustomed to seeing his kind and it was made very apparent as some people gawked in amazement and others covered their children’s eyes. He stood tall for only a moment before he slouched in an attempt to make himself smaller so as to not startle anyone and he entered the castle where he was to pick his future bride.

Prince Alexander and his sister were riding along in the carriage. They were on their way to the castle of the Apura kingdom. Alexander sighed nervously while his sister stared out the window for a time, growing impatient. She frowned when she looked at her younger brother.
"Come now. You are to be married. You must choose a princess bride and ensure this alliance. Father will be greatly disappointed if you do not do this."

Alexander narrowed his eyes and nodded. Soon enough, there was cheering as the carriage arrived at the castle in question. They would be escorted out and led inside. The main hall was the meeting spot.

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Princess Emily was nervous. She was also quite upset. How could their father expect this of them?! To marry a complete stranger?! Who knew what her, or her sisters, future husbands were like?! She frowned and paced in her room for quite some time. Then, a servant knocked on the door and said it was time to go downstairs. She sighed and nodded.
"Very well."

With a sad look in her eyes, she went downstairs to meet the 'guests'. She did not want to do this. But, she had no other choice. She could only hope for the best.

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The king stood in the main hall. He was prepared to greet the guests. He knew his daughters would not approve of what he was doing, what he had arranged, but he gave them no choice, no say, in the matter. It was for the best. It was for the good of all their kingdoms. Uniting the kingdoms as one land would ensure the safety of them all, not to mention make all the creatures of their continent one big family, so to speak. This was very important. He could not let anything ruin his plans.

He cleared his throat as he was soon informed that guests were arriving.
"Welcome them all in. Make sure they feel at home. Do NOT upset them."
There were nods in return. He sighed, hoping for the best. The announcement of who was to marry who was to be made at the big gala, which would not happen until the following evening. He just hoped there would be good matches between his daughters and whomever chose them as brides.

"Forward, forward!" Vyarin said, whispering loudly as he urged his horse onward. He was surrounded on all sides by carriages, magnificent coaches pulled with all manner of exotic beast. Slowly, he edged his horse through the procession, flitting between those great vehicles while his honour guard raced tiredly along behind him. Of his entire retinue, Vyarin was the only one with a horse. A gift from a baron in one of the neighbouring realms, a man with meagre land to his name but a heart large enough for his entire court. The horse was a magnificent specimen; stout and strong, and could go many leagues without stopping, much to the annoyance of the rest of the party. Vyarin was not concerned, however. These were the men of Prozdy, and their discipline was unmatched in all the League. It was Prozdy arms that won the great victory at the Battle of Zpina's Pass, driving the Overlords across the mountains and securing freedom. They could surely march on.

The clattering of armour marked the appearance of Vyarin's confidante; the head of the honour guard and a distant cousin, known to Prozdy as Tellos "the Outlander". His face was reddened, in part by the exertion and in greater part by the intense sun.

"A match here would be fortuitous," he muttered, his tongue languid as a brook. He spoke the language of Prozdy, which no doubt would be foreign to any they would encounter in this palace. "If you could establish a personal union here, while your father secures the loyalty of the princes of Vlaga and Perozord, the combined power base could propel us to the forefront of continental politics. Prozdy may become the singular arbiter of power from the Zpina to the eastern sea."

"Please, not now. It is hot," said Vyarin, gritting his teeth. The thought of marriage was so distant when he had left his homeland behind. It was like a game to him. Suddenly, as he approached the opulent gates ahead, boxed in by fine carriages he could only marvel at from the outside, he felt the pull of his youth being sucked from under his feet.

"There is no better time," said Tellos, leaning a hand on the flank of the horse. It whinnied in response, lowering its head, surely feeling the heat even more than its rider. "All that we achieve contributes in some part to the game of state. At home, perhaps, you are Vyarin. Here, you are Kremazov."

"You make my eye hurt," Vyarin mumbled, reaching a hand to his bandages. Tellos shook his head slowly, as all the carriages stopped and the nobles within them stepped with shaky legs onto solid ground at last. Reaching up a hand, Tellos helped the young Prince of Princes down from his horse, and together they tied the creature up to a large tree. "It really is hot here, down in the south, unbearable nearly," he continued, breaking the minutes of silence between them. Tellos didn't feel the need to respond. He never did. The stone-faced man was not quite ten years Vyarin's elder, but a lifetime of standing by his father's side had made him nearly as strange.

"You go inside. First. We watch . . . outside. Item. Horse," Tellos had changed to the local tongue, of which they both were hardly fluent. It was a clear enough sign. When in foreign lands . . . Vyarin nodded. They spent their last few moments together rapidly going over a few common phrases of this strange land. "Enchanted to meet you." "I represent Prozdy and the princely clan of Kremazov." "Is this good to eat?" Finally, Tellos patted his cousin roughly on his shoulder, and left to bark orders at the rest of the guard. Vyarin steeled himself, straightening his posture and taking a deep breath. Recall solemnity. At last, he followed the crowd milling through the gates into the palace proper.

THWACK!

Out in the courtyard, the youngest princess of Apura was in the midst of a dilemma. Inhaling slowly, she withdrew another arrow from the quiver on her back. Today was the day she was to meet her future husband. Today was… not a good day, in her book. She nocked the arrow, exhaled, and released. The arrow soared straight into the center of the target, right next to the other that she had just shot. Despite everything, her aim was still as true as ever.

Jinayah smiled broadly, but that flickered out and faded as her thoughts took over. In her mind, being married meant the end of her freedom. She felt sick just thinking about it. How could she possibly hope to find a prince who understood who she was and why? No, it was impossible. She was going to be stuffed into skirts for the rest of her life, with her beloved bow packed away gathering dust and wood rot.

She had been back and forth about it with her sisters in the past weeks since the announcement had been made by their father. Jinayah had been quite vocally opposed to being married at all – she was not even an adult yet, after all. Why marry now?

But she understood, even if she did hate the idea. Alliances were important. Being friendly to the neighboring kingdoms even more so. So she went along with it, quashing her thoughts of fleeing and living the rest of her days as some strange, short, unknown archer in a different kingdom. If there was one thing Father had done, it was raise four daughters with courage.

“My lady…”

One of the handmaidens was in the opening to the archery range, politely calling out for her.

Jinayah heaved a heavy sigh, shoulders dropping. “Right. It’s time.”

She took her time collecting arrows and unstringing her bow. After wiping it down and treating it to protect the wood, she headed inside with the older woman to be bathed and dressed.

In the bath, she let her hands roam over her muscled arms and warm brown skin. She was not soft and pale like Annalise, or pretty and musical like Marabella, or even popular like Emily. She was just the odd one out, the trouser loving sharpshooter that got strange looks from other nobles. No one would understand, especially a pampered prince from another realm.

She was dressed in a soft and brilliant lavender gown, her short black hair brushed to gleaming and decorated with silver accents. At the very least, they had chosen her favorite colors. She knew the handmaidens knew how she was feeling; the servants knew everything. Maybe they were trying to make her feel better.

With a faint sigh, Princess Jinayah, fourth of the line, alighted the castle steps toward the main hall. Perfumed and primped and every bit the princess she felt she was not.

Bella sat out in the garden, in her secret spot, it’s where she had been most of the morning. Her thoughts were on the Gala, the guests, and most of all the suitors. Needless to say, she wasn’t happy about this whole situation one bit. She had even made it clear to her father and sisters how she felt about marrying a complete stranger. Her sisters had agreed with her, but their father gave them no say in the matter. It seemed he had crushed her dream of finding her true love, and it made her heart ache.

Though she would do this for her father and for the sake of the kingdom, no matter how much she disliked it and how much it hurt. As Bella sat in the garden, she tried to calm herself by singing softly. As she sang, birds flew into the area to listen and sing along, followed by a fox kit who curled up in her lap as its parent sat close by. She pet the kit as she sang and even brought her tail up and curled it around the kit. When she ended her song, she looked down at the fox kit, giving him a weak smile.

To which he gave a whine, causing her to pull him close to her and give a small sigh. “It’s okay, Basil.” she whispered as she hugged the kit close. She then leaned down and kissed the top of his head. As she straightened back up, her ears twitched as she heard footsteps approaching. There was only one that knew of this spot, her handmaiden. She sighed as she heard the handmaiden’s voice ring out. “Lady Marabella.” she called out to her as she came into view. “I know……. It’s time.” she said sadly, as her ears laid back.

Bella picked up Basil and hugged him, burying her face in his fur before gently setting him on the ground and giving him a scratch on the head. “I’ll try to make it back some time later.” she told him. She then took her feet and allowed her handmaiden to take her back into the castle to get bathed and ready for the Gala. Once in her room, the servants placed her into a bath and scrubbed her clean. “Come now milady. Don’t look so glum.” one spoke to her. “This is for the good of the kingdom.” they continued.

Bella knew they were right, but couldn’t bring herself to give a return answer. She was then helped out of the bath, dried off and dressed in a royal purple gown and her hair was put half up. Another came over and placed a red rose in her hair, they had done nothing to hide her ears as she normally did. So, she took it upon herself to pin them down and hide them within her hair. She didn’t want to stand out anymore than she already did with her purple eyes. Once that was done, she was led to the main hall to greet the guest and suitors where she forced a smile upon her lips.

@LostDestiny@Wolvena@Mistress Dizzy@Mistress Dizzy
Alexander

Prince Alexander sighed as he and his sister entered the castle. His sister, Sarah, glared at him for showing even the slightest bit of cowardice.
"Calm yourself! You must show bravery while we are here. Do you understand?"
Alexander narrowed his eyes at her. He nodded once. His sister nodded, and then spoke again.

"Very good. Now, let us head inside."
The two of them would enter the castle under escort and be in the main hall, awaiting the arrival of the other guests. Crown princess Sarah glanced around in a proud, formal manor while Prince Alexander did his best not to sigh with his sister around. He did frown though and kept glancing towards the doorway. He heard the king, their 'host' as he welcomed them all and began some kind of speech.

The prince could only hope that he and his bride could at least be friends during their marriage.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Emily

Princess Emily was in the main hall already. She had moved quite quickly, as much as possible, so as not to make her father or sisters look bad. She stood by the staircase and watched as guests had truly started to arrive. She sighed very quietly. She hoped that she was not the first chosen at least, and that whomever she had to marry was at least nice in personality. She dreaded being married to a stranger, especially if he was ill tempered or was simply not a great man to be near. She wanted a loving marriage, one that started out with the bride and groom already being in love. Sadly, that was not to be the case.

She glanced around, trying not to look towards her father. She listened as her father welcomed the guests as they arrived. He was giving the usual speech that spoke of them being welcomed there, his hopes for an alliance, and about them all being one big united family, one that could stand up to enemies.

She frowned and narrowed her eyes at her father, finally.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

The king

The king seemed to be all smiled. Although, some would suspect he was hiding something when he smiled like that. However, he was giving a speech.
"Welcome esteemed guests, fellow royals, and family......"
His speech, indeed, spoke of welcoming them, of them being family, and such. He would glance around at whomever was there so far, not really noticing any frowns or anything, at least not yet. He cleared his throat when his little speech was done.

"You may choose whichever bedchambers suit you to stay in during your stay here. You need simply ask a servant to escort you down the halls. The gala shall be tomorrow night. Hopefully, my daughters will be paired with their perfect matches and we are, indeed, a truly united family. Supper shall be ready shortly, if any desire to sate hunger. If there is anything any of you need, you need only to ask. I truly hope you all enjoy your stay in my castle."

He smiled...again.

Cornelius Pendergrass entered the main hall. The old wizard looking around. Cornelius was known, at least in passing by nearly all the lands. A traveling scholar, if a little unorthadox. Which is exactly what made him the perfect disguise. Most people had heard of the esteemed Cornelius Pendergrass, but few had ever really met him. He is one of the greatest scholars of the ages, with most libraries housing more than a few of his works. “Good evening. Good evening.” Cornelius Pendergrass said as he stepped forward with a curt bow. “My Lord, if you are offering any room in the castle, where shall you sleep?”

@Sanity43217
the king

The king blinked. He looked in the direction of the old man. He narrowed his eyes. Something was not quite right. Besides, he did not recall his staff or his guards informing him of his arrival. Years of instincts were activated, although he was not sure what was going on. He decided to simply keep an eye on things for the time being. He took a breath. He pointed down to the very lowest dungeon-like levels. They were rooms with only the very bare essentials. This man was not a 'guest' , and yet could not be turned away. He had to save face, but at the same time, he did not wish for this man to have free reign of the castle.

"You may have a room in those halls."
He said nothing more.

Annalise observed the guests who had arrived so far. They seemed...interesting, to say the least. She looked to her sisters who had slowly joined herself and her father. Out of the four siblings it seemed she was the least upset about the situation. She understood that this would likely be something she would have to do for a while now. It wasn’t uncommon in history for the daughters of a King to be married off to Princes of distant lands to form treaties. She had tried to explain this to her younger sisters but it seemed they were having none of it. Regardless she smiled at each of her sisters as they arrived.

Her attention was pulled to the various suitors that had already arrived. A blonde male who held himself in a manor that told her he was just as uncomfortable with the situation as the four siblings. Another, larger blond male who seemed to take up the entire doorway when he entered and held himself with what seemed like confidence. Lastly so far was an equally large, green skinned male who seemed to have captured the attention of the entirety of the staff as he passed. Though he stood in a way that would make him seem smaller she was sure that he and the short haired blond male would stand on close to equal grounds. She remembered her tutors telling her about the Desert country of Afdan and it’s swift rise to a prominent place in the lands. A land of Orcs mostly, but it held culture from all over the continent. She hummed to herself as she observed the three men who had arrived.

She didn’t have long to observe however, as a strange man entered the building and seemed to make an eccentric joke to her father. She had to hold back the laugh that was a mix between general amusement and pity for the strange statement. Her pale eyes moved to her father who seemed to stiffen slightly. But still respectfully answered the man. Her smile faltered only slightly at this, enough that anyone paying close enough attention would notice, but not at a passive glance.






Gil walked into the Palace, his face passive though his body language made it clear he was unsure and uncomfortable. As the King gave his speech his guard and driver approached from behind. A full Orc male who his father had trusted to guard Gil since he was a child. He was on the older side but that didn’t stop him from looking any less intimidating. He was heavily scared from fights in his youth and his left eye was missing. The man’s hair dreaded and adorned with many beads. Old symbols of strength and power and victory. Many of the older Orcs sported them including his father. A tradition Gil himself was very obviously carrying with him. Though in a newer sense. His own black hair tied back and braided with cloth that he hoped would one day also be adorned with the beads of his successes. As of now the jewelry that adorned his hair was simply the mark of a prince and the son of the Chief of Chiefs.

“Stand up straight son.” The older Orc stated as he approached the Prince. Gil did as he was told, standing at his full height.

“Why is it that my elder brothers are not in my place Aldar?” He questioned the older Orc for probably the millionth time.

Aldar rolled his eye sighing and once again explaining, “Your eldest Brother, the heir to the throne, is to marry one of the other Chieftain's daughters. Uram is to take his place should anything happen to him and in the meantime command the Kingdom’s armies. This is the duty to your kingdom you have been selected to carry out. Building relations with other kingdoms is an important part of our nation's growth.” His eye slid over to the Prince to make sure he was paying attention. “Now stop your complaining and present your gifts to the King, his speech seems to be over, and he seems to be done speaking to the strange old man.” He nodded toward the father of Gil’s soon to be wife.

Gil sighed but straightened once more and approached the King. He bowed deeply before reciting what he had been practicing for weeks. “Your majesty, it is the Kingdom of Afdan’s greatest pleasure to be building relations with your Nation. As a gift to you and your people we offer a breeding pair of our finest war boars. The beasts are hearty mounts and loyal creatures if trained properly. Something our army’s trainers will gladly assist with when the time comes.” He felt a sense of accomplishment delivering the short speech and as he straightened once more a much more comfortable smile sits on his face. He has clearly relaxed.

@LostDestiny
the king

The king blinked. He looked away from the elder man for a time when he heard someone speak to him. His eyes landed on the half orc prince and the elder one that was with him. He gave a nod as he was spoken to, and he assumed that it was some kind of speech judging from the formal tone and everything. He smiled towards them. He was sincerely glad they had taken him up on his invitation. Everything seemed to be going according to plan so far, he thought.

He stepped towards them.
"Welcome. And gratitude is expressed. I trust your trip was not filled with troubles?"
He certainly hoped not. He needed them in good spirits, if a marriage to one of his daughters was to happen. He glanced back behind him for a moment to make sure his daughters behaved themselves. He, then, cleared his throat and summoned staff who handled the animals normally. They would do their best to get the boars to the pens, with some help of course.

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Prince Alexander

Alexander did his best to behave himself. He kept quiet while the others spoke, lest his sister scold him again. His sister, he noted, kept her eyes on the king and the other guests at all times. Alexander tried not to sigh with her around.
"................"
He wanted to say something, but found he could not. As soon as he even made a sound, Sarah had her eyes on him. He, instead, frowned, and glanced away.

The prince had his own desires, like the desire to marry for love. He also wished to explore the world. But, sadly, he thought, that was not to be.

Anyway, he watched the exchange for a moment before his eyes landed on the princesses, the kings daughters. He wondered what they were thinking.

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Princess Emily

Emily sighed. She could not help it. She was still having those thoughts about dashed hopes and dreams and such. She glanced at her father during the exchange between him and the half-orc prince, after he had spoken with that old man. She managed to keep silent.
"....................."

She hoped that the half-orc prince was not the one to choose her. He seemed....rather intimidating. She did not know if she could handle such a marriage. She almost gasped, though, when she saw the boars. They were intimidating and yet...sort of impressive.
"wow....."
She managed to keep her voice at a quiet whisper. She soon watched as the staff who handled animals dealt with them.

She saw three princes so far once that moment had passed. Three suitors....so far. Three possible future husbands. She could not help but wonder with whom she would be paired with.

Bella stood in the main hall with her sister, watching the guest mingle and arrive. She couldn’t help but sigh as she took in everything around her and wondered who she’d be matched with. As her father started his speech, his words pulled from her thoughts to listen. Her purple eyes scanned the faces of the guests as he spoke. At that moment, they all appeared to be happy to be there. Another silent sigh escaped her lips when her father had finished his speech, but she still forced a smile upon her lips.

She knew they expected her to be happy about this. It was, after all, supposed to be for the good of the kingdom. It was then a strange man came up and spoke to her father, making a joke. There was something about his man that didn’t sit well with her. His very presence made her want to pull her tail out of hiding and hug it close to her. It seemed her father sensed something about him too. The approach of the half-orc prince averted her attention from the strange man.

She watched and listened to the interaction between him and her father. Her eyes slowly drifted to the boars. She almost gasped at their size. She watched as staff members took them away. She had to admit to herself; they were truly magnificent beasts. They towered over her wolf friend, and he was an enormous wolf in her eyes. Bella then went back to watching the other guests, taking a mental note that three of the four suitors had arrived so far.

Jinayah walked to where her sisters were, curtsying politely to them and her father.

"Father. Anna, Bella." Looking around, she spotted Emily by the stairs and nodded to her.

"Well." She didn't really know what to say. Sometimes she would make jokes, but she was not in the mood today.

"I suppose those boars will come in handy at some point." Getting gifts from visiting countries was nothing new, but she couldn't recall seeing any quite as large as those boars. She plastered on a smile for the prince that was in front, noting his pale green skin and beaded hair. It was a nice look, and the green was a pretty tone. Though she wouldn't say that to his face.

She cast a careful eye out for the other princes, wondering just who she was going to be forced with. With hope, he would be at least nice. Nice enough to wait on the whole 'heir' business, at least.

@Mistress Dizzy@Wolvena
@LostDestiny@Sanity43217

Prince Alexander

Alexander glanced around the room a bit more while his sister was not looking. His eyes eventually landed on Jinayah. She seemed kind of nice. He also sensed a connection between them, like they could be friends at least. He liked that idea at least. It would be nice to at least have someone in his life he could actually talk to.

He faintly smiled at her. Luckily, Sarah did not seem to notice. She seemed the type who would assume he had chosen his bride after seeing that. Alexander was hesitant to make any of the princesses his bride, for obvious reasons.

Vyarin's brow creased, as he observed the interaction between their host the king and that green-coloured noble. Was he obligated to bring a gift? He patted his pockets, hoping by some miracle that something would materialize within them worthy to be presented before a man of such great station. Unfortunately, they were empty. Vyarin's gaze drifted down to the shashka at his belt. Perhaps . . . certainly not. He felt absurd for even considering the possibility. A man's sword was an extension of his own will. The boys of Prozdy grow up with wooden sword in hand, as if their right arms were simply longer than their left. Nonetheless, he would have to come up with something, lest he offend the king in his own home. Vyarin was done with offenses.

His eye drifted upwards to the walls, then the ceiling, hoping something hiding in the decorations would give him inspiration. His mind raced as he tried to recall everything he had brought with him in his bags and those of his men. Practical items, nothing he would give even an innkeeper's wife. Hardtack, dried meats and fruits, machetes for the more difficult portions of his long trail southward. Lamps that squeaked with rust, and clothes that no doubt would fit nobody in this entire chambre excepting perhaps those exotic green-skinned men some rows ahead of himself. Vyarin looked down at his fingers, comparing them to those around him. They were unadorned with rings and signets, and covered with callouses. No luck even should the king ask to shake his hand.

"Apology. Apology for . . . no item. To give. Apology for no item . . . to give," Vyarin muttered to himself, in the local tongue. He marked the pauses with a few curses in his own Prozdy speech. He was never much of a polyglot, and this language was harder to learn than most. Conjugations, prepositions, pronouns, they swirled about his head as he grabbed pieces of words and tried to cram them into a working sentence. What if the king should ask for him to answer? Vyarin's hands balled up into fists as he continued to rehearse to himself, staring quietly down at them. "Apology for no item to give . . . we Prozdy is no man of . . . lavishness . . ."

@bloonewb
The king blinked. He looked at the one who had spoken. He raised an eyebrow. He actually felt bad for this prince. He cleared his throat and did his best to speak in the younger males' native tongue.
"It is fine. There is no need. I was the one to invite you here. The only gift required is a union between the nations, as per what I have requested. Calm yourself."

He faintly smiled a bit. He tried to sound as reassuring as possible. Of course, he feared he may have mispronounced a word or two, or, at the very least, missed a word, but he was certain the young prince would understand him, what he was saying. He traveled a bit with his own father during business trips in his youth, and so he learned some other languages, or he did his best to do so anyway. He would need to speak more than his own tongue after all.

JInayah caught the eye of one of the foreign princes, who smiled at her. She hesitantly smiled back, hoping no one saw. She wasn't sure about forming connections to strangers, but she still was expected to be polite.

After the half orc was the one - eyed prince of Prozdy. He fumbled with their language, and she found herself feeling a little sorry for him. Luckily, Father was well-versed in many languages, as were his daughters. Hopefully that would smooth things over.

She cast her eyes around, looking at the assembled crowds. It seemed all the nobles in the kingdom had turned up, and then some. The palace was very full.

Well, that was 3 of the princes she'd seen so far. Had she missed the last?

@Mistress Dizzy
Prince Alexander started to fully smile a bit. But, then, his sister started to look in his direction. He quickly looked away, trying to hide the fact that he had even looked at one of the princesses. Sarah, his sister, raised an eyebrow and frowned. She looked like she was suspicious of him.

Alexander sighed and frowned after that.
"............."
He waited for his sister to look away again. When she did, he stole another glance at Princess JInayah.

"Apology, I- uhh . . ." Vyarin stammered his apologies to the king in the local tongue. He stopped himself before he said something he well shouldn't, and instead dropped to one knee. He had seen such practice in the surrounding lands. Hopefully it was similarly applicable here. "I am . . . servant. To you," he finally said. The king's Prozdy-speech was good, for a foreigner at least. Certainly better than Vyarin's own Apura-tongue.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the presence of a few more faces in the back of the crowd as he stood again. Tellos had managed to shuffle in, having exchanged his armour for his finery, and beside him one other, a warrior Vyarin knew by the name of Brudzkon "the Many-Faced". He felt a wave of relief, knowing that some support has arrived in this grandiose and cavernous court. Vyarin's and Tellos' eyes met, and the latter made a motion to his compatriot. They were both loyal men, and spirited besides. They will represent Prozdy well here.

@bloonewb
The king cleared his throat. He shook his head and waved the apology away. He, once more, used the princes' native tongue to reply to him. Translated:
"There is no need for apologies here. And you are no servant. You are royalty, an ally, a friend, a potential son-in-law. There is no such connection as servitude between us. Stand. It is fine. We are all friends here, at least at this time, lest something happen. Please do not be so harsh with yourself. You did no wrongdoing."

He tried to sound as kind as he possibly could, while still sounding like the king that he was. He had the reputation that he did for a reason. It was partly why his people loved him so much.

Anyway, he blinked when he saw those two other males on either side of the prince. He raised an eyebrow for a moment.

Annalise remained silent, her smile ever present. She watched the suitors as they interacted with her father, or didn’t. As she watched she caught one of the Princes showing at least some interest in one of her younger sisters. The Prince that chose to remain silent. She watched him for a moment, trying to not make it obvious. It helped that her right eye never truly focused on anything in this case. It was common knowledge in the kingdom that the eldest Princess was born with no sight in her right eye. Though she wasn’t sure how far into other countries that knowledge extended. She doubted any of the suitors knew this fact so she would use it to her advantage when observing them.

The large blonde male did his best to communicate in their native tongue but it wasn’t the best. It seemed the Half-Orc Prince knew their language well though she wasn’t surprised by this fact. She knew from her studies that the newer Kingdom of Afdan was a mix of members from every other kingdom and race so she was sure at least he would have no problem speaking. She knew bits and pieces about the other countries as well and hoped that she knew enough about whichever suitor chose her that she didn’t accidentally offend them. Whereas before she was a little nervous, not that it was real the nerves were starting to make her stomach hurt.






Prince Gil shrank back a bit after presenting his gift as his father had instructed. It seemed he was the only one to come with a gift. It was tradition in his kingdom to present gifts to the father of the woman one wished to take as a wife and it was even more important when that woman was the daughter of a Chief, or in this case, the daughter of another King. He side eyed his guard, unhappy about accidentally making the other suitors look bad, or embarrassing them. Aldar seemed unfazed by the Prince’s actions and was focused more on the surroundings than anything else. However the moment Gil began to slouch in an attempt to make himself look smaller the older orc elbowed him. Gil hated it but remained at his full height. Unsure of what to do next.