To Pierce a Steel Heart (MT, IC, Ended)

[Kuronami]

Another woman, more competition? Or just more friends to make maybe. Kirie saw a new arrival come in who was eagerly greeted by Maria. Maria had hardly spoken a word to her since they first met. Competition? No, Kirie had to pray herself to banish dark thoughts from her mind, after all it wasn't the end of the world of The king chose another above her own, at least she had come right? With that she figured what she needed the most was a jolt this fine winters day. Putting on a bathing yukata she wandered outside to splash herself with cold water. "oooh" She yelped a little but tried to keep it down to not bring attention to herself. She didn't need the staff to worry or fuss over her unorthodox rituals plus it felt good at times. Hot water was nice after a long day but ice water was just what she needed to wake up. Shaking her long dark hair she splashed herself again. "Boy it'd be nice if this place had an onsen" She shivered out. But that seemed unlikely.

She thought more about Fredrick, how he seemed to be a man of strong conviction and faith? Would she have to convert if she was chosen? She was open to it, she always thought herself as a spiritual person just more from an Eastern faith. Maybe it'd be good for her to attend a Catholic mass. In the meantime she kept splashing the cold water on herself.

(not much of a post I know but I'm a bit behind)

[Pawon]

"Pleased to meet you, Maria Schenko" responded Alala as she examined the new passenger. "Tell me, do all the women in your land bring weapons on shopping trips? You look ready for battle."

[Greater vakolicci haven]

"We do in fact," Maria smiled, relaxing in the back of the carriage. Frederick had a lot of suiters...Maria was just hoping he remembered which one had actually met him before, and which ones were just trying to be queens. The groups weren't mutually exclusive, but Maria didn't think Frederick had to know that.
"Celeria is a very violent country. So we bring our guns pretty much everywhere...in fact we get taught from the age of 5 how to shoot. I enter the Olympics in shooting every year."

[Halazy]

"You seem quite... proud, of your homeland's violence, Lady Maria," Ameni said uncertainly, following up with "I would love to learn more about your culture some time," as politeness dictated. "We are waiting on one more to join us, aren't we?"

[The Frozen Forest]

Cold wind pushed through a tiny crack on the side of the carriage. The unnatural fissure brought a multitude of sounds into the compartment where she sat. The sounds of the horses and the noise of snow crunching beneath hooves was pleasant to hear, it helped her focus on the procession she saw out of the carriage window. Freja Björk had ridden in many carriages throughout her life, nothing compared to this particular experience however. She had never tried to win a suitors hand, she'd never desired it and had always been the object of marriage proposals, rather than the individual pursuing it. She detested the idea of being forced to come to a freezing country not unlike her own, to meet a man whom she had no desire to meet. Sightseeing, meeting the common people, learning the language and being able to focus on the country rather than just its King, would these options be available to her?

She had arrived in the country not by plane but by Submarine. It was an unusual means of travel which had been brought about by yet another failed assassination attempt by hardline communists in her country. The Royal Family, her family, was the object of hate and affection for millions of souls. There were more than a handful of people who'd relish at the thought of her death and there were many more who worshiped her in much the same way she worshiped God. It must have been a scene not unlike those saw during the Cold War, a Kobben-Class Submarine arriving on the shores of Thuaidhi. Of course the situation had been relayed to the Cameloneans prior to the Princess's arrival, but the entire affair must have seemed quite bizarre to any onlookers.

The Submarine itself had been a frosty vessel usually stationed in the Arctic. She had received specially imported books for the journey, along with Camelonean Drachma. According to a book, Currencies of the World: A Guide the Camelonean Drachma was a strong currency, outweighing even the US Dollar. Forestrian dollars on the other hand, it took three to make a US dollar. It was an impressive statistic and she found the currency interesting in itself, just the designs on it.

Through the various books provided for her she learned several key things about her country of destination. Frederick had taken power in 2009 when his father was killed in the Raven Rebellion. There were a multitude of unique ethnicities throughout the country, over half belonged to a group known as the Erinites. Personally she found the Neltic ethnic group most similar with her own homeland, including common Norse roots. She also learned of the various Mafia groups throug the nation. They would be particularly dangerous to her on account of her homeland being dominated by a Communist Party, she would have to be careful if she ever visited the Free Cities.

Unlike what her advisors had originally told her, the vast majority of the Cameloneans were not Roman Catholic but practiced a similar but distinct denomination known as Camelonean Catholic. They also practiced a set of principles and ethics known as the Last Bastion Idealogy. Again it seemed to imply a strong anti-communist sentiment. It made her wonder what sort of reception she would have in the country and court, even though she herself did not subscribe to such ideals. Finally she familiarized herself with the social classes and noble ranks throughout the country. Her own court had similar ranks excluding the titles of thane and Yeoman.

The carriage hit a bump in the road, shaking the compartment and breaking her analysis of the trip thus far. She noticed the dragoons and found herself curious as to the designs. They were arriving at the Kings Manor. It was a enormous structure that she had seen only in pictures taken from a distance. She felt the urge to compare it to castles she had seen in the British Isles and in Japan and found it again, seemingly unique from its counterparts in some aspects. She gathered her belongings and pushed open the carriage door, unsure of what to expect.

[Camelone]

Inside the Manor
A maid went to get Kirie finding her in a courtyard after some searching "Lady Kirie we will be departing to the village very soon, I do hope you are thinking of accompanying everyone else." As quickly as she had arrived to tell her of the events transpiring she disappeared down the hall.

Outside the Manor
Outside Andrew hurried over to the carriage that Freja just arrived in and bowed "Welcome to the ancestral manor of House Krieger Princess Freja. Please come along I will have the servants come grab your luggage and bring it to your room. Everyone else is going to a village nearby and the king has gone separately disguised as a monk as he does not like being swarmed by the people but instead interacting with them normally so if you see him please do not draw attention to him when in public. You shall be assigned to knights to escort you and translate for you, as well as inform you of any particular Camelonean customs that you would be unaware of." Andrew said hurriedly as he gestured to the larger carriage in front of her own. Another set of guards arrived with a second set also arriving with the prospect of one more arrival.

[The Frozen Forest]

Freja was unsurprised by the frantic looking man before her. He was polite and respectful and yet his voice carried urgency, it would be without question for her to wait much longer. She pulled the money from one of her cases, the Drachma and stuffed it quickly into her pockets before anyone could protest. "Thank you, i will do as you say should i see the King." Her accent was unmistakable, aShe was herded to the next carriage over and entered quickly, quickly realizing she had left her bow and arrow behind. She would have to find some other way to entertain herself if she wasn't allowed to speak to the King. She sat back, once again losing herself out the window the carriage. Maybe she'd meet some of Fredericks other suitors? It would be interesting, there were countries she hadn't been able to visit and meeting people during her stay could open doors for The Frozen Forest, diplomatically. Her books had only gave her so much information about the people of Camelonia, words written on paper could never truly account for experience. Her guards on the other hand worried her, it was no use trying to slip away it would seem, they looked highly qualified for their jobs.

[Pawon]

"We do in fact," Maria smiled, relaxing in the back of the carriage. Frederick had a lot of suiters...Maria was just hoping he remembered which one had actually met him before, and which ones were just trying to be queens. The groups weren't mutually exclusive, but Maria didn't think Frederick had to know that.
"Celeria is a very violent country. So we bring our guns pretty much everywhere...in fact we get taught from the age of 5 how to shoot. I enter the Olympics in shooting every year."

Alala was surprised by Maria's response, violence was not unheard-of in Pawon, but Alala had always felt safe.

" It must be horrible" she began "to live in such a dangerous and lawless place. I am glad that in my homeland, few have firearms, and ladies of rank have nothing to fear"

Alala began to consider their present situation. She had always assumed that the guard was more of an honor guard than an actual necessity, but Maria seemed to know Frederick the best of the woman, perhaps there is a real danger, she began to wonder to herself.

[Pradwer]

"It looks like the old days of Pradwer." Mr. Fedeccres seances, looking out at the falling snow.

Lerwern, her father's prize, the daughter of the family, leans with her elbow on the sill. Another word out of the old man, to her, is just another word.

"I hope you can actually be attentive to your potential suitor." He lectures, hitting her elbow off the sill. "This will be the fourth suitor. I know you. You're a prize, darling.'

Lerwern looks over, almost rolling her eyes.

"Be attentive please!", the words go as his back straightens. "We're just about there."

Outside, snow falls. It glistens as it falls against the gloves of her dress. Stark black, a new choice by her father. This would go just like the other though.

The gates slide away, opening. Father smiles, but alas, there's more doors.

"There sure is a lot of security", his mouth jokes, trying to make conversation. However, the joke is I'll placed, as he notices a concealed sniper nest, trying to make as little movement as possible. Someone dropped something.

A wave of apprehension comes over her.

"Looks like we are here." More words. Mr. Fedeccrees straights his family crest on both him and his baggage. Lerwern simply stares.

The carriage comes to a stop. Lerwern takes a deep breath.

A man opens the door, on her father's side. Her eyes look at her father's and then the mans.

"The lady Lerwern doesn't need any help." He turns to her. "Grab your bags sweety. Don't mess up."

Grins all around, he looks at the man. Lerwern can only stare.

[Camelone]

Andrew bowed his head and stepped away "As you wish. Though I do request that you move fast as everyone is going to a nearby village to spend the day, the king has gone ahead disguised as a monk as he prefers to interact with the people without the social distance between them so when you see him please do not give out his identity." As he was talking one of the guards assigned to Lerwern got off his motorcycle, replacing his helmet with a black wide brimmed hat with a peacock feather in it as well as pulled his scarf down to reveal a rather handsome young man.

"Tis a dishonor to allow a lassie to carry her own bags. Allow a knight, such as I, to keep his honor and help a guest of our most honored king in such a small way." The knight said with a sweeping bow.

Andrew was able to keep himself from rolling his eyes at the knights antics as he was used to this by now "This is Sir Belenus Paterson a knight attached to Lady Lerwern's security detail today."

To that Belenus tipped his hat with a cocky grin and went to grab the bags.

[Pradwer]

Lerwern, smiles, trying not to break the moment. Things like this was typical with suitors. Her father would play the "well fit lady" card, and then allow a man in someway, some form to do it anyway. It gets old.

Mr. Fedeccres does a bowled bow, showing that these aren't normal for him.

"I guess we're on our way then.", she says looking at the Knight. Her readjng material for the next few days catches her eye. Dear Sir Lementi, a popular book of Pradwer is at the top.

"Excuse me. I'd just like to grab this." Her fingers grasp at the book. Father can't help but feel ashamed at her lack of attentiveness.

"I'm sorry for her." He accidentally silently mouths to them two. They start the walk to the room.

[Camelone]

Belenus grabbed the bags after Lerwern remembered to grab some book that he couldn't read the language of but it wasn't much of anything to him. With ease he picked them up and began walking quickly to the room assigned to Lerwern and while Andrew allowed Lerwern to pass he put up a hand to stop her father.

"I am sorry sir but you will be staying in a separate guest house as the king has only allowed those who need to interact with him to stay inside the manor itself. Do not worry the guest house is close by and within the inner walls so you will still be close."

Belenus led Lerwern through the ornate foray and halls to her room, which was almost an exact copy of the other rooms as the king did not want to seem like he was showing any favoritism to anyone. Setting her bags down Belenus began making his way back to the carriages "Come on let's get back we need to leave really soon."

[Pradwer]

Mr. Fedeccres stops, and then smiles. "Of course. Of course.", he mutters waving them away.

As Lerwern gets to the room, she tries to pop some talk. But as she gets there little too fast to really start.

"Where exactly?" She finally smiles completely genuinely. "As long as my father isn't with, I'd appreciate it."

[Camelone]

"We will be going into the village for the door Lady Lerwern." Belenus answered as he walked swiftly through the manor back to the front but before he pushed open the main doors he turned back to her with a curious look on his face "Why would you not wish for your father to accompany you? He is not coming but the question still stands in all honesty... Ah I don't have time to quiz a teasa." He said pushing open the doors and returning to his motorcycle without a word back to Lerwern, they were running a bit behind and he didn't want Andrew or Cormac to chew him out over it later in the day.

The village was only about three miles away from the northern monastery so it would not be a long drive after they could switch to cars after leaving the manor grounds, the king was probably already there due to leaving in a car to begin with.

[Camelone]

Once everyone was in the carriage the driver snapped the reins and they began on their way to the northern monastery moving along the road at leisurely pace with the guards substituting in for the dragoons that they originally arrived with. It was not an exciting ride by any meaning of the word but it got them to the monastery regardless where they were guided to their individual cars. The roads of Camelone were well maintained, even during the winter, making the ride fairly smooth.

The scenery that they passed was mostly of fallow farm fields covered in snow with high speed train tracks raised above the fields every now and then, a few small homesteads could be seen as well as the lone horseman. As they got closer to the village the signs of human presence increased from fallow fields and the occasional homestead to guard towers with small communities surrounding them flying the Royal flag. People waved at the cars as they passed by and traffic was becoming more common the further they went from the manor lands with trucks and other cars passing by, though most pulled off to the side and let the entourage pass without much of a problem. The village came into site and it seemed to be a small collection of buildings surrounding a church, a sloped wall was on the perimeter with what seemed to be militia men walking behind the walls, the militiamen were wearing civilian clothes but they had an armband with the Royal Eagle on it and had a white cockade in their hats and didn't seem all that concerned at all, they appeared to be more there to act as a local police force then a military unit. A farms surrounded the village and a mustering field could be seen where young cadets were being trained on how to handle a rifle and in hand to hand combat, most of these cadets were 15 and up and part of the Fatherland Youth. In the village proper people waved and stared at the cars curious at who they could be as the cars pulled into the central square in front of the church, their guards hurried over to open their doors. Upon the sight of foreigners most of the Cameloneans muttered something about teasa and curiosity while only a few were making hostile remarks under their breaths.

The central square was directly in front of the village church, built in the traditional Camelonean structure which was a mixture of the old Celtic design and Romanesque architecture. The buildings that surrounded the square included a bakery, the trade hall, the local lodge for the Fatherland Guard, and a few general shops. The villagers themselves wore a combination of clothing that their ancient Celtic ancestors would be familiar with such as tunics but they also wore the fashion of the Victorian era, though more on the modest side. A few monks with their hoods up moved among the villagers as they were gathering around the cars most having never seen foreigners before, and most of the men wearing a long knife of some sort with others displaying their pistols. The guards began explaining to the villagers what was going on and a few left in anger with one yelling out in Camelonean "The king, God bless him, should marry a Camelonean woman! Not some teasa whore!" With shouts of agreement being seconded among the villagers.

[i]"Elder please refrain from insulting the king's guest!"[/i] Belenus shouted back, which was enough to disperse the gathering crowd as they respected King Frederick enough to not sleight his anger by insulting the guests.

[Greater vakolicci haven]

Maria

The ride to the village was uneventful, but when she arrived she was left hoping against hope that the whole country wasn't like this. Sadly, she suspected that it very well may be; if she became Queen she suspected she'd either become known as a barbarian enemy or a great moderniser. Although it was quite likely that he would have won the civil war, the Schtenko propaganda people had been very very busy boys and girls following it; if you believed anything coing out of Celeria, Maria was the reason that he was on the throne. One thing was correct however; without Maria spotting the sniper nice and early, King Frederick's family would have been looking prematurely for a new heir.
Some of the locals didn't seem to like their arrival, she noted grimly; being over-friendly to them would probably be a good idea. At the very least it'd be rather dsarming; she might even make one or two of them change their views a little, though if she knew religious people she knew how hard this would be. Picking something they said seemingly at random, the word 'peasa' which seemed to mean 'foreign,' she decided to be a dumb foreigner for a bit. She liked being a dumb foreigner, she did it in international sporting competitions. When she did it and won gold, it pissed people off in a most humourous fashion; however she was very happy with it.
"Pizza?" she asked the man, smiling as she leaned out of the window to speak. "I'm sorry, I'm not a pizza chef myself. My grandmother makes pizza very well though, I'm sure I could get you a recipe off her if you'd like that. Just give me your contact info and I'll get it to you, OK?"

[The Frozen Forest]

Freja allowed herself to take in the sights of the square as they arrived in a not so spectacular fashion. It was modest of course but nothing befitting Royalty, but that was okay. She enjoyed the fact that she wasn't being treated like a god as that would likely tick off more than a few of the locals. The sight of natives brought a curious thought to her mind, the presence of tunics was expected but she hadn't expected such vibrant designs. She carried herself from the carriage and immediately bypassed another girl who had also exited her own. Naturally she found her way away from the splendor of the other girls and towards the homely square before them. She found herself contrasting it with the village of Atley in the Rucdromd Province of the Frozen Forest. Like Atley there was a motley collection of government buildings, shops and the like scattered around. Immediately she wondered what the other girls would find themselves doing, she cast the idea off as she knew she couldn't compare herself to them if she wanted to achieve anything during her stay in Camelone.

To her left she noticed a peculiar man with a wispy white beard and crinkled face. He was hunched over weakly and yet still eminated a strong sense of pride and respect on the villagers around him who parted naturally to give him a wide, courteous berth. She trailed him with her eyes until he stopped in front of a small curious looking boy. They made a short exchange in a language she knew to probably be Camelonian Gaelic however the accents were different from that she had heard in her brief time in Camelone, merely they resembled her native Forestrian. She quickly drew the conclusion that she was witnessing an exchange between members of the Neltic Ethnic Group, a people she had wanted to meet since she learned about them on the Submarine that brought her to the country.

She threw a look of ire at her guards, whom had caught up to her. Much to their apparent annoyance she jogged over to the old man and the boy, immediately stopping in front of them to offer the elder man a short bow. "Hello, my name is Freja. Freja Björk, i was wondering if you knew if there was anywhere around here i could get a drink." She flashed a smile and the kid returned it with a giggle before running off to leave her and the old man to speak. The old man returned the bow, his eyes shifting to look over her body and dress, seeming to come to a conclusion. "Ah..I know who you are. Was quite a fuss when we heard about the King looking for a bride. Folks have mixed feelings about you all, since many think the King should marry one of them noble girls from of the local families. The best place to get a drink 'round here is probably the Hraun Tavern just up that way" he croaked, gesturing towards an unlabeled but relatively clean looking street.

"Thank you very much sir" she bowed a second time, still not sure if that was customary but considering how it was a common means of paying respect in other countries. Whipping around on her heel she made her way down the street with her guards. She noticed a few children here and there poking out from windows and alleys, some were mimicking soldiers and it made her wonder about the martial spirit she had heard so much about. The aged building was at the end of the street and was marked by a equally ancient sign with English and Camelonian Galic written on it. As she approached the door she waved to the guards, "stay here. I'll be fine so don't try to interfere." Whether they would obey her or not she didn't wait to see as she pushed open the heavy wooden door to find a rowdy hall of grey bearded men and fierce looking warriors. Still a few more were absorbed in a game of pool and even more were armwrestling with beet red faces and dangerous expressions.

She took a seat across from two such men, barrel-chested and strong armed and competing to prove who had bigger cojones. Evidently the larger of the two was able to force the arm of the smaller against the table. With a triumphant yell the loser was forced to the back of the room, throughly drunk it didn't seem to matter that he'd lost. She immediately fell into the seat before anyone else could, thrusting her arm onto the table. The man simply laughed wildly, his beard shaking as he roared. "Scared your going to lose?" his expression fixed itself into a jittery, intoxicated smile. "I'm never afraid" he offered his arm. The competition began just as joyously unserious as it began but when Freja's arm didn't immediately falter at his insistence it grew more serious. There was wild shaking as the two began to put their most base strength into it and gradually Freja was able to gain leverage and force the mans hand down.

There was a sudden shift as he managed to regain the initiative and force her hand into a similar position. By now the rest of the room had begun to watch the oddity of a young woman taking on a man many times her weight and size. There was another small struggle in which her own face began to contort and grow red, the man she was up against was breathing just as irrationally as his last opponent had against him. Finally there was growing yell throughout the room as she brought his hand down onto the table with a loud wooden bang.

There was a triumphant feeling rising within her as she succeeded. The men around her yelled and beers were bought for her and her tried opponent and just about anyone else who happened to be in the room without a fresh drink. She drank greedily but savoringly, determining to herself to only have one drink and nothing more. She didn't want to embarrass herself by getting drunk. For the following hour and a half she remained in the Tavern, spending her time among the Neltics there, throughly enjoying herself and making quick connections with many of those there, over cultural similarities and family histories and good old games of pool and axe-throwing.

[Camelone]

Maria

The ride to the village was uneventful, but when she arrived she was left hoping against hope that the whole country wasn't like this. Sadly, she suspected that it very well may be; if she became Queen she suspected she'd either become known as a barbarian enemy or a great moderniser. Although it was quite likely that he would have won the civil war, the Schtenko propaganda people had been very very busy boys and girls following it; if you believed anything coing out of Celeria, Maria was the reason that he was on the throne. One thing was correct however; without Maria spotting the sniper nice and early, King Frederick's family would have been looking prematurely for a new heir.
Some of the locals didn't seem to like their arrival, she noted grimly; being over-friendly to them would probably be a good idea. At the very least it'd be rather dsarming; she might even make one or two of them change their views a little, though if she knew religious people she knew how hard this would be. Picking something they said seemingly at random, the word 'peasa' which seemed to mean 'foreign,' she decided to be a dumb foreigner for a bit. She liked being a dumb foreigner, she did it in international sporting competitions. When she did it and won gold, it pissed people off in a most humourous fashion; however she was very happy with it.
"Pizza?" she asked the man, smiling as she leaned out of the window to speak. "I'm sorry, I'm not a pizza chef myself. My grandmother makes pizza very well though, I'm sure I could get you a recipe off her if you'd like that. Just give me your contact info and I'll get it to you, OK?"

The people that Maria talked to looked at her like she was crazy and tried to keep their distance from her while another man, who spoke with a very heavy accent, rolled his eyes and elaborated "Teasa. Means foreigner, outsider, heathen, unwanted, outcast, or outlander all depends on the tone of voice. Teasa are a thousand times worse than the Firbonn though." That final part drew nods and agreements from the crowd. The man himself had on greased stained clothes and looked to have just gotten off of work from the local mechanics shop, though it was probably just for a lunch break as there was still a lot of day left. Most of the other people seemed to be observing the foreigners, not quite sure what to make of them besides that they were not Camelonean but for many they seemed to be a mixture of curiosity and hostility. A few of the younger people within the crowd cracked a few jokes in Camelonean Gaelic about the daftness of foreigners.

Snip

Within the tavern the merriment continued on as patrons continued to come and go as they pleased. The bartender brought over another drink to Freja pointing over to a monk in the corner saying that he bought it for her, with his hood up it was hard to see any facial features of the man but it wouldn't be any stretch of the imagination that it was King Frederick signaling for her to come over. Near the probably fake monk was a group of soldiers who were playing cards, drinking, and smoking pipes though they weren't heavily invested in their games it seemed and a few of them wore a distinct marker on their chest signifying that they were Hawk's, the special forces and secret police of the kingdom. Most of the other patrons kept their distance not out of spite but more of the respect for authority, and the desire to not get to close to a Hawk if they didn't have to.

[Pawon]

As Alala disembarked from the carriage she looked around the village square. After a few seconds of consideration she headed towards the building that most captured her interest. She had only a vague understanding of Christianity, so that she did not instantly recognize the building for what it was. As she headed towards the church, she turned to, her escort. "Tell me about this building... um I don't know what to call you." As she began to address the knights, she remembered that they were from a higher social status as the guards she was used too, and began to worry she had been disrespectful.

[The Frozen Forest]

Freja felt the surprise wash over her as she realized that she hadn't even noticed the Monk in the corner of the room. No, that was wrong, she had noticed but had been so preoccupied with all the others in the tavern to have the time to get around to him. She accepted the drink knowing that it was improper to not do so as she studied the monk for a moment. The Monks true identity was seemingly apparent upon closer inspection, even if one overlooked the fact that most of those in the room were avoiding him the guards that surrounded the man made it unmistakable. Somehow she had overlooked the King, it was best not to make him wait any longer than was absolutely necessary she decided, carrying herself from the seat and over to the table where the supposed monk was seated.

"Thanks for the drink, i'm Freja, Freja Björk. I've not met many Camelonean monks in my travels..." She trailed off as she played along with the charade, with the getup of whom she assumed was the King. It was a correct move to allow the King to reveal himself first, she guessed. She didn't want to assume that the Monk was the King either as she couldn't see the face of the stranger, perhaps it really was only a Monk. In any case by allowing the Monk, King, whomever it was to have the power of deciding whether to reveal themselves could save her from an embarrassing mistake.

[Halazy]

Much to her delight, the countryside of Camelone reminded Ameni of home, with its snowy, rolling fields, villages, and general openness. While her family was from the hilly south of Halazy, she had always loved the summer house on the relatively flatter eastern coast. If nothing else, she thought, she could be happy living in a land like this.

She reconsidered slightly when she heard the locals calling her and the others tiza. While Ameni didn't know the exact definition, it wasn't hard to work out the general meaning, and it was disheartening. Did they already know about the temple incident? No, they couldn't, right? How would they? A moment later, the phrase "tiza whore" reached her. Oh gods, they must know. Panto Zema, if you're up there, please make this a little easier.

Still, her guards seemed decent enough, if rather quiet. None had yet insulted her, anyway, which was a big plus. Exiting the car, she was immediately even more self-conscious; her own ilma wasn't terribly dissimilar from the local tunics, if more expensive, but many other people seemed to be dressed in a stranger, probably more formal style. Among these lighter haired, fairer skinned people dressed so, she felt she would stand out like a forest fire against the night sky. Once outside the car, she quietly asked a guard, "Is there anything I definitely should not do here?"

[Camelone]

As Alala disembarked from the carriage she looked around the village square. After a few seconds of consideration she headed towards the building that most captured her interest. She had only a vague understanding of Christianity, so that she did not instantly recognize the building for what it was. As she headed towards the church, she turned to, her escort. "Tell me about this building... um I don't know what to call you." As she began to address the knights, she remembered that they were from a higher social status as the guards she was used too, and began to worry she had been disrespectful.

"It is the house where the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ is kept. We gather every Sunday to worship God Almighty in a church and ask for His mercy so that we may be welcomed into Heaven, the home of our Heavenly Father. As for this church in particular I am unsure of the history behind it but I am aware that it holds the skull of King Frederick's great grandfather Saint-King Waldhar as a relic to be revered." One of the knights explained before his comrade jumped in.

"As for who we are I am Sir Somhairle and he is Sir Iain. We are raised knights so we have no noble surname at the moment due to earning our titles in service to the Crown."

Freja felt the surprise wash over her as she realized that she hadn't even noticed the Monk in the corner of the room. No, that was wrong, she had noticed but had been so preoccupied with all the others in the tavern to have the time to get around to him. She accepted the drink knowing that it was improper to not do so as she studied the monk for a moment. The Monks true identity was seemingly apparent upon closer inspection, even if one overlooked the fact that most of those in the room were avoiding him the guards that surrounded the man made it unmistakable. Somehow she had overlooked the King, it was best not to make him wait any longer than was absolutely necessary she decided, carrying herself from the seat and over to the table where the supposed monk was seated.

"Thanks for the drink, i'm Freja, Freja Björk. I've not met many Camelonean monks in my travels..." She trailed off as she played along with the charade, with the getup of whom she assumed was the King. It was a correct move to allow the King to reveal himself first, she guessed. She didn't want to assume that the Monk was the King either as she couldn't see the face of the stranger, perhaps it really was only a Monk. In any case by allowing the Monk, King, whomever it was to have the power of deciding whether to reveal themselves could save her from an embarrassing mistake.

"I must apologize and say that you have yet to meet another Camelonean monk in this booth, if fate had been different perhaps I would truly be a monk but alas I bear the weight of a crown." Frederick spoke raising his head slightly to show his face to Freja before he looked down once more to conceal his face some more. "It is a pleasure to meet you Princess Freja and I hope that you are finding everything enjoyable enough so far." He played with his drink a bit, though it looked to only be water and he was glancing around discretely with a small smile forming on his face as he sees his people happy "I think I may know what a father feels when he sees his children play. A good king is like a good father stern when necessary but with his only desire being to see his children be happy and prosper with the light of Christ within their hearts... My father would always say 'Frederick I fear that a good man can never be good king but if I can be a good father than that is all I desire' I think he spoke with truth."

Much to her delight, the countryside of Camelone reminded Ameni of home, with its snowy, rolling fields, villages, and general openness. While her family was from the hilly south of Halazy, she had always loved the summer house on the relatively flatter eastern coast. If nothing else, she thought, she could be happy living in a land like this.

She reconsidered slightly when she heard the locals calling her and the others tiza. While Ameni didn't know the exact definition, it wasn't hard to work out the general meaning, and it was disheartening. Did they already know about the temple incident? No, they couldn't, right? How would they? A moment later, the phrase "tiza whore" reached her. Oh gods, they must know. Panto Zema, if you're up there, please make this a little easier.

Still, her guards seemed decent enough, if rather quiet. None had yet insulted her, anyway, which was a big plus. Exiting the car, she was immediately even more self-conscious; her own ilma wasn't terribly dissimilar from the local tunics, if more expensive, but many other people seemed to be dressed in a stranger, probably more formal style. Among these lighter haired, fairer skinned people dressed so, she felt she would stand out like a forest fire against the night sky. Once outside the car, she quietly asked a guard, "Is there anything I definitely should not do here?"

Thinking for a bit the knight said "Well do not enter the church with any shoes on, do not insult anyone's mother, if an elder makes eye contact with you bow and if you are walking towards each other move to the side, and remain quiet when the people gather in assembly. Other than that I can not think of anything that you really need to do, with us by your side everyone will probably give you the benefit of the doubt, you are a teasa after all so we don't expect you to know our customs in and out." Leaning up against a nearby wall a man wearing a heavy coat and a heavily scarred face smoked a pipe with a scowl on his face as he looked at all the foreigners in the village, he pushed his hat down to cover his eyes and turned to walk down an alleyway before he glanced over and said something to a younger man who nodded with a serious face before he to disappeared down a different alleyway.

[Pawon]

If Alala was curious before, the curiosity rose in her, practically consuming her. So this building contained the body of the Camelonean god as well as the skull of Frederick 's ancestor. She subconsciously took a step towards the church, so much did she want to look inside.

The Pawoni princess however restrained herself and replied to her guards. "It is a pleasure to meet you two. So this church is a tomb and a temple? Tell me how do you appease your god? Can I go in?"

[Halazy]

Very solid advice. Not far away loomed a truly impressive building, rather like the one Ameni had faux pased her way into earlier in the day. That one would have to wait; she wasn't ready to try that again just yet. Then again, Alala seemed interested in going there, and she was alright. Or no, hold on, there was a tavern. What a perfect place to meet people. Yes, definitely the tavern. As she made her way to it, she said to the guard, "Thank you, mister... what should I call you?"

[Camelone]

If Alala was curious before, the curiosity rose in her, practically consuming her. So this building contained the body of the Camelonean god as well as the skull of Frederick 's ancestor. She subconsciously took a step towards the church, so much did she want to look inside.

The Pawoni princess however restrained herself and replied to her guards. "It is a pleasure to meet you two. So this church is a tomb and a temple? Tell me how do you appease your god? Can I go in?"

"I would say that it is primarily a temple as only a part of his body is here, other parts of Saint-King Waldhar body is scattered across the nation being venerated for his holiness and the miracles that are attributed to his relics as for going inside certainly just follow us and do as we do." Somhairle explained as he led the small group over to the church. As they were walking Sir Iain began to clarify some things.

"We do not appease God, the Lord descended from Heaven and took human form so that He may save us from sin, He willing suffered and embraced death for love of us and resurrected on the third day. We do not appease Him but instead beseech the most Merciful Lord to grant us His grace so that we may grow closer to Him so that we may rest in Heaven and be spared from the eternal torment and damnation of Hell." As they arrived at the church Somhairle pushed open the doors gently and quickly went about taking off his boots when he entered, followed by Iain, and placed them next to a few other shoes and boots that were next to the door. Straightening up they went to the door that separated the entrance to the church proper dipping their fingers into the water that was present crossing themselves and afterwards they kissed an icon of Christ that was next to the doorway.

Making their way into the church proper a few men and women, who were veiled, were praying in the pews and the two knights went to front before the altar slowly lowering themselves to both knees they touched their heads to the ground for a few seconds before standing up once more to sit in one of the back pews seeing what Alala would do.

Very solid advice. Not far away loomed a truly impressive building, rather like the one Ameni had faux pased her way into earlier in the day. That one would have to wait; she wasn't ready to try that again just yet. Then again, Alala seemed interested in going there, and she was alright. Or no, hold on, there was a tavern. What a perfect place to meet people. Yes, definitely the tavern. As she made her way to it, she said to the guard, "Thank you, mister... what should I call you?"

"My name is Sir Fearchar Dempsey and my comrade is Sir Ascelin Kilduff." The blonde haired knight said as he pointed to himself and the middle aged knight that was his comrade. As they approached the tavern he asked "Do you wish for us to follow you or stay out here?"