baraquiel

Young Justice

Location: The cafeteria, Metahuman Youth Center
Interaction/s: Alisa, Cecile

---

Alisa followed Aleen'a while heading to the cafeteria. She was at peace knowing that someone wanted to come with her but along the way, Ale lost track of Alisa. She thought that maybe her friend had something to do and she debated about whether or not to find her. Then again, the team was here on a mission and Ale wanted to carry through it. As Viktor made it very clear at the start: the mission always comes first. Sighing sadly, she continued her way to the cafeteria alone.

The scene before Aleen'a reminded her of the late-night food bazaars she and Kori used to frequent back when she was still being introduced to the customs of Earth. She remembered the looks of awe on the people's faces whenever she and her cousin would buy a mountain of the food and drinks, only for them to consume it all like it was nothing. The night air was filled with the scent of cooked food and sounds of laughter among friends and family. It was one of the most peaceful and joyful memories Ale shared with Kori before the latter went on an intergalactic mission.

Ale was supposed to feel happy but in her current state, she found herself getting sadder for a memory long past.

Her train of thought was interrupted by someone shouting about nachos, and a girl from behind introducing herself to the Tamaranean. "Cecile..." Ale softly repeated as Alisa eventually got to the cafeteria in time and introduced herself. With Cecile's comment about height, Ale didn't really think about it. Taking a look around, she realized she was definitely taller than the average human, about as tall if not taller than the tallest one within the cafeteria. She guessed that also played a part in her feeling different in a world where everyone looked the same.

Ale followed the two of them and got in line like the others for nachos. It was clear that everyone was excited for today, almost every teen was getting in line for nachos compared to other types of food. She figured nachos were only to be eaten during special occassions, seeing that they even dedicated this day for this certain food. "I am... Eena. We are both new here. I am... away, far away from my home. The streets are dangerous and unwelcome but I am... thankful for Ally helping me." Aleen'a quietly said, her tone soft and meek. "Is it true... that it is much safer here?" She further asked Cecile.

Avalia

Time: Evening
Location: Desert
Interactions: Nuallán @13org
Equipment: A dagger, fake elf ears, a ring of disguise, and a bag full of supplies

Jomari stopped running and hunched over, hands on his knees as he panted hard. Despite his best efforts, Nuallán was still faster and far away from him but at least he could still make out what he was saying. "I just... G-Give me a moment... Catch my breath..." He stammered, his heart beating fast from being tired all day long and now running across the shifty sands.

The sands... Nuallán said the earth came in all states. No matter how different they were from each other, they were still all the same in composition. As the elf continued to run and follow the tracks, Jomari was left to ponder what he said. He stood up properly, watching how the sands were easily blown and dispersed by the wind but every grain still found its way back down, back down to its home. He looked up and gasped in amazement at the bright stars shining in the night sky. As he did, he remembered a key moment in his life...

Nanay Minda and Tatay Carlos would join Jomari when he was younger in stargazing, resting on a hammock that was tied between two trees. They would tell him the stories of his forefathers. Despite the continued efforts of the invaders to ruin and defile their culture, some of it managed to survive and had been passed down from generation to generation.

"And Father said there is only one God, that He is both the ruler of Heaven and Earth." Young Jomari said one night.

"Oh, don't believe anything that comes out of that snake's mouth. That's all a load of buffalo crap they say to brainwash us. Ow!" Tatay Carlos said when Nanay Minda twisted his ear and glared at him. "Watch your language, Carlos, or I'll feed you to the dogs!" She threatened him and he could only mumble and roll his eyes in response, earning a giggle from Jomari. No matter how tough of a man Carlos thinks he was, he was still no match for his wife and they both knew it.

"Listen, Jomari." Minda caressed Jomari's cheek and looked at him in the eyes. "Did you know our forefathers believed in more than one god? It's true!" She said enthusiastically when the kid widened his eyes in surprise and wonder. "They believe that everything in this world has a god that protects it and they made it their duty to worship all these gods. It's quite tiresome but they never falter in doing this task. Do you know why?" Jomari shook his head. "Because they also believe that these gods, these spirits, are all worthy of respect and worship. Besides, if it is true what Father said about there only being one true God, wouldn't it be lonely if you get to rule only by yourself?"

Jomari slowly nodded, still in the process of understanding what his step-mother said. "Where are they, Nanay Minda? Where are those gods?" Minda sighed and kissed his forehead. "Look at the trees around us. The running river where you and the kids always bathe in. The fire we create to heat our food. The animals that thrive in this forest. The very earth we walk on. The moon, sun, and stars in the sky. Look around you, Jomari. The gods are everywhere." Nanay Luzviminda said in a dreamy voice, looking back up to the sky. Tatay Carlos smiled and ruffled the little boy's hair before he too looked up at the sky. Jomari did the same ahd they cuddled together in the blanket of the night, surely remembering this moment for the rest of his life.

Right now, Jomari closed his eyes and breathed deeply, stretching his hands from his sides slowly up toward the sky. As he did, the sands would also disperse upwards. He could feel it, the connection he had with his element. He couldn't explain how but he could not deny the feeling he had in his heart. "Nanay Minda, Tatay Carlos. I hope you're doing well. We'll see each other again, I promise." He said, smiling peacefully for the first time since he arrived in this world.

He brought his hands down, palms facing the sands below and they swirled beneath his feet. He chuckled to himself and finally embraced the weirdness of this world, now knowing what to do. With one foot back and a motion of his arms, he created a wave of sand that he rode on. He laughed in glee, feeling the cool wind blow against his face as he managed to travel over a long distance so quickly and easily catch up to Nuallán. "Jump in, quickly!" Jomari shouted at the elf when he was only a few feet away from him, thinking of using this sand wave to swiftly follow the tracks left behind by the bad guys.

Young Justice

Location: Metahuman Youth Center, Taos, New Mexico
Interaction/s: The Team @canaryrose

---

New Mexico was warmer than Aleen'a expected. The sun shone a little brighter here as well which was just what she needed. According to Black Canary, as a Tamaranean that thrived in ultraviolet radiation, being exposed to as much sunlight as she could will help greatly in her recovery. As for her 'disguise', she just randomly picked them out from her closet and put them on without thinking straight. Aleen'a was wearing a black slip dress with floral patterns over a white plain t-shirt, a pair of black platform shoes, and an unkempt ponytail. She inadvertently gave off a strong 90's vibe with her outfit.

The team was supposed to meet up with their contact but they were instead given a tour of the place instead. During the tour, Aleen'a saw a diverse range of teenagers all with their own unique abilities. She would even assume some of them were alien if she didn't know they were all completely human. It was all very interesting to Aleen'a that they all looked so different while still being the same in their physiology, and yet they chose to fight each other over their differences instead of celebrating each other's uniqueness. The thought was enough to make her cry but thankfully, it wasn't as heavy as before.

During the wait and the trip to their mission, Aleen'a had somehow mellowed out. She still felt sad but at least she wasn't crying over the most trivial things anymore. She also did get some rest but she will still be prone to aimlessly wandering around and doing things that will spell instant death if a normal human were to do them.

When the tour guide left them, it was automatically the start of their mission. Viktor and Rain went to the pool and gym respectively while Casper already left before any of them knew. The tour guide did suggest for them to get some lunch and it did seem like a good idea to stock up on some energy just in case something bad will happen because in the nature of their missions, something bad will definitely happen.

"I shall follow along what Tomás said and eat lunch. Perhaps it will also be a good time to gather information while enjoying their meals. I will definitely ask them if they have ice cream with the wasabi flavor." Aleen'a said and started to walk to the direction of the cafeteria.

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Desert
Interactions: Rosaria @Potter, Nuallán @13org, Mikazuki @Tae, Uzul @dragonpiece, Kuroi @hide on mana
Equipment: A dagger, fake elf ears, a ring of disguise, and a bag full of supplies

The princesses might have said some more regarding Jomari's reaction but at that point in time, he didn't care enough to listen anymore. "2-3 days?!" He shouted in reaction to what Uzul said about how long it will take for them to get out of this sandy hell. "Ugh, gross. At this point, I'll end up getting fried by the sun before I even meet our enemies. Heck, I haven't even 'tried out the delicacies' of this weird world... You know what I mean." Jomari grumbled while walking. Complain all he wanted, he had no choice but to continue trudging forward to their next destination. If his Nanay Minda would be here, she will surely smack his ass for having a loud and foul mouth.

During their journey, Uzul guided them to a rockier part of the desert. Jomari was at least thankful that he could finally walk comfortably on solid ground and he didn't have to constantly worry about slipping down the dunes they were walking on. He did help in setting up one of the tents and he quickly came inside as soon as he was finished with it, leaving the rest to go work their own tents themselves. He let out a sigh of relief and laid down on the comfortable cloth. He could even already feel the chill creeping in, remembering what Uzul said about the desert being cold as ice in the nighttime just as it was hot as fire during the day.

As he was stretching his arms and legs out and relaxing from the stress of being under the sun all day, Jomari was surprised when Uzul went into his tent and explained his predicament. "Oh you got no complaints from me, big guy. Besides, with your size, I'm sure you used to squeezing in tight spaces." He flirted and giggled at him. Jomari could still hear muffled voices outside the tent but he didn't care about them, especially when he got Uzul all to himself. Someone in the group will sleep happily and peacefully tonight.

Of course, it did not last long. Jomari was also awoken to a scream as Uzul got out of their tent to investigate. Jomari peeked his head out and gasped when he realized something terrible happened: the princesses had been kidnapped.

He got out of the tent and listened to Nuallán explaining what to do in the case they find the princesses. While it was very wrong of Jomari and it was not the right time, part of him enjoyed seeing the smug look on the elven dog's face be replaced with stress and discomfort. Nuallán then ran off to follow one of the tracks in the hopes that it would lead to the princesses' kidnappers. "We'll think of something for that. Right now, our priorities are to make sure we find where they are and make sure they're safe!" Jomari shouted at Uzul and Kuroi as he sprinted off to follow Nuallán. As much as he didn't want to, he thought it would be better if Nuallán had back-up just in case things went south.

"W-Wait up!" Jomari yelled at Nuallán while running to catch up to him. He remembered what Rosaria said about him being a geomancer, someone who could control the earth. While he still wasn't sure how to harness that power, he could already tell his ability shall play a key role on their mission.

Young Justice

Location: Mission Briefing Room --> Laboratory
Interaction/s: Alisa @canaryrose

---

Aleen'a's tears continued to stream down her cheeks as J'onn J'onzz explained the rest of their mission and dismissed them. He said they had five hours to prepare before their trip to their destination which was called New Mexico. Ale didn't understand why humans would name their cities with the term 'New'. Perhaps it was their indication that it was an upgraded version of its old predecessor and that it had been made better by them. Despite her confusion, she was sad about Daphne's condition to ask her question.

Black Canary said it will take time for Ale to fully recover though she also admitted that she was not sure how long it would take for her. After all, Tamaraneans had different psyches than humans. Her only knowledge about Ale's kind was with Canary's limited interactions with Kori and this was also only the fourth time a Tamaranean had ever set foot on Earth soil...

Ale wouldn't know who to approach either. Everyone had to focus on their own thing for the mission and everyone was also still probably reflecting on their last mission, not to mention what had happened to Daphne right now. Just thinking about what happened to her almost made Ale cry a river again as she made her way to her room. She was in tears as she got ready for the mission. She wasn't just sad about Daphne either. Judging from the current state of her psyche, it seemed that Ale can get sad about practically anything.

Again, she was too dazed by the constant feeling of sadness to think straight which lead her to wander off again. She knew humans would eat ice cream whenever they were feeling sad so her body naturally lead her toward the kitchen. However, since she wasn't thinking straight, Ale instead picked up a tub of wasabi and ate scoops of it instead.

She was sniffling and wiping the tears from her face while eating wasabi and walking aimlessly through the headquarters. Eventually, Ale found herself in the laboratories where Alisa was working on something on her computer.

"Alisa... You are working...?" Ale would ask before breaking out in tears. "You are so hard in working. You... You dedicate all your time in working... I am so proud of..." Alisa would not understand the rest of what Aleen'a said. Her mouth was now full of wasabi again she mistook for ice cream and all that came out were strangled noises and groans of sadness while tears streamed down her face.

Young Justice

Location: Headquarters, Rhode Island
Interaction/s: The Team

---

Aleen'a was one of those that spent the most time in the infirmary. The toll from fighting so many enemies at once as well as surpassing her limit from Kassy's release of magic had taken effect on her mind, body, and psyche. The wounds were easy enough to heal for the Tamaranean as all as her vitality which was also easy to replenish by spending almost the entire day being exposed to ultraviolet radiation. However, it was her mind and psyche that were affected the most during their last mission at Atlantis.

Nowadays, Ale felt aloof, she had no concept of herself and her surroundings. She would lift a boiling kettle off the stove by touching its metal part, stick her head inside a turned-on oven because she felt cold, munch on the blades of rocks while thinking they were candies, and drink an entire bottle of vinegar after mistaking it for a bottle of water. It's a good thing she came from a race of highly durable aliens so all of the things she did while in that state didn't harm her.

For Black Canary, it was clear that Ale felt like a husk of her former self. It's as if what was once a joyful and energetic alien teen had now become void of any emotions which was the life force of Tamaraneans. Without emotions guiding their lives, they were extremely weak though thankfully still durable, even losing the ability of flight which came in second nature to them like breathing was to humans. She would watch some emotional movies with Ale to try and tug at her heartstrings as Canary thought that all was not lost for Ale.

Their therapy took some time as Canary would ask Ale what she felt after watching a movie and the heroine would always switch the genre of the next movie too. Canary was troubled when Ale would laugh loudly at the horror slasher movies, cry in sadness at the comedy ones, and scream in fright at films for children. Throughout their sessions, Canary guided Ale on her emotions, rediscovering and reconnecting herself with her psyche. Ale still had a long way to go for a full recovery but at least she wasn't using the fire extinguisher as a bath bomb now.

Currently, she's with her other teammates in the briefing room now with Martian Manhunter telling them of their next mission. Right away, she felt at ease at the sight of another alien, making her feel not so alone in a room full of humans. She would glance at Kassy as she knew she might be beating herself up because of what happened at Atlantis. She wanted to approach her and tell her it wasn't her fault but because Ale wasn't fully recovered herself yet, it might do more harm than good. As for Casper, she would've been flying around in joy if he appeared earlier. Due to her basically being almost devoid of emotions for now, she waved a quick hello at him and returned her attention to the briefing, remembering to maintain her distance from him because of the nature of their physiologies.

"Kidnapping... Teens?" Ale said in response to Manhunter's briefing. She nodded carefully, taking longer than usual to process the information. When he finished the briefing, well, he didn't exactly finish it. He was more like biding his time as if he had some bad news to share with everyone. He left for a while and when he returned, Ale gasped when she saw Daphne in a comatose state. While Manhunter explained the misfortune that lead to Daphne becoming unconscious, the Tamaranean slowly walked towards the glass case and put her hand on it. She felt a twinge of pain in her heart that was as clear as day. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she wept for her poor friend. For the first time in a long time, she could properly feel an emotion: sadness.

"Daphne... Friend... I can't even feel you..."

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Current Outfit: Formal princess gown
Interactions: @Aerandir Verrick, Sultan Raif Kadir

---

Beatrice kept as much of a straight face as she could as everything quickly fell into chaos. She began to have a headache just hearing all these people trying to steer the situation into a more peaceful, diplomatic route only to be met by loud voices demanding justification for their humiliation. She tried so hard not to appear irritated by how loud these people were, like a pack of wild dogs barking at each other.

She wanted to say something but she decided not to as there were already too many people voicing out their feelings and opinions. It was a blessing in disguise in a way because the entire situation would have worsened if not for the efforts of everyone wanting to pacify the aggravated Alidasht royalty, although it seemed to Beatrice that it was mostly the sultan's children that were the angriest about the entire unfortunate situation. She was at least thankful Verrick quickly got in front of her to protect her just in case things did go south.

Fortunately, it seemed that everyone's efforts of pacifying the anger of the Alidasht royalty worked, for now at least. Seeing Beatrice's father cry made her smile a little bit as seeing King Alixandre being so soft-hearted warmed her own heart, and she was just as proud of her brother as Queen Rosa was when he did his part in asking for the sultan's forgiveness for the whole affair with his fiance in tow.

However, Beatrice felt a twinge of doubt upon herself. Maybe she would not have hesitated too long and gathered up the courage to speak before everyone instead of letting Felix do it. It would have been a great opportunity to introduce herself and put in a few good words for the kingdom of Varian. Doubt turned to a little amount of anger upon herself. She was sure it was not a big deal but it was definitely a huge waste of a good opportunity for her. If she wanted to be the queen her people rightfully deserved, she needed to act more and react less.

Beatrice could only sigh. What has passed had already passed and there was nothing she could do about it. The best thing she could do was to do her part and help keep the festivities going. The quicker everyone could forget about the humiliation of the Alidasht royalties, the better.

She put a hand on Verrick's arm. "There is no need for further hostilities, Verrick. We want to make the rest of the night as peaceful and joyful as we can possibly make it to be. The best thing you can do for now is to mingle with the crowd, eat as much as you like, and enjoy the ni... Hmmm..." Beatrice thought about it for a bit before saying more. "Well, I suppose it won't hurt if I bring you along to introduce myself to the sultan and his children. Please excuse me, mother. Father." She said, bowing before her parents as she made her way to Sultan Raif.

"Remember, these people are our guests. We must show them the utmost amount of respect and hospitality, especially after what they endured tonight." Beatrice reminded Verrick just as they stood before the sultan and his brother. Remembering the Alidasht custom of greeting royalty, she bowed in their way before the sultan, the vizier, and the rest of his children that stayed with him, and hoped Verrick did the same too. "Your Majesty, your Royal Highnesses, and your Excellency. Peace be upon you. I am humbled and deeply in awe to stand before you." She said before standing up and giving them a warm smile.

"I am aware that you must be tired of so many people wanting their voices to be heard all at once so I decided to wait for everything to simmer down so I can make a proper introduction. I am Beatrice Camilia, princess of Varian and firstborn to Queen Rosa and King Alixandre. With me is my bodyguard, Verrick O'Hare." She motioned to her parents and Verrick respectfully before continuing. "As such, I am eternally grateful that you have chosen the path of peace, Your Majesty. Your kindness knows no bounds. Please enjoy tonight's festivities to your heart's content. All of these are for you and your family, after all."

Avalia

Time: Morning
Location: Desert
Interactions: Rosaria @Potter, Nuallán @13org, Mikazuki @Tae, Uzul @dragonpiece, Kuroi @hide on mana
Equipment: A dagger, fake elf ears, a ring of disguise, and a bag full of supplies

Jomari exhaled and wiped the sweat from his forehead. His birth country did have its hot days but they never got hot like this. He imagined himself getting cooked under the blazing rays of the sun and he could feel sand seeping through his footwear which irritated him even more. Speaking of sand, he was weirded out with the way the sand under his feet shifted with every step he took which made it easier for him to get his footing right and not slip down the dunes. However, he was too busy imagining himself drinking coconut water under the shade of a tree to distract himself from being too uncomfortable. He would do anything just to feel even the slightest breeze on his skin.

He stared at Mikazuki when she offered to let him exchange places with her under the parasol. "I reckon that to let a person of royalty such as yourself walk under the intense heat of the sun is considered a criminal offense here in your world, Princess Mikazuki. I appreciate your kindness but your life is much more important than mine, seeing that both of you ladies even have your own servants and bodyguards while I have none myself. Besides, what I've endured back in my world is nothing compared to this. I'll do fine." He said in a grumbling way though he did mean what he said.

He was so preoccupied with being very uncomfortable with the heat that he almost didn't notice Nuallán was even teasing him. "Princess Rosaria. Is the heat messing with my head, or did your dog just learned how to speak?" He said in a tone that could be described as boredom, annoyance, and indifference all at once. "I didn't realize you're the type to find entertainment in the suffering of others but I guess the truth does come out sometime. If you want me dead then just kill me already." He added with his voice having a bit of a spiteful tone this time as he trudged on to get as far away from Nuallán as possible.

Jomari then found himself walking side by side with Uzul. Normally, he would take the chance to get to know the orc a little better, even use the opportunity to feel how strong his arms were, but he was clearly not in the mood for it for now. "How long will it take for us to reach a place that is not filled with sand and heat, Uzul? I want to take a bath in a cool lake right now..."

Young Justice

Location: Poseidonis, Conference Room
Interaction/s: The Team

---

Aleen'a felt the intensity of Kassy's magic weaken, most probably due to Ja's words of kindness towards her. She felt a huge portion of the weight off her chest although she still feel how strong it still was. She heard Alisa shout that she had the case of vials and she saw her swimming away with them. She then watched in horror as Dr. Bingley aimed an Atlantean blaster at Kassy and attempted to shoot her only for Zach to swim towards the blast and shield her using his own body.

The shock from seeing her friend hurt himself and making him close to the brink of death along with the confessions of the human doctor filled Ale with an emotion she had never felt so greatly before: rage.

Despite being so weakened both physically and mentally, Ale struggled through it all. The veins on her temples were bulging so much they looked like they were about to burst, her eyes were getting red, and blood started dripping from her nose. She swam towards Dr. Bingley with a murderous look in her eyes, grabbing and crushing the nozzle of the Atlantean rifle to prevent him from using it.

"Your madness ends here." Ale said, her voice devoid of any emotion. Before Dr. Bingley could do more, she punched him so hard she blew some of his teeth off and probably knocked him unconscious as well. She then turned her attention to the hurt Zach and swam towards him, cradling him in her arms as she began to cough up blood. She swam to the unconscious Viktor next and carried both of them while swimming to Daphne.

"H-Help them, Daphne... Help... T-Them..." Ale tried to say but she had exerted too much of her power and she received so much of the blunt of Kassy's magic that she fell unconscious as well. She floated aimlessly in the water while she had Viktor and Zach in her arms, blood dripping from her nostrils and half-opened mouth.

🗡 Roses and Daggers 🎕

Current Outfit: Formal princess gown
Interactions: None

---

Beatrice followed her parents along with her brother as their family made their entrance to the grand ball. She was dressed in a gorgeous tailored violet gown adorned with golden and silver accents. It was rare for a princess like Beatrice to wear such extravagant, tight-fitting ball gowns as she was always known to wear more comfortable-looking dresses which were perfect for a princess-on-the-go like her. The skirt of the gown was more free-flowing and voluminous and the midriff part gave her body shape without making it too tight for her comfort. Her accessories glinted in gold and silver as the light shone on them.

It was not like she was being boastful to say she was getting bored of grandiose events like these, but she was getting bored of grandiose events like these. Having fun with the children of her kingdom was far better than exchanging fake smiles with people that oozed hubris. Everyone was dressed in stuffy, uncomfortable clothes that were custom made for one specific night and then thrown away into their closet, never to be seen again. The real victims here were the servants; they were always hectic days before the main event to make sure everything went smoothly lest they felt the wrath of the people they served just because the curtains were a shade darker than expected or something similar to that.

As much as Beatrice was not a fan of these kinds of events, she had no choice but to come to them whenever their family was invited. It was, after all, a tradition of both royal families, the Camilia and the Danrose. For as long as she could remember, this was both the families' way of maintaining and fortifying the relationship of the two kingdoms, bringing forth prosperous years of peace and joy to their respective people. In a way, Caesonia had become Beatrice's second home whether she liked to admit it or not.

She was thinking that her uncle King Edin must have spent all the riches of Caesonia just for tonight while she looked around and continued to smile and wave at the other nobles, noting how everything was just exuding much more elegance and sophistication compared to the other balls the king held before. She also thought that the main purpose of this event was to welcome the people of Alidasht, not intimidate them with his extravagant richness. She could only wonder how they will react upon seeing all of this prepared just for them.

Personally, she would like to be anywhere else but here. There were so many things she thought she could be doing right now, like studying more about royal politics, tending to her pet horse Cloudmor, or even honing her dancing skills in secret. She guessed she would have to think of this ball as a meeting of some sorts, catching up with the current happenings in the noble houses and perhaps forming potential business relationships with the potential entrepreneurs. At least in that way, she could consider herself as working. Besides, the royals of Alidasht will be coming to Caesonia for the first time ever. As a princess, it was Beatrice's duty to form strong bonds with the children of royal blood as well.

As usual, Beatrice went around and interacted with the nobles, catching up with old colleagues that were mostly affiliated with her parents and even meeting new faces among the crowd. She saw several of the children of nobility, most if not all were close to Beatrice's age. She gave a customary nod to Prince Wulfric whenever they crossed paths, seeing as it was only fit due to the fact that they were both the eldest siblings of their families and heirs to their own respective thrones. Many, mostly bachelors, approached and vied for her attention as her beauty and brains were quite coveted by men even outside of Varian. To Beatrice, they were all like pitiful puppies fighting each other for attention but at least real puppies were actually adorable and tolerable.

Just then, the main guests have made their arrival upon the throne and they made sure all eyes were on them. It was a spectacle, unlike anything Beatrice had ever seen. So many exotic animals that she could only see in her textbooks, so many dancers performing as they spread flower petals everywhere, so many tough and scary-looking guards, all surrounding the sultan of Alidasht, his subjects, and his children as they made their grand entrance. She was so focused on them she could hardly notice the lone sound of someone clapping. After they finished their entrance and bowed to show their respects, Beatrice let out a breath she didn't know she was holding in, her tense shoulders relaxing. She only just realized she was witnessing a moment in history, one that would change the lives of everyone forever.