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

[The Frozen Forest]

Freja shook her head, any bit of morbid humor not seeming right for the situation. Her homeland wasn't plagued by those sorts of problems, mainly because there was a huge taboo over disturbing the dead at all. Trying to reanimate one, well, it was more insane there than it seemed to be in Camelone. She had traveled the world and had seen plenty of attempts but mainly in underdeveloped or unusually superstitious nations. Some Chinese communities, Native-American and Aboriginal groups, and some Mexican cultists were what came to her mind as she considered it. She nodded her head more definitely "The Frozen Forest doesn't have many necromancers, but i'm sure your making the right decision. I'm unaware of the Mad Baron, though i'm sure that your making the correct choice with this wannabe. My countrymen would have done much worse for the desecration of a body." Secret Police and Inquisitors, she wasn't all that surprised based on what she'd seen of this countries Martial-Spirit. It wasn't as though her own country didn't employ similar methods. "Is attempted necromancy common?"

[Camelone]

Freja shook her head, any bit of morbid humor not seeming right for the situation. Her homeland wasn't plagued by those sorts of problems, mainly because there was a huge taboo over disturbing the dead at all. Trying to reanimate one, well, it was more insane there than it seemed to be in Camelone. She had traveled the world and had seen plenty of attempts but mainly in underdeveloped or unusually superstitious nations. Some Chinese communities, Native-American and Aboriginal groups, and some Mexican cultists were what came to her mind as she considered it. She nodded her head more definitely "The Frozen Forest doesn't have many necromancers, but i'm sure your making the right decision. I'm unaware of the Mad Baron, though i'm sure that your making the correct choice with this wannabe. My countrymen would have done much worse for the desecration of a body." Secret Police and Inquisitors, she wasn't all that surprised based on what she'd seen of this countries Martial-Spirit. It wasn't as though her own country didn't employ similar methods. "Is attempted necromancy common?"

"You are lucky you don't have to deal with this problem, we have been trying our hardest to stomp out all the knowledge related to it but you never know what sneaks through the black market. So far the Mafia families under my control have not reported anything unusual so that is good news." Picking up a pen he began filling out the necessary paperwork "Well she is caught and will be executed by the end of the week, either firing squad or guillotine the choice of the local baron." With that done he pushed that set of papers off to the side and took another set out. "Thankfully this is not very common, the necropolis' are usually well guarded by the Tomb Guard so usually these necromancers get their cadavers by murder, that is where my utilization of Camelone's criminal element comes into play, it is rather easy to root out rebels and murderers when you have professional thugs hunting them down with no discretion. Rather efficient indeed, though I prefer using my secret police and Inquisition for those jobs less of a chance of civilian casualties."

A knock was heard on the door and Frederick replied in Camelonean for the person to enter. He was an Inquisitor dressed in the dark robes and the deathly pale plague doctor's mask that altered his voice to a rasp.

"You called for me your highness?" The Inquisitor asked as he stopped in the middle of the room falling into parade rest.

"Yes Inquisitor Torin, please remove your mask and properly greet Princess Freja." Frederick said switching back into English and the Inquisitor obeyed revealing the face of a familiar young man, a servant of the manor who was assigned to look after Freja. "I do apologize Princess Freja for having you under watch and bugged but I can never be to careful, I am a stranger to the foreign world and feared what the teasa could do once within the borders past our great Battlements. There was also a security concern for your well being as you already know not many of my peers approve of my decision. I will be ordering Torin to remove the bugs from your room and communication devices as well as ceasing his observations of you. Though he will be still attached to your protection detail."

"It was a pleasure princess. May you be forever protected by the Lord." Torin said with a bow to Freja before he left the room.

Frederick coughed into his hand nervously wondering how she was going to react to this revelation but he didn't think it was proper to keep it from her. "There is also one last thing I would like to say. May I call you Freja?" He inquired, nowhere could be seen the cold and confident king that once sat in that chair instead he was replaced with a nervous and jittery man.

[The Frozen Forest]

Freja took the new information in quietly. What might have taken another a few minutes to realize as truth, to take it all in, only took her seconds. The fact that the Camelonean Monarchy was associated with the various crime families was both mildly concerning and impressive. Surely the benefits were great, but what was the cost of it all? To permit and even secretly sanction such criminals the right of existence. She couldn't help but wonder how her own nation and Camelone could be so similar in environment yet so different culture. In The Frozen Forest such Gangsters would have, and were dealt with in the harshest ways possible. Crime had been destroyed, the Black Market was a shell of a shell, accounting for only 0.2% of the Economic activity in the country.

As Frederick described the two methods of execution she turned to face him, her body relaxing against a bookshelf. She wondered if she had been watched by this Secret Police force. What a stupid question, of course she had to have been. She was a foreigner, and that made her untrustworthy to the eyes of many prominent Cameloneans. Just as the thought crossed her mind a man entered the room, summoned by the Krieger King.

As the man in front of her shed his mask and brewed an apology for his work watching, bugging her. Her body tensed up, though she couldn't blame them for the treatment she still felt a twinge of resentment, obvious by the tightened expression gracing her. The anger subsiding only barely, she spoke with a voice as clear and calm as the day she had arrived. "As May you, Inquisitor Torin" she noted the wispy hair and young face which she had only seen in the guise of a servant prior to this meeting. He was an effective agent despite his apparent age, surely an asset for Frederick. Her anger flared for another moment before being bottled up neatly and her neat composure returning.

Eyes resting on his shoulders, the difference in his demeanor was noticeable. "You may." Her permission granted, the use of a first name. She allowed her body to relax somewhat in the second preceding his next statement, her body apprehensive as to what he would say next. His overly-excited demeanor caused a similar reaction as her heart began to race. Her hand found itself on his should for a moment, as though to reassure him. The action was wrong, she immediately recognized that she may have breached some sort of line through the physical touch, and so she drew her hand back.

[Camelone]

"Thank you for the pleasure Freja, you may of course use my first name as well." Frederick smiled and he immediately recomposed himself, though the smile remained very prominently on his features. "Now I think it would be best if I allowed you to get on with your day. I do apologize for holding you well beyond the polite times. If you wish to speak again please feel free to come into my study any time you wish to speak, I would thoroughly enjoy the privilege of speaking with you for a more extended time."

[The Frozen Forest]

Freja gave a short nod, realizing that she was expected to take her leave. She offered a smile and a short, uncharacteristic bow before taking a few steps towards the door. "Thank you, Frederick. I may very well take you up on that offer" she spoke as she reached the end of the room, just before passing over the thresh hold. The whole trip, perhaps it hadn't been a waste. She found herself enjoying her time in the country, and perhaps she could find some time to speak with the Palace Guards about their training. She intended to visit the people of Camelone as well, for a second and hopefully longer period of time. She was still fascinated with them, and her new friends at the Tavern would be looking for rematches before long.

The Hallway was quiet and brightly lit, and she wandered aimlessly down one of the halls. She noted the carpet of the floor, a beautiful and magnificent textile that could never have been produced by anyone but a master or a machine. The marital spirit, the pious individuals, even the language was fascinating. She found her way to her room, and immediately sat at the oak desk on her left. In a swift motion she swept a letter and a piece of paper from a off to the side pile, using a pen to compose a short letter to her family back in the Frozen Forest. Svala, her cousin had already been curious about Frederick and Camelone. She did her best to disguise her newfound attraction to it all, even if it was evident on the paper that she had fallen in love with the country. Even its flaws seemed like a fantasy. It was her honor to hide it, though she expected the piece of mail would still possibly be read over. She handed it to a servant outside her door just as Inquisitor Torin arrived to debug her room. She passed him by, making her way towards one of the windows. The snow outside continued to glide and blanket the landscape.

[Camelone]

Royal Wedding Imminent

King Frederick has declared that he will be marrying Princess Freja Björk of the People's Republic of the Frozen Forest. The realm is sure to breath a sigh of relief knowing that now the High Kingship can be officially claimed and bestowed upon King Frederick, and that the Krieger line has taken a crucial step in maintaining its relevancy. Already there have been numerous marches through the streets with ecstatic citizens carrying pictures of the soon to be Queen Freja, cheers of 'Long live the Queen!' and 'God save House Krieger!' have reverberated through every corner of the country. Preparations are already being made at the ancient capital of Cnoc na Teamhrach for both the royal wedding and the coronation of King Frederick as High King of Camelone. To the eyes of this writer I can only say that the country, and myself included, are excited for this event. Long live Camelone! Long live House Krieger! And long live Queen Freja Krieger!