[M] Promethean Galaxy: Dynasties (Holey & Cosmic)

[Holeypaladin]

"What's Glacia like, Uncle?" The teenage girl sitting on his lap had a lot of questions regarding the Glacian Empire. Ever since she had heard that she might be travelling there at some point, it was the only thing she could talk about. Well, that as well as questions regarding the three princes who were going to visit. "Are Glacian princes anything like fairy tale princes? I want to be a fairy tale princess!"

"I've never been to Glacia," said the Emperor, hugging the girl gently, "So really, the stuff you've read is the same stuff I've read. You're best off asking these questions to the princes when they arrive."

"Will they be bringing a princess for me to play with, too?" She asked, with bright eyes.

"I heard they might, but it's uncomfirmed. Again, we'll see when they arrive."

"I'm... a little scared," the girl admitted. "Everyone talks about how Glacia is big and scary and if anyone can hurt us, it's them..."

"No one's going to hurt you," the Emperor assured her. "They know that we can hurt them, too, so they won't risk it. We're trying to build peaceful relations, not war."

"Ok...." she said a bit hesitantly. "I trust you, Uncle Donald!"

"You're a good girl, Katalina. Go get dressed in your prettiest princess dress, ok? They should be arriving soon."

"Ok!" she said before hopping out of his lap and running off to get dressed.

The Emperor himself stood up, securing his sword to his side. Not one to arrive late, he also wasn't one to waste time by arriving early, either. So he waited until almost the exact second to when the Glacian shuttle was due to arrive before heading out to the Emerald Palace landing pad, along with several Imperial guards in their traditional battle gear.

[Cosmic Fury]

"Your Excellencies, we have permission to land." The captain of the Glacian battlecruiser was one of Masamune's personal guards, and one of his best. "Are you ready for departure?"

Masamune and Karl (as he liked to call himself) were the only two members of the Glacian delegation still on the bridge. The two liked to oversee things as they happened, although Karl struck the Captain as someone who tended to micromanage a small task force of skilled people, while his younger brother was a more adaptable commander who relied on his men to get their parts accomplished.

"Proceed as scheduled, Captain. Please patch a message through to Julius, Marin, and Lianna that we are to depart the ship shortly." Masamune left his words at that, but Karl flashed a signal to alert the honor guard as well.

The Captain, behaving with a grace that was typical of Masamune's personal bodyguard, complied rapidly with both orders. "You depart in five minutes. All of your requested items are already on board, and the shuttle is clear for departure."

"Good. We will be there shortly." Masamune made his way down to the shuttle bay, arrayed in his finest clothes. It would be the first time was meeting the Achenaran Emperor, and it would be his first major mission after the disaster that preceded the opening full-scale battles of the Asmodean War. I still remember the lecture I received from Grandfather.

While he was profusely commended for his tactical expertise, he was still reprimanded for the fact that he lost ships in the line of duty, for his apparent refusal to stand up to the otherwise overconfident commander of that expedition. He nearly lost both his ship and his life, and he would never have gotten to enjoy even the little eyesight was coming to him these days.

"Careful. This corridor is pretty dark." Karl was still used to Masamune's blindness, but was still well aware of his slow but inexplicable recovery. His younger brother was making a very rapid recovery (if it could be called that), and was showing signs of being able to move independently in bright light.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be able to manage. I do know this ship intimately. I designed it for my impairments in mind, after all." Masamune took swift but cautious steps forward, using his various senses to tell when the corridor made its various twists and turns.

At long last, they found the shuttle -- with their oldest brother Julius slumbering on one of the couches inside. The latter was dressed in a green-and-gold attire as was his want, while Karl and Masamune sported similar uniforms in red and blue, respectively.

After muttering something terrible about Julius's timing, Karl went to inventory the shuttle down to its last bolt, ensuring that everything was in place. In the meantime, Masamune made his way to the cockpit as the two Princesses arrived with their immense amount of luggage -- most of it belonging to Lianna.

Soon enough, the shuttle departed, and made its way to the planet's surface, where the inevitable delegation would await to witness this historic event -- right at the exact scheduled second.

Before long, the shuttle craft made its landing, and the first out of the small craft was naturally Julius, who was always in a rush to see new things and meet new people. Embarrassed but nonetheless composed, Karl eventually stepped out of the shuttle, followed by the three brothers' two distaff cousins.

Masamune, however, waited until the honor guards had filed out, with his own being arrayed in white-and-gold armor for "ceremonial" reasons. (In reality, it was only a clever trick to brighten up his surroundings enough for him to see others in full detail, as his eyes were still re-developing.)

After Julius, Karl, and the two girls had finally cleared the shuttle along with their guards, the planet's sun started rising higher in the sky... and Masamune made his well-timed entrance. Just as the sun was striking the surface at its best, Masamune stepped out of the shuttle in the midst of his two guards, whose bright armor only accentuated every one of his features -- and enhanced his eyesight.

Knowing that the Achenaran Emperor was likely to be out here to personally greet them, Masamune took a slow and dignified approach, in order to quash any possibility of him botching this meeting as badly as his first battle with the Asmodeans.

[Holeypaladin]

The timing of the Glacian prince's entrance and the lighting might have made for an impressive display to most people... though to the Emperor, it wasn't all that unusual a display, having been used to impressive performances and grand entries in the past. Still, it showed that the prince had put some planning into his arrival, and the Emperor appreciated the amount of time and effort that had gone into a display that was to last a mere six seconds.

"Greetings to you, Prince Julius, Prince Karl, Prince Masamune... and I see you brought Princess Lianna and Princess Marin with you. Your Highnesses are welcome in the Imperial City, and I hope the living quarters of the Emerald Palace are to your satisfaction." The order in which he greeted the royals had little to do with their standing in Glacia... he had instead greeted them from eldest to youngest, male before female; the default sequence for royals of similar standing in the Imperial Court.

The greeting was interrupted as the blonde princess rushed out, in her pretty purple dress and tiara. "Uncle!" she said, wrapping her arms around the Emperor before noticing the Glacians and hiding behind him.

"Please excuse my niece," said Donald III to the Glacians, "She is brand new to Court and is still learning proper Etiquette. Katalina," he said, returning the young princess' hug and looking at her. "How do you greet visiting Royals? Show them you can be polite," he said with a slight smile.

"Umm..." she said, then nodded in determination, as if steeling her resolve. Stepping out from behind the Emperor, she gave a graceful curtsy to the Glacian guests. "Good day," she said, "I am Princess Katalina of House Achenar. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, and I hope we can play together!"

With a deep blush, she immediately went back to hide behind the Emperor again. "How'd I do?" she said in a whisper.

"A good start, Katalina," he said, patting the teenager on the head. "We'll continue to work on it." He chuckled a bit and returned his attention to the Glacians.

[Cosmic Fury]

"I am glad to finally meet you, Your Highness." Masamune was the first to speak, as usual. After all, it was me who orchestrated this meeting in the first place. "We are grateful that you have shown us the honor of greeting us here in person."

As they descended the ramp and Emperor Donald made mention of his niece, Masamune made a light, dismissive gesture at the mention of her behavior. "We all have to start somewhere. I myself nearly did not show up to my first public appearance, because I was that nervous." He pointed to Karl before continuing. "If it wasn't for his sagely advice, I'd likely have run off back to my Grandfather's palace."

Behind him, Masamune heard a faint thud as Karl gave a vicious jab at Julius's ribs for staring at Katalina for too long. Knowing this, Masamune himself took half a second to put the full weight of his disapproval in a very brief but effective glare that reminded his oldest brother of where they were at.

Turning around, Masamune put on his usual, friendly look, making sure that nobody of relevance caught his side glance in time to feel that something was wrong. Distracting our host with our rivalry would be rude indeed, not to mention would deliver a blow to our loose solidarity. Addressing Katalina in a friendly tone, he delivered the most effective statement he could think of on such short notice. "I'm sure that we'd make great friends. After all, if we came all this way and didn't get to know any good people such as yourself, our trip would be such a waste."

In the meanwhile, Karl nodded his agreement, while Julius allowed himself to be completely distracted with all of the new sights and sounds around him.

[Holeypaladin]

Katalina seemed to be completely oblivious to the fact that Julius couldn't keep his eyes off of her. Rather, she seemed confused about something else entirely. With a look of utter befuddlement on her pretty face, she leaned in closer to the Emperor. "Uncle," she spoke in a whisper loud enough to be heard by everyone present, "Did he just call you...?"

Patting her head, Donald III smiled at the girl. "Glacians seem to have a different court etiquette than we do, Katalina. I'm sure the prince didn't mean to address me as if I were a prince as well.... he probably just didn't know the proper way to address the Emperor of the Imperium Universalum." Though many people would have been quite insulted by such behavior, the Emperor didn't seem to care for such formalities much either.

"Oh um..." Katalina said quietly, "It's 'Your Royal and Imperial Majesty,' isn't it?" she said, looking up to him with innocent eyes that seemed eager to be praised and accepted.

"That's exactly right, Katalina," he said as he patted her head, "Since it's a mouthful, I just let people say 'My Emperor' instead. Simpler that way."

"Yes, Uncle.. I mean, My Emperor!" Katalina beamed from being praised and accepted, giggling a bit with excitement and seeming a bit less shy all of the sudden.

"Since we're all friends here, I invite you all to join us for dinner," the Emperor nodded to the Glacians. "Let us first get you settled in to your living quarters, of course. The palace maids and butlers will show you the way... it's easy to get lost in such a large castle if you're unfamiliar with it, after all. But we have a very talented staff that will attend to your every need." He made a gesture, inviting them to come inside.

[Cosmic Fury]

Unfortunately, the girl's intended message came off very poorly with many of the Glacians gathered there. Masamune could sense the palpable tension from both his brothers... and his guards. However, a chance at extracting his compatriots came quickly.

"Princess," Masamune paused, only a shadow of vexation crossing his face deliberately, "In Glacia and its surrounding regions, it is how we address foreigners of any royal or Imperial rank. The use of such a title merely conveys the deepest respect for them, coming from our own station to theirs, without showing a sense of dominance or submission in front of another."

Taking an extra moment as a precaution against some petty verbal jab, he shot a look at Karl to keep Julius and the others under wraps until he figured the rest out. Seemingly though, the foreign Emperor had already read into the situation, and graciously had given them a back door to run out of. Seeing this, Masamune tossed a rather strong gesture of dismissal to the rest of the party.

"My brothers are tired from the long journey, and could use their rest..." Masamune took a long pause, and put a slightly heavier pitch into his words for good measure. "So can our honor guard. They will retire for the evening with my brothers. In the meantime, I'll rest on my own time. We have much to discuss."

Masamune deliberately left out the fact that his former blindness had absolutely destroyed his sleep cycle, not to mention he was already well-rested. Impropriety simply won't do here, anyway. Besides, it's high time I get those guys out of my hair for a few minutes at least. Even with his eyes coming back to life, it was plain to see that there was a stark lack of real emotion behind them... just some sort of vague emptiness that Masamune knew that few could understand.

"Before we proceed into the meat of things, there are, of course, the necessary pleasantries to dispense of." Masamune hoped that his bold move to ditch his entire entourage would win him a few valuable minutes to salvage the poor impressions that both parties seemed to have left on each other. "If it is acceptable to you, I would accompany you further before we depart. I am a person of few needs, and time spent in the company of those I can learn from is time spent well."

[Holeypaladin]

Katalina read a bit into the tension that had been building, and clung a bit tighter to the Emperor as the Glacians proceeded to their room. Once they were gone and only Masamune was left, she looked up at the Emperor with sad eyes. "D-did I say something bad?" she asked.

"Nothing that can't be laughed over in the future," he said, patting her head before nodding to the prince. "It would seem we share some things in common then," he chuckled. "I don't have all that many material needs either... all this" he waved at the elegant palace "is for show... not for my sake, but for the sake of my guests. They have certain expectations, and my people see to them."

Sensing the prince wanted to talk to him alone, he turned to the princess. "Katalina," he said in as kind a way as he could manage, "I bet the princesses would like to see some of your pretty dolls. Why don't you gather some of your favorites to show them after dinner?"

"O-ok!" said the princess, giving him a hug before running back into the palace, nearly tripping over her long princess dress several times in the process. Once she was gone, the Emperor returned his attention to Masamune.

"I sense you have something you wish to discuss," he said the obvious, "I'm all ears."

[Cosmic Fury]

"Here is the short version." Masamune looked the Emperor directly into his eyes. "My Grandfather is dying. He's slowly dying, but dying nonetheless. He plans to retire and pass the throne to a candidate that he deems worthy of succession."

Masamune's gaze nearly averted for a split second, but his willpower returned quickly. "That is the main reason for our trip here. We wish to improve the political situation back home by getting one of us on the throne -- but the truth is that none of us are actually viable candidates on our own."

"You'll figure it out eventually, as everyone with an intelligence service such as the ones our Empires possess will." Masamune's gaze strengthened somewhat, as he continued this potentially embarrassing spiel. "I've spent much of my life blind, and only recently have been recovering my vision. There hasn't been a physically unfit Emperor ever -- and the ones that were broken during their reign always found a fast retirement, such as the one my Grandfather is about to experience. My oldest brother is a brick. He's certainly capable of doing a job required of an Emperor, but only barely and with the help of too much advice for his own good. My brother Karl doesn't have the moral character that our Emperors normally possess. He will certainly be an effective Emperor, but he'll send a lot of people to hell for it."

Masamune's tone steadied, and it was obvious that he hadn't yet arrived at the most mentally nerve-wracking part yet. "We also have different relatives who are being considered for the succession. However, they're going to be terrible rulers for our present times. We were raised to be adaptable and flexible rulers in our own different ways. Julius rules with strength, and for the wisdom part of ruling, he gathers supporters who he tends to listen to, even if it's too much. Karl usually has friends around who restrain him when he's having a darker moment, but other than that he's a brilliant tactician, even if he's almost devoid of most moral principles that normal people cling to."

"As for myself, I've lived most of my life dependent on others to survive -- in return, I make the decisions that only result in mutual benefit for our collective. In some sort of way, the three of us complete each other, and if we were all the same person, we'd be the elected to the Imperial Throne, no problem." Masamune continued, almost without pause. "The fact of the matter is that we're not one person, and the job of the Emperor falls to one person to rule, while everyone else steps aside as he renders his final decisions. "Part of the reason we stepped away from home is to decide which of the three of us makes the best candidate for the job. Regardless of the events that you have planned for our diplomatic visit, we work both alone and as a collective. After we're done with our negotiations, we will end up deciding which of us will be the face of our campaign for the Throne... and I would rather us make friends rather than enemies in our bid for power."

Masamune paused for a significant moment, and sent his bombshell. "Before any of us get started in weeding one another out in pursuit of a leader, we'll need to know the field we've chosen to contend with one another in. I need to know if you'll be able to help us decide our future. In addition, I would very much desire your opinions on us as a people. What are your first impressions? What will we have to work with going forward?"

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor listened to the prince as he spoke of succession... of Glacian nobility, internal affairs, and the personal characteristics of each of the three princes... included their strengths, as well as some of their biggest flaws. It was... extremely sensitive information in its very nature. If the nobles of Glacia were aware of what he was saying, to the man they considered their greatest enemy, the consequences could be... disastrous.

"You risk everything by revealing all of this to me, your empire's greatest rival. It is... quite bold of you, and I can indeed see why you chose to speak of this in private. If any of my men... or any of yours... get word of this conversation," he chuckled, "Well, I needn't elaborate on the potential consequences, as I'm sure you've taken them into consideration."

"I'm also sure you've considered that my assistance will not come entirely free of charge. I speak not of money, of course... but out of interest for my people. As the people of the Imperium are my primary responsibility... though I'll admit on a personal level, to having some degree of concern for all living beings. Life is, after all, the most scarce and precious resource in the universe."

"My opinions of you as a people are... mixed," he admitted. "We actually have a lot in common, your people and mine. Which is why we tend to be distrustful of you... because you have all of the same ambitions as us, making an inevitable conflict over these ambitions a very real concern. And yet I also agree with the words you have not yet spoken... a war between our people must be avoided. It would bring death and destruction on a level this galaxy does not need."

"However..." he said, "Competition breeds excellence, in a sense. Without a rival, we have no real motivation to move forward, and without conflict, we'll instead seek conflict among ourselves, dividing the great Imperium from within. Which is worse? Educated men know that civil wars cause far more death and destruction than the wars between rival states..."

"The best solution I can come up with," he said, "Is to maintain a situation of rivalry for now, while having assurances that it will not break out into a full scale war. It is a very delicate, fine line... and will not be easy to maintain. But I'm sure you can see it as well, can you not?"

[Cosmic Fury]

"I can see that, but not all rivalries need be hostile, or even other than friendly." Masamune spoke with a grace that was atypical of a Glacian. "As for taking a risk, we take risks all the time to accomplish our goals. What I revealed to you, you were going to find out eventually, whether I told you or not. I merely took the moment that intelligence was revealed into my own hands and used it as a tool."

Masamune thought hard on the Emperor's implications as he spoke of the cost of his assistance. "I understand that your first interest lies in that of your people; it is much the same as ours. That is why I approached you in the first place. Our interests need not always conflict in a violent way, or even one that pits us fully against one another. Rather, a rivalry intended solely for growth in our well-being is something that I advocate as well."

"I can tell that you have designs for growth for your country, and that is something that I will never object to." Masamune chose his next words with care. "It is a goal we share in common, but I would not have that goal lead to barriers that keep our people from interacting and learning from one another... and growing as individuals in the process."

"Regardless of whether or not I take the throne..." Masamune paused, then let loose his goal. "I want my home to become a nation without borders, without boundaries, without barriers to learning and growing. That what I desire for my people... and for myself."

[Holeypaladin]

Listening to the words of the Glacian prince, the Emperor paused, giving it some thought. Then, he slowly began to nod. "You speak wise words," he said, "And you are indeed full of youthful ideals... I can see you have given it much thought, and have great plans for your people." They were, in fact, of like mind on a variety of topics... but due to the tendency of Reality to get in the way of Ideology, it was difficult to put such ideas into practice in a galaxy dominated by threat of violence, xenophobia, and various other unknowns lurking at the edge of explored space.

"I take it this trip was largely your idea, then?" If so, he had somehow convinced both of his brothers of the wisdom in this journey... though they might not know his true reasons, and Donald III suspected they did not, in fact, know as much of Masamune's plans as they though they did... for they likely would not agree with some of the things he was saying.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, the Imperium's medical technology is... slightly ahead of your own. Perhaps we have the capability to fix... whatever is physically wrong with you." He paused and looked at Masamune. "You were going to ask me to do something of the sort at some point, were you not? Or am I just thinking a few steps ahead of you?"

[Cosmic Fury]

For the Emperor's first question, Masamune merely gave off a telling smile. "All I had to do was convince Karl, and give him some very... potent arguments for all three of us coming out here. Julius was merely told that it'd be fun, and he agreed to 'tag along' with us."

He also listened carefully to the Emperor's last question, but Masamune dismissed it as soon as the words left his mouth. "Under no circumstances can I have outside modification done to my body, to repair any natural ailments. I know it's rather self-destructive, but it's taboo among royalty to modify our bodies unnaturally, after birth. If I did such a thing, it'd endanger my family as well as myself, because people tend to ask the wrong sorts of questions, when questionable things happen to those they envy. Besides, if you're asking about my eyes, they're just late bloomers. They'll be fully re-developed in around a month or so... just in time for my plans to come full swing."

Leaving that last comment hanging, a cloud passed over Masamune's expression. "However, even we don't know how my eyes decided to suddenly put themselves together, so to speak. I've had no modifications done by chrysalis, genetic therapy, or other such technology that we possess. Not even Grandfather's personal surgeon knows what triggered it. Either way, it changed our collective plan radically. Julius was originally supposed to become Emperor, with myself simply fading into obscurity... and it very nearly happened, too, if it weren't for these recent events."

Rapidly changing the subject, Masamune decided to touch on a lighter subject. "Speaking of events, I hear that there are quite a few that Achenar and its surrounding regions are known for. What are your personal favorites?"

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor mused over the words of this Glacian prince. He indeed was a clever, cunning individual. When it came to the brains of how to run his empire... it fell down to either him, or Karl. And when it fell down to the morals and principle by which Donald III wanted to see his rival empire governed... it was either Masamune, or Julius.

He didn't speak his words aloud, though... at least, not yet. He chuckled a bit at the inability to accept augmentations, however. "Forgive me but... that seems rather dogmatic, don't you think? They modify you before birth but not after? I suppose you didn't make the rules but... still, it is a bit contradictory, from my perspective. Then again, I'm an outsider," he shrugged.

"It does interest me how you began to recover, though... perhaps some external force did have an impact on you, without your knowledge. A subtle effect. Regardless... your condition has indeed improved from what my records show."

He smiled a bit when the prince mentioned events. "Indeed... I personally prefer the blade master competitions, but Katalina prefers more... feminine pursuits. She's not a violent person by nature... very kind hearted girl. You'd like her, I think."

[Cosmic Fury]

"Yes, and if you'd like to offer any sort of assistance in tracking down the source of this change, I would be more than willing to accept it." Masamune pondered on the Emperor's words of dogma and principle. "They're dogmatic, yes, but tradition can't be trampled upon so easily. A lot of things will change when the new Emperor takes the throne. New traditions will be set in order, and in their wake old societal customs will be shoved out the door... the ones that make little sense being the first to go, of course."

At the mention of Katalina, Masamune gave off a soft, graceful smile. "Her innocence really is very charming. It's been a while since I've met a person who hasn't been corrupted by the violence our societies tend to encourage. Many of the greatest spectator sports in the Glacian Empire involve violence in its most refined states. However, in some way it useful in that it keeps us ready to defend those weaker than ourselves."

He wouldn't mention it to Donald, but there were few things that would drive even Masamune to such violence as displayed in the ever-popular War Games staged every so often in the Glacian Empire. Threatening his family and closest friends would definitely encourage the young Glacian to use such measures to solve his problems.

Despite his disdain for senseless violence, he did very much appreciate the discipline and the finesse that went into sports that used it. Many of the tenets behind the best warriors' lives revolved not around violence or its use, but instead around the refinement of one's self, and the betterment of those around them by showing an example of strength attained through virtuous means.

If nothing else, his teachers (however odd they could be at times) instilled principles of the highest sort into their pupil. Even though Masamune was physically blind for much of his life, he could be absolutely terrifying if someone backed him into a corner. And it's thanks to them that I can defend those I care about from the sort of warmongers that plagued this strange Emperor for so much of his life.

Among the most important lessons that the two men taught Masamune was that strength wasn't a virtue -- it was simply a trait attained from having the willpower to remain true to one's self, and the dedication to attain the power needed to hold onto one's own freedom despite attempts by others to forcibly change them. When the lesson finally sank home into the young man's mind, he at last understood why both men were as close to being indestructible as the rumors suggested.

"I would very much love to see one of these tournaments." Masamune responded at last, breaking a brief silence. "While I'm not a very skilled fighter in single duels as some others are, I still appreciate the dedication these people hold to experiencing a higher standard of existence than others around them."

"Oh, by the way," Masamune had a pressing thought cross his mind at the last second, before the Emperor could respond. "Do you know of Vrael Valeris and Severus Black? My brother Karl has told me some... interesting things about these two, and about the adventures they had before they arrived at my Grandfather's court a few short years ago. I'd like to know your perspective on those two."

[Holeypaladin]

"Indeed..." said the Emperor, considering the words of the Glacian prince. He implied that his empire would be changing quite a bit once a new ruler sat on the throne... culturally as well as politically. This could be quite problematic for the Imperium, should the wrong ruler sit on the throne. He was rapidly beginning to see the merits of forming an alliance with the heir of Glacia before such a thing happened... as well as a personal friendship.

"Katalina just doesn't find violence to be very entertaining," he shrugged. "She's a good girl. A bit naive though... we are, after all, rather protective of her, and for good reason. You've seen the way your brother looks at her, but she didn't even notice. Now that she's of marriage age," he shrugged, "We definitely need to be rather selective of who she marries, don't you agree?"

"Tournaments are held fairly regularly, in the arena," the Emperor nodded. "We could go watch one at some point during your stay, if you like. Most of the major championship matches are held here, so the combatants are quite skilled." It had been some time since Donald III himself had set foot in the arena, but he did monitor the champions to see their progress.

He smirked and chuckled at the mention of Severus and Vrael. "Ah yes..." he said with a nod, "Those two goofballs. I had heard their misadventures took them to your empire, as well as to the Asmodean front. They're rather... interesting characters, as I'm sure you're well aware. They tend to be somewhat unpredictable and do their own thing, but they do follow a certain personal code that keeps them in line, for the most part. The old fart has a bit of an attitude problem, though," he said in reference to Severus.

[Cosmic Fury]

"Yes, I should know that. He was my teacher." Masamune threw a meaningful glance at the Emperor. "So was Vrael."

Masamune focused his eyes on his surroundings, and realized that their regeneration was beginning to speed up. He gave it about two months or so before they'd be ready for use as he intended them for, in relation to his master plans. Although he couldn't see details yet, he could still perceive enough to continue his practice with his new senses.

However, that was aside the point. He wanted to know the Emperor's reaction to those two freelancers who always seemed to be causing trouble all over the galaxy... and it seemed that it was only recently that those two legendary knuckleheads teamed up. Talk about a scary combination, but at least they both managed to pass their skills on to me -- and to my brothers at a lesser extent. One was famed for being an ageless jack-of-all-trades and a master of every single one of them, and the other was a specialized assassin who was peerless at his work... and they were both old. The bigger question than how they survived all these years with all their enemies around, was how they kept from getting a day older as the years slowly killed everyone else around them.

"I heard from reliable sources that Severus might be working for you." Masamune decided to toss that piece of information around, and glean something about his former master with it. If he was eventually going to come to blows as the old man promised, he wanted some ammunition to use against him. Even so, that wasn't all he was here to talk about.

"Yeah, Katalina might not be suited for marrying a brick," Masamune quipped, in reference to his eldest sibling. "He may be a nice guy, but it's too bad he's not the sharpest tool in the shed. He always loved his contests though, and he's good at them. If we threw a party, he'll be there. If we threw an old-fashioned dragon jousting tournament, he'll be there even if he's not been trained for such things. He's always enjoyed meeting a challenge head-on. He's never been one for cloak-and-dagger politics. He's always been one to face his foes head-on and face them at their best."

"We might have to choose someone else for her to marry." Masamune's brow furrowed at the possibilities. "Odds are that whichever of the three of us ends up with her hand in marriage would be the one ending up sitting on Glacia's throne. It's not necessarily the most pleasant prospect to think about in certain respects... But I've certainly seen worse happen to my predecessors."

"Speaking of your tournaments, though, I might enter into one." The young man's mind suddenly bloomed with ideas in other areas. "We might even throw a big event or something. There aren't many Glacians around here, but we've got a few blademasters of our own around here. They're rarer back home than in your region of space, though, due to the fact that only a set number can exist with that title within our borders."

"If we're going to make a competition out of our little 'battle' for the Throne, we might as well stage it under the guise of something much grander than three siblings duking it out behind closed doors." Masamune gave Donald a very meaningful smile, as he pitched his idea. "There are many things that could be tried here on Achenar in the way of contests, with of course of blademaster's tournament and a war game being among them. We could hold several, and the one who gets the farthest in most of them wins our little game. Of course, we'll have to come up with things that measure more than our ability to swing a remorseless piece of metal around."

Masamune made a swinging motion with one of his arms, pretending he was holding some sort of sword. "Either way though, I do need ideas along with a bit of help in blowing them sufficiently out of proportion... so that the wrong people have no clue as to what we're really up to. I might be a practiced mastermind, but I still need the resources and the extra heads to pull my plans off."

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor listened to the words of the Glacian prince. He was, after all, rather good at listening to people speak, so long as they spoke of topics that interested him. He had heard that Masamune was a man of few words... yet it seemed today he had a great many words to speak, and many things to say. He was also said to carefully calculate his speeches before he spoke, so everything he said, in as many words as he said it, must have been thoughts he had considered and planned over a great deal of time, designed to keep the Emperor interested in what he had to say.

"You have some interesting teachers," he noted, "Though they aren't necessarily known for their teaching skills. Perhaps they're growing too old to do what they used to... Vrael in particular long since retired, or so he'd like everyone to believe. Severus retired quite frequently, yet he also gets bored of retirement just as frequently," he chuckled. "I'd be curious to know who these sources are," he said without confirming or denying whether or not Severus worked for him.

"You do realize that I'm not going to choose anyone for Katalina to marry, and neither are you... right?" While arranged marriages were common among the nobility, Donald III valued his niece too much to force her into a marriage at this time. "You do make one fair point though... winning her hand would serve as quite a stepping stone towards the Glacian throne. If you're going to have some sort of contest to see who becomes your next emperor... perhaps one criteria of your competition could be to see how compatible you are with her. Try to win her, try to woo her... try to convince me that you're good enough for her, as no one will be taking her away from House Achenar unless they prove themselves worthy." He was obviously quite protective of the beautiful princess, and for good reason, as she was the sort of girl that attracted quite a bit of unwanted attention from perverted men.

He considered the rest of the prince's words. Contests... competitions. To see who would be the next ruler of Glacia. The Emperor raised three fingers to emphasize his next words. "Three stages, three chapters, three competitions. The Blademaster's tournament is a good idea, as is the war game. For the third... I suggest Katalina's heart. Whoever wins all three is the most deserving to be an Emperor, by Glacian standards at least. I doubt Karl will have much luck with Katalina, though... he doesn't seem to be her type."

[Cosmic Fury]

"It'll be the death of me if I forced someone to marry someone else. I already promised someone else that such a thing would never happen, so I perfectly understand where you're coming from." Masamune's words carried a surprising amount of conviction behind them, and he almost surprised himself with the subtle force with which they were delivered. "She'll be able to choose for herself if she wants to marry any of us. I wouldn't want to choose between just the three of us either. What a sorry fate that would be..."

"I suppose it's settled, then. I'll relay the results of our discussion to my brothers." Masamune chose his words with extreme care. "To be blunt, I never really wanted the job. For a long time I wouldn't know how to go about it. In fact, none of us wanted the job, hence our visit here to decide amongst ourselves who would get the short end of the stick. In the end, we decided to give an actual incentive to the victor... the winner picks the next Emperor out of the three of us, and the rest of us would abide by the winner's decision."

He took a considerable pause before adding in his ending remarks. "I'd like to thank you by helping us find a way to arrive at our final decision. Katalina will decide who she wants to marry (if she wants to marry in the first place) at the end of our competition. After all, if she picks before this whole mess is over, the winner might not end up wanting to become our next leader."

With those words, he waved towards the Emperor in a typical sign of farewell, and went off in search of his brothers.

[Holeypaladin]

Masamune's tone changed greatly when the Emperor mentioned how he didn't intend to choose the young princess' husband for her. Perhaps he wasn't quite as thoughtful with his word choice as he was rumored to be, considering he had realized his blunder from earlier and quickly worked to correct it. Or perhaps he had realized that the Emperor wasn't quite the man he had expected.

"In my experience," said the Emperor. "Those who desire power the most tend to be the ones least worthy of wielding it. Such power should not be used for personal gain, after all, and a wise man once said that with great power, comes great responsibility. Having the winner choose the next Emperor... might not be the wisest of actions. But we shall see how this works..."

"We'll discuss this more later," he said with a nod to the prince. "Enjoy your stay in the Emerald Palace, Prince Masamune." As the prince waved his farewell, the Emperor decided to track down the young princess to see how she was doing. She wasn't that hard to find... she had invited the other two girls to a tea party, after all, and while such events were normally reserved for girls... the moment Donald III peeked in on them, Katalina noticed and waved at him.

"Uncle Donald!" She said, "Come join us!" Not giving him much choice, she grabbed on to his arm and dragged her to a spot at the small table that had been set up, pushing him into a chair and sitting next to him. "What kind of tea would you like, Uncle Donald?"

Well, it seemed her formality had quickly faded, and she was back to addressing him informally. With a slight chuckle, the Emperor shrugged. "I'll leave it to you." He immediately discovered this was in fact a terrible idea, as the princess began to put way too much sugar into his tea.

[Cosmic Fury]

Predictably, Marin found herself holed up with a pair of dolls, for lack of a better word. She still didn't know how she ended up having to change from her relatively simple, solid blue dress into something this... gaudy. Either way, she still blamed her distant cousin for cornering her into this situation. Even now, she could swear that her loud protests still echoed through the halls, along with her near-indistinct shouting that she didn't have to squeeze herself into a gala-style dress just for a "tea party," or whatever this whole mess was.

Things kept going downhill in the room. Her tea was so sweet that she nearly gave up her lunch, her clothes were uncomfortable in the extreme, and the unceasing conversation about hats, clothes, and "cute noblemen" constantly grated on her ears. She was more a fan of the more... practical side of things. She was a science geek, and loved politics to boot. And, while she admitted privately that she did like to dabble in intrigue every now and then, this idle gossip certainly wasn't what she had in mind.

While Lianna and Katalina had already hit it off like two star-crossed lovers, Marin had chosen to more or less cloister herself in the corner of the room, chiming in just to keep from being harassed for the ninth time about her decision not to wear one of her cousin's many elaborate hats. Her gold-and-blue dress, while it did look completely stunning on her, simply wasn't her thing. Neither was the corset that she refused to wear at all costs. (Half of her shouting was solely over that single item.)

She was about to give up and leave to join her cousins when the foreign Emperor walked in. Upon casting her gaze his way, she realized that his expression matched her own: a carefully veiled feeling of regret. She watched the man enter the room, and she came up with a plan to get herself out of the situation, thus ditching the unfortunate soul on the other two girls. At least I'll get a reprieve from this madness.

Getting up, she told her cousin that he had to use the "necessities," and took steps to extricate herself from the room as quickly as possible, while Katalina was busy dumping copious amounts of sugar into her uncle's tea. Swiftly catching her voluminous dress in her hands, she made towards the exit with both the swiftness and grace of a cat. Just like Masamune, I guess. Who'd have thought the tricks he taught me would be useful in a messed up situation like this!?

[Holeypaladin]

As princess Marin mentioned having to use the facilities, Kataline put her finger to her lips as if in deep thought. Suddenly, she figured it out. "I'll go with you!" she volunteered, getting up. Seeing this as an opportunity to escape, the Emperor made a move to get up as well.... only to be pushed back into his seat by the insistent princess. "You. Stay," he said. "Don't move. You'd better be here when we get back!"

The Emperor sighed as Katalina went off to go use the "necessities" with Marin. Whether she had caught on to the princess' escape plan, or whether it was one of those girl things where they all had to go to the restroom as a group rather than one at a time, was anyone's guess. Katalina made it out to be the latter... but at times, the young princess was far too clever for her own good.

The Emperor found himself alone, in a room with a pretty princess from a foreign nation. He glanced across the table at Lianna. And he had absolutely no idea what to say... so he remained awkwardly silent. This was... definitely an awkward position for him. Taking the tea that was far too sweet and nearly inedible, he put it to his lips to drink it, as an excuse for doing something other than talking.

[Cosmic Fury]

Instead, Lianna saved him from an otherwise disastrous situation. "Umm... you shouldn't."

She simply felt too awkward to say anything else. Instead, she made haste to get rid of the foreign man's tea before the other two got back, and spoke in an almost inaudible, nervous voice. "If even Marin couldn't take it, you'd probably end up slouched against the wall if you drank that." She poured him a new cup of tea, this time putting a lot less sugar into it.

It took her a while to search for words, but she finally said them, this time in a slightly less nervous voice. "Please forgive my younger cousin. She's... not really into this sort of thing." The footsteps in the hall outside of the chamber were audible, as Marin's shoe heels clicked on the floor as she picked up her pace.

"Let's just say this isn't her element." Lianna gracefully handed the stranger his cup of tea, and with an unmatched elegance somehow found a way to move in her ballroom dress, back over to her seat at the other side of the small table situated in the middle of the room. She almost giggled at the thought of Marin making haste in that puffy dress of hers -- it simply wasn't a sight she got to see very often. However, she caught herself before she could show any sign of her mischievous mirth, being mindful of the other guest in the room.

"I take it that you're not very comfortable with this sort of thing either?" Lianna had an odd way of getting to the point, even if she was very talkative and "really girly," as Marin liked to put it. "If you're not, it's fine. Tea parties aren't for everyone."

She gave a very knowing smile as she made herself more comfortable in her seat.

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

In the meantime, Marin's pace gradually accelerated. Even in her restrictive clothing, she had taken steps to ensure that she could at least move freely -- even going through a half-hour battle to keep a corset from being "strapped like crash webbing to her chest," as she put it. However, that other chick was surprisingly fast herself, and she found her steps being dogged all the way down the long corridor. What the hell kind of girl is this!?

As she picked up more speed towards the restrooms, she knew she had an excellent excuse for going as fast as she was. However, she couldn't put into any polite words that she simply hated the situation she was shoved into, dress and all. So, she simply tried to extract herself. Think, Marin! What would they do? Her thoughts drifted to her distant cousins, and tried to think in their shoes. What would they do if they -- especially Masamune -- were cornered into a spot like this?

Julius wouldn't even think. He'd either suck it up or fight his way out if he wanted to. But, Marin wasn't really the type of girl to openly start a fight over a series of pet peeves -- regardless of how angry she got over them. She already tried Karl's typical method of finding the perfect scapegoat to get out of the situation, but that obviously failed and now she was being hunted down like a dog by one of the very people she needed to get more than an arm's length away from.

But she didn't know about Masamune. He had spent most of his life totally blind. He simply couldn't escape if he was shunted into this sort of situation without help. He'd simply figure out the best way forward, whether he knew the path in front of him or not. That's it! Like Masamune, she'd strategize this one out! And speak of the devil!

As she rounded a corner (also conveniently on the way to a restroom that she knew of), she discovered that it wasn't that far from where her cousin had gone off and talked to the foreign man about something. Sure enough, she saw him down the passageway, this time with a bewildered look on his face as he saw the two girls racing down the hallway. She flashed a hidden signal towards him in a private code that she had been taught by her cousins - one that indicated trouble... and her cousin instantly picked up on the situation.

She started slowing down, and she approached her cousin. "The lady's room is that way, right?" She pointed further down the hall. This time, she hoped that Masamune would boldly take her place - voluntarily this time, unlike the unfortunate soul she dumped in the chamber further behind her. I'll have to make it up to the poor man later...

"As far as I know, yep." Masamune pointed further down, and with impressive subtlety flashed a sign that simply meant "help." Although Marin couldn't guess at what her cousin really meant, she still took it as a good omen. Confident that she was saved, she proceeded on her way, certain that her cousin could at least stall the other girl until Marin came up with something constructive to say.

[Holeypaladin]

Lianna was kind enough to break the awkward silence, it seemed. Offering her a slight smile which seemed unnatural on his face, he said, "Thanks." He wasn't the sort to use more words than necessary, and the princess was pretty enough that he felt a bit awkward in her presence, but knowing Katalina, she had in fact intended to force him to be alone with the pretty princess for a short period of time. She had, after all, encouraged him on numerous occasions to find himself a wife, though he still continued to resist her in that regard.

"Not a very princess-like princess, is she?" He chuckled a bit as he heard Marin fleeing as fast as she could from Katalina. It was indeed amusing... the Achenaran was merely trying to make friends, but it didn't seem to be working out so well in the case of Marin. "Katalina is the one who should forgive her... she'll be a bit sad and think Marin doesn't want to be friends, at this rate."

With a shrug, he took a sip of the tea. It was still somewhat sweeter than he was used to, but that was because he normally didn't use any sweetener at all. "Much better, thanks. You're right in that these aren't really my thing... but Katalina has a tendency to refuse me to isolate and drag me around like you saw... you should have seen her when she was younger. The girl viewed me as her own personal pony... complete with turning my head in the direction she wanted me to travel while she was on my shoulders." He chuckled a bit at the memory.

__________________________________________________ _____________________________

Katalina giggled as she gave a merry chase after the Glacian princess, treating it as a sort of game. She didn't want to think that she was being avoided, so she pretended not to notice the fact that Marin was trying to get away from her. Eventually, she reached a point where Marin had asked her cousin to come to her rescue. Well, at least she had someone new to play with.

"Hello, mister prince!" Katalina said cheerfully to the Glacian. "Come with me! We're having a tea party!" With that, she grabbed Masamune's hand in order to drag him back to the tea party. She was making her way slower on the way back, in order to give her uncle a bit of time to talk to the other pretty princess, the nicer one in her opinion, but she didn't want to wait so long that he had a chance to sneak off, either.

[Cosmic Fury]

"Well, she's basically like a fairy tale princess, right?" Lianna asked the question out loud, both for self-reflection and for the other man's benefit. "She knows that one day she'll grow up. But until then, she knows she'll have to enjoy every moment she can, because it won't last forever."

She noted that her tea, even though it was mildly sweetened, was still not to the stranger's taste. Lodging that fact as a mental note in her mind, she went on. "As for Marin, she's a lot less polished than most. She's an only daughter, you see, and she was never close with her mother. So, she's basically become a lot like her cousins."

After saying that, she started to quickly prepare a the next small pot of tea, this time avoiding sweetener altogether, seeing that they had sugar nearby as it was. "And I'm personally happy that Katalina thinks about you this way." Lianna gave off a beautiful and disarming smile. "It's proof that she genuinely cares for you. It's almost like the bond myself and Marin share with our cousins... In fact, it's a part of the reason they decided to bring us here."

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

Masamune saw a familiar blur headed towards him, and of course he gave the usual signal. When Marin had spoken, she was clearly in some sort of distress. I might be blind, but I can still sense things. If anything, his two foreign masters had taught him how to sense anything wrong with anything around him. He then saw another silhouette of an unknown person rushing towards him. He heard the same person speaking as before; it was the Achenaran princess. So she's the one Marin's trying to get away from.

Suddenly, he felt someone grab his hand. He almost pulled back defensively -- he was in a strange place, and this was a strange person whose voice wasn't familiar or dear to him. She was merely acting playfully though, so he allowed her to pull him along, but he nearly tripped at how fast she was moving.

"Just be careful, alright? I'm blind and can't move very fast." As usual, Masamune spoke quietly, but his words echoed through the large hallway. It was common knowledge in certain circles that he was blind, but he was unsure if Katalina was aware of that fact.

[Holeypaladin]

"I can't begin to comprehend what goes through the head of a girl her age," the Emperor said with a shrug. Lianna seemed to understand his niece better than he did, or at least had some sort of clue as to what she might be feeling. "All I really know is that she won't let me be antisocial so long as she's around. Which thankfully isn't all that terribly often, because she can be a bit exhausting." He chuckled slightly, "In a good way, but still..."

Sipping the slightly sweetened tea that had been given to him, he considered what the princess had said about Marin. "So you're basically saying she's somewhat of a tomboy," he said as he added up the words that the princess had said. Well, it showed, somewhat, in that she didn't like to do girly things in the same way that Katalina did... though in a traditional Achenaran court it could also make it difficult for her to find a husband.

Watching her brew another pot, he still kept his guard up somewhat around this princess, but not to the extent where he would appear rude. He simply wasn't used to allowing others to get close to him, besides special cases like Katalina who had slipped in through the cracks. "Indeed," he noted, "And it's good to see that you and your cousins have faith in the Imperium's hospitality and reputation." With so many key members of the Glacian Imperial Family on a single trip into uncertain territory, it must have cause quite the commotion back home, provided they even informed anyone of where they were going prior to their departure.

________________________________

"Ohhhh don't be talking like you're some kind of old man!" the Achenaran princess said with a giggle as she kept tugging on Masamune's hand. "You should just get new eyes if you're blind!" Her words were spoken somewhat out of ignorance of Glacian customs, true, but that was simply the way she was. Having grown up around some of the miraculous medical technology of the Imperium, curing blindness was something that was simply done. "Ask Uncle Donald to help if you don't have the technology back home!" Additionally, to her, every problem could be solved simply by asking her uncle for help.

As he reached the tea party, Katalina said, "Hii! I'm back! Princess Marin doesn't want to be friends anymore, so I brought Prince Masamune to take her place!" Glancing over to Masamune, he said, "But we can't dress him up in a pretty dress since he's a guy... oh well! Have some tea, Prince Masamune!" Sitting him down, she began to pour some of the ridiculously sweet tea into his cup.

[Cosmic Fury]

"With all respect, she's right." Lianna chose her next words rather carefully. "An Emperor who lives under a rock might as well hand the power to someone else. Our own Empire has had rulers where they never came out of their shells, and they not only had their personal lives regulated by others, but eventually their political power as well. I'm sure you're well aware of this, but any Imperial ends up having their personal and political lives muddying each other. If one is controlled by another, so will the other before long."

She couldn't say much though, because the conversation shifted back towards Marin. "She takes after her father, in almost every sense of the word. King Eric of Aero is a rough man, and despite his wife's best efforts, Marin still developed her father's sharp tongue and rather gruff ways. So, the girl was sent to live with her maternal grandfather, the Emperor. I think everyone's hope was that she'd grow out of this phase, or whatever it is that people call it."

She wouldn't say it, but she firmly believed that Marin was far beyond "saving." She was simply a very independently-minded person, and half her actions were simply an effort to send exactly that message across to others. The girl simply refused to depend on others, and there were very few exceptions to the rule -- the most surprising one being Masamune. She never quite understood her younger, more cryptic cousin, and got the feeling that despite Marin's rough-and-tumble personality, the two had seen each other's vulnerabilities and found one another perfect for covering them. I don't think I'll truly understand those two.

As for their trust in the Imperium, Lianna found the Emperor's display of faith oddly flattering, but she needed to tell the truth. "It's not that I directly trust the Imperium. We know that this very Imperium was, until recently, both ruled and built through war, chaos, and their related policies. The same thing holds true about our own Empire and its wars of unification."

She looked the Emperor in the eye, and she made sure that her words truly registered in the older man's mind. "Instead of trusting you directly, we simply rely on the fact that the consequences of hostility towards us would be too steep for almost anyone to stomach. Above that, though, we trust in Masamune's judgment. Despite his blindness, he's more perceptive than most people I know. It's him you should be thanking, not me. Just as you probably don't trust me right now, the same can be said of us."

Lianna's thoughts flew through her head just in time for her blind cousin to be unceremoniously dragged in by the obviously excitable Princess Katalina. It was painfully obvious that the girl simply didn't know how much care she needed to exercise in dealing with blind people. It was understandable that, given both countries' amazing medical technology, it was almost unheard of for a person to be blind... and Masamune was the only blind noble that she knew of. Imperials are really a sorry lot. A single defect can leave them in a terrible position, and the way those people treated Masamune before he was born was unforgivable.

She fought to keep a look of pity off her face, as she saw her cousin deal with the manhandling with unusual grace, then move straight on to drink his sugar-nuked tea without so much as an off-hand twitch on his face. Crippled or not, at least he's got nerves of steel.

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

"Old man or not, I still can't see where I'm going. I might trip!" Masamune wasn't used to being manhandled like this, never mind dragged like some sort of doll across a completely unfamiliar area. Friendly or not, this chick was acting very rough and unrefined. I pray to the gods that Lianna's in there, or I'm royally screwed. Despite his intense discomfort at being randomly seized and all but carried off by an almost-total stranger, he did at least catch a glimpse of what kind of person she was. She seemed like she formed attachments to people easily... and very aggressively.

Masamune didn't say anything else. It was clear that the girl wouldn't be convinced to slow down. Thankfully though, their intended destination wasn't that far off, and he found himself being sat down in a dangerously comfortable chair. But, he soon found that the worst was yet to come. From talking about dressing up to the cup of whatever-it-was in his hand, he knew he was in for a rough ride. He simply buckled down, sipped the tea... and found his brain hammered with enough sugar to knock over a stone dragon.

Even though the last two minutes positively sucked, he still took it like a champ. He saw multiple blurs here and there -- a woman and a man, as well as Katalina. He had overheard Lianna's voice earlier, so he at least knew he wasn't alone in this situation. I'm surprised things haven't gone totally south. Lianna's probably holding down the fort as best she can. I'll have to thank her again later for finally deciding to tag along with us.

[Holeypaladin]

With a smirk at Lianna's words, the Emperor said, "Typically, whenever someone says something beginning with the phrase 'With all respect,' it tends to mean that whatever follows will be somewhat disrespectful. But, you do pose a fair point. There was a time in my career where the Council would take advantage of my tendencies to get their own agendas passed. Most of those council members have either been reined in or executed for treason by now, with certain measures in place to prevent it from happening again. But I'll never be a social butterfly... it's just not in my nature."

"I'm not sure growing up surrounded by men is the best way for a young lady to grow out of her phase," Donald said with a shrug, "Perhaps instead she needs girls like you to show her how to act. And Katalina," he added with a bit of a chuckle. He tended to agree with Lianna in that Marin would never be a particularly feminine lady, at this point. But then, he didn't know many details regarding her personal life.

"I believe you have a false impression of the Imperium," the Emperor said. "While it exists in some chaotic times, the Imperium itself is a force of Order. Hence the reason why we have the most stable form of government, as opposed to the utter chaos that is Democracy. Even the way in which we conduct war is orderly... superior planning and strategy lead to swift success, and are the result of order and organization. Though it is in the nature of people to be selfish and chaotic... the Imperium instead organizes the chaotic nature of people in a way that is beneficial to society as a whole."

He wouldn't go so far as to claim that everyone living under Imperial rule is better off than they would be otherwise, but by and large, the civilizations that had been conquered and assimilated by the Imperium were much better off for it. Despite its obvious flaws, Donald III had difficulty thinking of a better way to rule the Imperium that didn't involve the absolute control over the free will of its individuals.

Nodding somewhat at Lianna's explanation of how she trusted and admired Masamune, he didn't have much time to respond before Katalina dragged the blind prince into the room. "Speak of the devil," he commented with a chuckle. "Hey, Masamune. Looks like the princess caught you. You're her prisoner now," he said in a slightly teasing manner.

"Guest, Uncle! He's our guest! Get it right!" Katalina was pretty insistent in calling her new prisoner a guest, and the way he bravely drank the suger-infested tea was quite impressive. Donald III had once teased Katalina in that she sometimes added a bit of tea to her sugar, which was pretty close to accurate in this case.

"Right," he said with a nod, "Guest." The Emperor showed no reaction at all as Katalina climbed into his lap, used to this sort of behavior from her by now, and sipped at the tea that Lianna had given him. He wasn't particularly worried about her adding any toxins to it, despite the rumor of Glacian assassination tactics, as he himself was immune to poison thanks to his blood cops. "It'll be dinner time soon," the Emperor noted.

"Dinner?" the young princess was somewhat excited. "Make sure to drink all that tea before dinner, Prince Masamune! Don't let it go to waste!"

[Cosmic Fury]

For a brief moment, Masamune felt the sugar hit his brain like a bat out of hell. While his expression showed absolutely nothing, it was clear that he was already starting to feel the effects of Katalina's very eccentric behavior. He even laughed at the Emperor's comment about being a prisoner, but didn't so much as toss an out-of-place word out there.

"The tea is sweet." Masamune decided to at least be honest about that remark. "Thank you for, er, bringing me over. I really do appreciate the company. It's very refreshing to have the pleasure of new faces. Usually, my guards aren't all that talkative, and my relatives are about the only ones I can talk to. Wouldn't you say so, too, Lianna?"

Masamune's cousin was perplexed that he knew she was there. Isn't he blind? Or did he actually recognize my voice from all the way down the hall? Either way, it was an unsettling possibility. Blind people did have enhanced senses other than sight, but she still hadn't quite gotten used to the fact that Masamune tended to abuse this fact to the max. Still, she didn't skip a beat, either. "Indeed. Despite what we may have heard of the Imperium's war-like habits in the past, it is quite a charming place."

"Yes, and the people make the place." Masamune deliberately nodded, looking in Katalina's direction in order to shoot a hidden compliment her way. "Although, I didn't expect you to have such robust tastes for your drinks. They really do pack a punch."

Having said that, he boldly took another swallow of the tea, even though his taste buds (being used to more mild flavors) were already in open revolt against their owner. "If tea times are always this exciting, I really do look forward to dinner."

[Holeypaladin]

Katalina beamed brilliantly as the prince spoke of how exciting and robust her tea was, taking it as a compliment even though the Emperor knew that he clearly had intended a very different meaning to these words. "Did you hear that, Uncle?" she asked out loud, "Prince Masamune likes the tea! And he's looking forward to dinner! I simply must cook a special dish, just for him!" Peering over to the prince, she gave a nod of affirmation. "Yes... something delicious! I know just the thing!"

The Emperor chuckled in amusement at the princess' words. Masamune definitely had no idea the door he had just unlocked... one needn't be a quantum slipstream engineer to realize that Katalina's taste in food was every bit as dessert-focused as her taste in tea, and now that the prince had praised her, he'd end up eating some side dish or dessert for dinner with more sugar in it than an equal volume of sugar.

"I'm sure he'll love whatever it is, so long as you're the one he makes it," he said in amusement as he hugged the girl in his lap. Really, he was looking forward to seeing how well the prince would handle it.

"I'm making enough for everyone too, of course," she said the words that suddenly condemned everyone to a similar fate. Shooting an accusatory glance in the direction of the Glacian prince, Donald III was somewhat glad that he couldn't see the look on his face... though Lianna could, no doubt.

Returning his attention the foreign princess briefly, he spoke, "You must be familiar with the feminine virtues of the Achenaran culture. It is only natural that our buildings should be as graceful and beautiful as our young princesses," he hugged Katalina closer to demonstrate, causing an adorable smile to form on the girl's face. "I have no love for war, even if I am pretty good at it." It wasn't a threat or omen, simply a statement of fact... an understatement, at that. His success in recent wars spoke for itself, after all.

[Cosmic Fury]

"I'm having to watch what I eat, lately." Masamune put forth the single most clever idea he'd had all day. "I know it's a bit surprising, but I'm a somewhat religious person, as is Lianna over here. I do not want to go against my conscience and over-indulge on sweets -- I only tend to indulge myself more than normal on certain religious holidays, and other noteworthy occasions."

Knowing that leaving any unwanted open ends might offend the younger of his two hosts, he decided to toss another key comment or two in. Knowing this, he gave off a winning smile before he continued. "If dinner is only mildly sweetened, though, I am sure that I will not end up going overboard if I eat my fill."

This flimsy excuse wasn't enough, though, so he decided to toss in an ace-in-the-hole. "But, if my brothers were invited here, they'll be able to eat to their hearts' content. I'm sure coming here and enjoying dinner with us is nothing they can't handle." He shot a pensive look over to Lianna, as if he was challenging her to stay and gut it out with him.

However, Lianna did the smart thing by simply keeping quiet. She knew by now that when her younger cousin got an idea into his head and followed through with it, it tended to be a good one, even if it was mildly sadistic.

But really, religious convictions? That's an interesting one, even for you. She knew that Masamune was a bit of a spiritually-inclined person, but she never knew that he was willing to use it as a tool. I guess everything is fair game for you, huh? Lianna saw, though, that Masamune wasn't quite done with his efforts to make at least one more person suffer along with him.

"Lianna, would you be so kind as to send a message to my brothers? I'm sure that dinner prepared by Princess Katalina herself would be something to die for." The expression on his face was filled with such "innocence" that it almost made Lianna gag. "They're not very religious people, so they'll be able to easily eat as much as Katalina sets out for them."

Masamune kept his not-so-innocent expression. Game, set, start!

[Holeypaladin]

The princess seemed to be pouting, almost at the verge of tears at one point as Masamune told her that he didn't want to eat her cooking, or rather, couldn't. However, after a bit of thought on the subject, she appeared to be deep in thought, putting a finger to her lips in deep concentration. Finally, she smiled brightly once again and nodded. "That's okay!" she said. "Today counts as one of those noteworthy occasions where you can indulge! Since it's our first time meeting in person! I'll go prepare some food for Uncle, too, since he doesn't like sweet things that much."

As she stood up in a hurry in her short princess dress, her cute pink panties would have been briefly flashed to the prince had he been able to see, but in his blindness, only Donald III and Lianna were able to catch a glimpse. She excitedly skipped off in the direction of the kitchen in order to prepare the meal.

"You can't win against that one," said the Emperor to the blind prince, "Even if you do win, you lose, because it's a grave sin to make Katalina sad. But at least the tea party is over now, so you can go get your brothers and head on in to the dining room." Standing up, he extended a hand in order to help Lianna to her feet, as her frilly dress looked like it was difficult to stand in.

As dinner time came around, the Emperor headed in to the dining room to sit at the end of a long rectangular table. The primary dish to be brought out was a large amount of curry and rice, spiced to the degree where it would be like eating raw fire for those unaccustomed to spicy food. Katalina served some of it to locations that had been set up for everyone, along with some cupcakes for dessert that seemed to have more ultra-sweet frosting than they had cake. She then walked over to plop down on the Emperor's lap while waiting on the princes and princessess to arrive for dinner.

[Cosmic Fury]

While Masamune could clearly sense something of note had definitely just happened, nobody even said a thing. All he saw was an extremely vague flash of pink. Between that and some very subtle signs of awkwardness coming from Lianna, he was tempted to ask what just happened... but decided in favor of his better judgment.

He also decided to only give a nod of assent to the Emperor's remark. Regardless of what Katalina had in store to destroy his palate (and its sensibilities), it was best to simply charge head-on. This is going to be a rough ride, but I've gone through worse than an intense dinner before. The thought triggered memories of his Trial of Strength on Tartarus, a hell-world in the core of Glacian space typically used for such exercises.

Dismissing that thought, he merely made a general sign to Lianna that it was time to drag the rest of his siblings in on the action. Things had reached a point of intensity to where he needed a bit of backup -- or, at the very least, moral support while his brothers and he suffered together to make ends meet.

Lianna, on the other hand, didn't need the Emperor's help. Even though her dress was frilly, she was a very graceful person. Even so, she still took the Emperor's proffered hand as a matter of decorum... and simply got up without leaning on it. There were only a handful of people she was willing to rely on, and unfortunately for this stranger (Emperor or not) he wasn't yet one of them.



It wasn't long before Karl, Julius, and Marin were gathered at the dinner hall. Only Marin knew what was in store for dinner, so she deliberately sat at the far end of the table, while the two brothers took their places near Masamune, so that they could be very close at all times.

Masamune had already changed into something more comfortable, and was wearing comfortable black-and-gold clothes that very vaguely resembled some archaic uniform of sorts. On the left side of his chest, he wore a strange, medallion-like gemstone that glowed with an inner silver fire. No other decorations aside from embroidery and related accoutrements were found on his clothes. The only other piece of jewelry he wore was an odd ring that he carried on him at all times.

Karl chose to wear a traditional red robe made for formal travelers, and Julius simply went with a modified, very formal version of a martial arts master's garb. Both chose to wear similar gems in various other places: Julius wore his like a necklace, and Karl simply concealed his under his outer robe.

[Holeypaladin]

It wasn't lost on the Emperor that Princess Lianna didn't particularly want to rely on him, but he made no such comments. Why the two princesses had come to the Emerald Palace was anyone's guess... normally, when girls were brought before him, it was some kind of marriage proposal or attempt to seduce him, but neither Glacian princess showed any such interest. Not that it mattered, anyway... Donald III had pretty much figured he'd be alone for eternity.

As the incredibly spicy curry was served, Donald III watched as the princes and princesses took their seats at the table. Usually there was some sort of ceremony involved in formal dinners, but as he despised formality and just wanted everyone to be comfortable, he simply said, "Welcome, everyone. Now let's dig in." He began to take bites of the curry, and was soon visibly sweating from how spicy it is, yet still continued.

Katalina, of course, ignored the curry entirely and simply ate cupcakes, showing a look of utter delight on her face as she consumed the ultra-sweet abominations. She knew better than to try and eat her uncle's curry, as he was most likely the only one in the room who could even come close to tolerating such spice, and even still, it caused visible sweating and tearing, which he simply wiped away as if it were nothing. The curry would have served as a very effective riot control weapon, with its overpowering spice.

[Cosmic Fury]

The three brothers had the distinct... honor of being served the very same curry that sat at the Emperor's plate. As usual, the three brothers had completely different reactions to it.

Julius took a long, hard look at the dish, and then a long, hard look at the Emperor's furrowed, sweating brow. If a hardcore person like that guy be brought to sweating buckets from eating mere curry, it was an easy time to show his stuff. He took a single hefty bite of the stuff, and almost passed out because of the intense fire that suddenly started raging in his mouth. He barely kept himself from retching because of the curry's sheer intensity, and had to be revived by his younger brother and force-fed something else off the table in order to keep a more monumental embarrassment at bay.

Karl didn't even touch the stuff, instead choosing to wait and see how well his usually well-composed and challenge-hungry older brother could take it. After seeing that he definitely couldn't, Karl simply slapped him very hard on the back, and took steps to make sure he wasn't down by one brother before the action even started. In the end, he decided that he wouldn't touch that plate of death unless someone was pointing a gun at him.

Instead, he chose to take his chances with the cupcakes that Katalina was hovering over... and instantly regretted it. In spite of his strong, well-bred mind and body, the sheer amount of concentrated sugars blasted his palate and brain with the worst sugar rush he'd ever even heard of. He nearly passed out as well, simply because of the extreme reaction his mind was going through because of these bite-sized abominations.

If it wasn't for Marin coming to the rescue, he would likely have turned into a vegetable in only a couple of short minutes. His own Trials hadn't put him through this breed of intensity, and he simply couldn't handle it. With his head still going the way of the Prometheans, he ended up pulling himself out of the dining hall immediately, along with Marin, who apparently wanted no part of the ensuing carnage.

Masamune heard sounds similar to borderline retching coming from his oldest brother, and figured it was the curry that smelled like raw fire. He heard extremely faint shivering and then considerable teeth-gritting. In the midst of that, he heard words of encouragement being spoken by Marin to someone else. That was followed by sounds of stumbling, as if someone was wounded in battle.

This doesn't sound like a friendly gathering. He once again breathed deeply, trying to see what made the curry fell even Julius, who was famous among the Imperial Family for his incredibly strong will, and vulture-like palate. If fire was made edible, Masamune was pretty damn sure it smelled just like this...

Gods damn it, why do I have to do everything these days? Mentally, he wept for his brothers and their unfortunate fates. But, Masamune knew that the show must go on, and so he decided to gut it out. Despite the events happening during the last four or five minutes, he didn't want to disgrace his brothers and show disrespect to his hosts. Not to mention... it was his turn to face the wrath of tonight's dinner, and join his brothers in their abject suffering.

Bracing himself, he took a sizable bite of the curry. Although it burned like hell, he not only expected it... but he'd already gone through much worse experiences before. Instead of keeling over like his brothers, he did his best to be the one to maintain some sort of dignified composure while all this mess was still going on. He even let off a smile and sent his compliments to the chef for such "robust" curry... all while racking his mind to find out why the hell Emperor Donald III was such a masochist as to have curry this freaking spicy prepared for himself.

It took about ten agonizing minutes, but Masamune eventually cleared his plate. He thought it was over... but he found himself being served those same cupcakes that had melted Karl's brain not even a few minutes ago. For half a second, his gaze shifted over to his older cousin, who likely hadn't touched a single thing other than her drink (likely in a false show of modesty)... and knew help wasn't going to come.

Fuck my life. Despite the violent things happening to him right then, Masamune still somehow maintained his composure against all odds. His blind eyes saw a very colorful blur in front of him, and assumed those were the cupcakes he was about to risk life and limb to eat. A passing, perversely funny thought of him going through death by sugar passed through his mind.

With his life threatening to flash before his eyes, Masamune dig into the cupcakes, looking every bit like he was eating with gusto. Instead, he had entered a culinary hell the likes of which he'd never seen before. Even so, he didn't show it, not for one bit. He needed to maintain some composure for his brothers. Even if he was effectively a cripple, he was a member of the Imperial Family, and that alone put a lot of weight on his shoulders.

He really didn't feel like it then, but he knew for certain that he could look back and say that tonight's dinner was only an obstacle on the galaxy's march towards progress. Just give it an hour, and it'll be all right. This is no worse than Tartarus was, anyway. Just hang in there, Masamune...

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor gazed at each prince somewhat carefully as they made their decisions as to what food to try and how well they handled it. It seemed like the two princesses wisely decided not to try anything... though they weren't the ones being tested, as they were mostly just eye candy currently. He tried not to laugh at the initial reaction of Julius, instead covering his smirk as he looked on with amusement. Karl had a similar reaction to another extreme, and went so far as to vacate the table entirely along with his cousin.

Only Masamune went so far as to not only try both dishes, but finish them. Once he had completed the cupcake, the Emperor gave a clap. Not knowing why he was clapping, Katalina joined in anyway because it seemed like fun. "Katalina, can you go fetch those who fled?" he asked the princess, giving her a hug as she nodded and went off to bring Karl and Marin back to the table.

Some chefs instantly began to bring out food that was far more suitable to the Glacian palate than the things Donald III and Katalina preferred. "My apologies for that test," he said once everyone had once again gathered and the curry was removed. Katalina's cupcakes remained, but it seemed only she was still interested in eating them. "The winner of the first round is Prince Masamune. In a competition that he and I discussed earlier today. I shall let Masamune elaborate the details soon... but first, we have another test."

"Everybody..." he remarked, "Remember where everyone is seated." Giving them time to memorize the seated positions of the princes and princesses, he continued, "Now, close your eyes." After giving them enough pause to do just that, he said, "Now point to the person at this table most suitable to be the Emperor of Glacia. Open your eyes."

By the time everyone's eyes were opened, Katalina's finger was pointed at Donald III. She seemed somewhat confused, however, as she was no doubt the only one whose finger was pointed at him, and he wasn't pointing at anyone. "Uncle," she whispered loudly, "You're supposed to be pointing at someone."

[Cosmic Fury]

It was by this time that all the princes and princesses had been gathered again. It didn't take long for the lot of them to recover, and eat enough food to prepare themselves for the next test... which seemed to be a simple "point-and-shoot" exercise of the mind.

The three brothers and the two princesses took the question into careful consideration. They closed their eyes as the Emperor had asked... and when they opened them, they found a shocking display. Julius and Karl pointed at each other. The two princesses, deciding not to get involved with this one, sat with their arms crossed. Masamune, on the other hand, deliberately pointed very forcefully at Lianna. By the time the others noticed this, the shock had set in too deeply for them to say anything before Masamune got his spiel in.

"Answer me this: Are any one of us three actually ready to be Emperor?" He waited, but he got no responses that he could actually hear. "Alright, here's a better one. Do you deserve the title? Are you ready for what comes with it? I know for a damn fact that I'm certainly not, and I'm the blind one here. For all I personally know, Lianna could be a better Emperor than either of you two would be at this point. If you can't stand the heat with a simple affair like this one, then you're not suited for the job."

This met with some blushing from the elder princess, and a blank look of shock from all the other Glacian royalty present. But, Masamune wasn't done just yet. "You guys couldn't even get through some simple test placed on us by a foreigner, regardless of his station. Myself and Lianna are the only ones who passed, and guess what? I'm the blind one here! Do you ever think the Senate will ever let me be Emperor? Many of them openly hate my guts simply because I can't see anywhere past the end of my arm, and almost all the others there don't care whether I live or die."

Before the two brothers could respond, Masamune softened his tone but nonetheless continued. "Take a look around. Not one of us are ever going to be Emperor on our own. Julius, you're too obsessed with rushing into things on impulse, and that's going to kill you if you don't keep that habit in check. Karl... you lack conviction, and you'll not be able to make the harder choices needed from an Emperor every day on the job. And that pales in comparison to me... I'm as blind as a rock. Every cripple that has ever openly talked about being the Emperor during times like these ended up dead before they knew it."

"As of right now, none of us have a snowball's chance in the hells of making through this thing, never mind coming out on top. That being said... what are we going to do about it?" This time though, he got no responses from his brothers. So, Masamune turned to the princesses, and heard nothing... until Lianna spoke up.

"What about the three of you put together?" She asked the question softly, but with just enough conviction for all three of the princes to give her their undivided attention. "I can already tell that you're going to fight it out with each other at this rate. Just pick a damn leader and be done with it. The sooner you get that done, the sooner you can work together, and prove that you're willing to work even with rivals to get your job done."

"As Masamune said... what are you going to do about it?" Lianna's gaze met everyone else's head on. "This is something you all need to come up with, and I've got a feeling that at least one of you has already put something into motion. We wouldn't be here otherwise."

"I honestly don't know what wild scheme Masamune got into his head, that he was willing to drag the five of us across the galaxy for. But, whatever we're doing here should be done as a team. Our reality is a bleak one, and the three of you have competition that none of you can overcome by yourselves." This time, it was her turn to open fire, and she didn't hold back.

"At this point, if any of you try this on your own, you'd be killed. I don't care if any of us think it's just or not, that's the way things work." Lianna's gaze turned into one like steel, revealing her true colors for her close cousins to see plainly. "If you're weak, you die. If you don't have allies, you die. If you make even one major blunder, you die. And if the victorious one isn't you or yours... you die in the aftermath."

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor sat idly by in amusement at the unexpected display between the Glacian nobles. He had expected at least one of them to point at Masamune himself, but the only princess who had joined in this particular game was Katalina herself. "I still think Uncle would be best..." she was mumbling to herself. "He already knows how to Emperor pretty good, after all..."

"I'm not Glacian, Katalina," he pointed out the obvious, but the girl was raised to believe that race didn't matter, so it didn't seem to sink in on her. Instead, he looked on at the stalemate in amusement. "I didn't vote because, as an outsider, it would have been improper, but... as it seems we have a tie, allow me to pass the tie breaking vote." Scanning the nobles, he raised his finger, eventually lowering it on Lianna.

"It appears we have an unexpected fourth contender," he remarked. "The winner of the second round in these games is Princess Lianna." While it was rare to have a female monarch in charge of Glacia, it wasn't unheard of, unlike in the Imperium itself. She had quite a bit to say in regards to the various displays of competence and failure among the three boys... words which were surprising, coming from her, but she made fair points.

"I'm sure most of you have guessed the nature of these games so far," he remarked, "But I'll let Prince Masamune elaborate in more detail. They were his idea, after all... think of me more as a mediator and moderator in this. And while I realize the princess hasn't put her name forth as a candidate for Emperor... I wish to remind you that the best Emperors are not those who rule for their own sake, but instead place the needs of their people before their own. So long as we make clear that the Glacian people need the absolute best Emperor they can get... I'm sure that should our games prove the princess to be such, she would be duty-bound to put her own name forward."

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune spoke up, wasting no time. "We are scheduled to compete in a series of contests to prove to one another our power, skill, intelligence, wisdom, and honor. Additionally, we are to search for a suitable spouse for the most worthy of those of us gathered here, in order to cement our mutual political strength."

Having dropped the main bombshell, he decided to continue. "We gathered here to determine which of us is the most worthy of the title of Emperor -- or, the most worthy of choosing which of us has the right to pursue the title upon our return home. None of us by ourselves are capable of seizing the Throne by ourselves. I'm blind, Karl is too much a stick in the mud, and Julius is socially incompetent. Marin isn't even interested in the title, and Lianna seeks an ally for the same cause as I do: to make our Empire whole again."

"The overall winner of our series of contests will involve desperate situations by each of us, similar to the Trial that we would normally go through back home. However, we will not be placed in physical danger." Masamune took care to explain the rules to his companions. "There will be several stages, most of these being hidden within the guise of war games and martial arts tournaments hosted by the Emperor you see before us. If we do not win in a particular tournament or war game, the win will be awarded to the one who personally got the farthest. Ties count as wins for anyone tied for first place. When this is all over, the one with the most wins as well as the one with the strongest diplomatic strength here get to decide which one of us is the most worthy of our Crown."

Karl scoffed. "You know that you're gonna lose almost all of those games, right? If you're seriously telling me you brought us all the way here to play a few games, then you're pretty pathetic if you ask me."

"I took us all here so that we could decide between ourselves and go all out without the watchful eyes of the Empire always at our backs." Masamune's blind eyes focused in Karl's direction with unusual conviction. "Here, we're very safe. Unless you want to fight it out physically and get killed in a ring all by yourself? None of us here can get a majority vote from all of the parties we need. You know full well that a Trial by Combat waits for those who can't get that far."

That last comment made everyone in the room shut up. The mere thought of being shoved into a ring in a fight to the death with a bunch of warriors also fighting for their very lives wasn't a pleasant thought. If nobody was elected Emperor in an indisputable election with indisputable results, those few who had enough of a backing were shoved into an arena, given a weapon, and sent to fight until only one party emerged victorious. Imperial elections were never a pleasant affair in Glacia, and it was a fact that all of them were intimately familiar with.

"Let's all participate and see how this goes." Lianna decided to speak out loud. "We'll form alliances as we go along, but for now, let's all throw our hats into the ring and see how this plays out. If we're going to make this a contest of merit, it simply won't do if it's stained by those of us who are unwilling to help our Empire find peace."

The comment surprised almost everyone in the room... but Masamune simply sat there with a stoic expression on his face. It's all going according to plan. Soon, we'll see if any of us is worth our salt.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor sat still for the most part, simply observing the exchange between the Glacian princess and princess. He didn't really have a whole lot to contribute, as much of these was a matter of Glacian politics that didn't particularly involve the Imperium... but what was definitely true was that no matter who the future ruler of Glacia was... Donald III couldn't allow it to be someone who the Imperium would not be able to deal with.

Once everyone has spoken their parts and the room calmed down, he simply said a few words. "As referee for this competition, I'll make sure that these 'games' are a fair and effective determination of the necessary qualifications for being the next Emperor of Glacia. I believe of everyone here, I most likely have the most experience in Emperoring," he added with a chuckle.

Of course, there was the possibility that Donald III's definition of "necessary qualifications" might differ slightly from the opinions of he princes... but there was no forcing them to accept his rulings, either. So long as at least two of the candidates agreed, however... it provided a majority consensus, which was the basis of any elective monarchy.

[Cosmic Fury]

Everyone around the table took the time to think, but it was already a forgone conclusion: they all pretty much agreed with what the Emperor was saying.

"Whatever you do, I personally want a challenge that each of us will have a world of difficulty with surmounting." Masamune spoke out with an unnaturally calm voice. "I think I can vouch for everyone here that if we're each other's only worthy opponents, it will not be an indication of how well we may do afterwards. These trials and challenges are meant to test us, so that we might grow into stronger and wiser people."

Everyone at the table nodded their assent, and Julius finally spoke up. "Well, if we're going to get this show on the road, I'm in favor of starting the second it becomes possible. Hit us with your best, and we'll take it as it comes! Challenges are meant to be really challenging, you know. Make us fight for that title, and you'll at least get a good show out of it."

Lianna took her turn to toss in her thoughts on the matter as well. "There are certain Trials that are meant to be sprung on their challengers. Some are prepared well in advance in order to give people time to strategize. If you incorporate both lines of thought, it will make this whole affair more worthwhile. As for the Challenge itself as a whole, I am with the others: I wish to begin without further delay."

After a pause, Masamune spoke once again. "So, what do you have in mind first?"

[Holeypaladin]

Donald III was somewhat surprised by the way the Glacian royals all seemed to accept him as the voice of reason and experience in this particular matter. He had expected at least some degree of objection to having a foreigner from their greatest rival as a referee in this contest, especially considering the fact that the Achenaran wasn't particularly strong in the social skills department.

However, this made things much easier. Perhaps his reputation as a reasonable commander of a vast Imperium was strong enough to influence even Glacia, or perhaps the princes before him were simply smart enough to realize the situation they were in. The support of Masamune and Lianna were certainly helpful as well, of course, so in a sense they already had a majority vote, were this a democracy.

"Not every contest will be announced in advances," he said eventually. "Expect, at times, for a winner to be announced without any prior notification that a contest is taking place, such as with dinner tonight. One such contest is currently underway... though I am currently the only one aware of its existence, though I believe Prince Masamune has caught onto it as well."

"As for what will happen next... tomorrow morning this competition will begin in earnest. I hope you all enjoy the hospitality that the Emerald Palace has to offer for tonight. A hovercab taxi will be arriving in the morning to transport everyone to the Grand Arena to begin a preliminary contest to determine your skills in martial combat, as it is my understanding that Glacia prizes such skills, as does the Imperium. As for tonight, I'm going to play a game with Katalina, and you're all welcome to join, if you so wish. If not... then I wish you a good evening."

With that, he nudged the somewhat confused looking Achenaran princess up from his lap and headed away to a different room in order to play a game with her.

[Cosmic Fury]

The reaction this announcement brought had a much different reaction between each of the five princes and princesses gathered there. Each processed the announcement in silence, and on most of their faces, a very sober expression prevailed.

For Julius, he was simply excited about a challenge, but really couldn't care less that there was a challenge on at this very moment. He wanted to go all in, and got exactly what he expected from the whole thing: a real challenge, every step of the way. He'd just take everything his opponents could throw at him, plus some. This thing should be fun. He had no objections following the others out of the room to play some games. Being content to just roll with things, he felt no obligation to give the matter any more thought, and felt content to follow the crowd this time around.

Karl, on the other hand, felt the pressure suddenly mount. Challenges... daily? Announced AND unannounced? This announcement clearly spoke volumes. Even everyday interactions such as this dinner period could constitute or even spark a challenge that he might not have the resources to win. He hardly wanted to think about it further. Instead, he rapidly decided to retire early and get some rest before the next day could begin.

Marin, in the meantime, simply didn't care. She was just in it for the fun. That being said, she took a casual approach and simply sauntered off with Karl, wanting some rest after this long day of pointless nothings. If I have to repeat that whole tea party one more effing time, I'm calling this trip a loss.

Masamune took things in stride. He had expected things to run this course the entire time, and he ensured that he was more than prepared for it. He knew that he was easily the weakest candidate of the lot because of his apparent blindness... but he knew ways around that inconvenience. He had spent his entire life under the heels of others, and this was his chance to finally throw off those shackles for good. This is it. It's go time! With that in mind, he went boldly after the others to the gaming room.

Lianna had a much different mindset than the others. She was used to this sort of thing. She had slowly accumulated power and prestige her entire life, and it was a practice that her family had long advocated. Being descended from younger siblings of now-dead monarchs, the star of her own family would have fallen forever, had it not been for her cousin Masamune's strong (and strange) connections with seemingly random people. This time, it was her chance to shine, and this is exactly what she intended to do.

With all of the princes and princesses having made up their minds, each group dispersed wherever it pleased: one went back the their quarters to chill out, and the other followed the Emperor to play what they thought would some light games.

[Holeypaladin]

As Katalina led Donald III into a separate room, Katalina announced to everyone who had decided to come with. "I'm going to change. You all should get into costume, too! Back soon!" She giggled at the comment and ran off to her room in order to change into whatever costume she was intending on wearing for this particular game.

The Emperor chuckled at her comment and shrugged. "I don't really have a costume," he remarked. "Or at least... no idea what costume to use. You're all welcome to guess, though." He noted that Karl and Marin had opted out of the game, for whatever reason. He certainly wasn't going to force them to play, or even force them to do much of anything at this point.

Before long, Katalina returned dressed up in another princess dress, but more fantasy in its style. She also wore pointed ears and butterly wings, along with a wand with a star at the tip. "We're LARPing!" she announced. "I'm going to be Princess Stellaluna of the Seelie Fae. Uncle, you be who you always are." Putting her finger to her lips, she looked at the other three. "I'm going to need at least one knight and..." she suddenly hugged Lianna. "Be my mom? The Seelie queen?"

Chuckling somewhat, Donald III began to hand out data pads to the Glacians. "You can use these to create your characters," he remarked. "If you're not familiar with RPGs or LARPing, just... try to play along. She loves this game."

[Cosmic Fury]

The three remaining people looked at each other, and silent chuckles were exchanged as the childish princess went off to change. They had expected something unconventional, but this was... unexpected. Funny enough though, Masamune felt pretty much at home. He had experience with RPGs (most notably a VRMMO that went horribly wrong not that long ago), so he was now in his element.

Julius decided to just go with whatever flew into his head at the moment, so he ended up changing into something that gave the image of a barbarian warlord. Lianna came by looking like some sort of fairy tale princess (although she secretly cringed at the thought).

Masamune came out with something completely unconventional. Being blind came with its own luxuries, specifically the fact that he didn't care as much about his looks. He looked like a knight. He also looked like a wandering priest of some sort of dead religion. On the other hand, he had a very vaguely noble air about him, as it that all was just an incognito disguise. Other than him only having white and silver armor, clothing, and accessories, it seemed at first glance as if absolutely nothing he wore actually matched.

His only truly mismatched item was a rusted-looking scabbard, and an equally dingy-looking sword at its side. On the relatively simplistic hilt, there were several names crudely etched in tiny letters onto the pommel, with another type of unknown, obsolete script that probably mentioned the sword's name. At first sight it looked like a weapon forged with a terrifying lack of resources, and it overall had a sinister red tint in the metal.

Overall, he looked like an adventurer who had survived more than his own fair share of close encounters with death and all its trappings. Even so, he had a subtly noble air about him, as if he was not only used to this kind of immense pressure, but also thrived in it.

"So," Masamune spoke up when the three of them were finally finished. "Are we ready to start this thing up, or what?"

[Holeypaladin]

Katalina went off to get dressed as well, while Donald III more or less just sat and waited for everyone to get ready for a time. He noted the fact that he seemed to be the only one who didn't change into some sort of costume or other, which served to upset Katalina quite a bit when she came back dressed in a very pretty pink fairy dress, complete with a magic want with a star on the end of it that made sparkles in the air whenever she waved it.

"You need to get dressed, Uncle!" she said with pout, handing him some sort of exotic fantasy armor with the Emperor reluctantly pulled on over his clothes. "Better," she said with a nod, waiting for Lianna to come back and giving her a smile. "So pretty!" she said, heading over to examine her outfit in more detail.

Donald III shrugged for the most part at Masamune's question. "I guess that's up to Katalina," he remarked. "It's her game, after all."

"Okaaaay," said Katalina. "If you've finished your characters... then let's get started! You two, sit on those thrones," she directed Donald and Lianna to a pair of chairs that were seated next to her. Sitting in the one on the right, Katalina's demeanor changed somewhat as she suddenly got in character and approached the two of them

"Mommy!" she said, "Daddy! Is it true that the orcs have invaded our kingdom? And they have dragons, too?"

"Uhhh..." said the Emperor, doing a sub-par job of acting, "Well, I didn't want to tell you, but... it's true, yes. I've summoned the best knights both from the Empire and your mother's Seelie kingdom in order to deal with this threat..." He hoped the others would get the hint and roll along with... whatever sort of plot the Achenaran princess was conceiving in her head.

[Cosmic Fury]

"Yes, the orcs have invaded." Masamune put on his game face. It was clear that the princess truly enjoyed this sort of thing, so he chose to go along with gusto. "Me and my companions have come to lend you a hand, at the best of my very distant cousin, the Queen."

He pointed over to Lianna with a flourish, and she took the cue and moved like clockwork. "Indeed. Do not let appearances deceive you; my cousin is a warrior most strong and skilled. He also possesses strong connections with the barbarian countries of the Far West."

"I am the barbarian king, who is called the Warhammer by my clan." Julius lifted up a massive war hammer. "My friend here has mentioned that you're in a bad spot, so I have come with my men and my hammer, and I shall lay waste to all those who oppose us. We have come to your aid, but we have also come to fight at his side."

Julius pointed his unnecessarily large hammer at Masamune, who once again took up his lines. "If you have need of our services, we can dispatch our enemies swiftly. There are none more displeasing to me than those who attack my friends. So, with that being said, let's do something violent."

His look, although it was in character, still held a very fierce glimmer. Julius, looking on, honestly couldn't tell whether his brother was really in character, or he was displaying some hidden, unmatched ferocity that he kept hidden deep under the surface.

[Holeypaladin]

The Achenaran princess clapped somewhat gleefully as the two introduced themselves. Once they had completed their introductions, she nudged Donald III. "Yes, Katalina?" he asked the girl, wondering why she was nudging him in such a way.

"I'm not Katalina, silly," she remarked, "I'm the fairy princess Adorabelle Stellaluna, the daughter of Emperor Friedrich I and..." she regarded Lianna with a slight frown. "What's your name, mother? And when will you and Father give me a little brother or sister?" Returning her attention to the Emperor, she poked him, "Anyway, it's your line..."

"Right..." the Achenaran said with amusement. Katalina seemed to take this LARP thing pretty seriously, but he always tended to humor her to the point of spoiling her in times like these. Turning his attention to the princes, he remarked, "Brave heroes, thank you for answering our summons. Despite the differences between your people, the Empire, and the Fae, we have a mutual enemy in the orcs. And so it is in times like these that we must band together to repel their assault." He glanced over at Lianna to see if she had anything else to add.

Katalina was whispering into Lianna's ear, "As queen of the Seelie, you represent our kingdom... Uncle represents his Empire mostly."

[Cosmic Fury]

"I am merely called Queen Seelie. I give up my name when I take up the crown." Lianna, having a momentary lapse in creativity, decided to just go with the first thing she could think of. "As for our brave heroes, we are grateful for the help you have offered, and you can be assured that your deeds will not go unrewarded."

"Whatever. I and my guys just want something to do. We've been so bored it's been ghastly." Julius let off a very audible sigh. "Just leave your info with my friend here. He's always pointed me and my people in the right direction."

With that, Julius left the scene to take a short break, and Masamune took up his lines once more. "I've been considered a friend of theirs for years. After their war went down and I helped them come out on top, I found favor in their court, and I've held their king's respect for quite some time now." He left the reason he managed to earn this strong and potentially savage people's respect, figuring that if they wanted to know, they could just ask.

"So, what do we have to work with, and what makes these orcs tick?" Masamune proceeded to ask that question with a slight smile on his face. Although he himself had very few followers, he had a lot of strong allies to call upon in a crisis. While he clearly didn't need to be here, it was certain that honor demanded both his presence and his aid, so he was here contributing both.

[Holeypaladin]

Katalina frowned somewhat at Lianna's lack of creativity, but soon shrugged it off and gave a smile. "Alright then!" she said, "Let's go off to battle!"

"Uhh..." the Emperor remarked, "Why not leave the fighting to the fighters, Kat- I mean, Adorabelle? It would be safer for a fairy princess like you to stay at the palace, wouldn't it?"

"But Daddy is gonna be fighting too, right?" she said with an irresistible smile. "There's no place safer in all of the multiple universes than at my powerful Daddy's side!"

With a sigh, Donald III realized that there would be no avoiding this. "Alright then..." he remarked, "Then I'll meet you all at the battlefield. I'll be commanding the Imperial ground forces... Queen Seelie will command the Seelie Fae. Gather your forces and reinforce our armies!" With that, he waved to the princes and stood up.

Katalina soon led them into some sort of recreational room, which sprung to life with the holographic imagery of a forest straight from a fairy tale. Soon, more holograms began to materialize... human soldiers carrying tech weapons that resembled muskets with sword bayonets, along with elves and other various fae creatures with more traditional fantasy weaponry. Unsure exactly what sort of soldiers to materialize for the Glacian princes, she simply shrugged and allowed them to decide for themselves.

With the princess gazing at the Emperor as if expecting him to say something, Donald III eventually scratched his head and said, "We have the terrain working to our advantage. The Imperial Army will take the clearing and hold it. I would have your forces harass the orcs and deal as much damage as possible, making it seem like they have a clear avenue of retreat when instead you are herding them straight into the vanguard of the Empire's best soldiers."

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune was forced to agree on the safety part. He was always in dangerous situations. "You're right. You should stay at your father's side. I'll go and lead my friends on the charge. For better or worse, this is something I must see to personally, because you don't control the barbarians -- you merely unleash them at the proper place and time."

With that, the blind prince turned and walked away, almost as if he knew exactly where he was going. "By the way, there might not be much for you to deal with when we're done. People under my command have a tendency to fight with an almost religious devotion."

Almost on cue, his own barbarian soldiers appeared on the field. As soon as they saw who their commander was, they raised their fists in the air and collectively shouted their own battle cries. By this point, they knew that despite his crippling blindness, their commander was at least a stronger fighter than almost any in that entire army. They just never admitted it out loud, instead letting the prince do as he wanted.

His brother Julius had already taken his place among his troops, not wanting to wait to join the army until the battle started. He had already prepared his men for his blind friend's coming, regaling his army on the sheer power this blind man wielded. The men were left to wonder how a blind person could possibly command their king's respect... until they saw him appear on the battlefield and saw his expression.

Despite everything else that might have been said about him, the blind prince carried an expression that could only belong to a force of nature. For those few who had seen him fight, they said that he must have gone through a thousand hells to attain whatever power lay beneath his hard complexion.

The army's chattering and shouting was interrupted as Masamune grabbed a spear and thrust it into the air. "Are you ready? There are orcs coming this way, and they're about to attack." Waiting for his men to work themselves up as usual, he shouted above all the rest. "Now, who here wants to go out and kill something?"

He was answered by the roar of Julius's barbarian horde. Let the games begin.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor watched as Masamune gave his advice to Katarina, who seemed quite content staying as far away from the barbaric hordes as possible. "It would be better if you can keep them out of the line of fire," he said to the prince as he headed off to LARP, "But the more orcs you can kill, the better for all of us. Go ahead and destroy them all, if you can."

He returned his attention to Lianna. Once Masamune and Julius were out of earshot, he spoke up. "Those barbarians might not be much more civilized than the orcs themselves, but they can make for an effective diversion. With any luck, they'll be so consumed with battle fury that they won't even realize that they're the ones suffering all the casualties."

"Daddy!" said Katalina in a somewhat shocked voice with how cold and calculating he could be in times of war.

"Better to have them fighting for us than against us," he said with a shrug, "But the fact remains, the barbarians have more than five times the birth rate of your mother's fairy kingdom, so it makes more sense mathematically that they are more expendable, as they can replenish their numbers in mere decades rather than centuries. Don't you agree?" he directed a final question toward Lianna.

Moments later, however, the sound of orc war horns began to sound throughout the air. Green skinned brutes began to advance in close formation, wielding crude iron weapons and scavenged armor. "Use the fairy casters to support the Imperial troops," he said to Lianna. "With any luck, I won't have to sacrifice many of my own men, either. Artillery, ready!" he said in the direction of several cannons, which began loading shells that had been enchanted by war wizards to release powerful magical explosions upon impact.

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune knew full well that they were taking the brunt of the casualties. But, he understood as well as the barbarians themselves that these men didn't fear death in battle. In fact, they welcomed it as an easy ticket to Val Halla. These people only had a few concerns in life: their food, their basic necessities, their families, and their honor. And to them, guaranteeing themselves a spot in Val Halla of all places was the very definition of guaranteeing themselves honor.

But today, that wasn't going to happen. Instead, Masamune decided to pull out his best weapons first. He started, ironically, by praying. His gold-and-white uniform shone like a beacon in front of his men, and by the looks of it he was blessed with sight from the Gods of Light and Creation. The second that was done, almost no time at all passed between the conclusion of this spell and Masamune getting to work with his temporary eyesight.

Only certain conditions could trigger this phenomenon. Very bright conditions (the sun was still rising), an easily discernable enemy (the stupid orcs were all in the open), and a sufficient amount of emotional strength were all that was needed for Masamune to gain partial eyesight. Thanks to extensive practice, he could see again... although such spells never lasted long.

He discarded his spear by throwing it and impaling a distant orc with it. He then drew the strange-looking sword he carried at all times. The blade looked as it were forged with noble blood from the fires of hell itself, and then sanctified with the souls of the accursed. He then held the sword up as it were a holy relic, and recited a spell from it, then cast the triggering words:

"FIRE BOLT!" Masamune pointed his sword at the horde, and with that word he unleashed one of many spells he kept in his repertoire, and a lance of fiery light shot forth like a crazed god that wanted nothing other than destroying whatever it body-slammed into. The second the beam-like spell hit the horde, a blast shook the very earth... and Masamune had already prepared to capitalize on that one-shot-wonder's extreme power.

He turned around to the barbarian horde, which was just as awe-struck at their leader's god-like power as the orcs, and shouted, "Now help me kill these things!" The barbarians snapped out of their reverie almost as one, and charged like a massive herd of bulls straight towards the orcs, whose ranks had a massive hole blown straight through them... That spell's great, but it's terrible in a pitched battle, if only for its sheer destructive power. Masamune kept that note in his head as he led the pitched charge right at the orc army.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor watched as the barbarians engaged the orcs, noting how Katalina's gaze seemed to be transfixed upon Masamune and his display of theurgical power. His brother Julius seemed to have been lost in the crowd at some point, and in the absence of any flashy magic, Katalina almost seemed to have forgotten he was even playing with them.

As the power was unleashed, a hole was blown into the ranks of the orc army, but both the Emperor and the orcs could tell that it was a single shot spell, and due to its linear nature, would require a flanking attack to have much success against their formation, rather than the direct hit that had been dealt. And so, they let loose a cry and charged.

"Artillery," said Donald III in a calm voice, "Fire." The command was repeated much louder by the Imperial officers, and the thundering sound of artillery fire shook the ground. The magically-enhanced projectiles began to impact the orc ranks, exploding in various displays of mystical firepower which froze, electrocuted, and burned the orcs to a crisp. Some of the shells impacted in clouds of poison, only to be followed by fiery blasts which ignited the poisonous cloud and consumed the orcs in a rage.

Meanwhile, the Emperor himself, along with the fairies, didn't need to do a thing. The barbarians had engaged the orcs in a brutal clash of iron and bronze, while the thundering artillery pinned them down and obliterated them. It was almost tragic how one sided this engagement had become... that was, until the wyverns began to descend from the sky. He saw a barbarian picked up by a wyvern and dropped some hundred meters away from the engagement. More wyverns began to descend upon his own Imperial troops, but he was ready. "Infantry!" he called out, "Take them down!"

As several wyverns descended towards them, the crack of tech weaponry resounded... not as loud and thundering as the artillery, but still loud enough to ring the ears of everyone around them. He went ahead and covered Katalina's own ears with his hands, but the princess let out a surprising moan... at which point he was reminded of how sensitive the pointy ears of fairies were. As he began to remove his hands, she pressed them more to his ears... apparently more concerned with the noise than she was about the physical contact in such a sensitive area. The Emperor was watched as the wyverns, too large to evade, were simply shot down from the sky as they made their descent in order to attack his Imperial infantry.

[Cosmic Fury]

His flashy attack, as devastating to the orcs as it was, had served its purpose. Masamune cut down an orc leader in the middle of the pitched battle, and started to smirk. Good, the orcs brought their backup in early. Now, to call in mine.

This time, he took advantage of some momentary cover, and aimed another awe-inspiring Fire Bolt into the sky. The powerful fire-lightning spell blasted away part of an incoming formation of wyverns as they attempted to evade this spell's natural attraction to flying objects. While the wyverns numbered too many for this one-shot wonder to do decisive damage, it had another purpose entirely...

About two minutes later, a roar was heard far from the battlefield, and repeated roars drew within even the ground combatants' hearing range. Eventually, small objects came into view from a distant patch of tall trees in the forest: dragons, about four dozen of them. Riding them were knights wearing the same style uniform as Masamune's, except theirs were black and gold.

The knights entering the fray only numbered a little less than fifty, but these knights cared not for their numbers, for they were among the most feared mounted warriors in the known world. In their homeland, these Templar knights held indisputable control over all others that moved over the vast oceans surrounding Masamune's island domain. (This domain, while a part of the larger empire, was nominally ruled by Masamune's ancient grandfather.)

Even without his contingent of dragon warriors, Masamune knew that the tides of battle were beginning to overwhelm the orcs. His dragons were merely added insurance that victory (as well as air superiority) were guaranteed to be in their hands.

The barbarians, while taking some heavy casualties from the elite companies within the orc army, were having their fun. So was Julius, who followed the ancient tradition of challenging enemy heroes to single combat and winning in succession through the sheer power of his war hammer. His victories, however small and singular, gave his own barbarian warriors incentive to fight harder to achieve for themselves a worthy place in Val Halla.

He continued to blast powerful spells at distant enemies, while brutally cutting down those that got too close with his blood-forged sword. He heard the dragon roars get louder, as they began to engage the enemy wyverns like cats engaging mice in battle.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor watched the battle unfold. He didn't suspect Masamune had enough power to let loose another blast of fire so soon, but upon seeing him do so, he realized it wasn't a very convenient use of energy as it only managed to strike a couple of the wyverns out of the sky. The arrival of his "dragon" riders indicated that it was instead some sort of signal flare... though he could think of many far more efficient ways to send out a signal flare, himself.

His own infantry had to hold their fire somewhat, now that the "dragon" riders were fighting against the wyverns in the sky above them. Once again his troops had little work to do, as he could leave the killing and dying to Masamune's mercenaries. While the riders seemed to handle themselves well enough against the wyverns, the tide of battle would soon shift again, as the roar of a True Dragon resounded throughout the battlefield.

"It seems the enemy commander has arrived," he said to Lianna and Katalina as they stood impatiently nearby. "It's almost time to reveal our own trump card..."

"Daddy, I want to fight!" said a pouty Katalina.

"Once the dragon is dealt with, I'll let you go play," he said to the fairy princess.

"Yayyyy!" she said, bouncing up and down with joy, her fluttering wings causing her jumps to be quite high. "Ok, kill it way dead, Daddy!"

While the "dragons" that Masamune's riders used as mounts were well trained, they were still little more than beasts as far as their intelligence was concerned. Which meant that in the face of a True Dragon, their base instincts would kick in...

"SLATHALIN IHK VE!!"

The voice of the dragon resounded through the air... an overwhelming aura of command which enveloped the whole battlefield. The dragonkin that the riders were using as mounts began to turn feral, bucking their riders off their backs and instead lashing out at anything around them, unable to discern friend from foe. A massive red dragon began to soar over the battlefield, continuing to bellow the same command, each time having increased impact on the dragonkin.

Once he saw the dragon, Friedrich calmly raised his hand. "Monitor," he said calmly, "Fire!"

A shimmer in the air marked the breaking of an invisibility cloak as a massive man of war airship revealed its presence over the battlefield. The broad side of the airship was already facing in the direction of the dragon, and with thundering resonance, the hundred gun broadside erupted with cannon fire, blowing massive holes through the armored scales of the dragon. With a roar of rage, the dragon fell from the sky, dead before it hit the ground with a heavy thud which shook the earth.

"Ok Katalina," he said, "Go play."

"Yay!" said the princess. "Pi piru piru pi piru piiiii!" She chanted something nonsensical as her clothing light up with a bright light. As her clothing underwent an overly cinematic transformation sequence, everything about her changed, and she was soon wearing an extremely frilly pink outfit with a heart-tipped wand in her hands. "Magical Girl Kat-chan to the rescue!"

He watched as the fairy girl began to soar over the battlefield, using her staff to release energy blasts of brilliant light to strike down wyverns wherever she saw them. He didn't have the heart to tell her that her display of "magical girl" power while flying around, while showy and effective, also meant that everyone on the ground could see her cute pink panties and the red heart on the back.

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune was surprised the battle was going as smoothly as it was. He was worried about his knights when the Dragon showed up. Conveniently though, Imperial artillery cut it down before for the Templars' magic gave out and they would be thrown off their mounts.

The barbarians were more than happy to have their place in the afterlife, but he and his Templars preferred to wait as long as they could for that journey. In the vein of being happy though, the combatants below on the field all were blessed from above. To all on the ground, they were blessed with the sight of a young woman's undercarriage as she transformed into some magical girl-looking costume. The battlefield resounded with a roar. The barbarians took the sight as a vision from the gods as to what they'd taste in Val Halla, and were more than overjoyed.

At first, Masamune and his poor sight was baffled at the extreme boost in morale his brother's troops just got. Their battle lust reached a fever pitch that Masamune swore he could actually smell. Desperate to know what was going on, he fed as much power as he could into his immensely feeble eyes... and for the first time in his life, his eyes beheld something truly glorious.

Holy shit! It was truly a blessing from whatever gods existed out there. Whatever drove the girl to choose that provocative costume, Masamune counted it as a literal miracle. He vowed to give thanks to the gods for this sight the moment this battle was over.

As for transformations, Masamune knew he didn't need to bust out one of his own. The battle was going according to plan, and the enemy army was already almost wiped out because of the sheer fanaticism of his barbarian fighting force. His "final form," or whatever he cared to call it, he didn't want to reveal to the others, not just yet.

There was more than one Dragon War, and while he knew through his own sources the Achenaran Emperor was the star of his own show, there was another that Masamune ended up fighting... and winning. He almost missed that world, for all its horror. At least I wasn't blind, and I was truly blessed with the love of God.

He near-instinctively gave a mental prayer, before resuming his holy work in finishing the battle in front of him. The skies were now all but clear, the orcs were all but wiped out, and his brother was dutifully lost in the fray, doing what he did best: hitting things really, really hard.

[Holeypaladin]

The innocent Achenaran princess in her fairy cosplay completely misinterpreted the cause for the cheer and bolster of morale among the barbarian mercenaries, of course. Katalina merely thought they they were so in awe of her "mahou shojou" powers that they were inspired to fight with renewed vigor, unaware of the fact that they had... other reasons for gazing at her with such passion.

Regardless, between the blasts of radiant energy from the princess' wand and the dragonkin riders of Masamune's knights, it didn't take long until what remained of the wyverns scattered and fled in various directions, now behaving more like wild animals than like war beasts thanks to the loss of the dragon who was commanding them. The orcs soon followed, routing and dispersing into the woods, though the Imperial artillery still rained down on them as they scattered.

"The battle is won," said Donald III to no one in particular, as the only person close enough to hear was Lianna, who seemed completely disinterested in Katalina's game, making him wonder why she had decided to join in the first place. He watched as the princess landed not far from Masamune and Julius, taking them both by the hand and running back towards her Emperor.

"Well done, blah blah blah, I think we should call it a night now," he said to the princes. "It's past Katalina's bedtime and the little princess still needs to wind down a bit from this excitement, after all." Katalina seemed somewhat disappointed, but nevertheless gave a bit of a sigh and contained her words, though she quite clearly wanted to voice an objection of some sorts.

"I hope everyone had fun!" she said eventually, then gazed at Lianna. "When are you and Daddy here gonna give me a little brother or sister?" she said, innocently batting her eyes, her mind obviously still a bit in character from the LARP. "You should at least sleep in the same bed tonight!" she added, causing Donald III to facepalm at this audacious remark.

[Cosmic Fury]

A whole storm's worth of emotions and reactions issued from that comment. Lianna went pale, and didn't say a word. Neither did Julius though, but he had other reasons: he was just thinking about how fun that reenactment was and simply didn't pay attention.

Masamune at first also stopped suddenly, overcome with a half-angry, half-protective impulse to say something he knew he'd regret later on. He promptly calmed down though, when he and Lianna realized at about the same time that Katalina was probably still in-character.

"We're not on those terms yet." Lianna looked the other way to hide her mixed expression of shock at the girl's sheer breach of protocol. She cut off anything before she said more, knowing it was probably best for all of them if she and her cousin simply shut up before any more damage could result.

"The Emperor is right." Masamune had already regained his full composure. "Seems it's already bedtime for us as well. We'll see each other in the morning, there's no doubt on that."

Lianna gave a curt nod, knowing that Masamune was just trying to save them all from a very nasty bind.

[Holeypaladin]

For what seemed like forever, a rather uncomfortable silence fell upon everyone. Katalina seemed to realize that she had said or done something wrong, and went so far as to cling to the Emperor before hiding behind him in a rather shy manner. Eventually, Lianna spoke up in a somewhat diplomatic matter so as to ease the tension, and Donald III gave a slight sigh of relief that things hadn't worked out as bad as they could have.

"I'll have a maid show you to your quarters," he said with a nod to the assembled guests. "I'll go tuck the little princess in. I've still got some work to attend to, but I'll see you all in the morning I suspect." He glanced over at Katalina who raised her arms in his direction, acting somewhat childish despite the fact that she was no longer such a little girl anymore. With a slight chuckle, he picked her up and carried her off to her room.

Tucking her in to bed, he read a bedtime story until the princess fell asleep, making his way out of the room. The Imperium never rested, and he had a pile of work built up from the time he had entertained the Glacian guests, which would take hours to review and complete. Whether he would get any rest at all throughout the evening had yet to be determined.

As he made his way to his office, he began to review reports for the day... mundane stuff about the running of the Imperium that required his approval, for the most part. Eventually, however, he fell across a report that was.... anything but entertaining. He sat down at his desk in order to review the matter in greater detail. It seemed a certain link along one of the northern Stellar Highways had been attacked by a foreign interest intent on stealing one of the gates. This matter was indeed one that would not easily be resolved, requiring his full attention...

[Cosmic Fury]

In the meantime, Masamune was kept up once again throughout the night. Another day, another migraine. It wasn't just his head that hurt; just about everything else did as well. Something was happening to him, and he had no idea what it was. Regardless of the dread creeping into the back of his mind, he didn't talk about it; for a high-class Glacian, openly asking for help of any sort was an open and clear sign of weakness. Can't have that going on.

Lianna had come once or twice to check up on her cousin before she finally turned in herself, while the others were already fast asleep. This wasn't the case for Masamune. He had no real sleep cycle, thanks to the near-total blindness that had plagued him for most of his life after that one assassination attempt on his entire family.

One other person was always by Masamune's side, and that was Hachi. Like most in the Empire, the grizzled Durian was of the same race as his master, but from a different world in far more ways than one. The two had met on that wretched hell-world Tartaros. There, the young man risked everything to free Hachi and his comrades... just so he could see the light, in both a religious sense and otherwise.

While Hachi followed his master's religion, there was only room for one object of spiritual devotion in his life, and God hadn't saved him from that hell. God hadn't given his worthless name meaning, nor was it God who gave his life purpose. Hachi owed that young blind man everything, and he'd be damned if he failed to protect him.

Still, he wondered if he could hold up to that. The assassination attempt he'd heard about before he pledged his loyalty had clearly claimed more than his master's eyes. His master had also wound up on Tartaros along with him for a very dark reason that always eluded him. To top that off, something else had begun to change around Hachi's young master, and for some inexplicable reason he feared it. Did something happen in that galactic VR incident? It had to be that.

"Hachi." A noticeably weakened voice called from nearby, and Hachi immediately stepped from around the corner he had taken up as a post.

"Why aren't you asleep? Masamune had a habit of asking this question when he had a sleepless night.

"Because you aren't." Hachi, although he knew his master could rarely see, still looked him in the eye.

"Rest." Masamune's voice carried a slight edge of finality to it, more so than usual. "You hardly sleep anyway."

Hachi immediately clued in: something was very wrong. He almost never spoke back to his master, but this wasn't the time to stay silent. "Not when you're in this state."

Masamune wasn't used to Hachi being like this. He rarely said anything, and this was about the only time in recent memory that the man questioned anything that he said. He knows something's up, and I doubt he'll shut up about it unless I say something.

Masamune sighed heavily. "I'm just dealing with stuff. Go rest."

"I don't know what stuff you're dealing with, but I can see it visibly dragging you down." Hachi didn't budge. "I know when you're beat by something. I can't keep you alive and well if you don't tell me what's eating at you."

There was a seemingly eternal pause. Neither of them knew how much time passed, but Masamune finally spoke. "Something's happening with me. I'm not sure what, but whatever it is, it's painful. I'll take some medication here in a bit to ease your concern, but there is something else you should know first."

Masamune produced a data pad he had been absorbed in all night. "I've also received very disturbing reports from home that the galactic crime organization with the codename 'Black Sun' is on the move again, after all these years. After their Orion branch took a direct hit from an all-out assault by local agents, their operations back at their real headquarters ground to a halt. They're on the move again, and my personal agents lead me to believe that they're aiming to finish the job they started many years ago."

"Then I will personally ensure you're protected at all times." Hachi gave a military salute, and fetched medicine nearby for his master. "And rest assured, your most devoted servants will always do their duty. With that, I shall hear and obey your command to rest... but you must do so first."

It wasn't long before Masamune turned in. Contrary to orders though, Hachi stayed up longer, ensuring that the small guard's vigilance was doubled, even in the heart of this foreign Imperium. He had made distrusting others into an art form, and he ensured personally that his master's intelligence fell into no other hands than his master's. It was Masamune's job to share it, if he so chose.

[Holeypaladin]

It wasn't until the scent of coffee filled his office that the Emperor realized that he had been up all night taking care of the aftermath of the attack on Dijhogos. The Admiralty of the Imperial Armada was calling for immediate action... a full scale invasion of the Ralgon Empire who had perpetuated the attack. Intel also suggested that a Glacian prince was pulling the Ralgon strings as well, so the more extreme of the admirals were calling for an attack on Glacia as well... which was an absolutely terrible idea.

It was all Donald III could do to dissuade the admirals from action until the official news report was broadcast on GNN... which, with the short comms delay of the most advanced FTL radio, would be taking place in a few days. Until then, the fleets were ordered to be on standby, and reinforce patrols of the northern stellar highways. The newly christened 18th Grand Armada was secretly being assembled under the command of the Bahamut-class flagship Jian Bing, the White Tiger, in order to conduct the inevitable retaliatory invasion of Ralgon territory, as this attack could not be so easily ignored, but assembling so many powerful warships without attracting the attention of the media, the Glacians, or the Ralgons was a highly delicate process, despite their highly advanced stealth technology.

As he smelled the coffee that had entered the room, the eyes of the Emperor drifted over to his beautiful, adorable young niece. "Oh, hello Katalina..." he said, accepting the coffee graciously and taking a drink of it. "Did you make this?" It had the distinct flavor of his favorite whiskey-based creamer, which Katalina herself hadn't developed a taste for, though she knew his preferences well enough.

"Working again all night?" she said as she decided to make a spot for herself on his lap. "I thought you had pushed aside most of the boring political stuff for a few days..." The Emperor had little choice but to simply make room for the princess to make herself comfortable on his lap, chuckling somewhat as she simply took her seat without so much as requesting permission.

"That was the plan, but something came up..." he said with a sigh, drinking more of the coffee. "The enemies of the Imperium don't take holidays on our account, I'm afraid."

"How rude!" said the princess with a pout. "Uncle's army is so strong that they should know better!"

Rather than pointing out all of the errors in what the princess had just said, Donald III simple chuckled. "They should," he said with a nod. "I think I've taken care of things for now, however... why don't you go make sure breakfast is prepared for our guests? I'll be down soon."

"Kay!" said the princess, hopping off his lap and making her way down to the kitchen. She began to prepare some pancakes, complete with a several ingredients to make them exceptionally sweet to her own liking in order to have a meal waiting for the princes and the Emperor when they made their way to the dining room.

[Cosmic Fury]

As usual, Masamune was the first one out of the room. Like Donald, he hadn't slept either. Despite his best efforts to get rest, he ultimately gave up, and instead worked or trained through most of the night. Either way, Masamune had it particularly rough, but he was strong enough to not permit anything of the sort to make its way into his expression. Open displays of weakness were never tolerated in Glacian royal society, and in a high-stakes environment such as this one, such displays could prove catastrophic to both himself and those in his care.

The sun shone through some of the windows in the ornate palace, warming Masamune as he slowly made his way down the hall where he would inevitably see others gathering: mostly guards relieving the night watch from their duty. He impulsively stretched out, taking in the gorgeous weather.

Glacia's capital planet was nothing like this. It was a half-frozen hell world during winter (actually a very large planet-sized moon) with very low temperatures on anything not facing the capital's host "planet." This thing was in fact a ridiculously huge gas giant that had grown large enough to begin transforming into a small dwarf star. As for their solar system's actual sun, Glacia's blue supergiant star was so far away that it couldn't support any normal life forms on the surface during the dwarf's entire winter, if it weren't for said gas giant's incredibly odd properties.

The planet rotated very slowly, so its own sub-moon (a highly reflective, massive ball of space ice captured eons ago) served to reflect heat coming from the dwarf and from the much farther blue giant. If it wasn't for the moon's odd icy surface, Glacia would have been too cold to support even mining operations. Despite three life-giving objects in the sky, the planet had an abnormal rotation and orbit that allowed at least two of the three objects to pass over the planet at about the same time of day: the supergiant star and the dwarf were almost always at the same side the sky at any given day during summer, and on opposite sides during winter. The moon passed over the planet exactly once a day, and orbited once every standard month, and had a stable orbit despite the entire star system's odd configuration.

Why Glacia was able to support life on the surface during a high summer (when even the dwarf star got enough warmth to heat up and accelerate its transformation) was a mystery. Even a thousand years after the planet's discovery, the Empire's best scientists were still baffled at the planet's hospitable conditions... It was very much unlike Achenar.

Masamune finished enjoying the moment, and instead concentrated on the moment. He was the first one up, and he scouted out the area to see what there was to do in the morning, and found an intensely sugary smell wafting through the air. Katalina must be cooking "breakfast."

Knowing this, he steeled himself for another day at work. There is much to be done, and so little time to see things through.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor had one more report to check prior to heading down to the dining room for breakfast. This one was a progress report classified as "Ultra Super Mega Top Secret / Supremely Secret Compartmentalized Information," a classification he himself had invented, meaning he knew exactly where this report was coming from. A Ralgon ship had been captured mostly intact from the previous evening's raid, and according to their predictions, the emulation of a certain weapons technology could now be completed within a week or so.

Ralgon weapons were about a half generation behind those of the Glacians, so emulated Ralgon weaponry wouldn't be of any use compared to the current generation of Gigaflare beam weapons, but this wasn't the point of the project. Instead, it would be used as a stepping stone for the next generation of high-energy weaponry used by the Imperial Armada, the goal of which being to utilize the firepower of Glacian nova guns with the precision, fire rate, and accuracy of Imperial Gigaflare beam weapons. This next generation weapons project would take some time to complete, but it was good to know that they now had everything they needed to finish it.

Satisfied that he had done everything he could for the time being, the Emperor made his way down to the dining room towards the scent of Katalina's pancakes. Thankfully the princess had thought to make something for him as well, in this case an omelet filled with an incredibly spicy sausage the way he liked it, topped with a salsa made from the Inferno peppers of a certain agricultural colony that specialized in spicy food.

"You should make something that the Glacians can stomach as well," he said to the princess. "We already did the spicy versus super sweet challenge last night, remember?"

"Oh yeah..." she said as she began to think. "I'll make some pancakes that are only half as sweet and some omelets that are only half as spicy, then!" Thankfully, the princess enjoyed cooking quite a bit, and so she didn't mind preparing a bit of extra food for the Glacian guests. She went ahead and poured him another cup of coffee, seeing how his cup was empty, and put the pot along with a pitcher of citrus juice on the dining room table large enough for all of the guests.

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune presently made his way into the dining room, wearing light, white-and-black clothes that somehow resembled what a monk back at his home planet would wear. At his side, he carried the usual rusty-looking blade, and nothing else -- no religious decorations, no military insignia, and no jewelry of any kind. It was deliberately simple, and very reflective of his personal take on his homeworld's culture: austere, and almost hostile to those who normally weren't used to harsh environments. Let's see how they react to this of all things. He decided that he'd do a small round of very subtle testing of his own, just to gauge what kind of people his hosts were.

Lianna had just arrived, and came with the notice that Marin was decidedly sleeping in late. The other two had (by some miraculous circumstance) had either tired themselves out or simply gotten drunk the night before out of "general boredom," as Karl put it. Lianna herself was dressed in muted colors, deciding to wear a modest green that seemed to divert the eyes off the dress altogether. If she weren't a person of consequence, this garment would help her vanish easily into the crowd without a moment's thought.

Since it was just the two of them that morning (as early as it was), they proceeded to eat in complete silence, as was the custom in their home. In the morning, it was always the host who spoke first before their guests could break their silence. It was a cultural taboo for refined Glacians to annoy their hosts by speaking out of turn in their own home during morning hours, so it was typical for the host to greet the guests at breakfast so that protocol by either party could be promptly dispensed with. For some homes, not a word would be spoken until well after the morning meal, when the host would wait respectfully before they moved to greet their guests after the latter had risen and finished their morning meal.

In a way, the first words spoken by the host in the morning would strongly indicate exactly the kind of person they were. It would also serve to determine the probable level of strictness of protocol the host would observe between themselves and their guests. No matter their social station, in Glacia the host was always considered the socially superior party in the home, even if it were a hovel and the guests were kings. Respect was always strictly given by the guests, until the hosts observed their social responsibilities by returning it in kind. The cycle of the giving and receiving of respect would continue like clockwork until either protocol was dispensed with by the hosts out of a show of familiarity, or the guests left the home.

This was part of the protocol observed by the guests this morning. They deliberately showed up in plainer clothing, out of respect for their hosts. They remained perfectly silent, making as little noise as possible to avoid disturbing their counterparts this early in the morning. They only bowed respectfully and made deferential gestures, until she had the opportunity to speak as the host. They ate in extreme silence, taking great care not to strike the silverware against the plates. For the two of them, they didn't know how Achenaran culture worked, so they held to their own methods of respecting their hosts as best they could, until the latter had the option to keep or break their silence.

[Holeypaladin]

Emperor Donald III watched as the prince and princess entered the room. They looked rather... extremely underdressed, to be attending a formal event with such a high ranking host. He wasn't sure that he had ever seen someone approach his table in such a simple manner, and remain so quiet at the same time. While he wasn't a particularly talkative guy himself, usually, this amount of silence was somewhat... disturbing.

"Were the palace accommodations not to your liking?" He asked eventually, more a means of breaking silence than anything else. "I could see if there's anything better available..." It seemed strange to him that the palace guest quarters would be sub-par for the Glacian nobles, however, as they had been designed to satisfy the luxury demands of even the most snobbish of Achenaran kings, but he couldn't think of any other reason why they would be so... seemingly upset at him.

As if to ease the situation, Katalina walked up to Lianna and took her hand in her own. "Let's take a bath together," she suggested to the other princess, as it was common in the Imperium for girls her age to bathe together, particularly among the aristocracy, as it allowed them time to socialize and gossip in a private location away from all the men. "And afterward, let's dress you up in some clothes that suit a pretty princess of your stature," she said with a gentle smile.

Figuring he'd let Katalina deal with the other princess, Donald III figured he was on his own to try and figure out how to smooth things over with Masamune. He never was much for people skills, though the impression he had gotten of the prince the previous day was overall quite positive, leaving him entirely too confused as to what would cause such a drastic change in his actions.

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune held his silence until Katalina spoke, breaking the awkward atmosphere he sensed was beginning to develop. Still, he wasn't being spoken to, and he didn't know their protocol for this time of day, so he kept himself to friendly nods and gestures, allowing Lianna to be led away in relative silence by her younger counterpart.

Having been spoken to, Lianna immediately broke her silence and began chatting with Katalina as if nothing had ever happened. She allowed herself to be led away, having no idea what was going on anymore. Deciding to just let it happen, she decided to just play along and see where the situation ended up.

In the meantime, Masamune stayed alone in the chamber with the Emperor, and dealt with what seemed to be an awkward situation on his part. The moment Katalina had left the room, Masamune decided to break his own silence.

"Actually, it's been very good for us so far." Masamune held a thoughtful look. "We just didn't know what your customs were for such events, so we did what we could to avoid causing a scene. Back home, we're very austere about morning events, so I apologize if we left anything less than a favorable impression."

"Anyhow, what do you have planned for today?" Masamune's gaze shifted over towards an ornate display of arms high up on the wall. "Shall we move to the next phase? It's your call."

Still, his mind hung on thoughts of the previous day, with the one thing his eyes saw clearly. He mentally shook himself off of it, and got himself back to the present. It was clear that his hosts were very considerate of their guests, and he took it to mean that they had much looser protocols than those that palace life back home dictated.

[Holeypaladin]

The awkward atmosphere seemed to die down somewhat once the girls had left. Donald III recalled a certain event that had happened during the LARP the previous evening, in which the Glacian prince had temporarily regained his vision and seen the young princess in all her glory... he figured perhaps this was one of the reasons he was acting oddly around her the following morning, though he had no idea if this was, in fact, the case.

The prince finally spoke up and explained somewhat why they were acting so oddly, causing the Emperor to chuckle somewhat. "Quite different from Achenarans, it would seem," he remarked. "In the Emerald Palace, it's considered quite rude to appear before the Emperor in anything less than your finest court attire. I don't particularly care about Achenaran Imperial customs, though... so I was more confused than anything else." Of course he knew next to nothing about Glacian social etiquette, as he hardly even payed attention to his own culture's rules of etiquette, preferring instead to immerse himself in the realm of ideas.

"I did come up with an idea for today's events," the Emperor said. "But I hate repeating myself, so I'll wait until the four of you are gathered to explain it. For the morning, however, we can go with one of your own ideas... and the other candidates will need to come up with some contests of their own so as not to favor one of you over the others."

Meanwhile, Katalina had led the older princess off to a large bath house, where she undressed, unafraid to reveal her rather flawless physical features so long as no men were around. "Come join me," he encouraged the Glacian to do the same, taking time to look over her features. "You're super pretty, Lianna. I wish my breasts were as big as yours..." She cupped her own breasts in her hand, which while smaller than those of the Glacia, still seemed to fit her youthful features quite well.

"We Achenaran girls have a custom," she began to explain to the other princess. "During bath time, we get to talk about all the men. So what do you think of my uncle so far? He may seem a little cold at first, but he's actually a really wonderful and amazing person if you take the time to get to know and understand him. I still don't know a whole lot about your cousins... so tell me about them!"

[Cosmic Fury]

Masamune found it hard to suppress a sigh of relief. He had felt things getting tense in the room, and he was grateful that Katalina had spoken up when she did. Glacian court etiquette was harsh to say the least, and he had no idea how the Achenaran Emperor would react to his and Lianna's very austere ways of doing things. Still, he had demonstrated the civility that Masamune was looking for. If some of us do end up remaining behind, we'll likely be in good hands.

"If appearing in our best attire is acceptable here, then that's what we'll do." Masamune pretended not to notice the Emperor's sideways method of seeing what was really going on, and merely advanced the conversation along. "We're sadly unaware of your customs, but we will endeavor to learn more of them as best we can. Open-source information for Achenar is sadly limited because we only came into contact recently, but we don't intend to let this hamper our efforts to build a meaningful friendship with you."

With this seemingly trivial incident out of the way, Masamune's mood visibly improved, and he happily changed the subject when the Emperor gave that cue. "Odds are the others won't come out until almost noon, so it's not as if anything I come up with will work out well before noon. Our rules back home tend to be strict, so the others -- especially Marin and Julius -- usually avoid the situation altogether and stay out of sight. They'll not show up until later, so we'll need something to kill time with."

With that, his look brightened some, knowing he had the morning to himself. If you guys had the guts to come out when I did, you wouldn't be missing out on some quality face time. "Aside from getting to know one another over a very posh cup of tea or something, do you have ideas of your own on how to proceed?"

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

Well... this is unusual. Lianna didn't expect to end up in the bath room of all places. Privacy was considered almost sacred to her and her own people, and so the idea of simply getting undressed in front of another greatly set her off. Seeing the other princess so casually disrobe and talk about her more... intimate areas had her blushing fiercely, and she hardly said a word. You were the one who got into this mess, so just let it happen. She's just another girl, after all.

She waited until the other princess had given her more than plenty of extra personal space before she took off her own dress and wrapped herself in a towel, as was more customary. She was very deliberately modest, and while she did compliment Katalina on her looks, she tried not to direct her eyes to any other place than her counterpart's face.

Still, Katalina managed to break the ice just enough for Lianna to respond. "Oh, your uncle? He's actually very open to others, compared to most men back home. We're a very self-disciplined and austere people, so I'm afraid that we might come across as tight-lipped and arrogant to others, even for those familiar with us."

"As for my cousins?" Lianna stopped to think hard about how she could put it into words. "Let's see... Julius is surely the outgoing one. He's got a sense of adventure that makes him captivating with most people back home, and it's certainly not a trait you'll find in very many people at home. He's a bit too laid back though, and doesn't seem to really like committing himself to anything for very long if he doesn't see it as a challenge."

Lianna got comfortable, and kept talking as she fought to acclimate herself to this odd situation. This certainly isn't the sort of thing I'd be talking about here of all places!

"For Karl, he's an enigmatic one for sure. He doesn't really let on much of himself especially in front of others. He's not shy, just... very reserved. He's basically the exact opposite of his older brother in everything but their name." Despite herself, Lianna kept going. "He's smart, and he's patient, but he doesn't get along well with anyone else besides me and Masamune. If you're looking to get to know him for yourself, he's going to require a lot of hard work to open up, I'm afraid."

Her eyes lit up, just a little as she got to talking about Masamune. "Of my cousins, he's my favorite. He's probably the most balanced of the three, although he's got his own issues he needs to work past. He's spent his whole life fighting to survive, and that sort of thing does take a toll on a person's self-confidence. Even so, he's the strongest soul I know. Like Karl, it might take some work to get him to open up to you, but all he really needs is the right person to get him to feel whole again. I've certainly tried, but..."

Lianna trailed off there, and fell silent. While Masamune was her favorite cousin, he was arguably the hardest to get to know personally. He'd gone through hell in his life, and more than once at that. He had been an abnormally frequent target for assassinations, as well as "disposal" plots by his own older, more distant cousins. To top that off, it was later revealed to Lianna by secret channels that of all his cousins, Masamune was the one by far most subject to experimentation before he was born. This left a number of abnormalities that were still unknown to this day.

Although assassination plots were almost always uncovered before the attempt, one was revealed too late and it cost Masamune his sight and nearly his life. On top of that, there was that plot by a group of Senators and Royals to kill him during his Trials by forcing the deciding council by majority vote to send him to Tartaros of all places. Why did they keep targeting you of all people? What is it that you have that they're so afraid of?

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor listened to the words of the Glacian prince with a healthy bit of skepticism. The customs of the Achenarans had become quite widespread with the expansion of the Imperium, and the Imperial Achenarans were always quite happy to attempt to convert conquered and assimilated planets to their own culture. It had mixed results, of course, as most conquered races were under no obligation to adopt the Achenaran culture... but certain colonies were almost entirely Achenaran, particularly in Cygne, which was one of the closer kingdoms to the Glacian territories.

"Is it really?" he remarked. More likely, the Glacians simply hadn't had enough time to fully research the Achenaran culture before planning this trip... and if it was rushed to this extent, then it meant the political situation in Glacia was accelerating at a much more alarming rate than the Masamune had implied so far. Establishing a heirarchy among the nominees, in this case, was of all the more paramount importance, and would need to be done swiftly.

"In the future," he said, "It would be best for your brothers to wake up at a more punctual hour, so that we can get hold sufficient competitions between you. As for what to do now... I suppose we can work on preparations for a game of my own design. Your brothers will need to double and triple check to make sure everything is acceptable and fair... but what we can do now, is program all essential technical information in order to prepare a simulated fleet combat simulator. At least one faction will be of Glacian design... perhaps all of them, if you prefer. So we'll need the expertise of you and your brothers in inputting the correct information regarding your warships, as your information is undoubtedly more accurate than my own."

---

The Achenaran princess seemed to get the hint that these bath customs weren't so common among the Glacian nobles, but even still, she smiled and regarded Lianna in a friendly manner, complimenting how pretty she was. "I like your pointy ears...." she said. "Can I touch them, or...?" She suddenly remembered the Alfaran race, an assimilated member of the Imperium whose people possessed similar pointy ears. However, Alfaran ears were extremely sensitive, so it was quite rude to touch them without permission.

She giggled somewhat as Lianna described the Emperor. "Most people wouldn't use the term Open in reference to my uncle..." she ventured. "He's pretty informal, true, but there's a lot more to him than that. He can be... difficult to understand, and slow to warm up to others. I think it's because just about everyone he's ever been close to has betrayed him... all except for close family..." She frowned as she thought over how difficult it must be in her uncle's shoes. "You should try to get to know him... if you can get close to him, you definitely won't regret it!"

The princess smiled as Lianna went on to describe her cousins, giggling occasionally at the similarities between some of them and her own uncle. It seemed to her that Donald III had a few things in common with both Karl and Masamune, though they were very different people from each other in other areas. He listened as she went on to describe how much she favored Masamune and, after some time, gasped in realization of something.

"It's Prince Masamune!" she said excitedly as she was sure she had figured it out. "He's the reason you came here, isn't he?" Smiling for a bit, she eventually saddened somewhat when she realized the princess was far more interested in her cousin more than anyone else. "Do you... plan on marrying Prince Masamune, then?" she asked in a soft tone. If she said yes, then it would mean that both Masamune and Lianna were unavailable in this sense... which was somewhat of a saddening thought to the Achenaran princess.

[Cosmic Fury]

"Unfortunately, that's quite true." Masamune knew the subtle message had been sent loud and clear. Even if he did tell the foreign Emperor the truth in saying that Achenaran customs were still very obscure in Glacia, it was also the truth that it wouldn't have taken much beyond a thorough research investigation on the princes' part to determine what customs to follow when they arrived.

"As you might have guessed, we were compelled to take swift action in coming here." Masamune's voice quieted down, and he took a more pensive and deliberate tone. Either way, this guy's going to eventually find out. "Glacia's situation is much like yours was scarcely a few years ago. At the moment, it's simply not safe to stay put there. Tensions are on the rise, because my grandfather is looking to retire in his old age before he finally dies, which is also pretty near in the future."

Masamune looked at the Emperor with his cold, lightless eyes, and let the full force of his message come across. "As it stands we only have a short period of time in which we must choose one of us to protect. It's dangerous enough for there to be no guarantee that we'll all survive when we return home if we try to keep everyone alive, instead of just one or two of us. If we return home and someone else is proclaimed the Emperor, there's a chance we'll all be forcibly exiled or assassinated by the new Emperor to prevent anyone from dethroning him before he's crowned."

"On that note, it's best if you surprised us with a challenge full of unknowns, if we're not going for the conventional blade master tournament right away." Masamune wore the same pensive expression as before. "Not sure if you've heard of this, but most Glacian trials that don't involve single combat test our resolve, intelligence, and courage in the face of the unknown. This shouldn't be any different, if we're to maintain legitimacy among ourselves."

At this point, Masamune could hear shuffling down the hallway as the others slowly made their way into the hall. They were met with a fierce expression from their cousin that clearly indicated that they all missed breakfast and would have to wait until lunch for a proper meal. This flippant attitude is going to get them all killed back home at this rate. I need to give them all a talk later.

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

Lianna hesitated. Her ears were definitely sensitive, but it wasn't like some sort of "true" erogenous zone like her younger counterpart was going on about so excitedly. "... I guess. Just don't pull on them too hard. They're a bit sensitive, after all."

As she let the Achenaran princess have her way with her sensitive ears (an awkward but somehow pleasant experience in itself), Lianna still couldn't help but thinking on betrayal. She'd grown so cold and distant from others herself because she was so used to the daily mistrust and betrayal. She thought about what Kat said about the Achenaran Emperor. He seems so familiar. Perhaps it would be a good idea to get to know him.

She gave off a genuine smile as Kat continued her antics. Even though Lianna felt that Kat's behavior was probably some sort of front or personal mask, she didn't mind. At the very least, it was refreshing to have someone to talk to, instead of a borderline she-wolf like Marin was. So uncivilized!

She was abruptly snapped out of her thoughts when Kat mentioned her cousin in the way she did. "... What?" She was shocked, but she had to admit she sort of walked into that one. She did express and genuinely felt deep admiration for her cousin, but deep down she knew it was more akin to hero-worship than it was romantic love for him.

She let loose an unusually loud laugh. She was shocked, but she really did find the idea funny. "We'd never work out! We're more like sworn siblings than romantic partners. It's true we know each other deeply, but our love isn't the sort you'd make a marriage out of. Silly thing!"

Still, she couldn't help but wonder if Kat was secretly playing the role of a matchmaker. Either she's really good or really terrible at this. Which is it? Either way, it was a long time since Lianna played any of these innocent games with other people, and she was more than happy by now to humor her counterpart and open up to her.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor nodded at the words of the Glacian prince as he confirmed what he already more or less suspected. It wasn't due to a lack of information that they were unfamiliar with Achenaran customs, more to the fact that their trip was hastily put together and rushed... an indication that the political situation in the Glacian imperial family was destabilizing at a rather alarming rate.

He nodded in understanding towards the prince as he explained the situation and the need for their haste. "Understandable," he remarked in response to his words. "It always baffled Imperial historians the way your empire has been able to build itself over time in both size and technology, while still resorting to such draconian, violent, and underhanded means of solving political debates. But I suspect you're enlightened enough to realize that such methods need to change, or they'll lead to your civilizations downfall the way they have to so many others."

"As for the challenge..." he said, giving a slight smirk as the prince gave him permission to set the conditions and rules himself, "I'll make sure to challenge your adaptability, flexibility, and skills in both orthodox and unorthodox strategies and tactics to the best of my ability. It won't be an easy test, and some of you may have an advantage over others.. but it's the ability to overcome disadvantage that makes for the greatest tacticians in history."

He glanced up to see the late arrivals finally making their appearance, having wasted the better part of the morning on what could have been a competition between them as part of their trials. "The beds of the Imperial palace must be quite comfortable compared to what you're used to." he remarked on how much they had slept, not wanting to press the issue of their tardiness too much. "As soon as the other princess arrives, we can begin the briefing for your next challenge," he said without dwelling too much on their tardiness.

---

The Achenaran princess giggles as she reached over to touch the pointy ears of the older Glacian, finding them to be fascinating and pretty. "It's like your race is a distant relative of the Alfarans..." she remarked as she examined them closer, touching them tenderly but not too much before eventually pulling away in order to return to the discussion topic at hand. While her ears weren't nearly so sensitive as those of the Alfaran race, they still added to the beauty and exotic appearance of the Glacian girl.

Giving the girl a curious look as she went deep into thought, she giggled a bit at the surprised reaction when she snapped out of it at the mention of a romantic interest in her cousin. "I suppose it might be difficult for such a thing to work..." she admitted. "Especially if one of you becomes Emperor. Emperors are supposed to marry for political reasons in order to expand their power and influence... but Uncle has refused to do this so far. The Council wants to force him to marry, and it looks like they might succeed in making him marry someone who doesn't like him unless he can find a good girl of sufficient status who does..."

Her voice was filled with sadness at the situation involving the Emperor, but her smile soon returned as if she forced herself to cheer up. Receiving a message on her Hyperlink implant, she said "It looks like gossip time will have to be continued another time. Your other cousins are awake, so let's head back and get ready for your next trial!" She eagerly jumped out of the bath with no regard to her nakedness before drying herself off and putting her princess dress back on, waiting impatiently for the glacian girl to do the same before leading her back to the others.

[Cosmic Fury]

"There's an old adage back home that says 'Conflict brings progress.'" Masamune chuckled at the ridiculousness of the thought's implications. "Some jackass must have figured that lots of conflict must generate lots of progress, so they instituted a system that breeds conflict while somehow keeping things stable. Still, with all the killing going around, I'm just as baffled as you are that we're as strong as we are. We've honestly killed more of each other than we have enemy nobility."

With the Emperor describing his vision for the coming contest, Masamune got just excited enough to visibly display it for a moment before he regained his composure. "Sounds like fun. Here's hoping we can pull all the stops on this one."

Just then, the others walked in, and Masamune had thrown that same disapproving look. Karl had immediately clued in that something was about to go down, Julius looked clueless as ever, and Marin looked like she really did just wake up and didn't care at all about anything -- bed hair and all. They were all immediately flashed a simple signal simply meaning "wait." They'd effectively be on standby until Lianna showed up, which likely wouldn't take long.

-----------

"I'm afraid the same will hold true for whichever one of us sits on the throne." Lianna looked more dejected than anything else. "The rest of us get to run off and have fun with our lives, while whoever we select gets burdened with a lifetime job that none of us particularly wants."

Throughout this whole exchange, Lianna listened very carefully to the conversation and how it played out. She's got a lot more to her than she normally shows. She's definitely a smart one. She mentally debated sharing this insight with Masamune later, but they were interrupted by the announcement coming from the Emperor.

She saw the other girl get out with zero regard for her own modesty -- something not distinctly "lady-like." Lianna just decided to brush that off for the moment, choosing instead to reflect on how that action fit with the bigger picture. If Katalina was indeed as clever as Lianna was thinking she was, it could be both a blessing and a bit of a problem for the others if they just assumed she was an airhead. Better let some of them know sooner rather than later.

With that, she chose to be bold and reciprocate her counterpart's openness. In a rare move, she simply get out of the tub before reaching for her towel and wrapping herself up, also discarding the thought of protecting some sense of modesty. Regardless of her own reservations, Lianna sensed this girl was far better off an ally than someone merely relegated to the sidelines in this whole mess.

[Holeypaladin]

Smirking at the words of the prince, the Emperor said, "We have somewhat of a similar saying... with the same general meaning. What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger. However... you can't possibly get stronger if you don't survive, yes?" From what he knew of Glacian history, the reason they had grown strong was because they had risen to a power during a time devoid of rivals, and since it was in the nature of sentient life forms to find rivals, they instead found them in each other... leading to centuries of fighting among themselves while the other civilizations, such as the Imperium, rose to power. In a metaphorical blink of an eye, however, the Imperium had not only caught up to the ancient Glacian empire, but in Donald III's opinion even surpassed them... due in no small part the fact that they looked outside of their own borders for rivals, rather than within.

As he thought over some of this, he waited until everyone else arrived and Katalina brought the princess back from her girl gossip thing, going so far as to pull out chairs for Lianna, Marin, and Katalina before taking his own seat at the head of the table. "Afternoon, everyone," he said. "Without further delay, let's go over the games we'll be hosting today. Prince Masamune told me to surprise everyone with something unexpected... so that's exactly what I'm going to do."

"The game today will involve fleet tactics and command, to test your leadership skills in large scale interstellar conflict. Each of the four participants will command a separate faction than the others, and factions will be randomized. All factions will be based on real empires that are considered to be major galactic powers, with equivalent technology, equipment, and so on. The factions are as follows," he said, pausing before clearly stating the four factions. "Imperium Invictum. Asmodean Collective. Glacian Empire. Ralgon Empire. Our data on the first two of these factions are 100% accurate, and I'll be relying on all of you to input 100% accurate information on the last two in order to have a fair and balanced war game."

"Additionally..." he added, "Since large scale military operations depend very highly on qualified sub-commanders, each of you will be permitted to recruit qualified individuals to serve as officers and strategists in your fleets. Several members of the Imperium's own High Admiralty are visiting the palace at the moment, and of course you're welcome to use your own staff if you've brought any. Since not all factions are created equal, the difference in quality will be balanced by a difference in quantity, so that even the Ralgon commander will have a chance of victory," he added a slight smirk at the Ralgon bashing comment.

"Are there any questions before I have you all verify and correct our data revolving the Ralgon and Glacian factions?" he asked, glancing between the various Glacian nobles.

[Cosmic Fury]

Karl immediately pulled out a data chip and slid it across the table to the Achenaran Emperor, as if he'd been prepared all along for such an eventuality. "Here are the surface specs on the ships you're missing data for. They'll serve for purposes of our game."

He looked around the table at everyone, and made an astute observation. "I see only four factions and five contestants. We need to resolve this." He gave a pointed look over at Marin. "This is an interesting shoot-out, but I want everyone to have a chance at competing this time."

Everyone at the table fell silent for a while, and Karl finally spoke up with a half-smirk on his face. "I say we compete over the spot, and the loser has to stay out of this round. On the one hand, they get no points... but at least they don't lose any, either. What do you say? A simple game of chance should suffice for this one."

As spirited as he was, Julius immediately raised his hand in favor. Marin, surprised at this turn of events, ended up raising her hand because she didn't know what else to think of on short notice. Seeing that three out of five were in favor, Masamune and Lianna had no choice but to comply and raise their hands as well. But Lianna was not to be outdone. Knowing Karl would likely stack the game in favor of someone he thought was a threat, she thought quickly and grabbed five butter knives off the table, putting an ink mark on one of their elaborate wooden handles.

"This is how it's going to work." She held out the knives by their handles after carefully shuffling them out of sight of the others. "Everyone will take turns taking a knife. Two of these knives have marks on them. If you draw a knife with the red mark, you lose. If you draw the knife with the green mark, that means you win this game and get first pick of a commander. Things won't be as depressing that way, at least. I'll have the last draw because I'm the one holding these things."

Everyone quickly agreed, and proceeded to take the knives one after another. Julius drew first -- and lost. However, he decided to be the better man and, in a rare display, say nothing and back off quietly. He went back to the table and sat it out quietly. Karl drew and got an unmarked knife, and went back to the table with a dejected look on his face. Masamune, on the other hand, drew next and got the green-marked knife, and the game was immediately over. Lianna wiped the marks off with a napkin and set the knives back in their places.

"If there is ever a contest between us again for something other than our right to choose our Champion, there should always be a prize, even if the game is as simple as this. If there is a loser, there must also always be a winner." Lianna gave a testing look, and after everyone nodded, she continued. "Such is the natural order of things. Otherwise, there will be no incentive to play." She ended with a pointed look at Karl, who was still smiling at having disrupted things a bit. He's definitely going to be a threat if I'm to compete. "Masamune, if you'll please pick your first commander, we'll get this quickly set up. We should pick our commander before we set up our forces, as is the norm in all military matters."

"Very well." Masamune looked as if he already made his choice. "Emperor, would you mind joining me in this expedition? You are my first pick and I would be honored if you lend your wisdom to this endeavor. In all honesty, I'm curious to see first-hand how you do things, and I'd far rather it by on my side of the fence where I can directly learn from you."

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor accepted the data from the Glacian prince, giving a nod. "If everyone agrees, then I'll use this data as the basis for this war game." He inserted the chip into a nearby computer terminal, listening in on the conversation between the princes and princesses as he did so. In truth, he had picked four factions as there had only been four candidates for Glacian emperor announced so far in the competition... but if Marin wanted to play as well, then she, too, would be added to the list of candidates... although she was currently a bit behind the others in score.

He inserted a random algorithm in order to determine who would be commanding which faction in the upcoming war game, returning to the table a bit later with a small stack of cards. He gave a smirk as the princess announced the rules of the game and went on to hold a contest of random chance in order to determine who would be disqualified and who would have their first pick of commander... but there was more to choosing a commander than simply having the first pick.

Taking his seat at the table, the Emperor looked over to Masamune as he went ahead and asked him to assist him in the war game. "I'm glad you have so much confidence in me..." he remarked, "But wouldn't it be best to know which faction you're commanding before picking a commander? There are some factions which I'm less qualified to command than others, after all, and even if the game is of my design, I won't cheat the system in order to win."

He then handed out four cards to the four participants, each with their name on the front side of the card. "If you would all flip the card over, your randomly selected faction will be revealed." On the back side of the card marked "Masamune" was the faction "Ralgon Empire." Additionally, Karl received the Asmodean Collective, Marin received the Glacian Empire, and Lianna received the Imperium Invictum.

However, he then handed another card over to the loser, Julius, which was labeled "Mystery Faction." "Let us now begin the second phase of the selection process," he said. "Each of you has received the faction which you will be commanding. You may also exchange your card for the mystery card, but you may not exchange your card for any other. As far as Masamune's selection is concerned... you should know that the Ralgons are not my specialty. If you still want me as a commander... convince me. But I'm also going to listen to the other candidates before determining which faction I'll be assisting."

His expertise in space warfare was primarily in how to command the Imperium's own Imperial Armada, which had been randomly granted to Lianna. The primary reason to have him as a commander, he realized, was so that no one else would be able to choose him... yet he also wasn't about to assist someone simply because he was asked. He was curious to see how the Glacian royals would go about convincing him, as well as their reactions to their randomly selected factions and the mysterious fifth faction that had yet to be announced.

[Cosmic Fury]

With the cards handed out and the revised rules announced, everyone's plans were completely dashed. Masamune immediately fell silent, knowing he'd been suddenly dealt quite the terrible hand. He knew he had no guarantee of the Emperor accepting his request to lead his fleet, but this really tied his hands. The impression that the four (now five) of them would choose their commanders before the fleets were assembled was also dashed, and put the game into an entirely new perspective.

Karl was ecstatic, and started immediately thinking on his potential commanders. The Collective was the perfect faction for him to lead or micromanage - or both at the same time. They'd obey his every command, and act autonomously within those parameters (no matter how dishonorable)without fail. This was a faction he knew the Emperor wouldn't like to be a part of, so he immediately ruled that possibility out.

Marin was just as happy. The hard-hitting Glacian fleet matched her style of fighting, with carefully timed attacks that hit harder than all the other factions -- even if those hits came at a lower frequency. She immediately made up her mind: she would refuse any overtures Julius might make with his mystery card. She thought of potential commanders, but with Julius's unexpected entrance she immediately lost a prospective heavy hitter. She didn't bring any potential commanders with her... but at least she had ideas. Would the Emperor's guards want to join me on this one? I'll have to ask.

Lianna looked, for all intents and purposes, stoic about the whole thing. Her reality was much different: she hardly knew about the Imperium. From what she gathered though, its military hit with somewhat less firepower than the Glacians offered. But, they had great enough rates of fire to compensate with almost haunting equivalency. This aspect of Imperium technology gave her the ability to compensate for potential blunders far more easily than the others. Despite this, she knew she was an inexperienced commander; she'd need help rather badly, and she had no available assistance whatsoever. With that, she looked directly at the Emperor and immediately started thinking on what she could do about it.

Julius sat there thinking at a feverish pace. Sure, he was back in the game but he had absolutely no idea what his mystery card even did. He could clearly see Karl's shit-eating grin from across the room, and immediately knew that was out of the question. He looked at Marin, and could tell that the hard-hitting Glacian faction was totally her, and ruled that out too. He looked at Lianna, and approached her immediately.

A silent exchange rapidly took place, and he was instantly rejected. Apparently, Lianna had "reasons of her own" for being completely happy with her card, despite her unusually thoughtful expression. He thought rapidly about what would happen. He didn't want to publicize the fact, but he completely hated working with completely unknown factors. Shit, I feel like flying blind here right now. What the hell do I -- wait a minute...

He threw a look across the room and he could see Masamune not-so-subtly wracking his own brain for options. Jackpot. Now, how do I convince him to take this sonofabitch off my hands? He made his way over to his younger brother and flashed the card. "Do you want it?"

Masamune quickly flashed a series of signs out of view of the others. "What makes you think I want that thing?"

"Because what you've got right now will make you lose." Julius's expression intensified out of sheer determination to finally pass his bad luck to someone else. "I can do something better with that, and odds are that this mystery card might be something good for you."

"Why don't you keep it, then?" Masamune's look was tantalizing to Julius. It was clear that Masamune was thinking on the implications of getting rid of his card, but clearly wasn't convinced yet.

"Because this clearly isn't me. I like to know what I've got to work with. Even if the Ralgon fleet is a sack of trash, I can throw trash VERY effectively." Julius's expression showed a slight hint of desperation. "Look. Take my card and I won't attack you until at least one of the others are off the map."

"No." Masamune's expression suddenly steeled up. Finally, a bargain! Even if he was happy, he wanted to at least see how far he could go to reduce the chances of getting burned by a potentially bad card.

"Don't be an asshole, man. I'm in this fight just as much as you are."

"Two."

Julius was exasperated, but at least not all was lost. "Deal." He almost spat the word out loud, but was done was done. It was a fair bargain to him, but still... Fuck it all; that guy drives a hard bargain.

The negotiations having quickly concluded, the cards changed hands before the others could really know whether Masamune had accepted the deal or not. Both refused to reveal their cards OR any potential terms of agreement that now hung around Julius's neck. And before either knew it, Lianna had struck in her own way as well.

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

With the others being absent, Lianna in the meantime decided to capitalize on Masamune's distraction and press forward with her good fortune. While Marin started openly trash-talking Karl in the background, she noticed that Julius approached Masamune, most likely to make a deal. I wouldn't be surprised if one of them loses their soul over this. She made note to observe the two parties' deal-making and trash-talking and act on it later.

Grandfather always did tell me to take advantage of chaos to establish our own order of things. This must have been exactly what he was talking about. Karl was clearly in crisis because (from the sound of things) he had no comebacks against Marin's increasingly scathing insults and threats of violence. Meanwhile, she couldn't see what Julius was saying to Masamune, but she could clearly tell the two were absorbed in the moment and at least one looked almost desperate.

Not allowing herself to be engrossed in the moment, she approached the Emperor. "You... um... mentioned that you're more comfortable with leading a fleet you're more familiar with?"

She started taking things straight out of Katalina's playbook for this one, and put on a much prettier smile than she usually dished out to others. "Are you willing to help me out with this one? I'd like to know how a more experienced commander as yourself does things. I know I'll have much to learn from you -- that is, if you're willing to help take command of the fleet."

Her expression was deliberately more demure than usual. She held less of her usual proud and aloof expression. Here, there was a definite need that need to be filled, and she wasn't afraid of asking for help. Her face held that honest fact for only the Emperor to see, and it was a side she very rarely showed. "I would be very grateful; I know of no one else who can help better than one in your position."

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor couldn't help but smirk at the reactions of the Glacians at the announcement of the new rules for the war game... rules which he had, admittedly, invented somewhat on the spot, though he would prefer to give the impression that he had such things in mind the entire time, and therefore kept such comments to himself. He was quite good at remaining silent, and did so as he watched the way the Glacians dealt with their randomly assigned factions as well as the mystery card which the Emperor had more or less pulled out of his arse.

He knew who had which card, of course, as he had been the ones to hand them out... but the Glacians themselves clearly didn't know which card the other had, though their expressions somewhat betrayed this to an extent. Julius was clearly displeased with his card, as was Masamune, so the fact that they decided to exchange cards came as no surprise. He regarded Lianna with curiosity, knowing she had no idea how to play the card, but suspecting she was clever enough to find someone who did.

When Masamune tricked his more straightforward brother into a deal which favored him in order to trade for a card which he wanted to begin with, Donald III noted that Masamune was far more competent in trickery than Julius was. This didn't necessarily mean that Julius was unfit to rule, but it definitely meant that he would need people who were competent in such matters close by for his own sake.

When Lianna began to approach him, the Emperor knew exactly what she was going to request before she did so... though he did give her props for bringing up the issue in such a pretty way. So she did know how to use her charisma, charm, and beauty in order to further her own means... an essential skill, for a princess or really any woman in a position of power surrounded by men.

Smirking somewhat at her proposal, he thought it over for a moment. "Indeed... it is a fleet I'm quite familiar with it, if the battle of Nessus is any indication of success." He was referring, of course, to the final battle of the Asmodean War, where he had commanded the Third Royal Armada in the decisive battle which had ended the war. "If I was in charge of such a faction of yours, the chances of victory would be rather high indeed, as opposed to near certain defeat."

He knew, of course, that if Lianna were to attempt to command the Imperial Armada, or even if one of the three brothers were to do so, the odds of victory were practically nonexistent. "However... I'm not a particularly prideful man, so it will take a bit more than flattery to convince me. What's in it for me... or for the Imperium, for that matter, should you win this contest?" He was testing the girl's diplomatic etiquette, probing to see what incentive he had to win the fleet warfare competition on her behalf.

[Cosmic Fury]

Lianna knew she only had a split-second to consider her choices before she could begin to speak (and potentially buy more time for thinking in and of itself), but she knew she needed to adopt a basic approach, FAST. She clearly wasn't stupid and neither way he. She had already displayed her wit and intelligence, so the dumb and innocent act (aka the "Katalina Method") was impossible to pull off right here, right now. She quickly assessed him to see if he had a genuine look... and it genuinely meant business.

It was clear that her options were limited at this point. She could try the direct approach, or the indirect approach, both of which had merits. Either way, time was running out, and she had to choose quickly... So, she chose to at least shoot for consistency and drive a bargain, at the very least to see what kind of a man this Emperor was. Less than a blink of an eye after the Emperor had his question, Lianna had her response.

"For all it's worth..." She deliberately paused to build effect, and looked pointedly around the room. It was clear she was about to pull a dick move on at least one person present. "In exchange for your help, I could grant you mine. One of my skills is finding people of consequence... wherever in the known universe they may be. Give me one name and I shall find that name for you among the stars.

"If you want more..." Lianna then gave a mischievous wink. "You'll have to work hard for it. I'm not a cheap date; just ask anyone here. Your assassin, perhaps? He should know a thing or two about that."

Marin had gotten bored of blasting Karl with her increasingly scathing insults and sauntered off to some random corner in the room, where she found a seat and sat there like she wasn't ever going to be paid enough to get back up. She didn't really care what was going on, although she could clearly see that Julius had sold his soul to Masamune for some sort of sick and twisted bargain. She nearly did a double-take though, when she actually saw Lianna cozying up to someone other than Masamune for once in her life. Holy shit, now I've seen everything! Even so, with that intensely amusing moment of shock-and-awe gone, she went back to doing what she did best: just passively observing. She couldn't be bothered to do anything else other than wait for the game to begin.

Karl, in the meantime, had recovered himself just in time to see Lianna's exchange with the Emperor, and just managed to overhear her offer. He stared in Lianna's general direction with a look of disbelief as he realized that she clearly wasn't bluffing. Fuck my life. Sure, finding dirt on people was his near-absolute dominion, but Lianna was among the few people in existence he couldn't even put a finger on, and now everything suddenly became crystal clear to him. If she didn't want someone or something seen, everyone else was as good as blind. If Lianna was better at Karl in anything, it wasn't in finding people's faults... it was simply finding the people themselves and keeping them well-seen or well-hidden, with or without anyone -- even the subject of her interest -- ever knowing about it.

If the Emperor chose to let loose the wrong name, Karl's own secret plans to pull the others along might as well be sent straight to Tartarus to burn in some boiling pool of combustible volcanic acid. If there was one thing Karl hated in life, it was being forced to find alternative solutions at the last minute. After mentally spitting out a series of oddly specific curses, he regained his composure before the others could know he was thoroughly rattled by these new developments.

Masamune was surprised as well, but in his own fashion. He didn't expect Lianna to reveal another trump card so soon in the game. He figured he could attribute his survival to friends, but he didn't know that one of his chief secret protectors had been standing in the open the whole time. Masamune knew he was clever, but it was clear he'd met his match on that front. Well, I'll be damned! He had found yet another good reason to do his best to retain her as his closest friend and ally. He could only imagine what Karl's face would look like in the moment. As for the others, they could hardly figure why Masamune was wearing an amused smirk on his face.

As for Julius, he was suddenly tuned in, knowing something big was about to go down. He didn't quite understand the nuances of the situation, but he knew that really wasn't his thing. The place where he truly shined was in the thick of the fighting, where he knew who and where the enemy was. I'll figure that out soon enough. One good look around the room told him one thing that even he could grasp, though: Marin clearly didn't give a damn, and she even looked the part. She wore an expression of the most intense apathy that Julius had seen in his life, and he could tell she just wanted to get started already.

[Holeypaladin]

Keeping his gaze focused on the princess, the Emperor concentrated on her words and reaction, forcing himself not to be distracted by her pretty face. He closed his eyes for a few seconds to remove the distraction from in front of him, focusing instead on processing her words, and remained silent for several seconds as he did so. Indeed, the seemingly unassuming princess was more than she appeared... and certainly not one to be taken lightly. Unlike many other Achenarans, he knew better than to judge someone by their gender, as women could be the most deceptive of creatures among the stars.

"Alright then..." he said. "I'll do this favor for you... and then you'll owe me one in return. And if you would prefer our personal alliance to extend further... I would not be opposed to the idea. You're no fool, so you must certainly be aware of everything I have to offer." He reached out to take her hand, but rather than shaking it or giving a brofist like he might do to Masamune or his friend Adrian, he gently took her fingers and kissed the back of it.

"Use me correctly, and you can consider this exercise to be a victory," he said. "I won't cheat or break the rules, of course... but I will use everything within the limits of the rules to be an asset to your fleet." He smirked at the idea that his own Imperial Armada was now her fleet, at least for the purposes of this game, but he also had a very good idea who was holding which card. Karl was most certainly in control of the Asmodeans... a fleet he knew quite well, and had already destroyed with great efficiency. He knew more about Masamune's trump card than the prince himself knew, and he wasn't at all concerned with the Ralgons or the even the Glacians considering their commander was the savage young princess. It was more a matter of how much the more intelligent of the princesses used him, and how effectively.

Leaning closer, he whispered into Lianna's ear in tone too low to be overheard even by Masamune's superhuman senses. "Firstly, a bit of advice. It would appear two of your cousins have already agreed not to attack each other. You may want to make a similar arrangement with the other princess in the room... as I would not trust the Asmodean commander to uphold his end of such a bargain if he saw profit to his faction in breaking it."

Pulling away from her once again, he addressed the five noble scions of the Glacian royal family together. "Now that factions have been determined, it is time for everyone to prepare your forces. Recruit what commanders you can, and review the data in your cards. Masamune, Karl, and Lianna will be double checking the adjustments you make to the Glacian and Ralgon ship schematics, so don't even think of falsifying them in your favor. There are a number of factors to consider among the rules of the game to consider, besides the simple ship and fleet data, so review the rules of the game thoroughly. Battle itself will commence at 1600 Achenaran time."

That left everyone with a few hours to prepare.. plenty of time, he figured, as a strategist could not prepare his strategy instantly... yet he still had to face time constraints in certain circumstances. "I suggest getting to work," he stated finally, figuring everyone should be scattering to the winds to recruit their commanders by then.

[Cosmic Fury]

Lianna wasn't one to let a victory go to waste. Instead, she chose to deliberately rub it in the others' faces to throw them off their game. Privately, she savored the moment intensely, enjoying being the exclusive object of attention from one known not to give much of it to others freely. Openly, that was a much different story. She looked every part the distant and aloof queen that receives attention from yet another in a long list of suitors, and she made sure everyone was watching... so that she could fully capitalize on her sudden good fortune.

"Now, let's go discuss strategy, shall we?" Knowing she had everyone's undivided attention, Lianna kept her gaze locked onto the Emperor, and deliberately made her voice even silkier than usual. "Let's use this opportunity to gain a better understanding of each other. After all, I think we'll be fast friends after today's events."

With that being said, she decided to break out of character and play the aggressive game. She kept her own grip on her counterpart's hand, and gently led him off to the next room without saying anything else. I know Marin will follow later. She's not the type to miss out on action like this, however she might feel at first. The thought of dragging Marin off on a pointless crusade only added to the smile on Lianna's face as she turned the whole thing into a two-person parade that immediately left the room.

Marin was indifferent at first, although she began to feel the bitter sting of envy for absolutely no reason. For her part, she preferred the company of... different sorts of people. Damn it Lianna, why do you DO this to me!? Julius was also initially indifferent to the whole thing as well, but this was because he was a romantic brick. Even so, he began to see the light... and he did not like the color he was looking at. As a result, his dejected expression grew ever more visible. Both the cousins ended up remaining in the room for a few solid minutes, completely flabbergasted by Lianna's unusual performance.

Karl, being his introverted self, was intensely jealous of his cousin for reasons that visibly seemed to escape him. It's probably the attention, but there's something else going on here and I can't put my thumb on it. Damn it all! For all his efforts to hide it, his face fully registered the fact that he knew he just got trolled hardcore by his cousin. His existing train of thought had been blasted from his mind, and he had a feeling that this very thing was Lianna's entire objective. Not all of us are as pretty as you are. Asshole. After mentally cooling himself off, he left to blow off some steam, then find recruits among his own men.

As for Masamune, his blindness prevented him from knowing all of what was going on, but he could swear to all the gods he smelled jealousy wafting through the air for some reason. It didn't take much thinking for him to get a good feeling of what the source of it all was. Damn, she knows how to play her cards. He immediately left the room to meet his own honored guests, before he could be emotionally compromised by the whole mess like everyone else was.

=================

While the others weren't watching, Masamune went down one of the many winding passageways in the Palace, and met a certain pair of individuals he had trained under for several years now. His own training was all but complete, and they were here more or less to see the end of their student's tutelage. One was a grizzled, black-haired man with piercing grey eyes who appeared to in his early fifties. The other appeared to be in the same age range, with the same color hair but with a softer hazel set of eyes. He somehow looked more dignified-looking and clean-shaven than his counterpart. The two men somehow contradicted and completed each other's looks at the same time.

The grizzled older man brushed off a roughed up old black-and-gold uniform that harkened to an age long-past. His messed up looks betrayed a level of age, wisdom, and self-discipline unmatched among most others, despite the lack of any gray hair. He seemed to light up a little as soon as a young man entered the antechamber. "Hey, kid. Ready to kick something off yet? I'm getting bored already. Never have been one for places like this."

"Fun's just around the corner, although we have to plan a high-stakes strategy game out first before we start playing." Masamune's expression lightened considerably. Following the eons-old custom, he gave a formal and respectful bow in the older man's general direction. "I trust you've been well, Master?"

"Never better. It's been nice, but I'm already getting bored with retirement again." The grizzled old man turned to the other figure standing nearby. "Admit it, Vrael. You've missed the kid too. It's been what, a year already?"

The other person was dressed in nothing but black from neck to toe, and yet gave off a subtle and timeless sense of style without intruding on his attempt to look like something other than an extremely well-preserved fossil. Upon hearing the jibe from his long-time friend, Vrael quipped back without hesitation. "Shut up, Severus. That is what people always say to your other protégé -- Wesley, I think his name was. The fruit rarely falls far from the tree, after all."

Before Severus had the chance to respond with his own jab, Vrael changed the subject of both his words and the conversation. Speaking in Masamune's native language, the ancient Furian spoke gently and with a flawless accent. "It is good to see you in one piece, my son. We heard you have need of us; we came just in time, it would seem. We have been well, but we grew concerned for your well-being and decided to visit as soon as there was cause to. That aside, has your condition improved since we last saw you?"

Masamune replied to Vrael first, and faced in his direction. "Thank you for your kind words, Master. My condition has improved, but only by a little. Reversing the condition is... painful to say the least, and it always proves to be extremely temporary. I have yet to find a cure I am able to obtain without breaching the Code."

"That's because you still think like a straight line, kid." Severus motioned to Vrael, who tossed a small parcel over to their student, who somehow caught it out of the air as if it were a normal act. Without skipping a beat, Severus went on. "There's more than one way to get through a wall; I don't care how thick it is. Take a look inside, and figure out who to hand that crap over to. Let's just say your recipient will likely go out of his way to return the favor."

"Now, what is it we can do ya for?"

[Holeypaladin]

Focusing on maintaining calm, the Emperor watched as the Glacian princess focused her gaze on him, though it wasn't lost on him how everyone else in the room was paying attention. He realized that her flirtatious behavior and show of attention was not meant for him, but to make a show to her cousins as they watched, and therefore resolved not to let it get to his head.

"Indeed..." he remarked. "I'm sure we have much to discuss, after all." Allowing her to take hold of his hand, he made his way to the adjacent room with the princess, a look of slight amusement on his face as he did so. Once they were out of view of the others, he directed her towards a separate room in order to conduct a pre-simulation strategy meeting.

"There are two games at play here, if you haven't figured it out," he remarked. "As far as the fleet combat tactics are concerned... you're probably better off leaving the command of the Imperial Armada to me. As for your part, you should focus on playing your cousins against each other. The simulation takes place on a five-pointed pentagonal battleground, with our closest neighbors being the Ralgons, and the mystery faction. If you can convince the Ralgons to attack the Glacians, and the Mystery faction to attack the Asmodeans, we'll have victory secured before we even engage our opponent. Though our fleet is the smallest, our triple R should be sufficient to keep our forces at top strength so long as we don't suffer heavy casualties."

He was quoting some of the rules of the game that all of the princes would know once they read up on them, provided they spent enough time to learn the game, though he himself was more well-versed in them than the others. The Triple R that he was referring to was the Repair, Resupply, and Reinforcement network that was in play... the Imperium's being quite high due to their Stargate network. Triple R didn't allow for a fleet's numbers to exceed their starting limit, but it did allow them to replenish their numbers over time. The only fleet other fleet with high triple R for their top of the line ships were the Asmodeans, though the Glacian trash drones had the highest triple R of all due to how cheap they were.... though Donald III considered Glacian trash drones to be useless against everyone except the Ralgons and perhaps the mystery faction, as they died in one hit and lacked the firepower to damage Imperium or Asmodean fighter craft.

[Cosmic Fury]

"That's easier said than done." Lianna gave it some thought. "Masamune rarely makes the first move, and will almost certainly find some sort of way to turn a part of the battlefield into a defensible position that's not easily attacked rashly. He's likely thinking the same thing as we are as well, so getting him to attack Marin isn't going to be easy unless we make a deal with him before the others do. Julius will likely make the first move, or Marin. Getting her to attack Karl is just a matter of us staying quiet and letting her own instincts do the work for us."

She thought of what Karl would likely do, and he wasn't likely going to follow much of the plan either. "Karl's likely going to try and attempt some sort of subterfuge and hit someone's supply lines -- most likely Marin's, since she's bound to make the first move. As for us, we need to downplay our own strength to bait Julius into attacking Marin instead of us, because he's got this obsession about always fighting the strongest ones on the field."

"That being said, what should our own opening moves be?" Lianna, deciding against her gut instinct, put the overall contest out of her head for the moment and decided to focus on learning a bit of strategy here.

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

"This ain't going to be easy, kid." Severus carefully studied the schematics laid before them. "The way I see it, our ships have the highest defense ratings on the grid, but compared with Marin and Lianna, our weapons are pretty much shit. The only way we can threaten either one with something other than a wall is by trying to pit those two against each other."

"What about Karl? He's certainly going to be up to something, and Julius is going to fight what he sees as the strongest one on the field." Masamune, having listened to the rules read out to him, grasped the concept of this game. "And Marin is going to attack Karl, unless someone with legendary skill persuades her to do something else."

"We should write the Asmodean faction off as dead in the water." Vrael chimed in before his counterpart could speak. "We should let the Glacian force do its work and attack the Asmodeans so that we don't have any surprises coming our way. Our main goal is to convince Julius to aid in the attack on that faction, so that there remains a united front to keep Lianna busy later on, so that we can buy time to figure out their endgame strategy."

"Alright, so what if that all backfires and Julius ends up working with Karl to bring Marin down instead?"

"In that case, we attack Karl, eliminate him, and turn on Julius instead. We'll take considerably more damage that way, but our high defense and our replenish rate will keep us strong enough to oppose the other factions if a worst case scenario comes up. In either case, we secure ourselves a lopsided field by the time the Achenaran faction decides to attack one of us early. Even if we're at a disadvantage on the board, at least we can easily end the battle with a draw by the time the clock runs out." Vrael seemed to already have his plan nicely figured out, so Masamune nodded in agreement.

"If three of us remain, all that needs to be done is pick which one we attack later. If Marin emerges as our ally, we let her do the heavy lifting while we provide defensive cover until she is eliminated. We'll then play an attrition battle with Lianna so that we can grind her down and hopefully win." Severus scratched his beard, and thought of alternatives. "If by some chance we work with Lianna, it's all but over and it's just a matter of outlasting the clock."

Vrael added one last comment before they concluded and headed to the game room. "Remember, if we get eliminated and the battle starts to go sour, your objective is not solely to eliminate everyone. Your objective is to survive and remain capable of combat until the time runs out. If you can do that, you'll at least score a couple points."

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

It was a short few hours before everyone had assembled in the game room. Predictably, Marin and Julius had recruited their commanders from their own honor guard. Karl had his mercenary bodyguard, Rex, nearby. Masamune appeared later, having gotten lost because of his blindness and requiring assistance to find his way to the meeting spot. It was only a matter of time before Lianna joined and the game could commence.

[Holeypaladin]

The Emperor listened to the words of the princess, nodding at them to show that he comprehended what she was saying, formulating his own advice as the main strategist for the Glacian empress candidate. "It shouldn't be hard to convince Julius that the Glacian fleet is the biggest threat on the battlefield," he remarked. "They have the hardest hitting weaponry out of anyone, and more ships than the Achenaran faction in this particular game. The Ralgon Triple R rating is second only to the mystery faction in how terrible it is, so he'll wear himself out without being able to replenish his losses, making him an easy target to be dealt with in time."

"Appeal to his sense of national pride, using your own inherent charisma and manipulation, and he should consider his own Empire's fleet to be the most dangerous on the field. That should convince him to make the first move. With those three fighting it out, our main concern will be the CCC... Masamune mystery faction. Their trump card is that they are practically immune to antimatter-based weaponry, granting them the highest defense rating against Glacian and Imperium forces on the board... for now. But there are two hidden easter eggs that we can exploit to deal with them..."

"First off," he said, "In the very center of the battlefield is a Promethean remnant planet, in the Orion system. In holding this system, we can boost our Triple R even higher... but defending it is quite difficult, since it is in the center of the map. Only the Imperium Stargate network can establish a stable enough supply line, but if we can hold it, we're pretty much guaranteed to reinforce our fleet against whatever they throw at us."

"Secondly..." he remarked, "Kappa Laboratories is on the verge of developing a new weapon. Non-antimatter based WMD. This should be able to bypass the CCC's resistance to antimatter weaponry, but it will only be available in the later part of the game. If Masamune does as you predict, and turtles up his defense... he'll have something unexpected hitting him with enough power to wipe out his fleet towards the end of the game. Until then, we're best off fighting the CCC as little as possible, and even losing a few battles to them, provided it doesn't hurt our fleet numbers too badly."

Gazing at the princess to see if she understood the strategy, and was wise enough to defer to his strategic genius in this particular matter, he continued to point out a few minutia during the remainder of the prep period... intermediate stages for securing Orion, and maintaining the Imperium's defensive lines with factors to spare.

Eventually, he made his way towards the game room, positioned at Lianna's right hand side as her acting military commander. It was odd to walk at her side in such a manner, as it was customary for his own military officers to do so when accompanying him, but as he was acting in accordance with Achenaran military custom, it was proper to suit the situation.

"I'm sure you've already completed your strategy meetings and gathered your commanders," he said. "So without further ado, let's begin the game." With that, the neural interface for the commanders and their officers activated, and the simulated battle began.