To Select a Grand Duchess [IC]

[Belgicaven]

Princes, Dukes, Counts, and Monarchies,

You have been invited by the hand and seal of His Most Royal Excellency Archduke Ferdinand V of Belgicaven, King of Musasia, Duke of Orléans, and Count of Sybs to send your most eligible women to contend with each other as suitors for the hand of His Most Royal Excellency's eldest son, Grand Duke Ferdinand of Musasia and Léron. There will be a two-day event wherein suitors may approach His Most Royal Excellency and His Royal Excellency the Grand Duke at dinner and present themselves. All transportation and services will be provided at the behest of the Crown Treasury. At the end of the event, His Royal Excellency the Grand Duke will select one woman who has excelled above the rest to be his bride. Should you be chosen and consent, a wedding date will be assigned within the month.

OOC
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Löberg Castle, Cambrok-proper, Belgicaven
The halls of Löberg Castle were vibrant with life and activity. Countesses swooning over their dresses, Dukes making subtle small talk, youngsters jittery and anxious. Just outside the doors, a tent-city had been erected, similar to that erected during the wedding of the future monarch or monarch. At the front of the line of people stood Jeanne, Duchess of Tiers, more coequally known as The Madame. The Madame stood tall and athletic with a stern court face and a well-proportioned stature. The Archduke had selected her to be the chief-hostess for the initial celebrations.

Two absentees were the Archduke and Grand Duke themselves, who were unable to attend the initial festivities. The Archduke had recently busied himself with work to compensate for his gout. The Grand Duke was also beginning to involve himself in politics, to prepare himself for his future rule. Politicians liked the Grand Duke because of his moderate and attentive mannerism. The Archduke and Grand Duke would introduce themselves during the dinner.

"Quiet!" The Madame shook, "There's so much noise here! Compose yourselves!"

The Madame smacked her two lips, almost a smiling-like gesture. Her name came from an outrageous scandal that she was involved or even the maîtresse-en-titre of the Archduke. At first, she vehemently fought off her nickname, calling it "outrageous and a defamation of her station." The Madame came to terms with her unpleasing nickname and even encouraged its use. The Madame was the only Duchess-regnant in Saheil, and made quite a name for herself.

"Attention!" The Madame's words pounded upon the walls of the long and narrow hall, "We will go out on to the tent city and welcome our guests there, they should be here in the meantime. However, in the meantime, do not eat anything, do not drink anything, do not touch anything, and do not let your children run amok."

"Well, what are we going to do, just stand there." The Countess of Parmé said. The Countess was known for her gorgeous looks but more for her naïveté and stupidity. She was known to act like a child, spend money by copious amounts of gambling, and almost got herself in legal trouble.

The Madame simply scowled at her and said, "If you cannot handle standing in the sun for god-forbid how long, you are more than welcome to leave. Now, does anyone else have something else to say?"

Not expecting an answer, The Madame replied to herself coldly, "Good, then let us go. Guards!"

The Guards opened the large doors that led out to the tent city. The Madame smiled and stepped out onto the tent city.

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Schedule

4:00 - 6:30 - guests are expected to arrive at four with their entourage. If you and your entourage, regardless if are providing your own transportation or not, will be welcomed by a royal attending at the airport. While the entourage is led to their rooms upon arrival unless you say otherwise, you will have the time to mingle with Belgicaven's premier nobles, including the Archduke's younger children, royal Dukes, Counts, Barrons, Lords, and more. Due to government affairs, the Archduke and Grand Duke will not be present at this stage.

6:30 - 8:00 - During this time, you will have the opportunity to introduce yourselves and mingle with the Archduke and the Grand Duke during a lavish eight course meal.

8:00 - 9:00 - The main hall of the Castle will be opened for drinks and socializing, both the Grand Duke and Archduke will be in attendance.

(next day)

12:00 - 1:00 (AM - PM) - the Archduke and Grand Duke will officially make their decision and inform the Court.

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With that out of the way, let the roleplaying begin!

[Kyrenaia]

Flight Megido 11-8-4, approaching Combrok International Airport.
Day 1, 2:47 o'clock.
The small private jet soared high above the clouds, soared towards an airport in Belgicaven, which was far to large for the little long-range business jet, like it was usually used by Kyrenaian royalty on trips to distant and foreign lands. And royalty indeed was onboard.
While Princess Fara bint-Dardan, one of the two Princesses of the Ilkhanate of Megido, would have preferred to take a yacht to the event in Belgicaven, her schedule did not allow for it. After all, she had duties and studies to attend to and missing two days of lectures was bad enough.
Her father, Ilkhan Dardan of Megido, had arranged for her to enter the race of being married off to Grand Duke Ferdinand of Belgicaven, the next in line for the throne. While he was to select amongst quite an array of royal princesses, if he would choose her, it was up to her to see, if he was suited to be her husband - after all, Kyrenaians and their Princesses had their standards.
As it was, however, she waited for the arrival of their little plane at Combrok International, where they were to be expected. While their plane would be refuelled and maintenance checks would be conducted, Fara would disembark with her handmaiden Saida Adib and her pet caracal Kalak to attend this event. With the feline sitting in her lap, Saida sat opposite to her, a textbook of her university in her hands.
"...so, in summary, the inherent bad faith model assumes, that all are implacably hostile and all proof of the contrary is ignored as signs of weakness and propaganda. Reflected onto international politics, that means, that all states are implacably hostile towards each other, waiting for the correct moment to strike.", Fara told her handmaiden as she checked what her Princess said with the contents of the textbook in her hands. "And that means..."
In that moment, the speakers crackled: "Attention, Your Highness, we are approaching the Combrok International Airport and are preparing ourselves to land. The co-pilot is currently asking for permission to land."
Fara nodded. "Well, that concludes that.", she said with a small smile, "Good so far?"
Saida nodded. "So far, yes.", she said and smiled, "Try not to apply this tonight with our gracious host, Princess. Only with other suitors!"
Fara allowed herself a small smile, which shined beautifully. "Will do!", she said and took a breath, looking down at herself.
She was an athletic young woman with, as they said, quite a rack, dark skinned, more brown then black, a sharp cut face with a pair of ruby-red eyes looking at the world with a twinkle of black humour reigned in. Her head was crowned by short, blonde hair, which was natural.
Her dress was black, a long form-fitting piece with a deep sweetheart neckline with a sheer mesh inlet, that, combined with her upper measurements would turn quite a few heads, but that was not the only thing, that would make heads whip around. The other thing was the low, open back. A short sweep train completed the dress made of the finest materials available.
However, that all paled when compared to how well the dress hugged her figure, her silhouette only complimented by her naturally slim waitline. Due to the thigh-high side-slit, which allowed her leg to move freely, she had the ability to move like she loved it.
She was a confident young woman, wearing short, but quite effective heels. She also had no jewelry on her, except one piece: A little pendant, a rose with petals of ruby, drawing eyes downwards and bringing out her own eyes.
Saida, on the other hand, was dressed with much less attention drawn to her, a young woman nearing 30 with black hair and green eyes, in a simple, black coatdress, making her look professional, which she was.
Kalak, on the other hand, had been bathed and combed, much to his dislike, and now rested from the whole ordeal with a small bow in his hair, his forked tail swishing back and forth lazily as his mistress petted him as he sat in her lap.
"Well, then.", she said, confidence in her voice, as she smiled, "Let's get this show on the road!"

[Infernia]

A Mil Mi-6 touched down at Cambrok airport; the first to step out was Brigadier Sargatanas, an aged and hardened man in command of the four guards that soon fallowed. The second to exit was Prince Asmodeus and Prince Leviathan, together in deep conversation about the events here and at home. Finally, Crown Princess Lilianne de Luxuria, her short blonde hair and immense amount of jewellery practically glowed in the sun; accompanied closely by her chaperon, two twin palace women, and the odalisque.

After the Kyrenaian Princess left, Stono turned to his next guests, the Infernians. To be honest, he had not known much about Infernia or Infernian culture. All he knew was that Crown Princess Lilianne had more royal clout that many of her counterparts. In a similar manner, he smiled brightly and approached the entourage.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness, it is truly a pleasure. Allow me to offer a few gifts, a symbol of our hospitality." Stono motioned for the crates.

"If you would accept, here is a collection of our finest wines here. Many of these here have been aged longer than the combined lifetime of both you and me, Your Highness. And also, please let me offer these ruby-laced gold bracelets. I see that your jewels and beauty do not require the reinforcement of such things, but I do hope that Your Highness will accept this gift."

"If you have need of anything, Your Highness, I am your loyal servant. If you require any refreshments or snacks, I provide those too. Also, champagne?"

"My, they're gorgeous!" Lilianne exclaimed, adding the bracelets to her already extensive collection. "Aren't they just the prettiest things?" She added, waving her arms through the air with loud clashes of silver and gold.

"Champagne. My hand. Now." Snapped Asmodeus. "Feels like I haven't had a drink since yesterday."

Lilianne was eager to get to the castle, and as they met the royal attendee, they all soon piled into a Trabant 601 stretch limousine and made their way to Löberg Castle.

"Now, don't be nervous, remember what we went over." Said Dawn, Lilianne's chaperon. She was an older woman with short dark hair who always wore a suit. "This is very important."

"Oh, I'm far from nervous, I'm absolutely ecstatic with anticipation." Lilianne said, she was wearing a long, loose wight dress, and watched the passing Belgicaven country and cities out the window. "This place is so different from the beaches of Luxuria, but I suppose I'll have to get used to that. But I'll certainly have to show him how to through revelries, they'll be grand." She claimed with glee.

Meanwhile, further up front, Princes Asmodeus and Leviathan where discussing some of Lilianne's 'competition'.
"From what I've seen, hardly any of the other girls has any class." Boasted Asmodeus in his signature pink suit. "Or any culture, for that matter."

"They all border on bad taste." Said Leviathan, wearing a black suit and his iconic red-lensed glasses. "And I wouldn't bet any one of them is as lecherous as Lilianne."

"I hope he's as lecherous as Lilianne." Asmodeus responded.

And with that, the Infernian entourage had arrived at Löberg Castle. After they all withdrawn from the limo, they proceeded to the 'Tentapolis'.
The time was 3:00.

[Belgicaven]

Flight Megido 11-8-4, approaching Combrok International Airport.
Day 1, 2:47 o'clock.
The small private jet soared high above the clouds, soared towards an airport in Belgicaven, which was far to large for the little long-range business jet, like it was usually used by Kyrenaian royalty on trips to distant and foreign lands. And royalty indeed was onboard.
While Princess Fara bint-Dardan, one of the two Princesses of the Ilkhanate of Megido, would have preferred to take a yacht to the event in Belgicaven, her schedule did not allow for it. After all, she had duties and studies to attend to and missing two days of lectures was bad enough.
Her father, Ilkhan Dardan of Megido, had arranged for her to enter the race of being married off to Grand Duke Ferdinand of Belgicaven, the next in line for the throne. While he was to select amongst quite an array of royal princesses, if he would choose her, it was up to her to see, if he was suited to be her husband - after all, Kyrenaians and their Princesses had their standards.
As it was, however, she waited for the arrival of their little plane at Combrok International, where they were to be expected. While their plane would be refuelled and maintenance checks would be conducted, Fara would disembark with her handmaiden Saida Adib and her pet caracal Kalak to attend this event. With the feline sitting in her lap, Saida sat opposite to her, a textbook of her university in her hands.
"...so, in summary, the inherent bad faith model assumes, that all are implacably hostile and all proof of the contrary is ignored as signs of weakness and propaganda. Reflected onto international politics, that means, that all states are implacably hostile towards each other, waiting for the correct moment to strike.", Fara told her handmaiden as she checked what her Princess said with the contents of the textbook in her hands. "And that means..."
In that moment, the speakers crackled: "Attention, Your Highness, we are approaching the Combrok International Airport and are preparing ourselves to land. The co-pilot is currently asking for permission to land."
Fara nodded. "Well, that concludes that.", she said with a small smile, "Good so far?"
Saida nodded. "So far, yes.", she said and smiled, "Try not to apply this tonight with our gracious host, Princess. Only with other suitors!"
Fara allowed herself a small smile, which shined beautifully. "Will do!", she said and took a breath, looking down at herself.
She was an athletic young woman with, as they said, quite a rack, dark skinned, more brown then black, a sharp cut face with a pair of ruby-red eyes looking at the world with a twinkle of black humour reigned in. Her head was crowned by short, blonde hair, which was natural.
Her dress was black, a long form-fitting piece with a deep sweetheart neckline with a sheer mesh inlet, that, combined with her upper measurements would turn quite a few heads, but that was not the only thing, that would make heads whip around. The other thing was the low, open back. A short sweep train completed the dress made of the finest materials available.
However, that all paled when compared to how well the dress hugged her figure, her silhouette only complimented by her naturally slim waitline. Due to the thigh-high side-slit, which allowed her leg to move freely, she had the ability to move like she loved it.
She was a confident young woman, wearing short, but quite effective heels. She also had no jewelry on her, except one piece: A little pendant, a rose with petals of ruby, drawing eyes downwards and bringing out her own eyes.
Saida, on the other hand, was dressed with much less attention drawn to her, a young woman nearing 30 with black hair and green eyes, in a simple, black coatdress, making her look professional, which she was.
Kalak, on the other hand, had been bathed and combed, much to his dislike, and now rested from the whole ordeal with a small bow in his hair, his forked tail swishing back and forth lazily as his mistress petted him as he sat in her lap.
"Well, then.", she said, confidence in her voice, as she smiled, "Let's get this show on the road!"

Senior Royal Attending Garret Stono was standing on the tarmac in a simple navy blue suit with royal insignia, metals, honors, and coats of arms. The first arrival was one he was looking forward to, the Princess Fara bint-Dardan.

A deputy attending was standing to the side, "Do you think we should offer wine or do you think that will be rude because of their beliefs."

Stono smiled, "Better be safe. No wine."

Admittedly, many at Court took offense to a possible Muslim-Christian match, however the Archduke was eager to brighten up relations with the Muslims in the south. Despite being a devout Christian state, Belgicaven had taken nicely to Jews and Muslims, even providing them with lands and rights. Having observed the recently tense relationship, Stono advised the Archduke to consider a Muslim match.

Seeing their plane arrive and land, he motioned for the crates to be brought forward.

"Is everyone ready?" Stono asked a question he knew the answer to. As the Princess stepped out, he approached with a friendly smile.

"Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze." He paused, waiting for a response, "Allow me to present you a few gifts."

The first crate was brought forward. It was smaller. An aide opened it,

"You may not know, Your Highness, that Islam and Belgicaven have a cordial history. Allow me to present this necklace."

The necklace was long and gold with pieces of sapphire and rubies.

"This was in the ownership of a wife of a wealthy Islamic tradesman and raider who came to settle on the southern coats of Belgicaven. In the other box is some of the southern islands signature fruits, like bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and more. I hope that you take these as a symbol of our continued friendship and hospitality."

"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle."

A Mil Mi-6 touched down at Cambrok airport; the first to step out was Brigadier Sargatanas, an aged and hardened man in command of the four guards that soon fallowed. The second to exit was Prince Asmodeus and Prince Leviathan, together in deep conversation about the events here and at home. Finally, Crown Princess Lilianne de Luxuria, her short blonde hair and immense amount of jewellery practically glowed in the sun; accompanied closely by her chaperon, two twin palace women, and the odalisque. Lilianne was eager to get to the castle, and as they met the royal attendee, they all soon piled into a Trabant 601 stretch limousine and made their way to Löberg Castle.

"Now, don't be nervous, remember what we went over." Said Dawn, Lilianne's chaperon. She was an older woman with short dark hair who always wore a suit. "This is very important."

"Oh, I'm far from nervous, I'm absolutely ecstatic with anticipation." Lilianne said, she was wearing a long, loose wight dress, and watched the passing Belgicaven country and cities out the window. "This place is so different from the beaches of Luxuria, but I suppose I'll have to get used to that. But I'll certainly have to show him how to through revelries, they'll be grand." She claimed with glee.

Meanwhile, further up front, Princes Asmodeus and Leviathan where discussing some of Lilianne's 'competition'.
"From what I've seen, hardly any of the other girls has any class." Boasted Asmodeus in his signature pink suit. "Or any culture, for that matter."

"They all border on bad taste." Said Leviathan, wearing a black suit and his iconic red-lensed glasses. "And I wouldn't bet any one of them is as lecherous as Lilianne."

"I hope he's as lecherous as Lilianne." Asmodeus responded.

And with that, the Infernian entourage had arrived at Löberg Castle. After they all withdrawn from the limo, they proceeded to the 'Tentapolis'.
The time was 3:00.

(OOC: Since you ended your post at the Castle itself, not the airport, here is what you would have seen at the Airport itself. I will respond to you when the rest arrive at the Castle )

After the Kyrenaian Princess left, Stono turned to his next guests, the Infernians. To be honest, he had not known much about Infernia or Infernian culture. All he knew was that Crown Princess Lilianne had more royal clout that many of her counterparts. In a similar manner, he smiled brightly and approached the entourage.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness, it is truly a pleasure. Allow me to offer a few gifts, a symbol of our hospitality." Stono motioned for the crates.

"If you would accept, here is a collection of our finest wines here. Many of these here have been aged longer than the combined lifetime of both you and me, Your Highness. And also, please let me offer these ruby-laced gold bracelets. I see that your jewels and beauty do not require the reinforcement of such things, but I do hope that Your Highness will accept this gift."

"If you have need of anything, Your Highness, I am your loyal servant. If you require any refreshments or snacks, I provide those too. Also, champagne?"

[Great Hyruke]

The Queen of Great Hyruke's Gulfstream G650 cut through the air as Georgiana von Hvatska-Borbòn read a book, Knights of Mayra, written by Dieter Nacht, an author from her father's homeland. Written in German, It was about the Order of Mayra, a holy brotherhood founded by Georgiana's second-cousin-twice-removed-in-law, the former Empress of Polonge. Beside her, Georgiana's younger sister, Arianne nudged her.,

Arianne:"Are you excited?"

Georgiana looked up from her book at her sister.

Georgiana: "I suppose. Though I don't wish to get my hopes up too highly."

Arianne: "Why not?"

Georgiana: "Well, this is, in the most simplest of since, a fight between respectable women of noble houses to win a Grand Duke and get a crown, those are the long term goals. I am pretty sure I'm the youngest suitor, and I have no experience with men. So excuse me if I do want to dive nose first into a courtship."

Arianne: "You are as pessimistic as mother."

Georgiana smirked at her sister. She spoke of their mother the Queen, though technically she was their adoptive mother and stepmother. Queen Caroline had no children of her own, and while she had hated Georgiana and Arianne for merely existing when they were toddlers, she had treated them as her own daughters once their father died. Now Georgiana was Queen Caroline's heir, as there was no subtle female to take the throne after her at the moment. The Queen was infamous for her bleak and pessimistic view on the world. But she was a monarch who had sat on her throne for thirty-one years.

Georgiana: "I am not saying I won't like the grand Duke, but I just don't want to be heartbroken if I am not chosen."

Arianne: "And if you are chosen?"

Georgiana: "That's good too."

The Queen's Jet landed at Combok and soon Georgiana and her sister, along with her entourage, her uncle, two ladies-in-waiting and four servants and her mentor, the Countess of Gasay were they were to meet with the Belgicavenian to be escorted to Löberg Castle.

Georgiana, Archduchess of Hvatksa, was most famous for her love of fashion, an as such she had of course made it her job to wow the Archduke and Grand Duke and all those attending. She wore a tailor made dress from the designer Elizabetb Percy. The dress fell to the floor, a baby blue and black leaf-embroidered silk faille illusion gown. Georgiana's thick dark golden blonde hair flared out around and fell down her shoulders and back, black bows in her hair and one tied around her slender throat.

They stepped off of the jet, Georgiana leading them down the steps. She looked around the airstrip, the wind slightly blowing her hair.

Georgiana: "So this is Belgicaven. Nice."

[Kyrenaia]

Flight Megido 11-8-4, approaching Combrok International Airport.
Day 1, 2:47 o'clock.
The small private jet soared high above the clouds, soared towards an airport in Belgicaven, which was far to large for the little long-range business jet, like it was usually used by Kyrenaian royalty on trips to distant and foreign lands. And royalty indeed was onboard.
While Princess Fara bint-Dardan, one of the two Princesses of the Ilkhanate of Megido, would have preferred to take a yacht to the event in Belgicaven, her schedule did not allow for it. After all, she had duties and studies to attend to and missing two days of lectures was bad enough.
Her father, Ilkhan Dardan of Megido, had arranged for her to enter the race of being married off to Grand Duke Ferdinand of Belgicaven, the next in line for the throne. While he was to select amongst quite an array of royal princesses, if he would choose her, it was up to her to see, if he was suited to be her husband - after all, Kyrenaians and their Princesses had their standards.
As it was, however, she waited for the arrival of their little plane at Combrok International, where they were to be expected. While their plane would be refuelled and maintenance checks would be conducted, Fara would disembark with her handmaiden Saida Adib and her pet caracal Kalak to attend this event. With the feline sitting in her lap, Saida sat opposite to her, a textbook of her university in her hands.
"...so, in summary, the inherent bad faith model assumes, that all are implacably hostile and all proof of the contrary is ignored as signs of weakness and propaganda. Reflected onto international politics, that means, that all states are implacably hostile towards each other, waiting for the correct moment to strike.", Fara told her handmaiden as she checked what her Princess said with the contents of the textbook in her hands. "And that means..."
In that moment, the speakers crackled: "Attention, Your Highness, we are approaching the Combrok International Airport and are preparing ourselves to land. The co-pilot is currently asking for permission to land."
Fara nodded. "Well, that concludes that.", she said with a small smile, "Good so far?"
Saida nodded. "So far, yes.", she said and smiled, "Try not to apply this tonight with our gracious host, Princess. Only with other suitors!"
Fara allowed herself a small smile, which shined beautifully. "Will do!", she said and took a breath, looking down at herself.
She was an athletic young woman with, as they said, quite a rack, dark skinned, more brown then black, a sharp cut face with a pair of ruby-red eyes looking at the world with a twinkle of black humour reigned in. Her head was crowned by short, blonde hair, which was natural.
Her dress was black, a long form-fitting piece with a deep sweetheart neckline with a sheer mesh inlet, that, combined with her upper measurements would turn quite a few heads, but that was not the only thing, that would make heads whip around. The other thing was the low, open back. A short sweep train completed the dress made of the finest materials available.
However, that all paled when compared to how well the dress hugged her figure, her silhouette only complimented by her naturally slim waitline. Due to the thigh-high side-slit, which allowed her leg to move freely, she had the ability to move like she loved it.
She was a confident young woman, wearing short, but quite effective heels. She also had no jewelry on her, except one piece: A little pendant, a rose with petals of ruby, drawing eyes downwards and bringing out her own eyes.
Saida, on the other hand, was dressed with much less attention drawn to her, a young woman nearing 30 with black hair and green eyes, in a simple, black coatdress, making her look professional, which she was.
Kalak, on the other hand, had been bathed and combed, much to his dislike, and now rested from the whole ordeal with a small bow in his hair, his forked tail swishing back and forth lazily as his mistress petted him as he sat in her lap.
"Well, then.", she said, confidence in her voice, as she smiled, "Let's get this show on the road!"

Senior Royal Attending Garret Stono was standing on the tarmac in a simple navy blue suit with royal insignia, metals, honors, and coats of arms. The first arrival was one he was looking forward to, the Princess Fara bint-Dardan.

A deputy attending was standing to the side, "Do you think we should offer wine or do you think that will be rude because of their beliefs."

Stono smiled, "Better be safe. No wine."

Admittedly, many at Court took offense to a possible Muslim-Christian match, however the Archduke was eager to brighten up relations with the Muslims in the south. Despite being a devout Christian state, Belgicaven had taken nicely to Jews and Muslims, even providing them with lands and rights. Having observed the recently tense relationship, Stono advised the Archduke to consider a Muslim match.

Seeing their plane arrive and land, he motioned for the crates to be brought forward.

"Is everyone ready?" Stono asked a question he knew the answer to. As the Princess stepped out, he approached with a friendly smile.

"Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze." He paused, waiting for a response, "Allow me to present you a few gifts."

The first crate was brought forward. It was smaller. An aide opened it,

"You may not know, Your Highness, that Islam and Belgicaven have a cordial history. Allow me to present this necklace."

The necklace was long and gold with pieces of sapphire and rubies.

"This was in the ownership of a wife of a wealthy Islamic tradesman and raider who came to settle on the southern coats of Belgicaven. In the other box is some of the southern islands signature fruits, like bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and more. I hope that you take these as a symbol of our continued friendship and hospitality."

"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle."

A Mil Mi-6 touched down at Cambrok airport; the first to step out was Brigadier Sargatanas, an aged and hardened man in command of the four guards that soon fallowed. The second to exit was Prince Asmodeus and Prince Leviathan, together in deep conversation about the events here and at home. Finally, Crown Princess Lilianne de Luxuria, her short blonde hair and immense amount of jewellery practically glowed in the sun; accompanied closely by her chaperon, two twin palace women, and the odalisque. Lilianne was eager to get to the castle, and as they met the royal attendee, they all soon piled into a Trabant 601 stretch limousine and made their way to Löberg Castle.

"Now, don't be nervous, remember what we went over." Said Dawn, Lilianne's chaperon. She was an older woman with short dark hair who always wore a suit. "This is very important."

"Oh, I'm far from nervous, I'm absolutely ecstatic with anticipation." Lilianne said, she was wearing a long, loose wight dress, and watched the passing Belgicaven country and cities out the window. "This place is so different from the beaches of Luxuria, but I suppose I'll have to get used to that. But I'll certainly have to show him how to through revelries, they'll be grand." She claimed with glee.

Meanwhile, further up front, Princes Asmodeus and Leviathan where discussing some of Lilianne's 'competition'.
"From what I've seen, hardly any of the other girls has any class." Boasted Asmodeus in his signature pink suit. "Or any culture, for that matter."

"They all border on bad taste." Said Leviathan, wearing a black suit and his iconic red-lensed glasses. "And I wouldn't bet any one of them is as lecherous as Lilianne."

"I hope he's as lecherous as Lilianne." Asmodeus responded.

And with that, the Infernian entourage had arrived at Löberg Castle. After they all withdrawn from the limo, they proceeded to the 'Tentapolis'.
The time was 3:00.

(OOC: Since you ended your post at the Castle itself, not the airport, here is what you would have seen at the Airport itself. I will respond to you when the rest arrive at the Castle )

After the Kyrenaian Princess left, Stono turned to his next guests, the Infernians. To be honest, he had not known much about Infernia or Infernian culture. All he knew was that Crown Princess Lilianne had more royal clout that many of her counterparts. In a similar manner, he smiled brightly and approached the entourage.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness, it is truly a pleasure. Allow me to offer a few gifts, a symbol of our hospitality." Stono motioned for the crates.

"If you would accept, here is a collection of our finest wines here. Many of these here have been aged longer than the combined lifetime of both you and me, Your Highness. And also, please let me offer these ruby-laced gold bracelets. I see that your jewels and beauty do not require the reinforcement of such things, but I do hope that Your Highness will accept this gift."

"If you have need of anything, Your Highness, I am your loyal servant. If you require any refreshments or snacks, I provide those too. Also, champagne?"

Fara indeed felt the breeze, but it not as harsh as the Senior Royal Attending had made it sound. Maybe the warning had helped, but that was a different question. Still, with solid ground under her feet again, she smiled, as she was greeted: "Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze."
Stono made a small pause, which Fara used to bow her head in gratitude.
"Thank you for the kind warning, good Sir, it is indeed colder then in Megido.", she smiled, "It is my greatest pleasure to be here."
"Allow me to present you a few gifts." , the man continued and brought forth two boxes of gifts.
Fara would not deny, that she loved gifts, after all, everybody did, and both the act of gifting people with things and receiving gifts were, in her culture, sacred acts, especially amongst people of her station. The gift she received first was a beautiful necklace, golden, with sapphires and rubies, fit for a person of highest standing and regard, something she would definately wear...
...however... there was one grain of salt in this soup, as it dawned upon Fara as Stono explained the background of the gift and its history to her, one, that she pondered over as she received the second one, a fruit basket, which was meant as symbol of friendship and hospitality - one, which she happily took.
"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle.", Stono finished with, what Fara assumed to be a small joke.
She smiled and then bowed her head, this time a bit deeper.
"My sincerest gratitude for the presents, Sir, they are beautiful.", she said and smiled, "I hope, you understand, that as a sportsperson, healthy food is invaluable to me and being presented with such healthy food is a great honour." Well, no time like the present..., she thought and went ahead with clearing up a misunderstanding in the making. "The necklace indeed speaks of the good relations between the devout Christian people of Belgicaven and their muslim neighbours, but I fear, that I can not accept this gift, exactly due to that and me not being a muslim myself. I do hope, that you forgive me for that."
She again bowed her head.

[New Edom]

1 Week Earlier
Whitehaven Academy
Padan-Aran, New Edom

A green field, rustling in the willow and oak trees planted around the pretty valley, and elegant wicker cushioned chairs set in a semi-circle around the field near a grandstand. Flags fluttered in the warm breeze, and naked painted servants, male and female, moved around the seats offering drinks and treats. On the other side of the grandstand were bleachers at which sat a number of young girls who in some cases squirmed in excitement, but those were the younger ones. The others had learned to sit with studied elegant grace by now. Flanking them were women and some men wearing dark robes that were of the Apostolic clergy.

Glasses caught the light along with medals and polished buttons; sundresses and gowns fluttered voices murmured as a voice blared from the grandstand.

Around the field were scattered a number of obstacles, and a girl on a chestnut mare was riding around over over them.

"Well, she always was a good rider," said Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant proudly to Prince Enoch Tubal-Cain, the Royal Master of Offices.

"Indeed," said Prince Enoch. "A fine seat too."

Davenant glanced at him sharply but prince Enoch wore a bland expression on his face.

"My wife is..." Davenant hesitated. "She's always spoiled the girls a bit, indeed, that is why we had her come to Whitehaven, but I have to admit I have no knack for this marriage sort of thing. Not that I am not grateful to the king for this opportunity. An out of region marriage though..."

Prince Enoch was staring at him. "The Queen Dowager recommended you to the King. And King James spoke of your loyalty most highly."

Davenant for a moment did not reply. He shifted in his seat, watching his daughter take a wall jump with a smooth motion, her chestnut tucking legs up neatly, his daughter's rump barely leaving the slim saddle. There was a spatter of applause.

"She's tough, my daughter, almost never wept at a disciplinary switching, hunts, can do her school work, she takes after me more than my wife," the Admiral said approvingly. "This will be good for New Edom, you say?"

"It will," the Royal Master of Offices said firmly. "And the Dowager has agreed to prepare her."

Davenant nodded slowly. "Very well then."

---

Desdemona and her best friend, Amelia Hanneghan, were later in the presence of the Dowager Queen Rebecca, dining with that elegant lady privately,w ho explained to Desdemona that she would be the means of lasting peace between the two lands. "It is ever a woman's lot, my dear, to be such a gateway...literally at times," she added with glittering eyes on the girl. For she was lovely.

Both girls were remarkably attractive. Desdemona was an eighteen year old beauty with long brunette hair that flowed to the small of her back. Her five feet ten inch body was slender and curvy and well proportioned. Hazel eyes sparkled at everyone who met her and her face was beautiful with a perky nose, luscious full lips and an angular chin.

Amelia was every bit as gorgeous as her best friend. She was an inch taller than Desdemona with long black hair and green eyes but, other than that, she could have been mistaken for Desdemona’s twin. Their shapes were identical as were the basic contours of their faces. They were both unusually tall for Baran girls.

'To marry the Grand Duke, a foreign Prince..." exclaimed Amelia, her eyes shining.

'But a Germanic one, one whose ways are...not ours," said Desdemona with huge eyes. "I...how can my father countenance this? What will he do to me?"

"Don't you see, you will be a kind of envoy, as well as a blood tie to developing new interests," said Amelia, who loved historic fiction and had read every work of a certain famous Ghantish fiction writer.

"Your pretty friend has it right,' said the Dowager, admiring the girl. They were not quite proportionate, on closer examination. Desdemona was much bigger up top while Amelia was bigger in the bottom. Interesting. But these pretties were not to lay with. "It is not every girl your age who has such an opportunity."

"I'm overwhelmed, aunt, that's all, I'm not ungrateful," said Desdemona, bravely keeping her lips firm. "Only I had just expected to finally go home, spend time with family...consider what marriage offers I might have later..."

"But you'll be covered in jewels, you'll have armies of servants..." gushed Amelia.

"A lot of foreigners!" cried Desdemona.

Rebecca raised her slim eyebrows. "But Desdemona, this is the way forward. The Royal Family must be the linchpins of our foreign policies. Do you want to see our country plunged into civil war? Of course not...."

"I...I suppose so Aunt Rebecca..." said Desdemona, her eyes wide, her expression one of carefully controlled panic.

Rebecca studied her. "You would never lie to me, would you girls? You would not make a fool out of me?"

Something predatory in the Dowager's looks. Everyone in the family, at Court, knew she knew everything; her spies were everywhere.

Desdemona shivered. "No, Aunt."

"No, Majesty," murmured Amelia. Her eyes gleamed. Oh this little one is wicked, as my rumour mongers confirmed... Rebecca thought.

"Have you known a man?" said Rebecca.

Desdemona reddened. "No, Aunt."

"But you've fooled around, haven't you?" said the Dowager, eyes not leaving hers.

"I...yes..."

"What have you done?" asked the Dowager, propping her neat little chin with a slim hand.

"I..."

"Did you let a stablehand kiss you?" the Dowager asked her.

"Yes aunt..." Desdemona flushed.

"Touch you?"

"Yes Aunt."

"See you without your clothes?"

"I...not all the way Aunt..." said Desdemona.

Rebecca smiled. "I understand. And Amelia?"

Amelia started. "I..." she began.

Rebecca raised a jeweled finger. "Ah ah ah...don't lie to me now..."

"I've...known a man, Majesty," Amelia admitted.

"Yes, you have," said the Dowager, studying her. "And yet you did not encourage your friend to. Why?"

Amelia said, "I...because she's of royal blood, I had to stand by her..."

"Yes..." the Dowager smiled at her. "You'll do fine. A good friend. A best friend. Desdemona," she looked at her young relation again. "If you do not agree then it will be up to your family to persuade you. And it will be your father, no your mother who does it."

"Aunt, I'm just afraid to go. But I will do my duty. I know my duty," Desdemona was on the verge of tears.

"There there, sweet pet," said Rebecca softly, folding her in her arms like a cat enveloping a bird. "I know it's hard. Life is hard for we women of rank...I have much to tell you. But you are a brave girl in other ways. You ride, you have hunted with your father and friends, you have sailed even in rough weather. You will understand what to do. Amelia...how would you like to be a lady-in-waiting?"

"Shall I be, a lady-in-waiting, really?" exclaimed Amelia.

"You shall," said the Dowager, "And a countess."

"I shall but...wait, how a countess?" said the girl in confusion.

"You'll be married before you go. It would not be fitting for the bride to be accompanied by a lady in waiting of insufficient rank, and it will be best if you are well situated, married to the commander of her personal guard."

Amelia took a deep breath. Desdemona gave her a subtle look of triumph. Amelia looked torn between excitement and apprehension.

"Who is to be the commander?" she asked.

"Count Reshef is a Haranese officer of excellent loyalty and repute. He will be in command. And he will be well rewarded for his good services to the Monarchy by a loyal and loving young bride. Now...let us finish our lunch and rest a bit near the pool before we continue on to practical matters. I am sure you will both be blessed and fruitful."

"You know more about your future husband that I do, other than this profile," said Desdemona a tad bitterly, but she caught her aunt's glance and lowered her eyes again...

[Belgicaven]

Senior Royal Attending Garret Stono was standing on the tarmac in a simple navy blue suit with royal insignia, metals, honors, and coats of arms. The first arrival was one he was looking forward to, the Princess Fara bint-Dardan.

A deputy attending was standing to the side, "Do you think we should offer wine or do you think that will be rude because of their beliefs."

Stono smiled, "Better be safe. No wine."

Admittedly, many at Court took offense to a possible Muslim-Christian match, however the Archduke was eager to brighten up relations with the Muslims in the south. Despite being a devout Christian state, Belgicaven had taken nicely to Jews and Muslims, even providing them with lands and rights. Having observed the recently tense relationship, Stono advised the Archduke to consider a Muslim match.

Seeing their plane arrive and land, he motioned for the crates to be brought forward.

"Is everyone ready?" Stono asked a question he knew the answer to. As the Princess stepped out, he approached with a friendly smile.

"Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze." He paused, waiting for a response, "Allow me to present you a few gifts."

The first crate was brought forward. It was smaller. An aide opened it,

"You may not know, Your Highness, that Islam and Belgicaven have a cordial history. Allow me to present this necklace."

The necklace was long and gold with pieces of sapphire and rubies.

"This was in the ownership of a wife of a wealthy Islamic tradesman and raider who came to settle on the southern coats of Belgicaven. In the other box is some of the southern islands signature fruits, like bananas, mangoes, pineapples, and more. I hope that you take these as a symbol of our continued friendship and hospitality."

"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle."


(OOC: Since you ended your post at the Castle itself, not the airport, here is what you would have seen at the Airport itself. I will respond to you when the rest arrive at the Castle )

After the Kyrenaian Princess left, Stono turned to his next guests, the Infernians. To be honest, he had not known much about Infernia or Infernian culture. All he knew was that Crown Princess Lilianne had more royal clout that many of her counterparts. In a similar manner, he smiled brightly and approached the entourage.

"Good afternoon, Your Highness, it is truly a pleasure. Allow me to offer a few gifts, a symbol of our hospitality." Stono motioned for the crates.

"If you would accept, here is a collection of our finest wines here. Many of these here have been aged longer than the combined lifetime of both you and me, Your Highness. And also, please let me offer these ruby-laced gold bracelets. I see that your jewels and beauty do not require the reinforcement of such things, but I do hope that Your Highness will accept this gift."

"If you have need of anything, Your Highness, I am your loyal servant. If you require any refreshments or snacks, I provide those too. Also, champagne?"

Fara indeed felt the breeze, but it not as harsh as the Senior Royal Attending had made it sound. Maybe the warning had helped, but that was a different question. Still, with solid ground under her feet again, she smiled, as she was greeted: "Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze."
Stono made a small pause, which Fara used to bow her head in gratitude.
"Thank you for the kind warning, good Sir, it is indeed colder then in Megido.", she smiled, "It is my greatest pleasure to be here."
"Allow me to present you a few gifts." , the man continued and brought forth two boxes of gifts.
Fara would not deny, that she loved gifts, after all, everybody did, and both the act of gifting people with things and receiving gifts were, in her culture, sacred acts, especially amongst people of her station. The gift she received first was a beautiful necklace, golden, with sapphires and rubies, fit for a person of highest standing and regard, something she would definately wear...
...however... there was one grain of salt in this soup, as it dawned upon Fara as Stono explained the background of the gift and its history to her, one, that she pondered over as she received the second one, a fruit basket, which was meant as symbol of friendship and hospitality - one, which she happily took.
"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle.", Stono finished with, what Fara assumed to be a small joke.
She smiled and then bowed her head, this time a bit deeper.
"My sincerest gratitude for the presents, Sir, they are beautiful.", she said and smiled, "I hope, you understand, that as a sportsperson, healthy food is invaluable to me and being presented with such healthy food is a great honour." Well, no time like the present..., she thought and went ahead with clearing up a misunderstanding in the making. "The necklace indeed speaks of the good relations between the devout Christian people of Belgicaven and their muslim neighbours, but I fear, that I can not accept this gift, exactly due to that and me not being a muslim myself. I do hope, that you forgive me for that."
She again bowed her head.

Stono perched his lips together and bowed respectfully, "I am so sorry, I believe that we did not realize that you are not Muslim yourself. I sincerely apologize for this. But thank you for considering the offer. Please, I can assure you that bigger and better wonders await you at the Castle."

The Queen of Great Hyruke's Gulfstream G650 cut through the air as Georgiana von Hvatska-Borbòn read a book, Knights of Mayra, written by Dieter Nacht, an author from her father's homeland. Written in German, It was about the Order of Mayra, a holy brotherhood founded by Georgiana's second-cousin-twice-removed-in-law, the former Empress of Polonge. Beside her, Georgiana's younger sister, Arianne nudged her.,

Arianne:"Are you excited?"

Georgiana looked up from her book at her sister.

Georgiana: "I suppose. Though I don't wish to get my hopes up too highly."

Arianne: "Why not?"

Georgiana: "Well, this is, in the most simplest of since, a fight between respectable women of noble houses to win a Grand Duke and get a crown, those are the long term goals. I am pretty sure I'm the youngest suitor, and I have no experience with men. So excuse me if I do want to dive nose first into a courtship."

Arianne: "You are as pessimistic as mother."

Georgiana smirked at her sister. She spoke of their mother the Queen, though technically she was their adoptive mother and stepmother. Queen Caroline had no children of her own, and while she had hated Georgiana and Arianne for merely existing when they were toddlers, she had treated them as her own daughters once their father died. Now Georgiana was Queen Caroline's heir, as there was no subtle female to take the throne after her at the moment. The Queen was infamous for her bleak and pessimistic view on the world. But she was a monarch who had sat on her throne for thirty-one years.

Georgiana: "I am not saying I won't like the grand Duke, but I just don't want to be heartbroken if I am not chosen."

Arianne: "And if you are chosen?"

Georgiana: "That's good too."

The Queen's Jet landed at Combok and soon Georgiana and her sister, along with her entourage, her uncle, two ladies-in-waiting and four servants and her mentor, the Countess of Gasay were they were to meet with the Belgicavenian to be escorted to Löberg Castle.

Georgiana, Archduchess of Hvatksa, was most famous for her love of fashion, an as such she had of course made it her job to wow the Archduke and Grand Duke and all those attending. She wore a tailor made dress from the designer Elizabetb Percy. The dress fell to the floor, a baby blue and black leaf-embroidered silk faille illusion gown. Georgiana's thick dark golden blonde hair flared out around and fell down her shoulders and back, black bows in her hair and one tied around her slender throat.

They stepped off of the jet, Georgiana leading them down the steps. She looked around the airstrip, the wind slightly blowing her hair.

Georgiana: "So this is Belgicaven. Nice."

Garret Stono sat with a genuine bright smile. Princess Georgiana was probably the most orthodox among her piers where her nation and lineage where considered. Her large and expansive ties had the possibility of bringing new authority to Belgicaven, and that excited him, even though Georgiana wouldn't be to groundbreaking at the domestic level.

Stono took keen note of Georgiana's fashion sense. She would work well with the Court, I think. Her sister, Arianne, would bode well with Court as well, he thought.

Stono stepped forth confidently and smiled brightly, "Your Highness, welcome to Belgicaven. May your stay be fruitful and enjoyable."

Instead of two large crates, two large paintings covered in white laid behind Stono.

"If Your Highness permits me, I would like to offer you two paintings which feature what we call the Spirit of Saheil."

The first one uncovered was of a countryside with expansive hills riddled with flowers, specifically tulips. "This first painting is called Field of Tulips, painted in 1903 of an actual and beautiful countryside in the south of the country near the Aix."

The second painting was of a festive scene, "This painting was painted after a festival in the sixteenth century. It combines our ideas of friendship and celebration. I hope you enjoy both."

"If you have any questions or needs, I am at your service. I have some snacks available with me however rest assured that we have much food waiting for you in the tent city. In the meantime, would you like champagne?"

---

OOC:

Kyrenaia and Great Hyruke, feel free to head on to the castle directly. New Edom still has to arrive and Inferna is already there. I will greet you all when you arrive.

On day two, I may decide to have a breakfast before the decision is announced. If we have enough information and are ready to rap up, we can skip the breakfast.

[Great Hyruke]

Fara indeed felt the breeze, but it not as harsh as the Senior Royal Attending had made it sound. Maybe the warning had helped, but that was a different question. Still, with solid ground under her feet again, she smiled, as she was greeted: "Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze."
Stono made a small pause, which Fara used to bow her head in gratitude.
"Thank you for the kind warning, good Sir, it is indeed colder then in Megido.", she smiled, "It is my greatest pleasure to be here."
"Allow me to present you a few gifts." , the man continued and brought forth two boxes of gifts.
Fara would not deny, that she loved gifts, after all, everybody did, and both the act of gifting people with things and receiving gifts were, in her culture, sacred acts, especially amongst people of her station. The gift she received first was a beautiful necklace, golden, with sapphires and rubies, fit for a person of highest standing and regard, something she would definately wear...
...however... there was one grain of salt in this soup, as it dawned upon Fara as Stono explained the background of the gift and its history to her, one, that she pondered over as she received the second one, a fruit basket, which was meant as symbol of friendship and hospitality - one, which she happily took.
"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle.", Stono finished with, what Fara assumed to be a small joke.
She smiled and then bowed her head, this time a bit deeper.
"My sincerest gratitude for the presents, Sir, they are beautiful.", she said and smiled, "I hope, you understand, that as a sportsperson, healthy food is invaluable to me and being presented with such healthy food is a great honour." Well, no time like the present..., she thought and went ahead with clearing up a misunderstanding in the making. "The necklace indeed speaks of the good relations between the devout Christian people of Belgicaven and their muslim neighbours, but I fear, that I can not accept this gift, exactly due to that and me not being a muslim myself. I do hope, that you forgive me for that."
She again bowed her head.

Stono perched his lips together and bowed respectfully, "I am so sorry, I believe that we did not realize that you are not Muslim yourself. I sincerely apologize for this. But thank you for considering the offer. Please, I can assure you that bigger and better wonders await you at the Castle."

The Queen of Great Hyruke's Gulfstream G650 cut through the air as Georgiana von Hvatska-Borbòn read a book, Knights of Mayra, written by Dieter Nacht, an author from her father's homeland. Written in German, It was about the Order of Mayra, a holy brotherhood founded by Georgiana's second-cousin-twice-removed-in-law, the former Empress of Polonge. Beside her, Georgiana's younger sister, Arianne nudged her.,

Arianne:"Are you excited?"

Georgiana looked up from her book at her sister.

Georgiana: "I suppose. Though I don't wish to get my hopes up too highly."

Arianne: "Why not?"

Georgiana: "Well, this is, in the most simplest of since, a fight between respectable women of noble houses to win a Grand Duke and get a crown, those are the long term goals. I am pretty sure I'm the youngest suitor, and I have no experience with men. So excuse me if I do want to dive nose first into a courtship."

Arianne: "You are as pessimistic as mother."

Georgiana smirked at her sister. She spoke of their mother the Queen, though technically she was their adoptive mother and stepmother. Queen Caroline had no children of her own, and while she had hated Georgiana and Arianne for merely existing when they were toddlers, she had treated them as her own daughters once their father died. Now Georgiana was Queen Caroline's heir, as there was no subtle female to take the throne after her at the moment. The Queen was infamous for her bleak and pessimistic view on the world. But she was a monarch who had sat on her throne for thirty-one years.

Georgiana: "I am not saying I won't like the grand Duke, but I just don't want to be heartbroken if I am not chosen."

Arianne: "And if you are chosen?"

Georgiana: "That's good too."

The Queen's Jet landed at Combok and soon Georgiana and her sister, along with her entourage, her uncle, two ladies-in-waiting and four servants and her mentor, the Countess of Gasay were they were to meet with the Belgicavenian to be escorted to Löberg Castle.

Georgiana, Archduchess of Hvatksa, was most famous for her love of fashion, an as such she had of course made it her job to wow the Archduke and Grand Duke and all those attending. She wore a tailor made dress from the designer Elizabetb Percy. The dress fell to the floor, a baby blue and black leaf-embroidered silk faille illusion gown. Georgiana's thick dark golden blonde hair flared out around and fell down her shoulders and back, black bows in her hair and one tied around her slender throat.

They stepped off of the jet, Georgiana leading them down the steps. She looked around the airstrip, the wind slightly blowing her hair.

Georgiana: "So this is Belgicaven. Nice."

Garret Stono sat with a genuine bright smile. Princess Georgiana was probably the most orthodox among her piers where her nation and lineage where considered. Her large and expansive ties had the possibility of bringing new authority to Belgicaven, and that excited him, even though Georgiana wouldn't be to groundbreaking at the domestic level.

Stono took keen note of Georgiana's fashion sense. She would work well with the Court, I think. Her sister, Arianne, would bode well with Court as well, he thought.

Stono stepped forth confidently and smiled brightly, "Your Highness, welcome to Belgicaven. May your stay be fruitful and enjoyable."

Instead of two large crates, two large paintings covered in white laid behind Stono.

"If Your Highness permits me, I would like to offer you two paintings which feature what we call the Spirit of Saheil."

The first one uncovered was of a countryside with expansive hills riddled with flowers, specifically tulips. "This first painting is called Field of Tulips, painted in 1903 of an actual and beautiful countryside in the south of the country near the Aix."

The second painting was of a festive scene, "This painting was painted after a festival in the sixteenth century. It combines our ideas of friendship and celebration. I hope you enjoy both."

"If you have any questions or needs, I am at your service. I have some snacks available with me however rest assured that we have much food waiting for you in the tent city. In the meantime, would you like champagne?"

---

OOC:

Kyrenaia and Great Hyruke, feel free to head on to the castle directly. New Edom still has to arrive and Inferna is already there. I will greet you all when you arrive.

On day two, I may decide to have a breakfast before the decision is announced. If we have enough information and are ready to rap up, we can skip the breakfast.

Georgiana tilted her head and walked over the painting of flowers and tulips. It was very beautiful. The landscape in Great Hyruke was infamous for being dreary, with lovely green hills and marshes with small ugly gray rivers and a gray sky, and it almost always rained, especially in the gray and white stone of the massive capital. It was often joked that no monarch of Great Hyruke was ever from Londres, through it was there, in that dreary capital that the empire was ruled from. No queen in the last seventy-five years had been born in Great Hyruke.

Georgiana herself was technically a foreigner in Great Hyruke.

The painting made her think about the landscape of Beliany, where she had been born, a flat country of flowers, and among them the most popular were tulips. She smiled. What a wonderful coincidence it was that they would present this painting to her. She wondered if they had learned of the popularity of tulips in Beliany and had intentionally shown her this painting.

Georgiana: "Es ist lieblich. Ein großartiges Kunstwerk."

Arianne: "J'aime celui la."

The younger princess looked closely at the festive painting, full of life and color in those brush strokes. Nearly eighteen herself, Arianne was an inch shorter than her sister, though still taller than the average woman. She had dark brown hair tied up in a curly ponytail over her shoulder, wearing a black long sleeve blouse and a yellow and black flower print knee length skirt and heels.

Georgiana looked over at her sister and the other painting. She found it nice, though not as nice as the one she was admiring.

Georgiana: "C'est très agréable, mais je dois dire que je préfère la peinture de la campagne."

Arianne: "Vous préférez vivre dans les festivités plutôt que de la voir peindre?"

Georgiana laughed at her sister. It was common for them, the two princesses, to carry a conversation in multiple languages. They had been raised in an incredibly multilingual home. Their biological mother's native language was French, and Ariannd preferred French, while their father's native language was German, which delighted Georgiana. Their adoptive mother, Queen Caroline's own father had been the king of another country, one of Spanish speakers and it was from there she had learned her native language, passing it own to the two girls. Meanwhile, the common language in Great Hyruke was English.

Georgiana: "Por qué por supuesto."

Arianne laughed.

Georgiana: "Thry are both wonderful pieces of art. But no thank you, no champagne for me or my sister."

In truth the young archduchess was worried about drinking alcohol, it wasn't a very popular form of a beverage in Great Hyruke. With the rest of her entourage stepping off the jet, they were ready to get going, traveling to the castle. Georgiana herself was, spurrred by his sister, ready to mingle among this gathering.

[New Edom]

New Edomite Arrival

Princess Desdemona emerged nervously from the washroom, and Amelia, who was waiting for her, exclaimed "Yuck! Somebody die in there?"

Desdemona blushed angrily and hissed, "Shut up. I'm nervous, that's all..."

"Whew, I'll say," said Amelia, fanning her nose. "For someone who looks so gorgeous you sure know how to stink up a washroom."

"Enough!" Desdemona flicked that pert little nose with her fingers, a bit too hard for Amelia cried out.

"Ow! What the hell!" cried her friend.

"Oh, I'm so sorry honey, I didn't mean to be so rough!'" exclaimed Desdemona, putting her arms out.

"Oh it's alright," the two young women embraced and laughed together.

"What a pair of disasters we are, maybe this will all cause a diplomatic incident..." Desdemona was wearing a crimson red sheath that suited her high olive colouring and raven hair well, with high heeled sandals, and Amelia wore a green dress that molded her figure nicey. Both had bare shoulders, Amelia sporting her hair in a neat braided crown while Desdemona's hair flowed like a mane, held discreetly back from her face with golden pins lost in her curls.

The two emerged into the main cabin, which was arranged like a lounge, whereupon Prince Isaiah stood up. He was in a full dress naval uniform, two rows of gleaming medals and a rope of gold braid adorning it, and he took her hands. "Amazing, my little girl is a true Princess!" he exclaimed. He got a bit teary eyed. "I am torn between hoping for your success or failure..."

"Don't go native on us, Isaiah," reproved the Dowager. With her short elegant chestnut wavy bob, her oval feline face, long pink gown and still slim figure, she could have been a matinee idol from the 20s. "She looks gorgeous, and so does Amelia."

Major Kether, a Ministry of Police official attached to the security detail, came in and bowed, and smiled at Desdemona in a way that unsettled her. She always felt uneasy with this man, who she felt sure was spying on her, and he always made her feel stupid. "Majesty, Highnesses...The Captain's compliments and we are making our descent." He was a neat slim man in the dark dress uniform of the Ministry of Police, with the castle tower emblem on one collar, a neat little moustache and always clean and tidy. For some reason Prince Enoch had insisted on him being attached to the entourage and placed in command of it.

"Thank you, Major Kether," said Queen Rebecca. She stubbed out a cigarette and buckled herself in. "Isn't it ridicuolous using seat belts with such clothing? Well, here goes nothing..."

"It will all go fine." Now, Desdemona did like this speaker, who was Colonel Steven Horvath, who was a middle aged but very fit athletic man, bronzed-olive, dark hair with distinguished grey appearing, a well known polo player and always charming and manly. He reminded her of her father, with his manly smells of leather, tobacco and masculine musk. Hopefully the Grand Duke would also be such a man. He was reputed to be.

The others prepared themselves to face the natives when they had descended. Once they had done so, the Dowager would lead the way, followed by Vice-Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant escorting his daughter, with the others following.

[Kyrenaia]

Fara indeed felt the breeze, but it not as harsh as the Senior Royal Attending had made it sound. Maybe the warning had helped, but that was a different question. Still, with solid ground under her feet again, she smiled, as she was greeted: "Your Highness, what an honor. I hope you take kindly to the cool breeze, Combrok is known for its cool breeze."
Stono made a small pause, which Fara used to bow her head in gratitude.
"Thank you for the kind warning, good Sir, it is indeed colder then in Megido.", she smiled, "It is my greatest pleasure to be here."
"Allow me to present you a few gifts." , the man continued and brought forth two boxes of gifts.
Fara would not deny, that she loved gifts, after all, everybody did, and both the act of gifting people with things and receiving gifts were, in her culture, sacred acts, especially amongst people of her station. The gift she received first was a beautiful necklace, golden, with sapphires and rubies, fit for a person of highest standing and regard, something she would definately wear...
...however... there was one grain of salt in this soup, as it dawned upon Fara as Stono explained the background of the gift and its history to her, one, that she pondered over as she received the second one, a fruit basket, which was meant as symbol of friendship and hospitality - one, which she happily took.
"If you are hungry, my aides can provide you with snacks. Fear not, more food is to come when we reach Löberg Castle.", Stono finished with, what Fara assumed to be a small joke.
She smiled and then bowed her head, this time a bit deeper.
"My sincerest gratitude for the presents, Sir, they are beautiful.", she said and smiled, "I hope, you understand, that as a sportsperson, healthy food is invaluable to me and being presented with such healthy food is a great honour." Well, no time like the present..., she thought and went ahead with clearing up a misunderstanding in the making. "The necklace indeed speaks of the good relations between the devout Christian people of Belgicaven and their muslim neighbours, but I fear, that I can not accept this gift, exactly due to that and me not being a muslim myself. I do hope, that you forgive me for that."
She again bowed her head.

Stono perched his lips together and bowed respectfully, "I am so sorry, I believe that we did not realize that you are not Muslim yourself. I sincerely apologize for this. But thank you for considering the offer. Please, I can assure you that bigger and better wonders await you at the Castle."

The Queen of Great Hyruke's Gulfstream G650 cut through the air as Georgiana von Hvatska-Borbòn read a book, Knights of Mayra, written by Dieter Nacht, an author from her father's homeland. Written in German, It was about the Order of Mayra, a holy brotherhood founded by Georgiana's second-cousin-twice-removed-in-law, the former Empress of Polonge. Beside her, Georgiana's younger sister, Arianne nudged her.,

Arianne:"Are you excited?"

Georgiana looked up from her book at her sister.

Georgiana: "I suppose. Though I don't wish to get my hopes up too highly."

Arianne: "Why not?"

Georgiana: "Well, this is, in the most simplest of since, a fight between respectable women of noble houses to win a Grand Duke and get a crown, those are the long term goals. I am pretty sure I'm the youngest suitor, and I have no experience with men. So excuse me if I do want to dive nose first into a courtship."

Arianne: "You are as pessimistic as mother."

Georgiana smirked at her sister. She spoke of their mother the Queen, though technically she was their adoptive mother and stepmother. Queen Caroline had no children of her own, and while she had hated Georgiana and Arianne for merely existing when they were toddlers, she had treated them as her own daughters once their father died. Now Georgiana was Queen Caroline's heir, as there was no subtle female to take the throne after her at the moment. The Queen was infamous for her bleak and pessimistic view on the world. But she was a monarch who had sat on her throne for thirty-one years.

Georgiana: "I am not saying I won't like the grand Duke, but I just don't want to be heartbroken if I am not chosen."

Arianne: "And if you are chosen?"

Georgiana: "That's good too."

The Queen's Jet landed at Combok and soon Georgiana and her sister, along with her entourage, her uncle, two ladies-in-waiting and four servants and her mentor, the Countess of Gasay were they were to meet with the Belgicavenian to be escorted to Löberg Castle.

Georgiana, Archduchess of Hvatksa, was most famous for her love of fashion, an as such she had of course made it her job to wow the Archduke and Grand Duke and all those attending. She wore a tailor made dress from the designer Elizabetb Percy. The dress fell to the floor, a baby blue and black leaf-embroidered silk faille illusion gown. Georgiana's thick dark golden blonde hair flared out around and fell down her shoulders and back, black bows in her hair and one tied around her slender throat.

They stepped off of the jet, Georgiana leading them down the steps. She looked around the airstrip, the wind slightly blowing her hair.

Georgiana: "So this is Belgicaven. Nice."

Garret Stono sat with a genuine bright smile. Princess Georgiana was probably the most orthodox among her piers where her nation and lineage where considered. Her large and expansive ties had the possibility of bringing new authority to Belgicaven, and that excited him, even though Georgiana wouldn't be to groundbreaking at the domestic level.

Stono took keen note of Georgiana's fashion sense. She would work well with the Court, I think. Her sister, Arianne, would bode well with Court as well, he thought.

Stono stepped forth confidently and smiled brightly, "Your Highness, welcome to Belgicaven. May your stay be fruitful and enjoyable."

Instead of two large crates, two large paintings covered in white laid behind Stono.

"If Your Highness permits me, I would like to offer you two paintings which feature what we call the Spirit of Saheil."

The first one uncovered was of a countryside with expansive hills riddled with flowers, specifically tulips. "This first painting is called Field of Tulips, painted in 1903 of an actual and beautiful countryside in the south of the country near the Aix."

The second painting was of a festive scene, "This painting was painted after a festival in the sixteenth century. It combines our ideas of friendship and celebration. I hope you enjoy both."

"If you have any questions or needs, I am at your service. I have some snacks available with me however rest assured that we have much food waiting for you in the tent city. In the meantime, would you like champagne?"

---

OOC:

Kyrenaia and Great Hyruke, feel free to head on to the castle directly. New Edom still has to arrive and Inferna is already there. I will greet you all when you arrive.

On day two, I may decide to have a breakfast before the decision is announced. If we have enough information and are ready to rap up, we can skip the breakfast.

Note: Quote modified by removal of spoiler-tags.

Fara smiled comfortingly at Stono, the poor man hurrying to apologize and assure her of best intent and friendship and richness of Belgicaven. Meanwhile, Kalak decided to show himself, strolling out of the plane and walking up to the Princess, tail swishing back and forth.
"Please, it is no problem, good Sir. An honest mistake... one, which we should put behind us, I believe.", Fara told the man and thought to herself, that even if there was nothing at Löberg Castle, she still had a very good first impression of the place - they tried to make her feel welcome, to give her gifts, which was nice and very important in her culture. "Now, then... on to the castle, once we have the lugguage."
A minute later, one of her plane's crew indeed unloaded the bags they had with them, two large ones, which were taken on by Saida with ease despite their size and weight, one being hers and one being Fara's, and a smaller one with Kalak's travelling baggage, which Fara took.
Apparently something the caracal wanted was in the bag, judging by the fact, that he nudged the bag with his nose. Fara smiled and shook her head. "In the car.", she told him as a comfort, which seemed to mollify him, making Fara look to Stono. "Again, kind Sir, thank you for your warm welcome. Even if this does not work out in my favour, I am quite sure, that Kyrenaia and Belgicaven can get along well. I do hope to see you later, at the Castle."
She did not mention the mistake, she said, that they would put it behind them and so she did. No need to twist the knife in the wound.
A few minutes later, the small group was indeed on its way towards Löberg Castle, sitting in a comfortable car, the caracal between Saida and Fara, being fed a small morsel of caracal food by the latter, who watched him with a soft smile. The large feline was happy with his small snack, his smooth and soft fur inviting to be pet, which Fara did. He was very well behaved.
Still, a bit of nervousness spread in the Kyrenaian Princess - she was not only representing the Ilkhanate of Megido here, she was representing Kyrenaia, she even had the appropriate papers for that... a huge burden on her shoulders, more then she usually carried, when she was responsible for the race swimmer team of her university.
She took a deep breath and looked up, into Saida's eyes, who smiled at her reassuringly.
That indeed gave her strength, making her nervousness take a backseat.
A bit later, the Princess, her handmaiden and her caracal arrived at Löberg Castle, confidence back in the Princess as she stepped out of the limousine, head held high and a confident smile on her lips. This was it, the time to do, to act - no time to be nervous.
Kalak stood at her side, the morsel long eaten, the feline of fifty centimetres at the shoulder watching his surroundings with open and awake eyes.

[Belgicaven]

New Edomite Arrival

Princess Desdemona emerged nervously from the washroom, and Amelia, who was waiting for her, exclaimed "Yuck! Somebody die in there?"

Desdemona blushed angrily and hissed, "Shut up. I'm nervous, that's all..."

"Whew, I'll say," said Amelia, fanning her nose. "For someone who looks so gorgeous you sure know how to stink up a washroom."

"Enough!" Desdemona flicked that pert little nose with her fingers, a bit too hard for Amelia cried out.

"Ow! What the hell!" cried her friend.

"Oh, I'm so sorry honey, I didn't mean to be so rough!'" exclaimed Desdemona, putting her arms out.

"Oh it's alright," the two young women embraced and laughed together.

"What a pair of disasters we are, maybe this will all cause a diplomatic incident..." Desdemona was wearing a crimson red sheath that suited her high olive colouring and raven hair well, with high heeled sandals, and Amelia wore a green dress that molded her figure nicey. Both had bare shoulders, Amelia sporting her hair in a neat braided crown while Desdemona's hair flowed like a mane, held discreetly back from her face with golden pins lost in her curls.

The two emerged into the main cabin, which was arranged like a lounge, whereupon Prince Isaiah stood up. He was in a full dress naval uniform, two rows of gleaming medals and a rope of gold braid adorning it, and he took her hands. "Amazing, my little girl is a true Princess!" he exclaimed. He got a bit teary eyed. "I am torn between hoping for your success or failure..."

"Don't go native on us, Isaiah," reproved the Dowager. With her short elegant chestnut wavy bob, her oval feline face, long pink gown and still slim figure, she could have been a matinee idol from the 20s. "She looks gorgeous, and so does Amelia."

Major Kether, a Ministry of Police official attached to the security detail, came in and bowed, and smiled at Desdemona in a way that unsettled her. She always felt uneasy with this man, who she felt sure was spying on her, and he always made her feel stupid. "Majesty, Highnesses...The Captain's compliments and we are making our descent." He was a neat slim man in the dark dress uniform of the Ministry of Police, with the castle tower emblem on one collar, a neat little moustache and always clean and tidy. For some reason Prince Enoch had insisted on him being attached to the entourage and placed in command of it.

"Thank you, Major Kether," said Queen Rebecca. She stubbed out a cigarette and buckled herself in. "Isn't it ridicuolous using seat belts with such clothing? Well, here goes nothing..."

"It will all go fine." Now, Desdemona did like this speaker, who was Colonel Steven Horvath, who was a middle aged but very fit athletic man, bronzed-olive, dark hair with distinguished grey appearing, a well known polo player and always charming and manly. He reminded her of her father, with his manly smells of leather, tobacco and masculine musk. Hopefully the Grand Duke would also be such a man. He was reputed to be.

The others prepared themselves to face the natives when they had descended. Once they had done so, the Dowager would lead the way, followed by Vice-Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant escorting his daughter, with the others following.

Stono's brown hair flickered to and fro, the daily winds were picking up. His ice-blue eyes held a sense of excitement and he almost seemed to dance. He was very much anticipating the arrival of New Edom. While he had greeted many royals today, he had yet to meet a Queen, and the idea was exciting. As soon he saw the New Edomite ship in the distance, a bright smile lit up the entirety of his face.

"Compose-yourselves, they will be here any minute now."

Surely, as the delegation began to step off the plane, the Queen led the charge. Stono took a few steps forward, and continued to smile becomingly. He knelt before the Queen.

"Why Your Majesty it is such an honour to be in the presence of one as dignified and honourable as yourself. I cannot say that I have ever met a Queen as beautiful and wise as yourself. You are a shining diamond in this pitiful world of dirt."

Carefully, Stono turned his attention to the Vice-Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant and his daughter Princess Desdemona Davenant. She was beautiful to him but in a very honest and maidenly way.

"Your Highnesses, welcome to my humble country, Belgicaven. Let us hope that your visit here will be more than fruitful for both our great nations."

Stono paused, his traditional gifts were not behind them. Instead, the three stable hands each towed five horses of large bulk.

"I heard that Her Highness has a peculiar interest in riding horses. Well, it may interest you to know, Your Highness, that Belgicaven has a strong culture of equitation as well. The five stallions on your left," he pointed to a group of bulky caramel-coloured stallions "Hail from our nation's south, specifically from the Louboise region."

"The five stallions in the center" he paused as he ushered toward the white horses, "hail from Combrok itself. These horses were the favorites of the Combrokian Dukes and even many of our nation's past Archdukes. You'll find these stallions to be very similar to the Andalusian horse."

"Finally," he pointed to the chestnut horses, "Belgicaven has a strong tradition of breeding Arabians, specifically in modern times."

He paused respectfully, "I hope you will accept our nation's finest selections of horses. If you need any assistance with transportation, that can be arranged. Also,"

he motioned for a normal crate to be brought forward. It was a smaller one. He lifted the crate and slowly opened it. In it were small platinum earnings with a topaz main piece and emeralds.

"I hope you will accept this gift from Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess Lucia herself."

Breathing calmly to catch up with himself, he finally ended

"Let us show you to your transport, if you require any assistance, I am your humble servant. If you require refreshments, those can be provided as well. In addition, would anyone care for champagne?"

---

[OOC]
All current guests except for the New Edomite delegation have arrived at the Castle, I will address you all from there.

[New Edom]

New Edomite Arrival


Surely, as the delegation began to step off the plane, the Queen led the charge. Stono took a few steps forward, and continued to smile becomingly. He knelt before the Queen.

"Why Your Majesty it is such an honour to be in the presence of one as dignified and honourable as yourself. I cannot say that I have ever met a Queen as beautiful and wise as yourself. You are a shining diamond in this pitiful world of dirt."

The Dowager Queen Rebecca broke into her infectious delighted smile and said, "My goodness, such a fine and passionate welcome! You do me too much kindness, though, I am a Queen Dowager. My late husband, King James II, was taken from us too soon. However I am very touched..." and indeed this seemed to be the case, for her large brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "That you pay me such homage. Thank you."

Carefully, Stono turned his attention to the Vice-Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant and his daughter Princess Desdemona Davenant. She was beautiful to him but in a very honest and maidenly way.

"Your Highnesses, welcome to my humble country, Belgicaven. Let us hope that your visit here will be more than fruitful for both our great nations."

Prince Isaiah and his daughter bowed. "So very kind," said Prince Isaiah. "On behalf of my daughter and myself, thank you. We are glad to be here."

"I am looking forward to seeing your beautiful country and meeting her people," said Desdemona, looking upon Stono with her own eyes gleaming with supppressed excitement, the young woman she was trained to be dignified but her natural energy and curiousity quivering beneath. She appeared to be genuinely friendly.

Stono paused, his traditional gifts were not behind them. Instead, the three stable hands each towed five horses of large bulk.

"I heard that Her Highness has a peculiar interest in riding horses. Well, it may interest you to know, Your Highness, that Belgicaven has a strong culture of equitation as well. The five stallions on your left," he pointed to a group of bulky caramel-coloured stallions "Hail from our nation's south, specifically from the Louboise region."

At this Desdemona briefly lost her composure, and her hands flew to her face; her friend Amelia sucked in her breath. Though the Dowager Queen and others were impressed, they mostly just smiled, being older, more experienced than the two young ladies. Desdemona flushed and regained her dignity and yet her smile could not be erased.

Queen Rebecca was amused and pleased. She thought this was very clever, a very good start to overcome a shy young woman's wariness of entering a strange new country and about to meet a man who might become the focus of her life--while competing with other persons of similar rank. The ultimate ice breaker for a girl of the Royal House of Obed.


"The five stallions in the center" he paused as he ushered toward the white horses, "hail from Combrok itself. These horses were the favorites of the Combrokian Dukes and even many of our nation's past Archdukes. You'll find these stallions to be very similar to the Andalusian horse."

"Finally," he pointed to the chestnut horses, "Belgicaven has a strong tradition of breeding Arabians, specifically in modern times."

He paused respectfully, "I hope you will accept our nation's finest selections of horses. If you need any assistance with transportation, that can be arranged. Also,"

he motioned for a normal crate to be brought forward. It was a smaller one. He lifted the crate and slowly opened it. In it were small platinum earnings with a topaz main piece and emeralds.

"I hope you will accept this gift from Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess Lucia herself."

Breathing calmly to catch up with himself, he finally ended

"Let us show you to your transport, if you require any assistance, I am your humble servant. If you require refreshments, those can be provided as well. In addition, would anyone care for champagne?"

Desdemona had been well practiced in speaking in public, but she was in a strange country and had been shocked at how appropriate the gifts were. Each introduction had hear heart leaping more. "Oh, they're beautiful," she said warmly, wanting to run over and get to know them immediately. "I cannot decide which I will love more! You present me with such a dilemma! Such a wonderful one..."

Her aunt coughed lightly, Queen Rebecca looking at her with a firm but twinkling eyed gaze.

"Oh..." Desdemona coloured slightly. "Sir, these gifts have overwhelmed me. If...if your hospitality at this greeting is so wonderful I am quivering with...anticipation at the thought of what lies ahead. I am very touched by this warm welcome. We have brought gifts for His Royal Excellency as well, and I look forward to presenting them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!"

"I think my daughter would like to go to the stables first and change her clothes for riding," teased Prince Isaiah, "But the gifts are truly princely. Whatever may be decided...I think you have a friend for life. And by all means, champagne...?"

"By all means," said Queen Rebecca gratefully. "I don't think it's too early for that. Perhaps you can tell us all about the equestrian sports of your country. We may find that it is a good way to make relations between our countries warmer. For show jumping, polo, a number of sorts of events are popular with us. Colonel Horvath," she glanced over at the Private Secretary, following behind, "Is one of our country's best players when he has the time..."

---

OOC: Please feel free to move things forward in your reply after any reactions to my characters.

[Belgicaven]

New Edomite Arrival


Surely, as the delegation began to step off the plane, the Queen led the charge. Stono took a few steps forward, and continued to smile becomingly. He knelt before the Queen.

"Why Your Majesty it is such an honour to be in the presence of one as dignified and honourable as yourself. I cannot say that I have ever met a Queen as beautiful and wise as yourself. You are a shining diamond in this pitiful world of dirt."

The Dowager Queen Rebecca broke into her infectious delighted smile and said, "My goodness, such a fine and passionate welcome! You do me too much kindness, though, I am a Queen Dowager. My late husband, King James II, was taken from us too soon. However I am very touched..." and indeed this seemed to be the case, for her large brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "That you pay me such homage. Thank you."

Carefully, Stono turned his attention to the Vice-Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant and his daughter Princess Desdemona Davenant. She was beautiful to him but in a very honest and maidenly way.

"Your Highnesses, welcome to my humble country, Belgicaven. Let us hope that your visit here will be more than fruitful for both our great nations."

Prince Isaiah and his daughter bowed. "So very kind," said Prince Isaiah. "On behalf of my daughter and myself, thank you. We are glad to be here."

"I am looking forward to seeing your beautiful country and meeting her people," said Desdemona, looking upon Stono with her own eyes gleaming with supppressed excitement, the young woman she was trained to be dignified but her natural energy and curiousity quivering beneath. She appeared to be genuinely friendly.

Stono paused, his traditional gifts were not behind them. Instead, the three stable hands each towed five horses of large bulk.

"I heard that Her Highness has a peculiar interest in riding horses. Well, it may interest you to know, Your Highness, that Belgicaven has a strong culture of equitation as well. The five stallions on your left," he pointed to a group of bulky caramel-coloured stallions "Hail from our nation's south, specifically from the Louboise region."

At this Desdemona briefly lost her composure, and her hands flew to her face; her friend Amelia sucked in her breath. Though the Dowager Queen and others were impressed, they mostly just smiled, being older, more experienced than the two young ladies. Desdemona flushed and regained her dignity and yet her smile could not be erased.

Queen Rebecca was amused and pleased. She thought this was very clever, a very good start to overcome a shy young woman's wariness of entering a strange new country and about to meet a man who might become the focus of her life--while competing with other persons of similar rank. The ultimate ice breaker for a girl of the Royal House of Obed.


"The five stallions in the center" he paused as he ushered toward the white horses, "hail from Combrok itself. These horses were the favorites of the Combrokian Dukes and even many of our nation's past Archdukes. You'll find these stallions to be very similar to the Andalusian horse."

"Finally," he pointed to the chestnut horses, "Belgicaven has a strong tradition of breeding Arabians, specifically in modern times."

He paused respectfully, "I hope you will accept our nation's finest selections of horses. If you need any assistance with transportation, that can be arranged. Also,"

he motioned for a normal crate to be brought forward. It was a smaller one. He lifted the crate and slowly opened it. In it were small platinum earnings with a topaz main piece and emeralds.

"I hope you will accept this gift from Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess Lucia herself."

Breathing calmly to catch up with himself, he finally ended

"Let us show you to your transport, if you require any assistance, I am your humble servant. If you require refreshments, those can be provided as well. In addition, would anyone care for champagne?"

Desdemona had been well practiced in speaking in public, but she was in a strange country and had been shocked at how appropriate the gifts were. Each introduction had hear heart leaping more. "Oh, they're beautiful," she said warmly, wanting to run over and get to know them immediately. "I cannot decide which I will love more! You present me with such a dilemma! Such a wonderful one..."

Her aunt coughed lightly, Queen Rebecca looking at her with a firm but twinkling eyed gaze.

"Oh..." Desdemona coloured slightly. "Sir, these gifts have overwhelmed me. If...if your hospitality at this greeting is so wonderful I am quivering with...anticipation at the thought of what lies ahead. I am very touched by this warm welcome. We have brought gifts for His Royal Excellency as well, and I look forward to presenting them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!"

"I think my daughter would like to go to the stables first and change her clothes for riding," teased Prince Isaiah, "But the gifts are truly princely. Whatever may be decided...I think you have a friend for life. And by all means, champagne...?"

"By all means," said Queen Rebecca gratefully. "I don't think it's too early for that. Perhaps you can tell us all about the equestrian sports of your country. We may find that it is a good way to make relations between our countries warmer. For show jumping, polo, a number of sorts of events are popular with us. Colonel Horvath," she glanced over at the Private Secretary, following behind, "Is one of our country's best players when he has the time..."

---

OOC: Please feel free to move things forward in your reply after any reactions to my characters.

(OOC: by move things forward, I assume that you mean to skip over certain parts and head over to the Castle. I will respond to your questions of equestrian sports. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me).

"Your Highness, it is our pleasure that you feel welcome and at home in our lands"

"I would be delighted to. In Belgicaven's history, through the early Middle Ages, we were divided into separate independent fiefdoms, most of whom being duchies. Because of vast distances between one Duchy and another, and the lack of any meaningful universal transportation, horses became the next best thing. As in the majority of countries, equestrianism became popular among the noble class. Thus, sports like polo, horse racing, and dressage. While not as popular as in New Edom, polo has made a name for itself, specifically here in the northern parts. Equestrianism today has evolved to be a cultural icon, with horse ownership popular even among the common people. Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the current polo arena at Löberg Castle is undergoing reconstruction and the tracks to the arena are currently unsafe. However, Your Majesty, you may not know that jousting is quite common in Belgicaven, however it is more a festivity than a martial sport and much safer with professional jousters.

---

A line of nobility gathered around the large road that brought visitors to Belgicaven. Standing from left to right were the nation's finest dukes, counts, earls, viscounts, and even the two younger children of the Archduke. The first was the fourteen year old Prince Henri; he had the most beautiful green eyes with wavy blond hair and a beard beginning to form. His little brother of eight years, Prince Phillipe, was said to be a replica of his father with strong brown eyes and wavy brown hair. The hostess, The Madame, was at the front of the crowd. On the occasion, The Madame wore a blue and black Victorian dress with a diamond necklace and gold earnings. The princes wore their royal garments.


On her sides were four small stages erected specifically for the occasion. Each one had an assortment of chairs, no more than six, to seat the waiting guests. The two on the left were reserved for New Edom and Infernia and the two on the right were reserved for Great Hyruke and Kryrenaia. Each stadium was supported with their respective nation's flag so no confusion would arise. The guests would sit and wait for the entire group to arrive, a short speech will be made by Archduchess Lucia, who is en route to the Palace, and the festivities would begin. Many in the crowd said that placing the four so close together may cause tension, but The Madame quelled their fears. It seemed that The Madame almost wanted to see how the girls would react.


"Form a line based on your station, our guests are about to arrive."

From there, The Madame was at the front of the line as hostess, followed by the two princess, the dukes, the earls, the counts, the barons, the viscounts, and the rest of the lordship.

---

The first delegation to arrive was the Kyrenaian one. A hush fell over the crowd as women spoke into the other's ears. While not as common as in other monarchies, suspicious attitudes towards Muslims was ripe among several members at Court, and the nobles had no idea that the Kyrenaian princess was in fact not Muslim.

"Shhh! Be respectful!" The Madame almost seemed to whisper the command, but a great wave of silence befell the crowd. Both the ladies and the men straightened up and slightly smiled. The Madame held a welcome yet faded smile. She was upright, held her head high, and followed noble codes to a tee.

Once the Kyrenaian delegation stepped out of their limousine, The Madame and the rest of the crowd bowed and the women additionally curtsey expected by the women. Those of the rank count and lower were expected to hold their bow until the Princess sat down, a gesture of respect.

"Welcome to Löberg Castle, Your Highness, best of pleasantries. Please, I would like to introduce the Prince Henri and Prince Phillipe, the His Most Royal Excellency's cousin, the Duke of Fermount..." she continued down the line of important figures and stopped ten people in as each one bowed or curtsied, "Please, Your Highness. Please, Your Highness, your delegation will rest on the stage to the far right. If you are parched, do not hesitate to ask and it will be our command."

---

The next delegation to arrive was the Infernian one. This one was met with curious eyes and fascination. The Princess's jewels made her glimmer like the Sun. Again, the line of nobles bowed or curtsied as the Princess stepped out of their car.

The Madame spoke, "Your Highness, welcome to Löberg Castle. Please, let me introduce the Prince Henri and Prince Phillipe as well as members of the Archduke's household and State Council." The Madame proceeded to guide the Princess to several dukes and the princes, while each followed costume and bowed. One flustered count failed to bow in time. The Duchess gave him a strong look and motioned to the ground while he immediately followed her instructions.

Once The Madame finished, she took a deep breath and looked directly to the Princess, "Your Highness, you will rest while the rest of the delegation and Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess arrives on the far left. Please, if you require anything, our attendants would be happy to provide"

---

The second last delegation to arrive was that of Great Hyruke. A murmur began over the crowd, it seemed that the Princess was the favourite of the Court. The court ladies patiently waited to see what this princess will look like. Childish smiles began to run among members of the court.

When the Princess did step out, a murmur began but shortly quelled out of the necessity to bow. The Madame, hating court murmur, talk, and gossip, kept her head high and her temptation to yell for quiet low. After bowing before the Archduchess, she spoke,

"Welcome, Your Highness, to Löberg Castle. Please, let me introduce you to our nation's princes and the higher nobility"

The princes didn't seem to care, but the dukes and duchesses seemed to be more jittery.

"Please, you may take your seats on the near right. If you require any refreshments or any aid at all, do not hesitate to ask."

---

The last delegation to arrive was New Edom. While being ambiguous in the eyes of the Court, The Madame seemed to take kindly to the traditions, customs, and history of New Edom. Because, the delegation included a Queen dowager, all of the members of the Court were required to hold the bow, save The Madame who would not out of practical reasons.

"Your Majesty, praise be to God, we are delighted to have you here." The Madame turned her attention the the Princess, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please, let me introduce you to the princes of the Crown and many of the highest nobles."

Prince Phillipe seemed to almost trip, for which he caught the stern eye of The Madame. Many other nobles seemed to twitch in the presence of a former Queen, which The Madame seemed to take kindly to.

"Your Majesty, your stage is on the near left. If you require any assistance or refreshments, do not hesitate to ask and it will be our command."

---

Löberg Castle
3:58

Some two minutes after the New Edomite delegation arrived, a gold and black carriage flanked by eight horses holding the flag and royal standard arrived at Löberg's entry. An aid came up to the door of the carriage and placed two steps on the bottom. Upon queue, the horsemen dismounted and stood before their horses. A page stepped before the crowd as the driver opened the door.

"Her Most Royal Excellency, Archduchess Lucia of Pontier, Queen of Musasia, Duchess of Orléans, and Countess of Sybs"

The woman who stepped out was tall and thin. She had long and tough blond hair with green eyes, a round nose, and a round yet masculine face. She was wearing a long blood-red renaissance dress with ermine and gold as add-ons. She wore a long and elaborate gold necklace. Her earrings were gold, diamond, and ruby. Her crown was strong but feminine, large and bulky like the Archduke's but with pearls and rubies (her favorite jewel) in the place of the emeralds and sapphires. She stood tall and strong, first facing her fellow nobles, then the four entourages. She did not speak for a hot minute, examining each of the delegations at a time and then the whole. She swallowed and began to spoke.

"When I was of twenty years, I, like many of you here, was brought to a land I did not know to win the heart of a future sovereign Archduke. Like many of you here, I was a mix of excited and terrified. My actions that day would determine my position and the rest of my life. It is exhausting, I can still feel it to this day. The four of you will contend for the hand of my son, the Grand Duke and future Archduke of this nation. If selected, you will be a future sovereign princess, answerable only to God himself. You will be surrounded by luxury and fame. You will have friends here who will wish to befriend you not because of they think of you as a good person but because of your station. You will be the talk at pubs, at homes, at businesses; you will be expected to be part of the face of this nation.

"More importantly, you will be jewel in forming two alliances between our two nations. You will be responsible for sharing the best of times between our two nations and breaking the greatest tensions. We have a saying here, 'Kings are those who hold up a nation, Queens are those who hold up nations.' If selected, you will go through good times and bad; it is not easy being a consort. You will have to guide your husband through the toughest of times and create a branch between our two nations. It is a tiring job, but it is one that will place you in the annals of history. Today, you all will have an opportunity to prove yourselves for a chance to change the course of our nation. You will be wise, vigilant, and brave against those who wish to influence and manipulate you, yet you will also be feminine, wife-like and caring. It is hard to be those things, much less the mother of a nation.

To you all, I wish you the best of luck. For the time being, we will be holding festivities in the tent city. Here, you will be able to mingle with our nation's finest royals and nobles. You will meet the Archduke and Grand Duke at dinner. Are there any questions?"

---

[OOC]

You can respond to the invitation of The Madame, however I will not respond unless you have questions for the Archduchess for sake of time. We will begin the festivities tomorrow or today depending on today's participation.

[Kyrenaia]

New Edomite Arrival


Surely, as the delegation began to step off the plane, the Queen led the charge. Stono took a few steps forward, and continued to smile becomingly. He knelt before the Queen.

"Why Your Majesty it is such an honour to be in the presence of one as dignified and honourable as yourself. I cannot say that I have ever met a Queen as beautiful and wise as yourself. You are a shining diamond in this pitiful world of dirt."

The Dowager Queen Rebecca broke into her infectious delighted smile and said, "My goodness, such a fine and passionate welcome! You do me too much kindness, though, I am a Queen Dowager. My late husband, King James II, was taken from us too soon. However I am very touched..." and indeed this seemed to be the case, for her large brown eyes glistened with unshed tears. "That you pay me such homage. Thank you."

Carefully, Stono turned his attention to the Vice-Admiral Prince Isaiah Davenant and his daughter Princess Desdemona Davenant. She was beautiful to him but in a very honest and maidenly way.

"Your Highnesses, welcome to my humble country, Belgicaven. Let us hope that your visit here will be more than fruitful for both our great nations."

Prince Isaiah and his daughter bowed. "So very kind," said Prince Isaiah. "On behalf of my daughter and myself, thank you. We are glad to be here."

"I am looking forward to seeing your beautiful country and meeting her people," said Desdemona, looking upon Stono with her own eyes gleaming with supppressed excitement, the young woman she was trained to be dignified but her natural energy and curiousity quivering beneath. She appeared to be genuinely friendly.

Stono paused, his traditional gifts were not behind them. Instead, the three stable hands each towed five horses of large bulk.

"I heard that Her Highness has a peculiar interest in riding horses. Well, it may interest you to know, Your Highness, that Belgicaven has a strong culture of equitation as well. The five stallions on your left," he pointed to a group of bulky caramel-coloured stallions "Hail from our nation's south, specifically from the Louboise region."

At this Desdemona briefly lost her composure, and her hands flew to her face; her friend Amelia sucked in her breath. Though the Dowager Queen and others were impressed, they mostly just smiled, being older, more experienced than the two young ladies. Desdemona flushed and regained her dignity and yet her smile could not be erased.

Queen Rebecca was amused and pleased. She thought this was very clever, a very good start to overcome a shy young woman's wariness of entering a strange new country and about to meet a man who might become the focus of her life--while competing with other persons of similar rank. The ultimate ice breaker for a girl of the Royal House of Obed.


"The five stallions in the center" he paused as he ushered toward the white horses, "hail from Combrok itself. These horses were the favorites of the Combrokian Dukes and even many of our nation's past Archdukes. You'll find these stallions to be very similar to the Andalusian horse."

"Finally," he pointed to the chestnut horses, "Belgicaven has a strong tradition of breeding Arabians, specifically in modern times."

He paused respectfully, "I hope you will accept our nation's finest selections of horses. If you need any assistance with transportation, that can be arranged. Also,"

he motioned for a normal crate to be brought forward. It was a smaller one. He lifted the crate and slowly opened it. In it were small platinum earnings with a topaz main piece and emeralds.

"I hope you will accept this gift from Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess Lucia herself."

Breathing calmly to catch up with himself, he finally ended

"Let us show you to your transport, if you require any assistance, I am your humble servant. If you require refreshments, those can be provided as well. In addition, would anyone care for champagne?"

Desdemona had been well practiced in speaking in public, but she was in a strange country and had been shocked at how appropriate the gifts were. Each introduction had hear heart leaping more. "Oh, they're beautiful," she said warmly, wanting to run over and get to know them immediately. "I cannot decide which I will love more! You present me with such a dilemma! Such a wonderful one..."

Her aunt coughed lightly, Queen Rebecca looking at her with a firm but twinkling eyed gaze.

"Oh..." Desdemona coloured slightly. "Sir, these gifts have overwhelmed me. If...if your hospitality at this greeting is so wonderful I am quivering with...anticipation at the thought of what lies ahead. I am very touched by this warm welcome. We have brought gifts for His Royal Excellency as well, and I look forward to presenting them. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!"

"I think my daughter would like to go to the stables first and change her clothes for riding," teased Prince Isaiah, "But the gifts are truly princely. Whatever may be decided...I think you have a friend for life. And by all means, champagne...?"

"By all means," said Queen Rebecca gratefully. "I don't think it's too early for that. Perhaps you can tell us all about the equestrian sports of your country. We may find that it is a good way to make relations between our countries warmer. For show jumping, polo, a number of sorts of events are popular with us. Colonel Horvath," she glanced over at the Private Secretary, following behind, "Is one of our country's best players when he has the time..."

---

OOC: Please feel free to move things forward in your reply after any reactions to my characters.

(OOC: by move things forward, I assume that you mean to skip over certain parts and head over to the Castle. I will respond to your questions of equestrian sports. If I am wrong, feel free to correct me).

"Your Highness, it is our pleasure that you feel welcome and at home in our lands"

"I would be delighted to. In Belgicaven's history, through the early Middle Ages, we were divided into separate independent fiefdoms, most of whom being duchies. Because of vast distances between one Duchy and another, and the lack of any meaningful universal transportation, horses became the next best thing. As in the majority of countries, equestrianism became popular among the noble class. Thus, sports like polo, horse racing, and dressage. While not as popular as in New Edom, polo has made a name for itself, specifically here in the northern parts. Equestrianism today has evolved to be a cultural icon, with horse ownership popular even among the common people. Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the current polo arena at Löberg Castle is undergoing reconstruction and the tracks to the arena are currently unsafe. However, Your Majesty, you may not know that jousting is quite common in Belgicaven, however it is more a festivity than a martial sport and much safer with professional jousters.

---

A line of nobility gathered around the large road that brought visitors to Belgicaven. Standing from left to right were the nation's finest dukes, counts, earls, viscounts, and even the two younger children of the Archduke. The first was the fourteen year old Prince Henri; he had the most beautiful green eyes with wavy blond hair and a beard beginning to form. His little brother of eight years, Prince Phillipe, was said to be a replica of his father with strong brown eyes and wavy brown hair. The hostess, The Madame, was at the front of the crowd. On the occasion, The Madame wore a blue and black Victorian dress with a diamond necklace and gold earnings. The princes wore their royal garments.


On her sides were four small stages erected specifically for the occasion. Each one had an assortment of chairs, no more than six, to seat the waiting guests. The two on the left were reserved for New Edom and Infernia and the two on the right were reserved for Great Hyruke and Kryrenaia. Each stadium was supported with their respective nation's flag so no confusion would arise. The guests would sit and wait for the entire group to arrive, a short speech will be made by Archduchess Lucia, who is en route to the Palace, and the festivities would begin. Many in the crowd said that placing the four so close together may cause tension, but The Madame quelled their fears. It seemed that The Madame almost wanted to see how the girls would react.


"Form a line based on your station, our guests are about to arrive."

From there, The Madame was at the front of the line as hostess, followed by the two princess, the dukes, the earls, the counts, the barons, the viscounts, and the rest of the lordship.

---

The first delegation to arrive was the Kyrenaian one. A hush fell over the crowd as women spoke into the other's ears. While not as common as in other monarchies, suspicious attitudes towards Muslims was ripe among several members at Court, and the nobles had no idea that the Kyrenaian princess was in fact not Muslim.

"Shhh! Be respectful!" The Madame almost seemed to whisper the command, but a great wave of silence befell the crowd. Both the ladies and the men straightened up and slightly smiled. The Madame held a welcome yet faded smile. She was upright, held her head high, and followed noble codes to a tee.

Once the Kyrenaian delegation stepped out of their limousine, The Madame and the rest of the crowd bowed and the women additionally curtsey expected by the women. Those of the rank count and lower were expected to hold their bow until the Princess sat down, a gesture of respect.

"Welcome to Löberg Castle, Your Highness, best of pleasantries. Please, I would like to introduce the Prince Henri and Prince Phillipe, the His Most Royal Excellency's cousin, the Duke of Fermount..." she continued down the line of important figures and stopped ten people in as each one bowed or curtsied, "Please, Your Highness. Please, Your Highness, your delegation will rest on the stage to the far right. If you are parched, do not hesitate to ask and it will be our command."

---

The next delegation to arrive was the Infernian one. This one was met with curious eyes and fascination. The Princess's jewels made her glimmer like the Sun. Again, the line of nobles bowed or curtsied as the Princess stepped out of their car.

The Madame spoke, "Your Highness, welcome to Löberg Castle. Please, let me introduce the Prince Henri and Prince Phillipe as well as members of the Archduke's household and State Council." The Madame proceeded to guide the Princess to several dukes and the princes, while each followed costume and bowed. One flustered count failed to bow in time. The Duchess gave him a strong look and motioned to the ground while he immediately followed her instructions.

Once The Madame finished, she took a deep breath and looked directly to the Princess, "Your Highness, you will rest while the rest of the delegation and Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess arrives on the far left. Please, if you require anything, our attendants would be happy to provide"

---

The second last delegation to arrive was that of Great Hyruke. A murmur began over the crowd, it seemed that the Princess was the favourite of the Court. The court ladies patiently waited to see what this princess will look like. Childish smiles began to run among members of the court.

When the Princess did step out, a murmur began but shortly quelled out of the necessity to bow. The Madame, hating court murmur, talk, and gossip, kept her head high and her temptation to yell for quiet low. After bowing before the Archduchess, she spoke,

"Welcome, Your Highness, to Löberg Castle. Please, let me introduce you to our nation's princes and the higher nobility"

The princes didn't seem to care, but the dukes and duchesses seemed to be more jittery.

"Please, you may take your seats on the near right. If you require any refreshments or any aid at all, do not hesitate to ask."

---

The last delegation to arrive was New Edom. While being ambiguous in the eyes of the Court, The Madame seemed to take kindly to the traditions, customs, and history of New Edom. Because, the delegation included a Queen dowager, all of the members of the Court were required to hold the bow, save The Madame who would not out of practical reasons.

"Your Majesty, praise be to God, we are delighted to have you here." The Madame turned her attention the the Princess, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please, let me introduce you to the princes of the Crown and many of the highest nobles."

Prince Phillipe seemed to almost trip, for which he caught the stern eye of The Madame. Many other nobles seemed to twitch in the presence of a former Queen, which The Madame seemed to take kindly to.

"Your Majesty, your stage is on the near left. If you require any assistance or refreshments, do not hesitate to ask and it will be our command."

---

Löberg Castle
3:58

Some two minutes after the New Edomite delegation arrived, a gold and black carriage flanked by eight horses holding the flag and royal standard arrived at Löberg's entry. An aid came up to the door of the carriage and placed two steps on the bottom. Upon queue, the horsemen dismounted and stood before their horses. A page stepped before the crowd as the driver opened the door.

"Her Most Royal Excellency, Archduchess Lucia of Pontier, Queen of Musasia, Duchess of Orléans, and Countess of Sybs"

The woman who stepped out was tall and thin. She had long and tough blond hair with green eyes, a round nose, and a round yet masculine face. She was wearing a long blood-red renaissance dress with ermine and gold as add-ons. She wore a long and elaborate gold necklace. Her earrings were gold, diamond, and ruby. Her crown was strong but feminine, large and bulky like the Archduke's but with pearls and rubies (her favorite jewel) in the place of the emeralds and sapphires. She stood tall and strong, first facing her fellow nobles, then the four entourages. She did not speak for a hot minute, examining each of the delegations at a time and then the whole. She swallowed and began to spoke.

"When I was of twenty years, I, like many of you here, was brought to a land I did not know to win the heart of a future sovereign Archduke. Like many of you here, I was a mix of excited and terrified. My actions that day would determine my position and the rest of my life. It is exhausting, I can still feel it to this day. The four of you will contend for the hand of my son, the Grand Duke and future Archduke of this nation. If selected, you will be a future sovereign princess, answerable only to God himself. You will be surrounded by luxury and fame. You will have friends here who will wish to befriend you not because of they think of you as a good person but because of your station. You will be the talk at pubs, at homes, at businesses; you will be expected to be part of the face of this nation.

"More importantly, you will be jewel in forming two alliances between our two nations. You will be responsible for sharing the best of times between our two nations and breaking the greatest tensions. We have a saying here, 'Kings are those who hold up a nation, Queens are those who hold up nations.' If selected, you will go through good times and bad; it is not easy being a consort. You will have to guide your husband through the toughest of times and create a branch between our two nations. It is a tiring job, but it is one that will place you in the annals of history. Today, you all will have an opportunity to prove yourselves for a chance to change the course of our nation. You will be wise, vigilant, and brave against those who wish to influence and manipulate you, yet you will also be feminine, wife-like and caring. It is hard to be those things, much less the mother of a nation.

To you all, I wish you the best of luck. For the time being, we will be holding festivities in the tent city. Here, you will be able to mingle with our nation's finest royals and nobles. You will meet the Archduke and Grand Duke at dinner. Are there any questions?"

---

[OOC]

You can respond to the invitation of The Madame, however I will not respond unless you have questions for the Archduchess for sake of time. We will begin the festivities tomorrow or today depending on today's participation.

As Fara stepped out of the limousine, she wore a small smile.
There was a hush over the crowd. Although she was quite sure, that this was not her doing, she loved to think it was, smiling a confident smile, walking towards her welcoming comittee with a swing of her hips, that was decent, not too much to make her look like a woman of the horizontal occupation, but enough to make them aware, that she was well aware about her beauty.
The smile the lady greeting her gave was welcoming, but like with the smiles of the other high and nobles (at least she assumed, that they were the high and nobles) of Belgicaven gave, it seemed a bit forced to Fara. Nevertheless, she returned it, as she did with the bow.
"Welcome to Löberg Castle, Your Highness, best of pleasantries.", the lady, Fara had no idea that she was called the Madam, greeted her, starting to introduce her to the two youngsters by her side, a boy of around fourteen, growing his first beard, the other a boy between seven and ten of age, with strong brown eyes, which made it difficult to guess his age.
Fara inclined her head again. "Thank you, Ma'am, and peace be with you.", she replied to the greeting - barely the only thing she got out before she was swept along in the introductions.
"Please, I would like to introduce the Prince Henri and Prince Phillipe, the His Most Royal Excellency's cousin, the Duke of Fermount..."
To Fara, it reminded her of the more... tiring days at the palaces of Kyrenaian nobility, when everyone was introduced to everyone time and time again, exchanged short and mostly meaningless pleasantries. It would have been tiring, if not for two strong shadows, one a bit behind her and to her side, Saida not giving a sound as she followed her lady and one directly by her feet, Kalak as usual preferring to stand with his lady.
As it all ended, and as instructed, Fara went up the stairs of the small stage with the banner of Kyrenaia, smiling a bit. The Kyrenaian flag, showing a white crescent and two white crossed sabres on a black expanse, was a banner she took pride in, the flag of the larger entity that united the six Ilkhanates - not under the banner of the Sultan (or Sultana, as the case currently was), but the flag of Kyrenaia.
Fara placed her hand onto her collarbone and bowed her head to the flag, as it was appropriate for a Princess of a Ilkhanate's House to greet the flag. As she turned and saw the chairs, she smiled - three, as apparently someone expected Kalak to take a seat as well.
The Kyrenaian Princess took a seat, nodding to Saida, thus permitting her to take a seat as well, and then watching as her caracal simply took a seat to her other side. With a smile at her pet's antics, the feline in question watching the assembly with the sharp eyes of a predator, Fara sat down like she was taught, like a lady, herself, legs together, but with keen eyes on the proceedings.
To say, that she was not impressed by her fellow contestants was a bit of an understatement, but she would withhold final judgement until she saw more of them.
And then, a few minutes after the last ones, the New Edomites (who's person in this race seemed to her like a child playing dress-up, but impressions could very much deceive), Archduchess Lucia arrived: Blood red dress with ermine and gold, a jeweled crown on her head, tall and with slightly masculine features, very determined and strong.
It somehow reminded Fara of being under Razia Sultana's gaze.
As such, when the Archduchess inspected her, Fara bowed her head respectfully, the largest greeting of respect she was permitted while sitting.
At last, she gave a speech, outlining her own past as she had been in a similar situation, a long time ago, mentioning what was ahead of them. On one hand, being the centre-point of attention of anyone, living in luxury with anything she could wish for except apparently privacy... on the other, the link for an alliance between their respective countries, a, as she put it, "chance to change the course of our nation."
No pressure, eh?, Fara thought, listening intently, but she couldn't help herself to watch the reactions of her fellow contestants from the corner of her eye, putting this into her judgement of the other Princesses, gauging and sizing up her competition further.
"You will be wise, vigilant, and brave against those who wish to influence and manipulate you, yet you will also be feminine, wife-like and caring. It is hard to be those things, much less the mother of a nation.", the Archduchess finished her speech, the first part being true, as a consort needed to be wise, vigilant and brave, the second... to Fara, it sounded a bit as if her role would simply amount to leaning back and thinking of Kyrenaia.
Maybe it was just a sloghtly outdated view of things, but Fara would have to find that out before she agreed to anything.
Still, it would be hard, but due to her upbringing, education and personality, Fara was sure, that she would rise up to the task, when her time came, be it here or in Kyrenaia.
"Are there any questions?", came the final line of the speech.
From Fara, there were none.

[Great Hyruke]

Even as their limousine pulled up, the Archduchess of Hvatska and her sister could hear the murmurs of the Belgicaven Court. Arianna and Georgiana leaned close to the windows.

Arianne: "Seems you've caused quite a buzz."

Georgiana stepped out of the limousine with a large smile. She adored crowds, she enjoyed people and as the future potential queen of Great Hyruke, she had learned to function in them. It was why she adored social events. She looked around at the crowd of nobility and blew them kisses. She did the classic "princess wave", waving politely at them. As they greeted by the Madame, Georgiana slightly bowed her head greeting, a polite way of greeting someone in Great Hyruke.

Georgiana did a curtsy as she meet the two young princes, noting one of them looked about the age of her adoptive cousin, Princess Caroline. As she was introduced to the rest of nobility, she gave a small head bow to each one of them, smiling and waving every so often. The nobility, the dukes and duchess especially seemed to be quite anxious and jumpy, though she was sure that it was all good. She gave small personalized pleasantries to each one.

After that, Georgiana made her way to the stage which hung the flag of Great Hyruke. She was followed by her sister, the Countess of Gasay and her uncle, Sir Lortie and two ladies. Princess Georgiana sat in the formost chair, with Arianne next to her and slightly behind her. Lady Gasay was on the other side of Georgiana, further back along with Sir Lortie while set back next to Arianne were Georgiana's ladies in waiting.

As the two of the other potential suitors for the Grand Duke were already there, Georgiana looked over at time a smile never leaving her face. Hyrukians weren't known for being very happy people, most of them were quite dreary and depression was a common illness. But Polongains, which made up half of her blood were famous for their consistently cheerful attitude. It was easy to keep a radiate smile for her.

Georgiana stayed quite as Archduchess Lucia arrived. Georgiana noted the Archduchess wasn't very pretty, not by Hyrukian standards. She seem too gruff, too much like a man. She was nicely dressed however, Georgiana loved her crown with its jewels that shined. She listened carefully to the Archduchess. She found the speech given by the Archduke's wife boring. Georgiana had already been told this by her mother.

Arianne leaned over and whispered into Georgiana's ear.

Arianne: "Je ne savais pas que les femmes pouvaient être consorts."

Georgiana: "Les étranges merveilles du patriarcat. Au moins, elle comprend que les femmes sont plus fortes que les hommes."

Arianne let out a small giggle and Georgiana's smile widen. As Archduchess Lucia finished, Georgiana couldn't help but think how strange this all was. She had been thrown into a competition against other women, all of them older than she was, to win the hand of a Grand Duke whom she hadn't even met with yet. It would have been the complete opposite in Great Hyruke, but she suppose that she would have to play along, but she wouldn't be invested until she meet the Grand Duke himself. She stayed quiet, not asking any questions.

[New Edom]

New Edomite Arrival

"Your Highness, it is our pleasure that you feel welcome and at home in our lands"

"I would be delighted to. In Belgicaven's history, through the early Middle Ages, we were divided into separate independent fiefdoms, most of whom being duchies. Because of vast distances between one Duchy and another, and the lack of any meaningful universal transportation, horses became the next best thing. As in the majority of countries, equestrianism became popular among the noble class. Thus, sports like polo, horse racing, and dressage. While not as popular as in New Edom, polo has made a name for itself, specifically here in the northern parts. Equestrianism today has evolved to be a cultural icon, with horse ownership popular even among the common people. Unfortunately, Your Majesty, the current polo arena at Löberg Castle is undergoing reconstruction and the tracks to the arena are currently unsafe. However, Your Majesty, you may not know that jousting is quite common in Belgicaven, however it is more a festivity than a martial sport and much safer with professional jousters.

"Most interesting, is it not?" said Queen Rebecca.

"Most interesting indeed. My daughter just completed a show jumping course actually," said Prince Isaiah proudly.

"I'm looking forward to that, I hope I can attend some events. Jousting! Really! We have a sport called motor jousting in our country but it's rather vulgar, really," Desdemona thought of rough cheering crowds, dirt and mud spraying from the dirt bikes. "But I imagine this is much better..."

However not much conversation later, they had arrived.

---

A line of nobility gathered around the large road that brought visitors to Belgicaven. Standing from left to right were the nation's finest dukes, counts, earls, viscounts, and even the two younger children of the Archduke. The first was the fourteen year old Prince Henri; he had the most beautiful green eyes with wavy blond hair and a beard beginning to form. His little brother of eight years, Prince Phillipe, was said to be a replica of his father with strong brown eyes and wavy brown hair. The hostess, The Madame, was at the front of the crowd. On the occasion, The Madame wore a blue and black Victorian dress with a diamond necklace and gold earnings. The princes wore their royal garments.


On her sides were four small stages erected specifically for the occasion. Each one had an assortment of chairs, no more than six, to seat the waiting guests. The two on the left were reserved for New Edom and Infernia and the two on the right were reserved for Great Hyruke and Kryrenaia. Each stadium was supported with their respective nation's flag so no confusion would arise. The guests would sit and wait for the entire group to arrive, a short speech will be made by Archduchess Lucia, who is en route to the Palace, and the festivities would begin. Many in the crowd said that placing the four so close together may cause tension, but The Madame quelled their fears. It seemed that The Madame almost wanted to see how the girls would react.


The first delegation to arrive was the Kyrenaian one, followed by the Infernian one, then that of Great Hyruke. A murmur began over the crowd, and rumour had it that this princess was one of the most admired and hoped for. Desdemona took a deep breath and crossed herself discreetly.

Truth was, she was deeply conflicted. On the one hand, she wanted to be found...acceptable, desirable, worthy, and be pleasing to her powerful aunt, Queen Rebecca, her parents...and on the other, she did not even know this young man, had never spoken to him. And that was normal; most marriages in New Edom, especially those of the upper classes, were arranged. It was very normal. She felt sure that other young women had such misgivings too. And if she failed? The strange custom of competing princesses that some nations in the world had were baffling, but it was out in the open, perhaps. She also was curious about the Grand Duke, wondered what he would be like.

The last delegation to arrive was New Edom. While being ambiguous in the eyes of the Court, The Madame seemed to take kindly to the traditions, customs, and history of New Edom. Because, the delegation included a Queen dowager, all of the members of the Court were required to hold the bow, save The Madame who would not out of practical reasons.

"Your Majesty, praise be to God, we are delighted to have you here." The Madame turned her attention the the Princess, "Your Majesty, Your Highness, please, let me introduce you to the princes of the Crown and many of the highest nobles."

Prince Phillipe seemed to almost trip, for which he caught the stern eye of The Madame. Many other nobles seemed to twitch in the presence of a former Queen, which The Madame seemed to take kindly to.

Queen Rebecca stepped forward with grace and dignity. Her gown elegantly draped her slender body, jewels gleamed in her hair and at her wrists and neck. Light caught medals, ribbon and gold braid on the uniforms of the men following escorting the ladies. As she returned the bow those with her bowed a fraction lower. "I am delighted to make your acquaintance at last, Excellent Highness. You are known for your sense of comme il faut and your wise care of your court. I look forward to speaking with you." This she meant, for if anyone had influence over the decision, it was this proud woman. Even if there was some fencing and courtly minuet of competing wills, such things were one of Queen Rebecca's delights.

To the young princes, Rebecca smiled. "Young princes both, thank you for your kind welcome. It is dazzling to have such glorious men meet a lady so politely."

"Your Majesty, your stage is on the near left. If you require any assistance or refreshments, do not hesitate to ask and it will be our command."

With an inclination of her head and a smile, Queen Rebecca led her entourage to the stage. Prince Isaiah led Desdemona to her seat and kissing her hand left her there.

---

Löberg Castle
3:58

Some two minutes after the New Edomite delegation arrived, a gold and black carriage flanked by eight horses holding the flag and royal standard arrived at Löberg's entry. An aid came up to the door of the carriage and placed two steps on the bottom. Upon queue, the horsemen dismounted and stood before their horses. A page stepped before the crowd as the driver opened the door.

"Her Most Royal Excellency, Archduchess Lucia of Pontier, Queen of Musasia, Duchess of Orléans, and Countess of Sybs"

The woman who stepped out was tall and thin. She had long and tough blond hair with green eyes, a round nose, and a round yet masculine face. She was wearing a long blood-red renaissance dress with ermine and gold as add-ons. She wore a long and elaborate gold necklace. Her earrings were gold, diamond, and ruby. Her crown was strong but feminine, large and bulky like the Archduke's but with pearls and rubies (her favorite jewel) in the place of the emeralds and sapphires. She stood tall and strong, first facing her fellow nobles, then the four entourages. She did not speak for a hot minute, examining each of the delegations at a time and then the whole. She swallowed and began to spoke.

"When I was of twenty years, I, like many of you here, was brought to a land I did not know to win the heart of a future sovereign Archduke. Like many of you here, I was a mix of excited and terrified. My actions that day would determine my position and the rest of my life. It is exhausting, I can still feel it to this day. The four of you will contend for the hand of my son, the Grand Duke and future Archduke of this nation. If selected, you will be a future sovereign princess, answerable only to God himself. You will be surrounded by luxury and fame. You will have friends here who will wish to befriend you not because of they think of you as a good person but because of your station. You will be the talk at pubs, at homes, at businesses; you will be expected to be part of the face of this nation.

"More importantly, you will be jewel in forming two alliances between our two nations. You will be responsible for sharing the best of times between our two nations and breaking the greatest tensions. We have a saying here, 'Kings are those who hold up a nation, Queens are those who hold up nations.' If selected, you will go through good times and bad; it is not easy being a consort. You will have to guide your husband through the toughest of times and create a branch between our two nations. It is a tiring job, but it is one that will place you in the annals of history. Today, you all will have an opportunity to prove yourselves for a chance to change the course of our nation. You will be wise, vigilant, and brave against those who wish to influence and manipulate you, yet you will also be feminine, wife-like and caring. It is hard to be those things, much less the mother of a nation.

To you all, I wish you the best of luck. For the time being, we will be holding festivities in the tent city. Here, you will be able to mingle with our nation's finest royals and nobles. You will meet the Archduke and Grand Duke at dinner. Are there any questions?"

Desdemona was impressed by this regal woman, who gave them clear instructions on how to guide their actions, and realized that this was a warning as well: what would be expected by them, what they would be tested on. But would she manage? The other princesses seemed confident and sophisticated. It was not that she felt less beautiful; she knew she had excellent looks. It was rather their comportment, their sense of how to be effective, she wondered if she was lacking in these things. But she reminded herself that she was an Obed; she was her father's daughter; she was a rider, she knew how to handle many things. Her family were brave people--they were athletes, warriors, scholars and holy men and women. It was the foreign-ness of it all that was daunting. She told herself it was like approaching a strange horse. She knew what to do. If her cousin, Queen Mara I could go on a pilgrimage wearing nothing but sandals and a shoulder bag in a war torn country, she could do this. She smiled at the Archduchess and said, "Thank you for sharing some of your experience and the wisdom you have gained from it. I am sure there are ways you learned to do your duty well and balance that duty with the feelings that are natural to any woman...and I am grateful for the example you offer. I hope I will have a chance to speak to you further when there is time."

[Infernia]

The next delegation to arrive was the Infernian one. This one was met with curious eyes and fascination. The Princess's jewels made her glimmer like the Sun. Again, the line of nobles bowed or curtsied as the Princess stepped out of their car.

The Madame spoke, "Your Highness, welcome to Löberg Castle. Please, let me introduce the Prince Henri and Prince Phillipe as well as members of the Archduke's household and State Council." The Madame proceeded to guide the Princess to several dukes and the princes, while each followed costume and bowed. One flustered count failed to bow in time. The Duchess gave him a strong look and motioned to the ground while he immediately followed her instructions.

Once The Madame finished, she took a deep breath and looked directly to the Princess, "Your Highness, you will rest while the rest of the delegation and Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess arrives on the far left. Please, if you require anything, our attendants would be happy to provide."

The Princess gave and avid look to the count. "No, you can't help it if you have been tempted by fruit hanging ripe on the tree." She would say with promiscuity, before addressing the The Madame. "Rest!? Well, I suppose we could do for doze. But it really was an honor to be invited, I'm sure we'll have a ball. And please, don't let any cultural differences of ours ruin this little gathering."

"If we're going to be waiting, I'm going to be wanting some more champagne." Demanded Prince Leviathan, to no one in particular, as the group snaked to their seats. The five bands of the Infernian flag hung behind them, though nobody made any acknowledgement of it. Once in place Princess Lilianne began to scan the stage of oncoming competition, but none caught her eye. None but one; the only one before herself, an exotic soverign from an alien land, Lilianne gave a concupiscent look towards the opposite end of the stage, hoping to descry the Kyrenaian princess.

Though her attempt to allure was cut short by her father, Asmodeus. "Do anything you want to while we're here, my lily flower, just do not stop. Let your desire flourish, in order to let your heart forget the regrets." An unofficial creed for the United Principalities, this was how all Infernians lived, in a state of constant pursuit of pleasure. Lilianne would laugh, as she had been raised on such ideals.

"You say that as though I'd forgotten, father." Lilianne said. But it was true; she was being a bit prudent, as she was concerned some might find their choice of life style strange, but not in a good way. Though a black carriage soon arrived, and with it, another attraction of the day.

Löberg Castle
3:58

Some two minutes after the New Edomite delegation arrived, a gold and black carriage flanked by eight horses holding the flag and royal standard arrived at Löberg's entry. An aid came up to the door of the carriage and placed two steps on the bottom. Upon queue, the horsemen dismounted and stood before their horses. A page stepped before the crowd as the driver opened the door.

"Her Most Royal Excellency, Archduchess Lucia of Pontier, Queen of Musasia, Duchess of Orléans, and Countess of Sybs"

The woman who stepped out was tall and thin. She had long and tough blond hair with green eyes, a round nose, and a round yet masculine face. She was wearing a long blood-red renaissance dress with ermine and gold as add-ons. She wore a long and elaborate gold necklace. Her earrings were gold, diamond, and ruby. Her crown was strong but feminine, large and bulky like the Archduke's but with pearls and rubies (her favorite jewel) in the place of the emeralds and sapphires. She stood tall and strong, first facing her fellow nobles, then the four entourages. She did not speak for a hot minute, examining each of the delegations at a time and then the whole. She swallowed and began to spoke.

"When I was of twenty years, I, like many of you here, was brought to a land I did not know to win the heart of a future sovereign Archduke. Like many of you here, I was a mix of excited and terrified. My actions that day would determine my position and the rest of my life. It is exhausting, I can still feel it to this day. The four of you will contend for the hand of my son, the Grand Duke and future Archduke of this nation. If selected, you will be a future sovereign princess, answerable only to God himself. You will be surrounded by luxury and fame. You will have friends here who will wish to befriend you not because of they think of you as a good person but because of your station. You will be the talk at pubs, at homes, at businesses; you will be expected to be part of the face of this nation.

"More importantly, you will be jewel in forming two alliances between our two nations. You will be responsible for sharing the best of times between our two nations and breaking the greatest tensions. We have a saying here, 'Kings are those who hold up a nation, Queens are those who hold up nations.' If selected, you will go through good times and bad; it is not easy being a consort. You will have to guide your husband through the toughest of times and create a branch between our two nations. It is a tiring job, but it is one that will place you in the annals of history. Today, you all will have an opportunity to prove yourselves for a chance to change the course of our nation. You will be wise, vigilant, and brave against those who wish to influence and manipulate you, yet you will also be feminine, wife-like and caring. It is hard to be those things, much less the mother of a nation.

To you all, I wish you the best of luck. For the time being, we will be holding festivities in the tent city. Here, you will be able to mingle with our nation's finest royals and nobles. You will meet the Archduke and Grand Duke at dinner. Are there any questions?"

Lilianne would stare off into space, a tear rolling down her cheek, as she absorbed the words of the Archduchess. She knew this was big, she could barley contain her joy and happiness for being amongst other royalty and beauty, but she worried about many things. What if I don't win? She thought to herself. What if I do win? Could I handle such a task? What if he wants kids?. After the speech ended she quickly recomposed herself and applauded the irradiant speech, though appeared to be the only one to do so, soon stopping from embarrassment.

"Yes, I've got a question." Interjected Leviathan. "What's the status on recreational drugs here, might we get some."

"That would be grand." Asmodeus added. "If it's not too much trouble."

[Belgicaven]

The first delegation to comment was New Edom's, which Archduchess Lucia took no surprise to. She had observed the New Edomite delegation and took kindly to their demeanor.

"And I wish nothing other than amity and friendship in this gathering for all involved and I can assure every delegation that all of you will all see me later."

She turned to the question of the Infernian delegation, which she had to admit shocked her. Drug laws in Belgicaven were complicated to say the least and different jurisdictions had different rules on them. She squinted at the delegation and thought.

"Unfortunately, I cannot offer a clear-cut answer to that question. Perhaps if you could speak with the Court's senior adviser, the Honourable Robert Cake, he may be able to give you a full answer on that question."

She ushered to a man at the very end of the delegation, clearly not a noble himself but a man of high respect in the Court. He was old and lawyer-like with glasses that enlarged his ocean-blue eyes and a old business suit with chains and pens. Upon hearing his name, he bowed out of respect.

"If there are no other questions, the festivities will begin. I will personally be at the joust. We also have jugglers, vendors, restaurants, shows, and more. A noble or noble family may try to approach you and invite you to an event, if so please accept, it is our hospitality. With that out of the way, let the show begin!"

The Archduchess and her entourage walked out into the tent city, followed by The Madame, a close friend of the Archduchess. Their friendship was interesting to many people, seeing that rumors of The Madame's involvement in the Archduke's life never fully died, but the Archduchess dispelled the rumors and accepted The Madame as her closest friend.

The Duke and Duchess of Claimoure, a powerful and compact couple, approached the Infernian delegation.

"Your Highness, there will be a show in due time in the big tent, a fire show to be specific. We would love for you to join us."

Prince Phillipe was taken by his attending to the big tent for the show, as it was said that the boy loved fire more than practically anything else. Prince Henri would be a good host, and approached the New Edomite delegation,

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I would be honored if you attended the joust with me. It is much safer than the joust of the middle ages, but I can assure you that it is still a very exciting experience which I am sure you will enjoy." When he spoke, he was less elegant and proper in his demeanor but more friendly and outgoing.

The Countess of Parmé decided to approach the Great Hyrukian delegation. Being a fashionista and the Court's most gorgeous noble herself, the Countess took kindly to the proper and grand dress sense of the Archduchess and her sister. The Countess and her friends approached the Archduchess,

"Your Highness, there is an exhibition of historic dresses and jewelry as well as a place to buy these things. I must warn that they are quite overpriced, but I would love for you to come along."

The Barron of Troups approached the Kyrenaian delegation. The Barron was an avid historian and collector who loved museums and historical collections. He hoped that the Kyrenaian princess would share his interest,

"Your Highness, perhaps you would like to start your day looking at historic art, armour, weapons, and more? If you are so inclined, please, join me."

[Kyrenaia]

The first delegation to comment was New Edom's, which Archduchess Lucia took no surprise to. She had observed the New Edomite delegation and took kindly to their demeanor.

"And I wish nothing other than amity and friendship in this gathering for all involved and I can assure every delegation that all of you will all see me later."

She turned to the question of the Infernian delegation, which she had to admit shocked her. Drug laws in Belgicaven were complicated to say the least and different jurisdictions had different rules on them. She squinted at the delegation and thought.

"Unfortunately, I cannot offer a clear-cut answer to that question. Perhaps if you could speak with the Court's senior adviser, the Honourable Robert Cake, he may be able to give you a full answer on that question."

She ushered to a man at the very end of the delegation, clearly not a noble himself but a man of high respect in the Court. He was old and lawyer-like with glasses that enlarged his ocean-blue eyes and a old business suit with chains and pens. Upon hearing his name, he bowed out of respect.

"If there are no other questions, the festivities will begin. I will personally be at the joust. We also have jugglers, vendors, restaurants, shows, and more. A noble or noble family may try to approach you and invite you to an event, if so please accept, it is our hospitality. With that out of the way, let the show begin!"

The Archduchess and her entourage walked out into the tent city, followed by The Madame, a close friend of the Archduchess. Their friendship was interesting to many people, seeing that rumors of The Madame's involvement in the Archduke's life never fully died, but the Archduchess dispelled the rumors and accepted The Madame as her closest friend.

The Duke and Duchess of Claimoure, a powerful and compact couple, approached the Infernian delegation.

"Your Highness, there will be a show in due time in the big tent, a fire show to be specific. We would love for you to join us."

Prince Phillipe was taken by his attending to the big tent for the show, as it was said that the boy loved fire more than practically anything else. Prince Henri would be a good host, and approached the New Edomite delegation,

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I would be honored if you attended the joust with me. It is much safer than the joust of the middle ages, but I can assure you that it is still a very exciting experience which I am sure you will enjoy." When he spoke, he was less elegant and proper in his demeanor but more friendly and outgoing.

The Countess of Parmé decided to approach the Great Hyrukian delegation. Being a fashionista and the Court's most gorgeous noble herself, the Countess took kindly to the proper and grand dress sense of the Archduchess and her sister. The Countess and her friends approached the Archduchess,

"Your Highness, there is an exhibition of historic dresses and jewelry as well as a place to buy these things. I must warn that they are quite overpriced, but I would love for you to come along."

The Barron of Troups approached the Kyrenaian delegation. The Barron was an avid historian and collector who loved museums and historical collections. He hoped that the Kyrenaian princess would share his interest,

"Your Highness, perhaps you would like to start your day looking at historic art, armour, weapons, and more? If you are so inclined, please, join me."

As the other delegations arrived, Fara could not help to think, that Princess Lilianne's gaze had been on her for a bit longer then the gazes of the other women in this matter - then again, they had been first and second, so it maybe was just a coincidence. Still, as one of the people accompanying Lilianne asked for the local particularities of drug jurisdiction, Fara had to hide a smile behind her hand, hiding it as a small cough.
That was... unusual, to say the least, to speak about such matters in such an open, public way. Sure, the Kyrenaians were rather liberal, when it came to such matters and the stuff commonly seen as the 'lighter drugs', especially as both Qalyan (or more commonly known as Shisha) and Midwakh were integral parts of their culture - including fillings, which might be to the liking of Liliane's... brother, if she was not midtaken (and Fara would lie, if she claimed to not enjoy the occassional drag on the pipe, with a variety of fillings).
Nevertheless, the coldness of the answer was amusing to her as well, but looking into the particularities might be a good idea before something bad happened.
She wanted many things, but causing an incident, which might bring shame upon her family was not something she wanted.
Still, Fara made the note to talk to them later in the day, maybe tomorrow. Maybe, if nothing diplomatic came from it, a friendship could be forged?
And so, as the assembly ended and the nobles of the land dispersed with their entourages - some of the guests finding new additions as they were led off to certain events, Fara descended from her stage, Saida and Kalak in tow, the latter walking by her heel, the large predator glancing around and taking in the unfamiliar scents of the people around them.
It came to a small bit of a surprise to Fara, that she was approached so soon by a figure she had been introduced to, the Baron of Troups, a nice fellow, as it was her impression. That impression was only reinforced by his words: "Your Highness, perhaps you would like to start your day looking at historic art, armour, weapons, and more? If you are so inclined, please, join me."
Fara smiled and bowed her head, an honest smile of joy on her lips. She understood the importance of history for how things were... and she wanted to know more about Belgicaven, a place so exotic to her as she was exotic to them, and its history.
"It would be my greatest pleasure, Baron.", Fara said and motioned for him to lead the way, her smile having a slightly excited note in it. "Please, lead the way!"
If she was honest, the weapons and armour interested her the most, while the art came a very close second. It was less because of any martial inclination of hers, but pure and simple curiosity. That, and... if she was to win the heart of the Grand Duke, it might be a good idea to know a bit about the history of his country.

[Belgicaven]

The first delegation to comment was New Edom's, which Archduchess Lucia took no surprise to. She had observed the New Edomite delegation and took kindly to their demeanor.

"And I wish nothing other than amity and friendship in this gathering for all involved and I can assure every delegation that all of you will all see me later."

She turned to the question of the Infernian delegation, which she had to admit shocked her. Drug laws in Belgicaven were complicated to say the least and different jurisdictions had different rules on them. She squinted at the delegation and thought.

"Unfortunately, I cannot offer a clear-cut answer to that question. Perhaps if you could speak with the Court's senior adviser, the Honourable Robert Cake, he may be able to give you a full answer on that question."

She ushered to a man at the very end of the delegation, clearly not a noble himself but a man of high respect in the Court. He was old and lawyer-like with glasses that enlarged his ocean-blue eyes and a old business suit with chains and pens. Upon hearing his name, he bowed out of respect.

"If there are no other questions, the festivities will begin. I will personally be at the joust. We also have jugglers, vendors, restaurants, shows, and more. A noble or noble family may try to approach you and invite you to an event, if so please accept, it is our hospitality. With that out of the way, let the show begin!"

The Archduchess and her entourage walked out into the tent city, followed by The Madame, a close friend of the Archduchess. Their friendship was interesting to many people, seeing that rumors of The Madame's involvement in the Archduke's life never fully died, but the Archduchess dispelled the rumors and accepted The Madame as her closest friend.

The Duke and Duchess of Claimoure, a powerful and compact couple, approached the Infernian delegation.

"Your Highness, there will be a show in due time in the big tent, a fire show to be specific. We would love for you to join us."

Prince Phillipe was taken by his attending to the big tent for the show, as it was said that the boy loved fire more than practically anything else. Prince Henri would be a good host, and approached the New Edomite delegation,

"Your Majesty, Your Highness, I would be honored if you attended the joust with me. It is much safer than the joust of the middle ages, but I can assure you that it is still a very exciting experience which I am sure you will enjoy." When he spoke, he was less elegant and proper in his demeanor but more friendly and outgoing.

The Countess of Parmé decided to approach the Great Hyrukian delegation. Being a fashionista and the Court's most gorgeous noble herself, the Countess took kindly to the proper and grand dress sense of the Archduchess and her sister. The Countess and her friends approached the Archduchess,

"Your Highness, there is an exhibition of historic dresses and jewelry as well as a place to buy these things. I must warn that they are quite overpriced, but I would love for you to come along."

The Barron of Troups approached the Kyrenaian delegation. The Barron was an avid historian and collector who loved museums and historical collections. He hoped that the Kyrenaian princess would share his interest,

"Your Highness, perhaps you would like to start your day looking at historic art, armour, weapons, and more? If you are so inclined, please, join me."

As the other delegations arrived, Fara could not help to think, that Princess Lilianne's gaze had been on her for a bit longer then the gazes of the other women in this matter - then again, they had been first and second, so it maybe was just a coincidence. Still, as one of the people accompanying Lilianne asked for the local particularities of drug jurisdiction, Fara had to hide a smile behind her hand, hiding it as a small cough.
That was... unusual, to say the least, to speak about such matters in such an open, public way. Sure, the Kyrenaians were rather liberal, when it came to such matters and the stuff commonly seen as the 'lighter drugs', especially as both Qalyan (or more commonly known as Shisha) and Midwakh were integral parts of their culture - including fillings, which might be to the liking of Liliane's... brother, if she was not midtaken (and Fara would lie, if she claimed to not enjoy the occassional drag on the pipe, with a variety of fillings).
Nevertheless, the coldness of the answer was amusing to her as well, but looking into the particularities might be a good idea before something bad happened.
She wanted many things, but causing an incident, which might bring shame upon her family was not something she wanted.
Still, Fara made the note to talk to them later in the day, maybe tomorrow. Maybe, if nothing diplomatic came from it, a friendship could be forged?
And so, as the assembly ended and the nobles of the land dispersed with their entourages - some of the guests finding new additions as they were led off to certain events, Fara descended from her stage, Saida and Kalak in tow, the latter walking by her heel, the large predator glancing around and taking in the unfamiliar scents of the people around them.
It came to a small bit of a surprise to Fara, that she was approached so soon by a figure she had been introduced to, the Baron of Troups, a nice fellow, as it was her impression. That impression was only reinforced by his words: "Your Highness, perhaps you would like to start your day looking at historic art, armour, weapons, and more? If you are so inclined, please, join me."
Fara smiled and bowed her head, an honest smile of joy on her lips. She understood the importance of history for how things were... and she wanted to know more about Belgicaven, a place so exotic to her as she was exotic to them, and its history.
"It would be my greatest pleasure, Baron.", Fara said and motioned for him to lead the way, her smile having a slightly excited note in it. "Please, lead the way!"
If she was honest, the weapons and armour interested her the most, while the art came a very close second. It was less because of any martial inclination of hers, but pure and simple curiosity. That, and... if she was to win the heart of the Grand Duke, it might be a good idea to know a bit about the history of his country.

"Well, Your Highness should know that Belgicaven only became one united country in the fifteenth century, but we have existed in Duchies and Counties since Latin colonization way back in the second century." He paused as they entered the elongated tent, "On your right, there are pots and artifacts, barbarian in nature, of the people who existed here before the Romans, the Belgi. Further, this is a painting done in the eighteenth century depicting the Battle of Trunks, where the Romans used their superior fighting power to ward off the Belgi in the north."

"You may have noticed that Belgicaven is a mix between Romance and Germanic culture. This is because Germanic tribes invaded the north in the fifth century shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire," he paused as he pointed towards a plate of Germanic armor and dress, "These two pieces were probably worn by the native Germanic people who arrived. Coming up on your right are the weapons they used. They used a peculiar set of knives during combat, which would be odd for normal sword contact but were decisive in close combat."

"The Germanic people integrated with the Belgi and began to marry into their lines. It was around this time that the central and southern parts of the country signed off their claims to the north and northern duchies based on Germanic influences began to sprout up."

"In 1225, Louis VIII, also known as Louis the Lion, attempted to invade the Duchy of Barum in the south. While his plan was not successful, he brought with him a line of French culture to Belgicaven. On your left, you will see the actual sword of Louis VIII, preserved from all of those times. French swept across the countryside and even into some parts of the north until it became the de facto language of the entire country sans the parts of the north. While French is less dominant today, it was very influential in helping form our nation. Also on your left is a collection of poems from a scholar written in entirely old French. Around 1415, the Duchy of Sauvon and the Principality of Lisant united to form a big buffer between the north and south. Prince Harold I began campaigns in the south to take several friendly counties. Right here in the middle," he pointed to the long and narrow glass covering, "this was the flag of Prince Harold I, you will notice that the crown design on this flag and the crown design on the current national flag are the same. This was done very intentionally."

"In 1423, Harold I and his eldest son died on campaign. On your immediate right is a copy of the eulogy given by the Bishop of Lisant. Harold I was succeeded by his youngest son, the Prince Augustus. The Prince was more successful than his father in his campaigns and, in 1432, he conquered the entire south of the country. On March 5, 1432, a collection of nobles met and declared Augustus to be Archduke Augustus I of Belgicaven."

As he finished his sentence, the group entered into a large octagon tent. "Here is a collection of artifacts from that period. From the actual armor piece of Archduke Augustus when he was on campaign to paintings of many of the largest battles during that time to weaponry and swords wielded by both the common troops and many of the nobles. Feel free to look around."

[Kyrenaia]

As the other delegations arrived, Fara could not help to think, that Princess Lilianne's gaze had been on her for a bit longer then the gazes of the other women in this matter - then again, they had been first and second, so it maybe was just a coincidence. Still, as one of the people accompanying Lilianne asked for the local particularities of drug jurisdiction, Fara had to hide a smile behind her hand, hiding it as a small cough.
That was... unusual, to say the least, to speak about such matters in such an open, public way. Sure, the Kyrenaians were rather liberal, when it came to such matters and the stuff commonly seen as the 'lighter drugs', especially as both Qalyan (or more commonly known as Shisha) and Midwakh were integral parts of their culture - including fillings, which might be to the liking of Liliane's... brother, if she was not midtaken (and Fara would lie, if she claimed to not enjoy the occassional drag on the pipe, with a variety of fillings).
Nevertheless, the coldness of the answer was amusing to her as well, but looking into the particularities might be a good idea before something bad happened.
She wanted many things, but causing an incident, which might bring shame upon her family was not something she wanted.
Still, Fara made the note to talk to them later in the day, maybe tomorrow. Maybe, if nothing diplomatic came from it, a friendship could be forged?
And so, as the assembly ended and the nobles of the land dispersed with their entourages - some of the guests finding new additions as they were led off to certain events, Fara descended from her stage, Saida and Kalak in tow, the latter walking by her heel, the large predator glancing around and taking in the unfamiliar scents of the people around them.
It came to a small bit of a surprise to Fara, that she was approached so soon by a figure she had been introduced to, the Baron of Troups, a nice fellow, as it was her impression. That impression was only reinforced by his words: "Your Highness, perhaps you would like to start your day looking at historic art, armour, weapons, and more? If you are so inclined, please, join me."
Fara smiled and bowed her head, an honest smile of joy on her lips. She understood the importance of history for how things were... and she wanted to know more about Belgicaven, a place so exotic to her as she was exotic to them, and its history.
"It would be my greatest pleasure, Baron.", Fara said and motioned for him to lead the way, her smile having a slightly excited note in it. "Please, lead the way!"
If she was honest, the weapons and armour interested her the most, while the art came a very close second. It was less because of any martial inclination of hers, but pure and simple curiosity. That, and... if she was to win the heart of the Grand Duke, it might be a good idea to know a bit about the history of his country.

"Well, Your Highness should know that Belgicaven only became one united country in the fifteenth century, but we have existed in Duchies and Counties since Latin colonization way back in the second century." He paused as they entered the elongated tent, "On your right, there are pots and artifacts, barbarian in nature, of the people who existed here before the Romans, the Belgi. Further, this is a painting done in the eighteenth century depicting the Battle of Trunks, where the Romans used their superior fighting power to ward off the Belgi in the north."

"You may have noticed that Belgicaven is a mix between Romance and Germanic culture. This is because Germanic tribes invaded the north in the fifth century shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire," he paused as he pointed towards a plate of Germanic armor and dress, "These two pieces were probably worn by the native Germanic people who arrived. Coming up on your right are the weapons they used. They used a peculiar set of knives during combat, which would be odd for normal sword contact but were decisive in close combat."

"The Germanic people integrated with the Belgi and began to marry into their lines. It was around this time that the central and southern parts of the country signed off their claims to the north and northern duchies based on Germanic influences began to sprout up."

"In 1225, Louis VIII, also known as Louis the Lion, attempted to invade the Duchy of Barum in the south. While his plan was not successful, he brought with him a line of French culture to Belgicaven. On your left, you will see the actual sword of Louis VIII, preserved from all of those times. French swept across the countryside and even into some parts of the north until it became the de facto language of the entire country sans the parts of the north. While French is less dominant today, it was very influential in helping form our nation. Also on your left is a collection of poems from a scholar written in entirely old French. Around 1415, the Duchy of Sauvon and the Principality of Lisant united to form a big buffer between the north and south. Prince Harold I began campaigns in the south to take several friendly counties. Right here in the middle," he pointed to the long and narrow glass covering, "this was the flag of Prince Harold I, you will notice that the crown design on this flag and the crown design on the current national flag are the same. This was done very intentionally."

"In 1423, Harold I and his eldest son died on campaign. On your immediate right is a copy of the eulogy given by the Bishop of Lisant. Harold I was succeeded by his youngest son, the Prince Augustus. The Prince was more successful than his father in his campaigns and, in 1432, he conquered the entire south of the country. On March 5, 1432, a collection of nobles met and declared Augustus to be Archduke Augustus I of Belgicaven."

As he finished his sentence, the group entered into a large octagon tent. "Here is a collection of artifacts from that period. From the actual armor piece of Archduke Augustus when he was on campaign to paintings of many of the largest battles during that time to weaponry and swords wielded by both the common troops and many of the nobles. Feel free to look around."

Fara listened to every word and while she tried to soak in all she could learn like a sponge, seeing all the artifacts preserved, dug out or reconstructed, looking at them intently, nodding all the while, she couldn't help to feel, that even with this rough overview, she did not get the complete picture, nor did she soak it all in.
It was a few centuries condensed into a speech of a few minutes, after all.
Oddly enough, she almost felt reminded of a class trip, an uncomfortable lot of years ago, when Fara and her classmates looked at a rather similar, but larger exhibition, the permanent exhibition of the Citadel on the Mountain, in Utica, the standard class trip of all classes - and when a group of the Tabardariyya demonstrated to them how they had worked back in the day.
Still, it was very interesting to see how Belgicaven came to be, a story similar, yet different from how the Sultans came to rule in Kyrenaia. At Harold I's flag, Fara bowed her head in respect, not for the flag, but the person it stood for.
Saida and Kalak kept pace and listened intently, at least in the handmaiden's case. The caracal was looking around, taking in scents and finding quite a few to his feline liking.
As they entered the octagon tent, Fara gave a glance around, then twirled on the spot, having trouble to decide about which piece to gave a closer inspection. The paintings were of less interest for her, the weapons and armour and equipment were more interesting. The problem was, however, that more then one piece struck her interest in equal measures, from both ends of the social ladder. It was less, that she feared any political signal by choosing a commoner's weapon over the armour of a noble, but more like her own excitement at seeing all of that before her.
First, though, before her shooting off to some piece of equipment or the other, Fara smiled as she bowed her head to the Baron. "My sincerest gratitude for taking me on short trip through the proud History of Belgicaven before it became Belgicaven, Baron.", she said and smiled, "If you ever find yourself in Kyrenaia, please send me a message. The Citadel on the Mountain in Utica has a permanent exhibition, which is to fullfill a similar purpose and I would love to return the favour you granted me. While I am not of the historic profession, rather training for the political, history is a very important part of it." She grinned and turned around once more, glancing over the pieces exhibited. "This tent reminds me of seeing the Grand Armoury for the first time... only that the Grand Armoury was larger and more permanent!" She smiled at the Baron. "And there were more axes."

[Infernia]

She turned to the question of the Infernian delegation, which she had to admit shocked her. Drug laws in Belgicaven were complicated to say the least and different jurisdictions had different rules on them. She squinted at the delegation and thought.

"Unfortunately, I cannot offer a clear-cut answer to that question. Perhaps if you could speak with the Court's senior adviser, the Honourable Robert Cake, he may be able to give you a full answer on that question."

She ushered to a man at the very end of the delegation, clearly not a noble himself but a man of high respect in the Court. He was old and lawyer-like with glasses that enlarged his ocean-blue eyes and a old business suit with chains and pens. Upon hearing his name, he bowed out of respect.

Asmodeus could hardly hide a smile, the reaction of the Archduchess was to be expected. "I hope I'm not encroaching on anything, I'm aware our drug laws are a bit novel to other countries, which is why we asked." Robert Cake shortly showed himself at their table, and with a jovial "Ah." and a loud clap, Asmodeus greeted him. "Mr. Cake; there dœsn't happen to be any drug here, legal and regulated for recreational use, is there? Such is generally considered to be a tolerated social behaviour in Infernia, and very common at convocations."

"But please, we wouldn't want to encumber the nobility, or start any furores." Added Leviathan. Meanwhile, Lilianne was growing bored watching other envoys disperse. Though two patricians reached their coterie, with a proposition for the crown princess.

The Duke and Duchess of Claimoure, a powerful and compact couple, approached the Infernian delegation.

"Your Highness, there will be a show in due time in the big tent, a fire show to be specific. We would love for you to join us."

Prince Phillipe was taken by his attending to the big tent for the show, as it was said that the boy loved fire more than practically anything else.

To say Lilianne was thrilled would be an understatement. "My, a fire show? Such a gallant gathering ought to be grandiose!" She said. "There's a festival in Ira, I believe it's called 'the conflagration', where a large fake city is constructed and entirely burned to the ground, all the while people dance and roister in the counterfeit streets; though I haven't gone in far too long. I'm sure this won't be as daring as pirouetting through a city alight, but I'd love to attend."

[New Edom]

The New Edomites were charmed by young Prince Philipe's manner and eagerness.


"You are wise to know that I wish to see the joust," said Princess Desdemona in a friendly but polite way. "And I could ask for no better escort." A little boy! But such a charming one. She glanced at her aunt.

The Queen Dowager wanted to relax and have a drink and a smoke and talk to Madame more than anything, but her sense of comme il faut demanded that she not do this. "Of course. What a delightful companion. Why don't you tell us a bit about the jousting? Do you have a favourite?"

"I have only heard of proper jousting," commented Princess Desdemona. "I'm looking forward to seeing this very much."

Bringing up the rear were the pretty young Countess Reshef, the more voluptuous and mature Mrs. Dahlia Kiron, Colonel Steven Horvath, also very keen to see this jousting, and Major Kether, who was mostly being quietly alert, Grand Ducal security or no.

"It is interesting," murmured Mrs. Kiron to Amelia Resehf, "That our princess and the others are put through these little tests."

"Little tests?" murmured Amelia Resehf back. "How so?"

"Well think about it. After the arrival, brought to a public greeting, where they may be compared in first impressions. Then taken to events they are likely to enjoy after assessing their interests and passions, followed by an encounter with family. If one does not get along with one's family and doesn't appreciate one's culture..." Mrs. Kiron smiled. "Of course everyone is also going to be on their best behaviour, but this is a well run court, so there will be a lot of examination of the little things. You just watch and see."

[Belgicaven]

"Well, Your Highness should know that Belgicaven only became one united country in the fifteenth century, but we have existed in Duchies and Counties since Latin colonization way back in the second century." He paused as they entered the elongated tent, "On your right, there are pots and artifacts, barbarian in nature, of the people who existed here before the Romans, the Belgi. Further, this is a painting done in the eighteenth century depicting the Battle of Trunks, where the Romans used their superior fighting power to ward off the Belgi in the north."

"You may have noticed that Belgicaven is a mix between Romance and Germanic culture. This is because Germanic tribes invaded the north in the fifth century shortly after the fall of the Roman Empire," he paused as he pointed towards a plate of Germanic armor and dress, "These two pieces were probably worn by the native Germanic people who arrived. Coming up on your right are the weapons they used. They used a peculiar set of knives during combat, which would be odd for normal sword contact but were decisive in close combat."

"The Germanic people integrated with the Belgi and began to marry into their lines. It was around this time that the central and southern parts of the country signed off their claims to the north and northern duchies based on Germanic influences began to sprout up."

"In 1225, Louis VIII, also known as Louis the Lion, attempted to invade the Duchy of Barum in the south. While his plan was not successful, he brought with him a line of French culture to Belgicaven. On your left, you will see the actual sword of Louis VIII, preserved from all of those times. French swept across the countryside and even into some parts of the north until it became the de facto language of the entire country sans the parts of the north. While French is less dominant today, it was very influential in helping form our nation. Also on your left is a collection of poems from a scholar written in entirely old French. Around 1415, the Duchy of Sauvon and the Principality of Lisant united to form a big buffer between the north and south. Prince Harold I began campaigns in the south to take several friendly counties. Right here in the middle," he pointed to the long and narrow glass covering, "this was the flag of Prince Harold I, you will notice that the crown design on this flag and the crown design on the current national flag are the same. This was done very intentionally."

"In 1423, Harold I and his eldest son died on campaign. On your immediate right is a copy of the eulogy given by the Bishop of Lisant. Harold I was succeeded by his youngest son, the Prince Augustus. The Prince was more successful than his father in his campaigns and, in 1432, he conquered the entire south of the country. On March 5, 1432, a collection of nobles met and declared Augustus to be Archduke Augustus I of Belgicaven."

As he finished his sentence, the group entered into a large octagon tent. "Here is a collection of artifacts from that period. From the actual armor piece of Archduke Augustus when he was on campaign to paintings of many of the largest battles during that time to weaponry and swords wielded by both the common troops and many of the nobles. Feel free to look around."

Fara listened to every word and while she tried to soak in all she could learn like a sponge, seeing all the artifacts preserved, dug out or reconstructed, looking at them intently, nodding all the while, she couldn't help to feel, that even with this rough overview, she did not get the complete picture, nor did she soak it all in.
It was a few centuries condensed into a speech of a few minutes, after all.
Oddly enough, she almost felt reminded of a class trip, an uncomfortable lot of years ago, when Fara and her classmates looked at a rather similar, but larger exhibition, the permanent exhibition of the Citadel on the Mountain, in Utica, the standard class trip of all classes - and when a group of the Tabardariyya demonstrated to them how they had worked back in the day.
Still, it was very interesting to see how Belgicaven came to be, a story similar, yet different from how the Sultans came to rule in Kyrenaia. At Harold I's flag, Fara bowed her head in respect, not for the flag, but the person it stood for.
Saida and Kalak kept pace and listened intently, at least in the handmaiden's case. The caracal was looking around, taking in scents and finding quite a few to his feline liking.
As they entered the octagon tent, Fara gave a glance around, then twirled on the spot, having trouble to decide about which piece to gave a closer inspection. The paintings were of less interest for her, the weapons and armour and equipment were more interesting. The problem was, however, that more then one piece struck her interest in equal measures, from both ends of the social ladder. It was less, that she feared any political signal by choosing a commoner's weapon over the armour of a noble, but more like her own excitement at seeing all of that before her.
First, though, before her shooting off to some piece of equipment or the other, Fara smiled as she bowed her head to the Baron. "My sincerest gratitude for taking me on short trip through the proud History of Belgicaven before it became Belgicaven, Baron.", she said and smiled, "If you ever find yourself in Kyrenaia, please send me a message. The Citadel on the Mountain in Utica has a permanent exhibition, which is to fullfill a similar purpose and I would love to return the favour you granted me. While I am not of the historic profession, rather training for the political, history is a very important part of it." She grinned and turned around once more, glancing over the pieces exhibited. "This tent reminds me of seeing the Grand Armoury for the first time... only that the Grand Armoury was larger and more permanent!" She smiled at the Baron. "And there were more axes."

"Oh Your Highness I would love nothing more to visit and view the treasures of foreign countries like yours." The Barron paused and thought, he hesitated, sighed and spoke, "Regretfully, many people in this nation would rather we turn in and xenophobic to those who are not like us. I dispel such ideas as nonsense, but unfortunately I am perceived as a radical even by the moderates in my court. While I have nothing but respect and strict obedience towards my nation's traditions and customs, I long to experience the art and culture of a foreign land."

She turned to the question of the Infernian delegation, which she had to admit shocked her. Drug laws in Belgicaven were complicated to say the least and different jurisdictions had different rules on them. She squinted at the delegation and thought.

"Unfortunately, I cannot offer a clear-cut answer to that question. Perhaps if you could speak with the Court's senior adviser, the Honourable Robert Cake, he may be able to give you a full answer on that question."

She ushered to a man at the very end of the delegation, clearly not a noble himself but a man of high respect in the Court. He was old and lawyer-like with glasses that enlarged his ocean-blue eyes and a old business suit with chains and pens. Upon hearing his name, he bowed out of respect.

Asmodeus could hardly hide a smile, the reaction of the Archduchess was to be expected. "I hope I'm not encroaching on anything, I'm aware our drug laws are a bit novel to other countries, which is why we asked." Robert Cake shortly showed himself at their table, and with a jovial "Ah." and a loud clap, Asmodeus greeted him. "Mr. Cake; there dœsn't happen to be any drug here, legal and regulated for recreational use, is there? Such is generally considered to be a tolerated social behaviour in Infernia, and very common at convocations."

"But please, we wouldn't want to encumber the nobility, or start any furores." Added Leviathan. Meanwhile, Lilianne was growing bored watching other envoys disperse. Though two patricians reached their coterie, with a proposition for the crown princess.

The Duke and Duchess of Claimoure, a powerful and compact couple, approached the Infernian delegation.

"Your Highness, there will be a show in due time in the big tent, a fire show to be specific. We would love for you to join us."

Prince Phillipe was taken by his attending to the big tent for the show, as it was said that the boy loved fire more than practically anything else.

To say Lilianne was thrilled would be an understatement. "My, a fire show? Such a gallant gathering ought to be grandiose!" She said. "There's a festival in Ira, I believe it's called 'the conflagration', where a large fake city is constructed and entirely burned to the ground, all the while people dance and roister in the counterfeit streets; though I haven't gone in far too long. I'm sure this won't be as daring as pirouetting through a city alight, but I'd love to attend."

Robert answered in a lawyer-like demeanor, "Your Highnesses, harder and more illicit drugs such as heroine and cocaine as illegal nation-wide. That said, the Duchy of Combrok does allow the use of softer drugs such as marijuana but almost solely for medicinal purposes. If you require anything, I am sure we can be made to oblige."

The Duke of Claimoure listened intently to the festival in Ira, "Your Highness, the fire show is nothing as spectacular as the conflagration, but it is rather modest. Prince Phillipe, the seven year old son of His Most Royal Excellency the Archduke, I have arranged for you to sit with him."

The Duke motioned to the door leading to the big tent. The tent was a stadium with a large stage in the center. At the top of the third wing sat a special booth with four seats in the front and more seats and places to stand in the back. The young prince Phillipe sat on the chair on the center-left, he stood as the Infernian delegation came before him. A group of nobles in a booth to the left of the Prince also seemed to take interest into the Princess.

"Princess, please, take a seat next to me." When Prince Phillipe spoke, his voiced was tamed but excited, "The show will begin very soon."

The Duchess sat on the Prince's side whereas her husband sat next to the Princess, "Please, do tell me, how have you found your stay at Belgicaven. Has everything been alright?"

The New Edomites were charmed by young Prince Philipe's manner and eagerness.


"You are wise to know that I wish to see the joust," said Princess Desdemona in a friendly but polite way. "And I could ask for no better escort." A little boy! But such a charming one. She glanced at her aunt.

The Queen Dowager wanted to relax and have a drink and a smoke and talk to Madame more than anything, but her sense of comme il faut demanded that she not do this. "Of course. What a delightful companion. Why don't you tell us a bit about the jousting? Do you have a favourite?"

"I have only heard of proper jousting," commented Princess Desdemona. "I'm looking forward to seeing this very much."

Bringing up the rear were the pretty young Countess Reshef, the more voluptuous and mature Mrs. Dahlia Kiron, Colonel Steven Horvath, also very keen to see this jousting, and Major Kether, who was mostly being quietly alert, Grand Ducal security or no.

"It is interesting," murmured Mrs. Kiron to Amelia Resehf, "That our princess and the others are put through these little tests."

"Little tests?" murmured Amelia Resehf back. "How so?"

"Well think about it. After the arrival, brought to a public greeting, where they may be compared in first impressions. Then taken to events they are likely to enjoy after assessing their interests and passions, followed by an encounter with family. If one does not get along with one's family and doesn't appreciate one's culture..." Mrs. Kiron smiled. "Of course everyone is also going to be on their best behaviour, but this is a well run court, so there will be a lot of examination of the little things. You just watch and see."

(OOC: quick clarification, Prince Henri (the fifteen year old) is inviting you, not Prince Phillipe)

"Your Majesty, to speak simply, the common joust today is more of the Rennen type than the traditional joust. The modern joust is much safer than its medieval counterpart. This is because jousting is more a professional sport played by trained professionals rather than common nobles who may have experience in jousting but lack professional tutoring. Also, jousting is a team sport, where members of a team are selected randomly or by crowd-demand to joust. There are usually three rounds à plaisance and a final round à la guerre. The jousting arena is general longer and wider than the normal jousting arena."

Henri and the New Edomite delegation arrived at the gate to the jousting arena. In the middle of the arena was a special and raised booth with two chairs at the front, four in the back, and a comfortable place to stand in the back. The Archduchess sat on the east to the right and the Madam set directly behind her with a lump of Dukes and Duchesses behind her, eager to see the Queen. The Madame shot her left eye very briefly towards Prince Henri, who seemed to take the queue.

"Please, Your Majesty, Her Most Royal Excellency the Archduchess Lucia has invited you to set with her." He ushered the way.

Archduchess Lucia and The Madame rose as the delegation approached her, "Queen Rebecca, welcome to Belgicaven, please, sit."

The Madame turned her attention to the Princess, "Your Highness, would you please sit with me. Tell me, do you have jousts in New Edom?"

As The Madame and Princess Desdemona spoke, Archduchess Lucia turned to the Queen, "We must understand how hard this is on the young noble women of our time, especially when outside forces call for 'reforms' and such nonsense, but it is the duty of noble girls to marry and become women. Would you care for some red wine? The joust is about to begin," the Archduchess said as she gestured to eight men gathering in a line to face each other.