Warm Hearts (IC) (Open)

[New Edom]

"Pleasure's mine!", I said with a smile, though I did ponder her words for a moment: I knew, that New Edom was that place, where nudism was apparently the social norm, at least in some parts, and she did say, that she emulated their Queen-Empress in that - nice and dandy, I was not into girls. Anyway, she then added, that she would dress like a civilized person for formal occasions. Which led to the question, if the Queen-Empress was not civilized or what? Anyway, this was not the moment to tease her for a slip of the tongue. "It has a bit of a railway station feel to it, that's true, but it's more like try-out for the School Football Team. We all want to become the striker they are missing, so we are all gathered here to see, who be up for the task... and right now, we are waiting for the Team Captain and the Trainer to arrive before we all go change into kit and out on the field to show, what we can."

Desdemona laughed lightly a moment. “It does feel like that doesn’t it. That’s a good point. Though, to be honest, my family are more interested in the diplomacy and social aspect. It’s all just fun so far. Not at the moment but...I suppose we’re taking a breather or something?”

I shrugged.
"Been there, was fun!", I finished with a huge grin. I didn't make the cut, though. Instead, I joined the fencing club.

“Were you? We all had to choose a team sport at my school,” Desdemona said, “And I chose swimming when I was younger. I became focused on equestrian later on, mostly dressage and show jumping. I have played polo but mostly for fun, they don’t really allow women to play professionally or compete openly in my country yet.” she added matter of factly.

[Kyrenaia]

"Pleasure's mine!", I said with a smile, though I did ponder her words for a moment: I knew, that New Edom was that place, where nudism was apparently the social norm, at least in some parts, and she did say, that she emulated their Queen-Empress in that - nice and dandy, I was not into girls. Anyway, she then added, that she would dress like a civilized person for formal occasions. Which led to the question, if the Queen-Empress was not civilized or what? Anyway, this was not the moment to tease her for a slip of the tongue. "It has a bit of a railway station feel to it, that's true, but it's more like try-out for the School Football Team. We all want to become the striker they are missing, so we are all gathered here to see, who be up for the task... and right now, we are waiting for the Team Captain and the Trainer to arrive before we all go change into kit and out on the field to show, what we can."

Desdemona laughed lightly a moment. “It does feel like that doesn’t it. That’s a good point. Though, to be honest, my family are more interested in the diplomacy and social aspect. It’s all just fun so far. Not at the moment but...I suppose we’re taking a breather or something?”

I shrugged.
"Been there, was fun!", I finished with a huge grin. I didn't make the cut, though. Instead, I joined the fencing club.

“Were you? We all had to choose a team sport at my school,” Desdemona said, “And I chose swimming when I was younger. I became focused on equestrian later on, mostly dressage and show jumping. I have played polo but mostly for fun, they don’t really allow women to play professionally or compete openly in my country yet.” she added matter of factly.

Princess Amana bint-Samir.
Meeting Room, The Royal Palace, Truvaria, The Frozen Forest.
I nodded.
"I see.", I said, "We can choose any after-school activity we want and which is offered by our school. And in some cases, like the school orchestra or the sports teams, it also depends on the club itself." I shrugged. "My school had two football teams, I wanted to join it. During try-outs, I gave the Captain a sliding tackle, which almost broke her leg..." I grinned. "Little lassie couldn't handle it, so I joined fencing. Even made it to a few tournaments, where I competed quite successfully!"
And openly., I added in thoughts.
"Even fought for the Cubs' Trophy, that's the junior version of the Lioness' Trophy, and beat a Badawi twice my size in the semis!", I said with a huge grin, "Granted, his brother beat me in finals. It was fun!"

[New Edom]

I nodded.
"I see.", I said, "We can choose any after-school activity we want and which is offered by our school. And in some cases, like the school orchestra or the sports teams, it also depends on the club itself." I shrugged. "My school had two football teams, I wanted to join it. During try-outs, I gave the Captain a sliding tackle, which almost broke her leg..." I grinned. "Little lassie couldn't handle it, so I joined fencing. Even made it to a few tournaments, where I competed quite successfully!"

For a moment, Desdemona looked shocked, and then she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh wait, when you say football, you don’t mean the game where you kick a round ball around on the field, you mean that game where you have a little rugby ball and you carry it, right? I was wondering about this tackling business!”


"Even fought for the Cubs' Trophy, that's the junior version of the Lioness' Trophy, and beat a Badawi twice my size in the semis!", I said with a huge grin, "Granted, his brother beat me in finals. It was fun!"

“What’s a Badawi?” asked Desdemona.

Regardless of the reply, she said, “Well, there are several competitions that I want to compete in for next spring. Zephyr, that’s my horse, we’re going to be training for it. To be honest, I’d be there now if I wasn’t here. We did very well on our last trail endurance test,” she said with a smile. She got out her phone and showed some pictures. “Here is Zephyr. Isn’t he a beauty? I love this breed in particular. They got imported to my country from Ayaca in the 16th Century.”

[Kyrenaia]

I nodded.
"I see.", I said, "We can choose any after-school activity we want and which is offered by our school. And in some cases, like the school orchestra or the sports teams, it also depends on the club itself." I shrugged. "My school had two football teams, I wanted to join it. During try-outs, I gave the Captain a sliding tackle, which almost broke her leg..." I grinned. "Little lassie couldn't handle it, so I joined fencing. Even made it to a few tournaments, where I competed quite successfully!"

For a moment, Desdemona looked shocked, and then she suddenly exclaimed, “Oh wait, when you say football, you don’t mean the game where you kick a round ball around on the field, you mean that game where you have a little rugby ball and you carry it, right? I was wondering about this tackling business!”


"Even fought for the Cubs' Trophy, that's the junior version of the Lioness' Trophy, and beat a Badawi twice my size in the semis!", I said with a huge grin, "Granted, his brother beat me in finals. It was fun!"

“What’s a Badawi?” asked Desdemona.

Regardless of the reply, she said, “Well, there are several competitions that I want to compete in for next spring. Zephyr, that’s my horse, we’re going to be training for it. To be honest, I’d be there now if I wasn’t here. We did very well on our last trail endurance test,” she said with a smile. She got out her phone and showed some pictures. “Here is Zephyr. Isn’t he a beauty? I love this breed in particular. They got imported to my country from Ayaca in the 16th Century.”

Princess Amana bint-Samir.
Meeting Room, The Royal Palace, Truvaria, The Frozen Forest.
I looked at the photographs with Dessy and smiled.
"To be honest, I don't understand much about horses, but he does look nice.", I admitted, "Though I do mean the football with the round ball. In other places, it's known as soccer. That was, why me slide tackling was such a huge problem..." I grinned. "Anyway - as said, he looks nice. Good luck for those competitions, Dessy. Rock their world!"
Well, looks like I would explain to her, what a Badawi was, another time. They were interesting people, after all.

[The Frozen Forest]

The Royal Palace, Truvaria

The Princes were surrounded by maidservants and butlers and guards as they exited their rooms. Young women flocked about trying to get their attention-to ask what they would like for breakfast or if they needed their rooms made and cleaned while they were out. The questions were nonsensical-merely a formality that they were trained to ask every morning. As soon as the Princes left their rooms, the maidservants would sweep into them and frantically begin cleaning-making them spotless. The Chefs in the kitchens would already know what the Prince's wanted for breakfast and every other meal, and if they changed their mind then the kitchens would react accordingly, baking or cooking whatever their Princes requested.

Prince Ari was dressed in the finest ceremonial armor. It was encrusted with gold and precious jewels and blazened against his chestplate was the family crest of House Bjork-a Lynx with the national colors. Prince Ari had left the helmet behind and looked fully prepared to meet visitors from foreign nations, excited even. In contrast, Crown Prince Ivan's expression was twisted. He bit the inside of his cheek-a behavior that Prince Ari had always known to mean that Ivan was nervous about something. What could he say that would cheer his brother up? Their activities for the day weren't something they were able to control-it was fathers wishes that had brought the girls to The Frozen Forest.

"I would imagine they will be looking forwards to meeting you, your grace." A man came alongside the royals as they walked. He had a long blond beard and tanned skin and some of the biggest muscles in the Royal Guard. Alfred Tolkson was a loyal man, having served for twenty years for the King before being transferred to Ivan's security detail. He would be handling the general security of the Palace while the visitors were on the premises.

"Remind me, when did they arrive?" Ivan meant the girls, the foreign suitors. He remembered how his father had explained to him where they came from, why they were here, what was expected of him. The conversation had come quicker than he had expected-he could have sworn it had only been a week since his father's declaration at his nephew and nieces baptism. Find a wife yourself, or he would find one for him. Ivan supposed that this invitation of multiple potential brides was his fathers way of compromising with him-at least he could meet and decide who he wanted to marry somewhat. He had choices, a luxury that many of his ancestors didn't have.

"They have only been here a scant hour or two, your grace. We are still missing a girl or two who 'ought to be here by now. I'll have extra guards posted in case they should show up-they are right through those doors, your grace." Tolkson stopped at a pair of heavy wooden doors. They were older doors, probably installed two or three decades prior-judging by the small bits of wear and tear along their frames. Gently, Ivan pulled the brass knobs and the room opened up to him. It was his fathers old war room, before it had been moved underground.

Six women stood around the room and were talking with one another. Near the doors on the other side of the room were two lanky guards-more for show than actual protection, as there were also several guards in the room hailing from foreign nations. Ivan stepped forwards, ahead of his younger brother Ari. Ivan wasn't wearing a piece of ceremonial armor-rather he was dressed in a black tuxedo. It was more modern than what his family had suggested. He scanned the faces of those before him.

The first girl he recognized was Countess Magdalene von Eylstadt. She had striking gemstone-blue eyes and soft blonde hair that reminded him of a field of autumn grasses. He had never met her personally, but he was well aware of her family, the von Eylstadt's who ruled over Kuronami. They were a noble house with fine breeding and a respected history. Ivan recalled old news reports he had read about her being passed over in favor of her younger sister for succession to the throne in her home country. Ivan's cousin Svala had been particularly interested when he had told her that a Kuronamian was coming to court.

The next girl that his eyes fell upon was someone he didn't recognize-at least not apart from a name and a title. Princess of the Marshal Blood Ylara Etria from The Matriarchy of Noretias. There was no real diplomatic contact between Noretias and The Frozen Forest before this event-Ivan knew that it would change if he ended up taking the curious looking girl before him as his wife. She was farther away from the door, but even then he could pick apart her colder blue eyes and long golden-colored hair.

There was Princess of the Blood Desdemona Adah Elizabeth Davenant of New Edom. He remembered his fathers briefing-the woman before him had already had a proposal fall through. The Monarchy didn't know why it had, but it was a curiosity that was worth trying to come to understand. The girl was a brunette, something he didn't see much of among the upper classes-apart from his brother Ari and his brother in law Frederick. Ivan recalled that she was of house Obed and a relative of the Edomite King-Emperor.

Lady Kiaris Lukiva was an unusual one within the room. Her family was descended from Royalty-but had fallen into economic hardship, at least that was what had been determined by the Frozen Forestrian Intelligence Agency. Apart from some more menial details, Ivan didn't know much more about her. Maybe his family knew more, but he took her in as a curiosity. Not accounting for her unusual appearance-darker skin and hair and unusual clothing.

The final two girls that he noticed were both Kyrenaians. And he recognized them both, vaguely. Princess Rasha bint-Razia had to be ten years Ivan's senior-it was a wonder that she had been invited to come, given that fertility would be an issue his father would be concerned about. The King wouldn't have cared if it were not for the need to produce an heir to the throne, could the Princess do that in her 40's? Ivan noted her demeanor, he wouldn't be putoff of the age difference. The other girl was Princess Amana bint-Samir. He wouldn't have known about her if it weren't for her coming to court and his father preparation. He knew that she served in her military for several years, and that she was well educated. Her appearance was probably the strangest of anyone's though, with silver hair he had seen only once before, in Camelone.

"Ladies! I am honored to introduce his grace, Crown Prince Ivan Bjork of The Frozen Forest-Heir to the throne and proud veteran of the Frozen Forestrian Military." Tolkson announced to the those in the room, quite unnecessarily as his presence was already noticed. Prince Ari stepped aside in his full ceremonial armor, allowing Ivan to cross into the room for introductions. The first lady he came to was Princess Amana bint-Samir. He extended his hand gently and met her eyes.

"It's an honor to meet you, my lady." It was the standard greeting Ivan had been taught all his life. Nothing special or personal, but charming enough. Ivan offered a soft gentle smile, his eyes solely focused on the silver-haired girl with whom he was meeting first. He planned to formally meet all of the girls before dinner could begin.

[Kyrenaia]

(Image)
The Royal Palace, Truvaria

The Princes were surrounded by maidservants and butlers and guards as they exited their rooms. Young women flocked about trying to get their attention-to ask what they would like for breakfast or if they needed their rooms made and cleaned while they were out. The questions were nonsensical-merely a formality that they were trained to ask every morning. As soon as the Princes left their rooms, the maidservants would sweep into them and frantically begin cleaning-making them spotless. The Chefs in the kitchens would already know what the Prince's wanted for breakfast and every other meal, and if they changed their mind then the kitchens would react accordingly, baking or cooking whatever their Princes requested.

Prince Ari was dressed in the finest ceremonial armor. It was encrusted with gold and precious jewels and blazened against his chestplate was the family crest of House Bjork-a Lynx with the national colors. Prince Ari had left the helmet behind and looked fully prepared to meet visitors from foreign nations, excited even. In contrast, Crown Prince Ivan's expression was twisted. He bit the inside of his cheek-a behavior that Prince Ari had always known to mean that Ivan was nervous about something. What could he say that would cheer his brother up? Their activities for the day weren't something they were able to control-it was fathers wishes that had brought the girls to The Frozen Forest.

"I would imagine they will be looking forwards to meeting you, your grace." A man came alongside the royals as they walked. He had a long blond beard and tanned skin and some of the biggest muscles in the Royal Guard. Alfred Tolkson was a loyal man, having served for twenty years for the King before being transferred to Ivan's security detail. He would be handling the general security of the Palace while the visitors were on the premises.

"Remind me, when did they arrive?" Ivan meant the girls, the foreign suitors. He remembered how his father had explained to him where they came from, why they were here, what was expected of him. The conversation had come quicker than he had expected-he could have sworn it had only been a week since his father's declaration at his nephew and nieces baptism. Find a wife yourself, or he would find one for him. Ivan supposed that this invitation of multiple potential brides was his fathers way of compromising with him-at least he could meet and decide who he wanted to marry somewhat. He had choices, a luxury that many of his ancestors didn't have.

"They have only been here a scant hour or two, your grace. We are still missing a girl or two who 'ought to be here by now. I'll have extra guards posted in case they should show up-they are right through those doors, your grace." Tolkson stopped at a pair of heavy wooden doors. They were older doors, probably installed two or three decades prior-judging by the small bits of wear and tear along their frames. Gently, Ivan pulled the brass knobs and the room opened up to him. It was his fathers old war room, before it had been moved underground.

Six women stood around the room and were talking with one another. Near the doors on the other side of the room were two lanky guards-more for show than actual protection, as there were also several guards in the room hailing from foreign nations. Ivan stepped forwards, ahead of his younger brother Ari. Ivan wasn't wearing a piece of ceremonial armor-rather he was dressed in a black tuxedo. It was more modern than what his family had suggested. He scanned the faces of those before him.

The first girl he recognized was Countess Magdalene von Eylstadt. She had striking gemstone-blue eyes and soft blonde hair that reminded him of a field of autumn grasses. He had never met her personally, but he was well aware of her family, the von Eylstadt's who ruled over Kuronami. They were a noble house with fine breeding and a respected history. Ivan recalled old news reports he had read about her being passed over in favor of her younger sister for succession to the throne in her home country. Ivan's cousin Svala had been particularly interested when he had told her that a Kuronamian was coming to court.

The next girl that his eyes fell upon was someone he didn't recognize-at least not apart from a name and a title. Princess of the Marshal Blood Ylara Etria from The Matriarchy of Noretias. There was no real diplomatic contact between Noretias and The Frozen Forest before this event-Ivan knew that it would change if he ended up taking the curious looking girl before him as his wife. She was farther away from the door, but even then he could pick apart her colder blue eyes and long golden-colored hair.

There was Princess of the Blood Desdemona Adah Elizabeth Davenant of New Edom. He remembered his fathers briefing-the woman before him had already had a proposal fall through. The Monarchy didn't know why it had, but it was a curiosity that was worth trying to come to understand. The girl was a brunette, something he didn't see much of among the upper classes-apart from his brother Ari and his brother in law Frederick. Ivan recalled that she was of house Obed and a relative of the Edomite King-Emperor.

Lady Kiaris Lukiva was an unusual one within the room. Her family was descended from Royalty-but had fallen into economic hardship, at least that was what had been determined by the Frozen Forestrian Intelligence Agency. Apart from some more menial details, Ivan didn't know much more about her. Maybe his family knew more, but he took her in as a curiosity. Not accounting for her unusual appearance-darker skin and hair and unusual clothing.

The final two girls that he noticed were both Kyrenaians. And he recognized them both, vaguely. Princess Rasha bint-Razia had to be ten years Ivan's senior-it was a wonder that she had been invited to come, given that fertility would be an issue his father would be concerned about. The King wouldn't have cared if it were not for the need to produce an heir to the throne, could the Princess do that in her 40's? Ivan noted her demeanor, he wouldn't be putoff of the age difference. The other girl was Princess Amana bint-Samir. He wouldn't have known about her if it weren't for her coming to court and his father preparation. He knew that she served in her military for several years, and that she was well educated. Her appearance was probably the strangest of anyone's though, with silver hair he had seen only once before, in Camelone.

"Ladies! I am honored to introduce his grace, Crown Prince Ivan Bjork of The Frozen Forest-Heir to the throne and proud veteran of the Frozen Forestrian Military." Tolkson announced to the those in the room, quite unnecessarily as his presence was already noticed. Prince Ari stepped aside in his full ceremonial armor, allowing Ivan to cross into the room for introductions. The first lady he came to was Princess Amana bint-Samir. He extended his hand gently and met her eyes.

"It's an honor to meet you, my lady." It was the standard greeting Ivan had been taught all his life. Nothing special or personal, but charming enough. Ivan offered a soft gentle smile, his eyes solely focused on the silver-haired girl with whom he was meeting first. He planned to formally meet all of the girls before dinner could begin.

Princess Amana bint-Samir.
Meeting Room, The Royal Palace, Truvaria, The Frozen Forest.
So, this was him?
Not the lad in armour, whyever the young man decided to wear that to meet his prospective sisters-in-law, but the one in a tuxedo. He looked good. And, of all the options and all the people, who could be the first one he greeted, it was me.
Well - not that I complained.
If he expected me to be all prim, proper, lady-like and princessy, a shy maiden who waited for her Prince in shining armour (pun not intended), though, he was a bit mistaken.
I met his blue eyes with my red ones, grinned at his soft smile. First impressions were important and so I was the person, who I liked being the most: Me.
His hand and mine met for a handshake, I bowed my head a little. "The pleasure's mine, Prince Ivan!", I said and his charme was not completely lost on me. "I am Amana. Amana bint-Samir, Princess of the Khanate of Jazirat Alshahwa." I let a beat pass. "How do you do? Nervous about a lot of pretty girls lining up to meet ya?"

[The Frozen Forest]

The Royal Palace, Truvaria

The Crown Prince felt the grip of Princess Amana bint-Samir. Her small frame standing straight in a show of confidence. Her eyes rolled over him and his met hers-blue meeting red. Ivan felt himself pulled into them, a moments glance seeming so much longer. Princess Amana's hair was pulled back into a ponytail-an unusual choice for someone at court. Not a particularly bad choice though, Ivan had always found ponytails to be an attractive fashion-if not a particularly lady like one. The moment passed and he found his tongue.

"How do i do?" Not quite what he expected her to say. Ivan eased back on his heel and looked towards the chandelier for a short moment, lost in thought. "I'm the future King of my nation, the destined ruler of this palace and the whole continent of Vinland. The Kriwi people will name me their High Chief and powerful lords will bend to my will on a daily basis. Despite all of that i have to admit that i am in fact a bit nervous. Meeting ladies as lovely as yourself would make any man light on their feet." Ivan met her eyes as he spoke, wondering how someone so unique could exist.

"How are you, Princess? I'm told you arrived scarcely an hour ago, here at the palace. Are you hungry? We will be having dinner shortly and i can have the Chefs prepare whatever you like." Ivan hated the formality despite being trained for it like a dog. He would rather ask her who had forced or convinced her to come and court him-an honest truth. First impressions though, they were important. That was what his family, friends and retainers had all told him when he asked for their advice.

[Kyrenaia]

The Royal Palace, Truvaria

The Crown Prince felt the grip of Princess Amana bint-Samir. Her small frame standing straight in a show of confidence. Her eyes rolled over him and his met hers-blue meeting red. Ivan felt himself pulled into them, a moments glance seeming so much longer. Princess Amana's hair was pulled back into a ponytail-an unusual choice for someone at court. Not a particularly bad choice though, Ivan had always found ponytails to be an attractive fashion-if not a particularly lady like one. The moment passed and he found his tongue.

"How do i do?" Not quite what he expected her to say. Ivan eased back on his heel and looked towards the chandelier for a short moment, lost in thought. "I'm the future King of my nation, the destined ruler of this palace and the whole continent of Vinland. The Kriwi people will name me their High Chief and powerful lords will bend to my will on a daily basis. Despite all of that i have to admit that i am in fact a bit nervous. Meeting ladies as lovely as yourself would make any man light on their feet." Ivan met her eyes as he spoke, wondering how someone so unique could exist.

"How are you, Princess? I'm told you arrived scarcely an hour ago, here at the palace. Are you hungry? We will be having dinner shortly and i can have the Chefs prepare whatever you like." Ivan hated the formality despite being trained for it like a dog. He would rather ask her who had forced or convinced her to come and court him-an honest truth. First impressions though, they were important. That was what his family, friends and retainers had all told him when he asked for their advice.

Princess Amana bint-Samir.
Meeting Room, The Royal Palace, Truvaria, The Frozen Forest.
He was not only nervous, he was also a bit surprised and insecure, I thought. A lot of responsibilities would be heaped onto his shoulders... lust like mine. Granted, not of as many people, but there would be.
He came off a bit stuffy, though, although I did not catch the hint of him being uncomfortable with the formalities. Eh... I will admit, that I could deal with formalities and protocol, but I preferred not to. Too much of a hassle.
Still, maybe one could do something about that. His comment about me being lovely (or rather all of us, but...!) made me blush lightly. He met my eyes head on, not twitching away, most likely curious - I knew, that I was not a usual Princess.
"I'm fine, thank you.", I said with a grin, shrugged, "A bit of jetlag, but that'll pass. Hunger can wait until dinner." I smiled and let a beat pass. "Though a cuppa tea would be nice. Want one, too?"

[Kuronami]

At long last the real moment of truth, well almost, had come, it was time to finally meet the Crowned Prince. Some good covnersation had distracted Maggie from being slightly annoyed by the long wait for him and when the room livened up into more conversation she completely forgot all about it. There he stood he was a real looker, handsome as can be. He rather reminded her of Lord Wisterna, the Dominion Lord of Clarines, young handsome man of ambiguous age, older than Maggie but also considered a potential partner for her at one time or another before he found his wife. Suddenly she was at a loss for words when he came upon her first. Come on, say hello. Say hello! Wake up stupid, wake up!...Wake up..." she ended up whispering out. A short gasp of air when she caught the fact she said that partly out loud. She had to remember her court manners, she wasn't a Clarines country dame, she was an Eylstadt. "Your Grace. How great it is to finally meet you." She managed to get in a word after the Princess Amana stepped out. It seemed Kyrenaian folks were always outgoing and extroverted. Maggie was friendly but very outgoing not exactly, not super shy but not as seemingly energetic as the Desert Princess. "I can't speak for all the ladies here, but I think at least some of us are probably quite hungry and hoping to eat something after long trips many of us took. Some dining with you, Majesty, would be quite lovely."

[The Frozen Forest]

Truvaria, The Royal Palace

Ivan chuckled at Princess Amana's words. He thought it was funny that she would offer him a cup of tea-she seemed to be a kindhearted girl. He took a mental note that she enjoyed tea, then turned towards one of the guards to his left. "Bring Princess Amana a cup of tea immediately-Tea from our southern region, the Chef's will know what i mean." The guard, who looked to have been waiting patiently for such an order rushed off after a respectful "Yes, your grace." Ivan turned back to the Princess. "I don't, but thank you for asking, my lady. I should meet with the other girls, if you would like anything else before dinner, feel free to ask any of the guards. Oh, and this is my little brother-Prince Ari." Ivan stepped aside for his little brother. If one of the girls were to become his bride one day, they would have to be acquainted. His Father would be next, later in the day or tomorrow. Ari offered a quick "Hello, my lady" in similar fashion as his brother.

Magdalene von Eystadt-the older sister to the ruler of Kuronami. As he came up to her he offered his hand as he had with Princess Amana. The girl before him seemed excitable-radiating enthusiasm. A wide smile plastered across her face and the Crown Prince found himself smiling too. Her first words to him, apart from a greeting, were to inquire about food. He chuckled lightheartedly and nodded. "Right you are. You are Magdalene von Eystadt, right? We will have dinner as soon as i meet the rest of the women here, i could have some food brought down now if you are famished."

[Kuronami]

Magdalene von Eystadt-the older sister to the ruler of Kuronami. As he came up to her he offered his hand as he had with Princess Amana. The girl before him seemed excitable-radiating enthusiasm. A wide smile plastered across her face and the Crown Prince found himself smiling too. Her first words to him, apart from a greeting, were to inquire about food. He chuckled lightheartedly and nodded. "Right you are. You are Magdalene von Eystadt, right? We will have dinner as soon as i meet the rest of the women here, i could have some food brought down now if you are famished."

She smiled her bright sunny smile. "That's certainly me all right! But feel free to call me Maggie, most do, except my closest of friends. They call me Mags at times. Of course, many of the other ladies are just as eager to meet you and while I am rather hungry, it would be impolite to begin eating without everyone else so please, do not mind me, I'll be just fine."

[Toraia]

Thought it had to have been only an hour or so at most since their arrival, it felt like an eternity before the Crown Prince finally made his appearance. But oh, it was worth the wait. Two men had entered the room in a gleam of gold, drawing everyone’s attention upon themselves. One wore a striking set of ceremonial armor, the other wore a nicely tailored tuxedo, and both of them were rather handsome. The one in the tuxedo was walking in the lead, so Kiaris assumed he was Crown Prince Ivan. He had the stride and stature of a prince, but he also wore a conflicted, if not nervous, expression.
Strange. What bothered him so?
She felt a small grin pull at her lips. Although she was by no means pleased that he was nervous, it did help him to seem more approachable. He couldn’t be an ivory statue, after all. He was the future husband of one of the women standing in this very room. At the same time, his appearance hammered in how real this was: this was a person of royalty, standing in her midst. Technically, Kiaris herself was royalty, but it certainly didn’t feel that way as her family lived in exile at home. The only times she’d seen blue blood in its proper habitat were the old drawings in the record-book for Toraian royalty. But that was then, and this was now.
Ivan’s striking blue eyes scanned the small crowd in front of him. His forehead creased slightly, like he was trying to figure out which of the women he recognized. Kiaris didn’t fidget, despite knowing she was being scrutinized. She didn’t mind the attention; in this case, she welcomed it. She straightened her back and looked sincere. When she did that, a shock of her black-and-brown hair came loose and fell over one eye. Oh, fantastic. She just hoped that looked mysterious and alluring, not messy.
The women from Kyrenaia and Kuronami went up to Ivan right away. Bold! But then again, if she remembered correctly, the two nations already had established relationships with the Frozen Forest. So maybe that was why they had fewer inhibitions. Kiaris bit her lip. If she wanted to make a good impression, she had to be upfront like this. Her two instincts were battling here. On one hand, she was an outgoing person by nature. But on the other, it wasn’t custom in Toraia for the guest to initiate conversation when there was a power imbalance (like in this situation.)
That wouldn’t stop her from being outgoing and putting herself out there right away, however. Kiaris strode up behind Magdalene, making it clear she intended to speak to Ivan next. There was another tradition in Toraia, this one older than dirt, that said “don’t make sustained, direct eye contact.” It was a holdover from ancestors who roamed woodlands full of dangerous animals, who would take that as a challenge. So instead of watching him, she played eye games. She’d glance at him for a second with those bright brown eyes before looking away.
Come to think of it, she didn’t really mind being thought of as the mysterious one in the group.

[The Frozen Forest]

The Royal Palace

The Crown Prince nodded in acknowledgment as she asked him to refer to her as Maggie. "Alright then, from this moment on i'll remember to call you Maggie. If you change your mind about wanting something to eat, it isn't any bother. You are our esteemed guest." He took a moment to appreciate her presence. Out of all the girls, Magdalena was one of his families favorites. She came from a good family which ruled a influential nation-He already knew that they would be pressuring him for details about her the moment they got the opportunity. Ari had also particularly favored her-he thought that an alliance with Kuronami would be help towards a major economic boon for the country-easy for him to say when he didn't have to choose between all the Royalty and Nobility in the room to marry. He had to admit that she was a pretty girl-not quite as unique as the red-eyed Kyrenaian Princess Amana but her enthusiasm was charming. "My lady, if you'll excuse me. Oh, and may i introduce my younger brother, Prince Ari?" He smiled politely and stepped aside to allow his armor-dressed brother to step in and offer his hand.

Ivan's eye's fell upon a new girl, one that he hadn't noticed had moved from where she was originally standing. She had been on the other side of the room but now stood before him. Lady Kiaris Lukiva, the strange woman with exotic clothes and chocolate eyes. His own fell to her freckles and down to her lips, passing along until he observed her strange attire. Her clothes were loose and flowing and as he raised his eyes back to hers-which were quite avoidant of his-he noticed a ring of shiny metal in her hair. He was taken aback for a moment and then spoke. "My Lady" Ivan extended his hand softly in greeting, still trying to pry the girls eyes to meet his silently. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

[Kyrenaia]

Princess Rasha bint-Razia.
It was fun to watch this. There were around half-a-dozen young women to choose from and, let's be honest be honest here for a moment, most of them were more beautiful then Amana and closer to Ivan's age group then me.
I thought, that I had the charms of a mature and ripe woman, especially when compared to those here, who were barely not children anymore in quite a few cases.
Still, I hid a snort behind my lips, when Amana invited him for a cuppa - in his own home. Bold, girl, to the point of being impudent!
Still, it seemed to amuse Ivan more then anything despite him moving on to meet some of the others, who basically came running to him. Amana had been chosen by him to be met and he seemed to enjoy their very brief chat, before he went on.
I thought for a moment. Should I joy the crazed run for the finish line?
Oh, no... that was beneath me. I was a Princess of an Ilkhanate and a mature woman. If a man wanted something from me, he should come to me, not the other way around.
Gods, I spent too much time with Aynur... still, the Ilkhana of Megido (and Princess of the Khanate of Las, even its Regent until Dilara was ready) and mother of three wonderful children was right: I was not a puppy. I had come here to meet Crown Prince Ivan and see, if it would click, on his side's request.
I was a self-confident woman (not young anymore, thank you very much).
So, if he wanted to meet me, he would have to come to me. It would also be a simple image for the other girls.
It such a simple power-game, that it was mind-boggingly effective...

[Toraia]

The Royal Palace

The Crown Prince nodded in acknowledgment as she asked him to refer to her as Maggie. "Alright then, from this moment on i'll remember to call you Maggie. If you change your mind about wanting something to eat, it isn't any bother. You are our esteemed guest." He took a moment to appreciate her presence. Out of all the girls, Magdalena was one of his families favorites. She came from a good family which ruled a influential nation-He already knew that they would be pressuring him for details about her the moment they got the opportunity. Ari had also particularly favored her-he thought that an alliance with Kuronami would be help towards a major economic boon for the country-easy for him to say when he didn't have to choose between all the Royalty and Nobility in the room to marry. He had to admit that she was a pretty girl-not quite as unique as the red-eyed Kyrenaian Princess Amana but her enthusiasm was charming. "My lady, if you'll excuse me. Oh, and may i introduce my younger brother, Prince Ari?" He smiled politely and stepped aside to allow his armor-dressed brother to step in and offer his hand.

Ivan's eye's fell upon a new girl, one that he hadn't noticed had moved from where she was originally standing. She had been on the other side of the room but now stood before him. Lady Kiaris Lukiva, the strange woman with exotic clothes and chocolate eyes. His own fell to her freckles and down to her lips, passing along until he observed her strange attire. Her clothes were loose and flowing and as he raised his eyes back to hers-which were quite avoidant of his-he noticed a ring of shiny metal in her hair. He was taken aback for a moment and then spoke. "My Lady" Ivan extended his hand softly in greeting, still trying to pry the girls eyes to meet his silently. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

Kiaris glanced up to see Ivan approaching her. At his approach, her servant/assistant Hikatka departed discreetly, not wanting to get in the way. When the crown prince called her 'my Lady' and offered his hand, she gave him a demure smile. "It is even greater pleasure to finally meet you, Prince Ivan. You have beautiful country, with happy people. You must be proud of it."
Though her accent was heavy and her English a bit clumsy, her voice was low and smooth and warm, like well-polished wood. She took his hand in hers, shaking it slowly. She noticed him looking her up and down, paying particular interest to her attire. Before leaving for the Frozen Forest, she figured that the cultural costume of her homeland may be appropriate. It wasn't showy -- a long, loose underdress with a red over-tunic, and tied at the hips with a sash. Metal tassels hung from the hem of her skirts, and an ivy pattern in yellow thread decorated her shirt. Not fancy, but it was nice enough to be presentable in a formal setting. And it had made an impression, clearly.
"This is way we dress back home," she explained. "Sturdy enough for forest, but also nice enough for castle and formal dinner. We are practical people. That is also reason I do not look you in eyes. Holdover from ancient days when ancestors lived among bears and wolves. You must never look animal in eyes. They will take it as challenge, and they will attack. But since you are not threat--"
She looked him directly in the eyes, brown meeting blue.
"--we do not need to worry about that, no? Ah, customs of our homeland, they are very interesting. I look forward to learning history and culture of Frozen Forest. It is very fine country, I can see that already."

[A m e n r i a]

A young Asian woman holding a briefcase walked up to the front gates of the castle in the Frozen Forest. Her long, brown, wavy hair was tied up in a ponytail for practicality, and she wore the uniform of the Starchild Sorority, consisting of a black blazer, a pair of shorts, and a pair of heels of the same colour. Above her left chest pocket were three medals representing her success in combat, and on her lapel was the Ramadhan Family pin - an indicator of being a member of the ruling Noble Family. Underneath her open blazer was a white top which accentuated her...feminine assets. Despite her tomboyish personality, she certainly knew how to do her own makeup to add to her already-attractive natural beauty. After all, what other choice does a noble from a nation that specifically promotes beauty in its constitution have?

She was worried she'd get lost in the castle, especially with how large the structure seemed to be. Luckily, her host prepared some staff to guide her to where she had to be. Coming in, any gaze upon her would be responded with a slight nod. "Sup?" she greeted, just before she took a better look around and realized she was late. She blushed with embarassment and proceeded to bow to the man she assumed was the prince who called her here. "I-I mean, I'm terribly sorry for being late, please forgive me!" Her tone changed to become somewhat shaky and nervous.

Blue: spoken in English

[The Frozen Forest]

Truvaria, The Frozen Forest

The Crown Prince watched Kiaris as she greeted him with a somewhat standard compliment of his country and his people. What was more interesting was her description of her garb-in broken English she described to him why her dress was the way that it was. Mentioning how it was both practical and fashionable in her homeland. Practicality was something he could understand having served in the Military for several years. That is forgetting the fact that an entire region of The Frozen Forest practically rejected fashion in favor of being practical-that is The North Region. Kiaris mentioned how her clothes were fitting to the Forest, while he wanted to believe her he wondered whether she had ever seen a Frozen Forestrian winter or anything like it. Parts of the Forest were always blanketed in horrible snowstorms that left most of it uninhabitable by any but the hardiest people.

Kiaris compared him to an animal-probably the first time someone had ever made such a suggestion so seriously to him. Ivan found the knowledge to be insightful though, into her people. His people had also lived among the wilderness for hundreds of years, so he wondered what conditions people living in Toraia faced, what sort of animals lived there-or if they were just more aggressive-or if that was just how her people adapted. It was a curious thing.

"I hope you enjoy being here, my people are eager to meet you girls. My family is too, i suppose you'll meet them at dinner though. They are the ones who you need to make good impression on-they will judge harder than i will. It's nice meeting you, Kiaris. I look forwards to getting to know you over the next couple of days."

Politely stepping aside to let his brother meet Kiaris, Ivan moved on to the next girl. The closest one also happened to be the only one thus far that hadn't shifted her position when he came close. Almost like a lynx standing her ground when faced with a hunter. A challenge radiated from her aura and Ivan felt that but was undeterred. The girls had come to meet him, but that didn't mean that he didn't have to work at it just as hard. Ivan came up to Princess Rasha-Bint Razia as confidently as he had approached the other girls. As he came about halfway across the distance to her, a few steps, the doors suddenly flew open.

A girl with long jet black hair and high cheekbones looked around the room at the girls and him. Offering an informal and surprising "Sup" to them. Ivan turned and looked confusedly at the guard to her left, who shrugged his shoulders. So this was one of the girls who had come in late? Suddenly, as though realizing the faux pas of arriving late she turned to Ivan and bowed. Her apology sounded genuine enough and Ivan diplomatically stepped forwards to formally meet her. If he didn't it could have been considered rude. He decided to talk to Princess Rasha-Bint Razia after, regardless of developments or distractions.

"You are forgiven, my lady. I am the Crown Prince, Ivan." He offered his hand as he had with all the other girls so far. This girl was one he actually didn't recognize. He had been prepped by his father so that he already knew faces and names, but this girl's face and name didn't seem to make a connection with him. Still the Guards wouldn't have let her past if not for a letter, so she was supposed to be here.

[Gerrst]

Penelope had wanted to wear her seersucker pant suit that she had recently purchased from a cute little boutique. However the name Frozen Forest was a clear enough warning to prepare for a colder climate. Thus, the Gessrtin arrived in last season's wool suit. Its medium grey fabric had a light weight, so it wasn't unbearable in the Gessrtian summer, and passed well to the houndstooth overcoat which she had packed.

Unfortunately, her flights were delayed multiple times during layovers, making her inescapably late. Worse of all the actress couldn't use her phone in the foreign airports to call ahead. There was nothing left for her to do but to show up late. Her only relief being, that in this she was not alone. Penelope had noticed another women arrive at the castle just before her.

After the servant had guided the movie stars to the others, Penelope had to rely on her acting skills to conceal her anxiety. Fortunately she was a good actress and greeted the room whith a charming smile.

[A m e n r i a]

Truvaria, The Frozen Forest

The Crown Prince watched Kiaris as she greeted him with a somewhat standard compliment of his country and his people. What was more interesting was her description of her garb-in broken English she described to him why her dress was the way that it was. Mentioning how it was both practical and fashionable in her homeland. Practicality was something he could understand having served in the Military for several years. That is forgetting the fact that an entire region of The Frozen Forest practically rejected fashion in favor of being practical-that is The North Region. Kiaris mentioned how her clothes were fitting to the Forest, while he wanted to believe her he wondered whether she had ever seen a Frozen Forestrian winter or anything like it. Parts of the Forest were always blanketed in horrible snowstorms that left most of it uninhabitable by any but the hardiest people.

Kiaris compared him to an animal-probably the first time someone had ever made such a suggestion so seriously to him. Ivan found the knowledge to be insightful though, into her people. His people had also lived among the wilderness for hundreds of years, so he wondered what conditions people living in Toraia faced, what sort of animals lived there-or if they were just more aggressive-or if that was just how her people adapted. It was a curious thing.

"I hope you enjoy being here, my people are eager to meet you girls. My family is too, i suppose you'll meet them at dinner though. They are the ones who you need to make good impression on-they will judge harder than i will. It's nice meeting you, Kiaris. I look forwards to getting to know you over the next couple of days."

Politely stepping aside to let his brother meet Kiaris, Ivan moved on to the next girl. The closest one also happened to be the only one thus far that hadn't shifted her position when he came close. Almost like a lynx standing her ground when faced with a hunter. A challenge radiated from her aura and Ivan felt that but was undeterred. The girls had come to meet him, but that didn't mean that he didn't have to work at it just as hard. Ivan came up to Princess Rasha-Bint Razia as confidently as he had approached the other girls. As he came about halfway across the distance to her, a few steps, the doors suddenly flew open.

A girl with long jet black hair and high cheekbones looked around the room at the girls and him. Offering an informal and surprising "Sup" to them. Ivan turned and looked confusedly at the guard to her left, who shrugged his shoulders. So this was one of the girls who had come in late? Suddenly, as though realizing the faux pas of arriving late she turned to Ivan and bowed. Her apology sounded genuine enough and Ivan diplomatically stepped forwards to formally meet her. If he didn't it could have been considered rude. He decided to talk to Princess Rasha-Bint Razia after, regardless of developments or distractions.

"You are forgiven, my lady. I am the Crown Prince, Ivan." He offered his hand as he had with all the other girls so far. This girl was one he actually didn't recognize. He had been prepped by his father so that he already knew faces and names, but this girl's face and name didn't seem to make a connection with him. Still the Guards wouldn't have let her past if not for a letter, so she was supposed to be here.

Yali accepted his hand and gave it a firm shake, which may or may not be too firm, depending on the prince's own strength. As he moved on, she quickly went in line with the other women, assuming that this was what she was supposed to do. She sighed when the tension lowered and began to observe the others with her. She saw royals of various ethnicity. One looked like she was Arab, or at least from the Middle East. Another seemed to be German, with her blue eyes and blonde hair. Her train of thought was suddenly stopped when another late arrival came in, and Yali looked at the new guest.

[Noretias]

So this was the Prince over which she had thrown the Noreti hardliners (to say nothing of their Majesties, her mother in particular) into such a tizzy. He was pretty enough, though she would have to remember not to tell him as much until they knew one another better; foreign men could be so touchy about such words. Ylara wondered wondered for a moment what her mother would say if she could see her now, gathered with the rest of the women to fawn over a nobleman like some foreigner. Doubtless she would insist Ylara follow the lead of Princess Rasha, who stood proud and aloof on her own as though Ivan were here for her alone, and it was his own fault if he chose to keep her waiting. Ultimately Ylara decided upon a bit of a compromise; she drifted over with the rest of the girls as Ivan entered, gathering around him but staying farther to the back; to avoid appearing over-eager, yes, but mostly so she could observe for a while. The Prince was acting the perfect gentleman with every introduction, but that was simply to be expected when greeting such august guests. For a long moment she became much more interested in the sight the man, a bodyguard surely, who had announced Ivan. A big towering fellow with a great beard near as blonde as her hair, the man could have been Aelfric's twin. She would have to see that the two were introduced at some point. They could swap pointers on looking grim and intimidating. She tore her eyes away and focused on the Prince soon enough; foreign girls were supposed to be "attentive" of a man they were courting, she had been told, and she did not wish to appear rude. So she stood and watched as he went from Princess to Princess, patiently awaiting her turn and fighting the urge to strike up another conversation with the woman next to her. Everyone seemed to making a good enough impression; or, perhaps more likely, Prince Ivan was perfectly trained to appear polite and interested even when bored out of his school. That had been perhaps the toughest part of diplomatic training, as far as Ylara was concerned. Ritual and tedium had never been her strong-suit, which by itself was enough to make her glad she had not been born to the Sacred blood.

[The Frozen Forest]

Truvaria, The Frozen Forest

Ivan shook the woman's hand and she wordlessly made her way over to the other girls. To his detriment, they all seemed to have assumed that he already knew each of them. He didn't. The girl whose hand he had shaken-she was lost on him. Ivan watched as she walked away, knowing that he would just have to properly reintroduce himself to her later. If because of nothing else but formality. Behind her came another girl with jet black hair and dressed in warm clothing. Her expression was one of confidence, a confidence that Ivan had seen before only in actors, jesters and psychopaths. Ivan saw through it immediately for the simple fact that he had seen it often during his travels of the world. It didn't matter to him as he recognized her. A member of the Sektbrunnen and from the nation of Gerrst.

Prince Ari came along to her a moment later, his hand outstretched. No doubt his brother would be eager to meet her given that she was an actress. Ari was a nationalist first and had been the biggest advocate for Ivan choosing a native bride, but Ari was also someone who happened to watch the latest movies. It wouldn't be surprising if Ari had seen one of Penelopes.

The Crown Prince looked over the girls he had yet to meet. A bubble of nervousness welling up in his chest-to be perfectly confident in all things was impossible. Never had he felt such danger as he did looking at them, these girls that were here to court him. Love had never been his strong suit-he doubted that it ever would, but being a King would involve more than just diplomatic or martial skills. He had to choose one of the girls and then he had to be with them for the rest of his life-forever a husband. Naturally his family would assess each girl more throughly than him-they would be judged and then they would try to sway Ivan, and so he had to form impressions of his own. Who were the girls he was meeting, and what were their goals?

More by mistake than on purpose, Ivan locked eyes with the girl from before. The older woman who seemed almost too old to seriously contend with her younger competition. Princess Rasha bint-Razia was not like the other noble girls, even at this particular event. Her boldness stood out, as did she-being at the back of the crowd and refusing to move closer. As though drawn in by his mental promise to himself, Ivan politely passed some girls and came to her.

"Princess Rasha bint-Razia." Ivan extended his hand, as he had with the other girls.

[Kyrenaia]

Truvaria, The Frozen Forest

Ivan shook the woman's hand and she wordlessly made her way over to the other girls. To his detriment, they all seemed to have assumed that he already knew each of them. He didn't. The girl whose hand he had shaken-she was lost on him. Ivan watched as she walked away, knowing that he would just have to properly reintroduce himself to her later. If because of nothing else but formality. Behind her came another girl with jet black hair and dressed in warm clothing. Her expression was one of confidence, a confidence that Ivan had seen before only in actors, jesters and psychopaths. Ivan saw through it immediately for the simple fact that he had seen it often during his travels of the world. It didn't matter to him as he recognized her. A member of the Sektbrunnen and from the nation of Gerrst.

Prince Ari came along to her a moment later, his hand outstretched. No doubt his brother would be eager to meet her given that she was an actress. Ari was a nationalist first and had been the biggest advocate for Ivan choosing a native bride, but Ari was also someone who happened to watch the latest movies. It wouldn't be surprising if Ari had seen one of Penelopes.

The Crown Prince looked over the girls he had yet to meet. A bubble of nervousness welling up in his chest-to be perfectly confident in all things was impossible. Never had he felt such danger as he did looking at them, these girls that were here to court him. Love had never been his strong suit-he doubted that it ever would, but being a King would involve more than just diplomatic or martial skills. He had to choose one of the girls and then he had to be with them for the rest of his life-forever a husband. Naturally his family would assess each girl more throughly than him-they would be judged and then they would try to sway Ivan, and so he had to form impressions of his own. Who were the girls he was meeting, and what were their goals?

More by mistake than on purpose, Ivan locked eyes with the girl from before. The older woman who seemed almost too old to seriously contend with her younger competition. Princess Rasha bint-Razia was not like the other noble girls, even at this particular event. Her boldness stood out, as did she-being at the back of the crowd and refusing to move closer. As though drawn in by his mental promise to himself, Ivan politely passed some girls and came to her.

"Princess Rasha bint-Razia." Ivan extended his hand, as he had with the other girls.

Princess Rasha bint-Razia.
Oh... that was interesting: He introduced himself to every other girl, had them introduce themselves to him, with gentleman-like stance and politeness. He came to me and he knew my name already.
I could not help but smile a slight bit.
I bowed my head lightly at his appellation, as it was custom amongst my people.
"Crown-Prince Ivan.", I said and then took his hand, giving it a firm shake - not vice-like, but firm indeed. "It is a great pleasure to meet you, even if the purpose would much rather favour younger people. But, as the proverb says, even an old cougar knows her tricks."
I shifted slightly in my posture, which brought to shine mature curves, and that with subtleness. Other girls might try to win him over with basically shoving their tits in his face, but I did not need that.
Allure and charm of an older, more experienced woman had been the weakness of many-a-man.

[Gerrst]

A young man in a dinner jacket, whom Penelope recognized as the Crown Prince, looked at the new arrival before approaching another woman. Not a good sign thought the Gerrstin. However, another young man approached the actress, this one in armor. Penelope didn't recognize him, but saw some resemblance with Ivan. She accepted his offered hand and almost curtsied. It was a bit awkward, but she brushed it off with a smile and said "Penelope Sektbrunnen at your service." It was then that she remembered that etiquette demands that one waits for a Prince to talk, assuming the armoured clad knight was a Prince. Still, Penelope didn't worry as she knew most faux pas can be covered up with a friendly smile.

[The Frozen Forest]

Truvaria, The Royal Palace

Princess Rasha-the oldest woman in the room and certainly the most experienced to try and court the Crown Prince. She was a curiosity, but her boldness was something that appealed to Ivan. She smiled as he approached and accepted his hand to shake, which had been standard among the girls that he had met. She seemed to understand her age and what it meant in regards to her competition as she greeted him with precisely that sentiment. Age, age wasn't important to him. To his father, perhaps, but to him it was nothing worth mentioning. Ivan let the comment pass by without reply, raising an eyebrow as the Princess brought up a proverb he hadn't heard before-about a Cougar and its tricks.

A shift in posture was something lost on Ivan. Ari may have picked up on it and his guards certainly did, being that they were trained to watch body language. A few looked away respectfully, most were alert for weapons or threats, though there was nothing to fear. Ivan offered the Princess a wider smile. "I have seen a lot of tricks from around the world. How do you know i haven't already seen yours? I'll be impressed if you can show me something new." Ivan winked at her and continued along to the next girl.

Another girl with blonde hair and blue eyes and a strange attire. She was also unique in her title as Princess of the Martial blood. Ylara Etria of Noretias was certainly unique. She was someone who had been around, much like Ivan. What else did he know about her? Not that much unfortunately. Noretias was a strange place that The Frozen Forest just didn't have any real contact with apart from this very event-this girl that was before him. Surely the first Noretian to have ever set foot on Frozen Forestrian soil. It could be history-certainly it would become history if he ended up marrying her.

"My Lady." He offered his hand to her and a smile as he was trained to do with foreign guests. Up close he realized how attractive she was. Not that the other girls weren't pretty-Princess Amana's eyes still fascinated him and Lady Kiaris's clothes were something he hadn't seen before. Ivan took the lead as he spoke. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Princess. Ylara."

~~~~~~~~
Prince Ari felt out of his element among the many women around the room. As expected they all gravitated around his brother-but that was to be expected since they were effectively competing for his affections. Ari felt a small pulse of pity for Ivan-who he knew didn't want to get married at all. The whole affair was something that simply had to happen. He wouldn't have to go through with it though if he could have just fell in love when he was younger. Ivan was going on into what, his 30's? Prince Ari glanced around at the women in the room-They were all foreigners, pretty foreigners but foreigners all the same.

Ari bit his cheek and thought about all the girls that Ivan could have had from The Frozen Forest. What young girl wouldn't want to marry the Crown Prince? Then again, that same principle applied to Ari as well, so he couldn't blame his brother. In any case, there were likely hundreds of thousands of young women envying those in this room. A future Queen for the nation should have proper royal blood-that was his opinion anyways. Suddenly his brother was about, shaking hands with the girls-Ari was supposed to shake their hands as well, though none of them seemed quite interested in him.

After a few girls, Ari came to one with the body of a model and long black hair. She introduced herself as Penelope Sektbrunnen. Ari mustered his best smile as he introduced himself. "My Lady, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am Prince Ari, younger brother of the Crown Prince and second in line for the throne." His brother didn't particularly like titles but Ari relished them, and so he enjoyed introductions where he could flaunt it. The girl in front of him, Penelope, seemed interesting enough for a foreigner. "A lot of young women in this country would have given their left hand to be in this room right now. Are you nervous at all about courting my brother?" It wasn't the most formal question to ask, but being forward rarely caused him trouble.

Elsewhere in The Royal Palace

An entourage of maidservants, guards, butlers and retainers trailed along after King Alvor. The Chief of Palace Security, Ivar Friis came along the aged man sovereign, a list in hand. Along with him were an army of more guards, most dressed in ceremonial armor but a few wearing tuxedos. Publicly they all sported ceremonial swords to match their armor but what couldn't be seen were small self defense pistols. A precaution in case it were necessary to truly defend the Royal Family from trouble. The Chief of Palace Security was the most experienced and loyal man in the entire Guard, which consisted of about 1,200 for the Royal Palace alone.

"I want patrols every half an hour and the men should be on high alert until i say otherwise. These girls should be treated like Royalty and given all the protections that it entails. All food should be tested before being brought to them and..." The King lost his train of thought gracelessly. He wasn't affected by any sort of disease-even those that appeared with age, but that didn't mean his memory was as clear as it once was. His doctors weren't optimistic as it pertained to his time left on the world-King Alvor was on his last legs and everyone in the Palace knew it. Such was the haste in which the search for a wife for Ivan had intensified, to ensure the Royal Bloodline continued then the Crown Prince had to marry and have kids.

Eventually the huge group of people came to a small room, a break room of sorts that had been set up a month prior. The Palace was a huge complex that handled the affairs of the nation, so it's size was necessary. The King was too old to traverse it though, so a few break rooms were set up throughout the building to allow him to rest.

"My King, remind me again why you invited these women in particular?" Chief of Palace Security Ivar Friis, posed the question to King Alvor. Normally it wouldn't be acceptable for anyone to ask such a question of the King, but Friis was one of his closest friends despite the huge age gap.

"You mean the women we invited to the Palace? Well, i suppose we aren't going anywhere until dinner. I'll tell you why we invited them." The King settled back into an old wooden chair with plush purple fabric. "The first family we considered inviting were the Ui-Kriegers of Camelone, the house that my daughter Freja married into. As you'll remember, it was yourself that pushed me to instead offer invitations to Camelonean Nobility instead. We narrowed it down a single potential lady with whom myself and my retainers thought was suitable. That would be Lady Ceit Ui-Sgaire. I lied-come to think of it, i believe it was a mistake on our part that she ended up with an invitation, given that she isn't a member of the High Nobility. Still, turning her back would have been an affront to the nation of Camelone, and given what we know about her, she shares some of Ivan's hobbies.

The next woman we invited was Baroness Yali of Amenria. From what we know about her, she is from a powerful bloodline. Unfortunately she is also the daughter of a concubine and is considered a starchild in her home country. Our intelligence doesn't quite know what a starchild is, but the Amenrians have assured us that it is nothing to be worried about. As for why i invited her here, i admit it had something to do with her supposed bloodline. Whatever a starchild is, a strong Queen could do some good in the days to come, after i'm dead and gone.

After that was another non-noble. Ms. Penelope Sektbrunnen of Gerrst, a movie star in her home country. She has no royal blood to speak of, and as far as we can tell she has no link to nobility either. I invited her against the wishes of my retainers because of her ambition, primarily. If Ivan falls for her, he would have a woman who doesn't appear to be afraid of taking risks, and who could help liberalize several industries here in The Frozen Forest. I think that she would be particularly popular with the younger generation-support for the monarchy would be improved with her as Queen.

Then there was Princess Rasha bint-Razia. I have to admit that out of all the women we invited, i had the most disagreement from my retainers regarding her. She is the oldest among them, and older than Ivan by almost ten years. In a few more, she will likely be unable to have children just because of her age. Why did i invite her then? Well first things first, she's a Major General in Utica. She has guts and her experience would be undeniably beneficial for the nation, and for my son if he ever has to go to war. Personally i wouldn't mind if my grandchildren were raised with martial traditions either-traditions best enforced if both parents understand them. If Ivan were to fall in love with her, i would need to..er... express to him the urgency of raising children. Apart from that, and given that she still has years before she cannot bear children, i saw no reason to not invite her.

"Ylara Etria? Yes, she is of Royal Blood. In Noretias she is a Princess of the Martial Blood. I invited her partially because she is somewhat like Ivan, well traveled and having served in her military. The other reason i invited her was because The Frozen Forest could use more allies and even if Ivan doesn't choose her in the end, Noretias and The Frozen Forest now have diplomatic contacts with one another. And if he does choose to be with her, then Noretias would become an ally of The Frozen Forest. The economic benefits for both countries gives more than enough reason to consider the invitation.

Princess of the Blood Desdemona Adah Elizabeth Davenant of House Obed. One of the younger women we invited, nine years younger than Ivan. She is a beauty in her home country and i would argue, even here in The Frozen Forest. She was invited on account of her youth, the prestige of her family and quite notably her personality. She is a fresh face and like Penelope, could be quite popular with the younger generation. That aside, she would be a good Queen to help lead us away from the Communist Party which has dominated our county for decades. I've been in talks with high ranking members, it's going to collapse soon and this girl is an anti-communist."

The King reached for a glass of water provided by a maidservant, so much talk had left him parched. After a long gulp and a sigh, he continued explaining the last three girls.

"There is real opportunity in Toraia and the so called Lost Princess. Despite no longer having a monarchy there are still those with Royal blood in the nation. Lady Kiaris Lukiva was the best candidate for an invitation, she is gregarious and from a good family. I suspect she will have no trouble asserting herself as Queen here in the Palace, if Ivan chooses her. This is not to mention that she also has a younger brother, a fifteen year old. If Ivan is ambitious enough, he could start a war or a coup and elevate this child to power in Toraia-being that he may end up marrying Lady Kiaris, you can see why this would be beneficial for our country.

Princess Amana bint-Samir was one of the only girls that none of the retainers saw a problem with. She has Royal Blood and her family is in power in their Khanate. She is young and i would wager that Ivan will find her attractive-she also has experienced with governance, which could be useful if she were to end up becoming Queen. And besides all of that, Ivan always had a thing for dancers and as it turns out, the Princess happens to be a dancer.

The lasts girl we sent a letter to was Countess Magdalene von Eylstadt from Kuronami. She was one of the last to be considered, but i doubt we could have forgotten about her. She is the older sister to the ruler of Kuronami, so the benefits of Ivan marrying her would be heavy-not to mention the fact that the von Eylstadt's are known in our country, whereas most other Royal Families aren't. She would make a smooth transition if Ivan chooses her, easily fitting into the palace, at least i expect so."

The King stood as he finished, as did most of the people around him. Their next stop was the kitchens, to make sure everything would go well for dinner. As the King led them away, Friis pondered the girls and what the King had said about them. It would be an interesting couple of days.

[Noretias]

Ylara took Ivan's proffered hand and shook it firmly, her left hand reflexively forming a fist and thumping against the Devoured Sun on her breastplate as she did so; a formal Noreti greeting common among military officers of equivalent rank. Greetings were greatly important to Noreti, and the pious placed almost ritualistic importance on them. She answered his smile with one of her own, batting her eyelashes prettily to highlight her own blue orbs (a habit she had first picked up to tease one of her darker-eyed Sacred sisters, in the sometimes petty way of children).

"Prince Ivan." She spoke warmly and openly, as though they were old friends rather than meeting for the first time. "The Frozen Forest is a lovely land, as others have said, thank you so much for allowing me the opportunity to know your people. The Queens of Noretias send their warmest regards," leastwise the Sacred Queen had; Ylara's mother had been shouting about taking a Frozen Forest Prince as a royal consort if she went through with this last she had heard, "I hope we may speak more and share much when there is time, and you are not hopping from pretty woman to pretty woman." Her smile widened with that last remark, crooking a bit as it went and flashing white teeth.

Ylara liked what she saw of the Prince so far, well enough with what she had to go off of at least. He still seemed rather stiff, and with the way his eyes had hardly flickered at Princess Rasha's lovely shimmy earlier he may even be a bit stuffy, but she thought nerves were more likely the answer. Perfectly natural for a person to be nervous in such a situation, presented with a choice of wives lined up as prettily as a row of produce in a market.