Union of the Six

Noblesse Rubdich
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The shadowed princess eased when Sophia approached the strangers. She felt the older woman's presence move around and ahead of her to speak with them. Noblesse straightened from her slightly crouched stance and blinked in surprised when Sophia confessed to forgetting the mention of their arrival, "Oh..." her sweet, young voice said. The sword in her right hand dissipated in a vortex of shadow and purple flame that seemed to only swallow the blade and her hand. Then suddenly, poof it was gone, returned back to hell in the darkest pit it resided in, waiting to be called another day. The little regal girl quickly placed her hands behind her sheepishly, her head sinking into her shoulders like an embarrassed turtle, pale face now flushed. Noblesse caught up with Sophia at a slow jog and stopped when she noticed one of the strangers giving her a rather unfriendly eye. Was it the sword? Did she offend them? Yea. It was probably the sword. Ruby red eyes wandered over to large wolves that accompanied them. She stared at them for a moment, while Sophia spoke to them peacefully. The mean looks of the canines intimidated Noblesse a little, their unusual size didnt help either. The rather spirited princess was typically confident around foreigners, especially with her curiosity giving her courage to approach and speak with them but these guys looked a little mean. She took a step closer to Sophia, half her body hidden behind the woman's dress, and one hand clinging to it like a shy child. Granted she was very childlike, even at fourteen, and her height was shorter than it should be, so...in a way...she is a child. Noblesse observed them from the safety of Sophia's skirt, the absence of her father stealing her confidence further.

But this was not like Noblesse. Scared and shy. Even she was making mental note to get it together. This was the King's daughter, born with the same lack of fear and fire. While he was away, someone had to carry the torch! Well then...that settles it. Noblesse let go of Sophia and walked along side her as the pair led the small group back into the castle. She took a deep breath and straightened her back with her chin in the air. She was the royal head at the moment, and she had better act like it. With an extra spring in her step Noblesse entered a large hall with her guests in tow, both her and Sophia turned down the corridor and opened a large wooden door that led to a smaller room. It was much more private and had a more serious atmosphere. The lighting was dim, shelves upon shelves of books covered the walls almost up to the ceiling, there was a desk in the corner near one of the floor-to-ceiling windows, a mantle and fireplace, and the small table enclosed by a lounging couch and a few chairs. The room almost resembled the study but no where near as grand, this was often the room Noblesse reported to when she began her studies as a smaller child, but she quickly graduated to the actual study room once she learned to be cautious of the antique knick-knacks and artifacts that were displayed through out the room. Now this room served as sort of a....waiting room for her father's guests.

Sophia kindly offered a place to sit for the foreigners making Noblesse nod in agreement, and only sat after they did so. There was a tense and still silence in the air, so quiet the ticks of a clock on the mantle echoed through the room like a gong. Red, doe eyes blinked at the strangers across from her. Her legs tightly crossed, both hands (with one on top of the other) resting on her knee, fingers tapping and fidgeting as the seconds audibly flew by. Should she say something? She should say something. Something to ease the tention. Sophia already mentioned snacks, but Noblesse wished they had been there already, then at least the silence would be due to full mouths. Noblesse avoided eye contact, especially refraining from one of the strangers in particular, who had seem to give her a cold eye earlier. The little demoness bit her lower lip while she tried to think of something to say.

"I will not be the one talking. I'm merely here as a sign of authenticity." Well at least the silence was broken. He was rather blunt wasnt he?

The heiress opened her mouth to speak, when a louder, more authoritive voice invaded the room, "Well, that is certainly different if nothing else. I wonder if Masamori was the one that decided that or if it was all you, Prince."

Noblesse practically jumped to her feet, "Father!" She could feel him near by. The King had a certain energy or...aura about him that was familiar to his daughter. Perhaps it was the amount of power he emitted but either way, Noblesse could feel when he was close by. The knob turned and her attention snapped to the door as soon as it opened to reveal her beloved, and well missed, father. He carried himself gracefully still, but approached her first, and Noblesse quickly ran to meet him halfway. Pulling her into a hug that made her feel safe from anything and planted a small but loving kiss to the top of her head, "I'm back sweetheart. Missed me?"

Her small arms constricted around his torso into a tight embrace, her soft, rosey cheek squished against his midsection, and her eyes were shut tight, putting all her focus into remembering his touch, "Very much," her voice trembled slightly, and she spoke in a volume that only he and Sophia could hear clearly, trying to keep the moment as private and exclusive as possible. When they had let go, Desh went to Sophia and placed a hand on her belly while he spoke quietly to her. Noblesse's smile dissipated, and when the faint words "my child" reached her ears from her fathers voice, she looked away, and quietly returned to her seat, deep in thought.

Desh initiated the negotiation with out another second to waste, and Noblesse mentally thanked him for drowning out the sound of that clock. One of the guests stood up and respectfully handed her father scroll, stating it was the wishes of an Emperor Masinori. 'Oh! The ruler of Raitoningu,' she thought, remembering the name from her studies of the different kingdoms and their present throne holders. Her lashes fluttered as she blinked her eyes that followed the scroll into her fathers hands. She looked up at him to see his reaction, but as usual he kept his poker face. Across the room, the door had opened once again, making Noblesse's and Sophia's heads turn almost in perfect unison. One of the castle servants entered with a cart that especially caught the princess' eye and the strong aroma of freshly baked, still warm pastries captured her heart. Sophia, kind as she was, excused the servant and layed out the refreshments herself for everyone to enjoy.

Desh plucked a pastry from the bounty and put it on one the small plates for his daughter. Her turned and handed it to her with a sassy little eyeroll, "You inherited your mother's obsession with sweets of all things," he commented with a smile.

"I did?!" Noblesse was a little surprised to hear such a comment from her father. He never talked about her mother much and shut down her curiosity everytime she would inquire about her. Noblesse snickered, "Is this why you have so many pastry chefs working in the kitchens~?" She was caught off guard, but grinned with fanged teeth in response to the loving observation. It was a compliment to her.

Noblesse picked up the pastry and munched on it while her attention bounced back and forth between Desh and the guest speaker. She was out of tune for most of the conversation, being so focused on the sweet flavors in her mouth, but almost choked when her father mentioned the boy from Oceanius. Is this where the negotiation was going? The princess felt her fathers dark tendrils of shadow creep toward the foreign group and their beasts....

The wolves...

Distracted again, Noblesse eyed the large fluffs sitting patiently beside their masters. They looked less menacing now, and slightly more relaxed...or...maybe bored. Their ears looked small and cute, buried beneath their thick coat, their tails were long and poofy, and their fur was so healthy and seemed soft just by looking at it. Noblesse held back every urge to run up and lay on their softness, to pinch and rub their adorable ears, and squeeze and fluff their face and neck while she told them how pretty they were with pouted lips and a sweet baby voice. The demoness hada fascination with animals, especially the creatures that are not native to the dark kingdom. She remembered the water prince's hippogriff and how scared she was to meet it, but it was actually very sweet. Her ruby gaze was locked onto the balls of fluff across from her as she imagined what it would be like to have her very own.

"How about this? If Raitoningu can find a way to reach an agreement with your supposed sworn enemies, I will personally propose a deeper relationship with both of your kingdoms. You'd be surprised how like-minded our three kingdoms are."

Noblesse came back around to the conversation and looked to her father and his proposal. The foreigner rose to his feet and bowed, stating they would have to report back to their emperor and that they would take their leave. Noblesse looked back to their wolves and frowned, "So soon...?"




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"So soon?"

The young demon princess' words caught both Yama and Mizaki off guard. Both blinked in confusion towards Noblesse before glancing to one another.

Mizaki frowned and bowed to the young princess, "I'm afraid so, your highness." He stated before finishing his bow. "We are only here to seek alliance for peace," Mizaki glanced to Desh, "not war." He added. He looked back to Noblesse, "With what has been spoken, we must return and report this new information to our Emperor. We suffered greatly during the last war... We wish not to go through such devastation again." Mizaki stated.

Yama had his eyes focused on Noblesse and noticed her eyes drifting towards their wolves. But his attention was brought back to Mizaki when he mentioned the last war. His words were kind compared to what happen. Even if their Emperor was strong, they struggled greatly against their enemies. there were times where Yama thought that they would fall.... No matter how much they fought, it felt like they were loosing at every turn. Long before Raiden had even joined their Pod, Yama should have died many of times.... If not for Mizaki Yama wouldn't even be here today.

Yama frowned at his thoughts and shifted his eyes elsewhere. The food was indeed strange, and found it even stranger that Mizaki wasn't jumping at the opportunity to try all of it.

Yama glanced at Raiden. The forgotten prince was greatly quiet and held a tone of aura that he did not want to be here. Ever since Masinori told him that he would no longer be in the shadows, Raiden held a rebellious silence. He didn't have to speak his feelings for both Yama and Mizaki to know them. After spending so much time with the forgotten prince, for Yama and Mizaki, it was almost like reading his mind.

Yama slowly looked back to Desh and his family. the shadows that surrounded them were indeed intimidating. But if the Dark King wished for peace then he would not kill them, nor harm their wolves... But he was threatening them. They were a long way from home which meant their powers were weaker here. The Dark King could kill them off in blink of an eye... Would he? Was he bluffing? Yama didn't want to find out so he did nothing. Mizaki had made the right decision. Leave now and report back to their Emperor. Or they could stand here and be threatened or even killed in a foreign land.

Mizaki looked back to Desh and bowed once more. "I'm sure you will hear from our Emperor in the near future." Mizaki stated.
 
Baalog grunted in slight annoyance as he was told to sit and wait. But the small information of foreign envoys was appreciated, and he was not told where to wait. Or with whom for that matter. But since he didn't know where these envoys came from, he couldn't call upon the proper guards to accompany him. So he had to settle with standing just inside the grand entrance to the castle. He figured that if they left, that would be the way they would most likely go. And if they didn't leave, he'd figure out which country had sent envoys to them. Then he could give them a proper welcome, show them the faces of their foreign land. Well, they'd be burned and have his mark on them, their mind all but gone, but what was the difference?

So, he took a spot in the grand foyer. And there he stood patiently. Occasionally he would contemplate calling upon his swords. But then decide that it would be pointless and a bit melodramatic. And besides, it would be very hard to guide his swords to him through the palace when he could not see them. They would bump into things, and possibly kill someone. If it was going to be one of his own that he accidentally killed, he would not kill. But he did not know that for certain, and even injuring one of Deshwitat's servants would no doubt put Baalog in a very uncomfortable position. So he settled to simply stand there patiently, occasionally tapping a finger or a foot to try and pass the time.
 
Sophia De'Lexington
Lounge - Dark Kingdom

Sophia simply listened to the situation going on before her and said nothing to break the important conversation going on between the Prince and the King. However, the Attendant turned her attention to her king as a sigh escaped his lips and his face seemed to have darkened. Clearly something was wrong and he didnt say a word as he reached for a glass of wine upon the short table. I wonder what troubles him... the demoness thought before noticing Desh offering the glass of wine to her without words. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, your Highness." taking the glass gently from his hand, she herself took a small sip of the red liquid, loving how the taste danced along her tongue and ran down her throat. Wine couldnt taste any better, especially in situations such as these. But it seemed their guests havent touched not one thing while sitting here during the meeting. This made the red-headed Demoness feel like time was wasted but no doubt Noblesse would eat all of this by dinner time.

Speaking of, Desh also had given the princess another pastry which she seemingly happily took from him. A comment followed and made Sophia smile softly. No doubt she got the love of sweets from her mother, Desh never expressed any sign of being as in love with pastries as Noblesse was. The warm moment soon faded away as everything had gone back to business, both parties speaking back and forth. Only for the king to use his shadows that prepared for an attack, or restrain the foreigners in the room. After taking another sip of her wine, she placed the glass down and took a glance at Noblesse, noticing that she was eyeing something that clearly had her locked on. Once Sophia followed that gaze, she caught sight of what had Noblesse locked on target. It happened to be one of the fluffy Wolves that were sitting in the room with everyone.

Unfortunately, their guests wanted to head out already to go off to their Emperor. Looking back towards their guests, she spoke up "Excuse my interruption, but I have a question that will only take up moments of your time." she waited a brief moment before continuing "Do you mind if Princess Noblesse pet's one of your lovely Wolves? I couldnt help but notice that she seemed to be staring. If not, I completely understand." Sophia knew that Noblesse wasnt going to say anything and just stare. So might as well speak for her and possibly have her get a chance at petting one of the wolves. The Demoness didnt count on a definite yes. In fact, she cashed in on a 'No'.

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Deshwitat's eyebrow rose up in what seemed to be curiosity as the lead speaker to this shinobi troupe seemed to be more than eager to leave and report back to their king. Crimson irises slid between the three ninja and the feeling seemed to be mutual between the trio. Most evidently by the royal prince who seemed the most tense and uncomfortable in the situation. There was a long, tense moment of silence before the young men of lightning moved to leave and at the same moment that Sophia asked her question, he caught their gazes as they flicked downwards in what seemed to be like caution. Deshwitat followed their gazes but found nothing of interest anywhere in particular.

The confusion was now more than clear on the King's face as he turned to his attendant with the question clear in his face. Her own eyes seemed rather fixated on their surroundings. As if they were all....

"OH!" The archdemon suddenly yelled in realization. Just as suddenly, Desh burst into hearty laughter as he noticed what was the cause for all the tension in the room. "Oh, my apologies young ones!" He said between fits of laughter, "Darkness and shadow move to will but it is hard for me to fully contain my influence over it." He closed his eyes for a moment to focus, slowly his horns retracted from their place upon his head, his claws became regular nails, fangs became normal...ish teeth, and the natural suffocating presence of dread Desh always had around him faded considerably. The shadows ceased their constant dance and now settled to a much more subtle humming or vibration. It was still noticeable but much less so. "You see, you are not the only ones that become cautious and wary when I am relaxed. I have just returned from a battle and seeing my child and mistress put me so at ease that I forgot to redo the layers of control upon my power. Again, my apologies. I didn't mean to frighten any of you!" The whole tense situation was just being laughed away by the king and he turned to the women in the room with tears in his eyes, "Honestly, you couldn't remind me of this? I almost scared away our guests!"

Raiden was just.... speechless. Not by choice like usual but because of this.... king? Would king even be a proper way to describe this person? "Why does my father wish to strike a deal with someone as uncouth as you..... your highness." Normally, Ryusuuji would never snap at someone but this was becoming ridiculous! The safety and future of his entire people were at risk here and this.. THING was just laughing it away!

While that statement may have come off as impudent, Desh merely chuckled at his frustration before answering in earnest, "Perhaps it is because I'm uncouth that Masamori decided to ask me for peace. Your father knows me to some degree. When it comes to being a king or ruler of an entire people, I am not all that great, young prince. I am far too emotional, I have little sense for politics, far too honest, and many other things. Perhaps it is because I am more man than king that Masamori chose Tenebris as his first option."

"Perhaps." Truly, the vampiric shinobi was out of his depth when it came to politics. But if King Desh was correct, then it would make sense. It is easier to trust an honest fool than a cunning king. Is that what the emperor was betting on?

That's when both royals turned to hear Sophia's question. "Really?" They both asked simultaneously. "Well, actually they do look like very beautiful creatures. I think I would ask the same."

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Mizaki and Yama both were a bit shocked and taken back by the question about their wolves. "Non dioh?" Mizaki muttered under his breath. His words in his common language had no real translation, but were commonly used when one was confused or lost for words. Depending on the emotion behind the words that is. If said in anger it could mean an insult, or if said in sadness it could mean disappointment in one's self or in another.

Mizaki glanced over his shoulder towards Zeff who had been waiting quietly by his seat.

Before he could answer the Dark King busted out in laughter. With the words that followed Mizaki just found this lace to be even more confusing. He rubbed the back of his neck as he forced a light smile. He wasn't sure how to react. He watched as the King's features changed. Very strange and did not expect that. He let his hands drop to his sides as did his shoulders. Mizaki is always full of energy and these politics always made him feel nervous. So for him it was like bottling up his true self just to look proper in the Dark Kings eyes. Mizaki felt exhausted and yet relived at how relaxed the Dark King was actually being. The dark aura from before was a bit too much to his liking.

It was all really a misunderstanding.

Mizaki went to speak and apologize too for not understanding. But Raiden spoke up. Mizaki felt electric spike up through his spine at Raiden's words. They were indeed harsh and very straight forward. Even Yama was a bit taken back by Raiden even speaking at this point.

Yama wasn't sure which side he was on at the moment. Mizaki or Raiden. But it didn't take him long to actually decide. Raiden spoke the words Yama wanted to speak. Although his words would be more harsh than questioning. Yama didn't like how Desh laughed it off like it was nothing. To him, he felt as if the demon king had no self control. His eyes glanced to Mizaki... And here he thought Mizaki would have no self control. Surprisingly the energetic ninja did.

Mizaki quickly bowed again, "Gokai o okake shite moshiwakearimasen." Mizaki felt so over whelmed by everything along with trying to relax that he blurted out his apology in his own language. Yama made a sharp tsk sound through his teeth as he narrowed his eyes at Mizaki. "My apologies." Mizaki quickly corrected himself.

Yama didn't like this. He didn't like how things were going. Between what they thought was a threat and to Raiden's words and how Mizaki was acting. Yama agreed with Raiden. Why were they looking for alliance with such a demon?

Mizaki felt the need to quickly change topic for a moment. He looked back to Zeff and pointed to Desh's daughter. "Yujin." He stated. Zeff looked to where Mizaki was pointing and tilted his head a bit at the demon girl. He looked back to Mizaki. "Tomodachi, iku." With that Zeff got up from his resting place and walked over to Noblesse. He got extremely close to the demon girl before sitting right in front of her. His eyes locked with hers for a good moment before he relaxed and placed his head onto her lap.

Yama watched Zeff's actions and once more looked over to Mizaki. Mizaki was trying... He was actually trying to get this demon king to like them. To somehow change his mind maybe. Yama looked to Raiden in hopes of the same thoughts. He already could tell Raiden didn't want to be here longer than they had to. But with the new information about the demon king made Yama think that Mizaki would try....... !

Yama's memories had made a very clear notion. Masinori gave Mizaki the scroll... He knew more about the demon king and how the man worked. If the king was very laid back and casual... That would be a great fit for Mizaki. That's if Mizaki was his normal self, which he wasn't at this time. Yama felt envious a little that Mizaki was given the task to hold the scroll, but now... He was questioning everything even more. Possibly, Masinori thought Desh and Mizaki's personalities would mix well together and they could easily come to some kind of an agreement.
 
Emilia Sven
One week ago in Alisette

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The knight of the Dragon Guard took a deep breath, then exhaled as she pulled the deep blue cloak over her shoulders, covering the thick set of platemail that the knight wore. Emilia Sven glanced down at her gauntlet clad hands, flexing her fingers briefly to test their dexterity in their protection. She balled both hands into fists and nodded to herself, clearly pleased with the state of her gear. The knight stood and took her longsword into both hands, sliding it into it's leather scabbard before clipping it to her belt. Just below the longsword, Emilia clipped a second, smaller sheath which held her swortsword, a rather ornate steel blade which was covered in a thin layer of silver, a method of design invented by the Dragon guard to take advantage of the effects silver can have on certain monsters while keeping the sword structurally stable. Onto the blade, written in beautiful Luminian script read the phrase "In Lumin's gaze, hope prevails". The knight sat back onto her bed and took a brief look around, she was in her house, specifically her bedroom as she prepared for the undoubtedly arduous journey to The Glade and the battles that were sure to come of it. She was being sent out today, alone, in order to help the other Elysian forces prepare to defend the city from the demons if they continued to press their attack. Emilia had hoped that she would at least have her team with her, but as of now the Dragon guard was spread far too thin, and every available member was being kept in the city to defend it if the need arose.

Emilia turned to the side and lifted her backpack into her lap, rummaging through it for perhaps the 5th time today as she made sure everything was accounted for... Rations, her bedroll, crossbow bolts, bandages were in there, among with her other various necessities it seemed that everything was accounted for including her trusty blackboard and a bag of around twenty sticks of chalk. Nodding, satisfied with her preparedness she slipped the pack over her shoulders, following with her crossbow which fit over her right shoulder fairly easily. The knight finally stood up from her bed to test the weight of her supplies, taking a few steps around the room while she made sure she was properly balanced before smiling to herself This seemed to be just about everything, she was ready to head out now, no sense in lazing around any longer she reasoned to herself as she stepped out of the front door to her modest, single story home. The knight took a quick glance back at the place, knowing full well that she wouldn't be returning for a while... It was a strange feeling, but she knew her duty was to protect the people of the glade.

With that, Emilia turned away and made her way down the golden roads of the city towards the Dragon Guard's barracks before she found the Griffin stables. The knight had to take a brief moment to prepare herself as she climbed atop one of the great feathered beasts, she absolutely despised heights, and the flight was sure to be a long one... wonderful... With another calming breath she took hold of the reins and the beast charged forwards! Thrusting its wings outwards and shooting right up into the air! In mere moments the two were nothing but a speck against the vibrant blue sky.

The flight into the glade had been long and nauseating for the poor knight, she had spent most of her time with her eyes closed, thanking lumin that her griffin knew the way. It had taken a few days of travel before she had arrived at the city proper, and even then it was apparent that things weren't going well. The knight frowned as her gaze shifted over the blackened, charred forests that had once been a beautiful vibrant green. The sight sickened Emilia to her stomach, and she tore her gaze away from the sight, wondering to herself what kind of monster could destroy such beauty...

Emilia Sven
Presently in The Glade
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The knight let out a grunt as she cleaved at her opponent with her wooden blade, lunging forward before stopping herself just at the last moment to tap it against her opponents shoulder. The elf sparring with her let out a groan and reached up to rub his arm, covered with small red welts from their training. The elf stood just a few inches taller than Emilia, black, unkempt hair flowing down his back. He gazed down at her with muddy brown eyes and gave a small smile "I thought I had you that time!" he complained, though his playful smile betrayed his emotions. Idran was his name, a wood elf, one of the many that Emilia had been training to fight in the time she'd spent in The Glade. The knights commander had given her the express order to stay within the city walls in case of an attack, and in that time Emilia had grown VERY bored. And so she took to helping out where she could, be it supplying the other soldiers with information on demonology, helping build up defenses, or in this specific instance, training the citizens. It had been quite the culture shock to learn that many citizens in The Glade that weren't fighters by trade or by a perilous profession only had rudimentary knowledge on how to fight with a blade, a very far cry from the culture of Elysium. So Emilia wanted to help as many people learn as she could, in the hopes that this training could save them during a dire moment.

The knight just gave a cheeky grin and lifted her 'blade' once again, offering Idran another go, which he raised a hand dismissively to decline. "They need me to help heal the forest, sorry, but I'll be back tomorrow alright?" he offered, to which Emilia nodded eagerly. She loved an eager opponent, and Idran was one of her more determined 'students'. She took his wooden practice sword and went to put it away, Idran following, making idle conversation all the while. "So... I hear that there's still been no sight of Tenebris presence in the area since the.. er... incident. Maybe that's a sign things will return to normal right?" To which Emilia nodded eagerly in response, taking up her chalkboard to write before holding it up to him "I hope, it's hot down here, I miss mountain climate :3" her blackboard read, to which Idran chuckled in response. "Haha, I can imagine it must get hot being in armor for most of the day huh?" he mused, to which Emilia gave an enthusiastic nod of her head. The elf shook his head a little and leaned against a nearby tree "Haa, sorry, you kinda get used to it down here" he said, his gaze shifting towards his makeshift armrest with a small frown. "I just.. hope that the forest gets better, I mean.. forest fires happen, it's natural really, burns down the older foliage so that newer stuff can grow. But this.. is different, it's a poison really, I'm doing my best and so are the other druids but... who knows how long it will take?"

Emilia let out a small sigh and walked up to her new friend, gently patting his shoulder and giving a sympathetic smile. There was really nothing the knight could do but help defend, she knew nothing about the forest or how it worked, there were hardly any woods where she came from. She could only hope with Idran that with time all things would heal. "Anyways... I should go, same time tomorrow?" he asked, to which Emi gave a broad grin and nudged him on the shoulder, eliciting a laugh from her elf friend "Haha! You're on! See you then!" he chimed before hurrying off towards his destination. Emilia shook her head a little before turning away, ready to give her next lesson.
 
The Oshus Dwarf host had arrived in The Glade not long after the black fires had charred the land, their iron boots causing a plume of ash rise when they stepped upon the cursed stuff. But eventually, they arrived at the massive tree that was the Earth Kingdom's capital. Immediately Sridit and his men set up camp, and black and gold tent city sprung up overnight. They did not intrude on The Glade, and their camp was a slight distance off and separate from that of the main forces of Light. Their tents were much smaller, their size not needing the height other races did, but varied in length to allow whole units to sleep together, their armor stacked neatly by their heads and arms ready to be grabbed at a moments notice.

The next day they began training, waiting for their orders. Though they were allied with Igninuim, Sridit very much doubted they'd be appreciative of one day finding out that an army had been in their land and was now demanding supplies. Their training was fairly simple. Lock shields, hold together, rely as much upon the dwarfs next to you as you rely on yourself, that was how the spears were trained. The rest of the dwarfs, sword and shield, great weapons as well as crossbowmen, trained with their weapon of choice, or ran in full armor to build up stamina. Dwarfs were not fast creatures, they had embraced that fact decades ago, but they could run you down over the course of a few hours, and still have the energy to swing their often times comparatively massive weapons with some level of finesse.

Sridit himself sat mostly in his tent, staring at as many maps as he could lay his hands on. From detailed maps of only a few miles across to maps that covered the known world. And on all of these maps were various scribbles of possible military maneuvers. From slow grinding battles to a quick rush into the heart of the enemy to catch them off guard. He had it all planned out, and a plan if that plan didn't work. The one thing he didn't know, which infuriated him, was what kind of alliance with the other Kingdom's had Deshwitat forged?
 
Amaya Yuki
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The sound of footsteps raised the young huntress to attention as she carefully scanned the forest around her from her perch up in a the nook of a rather large Kareki tree. Her bow was held tightly in her hand, an arrow notched but not yet drawn back, it seemed, that this waiting game was almost finally over. Soon the young huntress would have her prize. Amaya had been stalking her prey for days and it seemed that she had finally found the territory the animal was making it's claim in. It seemed the creature's new found hunting ground would be it's final resting place. There had been rumors circling around the village that a Daru had broken from it's pack and was traveling alone. It was the perfect opportunity for the huntress to take down it down, and if nothing else she would be ridding the danger of the beast from the wilderness right outside of where she called home. These hunts were rare for some one working alone due to the pack like nature of the animals, and while she wasn't rash or stupid enough to take on an entire pack by herself, a singular Daru would be simple enough for her to handle. Why the animal was on it's own, she didn't know, she doubted it was hurt, for she had seen multiple of it's own kills in her time tracking the creature. Perhaps it had lost dominance in the pack or was threatening the pack leader. Either way it didn't matter to the young huntress. Because, if all went well, Amaya would slay the beast and be taking home a rather valuable trophy, one big enough to warrant a trip to the capital even.

Silence had fallen back over the forest and she was beginning to think it hadn't been the creature at all, but in the shadows behind a large tree trunk, the beast appeared slowly stalking it's way through the brush and debris. From high up in the tree, Amaya had the perfect view point of the creature, as she had guessed, it wasn't injured it actually seemed to be hunting something itself. With the beast's attention occupied on it's prey, it would be paying less attention to it's surroundings. Besides these creatures hunted as packs, it would not be used to having to watch for it's own safety while hunting. Unknowingly, the Daru had positioned itself right underneath Amaya's hiding place, giving her the perfect shot at the creature's throat. Now was the prefect time for Amaya to take her chance.

Slowly, she pulled the arrow back towards her face and aimed directly at the neck of the creature lying below her. One shot from a bow would of course not kill the creature, however the wound would disable the creature, allowing Amaya to take it down with her swords which were her weapons of choice. Her hand held steady and she waited a few more seconds, the forest around her fell silent. The woman took a deep breath, holding it, before letting the arrow fly from the string of her bow. She watched as the arrow buried itself into the Daru's neck and the creature let out an ear piercing howl. The huntress swung from a tree branch and landed on the forest floor with a small graceful thud. The Daru's attention snapped towards the noise and with another loud roar, the monster came barreling towards her. Amaya unsheathed her swords and got into position as the giant mass came racing across the forest floor looking to sink it's misshapen fangs into her neck. Just as the beast was about to pounce, Amaya ran towards the animal and fell low to the ground, sliding under the large beast and sinking her sword into it's throat and slashing the animal's right leg, getting swiped with its claws as she did so. The creature turned again for a second attack as Amaya rolled to the side in defense, blood beginning to stain the fabric on her shoulder but the creature stumbled and collapsed, letting out one final noise of resistance. The cry of pain made the huntress feel almost bad for the animal as blood pooled from it's neck and out of the Daru's mouth, it's howls almost sounding as if it was drowning. The huntress dealt one final blow to the animal, putting it out of it's misery, before the body collapsed onto the forest floor, falling still in the leaves. With the creature dead, Amaya now had the challenge of transporting the monster to the capital, with a shoulder of torn flesh.

***
​
Raitoningu, the capital of the Empire of Lighting, it had always been just a little bit more than Amaya could handle. The constant festivals, the overcrowded streets and shops, none of it had ever been that appealing for a person that much preferred to keep to themselves. The huntress had only been to Raitoningu a few times previously, and each time she kept to herself, made whatever purchases or sales she needed and exited without incident and she had always tried to handle it in such a manner. The huntress could not understand exactly what was so appealing about living here. Maybe this was the kind of city one had to get used to and she imagined that to the people living her this was just another day for them. But, Amaya preferred the quiet of the forest and the privacy she had grown accustomed to from living outside such a large place as this, and although many people came to her village for their food, it was never anything like this. The woman certainly wasn't accustomed to people almost bumping into her on every turn and she certainly was not looking forward to having to navigate the streets with her injured shoulder, even if it was now wrapped and treated to the best of her ability. Amaya had never been much for first aid, though she did the best that she could.

Although today the city seemed just as crowded and busy as usual, the people today however, seemed to be almost stepping aside for her. Maybe it was because she had such a large amount to sell, the huntress wasn't sure. Either way, it made things easier for her. Between everything she was carrying and her wepaons, she navigated through the crowds with relative ease and made her way to the markets where she could sell her most recent kill.
 
The noble family of Elysium
A collab with Crumbli Crumbli and KindlyPlagueDoctor KindlyPlagueDoctor ​


The queen of light let out a deep sigh "But... what are we going to tell them?" she asked her husband. The two sat together on the bed in their chambers as Felric attempted to comfort Arissa after hearing the news of The Glade. It had been a very long day for the two of them, discussing with the other generals exactly what they should do from here. Finally they had come to the decision to simply hold their position and wait to see how things unraveled. Elysium would up the border guard, as well as deploy a few units among the kingdoms great cities in order to form a rapid response in case the worse happened. They were hunkering down, like a turtle burrowing into it's shell, some had called the act cowardly during the meeting, but ultimately it was Arissa's choice to hopefully prevent another war.

"It'll be okay, we'll just tell them the truth, they'll understand" Felric responded. He spoke of course about Lilya and Caelius, their children. There had already been some discorse between the two on how exactly to break the news. Arissa worried for Lilya the most, knowing that she had already faced abandonment once, the queen of light was not prepared for make her face it again.

"I... Just hope so, Lilya's old enough to I know, but what about Caelius? He's... too innocent" she retorted.

Felric shook his head slowly "He'll understand, besides, he has his sister to care for him, he won't be completely alone in this..."

Arissa gave a slow nod "Right... I just hope everything blows over" she trailed off, her mind wandering to just a few weeks ago when she was discussing peace with the kingdom of Earth's ruler. How hopeful she had been...

"As do I, but whatever happens at least we'll remain a family, We'll always have each other" Felric said, pulling his wife in for a warm embrace. The two held tightly for a brief moment before pulling away, the servents had already gone out to fetch Lilya and Caelius, so all they could do now was wait...

At the same time, Lilya stood on her balcony looking out over the city scape and the mountains. Light bounced from the domed rooftops of churches and spires drawing her attention for a moment before being stolen away by another. Beside her in a seat sat her personal maid, nurse Fiore. The woman sat knitting quietly as not to disturb the princess.

It was common for her to spend hours staring out at the city. Nurse Fiore thought nothing of it anymore. Though the other servants often found it unsettling or incredibly boring. One such servant, who had always been vocal to the princess about his disapproval for her staring fixation, drummed fervently upon the chamber door. "Princess Lilya, are you there?" Lilya remained undisturbed by the drumming, her eyes fixed on the tallest of spires within the city.

Nurse Fiore rose from the seat and begins toward the door. She paused to make sure Lilya wasn't free from her thoughts before continuing on. She unlocked the chamber doors and before she has the chance to open them, the man pushed on the doors and let them swing open. "Wonderful! Our princess is wide eyed and ready!"

"Dameon!" Fiore raised a finger to her lips, both shushing the servant and providing him with a stare that could curdle milk. "Why? It's not like she's sleeping."

"She might as well be." The nurse began to usher him out, taking a firm hold of the back of his collar. He fought against her to stay in the room but the nurse proved to be stronger than he was. She pulled him back outside of the chambers and went to close the door on him.

"Fiore wait! Our king and queen sent me. They summoned her." The door stopped and began to open again. Fiore shook her head from side to side. "Of course, I'll have her brought around." She let go of the door and started to walk back to Lilya before Dameon called again. "I'm afraid I'll need to be there too. It's important." The room fell silent as the two walked toward Lilya.

Before either of them could speak she straightened herself out. Without turning to see either of them she asked, "Was Caelius summoned too?" Dameon noded and mumbled out a hasty reply. "Yes, my princess." She turned without another word and walked from the balcony to her chamber door. She didn't need to know anything more than that about it.

Caelius had once again been playing in the town with his friends, they where out in a more open and clear area and partaking in a game of "jousting" and by that they meant "hold some long sticks and pot lids while we ride donkeys into each other"
.
This was just one of the many shenanigans Caelius and his friends would get up to, they where mischievous but never towards anyone, or to make their day harder. This normally made it difficult for servants to find him, the boys where always moving and searching for a group of peasant boys was a rather broad instruction.

Still, the boys were all fairly neck in neck but it seemed Caelius was going to win. He was about to charge into Ilaven, one of his closest friends when he heard Nurse Aria call out to him, causing him to stop and wheel his donkey around to face the nurse before hopping off and making his way to her.

Caelius had always liked Nurse Aria. She had been his Nurse for as long as he could remember and she had always been kind to him and was never strict with him, much to his pleasure. Nurse Aria was a fairly voluptuous woman, which came in handy when the other servants needed to be distracted so they couldn't pester Caelius when he was playing with his friends.

"Yeah?" Caelius chirped at Nurse Aria putting his hands behind his back and smiling up at her. The Nurse informed Caelius that he had been summoned by his parents. Caelius could sense something seriuos in the way the nurse relayed the message. Caelius looked to the ground before bidding his friends goodbye and following Nurse Aria home.

Caelius was busy changing out of his tunic and into something more appropriate, not his royal attire but something similar. He used this time to think about why he was needed, or in fact what was going on. Caelius really didn't know what was going on in the wide world, he either hadn't listened or had forgotten what he had been told.

He had finished getting himself ready and began to make his way out of his room, following close to Nurse Aria.

The three made their way out of the princess' chambers and began their walk down the hall. Guards patrolling the palace stoped at the sight of the trio and offered polite nods or bows. She heard the terms, "Your highness" twice and "Your grace" eight times before her expressionless face adopted a polite smile. She gave every one of the guards who addressed her an endearing smile or a gentle wave.

Nurse Fiore slowed as they approached the king and queen's chambers. She rarely entered if ever anymore, not needing to since Lilya was above the age of six. As for Dameon his pace picked up at the sight of the chambers. To him his errand was over and he could get back to loitering the halls or serving to the whims of the royal couple. Lilya stoped however and looked around.

"You said that Caelius was summoned, correct?" Dameon came to a halt and looked over his shoulder at the princess. "I beg your pardon, your grace?"

"I said, you assured me Caelius was called for. He's not here yet." Her tone added a unique bite to her words. "Your grace, I'm sure he's just inside. Come on. If he's not we'll wait for him in there." Dameon went to take another step but felt her glare dig into him as though she could conjure daggers of light. She craned her head to the side and dropped her polite smile. "You can wait for him in there," she paused a second before fixing the posture of her head, "Or we could wait for him here."

Dameon became visibly irritable from her rivalry of his patience and rolled his tongue over his teeth behind closed lips. "Of course, your grace. I'd never disobey you. We'll wait for the young prince." Nurse Fiore smiled from ear to ear at the stubborn nature of the princess. The way she always made sure her brother was safe was something she admired about her. Proof that she'd helped raise her right.

The three waited awkwardly infront of the door, their hands behind their backs and their chins held high. Everything about them reeked of regality and a proper charm. They agreed that when Caelius arrived they'd join him on entry into their parents' chamber.

The two had been walking through the halls for a short while, Caelius let Nurse Aria talk to all the guards and such, Caelius merely smiled at them, getting a smile or head bow back at him. The guards liked him, he was never really of any trouble and generally made their job easier.

Caelius was loyally following the Nurse until they turned the corner, that's when he saw Lilya standing there with Nurse Fiore. Caelius gave them a wave and began to run to them "Hi Nurse Fiore" he said in a polite manner, "Hi sis!" he chirped up at Lilya, smiling as he did it.

He looked at Dameon and gave him a little wave "Hello, mister". Nurse Aria had had given them all a bow "I'll leave you to it, my Prince" and left back round the corner.

Caelius looked up at his sister "Um..sorry for keeping you waiting, sis" he said in a somewhat guilty tone.

"Hello, deary." Nurse Fiore said in greetings to the prince, lowering her head and smiling. It was strange how her face could appear both slim and noble from one angle, but welcoming and a little chubby from another. She made a small gesture like a wave and started towards the door. This motion didn't go unnoticed but wasn't serious enough to gain a response.

Dameon remained proud and wore a smile of acomplishment across his face once the young prince arrived. Finally he could complete his errand. Although his smile fell away once Caelius called him mister instead of his name. He rolled his eyes and raised a hand to the air, touching the tips of his thumb and index finger together. "Dameon Leblanc, my prince. My name is Dameon Leblanc." He joined Fiore in heading to the door and left the royal heirs to do their thing.

Lilya smiled once more, this time seeming more genuine than polite. She bent over slightly to give Caelius a quick kiss on the forehead. "It's alright, Cael. Mother and father are waiting for us." She straightened her posture and placed her hand on his head to scratch his scalp and ruffle up his hair.

Dameon opened the chamber door and entered, quickly standing to the side adjacent to the door. "Your majesties, the royal children." Lilya entered seconds after and offered a curtsy. She spoke in a calm tone and looked down toward the floor, "Mother. Father." Nurse Fiore on the other hand waited outside the room for their inevitable exit once the meeting was over. She knew never to enter the room without being explicitly told to before hand.

Caelius looked up at Dameon "Okay, mister" he said with a smirk. Caelius smiled at the nurse "See you later, nurse" he said as he gave a smile and wave, he began to move through the doorway.

Caelius looked into the room and saw his parents, and after Lilya had finished he ran into the room "Hi mum! Hi dad!" he said gleefully. He always liked seeing them, after all he loved his parents.

Caelius tilted his head, his parents seemed serious, or worried about something "Are you alright? did we do something wrong?" he asked in his own worried tone.

Arissa and Felric smiled down at their children "Lilya, Caelius... come here" Arissa said, gently patting the bed between the two rulers. She gave a quick look to the Solari who stood guard in the room and nodded "Leave us, we need to speak in peace" she said, pausing to give the guard and any servants in the room time to exit before the last Solari out shut the door, leaving them alone to speak.

The moment the door shut, Arissa's expression turned much more somber, and she glanced down at the two "There is... something that we need to talk about" she said quickly. "Nobody's hurt, and you're not in trouble, but we need to address something with you" Felric added, to which Arissa nodded in response "Yes... it's simply that..." she paused to take a deep breath, shutting her eyes as she took a moment to calm herself. "Mother and father... we have business to attend to... very important business, and it could... possibly result in... the two of us having to leave the castle for an extended period of time" she said calmly, letting her gaze fall over her two children. She paid special attention to Lilya, who she knew could take this news the hardest. Arissa knew the pain her daughter had felt the first time she had left for the war efforts, and she never wished to cause her such pain again...

Lilya stood at the foot of the bed, refusing to touch the sheets or even the frame. She respected her parents by all means but to sit on the bed beside them or even lean against their furniture would be both improper and pushing the boundaries of their closeness. She heard the footsteps of guards and the closing of the chamber doors. She relaxed just a little but still remain rather formal, stepping away from the foot of the bed and closer to the side they sat upon, as to keep their necks from bending to an uncomfortable angle.

She watched closely as her mother continuously broke her sentence into smaller parts. Then the phrase slipt through her mother's lips. 'Have to leave.' It took a fraction of a second to hit her. Lilya's eyes twitched wide and quickly narrowed to return to their usual size, her sights set on anything but her parents after hearing the news. She took a shallow breath but acted as if she hadn't been startled by the idea. She was strong, at least she liked to act that way.

A slow chill crawled over her skin, starting from her spine. Memories return to her as she began to think of the idea of them leaving again. The isolation, the fear, the exhaustion, she knew they were only a taste of being an actual ruler but she didn't want that again. Not yet at least. Staring out the largest of the room's windows she asked.
"You're going to fight again, aren't you?"

Arissa gave a solemn nod in response, slipping over to kneel before her daughter and take her hand, looking her in the eyes. "Yes Lilya, if I am needed, then I will go to fight" she admited with a heavy sigh. "But that shouldn't have to happen, if things go as planned, this whole situation will blow over without any serious fighting. I just wanted to talk to you about what could happen, because it's very serious". The queen of light felt tears well up in her eyes as she spoke "You're a strong girl Lilya, so much like your father... I just want you to know that no matter what happens, I love you, I love you more than anything and every single day you just make me more and more proud of you. I couldn't have asked for a better daughter. So I just need you to be strong okay? Take care of your brother, and take care of yourself, don't let anyone try to trample your beliefs or steal away your freedom. You're going to do wonderful things some day, I just know you will! You just have to be strong and know that everything I do is for you and your brother. I inherited this war, I want you to inherit peace, okay?"

Lilya felt her mother take her hand in hers. It felt both comforting and upsetting to her. Usually she'd feel nothing from it but the memories and potential outcomes of war and their deaths made this so connection something more. She confessed to the question she'd asked. It was a pointless question anyway, she already knew the answer. Then came the empty words. The reassuring unlikely outcomes, the forced compliments, she'd heard them before and they still meant nothing to her. They were words and just that, nothing more.

Her eyes met her mother's and note the tears, albeit through the blur of her own. She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. She went to speak but felt the wavering in her not-yet spoken words. She opened her eyes and breathed out through her mouth. A collection of tears fall down her cheeks. "I'm not a child anymore, mother. I'll take your burdens willingly this time."

She pulled her hand free and took a step back, recomposing herself. When she left these chambers she had to be a pillar of stability as that's what everyone looked to the royalty for. Her mother was there for the diplomats, her father for the army, and she was for the people. "I had imagined that when you tore a hole in the world that the war you inherited was over, but clearly I was mistaken." She forced a polite smile trying to come off as rude to make this emotional meeting end sooner rather than later. She didn't like crying, not in front of anyone.

Caelius ran towards his parents, taking a place on the bed and smiling warmly at them. However his happiness was cut short by his parents statement of departure. Caelius' eyes widened "Wha-what?" Caelius asked, titling his head in confusion "But why do you have to go?" He asked with much of the same tone "Somethings wrong, isn't it? are we going to be alright?" he asked nervously, he didn't want his parents to go away, he had never really been without them, he wouldn't know what to do without them.

He got off the bed and faced his parents, not knowing if he was over reacting. However he did turn to his sister. He knew this would be hard for her, But he made a vow to always be there for her, still he was confused. He just wanted to know why they where leaving, why couldnt they just tell him? He didn't want there to be fighting, that would mean his parents would be in danger. He could feel a chill run up his spine, The thought of his parents being in danger terrified him to no end.
Caelius turned back to his parents "Promise you'll come back...please" he asked, looking directly into his mothers eyes.

Felric was the one to step in this time, seeing as his queen was occupied. He gave the boy a reassuring smile "You don't need to worry Caelius, mother and father will be just fine, I promise, the very worst thing that might happen is that you'll have to spend some time with uncle Berhic in Mitis, you remember him right? He'll keep the two of you safe while we're away, and then we'll be back after no time at all" he reassured his son.

Arissa's eyes grew wide at the words of her daughter, and she shrunk back slowly "I... never intended to cause such pain... I promise you" she said, feeling a tear run down her cheek as her gaze shifted downwards. "I never meant to hurt anyone, my hand was forced... and I never want it to happen again I swear it. But... with the glade's attack on the demons my hand might be forced again. I want peace, I truly do, but for the sake of my kingdom I will not falter"

Caelius looked at his father "Uh..yeah, kinda.." Caelius moved forward to hug Felric "When you get back...will you play with me?" He says with a slight smile, hoping to add some joviality to the situation. Caelius saw his mother and went over to her "Mom...are you alright?" He asked, tugging at her arm.

'For the sake of my kingdom.' The cogs in her brain begin to turn. She'd forgotten that her mother still ruled this kingdom intimatly and that she wasn't called away for festivities. While she felt an aching in her chest, and an unquestionably powerful desire to erupt into tears, she carried herself with rigid strength. "If you don't return, I'll see to it that Caelius is kept safe and sound." Her tone seems calm and collected, the snarky attitude she'd adopted to defend her pride fading away.

She looked her mother up and down and feels ashamed of her 'low blow'. She looked to the floor and awkwardly raised her arms to around her waist, holding them out in front of her. She wasn't the best at hugs and the only one who really got them from her was Caelius, hence the height. She took a step closer, still looking at the floor.

Felric was quick to grin and hug his son, nodding eagerly "Of course, me and your mother won't be leaving right away, if anything we should still have plenty of time to spend with the two of you. We can do whatever you like" he said, before releasing the child to let him go to his mother.

"Thank you" the queen of light said, taking a moment to calm herself as she reached out to pull Lilya in for a warm embrace "I know you're going to be great some day, both of you" she said, pulling Caelius into the embrace as well. "Just know that I love you, and Lumin will forever guide you" she said, pulling them in tightly for a few brief moments before releasing them.

The king of light watched and smiled from the bed "As I've said, we aren't leaving right away, maybe we should spend some time together tonight and ease our minds of this burden, how does that sound?" he asked.

Lilya wrapped her arms around her mother and brother. She was awkward in her motions, seemingly fighting against her own programing. Her hands pressed against their backs and she bowed her head down against her mother's shoulder. She wasn't sure if that was normal of a hug but it was the only part of the hug that came naturally to her.

Her father's voice caught her attention, causing her to turn her head slightly and nod.

Caelius hugged his father tightly, leaning into him, he was still worried but he was calmed at his fathers words and loosened his grip on Felric "Yeah! i'd like that!" Caelius said, his eyes lovingly focusing on his father, "What are we gonna do?" Caelius asked, his voice shifting from worried to hopeful. At least he could still spend some time with his parents.

Felric gave a small smile and shook his head dismissively "Come, let's leave Mother and Lilya to talk, I think it's been far too long since I gave you a lesson on your marksmanship, what do you think?" the king of light offered, standing to make his way over to the door and pulling it open, waiting for his son to follow.

Caelius rose to his feet and looked up at his father "Yeah! i think i do" he said as he made his way to the door and his father "Thanks father, you're the best" he said, smiling warmly up at his father, he didn't really care about his lessons, well he did but this was different. He was just happy he could spend time with his father "Do you think i'll ever be as good as you?" Caelius asked, looking up at Felric

A deep laugh erupted from the king of light, and he gave a shrug of his shoulders "With practice, lots and lots of practice..." he said, guiding the boy out before shutting the door behind him.

The two, mother and daughter, did not leave the master bedroom for a long while. And even when they finally appeared to the public once again, Lilya would retreat to her room, and Arissa would not speak to her public that day....
 
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King of Darkness, Deshwitat L. Rubdich

The king looked over as the dire wolf laid its large head in the princess's lap and a brief smile touched his face as he looked away. He didn't need to look to know that Noblesse would probably tear up at such a big, furry thing being so docile with him. If Desh was her age, he probably started crying. "I believe the word for thank you was Arigatou? Or something in that likeness."

The grey-skinned demon stepped past the trio and their wolves (which was rather difficult considering his frame) and gestured for them to follow once Noblesse was done playing with the wolf. "As I said Ninja of Raitoningu, I truly wish for nothing more than to be left alone. Your people wish for the same thing but my agreement with Oceanius prevents me from saying anything further than word of mouth. If Emperor Masinori can work out some form of agreement with Princess Une, then I will personally organize a meeting between our kingdoms to forge a stronger friendship with our kingdoms. We all want the same thing....." Deshwitat led them past the palace gates, where he nodded to the waiting Baalog. He would be with him in a moment.

"Goddess's cries, I hate all of these meetings and diplomatic missions. Politics irritate me to no end." The king admitted to the pod of shinobi in a moment of honesty, his expression turned into sour annoyance. It wasn't anything personal with them. It was just all of the things he had to deal with now that war had begun. One of those things including reforging his agreement with the vampires. The archdemon stretched his neck as if he had a crick in it at the thought. The Vampire Queen had a daughter of age now. It meant she would participate...

Shaking the thought off, Deshwitat took a deep breath let out a loud, high pitch whistle into the sky. At first, nothing happened, as was expected. But then, an incredibly small figure could be seen zipping through the sky, practically invisible against dark skies of Tenebris with its black body. Evidently, it was moving much faster than anticipated because the small creature soon dove and practically barreled into King Rubdich's bare chest. The creature was a small thing, no wider than the palm of the average hand and no longer than the average forearm. A small, black scaled quadreped with leathery black wings, a snake-like tongue, and piercing violet eyes. A small pair of nubs could be seen along the crest of his head, indicating horns in the future. A series of seemingly chirps and clicks emanated from the small creature as Desh held the thing and ran his hand along the scales on its back. Whether the ninja knew what it was or not, the power coming from such a tiny creature was nothing to disregard. Even as babies, dragons were dangerous. Incredibly.... dangerous. This was specifically a shadow dragonling, a rare breed even among the rare dragons.

"Hello Zash, my little friend. Ninja, this is Zash. I will have him travel with you. He won't bother I promise but you'll need some way to reach me quickly once you relay your information to Masinori. This little one can fly unnoticed, is very intelligent, and hasteful. I have yet to find a faster messenger."

The king took the baby dragon into his hands and it rested comfortably on its rear legs, looking up at him. Much like a dog would with its owner. There was a brief moment that passed before the shadows underneath Desh's feet slowly crept up like a wispy fog and enveloped the two. As quickly as it came, the fog dissipated and the young dragon hopped from the king's hands to Ryuusuji's shoulder. There it remained quietly perched, "When you have news, send him back. Zash understands intention, so you won't have to worry about language."

"Baalog! I will see you now. Is there something you came here for?"

One archdemon called to the other.
​
Soviet Panda Soviet Panda Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat Britt-21 Britt-21 Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova
 
Oh, interesting. They were envoys from Raitoningu, the kingdom very close to his old stomping grounds. A few of the more brave, or fool hardy, of their swordsman came to visit and challenge him. And a small handful of politicians tried to bargain with him. Both, warrior and politician, he could count on both his hands. But they were fairly entertaining, the warriors trying to dance around him and the politicians trying to do the same with their words.

"Raitoningu. I'm surprised to see them so far from their home." Baalog stated, deflecting Deshwitat's question for now. He did not bow, but he did acknowledge his king's sovereignty by nodding his head. "And seeing as all three have their wolves, and all their wolves their master, it wasn't a war they came to discuss. Not with them at least. I could feel your flame even in my domain, Deshwitat Rubdich. Tell me, what has the world done this time to garner your ire."
 
Sophia De'Lexington
Dark Kingdom Lounge

Sophia found it quite amusing how the king suddenly turned towards both her and Noblesse with tears in his eyes "I didnt want to interrupt you, King Deshwitat. I apologize and will remind you next time." she gave a soft bow and continued to stand in her place, watching the two royals before a smile began to tug at the ends of her lips due to her dumbfounding question "Yes, really, Your highnesses." she replied, only for her gaze to shift over to one of the Lightning Prince's companions (Mizaki) as he sent the wolf over to Noblesse. With careful eyes, the Demoness lost her smile and kept an eye on the wolf as he stared at the Princess before placing his head within her lap. The reaction from Noblesse was beautiful and Sophia couldnt help but let the smile return to her face as the Princess began to pet the large wolf. Now that she was satisfied, she glanced back at the King and the Lightning Prince while they began to make their way out. The room was quickly emptied out and left both Demons in the room.

"While your father guides our guests out of the castle, I'll get all of this cleaned up, Noblesse." and so, she began to clean off the table. Pulling glasses off the table, as well as pulling the pastries back onto the cart. The untouched Pastries would be saved for later, rather than tossing them out. After a couple of minutes of cleaning, Sophia rolled the cart out of the room and down the halls back to the kitchen. Once the demon had arrived at the kitchen, orders had been given out to save the pastries for later and to clean the dishes up. "Thank you, everyone. Your work was greatly appreciated." the Soon-to-be Mother walked out of the kitchen and moved to meet up with Desh. As soon as she stepped outside, she seen the King talking with someone else, which made Sophia raise her eyebrow and approach the scene.

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The archdemon's eyes narrowed dangerously as he inspected Baalog. The fellow archdemon was an old war companion but they were the furthest thing from friends or allies one could be. Desh had a black heart in a literal sense but this man's was in the metaphorical one. Tenebris had laws and Baalog skimmed the edge of the Kingdom's borders and thus, toed the line of the rules on technicalities. Not to mention the older archdemon was ambitious. He never said it outright in King Rubdich's presence but Desh had long since learned when someone wanted what was his. When they thought he wasn't looking, a certain look would always come over them, if only for a moment.

"Yes, though it was not the entire world once again. Ever since our time together on the battlefield, the light walkers have learned to be wary of us and not rush to war with us. Well.... most of them. Xerxes Greenblood found it appropriate to launch an attack against us and I responded in kind. The forests which he calls home have been burned to the ground with daemon fire and his forces were pushed out of our lands."

The king gestured with his hand for the blade dancer to follow him down the steps. Deshwitat took measured strides through the courtyard and out of the gothic castle gates, which led to the rest of the kingdom. The pair walked together for some time, passing tradesmen, crafters, "working girls", and the like before Desh spoke again. "The war was incredibly difficult for us and we have yet to recover our original numbers and we no longer have the element of surprise on our side. The light walkers know very well what we are capable of now. So much so, that two of their kingdoms have reached for a truce and possible alliance. The Emperor of Raitoningu, as you just witnessed, and the Royal Princess of Oceanius.

It seems we were right my old comrade. It is only after we nearly destroy Linhael that we garner enough respect for them to treat us as equals. In the end, people only truly understand power." It sounded like a prideful statement but the royal's face told another tale. Clearly, he didn't enjoy making the statement but a liar this king was not. He took no pleasure in things being the way they had to be but alas, that was how the world was. The world would be destroyed before that changed and they very nearly almost proved it.

"I have to renew old alliances in preparation for times ahead. I dont believe I have to ask you to join. You've always followed the bloodshed."

(The ninja have gone home, things are happening, time skip coming up. We are going to get an official meeting with the vampires and lycans, and.... yeah. Get ready for that)

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Greenblood had started things. And he had thought the ruler of the Earth Kingdom was the calmest of the bunch. Perhaps his temper was as bad as the ruler of Igninuim, or the king of the orks in Blackfiah. Well, he had been wrong about someone before. Shame he didn't get his hands on the ruler. Having a man that, at one point, could control the very earth itself would have been the centerpiece of his little collection. Of course, he would be a drooling buffoon so as not to even risk him regaining knowledge he should not have, but all the better.

"But of course. Power is one of the few universal languages. Everyone understands it. And they must think we have the most of it, if they come to ask for an alliance. We have all the leverage in these negotiations. But we might have to act fast, for I doubt Igninuim much appreciates having her neighbor destroyed by the other one. Of course, they might understand entirely. Perhaps they'll just turn a blind eye to you unleashing your flame upon a once green kingdom and turning it to blackened ash. I'm sure she would have done the same, though water would have been able to put out the fires she'd unleash."

"I have kept in touch with one or two other archdemons that have served you during the War. A few pleasant words here and there, and some trade between estates. Nothing to drastic, we like our privacy after all. Give me the word and I'm sure they will come."

Baalog stuck in stride with his lord as they made their way through the city. He did sneer slightly at a few of the more unsavory citizens. But aside from that he looked straight ahead, glancing every once and a while to make sure his liege was paying attention.
 
Noblesse Rubdich
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"I'm afraid so, your highness." One of the Lightning men replied to her. She didnt want them to leave, at least not yet. Her eyes left the wolves and moved to Mizaki who spoke for the trio. Pink lips formed a tight-lined frown and she looked off to the side, making a small and quiet, "hmm..." for a whine. He continued to explained that he and his companions had to return to their emperor to relay a message. Noblesse gave a single nod, accompanied by a sigh, "I understand..." she mumbled.

Noblesse's eyes scanned the room, she had just barely noticed her father's shadows slowly swallowing the place whole. She blinked, looking to the trio across from them, and realizing their body language was a little tense. It must be the shadows. Noblesse was almost immune to the dreadful feeling her father's power emitted. Infact it was almost soothing to her. She felt protected when ever he realeased it, so when ever it came out she pays no attention to it. However, seeing as how it bothered their guests, Noblesse thought she should perhaps bring it to his attention. The little demoness raised a finger, about to tap his shoulder, when suddenly Desh came out with, "Honestly, you couldn't remind me of this? I almost scared away our guests!"

The girl pouted, and crossed her arms. He had beat her to the punch and blamed Sophia and herself. A teeny little devilish smirk came from her lips when she looked away, she'll get him back for this...

The foreigners began to speak to her father once again, and she tuned out. Slender fingers reached out to take another pastry from the platter that was presented before everyone in the room. She didnt really care which one she took, she loved them all, besides, she was a little too disappointed to care what she chose. Her the tip of her tail, solemnly tapped her seat slowly. She brought the pastry to her lips and took a bite, her eyes fixed on the fluffy beasts once again. 'Too bad they cant stay long,' she sighed through nose as she chewed. Noblesse didnt want the foreign people to stay, i mean, to a certain extent. She was disappointed because if they leave, that means the wolves would have to aswell. "Do you mind if Princess Noblesse pet's one of your lovely Wolves?"

Noblesse nearly choked on the pastry. Her big eyes grew wider, and her head darted to face Sophia the moment the question came out of her mouth. Noblesse shook her head, "Soph--"

"I couldnt help but notice that she seemed to be staring. If not, I completely understand."

Noblesse held the unfinished pastry close to her chest, her head slowly sinking into hee shoulders. She wanted to disappear. How embarrassing. They were here fpr business, not play! Can Sophia read minds? 'How did she even know?!' The princess' face was tinting red unknowingly.

"Really?!" Her father and the silent, grumpy looking guest said in unison.

"No, no, its okay. Really," she waved her hands in front of her with a nervous, fangy grin.

"Yujin!" One of them spoke with such authority. He pointed at Noblesse, which made her nervously grab her father's arm with one hand. The ninja spoke a few more words and the large animal looked at her with a tilted head, and got up to investigate. The demon girl was a little scared. As the canine got closer, the bigger it seemed to grow, and it stopped right infront of her. Sitting about a foot away from her feet, Noblesse could see how huge these creatures were. The wolf towered over the small, sitting princess, its paws were about as big as her head, and she thought even she were to stand she still wouldnt reach its height. Noblesse leaned closer to her father just incase, it looked cute and fluffy laying down but now it was a little intimidating. However, the wolf showed no signs of aggression, he just sat there as commanded, and looked her in the eyes. The princess' other hand reached out for his chest, but before she could touch him, the beast layed its head in her lap. The girl made a little, "Oof!" noise from the sheer size and weight of just its head alone, but quickly smiled at the wolf's gesture. She fought every bone on her body to just take its face and hug the hell out of it, what if he didnt like it? So, instead she just gently and slowly moved her hand from its forehead, to the back of its head. And when she grew bored of that, Noblesse let go of her father and took an ear in each hand, rubbing and scratching the backsides of them, occasionally going down to his jaws, but then moving right back up to those plush ears. Noblesse giggled to get rid of the fear she head upon its approach, and her pettings grew less timid. She smiled, eyes welling with the start of overwhelmed tears, and ruffled the fur on its neck, "You have a very lovely friend, sir!" She looked up to Mizaki, "And quite a soft one too!" she cupped the sides of the canine's head to bend forward and plant a small kiss at the top of its head. "Thank you very much," she said to Mizaki, giving a sheepish little grin, with rosey red cheeks.

She wanted to continue, but when Desh stood up, that marked the signal of the end of this meeting. She gave two last pats and stood up aswell, "I guess I should thank you too, friend," she told the wolf as her father was too busy speaking to the trio of ninjas, "for letting me pet you," facing the sitting wolf it was confirmed that the beast was much taller than her, but it didnt matter anymore. Noblesse snuck a quick hug on the wolf and then ran over to Sophia who waited behind as the ninja followed her father, their wolves in tow.

Sophia offered to clean up, but knowing that she was pregnant, Noblesse didnt like the idea very much. But she also knew, that no matter how much she protested, Sophia would just shoo her away to clean, so instead Noblesse offered to help too, "I'll help you!" she stated, not bothering to ask. A question can be turned down, but a statement was was close to a command. Noblesse helped the older demoness quickly clean and move everything onto the cart, taking two mire pastries for the road before, Sophia pushed the cart away to be taken to the kitchen.

She followed her until they passed through the foyer, and Noblessed left her side. She saw her father at the castle doors, with Zash and the ninja. When the ninja turned to leave, Noblesse shouted from inside the castle, "Goodbye~!" Her voice spoke to all three of them but she really meant to say a goodbye to Mizaki and his furry friend. Noblesse waved to them, pastry in hand, and stopped when she noticed someone else standing in the foyer beside her father. Who is that man? And why does he look so comfortable Desh? Noblesse made a little side-eyed sneer that the stranger, her lips forming a little pout with arms crossed in skepticism. The king left the castle doors once again, this time with that strange man. Eyes narrowed as she raised a pastry to her mouth and bit a piece off, chewing with suspicion.

The doors were quickly closing behind them and Noblesse leaned to the side to catch a longer glimpse. Thud. Click. The doors shut. Stuffing the remains of both pastries in her mouth, Noblesse melted into a pool of shadow on the ground, and slithered back to her room with haste. Going down the hall, up the stairs, and down another hall, she slipped under her door and rematerialized once in her room, running to her balcony and watching her father and the man walk down the steps, heading toward Tenebris, "But..." she frowned, "But he just got here....."







shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Britt-21 Britt-21 Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova Soviet Panda Soviet Panda
i dont think im mising anyone else....
 
Mizaki was sad to leave behind the Dark Kingdom. For what they had gone through just to get there wasn't much, but they did have to get back to Raitoningu and report what happened to their Emperor.

Mizaki found the young princess to be the highlight of their trip. Nothing against the Dark King, but he was happy to see Zeff get some attention. And after Zeff's encounter with the young demon girl, she seemed to be a bit more open to them... Even if their stay came to a quick closing.

The negotiations with the Dark King didn't go as planed seeing as the Water Kingdom beat them to it. This would mean that if they wanted peace they would have to negotiate with their enemies. Since they had left the kingdom so quickly, time seemed to fly by as they were now back on the boat and close to the shores of their own home land. But Mizaki's eyes and attention seemed to be behind them other than before them. The Dark Kingdom was indeed interesting, very interesting. He frowned at the thought towards them not being able to stay longer, but they had a mission, and the mission came first over all.

Yama on the other hand was glad to be returning home. He was not too fond of the Dark Kingdom at all and neither their King. His eyes were actually locked onto the little dragon sitting on Ryuusuji's shoulders. Their kingdom was hidden for the most part, but with an intelligent dragon flying around... Yama didn't like it. Even if it was the fastest way to send word back to the Dark Kingdom, who else knows what the dragon would report back. The Dark kingdom was so new compared to the other kingdoms, and they didn't know much about them.

Yama glanced over to find Mizaki and Zeff standing on the other side of the ship's deck. Mizaki leaning against the rails as his eyes were in the direction of the Dark Kingdom, while Zeff sat close next to him.

It wasn't long till the ship made land fall and the three were off heading back to the empire. The snow had fallen while they were gone. It didn't make much of a difference as Raitoningu was always covered in the white powder, but there was a few extra inches that toppled over the snow already on the ground.


Meanwhile......

Ayaka wandered the main kingdom, keeping her eyes sharp as she made her rounds. A few other Samurai followed her steps, making sure she was protected as she protected the kingdom. Making her way to the market place she found her eyes not just on the people, but on the items being sold as well. Unlike her brother and some of her younger sisters, Ayaka was fond of the market place. She found it soothing to see her people flourish to one area to sell and trade goods. Most of the things she had at home were made by the Emperor's craftsmen. all specially made for the royal family.

She continued to walk passing a few stands, shaking her head at the sellers as they tried to catch her attention with their items.

(Sorry its not much... Kind of did a time skip for the ninjas too... Get them back to the Emperor.)

shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat Ali9910 Ali9910 Britt-21 Britt-21
 
Prince Alba Hamilton Une
Oceanius Royal Castle
2 Weeks Ago​
"Where do you think you're skulking off to this time, Young Prince?" A soft yet firm voice called out as Hamilton strode through the halls of the castle while fastening his travelling cloak on. Pausing to turn to the source of the voice, he found himself facing his Grandmother, Almiria Une, along with her handmaidens.

"Nowhere unsavory for once, Grandmother." Hamilton politely bowed to the old woman as she slowly shuffled towards him. Her walking stick making tapping noises as she approached. The old lady's face was clearly one that was ravaged by the stresses of turbulent times and age. So while she was what a Mountain Fae would call a good middle age of 79, Almiria is a full blooded human. Still, its a respectable age for someone still able to walk and hold a commanding aura. Clearly, his Grandfather was not the only source of his Mother's steel.

"I sure hope so. You rarely visit me anymore so I figured I would look for you and dear Jace myself." Almiria scoffed, yet the warm smile that formed afterwards showed that she was simply jesting. Hamilton walked up to her and gently hugged the old woman.

"A thousand pardons, Grandmother. But being a Prince and the Head Marshal of the Blackscales tend to eat up my time. Its good to see that you're still lively as always." The pair of them chuckled as Almiria gently patted Hamilton's back as she returned his embrace. Hamilton thought back on his childhood days during the War. Almiria would always be there for him and Jace. Even if they did drive her crazy with their usual childish antics, she would still love them unconditionally and did her best to make sure they had a proper childhood. She even told him the reason once, 'Your poor Mother barely had a childhood with your Grandfather's parenting. I will make sure your Mother's foolishness will not deprive you of the same.'

"Ah its all work with you now, Hamilton. You're turning out more and more like your Father at this rate. Orcus knows David worked hard to be a good Prince Regent." Almiria paused to sigh. Hamilton could infer that she misses her son in law and the only other full-blooded human in the family. The rumors were rampant back then but Hamilton silenced them all. By carefully applied force. There was a strained silence between the two before Almiria shuffled closer and adjusted Hamilton's cloak.

"There... It was crooked. Take care now, no need for this senile old coot to hold you back any longer." Almiria tutted before turning away to shuffle back to her chambers. Hamilton only sighed and smiled at how little his Grandmother has changed. With a small chuckle, he politely bowed and pushed open the doors to the entrance hall.

Oceanius Countryside
10 Days Ago​
"This sure is nice eh, Galad? Just you, me, and the starry sky above us..." Hamilton chuckled as he offered his hippogriff an apple. As his personal mount crunched on the treat, Hamilton tended to the small fire he had going. He was certain that this empty hunter's camp will give him some peace given that it was off season for anything. Even so, he made sure to disguise himself sufficiently with his cloak's hood and stained his hair with a walnut stain to further help. And it worked, as he walked through a nearby town, not a single person guessed who he was. Well except for a couple of Blackscales he happened upon at the inn but they knew better then to give their Head Marshal away. Being alone like this is one of his few true pleasures in life. To be away from it all helps him relax and put his thoughts into order.

"Well... I guess I'll talk to you in the morning then, Galad. Goodnight." Hamilton gently patted his hippogriff as it yawned and laid its head down to rest. Hamilton snuggled against his mount and gazed at the stars. A smile spread on his face as he slowly drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

Garvus
9 Days Ago​
"Well. We're finally here, Galad. I'll have to leave you here for a moment. I need to meet someone, alright?" Hamilton patted Galad's beak as he secured his reigns at a nearby water trough before turning to look at his destination. The large Church of Orcus was hewn from large hollow rock that once stood there. Or rather, it was simply made into a neater and grander appearance worthy of being called a Church compared to a simple hollow rock, no matter how large it was. Sighing, Hamilton took a step up the steps that lead to the large oaken doors and gently pushed it open.

"You must be surprised to find me here, O Mighty Orcus..." Hamilton muttered to himself as he quietly walked along the aisles between rows of pews. There were people here and there, their heads bowed as they prayed for whatever they were praying for and even a small child happily chatting with a Matron. Standing at attention by the doors were the new Chaplains. Hamilton silently observed them as he passed by, their blue cloaks reminded him of someone but he can't seem to recall that person. Either way, that is not why he was here. His goal, was sitting in the Confessional. Luckily for him, it was empty.

"...... Forgive me Archbishop, for I have sinned."

"Don't we all, Child." A warm and kindly voice answered before chuckling a wheezing laugh. "Tell me Young Prince, what foul deed did you perform to make you come all this way to visit me?"

"Hah... What else? I let my temper get the best of me and killed a rather important person in front of the Council, my Mother, and worst of all.... my Sister..." Hamilton sighed, running a hand through his stained hair. He could hear the Archbishop hum softly as he listened to his confession. After a short moment of humming, the Archbishop cleared his throat.

"And what do you think torments you more? The fact that you've killed someone or the fact that your family saw you do it?" Hamilton took a moment to ponder the Archbishop's question. Why did that make him lose sleep? He has killed before. He even once killed someone in-front of Jace but he was certain she was too young to remember that properly. So maybe...

"None of them... Just the thought that I may be slowly losing my mind and not even realizing it... I'm justifying murder... Scaring potential dissidents with brute force... I'm slowly.... tch... I'm slowly turning into my Grandfather..." Hamilton bitterly admitted. To be fair, he only has hazy memories of that man but the archives and old rumors painted a man who easily lost his temper, mad with power, and had a hunger for invading their neighbours. Someone Hamilton slowly sees himself turning into.

"I see... Well Young Prince, as someone who knew your Grandfather personally, I can assure you that you are not turning into him." The Archbishop's words startled Hamilton. This was something new. He never recalled his Mother, Grandmother, or even any archived letters hinting that the Archbishop had known his Grandfather on a personal level. "Before you ask, we severed ties during the war. I do believe he had me on watch by the Blackscales. Compared to you, your Grandfather was a... Forgive my rudeness to the departed, complete monster. He did earn that title of Mad Prince after all!"

As Hamilton listened to the Archbishop chuckle, he kept quiet. That explained why his Mother was wary of the Church and its Archbishop. Even as Followers of Orcus, they rarely went to the grand church during any time of the year except for the Spring and Dawn of the Year Festivals. Hamilton had so many queries to make but he had no time for that. Lest he forget his own reason for being there.

"I see... Well that does soothe my worries a little.... But I have to ask you something else, Archbishop...." Hamilton's tone went from his guilty one to his usual cold and steel-lined one he reserved for interrogations. "Its regarding.... That."

"Oh? Has the time arrived, my Prince?" The Archbishop's reply made it clear that they were both referring to the same thing. That is to say, Hamilton's contingency should... certain factors meet.

"I want to hear your answer... In the event I am forced to go with it, can I expect the Church and most importantly, your support?" A simple question with no beating around the bush. He clearly took lessons from his meeting with King Deshwitat. Playing mind games won't always garner results. Sometimes, you got to just hit it head on.

"The answer should be obvious, my Prince. The Church, Chaplains, and myself shall follow your word. Even if the methods are rather... unsavory, if the results are what you claim it to be, I have no objections to it and pray that it works. For its not only our sins that will haunt us should it ever fail." The Archbishop's words calmed Hamilton down. He was glad that something is going the correct way. At least in his view.

"Thank you Archbishop. That will be all." Hamilton made a move to exit the confessional.

"Safe travels, Prince Hamilton. May Orcus protect you."

Small Oceanius Town, Farmland Strip
7 Days Ago​
"Mister? Um... Hey Mister...? Would you like another pint, Mister...?" Hamilton looked up to see the kindly young inn hostess offer him a fresh pint. Deep in his thoughts, he barely registered the lady's question and only managed to look a little clueless.

"Huh? Oh no, its alright. I... was just thinking... Is all..." Hamilton numbly replied before taking another sip from his already stale ale. When the hostess didn't go away, Hamilton realized that he was literally the only person in the inn. Earlier he had entered during dinnertime and decided to quietly perch himself on the corner stool of the bar. Filtering out the noise and laughter of the patrons to simply muse his thoughts and other things. Now, it was just him and this young lady. He quietly gazed at her. Small stature, rosy cheeks, hair the colour of straw, and stormy grey eyes.

"Um.... I-Is something the matter...?" The hostess asked, pulling Hamilton out of his stupor. Clearing his throat, Hamilton chuckled and looked away.

"S-Sorry... I was... deep in thought... What is your name, lass?" Hamilton decided to strike up a conversation. Why not? She doesn't know who he was and he didn't have much to do.

"M-My name...? Its. Alissa... My Pa was a soldier in the army and he really respected-"
"Princess Alissa Une? The Uniter who brokered peace between humans and the mountain fae during the Troubled Times?"

"Oh yes! That's the one. S-She was a strong woman and a simple farmhand before s-she married a member of the Royal Family. Pa wanted me to be as brave and noble as her..." Alissa's initial excitement gave way to her embarrassment. Hamilton chuckled at the sight, girls like Alissa would always amused him but this one felt... different.

"Worry not, Alissa. Anything is possible in my book. If it interests you, we can talk about it later if you are free this evening?" Hamilton smiled and slowly finished his drink. To his glee, Alissa immediately blushed and almost dropped the wooden tray she held.

"E-Eh?!"

Oceanius-Raitoningu Border
Present Day​
"Well... Almost there. Remind me again why you wanted to come along, Amanda?" Hamilton asked as he walked along the snow covered trail. His hands firm on Galad's reins. He had his reasons for wanting to walk to the border instead of just flying there. One, he didn't want to be seen as a threat. Two, it was good exercise for both him and his fellow Blackscale after days of paperwork.

"I mean other than the fact that you wanted to be with your charming Head Marshal and Prince of course."

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova Nogoodname Nogoodname
 
"Then my word you have, Lord Baalog. If they are willing to fight once more, then I wont turn away the help. If we are to keep this peace we shed so much blood for, we will need all the allies we can get." The pair of ancient archdemons had been walking around aimlessly through the kingdom and eventually, came to a stop in front of the fletcher's shop. A dark elf ran the small craftsman store along with his apprentices. They were the only fletcher shop in Tenebris but they crafted arrows and staves that rivaled those in The Glades. The forever young, noble features of the elf turned up to see the King and his associate to which he offered a brisk wave. As if he was greeting a passing friend. Deshwitat smiled and waved back before returning his attention to the matter at hand. "Alas, I have other matters to attend to, Old friend. I'm spread thin as it is, as my attention is required everywhere at once. I would say for you to enjoy your time here but I know this..." King Rubdich turned with a broad handsweep to the kingdom they stood at the center of. The dark brick and mortar housing that sheltered many denizens of the dark. Everything was made of the dark grey stone, giving most of the kingdom is malicious feeling. This feeling was starkly contrasted by the bustling activity of people going about their daily lives. A strange sight indeed, to see such smiles and light upon the faces of creatures like these. As corny as it sounded, that was something the king wished to protect. The unbearably fragile peace they only barely managed to obtain.

".....is not your preferred scenery. I will send some messengers to your villa when we mobilize the main army." Truly, the older archdemon preferred a more... subservient ambience from his kin. "I wish you luck, Baalog.....

And of course, should any of my citizens turn up missing in the next few days, I'll be sure to ask you first and foremost." It was veiled like a formal farewell but anyone could detect that steel in the king's voice as he delivered that final sentence. Desh was never one to make empty promises.... or empty threats. Baalog knew well that his unorthodox treatment of his servants would not work very well here.

On that note, Deshwitat bowed his head respectfully and departed from his old war mate's side. The king swiftly made his way back to the castle where his lover and child awaited him. Sophia would surely be busy with some irritating matters of the kingdom.

Well.... at least he thought that until he saw her standing in wait at the entrance. He must have just missed her when he began to address Baalog. "Sophia. Apologies if I didn't see you before. Even with your unending assistance, it seems I can never catch a moment's respite these days." He said with a tired, albeit, warm smile. She looked no worse for wear and that was a good sign for now. It would not last as she went on through the pregnancy and that would be with a normal demon. In Deshwitat's case, his powerful genes made the drain that much harder to bear as the child would have strength comparable to his own..... if not more so. In terms of raw destructive ability, Desh could not hold a candle to other rulers powers. No, what gave him an edge (lol) was the sheer scale of his influence and clever application of such a malleable force such as darkness and shadow. Obtenebration was difficult to control and even harder to make large scale use of but centuries of consumption helped curve that difficulty. Now, Noblesse could surpass him in control within a decade's time.

However, with this new child, this might not be the case. Desh's crimson gaze flicked to his lover's belly which protected his baby in what could only be described as cautious curiosity. If this child.....

"If our child should inherit your demonic power over flame, I truly fear for anybody who would dare to cross her." The reason being that Sophia, although not an archdemon, had more firepower (no pun intended) than Deshwitat did. At least in terms of outright damage. If their child had her abilities bolstered by his insane amount of raw power and control.... This old king would probably never have to worry about his kingdom's safety again. "Sorry, my mind is wandering." The ruler of darkness reached up and tucked a stray strand of scarlet hair back into place before letting that same hand cup the soft features of the future mother-of-his-child. "Hopefully, the child will be blessed by your looks and not mine. I'd rather they be handsome or beautiful rather than intimidating." There was a moment when Desh said nothing and merely watched the woman with a smile."Though I suppose few can be as terrifying as you, my love."

The king's thoughts drifted to his teenage daughter (best daughteroo) and how she was probably wondering where in the Goddess he was at this time. It was true enough that he didn't get to spend much time with her since this whole ordeal began. Yet still, there were so many things to do. The vampire emissary should be there soon. Any day now in fact. The king shuddered at the thought of the Queen of Vampires. That was a dark chapter in his life, even for him. "Sophia, I believe I'm going to go spend time with my estranged daughter. We are expecting an envoy from the vampires soon. It is time to renew the contract with them. If you would please welcome them should I be absent." Desh placed a quick, tender kiss upon the demoness's lips, immediately feeling the hunger for more but burying it quickly. Something Sophia no doubt knew. She always seemed keen on when he desired her. "Come see me later. If we have the luxury of time. I would like to be reminded of why you terrify me so." He said with a teasing laugh before setting off to find his daughter.

"Find" being redundant because Desh was already aware of where she was. Detection through shadows was always a very useful talent. It took mere minutes for the king to reach his beloved princess, Noblesse. As soon as he entered the same space as her, the loving smile of a doting father replaced his normally pensive expression these days. "Hey sweetheart. Would you mind helping your idiot father mend the wounds he inflicted upon himself during his most recent excursion." Deshwitat removed his usual coat and one could tell that he had more than just the visble burns. The corruption of his Black Flame had also affected him, leaving deep purple splotches around the affected areas. It was as if a miasma was spreading internally from the burns he had received. Luckily, being a demon, this would not kill him in time like it would a normal being. It was merely painful.

The king took a seat within the room and waited for his daughter's reply.
​
Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat Britt-21 Britt-21 Soviet Panda Soviet Panda slim slim
 
Sohphia De'Lexington
Out by the Castle entrance

Sophia could have followed Desh with his company, but she hadnt. If something important had been discussed, there would be no doubt that Desh would fill her in with his recieved information. After all, she is his Attendant and did all that she could to help him out and give him information in return. Standing there without complaint, the demoness continued her wait by the entrance of the Castle, awaiting Desh's return. Hearing footsteps slowly growing louder, the demoness looked towards that direction, spotting Desh approaching by himself. She gave a bow of her head while he apologized "Dont be sorry, your Highness. I understand that you're a busy man now adays with everything that's been going on as of late." giving him her full attention, she noticed his gaze shift down and silence filled the air before he suddenly spoke, making Sophia blink and process what he just said. This was definitely something that caught her off guard and thought that he wouldnt mention at a time and place like this. But since he mentioned it, it only made the woman have a growing smirk on her face "That's okay, Desh. You have no reason to be sorry."

While his hand drew near, she closed her eyes as she felt his fingers brushing against her skin while tucking away a strand of red hair. His hand soon cupped the one side of her cheek, causing her eyes to open and look at him just as he looked at her. Her smirk turning into a smile instead "Dont talk about yourself like that, Desh. You are one handsome man, and dont you forget that either." Sophia continued to listen before his lips pressed tenderly against her own. She returned this kiss before he pulled away. Hearing the words that left his lips excited her "I'll be happy to, My king..." she said in a hinting tone while ending with a wink, the demoness watched him walk off in seach for his daughter. My My... He's coming to me this time. I'll take advantage of that. I'm sure he wouldnt mind... Ideas began to pop up like a wildfire. Thinking of ways to torture him till they finally get their time alone...

Either way, the Demoness stuck at her post, awaiting for the Vampiric guests to arrive. It was clear that her patience was fairly large. So waiting wasnt a problem.

shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat @whoever else cause I forgot​
 
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Ophelia Gualtiero of the Atieno Coven

The thud of the horse's hooves of the dirt road was the only sound as the small party traveled through the woods. The carriage the young princess was supposed to be in seemed to blend in with the dark trees with a few leaves clinging to the slender branches. Clouds obscured the skies as usual which set a nice scene for the vampires whose eyes worked best under the shade of night. Ophelia was perched on a white stallion who she fondly referred as Valentine. The white horse and its small companion were surrounded by heavily armored men on much larger black and brown horses as if trying to blend in with the landscape as they scanned the surroundings every minute or so. Ophelia didn't seem to be wary, but it wasn't her job to be. She was in a very good mood, and a small smile was on her face. She seemed to be thrumming with energy even though she kept a calm disposition. Her mother had sent her on a quest. She liked calling all of her travels "quests" to give them more meaning, but she knew this was more important than surveying a transitioning vampire and the like she was normally sent off to do. This was actually important, and she got to leave the Coven's territory. This was so important she even had to have guards. She was supposed to be in the carriage but no one wanted to tell the girl what to do, not even her father. Ophelia eyed the man who was the leading the group, and he turned around to meet her gaze as if he sensed it. Perhaps he did. He slowed down the horse until the two were walking by each other.

"This is your first diplomatic excursion. You're probably nervous, but just know your mother and I believe you can do this. Not that it will take much persuasion since the plan has already been set, but I'm sure your imagination will make up some wild instances you may find yourself in." Her father said the last part with a bit of a chuckle. Ophelia didn't reply but her father was used to his child's silence and took it as a positive reaction. His horse picked up speed so he was back at the front of the group and Ophelia's eyes lingered on him for a while before once more looking at her surroundings. Ophelia's father wasn't a big impact on her like her mother, but she still respected him. Ophelia had spent most of her life with her tutors and isolated in the library, and the castle they lived in was big enough to allow 20 people to wander in yet never see each other. Still, he was very protective of her which was why he insisted on coming with her. Ophelia wouldn't admit it out loud, but she did feel safer with him.

The trees became more scarce and soon the group was approaching the city. Ophelia was drinking up the sight of it when everyone came to a halt.
"Ophelia, back into the carriage. You can look at the city when we take our leave." Ophelia grumbled a bit but dismounted with a huff. Valentine shook his head, most likely relieved to lose the weight and the princess laughed a bit before digging into her pocket to retrieve some sugar cubes. A few had been smooshed in her pocket but she managed to find three to offer the beast who happily ate them. One of the men took the horse's reins and Ophelia got in the carriage. The seats were stacked with velvet cushions and the windows were mostly just slits so sunshine wouldn't enter and make the inhabitants uncomfortable. That was exactly the opposite in this situation and the girl slouched in the cushions. The carriage started moving and it bounced around with every dip in the road and Ophelia could swear she almost reached the ceiling.


The princess almost didn't notice the lack of movement and noticed the light after the door was open. She scrambled to her feet and accepted the hand her father reached out and helped her out. She tugged the hood of her cloak over her head and arranged her blonde locks before following her father and the rest of the guards. She admired the looming castle while her father announced their arrival.
​

Britt-21 Britt-21 i guess, uH shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat
 
As Amanda and Hamilton approached the base of Raitoningu's boarders, the sound of faint drums could be heard in the distance. It started off as a low heart beat like thump, bringing the snowy covered world to life. Raitoningu was one for secrets and keeping themselves away from others. The drums could be heard but never seen by those not of Raitoningu.

A tall figure dressed in mostly white armor with a dash of red stepped out from his hiding spot high in the mountain. Looking down at the two travelers he only questioned why they were here. He stepped back into hiding and another drum sound could be heard. This was sharper and louder, mostly because it was closer.

Without even a sound a woman dressed similar to the man in the mountains stepped out from her own hiding place. She stood tall with long black hair and a blond streak braided tightly down her back. She now stood about ten feet behind the two travelers. Her bow and arrow ready in her hands aimed at Hamilton and Amanda. "State you name and business." She stated clearly, yet you could tell that English was not her first language.

Her eyes only shifted once and very quickly towards the higher parts of the mountain path. She showed more confidence in her stature as she knew that the other guards lined on the pathways were now informed about the two travelers. The drums beat had changed once again, but this time there were more....Lots more that could be heard. Like an army was already waiting along the path for any kind of attack.

The woman narrowed her eyes as she waited for their answer.

Nogoodname Nogoodname Wandering Grim Hollow Wandering Grim Hollow
 
Amaya swiftly weaved her way in and out of the large group that had gathered in the market. It was just as busy as any of her other trips to the capital, however there seemed to be a bit of a parting in the crowd not too far from where the hunter was standing. Taking advantage of this, Amaya jogged slightly until she was in the division of people, following what seemed to a be group of samurai guarding someone. The woman that they were surrounding seemed to be a samurai herself, which made the huntress question why she needed the security. the female samurai held herself in a way that made her seem larger than she actually was, in a way that made her grasp the attention of those nearby. It was no wonder that the people around her were stepping aside as the samurai walked through. It was no doubt that between the extravagance of her armor and the way she held herself, she was a person of importance. However, it didn't seem to deter the market sellers as they tried to get the woman's attention with their various odds and ends. Amaya was sure that many of these average items she could get at a drop of a hat and while the huntress didn't know just how important the woman in front of her was, she was sure that she had the pull to get much better quality items than the mediocre wares that were being sold here.

While the huntress was intrigued with the development before her, she was more interested in unloading the pack that was growing increasingly heavy on the girl's wounded shoulder and while she would have very much enjoyed sticking to the shadows to watch the samurai as she meandered through the crowds, she really needed to unload her haul and get paid. So, with one last look towards the woman and her growing group of fans, Amaya slipped back into the crowd, making her way to a stall just a few short feet down to which she began to barter with the elderly man in charge of the booth.

"I'm not going to take such a measly price for such a large kill. I don't know who you're kidding but I could get a better price even back home for just the pelt, let alone the meat. Give me a real offer before I take my business elsewhere. You and I both know you won't come across another one of these kills today, if not all week." The huntress stood in front of the man, her arms crossed. She wasn't about to be jerked around by some old man that thought he could pull a fast one. She knew he would pay her asking price. It wasn't as if she was being unfair, but she knew the value of what she had and that seemed to anger the man in front of her. "listen, you and I both know I could go down to any other stall around and get the price I'm asking. Maybe even more if I got two people interested. But I brought my business here. So are you going to give me a fair deal or am I going to have to pick up my things and go. If you're looking for a sucker I'm not one of them but if you're going to continue to be rude I could just raise what I'm asking for. You're getting a good deal here, stop trying to squeeze every cent you can out of it." Amaya rolled her eyes and tapped her foot. The man was beginning to try her nerves and she was about to pick her stuff up and go when the samurai woman she had seen a few moments ago strolled her way down to the shop where she was standing. The woman seemed to be at least somewhat interested in the negotiation that was happening and the huntress simply nodded towards the warrior and smirked slightly.

Super Villain Nova Super Villain Nova
 
Noblesse & Desh ​




There was no knock, no voice to announce his arrival. The King opened the door into his daughter's bedroom after what felt like forever since his disappearance. Noblesse raised her head from the book she was buried in. She laid on the surface of her bed and covers, flat on her stomach. The princess kicked her legs with leisure, and her elbows were propped up to hold the book up to her face. Long, platinum hair trailed down her back and poured off onto the sheets, untangled and kept, like silk threads lazily resting on the softness of velvet. First her eyes looked up, just over the top brim of the pages, dark, long lashes fanned out around the deep ruby of her irises. When she recognized that the man at her door was her father, her head sprung up from behind the book, "Father!" Noblesse snapped the book closed with one hand and sat up to scoot toward the edge of her bed and touch ground. She left the book on the edge as she rose to stand off the bed.

Her father removed his coat, leaving it on a dresser near the door, and took a seat near the window in her room. "Hey sweetheart. Would you mind helping your idiot father mend the wounds he inflicted upon himself during his most recent excursion." Little Noblesse gasped at the sight of his battered body and rushed over to him without question. He really didn't even need to ask. "You look awful!" she exclaimed, kneeling on the ground beside the chair and taking one of his hands into hers. Rosey red eyes scanned the surface of his body, "You must be so tired." Eyebrows furrowed softly together, and and she looked up at him with her big, round eyes. What had he done to himself? What did he put himself through? And after all that, he still met with the three ninja for a formal meeting, and that strange man. Noblesse looked up to her father, he had strength, and not in just in a physical sense, but mentally as well. To get through everything that needed to be done, and not putting yourself first. Although she admired her father's selflessness, she often thought that he needed to be selfish at least sometime and take care of himself first.

The girl got off her knees and rushed to the restroom in her bedroom. She disappeared through the door, and quickly returned with a jar in her hands, "Pia had taught me that certain plants hold some qualities that can prove to be beneficial to our health. To improve it, or remedy it." Once again she kneeled down and had began to rub this clear, cool substance onto the burns on his skins, "There are too many plants to remember. I don't remember this one but if I saw it I'd recognize it as the plant that can soothe burn wounds," she told him, dipping her hand into the jar and scooping a generous amount of the contents in it to slather it on his skin. When she had finished, she closed up the container and set it aside on the ground. Noblesse heaved a great big sigh, and folded her arms on her father's lap, resting her chin down on her arms, "Oh father," she tilted her head to rest her cheek on the top of her forearm and look up to him, "You really should take better care of yourself," she said sincerely with a smile. "You take on too much for one day. And look at you, what if it was worse than this?"

“Oh, my child. If only you knew…” As bright as she was, Noblesse had no idea of how bad things could truly get. How bad things were during the 100 year war. The things that needed to be done to get to where they are. The people that were sacrificed. This kingdom was literally built upon corpses.

The little princess' demon tail swished behind her happily and she shook her head, "In any case I'm glad you're safe, for the most part..." she sat up again and took his hand, turning it so that the palm cupped her cheek, "I've really missed you...." she mumbled childishly, hugging his arm and nuzzling her nose against it.

“And I have missed you. Truly, I wish I could spend all day with you.”

His words made her warm, she knew he was a busy man, but it was the thought that counted, knowing that he missed his daughter just as much. With the way everything has been, Noblesse missed everything about him. Not just for his physical presence, but Noblesse had started to miss her best friend and role model, the love of her life, and she missed following him around like a lost puppy, always there at his side had he ever needed anything.

Suddenly Sophia had flashed across her mind, and the unborn child growing in her. What if things changed? It would no longer be just her to follow him around, there would be another, who would he choose to give love to then? Noblesse continued to hug his arm for a while, but turned her face downward in thought. She didn't want to think of those things, that was going to be her sibling, it shouldn't matter...well...half-sibling, but still family. The little princess let go of him, and grabbed the jar she had set aside. Getting off her knees to stand she turned and walked back over to the previous room, "Father...?" She called out with her back turned, disappearing into the room.


“Hmm?” he replied absently.


Replacing the jar to its previous spot, she stood there for an extra minute. She wanted to ask him, but felt foolish for even thinking about those things. She knew the answer, but her innocent heart wanted to be reassured anyway. But after calling to him, there was no turning back. Her little heart was broken before he even replied, and she felt disappointed in herself that she would question his love for her. What if it disappointed him too? She wouldn't forgive herself, but she wanted to know, and for some unknown reason feared that she might hear what she was afraid of. Her little heart raced, and her face was flustered, she tried to hold it in but her eyes were already pooling with tears and almost at its overflow. Slightly embarrassed, she still felt the need to ask. Noblesse turned around and at a brisk walk stopped in the doorway. She stared at him for a moment, eyes twinkling with the tears, and her cheeks were slightly puffed with a held breath. The little princess tried to keep a poker face, but slowly her face melted into one that was just about to break out crying. Eyebrows were pinched together, lower lip was pouting, and she had the biggest frown on her face with the tears beading on the corners of her eyes. Her tiny hands gripped the fabric of the dress covering her tummy tightly.


“N-Noblesse? Sweetheart what ails you?” The king stammered with eyes wide in surprise and concern.


Crap, he noticed. "Will..." her voice came out hushed from the breath she was holding in. She stopped and gasped for another, her eyes darting away, trying to maintain that 'Im a tough girl' composure. "Will you still love me?" her voice squeaked, and confessing the words just made it even harder to keep herself from crying. Her grip tightened, and the lump in her throat became harder to swallow down, she wasn't sure how long she could keep this up. Noblesse's lower lip went from a pout to a quiver... then she realized he....probably has no idea what shes talking about....


“Princess, what in the Goddess's name are you ta-” In that moment, the archdemon’s eyes flashed with understanding. She was worried about the new sibling she had on the way. It made Desh’s black heart almost melt to see his daughter in such distress. The demon father’s face softened considerably and a warm, understanding smile graced his features with a kindness in those crimson eyes no light walker would ever believe was possible. “Come here, my child.” He beckoned towards the princess, patting his lap.

The princess turned her head downward, allowing her platinum hair to cover some of her face. She felt so ashamed of herself for asking such a question. Her shoulders were tensed as she stood, and when she finally let go of her breath, she let go of the tears as well, dropping to her feet. Noblesse felt frozen, she wanted to obey his call but how could she face him after that? What father wants to hear his daughter question his love for her. But more than anything, she needed his embrace and reassurance. The sniffling princess shuffled a few steps closer to his seat, still hiding her face, then ran to him wanting to be hugged. She attacked him, throwing her arms around his neck and crying into his shoulder as she stood next to him. Her little sobs were muffled into his skin, and her breaths were shallow and short. Without lifting her head, she climbed into his lap with her legs, and curled up to hug him closely. Noblesse pressed her head into his chest and continued to cry, forgetting about the wounds she had just tended to.

Deshwitat merely wrapped his large, battle tested arms around the frame of his child with a sigh and merely held her there. His chest was becoming wet with tears and he was mentally grateful that he didn’t like shirts. Still, the man waited for the young demoness’s cries to soften…. It took some time but he couldn't speak when she was so distraught.

“Noblesse…. Let me tell you a secret. Only between you and me, okay?”

The princess nodded and whispered, “Okay,” followed by a sniffle.

Feeling that it was the proper moment, Deshwitat undid a layer of control to release his wings, nearly knocking the chair they sat upon over. As the massive appendages unfurled, they quickly curled inwards, mimicking the embrace his arms gave and creating a personal little bubble for the family of two. “You have heard stories, no doubt, of how the war for our freedom was. Our people tell tales of how heroic and brave I was to lead our armies against the entire world and steal away victory. For most of the war, I did it with one goal in mind. It was to create a safe haven for all denizens of the dark. But then…. Towards the end, that goal completely changed. Do you know why?”

The quiet princess just shook her head and snuggled closer to him, her head rested on his chest, and her ear listened to his voice resonate in his body. It was soothing, and calmed her further. Desh continued, “It all changed once you were born, Noblesse. I had just barely gotten away from a crushing defeat in the sands of Ignium. Their ruler had thoroughly crushed our forces there. I came home to your mother having given birth to you only hours prior to my arrival. I was bloodied, battered, exhausted, and broken. But then I saw your mother holding you in her arms with her final breaths. She held onto life long enough for us to be together at least once. You…. were the most beautiful, purest thing these corrupt eyes had ever witnessed.

And while we were together there, for the first… and last time. As your mother closed her eyes, you opened yours for the first time. You had my eyes. I lost something…. Irreplaceable that day but gained something irreplaceable as well. Suddenly, the reason I wanted to create this kingdom… was for you, my child. I didn’t want you to grow up in fear like your mother and I did. I wanted you to have what no one in our race ever had. A place to call home. This entire kingdom is for you. For our family.”

The demon king let out a low sigh and gave his daughter a small squeeze. “Noblesse, after how much blood I spilled for this kingdom….. I would watch it all burn to the ground, myself with it, if it meant keeping you… and your little sibling safe.” The king laid a small kiss atop the platinum hair of the princess, his own ashen locks mingling with hers. “I could not love you any less even if I tried, Noblesse. And I will love your brother or sister the same but that will certainly not mean I love you less. I swear on the Goddess, sweetheart. I will always be your stupid, loving father. To the day I die.”

Noblesse sat up to look at him, her lips in a tight frown, with the last of her tears trickling down her cheek bones at the mention of her mother and of her father's continuing love, she looked at him straight in the eye, “You're not stupid,” she protested, staring him down for a minute. The little princess took offense to his own insult, no one speaks about Desh that way, not even himself. She blinked at him for a minute, and brought her arm up to wipe her face of the tear residue on the apples of her cheeks. She moved past his comment and back to the matter at hand. With one last sniff, she took a deep breath and asked a soft, “You...you mean it?”


“Of course I do.” Desh responded with mock exasperation. “Nothing will ever change that, Princess.” The demon king’s hand found the back of her head and he rubbed her hair softly, ruffling it in the process.


Noblesse thought for a moment. Face still flustered, eyes red from crying, and her nose still a little sniffly, she couldn't help but feel so embarrassed for asking such a question. He had given everything for her, he would still give anything for her, and yet she still wondered about his unending love. The child was just worried she was going to be replaced in her father's heart, but thanks to his reassurance, the little princess felt slightly more at ease on the matter. She mustered up a small smile, and rested her forehead on his chin, while she sat on his lap, “I don't know why I felt so scared…,” she confessed, shaking her head, “When Sophia said she was going to have a baby…..your baby,” she paused, reflecting on the awful sunken feeling in the pit of her stomach, and the gnawing on her heart she had at first, “I know you love me father, very much, as much as I love you! But when I thought about it, this child is going to need so much love and attention...I just didn't want to be forgotten, I didn't want to become old news. Because I still need your love and your care, too.” Noblesse threw her arms around him once more into a hug, “But I'm also really excited! To have a baby brother or sister, that's such great news! Now someone else will understand how much I love you, because they'll really love you too,” she giggled. The little demoness pulled away from the embrace and looked at Desh, “I'm sorry I ever doubted you father, I promise I’ll never do that again.”

The demon lord merely chuckled at the princess’s little revelation. Her antics had yet to tire her old man in her short 14 years of life. “It is okay to doubt Noblesse. I would rather you be cautious than gullible. But you can rest assured that this king’s love for his child won't be going anywhere. That is one truth the whole world cannot change.”

With that said, the elder demon stood from the chair, daughter in arms, and carried her out of the room. “Now, your father has some more business to attend to and he would very much like your attendance.” Desh phrased it like a joking question but judging by the princess carry he had her in, he was going to be taking her with him.

“My attendance?” Noblesse raised her eyebrows, feeling flattered he’d want her with him in this ‘business’. However, her pride turned into skepticism, raising one eyebrow she asked, “What sort of business? And father don't you think you're working a little too hard? If you ask me, I'd say you've had enough ‘business’ for one day,” she poked his cheek with a finger. Noblesse nestled in his arms further as he carried her out of her room, and crossed her own with her nose in the air, “I think you deserve a break! Can't these matters wait just one more day?”


“I would normally agree with you but regrettably, these matters do not care whether or not I am rested. But don’t worry Noblesse. Your father handled much more pressure in the past. This is a minor annoyance at best. Things you will need to learn to deal with soon.”


Noblesse looked away in thought, blinking and batting her eyes, slightly confused, “Oh…”
 
xxxtentacion said:
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Ophelia Gualtiero of the Atieno Coven

The thud of the horse's hooves of the dirt road was the only sound as the small party traveled through the woods. The carriage the young princess was supposed to be in seemed to blend in with the dark trees with a few leaves clinging to the slender branches. Clouds obscured the skies as usual which set a nice scene for the vampires whose eyes worked best under the shade of night. Ophelia was perched on a white stallion who she fondly referred as Valentine. The white horse and its small companion were surrounded by heavily armored men on much larger black and brown horses as if trying to blend in with the landscape as they scanned the surroundings every minute or so. Ophelia didn't seem to be wary, but it wasn't her job to be. She was in a very good mood, and a small smile was on her face. She seemed to be thrumming with energy even though she kept a calm disposition. Her mother had sent her on a quest. She liked calling all of her travels "quests" to give them more meaning, but she knew this was more important than surveying a transitioning vampire and the like she was normally sent off to do. This was actually important, and she got to leave the Coven's territory. This was so important she even had to have guards. She was supposed to be in the carriage but no one wanted to tell the girl what to do, not even her father. Ophelia eyed the man who was the leading the group, and he turned around to meet her gaze as if he sensed it. Perhaps he did. He slowed down the horse until the two were walking by each other.

"This is your first diplomatic excursion. You're probably nervous, but just know your mother and I believe you can do this. Not that it will take much persuasion since the plan has already been set, but I'm sure your imagination will make up some wild instances you may find yourself in." Her father said the last part with a bit of a chuckle. Ophelia didn't reply but her father was used to his child's silence and took it as a positive reaction. His horse picked up speed so he was back at the front of the group and Ophelia's eyes lingered on him for a while before once more looking at her surroundings. Ophelia's father wasn't a big impact on her like her mother, but she still respected him. Ophelia had spent most of her life with her tutors and isolated in the library, and the castle they lived in was big enough to allow 20 people to wander in yet never see each other. Still, he was very protective of her which was why he insisted on coming with her. Ophelia wouldn't admit it out loud, but she did feel safer with him.

The trees became more scarce and soon the group was approaching the city. Ophelia was drinking up the sight of it when everyone came to a halt.
"Ophelia, back into the carriage. You can look at the city when we take our leave." Ophelia grumbled a bit but dismounted with a huff. Valentine shook his head, most likely relieved to lose the weight and the princess laughed a bit before digging into her pocket to retrieve some sugar cubes. A few had been smooshed in her pocket but she managed to find three to offer the beast who happily ate them. One of the men took the horse's reins and Ophelia got in the carriage. The seats were stacked with velvet cushions and the windows were mostly just slits so sunshine wouldn't enter and make the inhabitants uncomfortable. That was exactly the opposite in this situation and the girl slouched in the cushions. The carriage started moving and it bounced around with every dip in the road and Ophelia could swear she almost reached the ceiling.


The princess almost didn't notice the lack of movement and noticed the light after the door was open. She scrambled to her feet and accepted the hand her father reached out and helped her out. She tugged the hood of her cloak over her head and arranged her blonde locks before following her father and the rest of the guards. She admired the looming castle while her father announced their arrival.
​

Britt-21 Britt-21 i guess, uH shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat
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Sophia De'Lexington

Her wait didnt disappoint as a familiar carriage came into view. It was clear that the Vampire Princess and the King had arrived, especially with the fact that the King decided to announce their arrival. As if Sophia didnt already know about the incoming guests. "Welcome back, your highnesses." the Demoness bowed her head at the pair before lifting her head and continuing with her words "King Deshwitat is expecting you both. Please, follow me." turning her back to the both of them, the gate opened before her and once they were fully open, Sophia began to stroll up to the castle. "I'm sure you arrived without any complications, correct?" it was little chatter but it was her job to make sure that the guests were treated kindly. Even to make sure that they werent rudely approached by citizens. Doubtful, but it's a possibility.

As the trio walked into the castle, the Redhead lead both royals to the throne room where Desh sat upon his throne with Noblesse nearby. Approaching the throne, she merely stopped a few feet away from the throne itself and bowed "Your highness," her head lifted "Your guests have arrived, King and Princess Gualtiero." Sophia gestured towards the pair before moving over to her King's side, folding her hands in front of her and looking at their guests. Nothing more to say, and nothing more to do unless given an order or asked a favor. Though while she stood there, it was possible that they could have been parched, but she wouldnt interrupt the conversation going on. Hopefully I can grab a servant real quick to fetch those drinks... the demoness thought to herself.

shadowz1995 shadowz1995 Fluffy-Kat Fluffy-Kat slim slim (A little short but you all were waiting on me so I wanted to move this a little faster)​
 
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