The Dictator and the Princess (Closed/Meillur Only)

[Colfico]

He nodded in agreement, although he did not believe that the kings and queens themselves deserved all of the credit, they may make the decisions, but they very rarely carried them out in person.

"Perhaps they make the decisions, but at the end of the day, it is the actions, bravery and commitment, or lack there of, of the individuals that they lead, that ultimately decide the day, even the best commanders, and wisest of Kings, can accomplish nothing without the support of those that they lead. To that same tone however, it can be split second decisions of those men and women that decides the very course of history itself. Sometimes it is even as simple, and random, as the right people, being in the right place, just at the right time that they need to be to have the greatest, or worst, affect."

He looked up, and watched as the sun began to set behind the trees, its light, the source of life and energy for so much on the earth, beginning to fade behind the thick Colficoan forest. The king stood, it was getting very close to time. he looked at his watch, before looking back up, and speaking again.

"Should not be too much longer now, we just have to wait for darkness to start setting, it will be easy to see once they are ready to bloom."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie followed Sebastian’s gaze off into the forest and find herself curious as to what she was about to witness. Perhaps they were a type of flower that bloomed at night. There were a number of flowers associated with the moon that were said to bloom under its light.

“I had no idea you were so interesting in plants. It’s nice to get a viewing of Colficoans flora from the king,”

[Colfico]

"To be honest, my knowledge in botany leaves something to be desired, however I do have a rudimentary understanding, at least of agricultural botany. However, I think that you will find that these are no ordinary flowers."

As he sad this, the sun finally set fully behind the trees, and darkness began to envelope the area, however this was only momentarily. All around the waterfall, the buds, which had been closed up to that point, began to slowly open, revealing hundreds of flowers, each glowing with a pleasant light blue light, the combined light of the flowers enough to cast a dim blue light on the waterfall, and reflecting off of the falling water in the darkness.

However even within the limits of the waterfall and the pool, the flowers seemed to be contained to a limited area, making it clear that either they were endangered, or more likely, an entirely new species in their own right.

"This is what I was waiting so long to show you."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie took in a sharp breath and leaned forward trying to see a closer look at the flowers. She’d never seen bioluminescence flowers before. They were how she imagined the mythical flowers looked, shining in the darkness. They were gorgeous. She smiled and let out a laugh as she glanced at the King, before her eyes were drawn back to the flowers.

“They are beautiful. Even worth the wait.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian could not help but smile at her reaction to the flowers, he didnt even know what their name was, or if they even had a name, he had never read about them, or heard about them from anyone else.

"I wish I could say that they had a equally beautiful name, but I am not even sure if they are a categorized species, it is entirely possibly that this is the first place that they have begun growing, and maybe one day they could wind up being a common sight elsewhere. But I also like to think that perhaps there is something truly special about this place, something here that isnt found anywhere else, but there have been no samples taken, and no surveys done, so that remains a mystery, and perhaps it is better that it stays that way."

He found himself suddenly focused on Amelie, with the faint blue light cast over her, if he could see her face, he was sure that he would have been completely lost in the moment.

"Maybe someday, there will be a time when I will show my children this place, to show them that there is not only beauty still left, that it is thriving and well."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie titled her head considering the flowers and their lack of a name. She considered it a shame that they did have one. Finally after a moment she decided on something to say. “Imyayo,” she said softly, letting the syllables roll over her tongue. “It can be translated either as ‘glowing beautiful secret’ or, perhaps as ‘its own’. I think both are fitting. Since they are in a league all their own.”

[Colfico]

He nodded with a smile and spoke, as small, green and white moths, attracted to the scent of the nectar of the flowers, flying around from flower to flower as they feasted on the sweet nectar. He liked the name, even if he dd not particularly mind the flowers not having a name.

"It sounds like a lovely name, so it shall be between the two of us." he was hesitant to touch Amelie, however, he did not feel much regret from it either, feeling that now was possibly not the right time.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie nodded. “Some things are best left to be secret I suppose. Leaves something to be discovered. So much of our knowledge of the world has been lost, and there was so much we don’t know about what happened during the collapse, who knows what other things exist out in the world?”

[Colfico]

"Indeed, there is much left to learn."

He finally decided to take action of a sort, and held the hand of the Imperial Princess, as he watched the scene in front of him. He was in no rush to leave, however he knew that it would be time for them to return to the Villa soon, and he intended to enjoy every moment that he had there, before they had to return to the rest of the world. He also felt the air starting to grow slightly chilly, while Colfico was generally pleasant, the nights could get surprisingly cool, and the darkness of the area that was not illuminated by the flowers, had grown quite thick, although it only served to make their faint glow seem brighter, with no other light to compete with besides the stars, which were visible, twinkling brightly through the tree canopy.

"But we don't have to do it alone."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie looked at the King as he took her hand into his, but she didn’t protest. He had proposed a courtship, and things like hand holding was court fit for even the most innocent of school children, which neither of them were. She looked back to the flowers, trying to capture them in her mind as best she could, before she closed her eyes, and could picture it in the darkness painted on the back of her eyelids. When she opened them, looked back at him.

“We should probably head back. This is beautiful, but it is getting late.”

[Colfico]

"It would probably be a good idea, I would hate to give the others a heart attack worrying about you. Besides, there is still plenty to do, and perhaps I can even pull some strings to arrange some....unusual entertainment involving smaller military equipment, as it seems at least one or two of your ladies in waiting have a keen interest in Colficoan weapons. Perhaps even a chance to test fire them at a range."

He helped to lead her back out of the area, knowing fully well that the immediate area around the waterfall could be treacherous at night, switching on the flashlight he had brought and using it to illuminate their path. The forest was not silent, with the sound of night time insects, and even the occasional hoot of an owl. The forest was alive with animals and insects roaming the night, the sign of just how much life the area contained.

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Oh izulu,” Amélie shook her head with a laugh. “Adriana will love that. The woman is an avid huntress and is determine to master anything that has a trigger. A trip to the firing range will be nice. Though I don’t think Frédérique will fine it quite as enjoyable.”

Amélie smiled as they cut through the forest behind the blade of the King’s flashlight. She was no stranger to the sounds of nature. As her mother had directed the construction not the silk pavilions at Gaosa there had of course been concerns about the animals that lived in the thick forests of the empire’s interior.

“Does Colfico have any big game hunting?”

[Colfico]

He chuckled and said

"I will get to eveerybody eventually, although it would help to know what she enjoys, I could arrange for her to have her own activity, if she does not wish to come to the range, it would not be an issue or an insult, I do not wish for my guests to be unhappy."

He nodded, it had been present, and in fact had grown substantially following the collapse as a means to put food on the table for many. In the current period, it had diminished somewhat with improved agricultural production, but it was still present.

"It is, although most of the weapons you see used for hunting in Colfico now are old, surplus military bolt actions and lever action rifles, of which some are still kept for ceremonial and marksman service. However it is carefully regulated to prevent the depletion of local animal populations. The most popular game is the spotted deer, but much more common is small game hunting and fishing, especially rabbits and birds."

[Kingdom of Derita]

“That is nice of you. Though I prefer to keep my ladies close at hand. Plus Frédérique may take offense to not being apart of things. She is very much a noble who enjoys her right to complain about her circumstances. As for hunting, water buffalo is the most popular choice for both sport and meat. My grandfather passed several protection laws to preserve the megafauna of the empire, so we have panthers, impala and giraffes a plenty. Elephants are of course absolutely forbidden to hunt.”

[Colfico]

He nodded in understanding, as he carefully weaved his way along the bank of the stream, seeming to navigate almost as if by muscle memory, however he would occasionally glance up at the stars, taking careful note of their position, or more specifically, the position of a specific star, using it to help keep his bearing in the darkness. It was not hard for one who was not familiar with the area to get lost in the thick forest.

"I see, the closest thing to a Panther that we have here would be a species of bobcat, I have been hunting once or twice myself, however it was out of necessity at the time, and to keep my marksmanship skills sharp during a time of conflict." He was about to continue walking, until he spotted something and stopped, and crouched, and listened carefully, before pointing to a tree and speaking in a very soft whisper.

"Right there, one of the rarer animals in Colfico, a Spotted Tree Viper, we should go around, they are not aggressive, however their venom is potent enough that they should not be underestimated, I have lost more than one friend who did not take them seriously."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie froze before taking a step back ad moving closer to the King. There were venomous snakes in the Celestial Empire. The famous obsidian mamba was known for being a fast killer. Many mistakenly thought it was because of the potency of their venom, though it truth their glands were larger proportionally to their body, letting them flood the bloodstreams of their victims with high amounts in quick motions.

“There is a reasons humans have developed evolutionary fears of snakes. I prefer to leave one another be.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian nodded, turning and led them carefully around the snake, his free hand on his pistol, ready to draw and fire it if the need arose, while his other one helped to guided her, as the area suddenly became more rugged, on account of him walking just on the edge of the stream, his eyes watching both as best as he could. It felt like an eternity, but the encounter only lasted a short few minutes before he had managed to slip past the snake.

It was not long before the familiar sight of the garden came into view, however he slowed down, wishing to lengthen their little night stroll through the woods as much as he could. Despite the encounter with the snake, which had proven a great way to get his heart beating, he had enjoyed his time with her, but he also knew that it had to end at some point.

"Snakes have a mixed reception here in Colfico, for a variety of reasons and depending on the species. Many of the nonvenomous species are tolerated, or even accepted openly, especially around farms, where they serve a vital role in helping keep rodent populations under control, and thus help farmers keep their crops from being eaten by wild rodents. While on the other hand, venomous species, if mild and less dangerous, are tolerated with a greater degree of respect."

He turned to her, only to realize how close she was to him, and felt his face heat up, although it was hard to tell in the darkness. He was thankful for that, although now he did not mind having his guard down around her.

"I can Imagine that your ladies in waiting are going to have a question a plenty, you can tell them about the flowers, but I ask that you keep their location a secret."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Princess Imperial nodded her head in understanding. She didn’t dare deny that her ladies would have questions. They wouldn’t be her friends if they didn’t. But she understood that Sebastian had reserved a special place in his heart and she would respect that.

“Of course Your Majesty. It stays between us.”

[Colfico]

He smiled at her, he was grateful of her for agreeing to keep that secret. He looked into her eyes, before raising her hand up to his lips, and kissing it, before speaking

"Thank you princess, how can I repay you?"

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie cheeks warmed as the King kissed her hand, less for the gesture itself and more so instead for the fact that it was meant to be a chaste sign of affection from her new suitor. Her imperial blood ran blue but it did not run cold after all. She looked up at him, and while she didn’t wish to kiss him, but did find herself admiring his exotic features.

“I am not yet sure. I shall have to think of something, and hold you to it.”

[Colfico]

The King gave a warm smile, although his tone still had that evenness to it that it always did, although without the cold touch that it had when he had been putting on an act.

"Name it, and I shall pay it in full, I refuse to let a debt go unpaid, it is both dishonorable, and causes interest to accumulate overtime."

While honor was not the largest concern to him, he had always put winning first, it was not an entirely lost concept, after all it made for a good public image, and there were times were it did apply.

[Kingdom of Derita]

“It is good to know that you are a man who pays his debts, for they are the best of men, and a woman who holds the debts of a king must be trusted to do so responsibly.” Amélie considered her own words and thought back to her uncle’s. It would be wise to keep a favor of King Sebastian and she would, despite the lightness of her tone, and what she was beginning to suspect was in fact the light tone of the king, despite its coldness, that she would take this carefully. “I shall think thoughtfully on this. But trust I will keep this secret. Even from my ladies. I think you were right. Some things are better off never seeing the light of day, only to bloom and shine in the dark.”

[Colfico]

He gave a nod and maintained a smile, however he did notice her slight pause, and knew that there was something, even if he did not know quite what, was going on in her head, when she had considered the favor that he had given her, perhaps purposely, perhaps accidentally, he was not sure yet. However he knew that she would be seeking to use it to her utmost advantage, and he would have to be ready for it when the time came.

"Thank you, Now, I believe that I should escort you to your quarters, before your ladies come looking, I am sure that they are already growing suspicious as it is, and my time with you is running out for the night."

He released her hand for the moment, to switch off the flashlight, and return it to its place, hanging at his hip from a simple, paracord lanyard. He then took her hand again, and gently led her back through the garden, to the same double doors from earlier.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Princess Imperial slipped her hand free from the King of Colfico’s and touched the doors. She found herself curious as to what his meeting was about and did for a moment considered using her favor for that knowledge, but decided against it. They both had their secrets and she suspected that she had other was of getting him to tell her. For now she would retire, and this game that they played, part individual, part national in its concerns, would start again.

“Goodnight Sebastian. I hope we may enjoy each other’s company in the morning.”

[Colfico]

"If fate would have it be that way, then so we shall, Good night, and I hope that you have enjoyed our little excursion."

He had not forgotten about his scheduled meeting, and was sure that his generals would have begun arriving by now, after all, this part of the night had not been planned for, instead being a by the moment decision by Sebastian, so he would not be surprised if they were already waiting for him. However he could not disclose its nature, at least not until the operation had concluded, informing people who were not connected to such an operation had great risks.