Tupiocan Royal Ball (Greater Dienstad)

[AHSCA]

Lady Melisandre smiled and held up her hand,

"There is no need to thank me, simply carrying out the orders of King Harold. His Majesty does not think you are a small potato compared to anyone else here, you should not reduce yourself that way. It is unbecoming of a world leader, find your inner strength and His Majesty will respect you. You will be given the opportunity to change if you wish to change before I escort you to the ball. First we will arrive at the Royal Palace and I shall show you to your lodgings," the drive was uneventful for the most part with the standard amount of conversation. Upon arriving to the Royal Palace, Lady Melisandre escorted Marcella to her room which might as well be the size of an executive suite; it was very spacious.

"I will return momentarily to see if you are ready to proceed to the ball, push this button if you need anything before I return." she pointed to a small red button next to the light switch before giving a bow and excusing herself from the room.

Oof, it was a bit embarrassing to be reminded to stand tall by one of the King's emissaries but she had a good point. "Thank you so much!" Marcella thanked her and now left to her own devices she took a little time to feel at home. This room was lovely, the King really did go all out to make his guests feel welcome. Marcella undressed from her easy going every day attire to her more formal gown for the ball, given the good Lady Melisandre said she'd be back momentarily, so best to not make her wait. Looking in the mirror, she made adjustments to her hair and dress. find your inner strength and His Majesty will respect you. Wise words that echoed in her mind. Sometimes Marcella felt like an imposter, unworthy of her mother's name and title that was passed to her. Given how beloved Duchess Shino was among the people, Marcella wondered if she could achieve that. There was only two people she confided her fears in, her little sister and Aurelia. Neither were here obviously so that meant she had to battle her demons on her own. Then she remembered her own words when she arrived, we are the UIS and we are a member of this region!
Yes, she was, they were. They belonged here and nobody was going to tell her otherwise tonight. Tonight she was going to walk confidently out onto the dance floor, her head held high as an honored guest of this Royal Court and a member of Greater Dienstad.

[Cartoonia]

Cartoonia

Supreme Leader Kudo and his entourage would be received by the same honor guard and noble as everyone arriving for the ball. Of course their escort was Lord Nimal; a shrewd looking man who hunched down at the neck and looked more like a banker would than a nobleman. Never the less, the Cartoonians were received and escorted to the motorcade.

"I hope the flight was well your excellence, welcome to the Grand Kingdom." Lord Nimal shuffled beside Kudo barraging the poor man with boring conversation all the way to the Royal Palace. Once they arrived they did not go directly to where the ball was being held but taken to the Royal Palace proper.

"We are here, the servants will take your belongings and you will follow them to your rooms. These fine men here are Crown Knights they will be at your disposal while you are guests here in the Kingdom. Now I shall wait for you here while you go freshen up and settle in. No need to rush, Tupiocan balls last weeks sometimes even months." Lord Nimal bowed as the Cartoonians were ushered away.

The Supreme Leader and his wife were created by Lord Nimal. The service members lost all of the Supreme Leader’s belongings into the vehicle that would take them to the royal palace. The service members then would go back onto the airplane as it leaves the area and will return shortly as an emergency exit for the Supreme Leader.

Jimmy didn’t mind the chatter between him and Lord Nimal. It makes the journey more interesting. They now reached the palace. The servants grab the belongings and brought them to their bedroom. Lord Nimal introduced the Crown Knights, guards at the Supreme Leader’s disposal.

“Well, thank you very much. We will freshen up for a bit and then head to the ball as soon as we are ready”. They were taken to their room in the palace having their belongings placed on the table. There was little time to rest on the bed, as they began freshening up after a long flight from their side of the world. Rachel got into a red dress with white frills, and around her neck was a necklace of pearls and jewelry. Jimmy changed into the blue military uniform with gold epaulets, white gloves, and a brass military buckle. After changing and freshening up, they headed to where the ball was going to take place.

[The Qoryx]

Sander looks over the palace as the vehicles arrive, carefully taking in the unique architecture and artistic styles to get a slight semblance of the Tupiocan culture. As the cars come to a stop, two Tupiocan Crown Knights open their doors and wait as the delegation exits out in unison. Looking up at the palace, Sander thinks about how quaint this place is.

It’s small, and quite barbaric. But I can see the promise it shows, the simplicity of it given the youthfulness of its Monarchy as a whole, he thought to himself.

Sander, with Einar and the Senior then Junior members of the delegation in tow behind him, starts walking towards the entrance adjacent to Lord Drungar. He looked around, taking in the overall primitive attire the locals are all wearing.

Kilts, string, silk tops? This whole place is so quaint, like going back in history to our tribal times but with modern technology.

The most well-dressed of them was walking briskly over to them, which he guessed to be King Harold. He stopped just short of them, and they all instinctively clicked their heels together and bowed appropriately in unison, which the King returned. As Sander came up from the bow, suddenly he was hugging them! Sander stood there in absolute shock, bewilderment and disgust of being hugged by this auslander, and tightly to boot!

He froze in place, and watched as the man who at this point they only assumed was the King then hugged his husband Einar. He froze with the same look on his face that Sander had. They stood shocked looking at each other, then back at the King who seemed ecstatic about the whole thing. To others, their faces really didn’t convey much, but to Arvolken - you could see the panic.

They turned their head when the man began to speak, and it became very clear this was indeed the King,

”Welcome welcome, Your Imperial Highnesses! It is spectacular that you have managed to make it. Despite the massive cultural differences between our two great countries..”

A cough visibly stopped the King in his tracks. Sander and Einar listened to the translator, but Sander was transfixed on the fact that..a King had touched them - an ausland King at that! This just wasn’t done, not in any part of their society.

They clicked their heels together and took a gracious bow at the - was it an honour? As true Arvolken aristocrats and officers, Sander and Einar knew their subordinate positions to this King, a ruler in his own right. Sander had more experience in leading his country than King Harold had in even being a King, but that was the hierarchy of this, and his own country, and that was what must be done. Was it an honour though? This was an auslander after all...

King Harold, seeing them bow deeper again, tried to hedge,

"I deeply apologise Your Imperial Highnesses. In the Kingdom, we express happiness and excitement through raw physical emotion. I will refrain from such behaviour with you two. Please though, come. Music is playing and there are many people inside who are more well mannered than myself.”

The delegation quietly followed the King, listening as what he was saying was translated for them.

What a curious society, Sander thought, expressing emotions to anyone through physical connection? How curious.

He was snapped out of thought by the appearance of a drink tray in front of him with a number of ram horns filled with liquid on it. He looked at it carefully wondering what it was for as he listened to his translator.

”In Tupioca before you enter a mead hall you must drink from a mead horn-”

Wait, what?? I need to drink from this...this cup before I can enter?! He thought to himself.

“-and while you do that, I will go quickly say hello to some of the other guests just arriving. The Crown Knights will grant you entrance once you’ve finished. So excuse me while I do that, and I will see you in the Mead Hall later!”

The King slipped away, leaving behind the servant holding the drink tray, the Crown Knights and the Arvolken delegation.

Sander was frozen again. This was panic, and even the King could see that as he was leaving. Nobody mentioned he’d have to touch a cup from these people! He was quietly upset with his aide, but he wasn’t sure if his aide knew that yet. He did know there will be hell to pay back in the Reichstadt, but that wasn’t going to be his doing. Tonight, away from the public eye, he will definitely be having some choice words for his Aide to be better prepared so his life isn’t in such danger in this country again.

He turned to Einar, who immediately put his worries to rest by taking the cup in his gloved hands, and downed it in one go. Einar set the cup down, picked up another and offered it to Sander.

„Wir haben unsere Hände auf, keinen Sinn einen Vorfall verursacht.”

Sander smiled and sighed, as he knew his husband was right as usual. He took the cup and drank the liquid in one go, just as Einar did before him.

Sweeter than expected, he thought to himself.Not as good as Kirsch, but it serves its purpose I suppose. Definitely not strong though, I hope there’s better inside.

He set down the horn on the tray, and passed a third to the Imperial Foreign Secretary just behind him, who also downed it in one go, although was left a little sputtering at the end of it.

„Starkes Zeug!” Bernhard exclaimed.

Sander looked judgingly at Bernhard and thought to himself, I suppose I shouldn’t expect much from a public title, a true aristocrat would be able to handle his liquor.

Once the remaining delegation members completed their required ritual the two Crown Knights opened the door to a moderately lit room with numerous local and foreign dignitaries, each with their own table surrounding the dance floor. Aides inside guided the delegation to their table, where the two Imperial Princes set down their headwear and ceremonial swords. They looked at each other to ensure their uniforms were perfect, then turned outwards towards the dance floor holding hands.

„Sollen wir tanzen, Schatz?”

Sander smiled at Einar’s request. Diplomacy can wait; it’s a ball after all, they have time for a bit of fun dancing among the locals first.

[Greal]

Tupioca

Thomsen's first impression of the country seemed to him was at least the weather wasn't awful. Sure it was apparently a monarchy but this wasn't a problem for Thomsen's. His approach was diplomacy. Democracy, dictatorship, duchy. All of these forms of government didn't matter when the formula was always the same when arriving at a different country. Generic pleasantries, diplomatic how-do-you-dos, having the appropriate amount of greetings and gifts. A formula as timeless as the existence of human civilization.

The Crown Knights displayed by Tupioca seemed like a colorful bunch at least. Their uniforms would put to shame any Greali soldier on parade duty, but Greali military personnel always were deliberately dressed in an utilitarian way. Here the Knights themselves at least seemed to be an important bunch of guards. Thomsen briefly wondered if they used the same rotation of guards for all the diplomatic arrivals for the Ball before stepping up (well technically coming down the plane) to greet the Tupiocan group which looked so much like the Welcoming Committee. Formula was always the same.

Thomsen had a brief moment of amusement as he contemplated the leader of the nobility greeting him. The red haired Lord Bjor certainly looked like she could eat armored personnel carriers for breakfast, let alone any of the wondering rascals in the alleys of Sasha dumb enough to take her on. Meeting someone who actually matched his height was also a novelty, but Thomsen let this thought fall away as he replied in generic greetings. "Thank you once again for inviting us. On behalf of the Federal Republic of Greal we are greatly pleased to be here and we will hope to raise the relations between our two great nations."

As he shook Bjor's offered hand he replied to her question, "Very uneventful flight thankfully. My traveling companions." Thomsen immediately gave a quick overview of his party since the Tupiocans were their hosts, though he wished Lisa Behringer would be more invisible for once. She was glaring at the Tupiocan nobility like they were a bunch of unexpected intruders that appeared at her house. The trade rep Gene Sammers looked meek as a cat but gave a passable nod. Thomsen's daughter Jane was in the back obviously trying not to jump up and down in excitement, while Ben maintained a parade rest at the side but he was sharing a unreadable look with one of the Knights.

Thomsen gave a brief grin as he pointed at the arrival of the whiskey crate. "Compliments of the President of Greal." Thomsen personally doubted that President Watson knew about the whiskey but diplomacy was diplomacy. They made their way to the motorcade which also had a generic black SUV that every government liked using with a Greali flag parked by the side. The Greali local aide was standing by the SUV giving Thomsen a questioning nod, but Thomsen gently shook his head, indicating he was going to go with the Tupiocans. He gave a wry look at Bjor and decidedly he was going to be blunt, "Forgive me for asking, but I assume you know about as much of Greal as I do of Tupioca?"

[Tupioca]

AHSCA

After a few moments Melisandre knocked on the door rather aggressively just incase Marcella had passed out.

"Your grace, are you ready to be escorted to the ball?" the Lady Melisandre was impatiently waiting but she managed to keep that fact masked. This was a royal guest and it would not do her any good if Marcella complained to the King about her actions. After a few more minutes of no doubt Marcella working up the courage, Melisandre escorted her to the ball. After they exited the Royal Palace and started the short walk over to the mead hall music could be heard outside along with the laughter and roar of the partiers inside. Of course when they arrived the King was preoccupied with the Mokan delegation but Marcella caught the attention of a rather plastered nobleman who stumbled over and shooed away Melisandre.

"You don't want to be with her. Ever since her husband tried to assassinate the King she's been his personal errand girl. Now away with you she-wolf" he waved his hand at Melisandre who hurried away with disgust and rage all over her face. The nobleman was dressed very much like Lord Drungar was; kilt, sash, silk shirt embroidered with gold silk. Except his color scheme was a bit more extravagant; his kilt was a deep blue and bright yellow, his sash was a sunset orange, and the shirt a brownish cream color with a gold eagle embroidered on the collar.

"I am Lord Francis Habstone, welcome to the festivities. May I interest you in some ale?" he offered Marcella a chair and a large tankard of ale.

Cartoonia
As the Cartoonian delegation was ready to venture over to the ball Lord Nimal escorted them all the while speaking with The Supreme Leader. As they left they may have caught sight of Duchess Marcella and Lady Melisandre. Lord Nimal had a smile from ear to ear.

"Supreme Leader Jimmy, you are in for quite a treat if this is your first time to a Tupiocan ball. I will announce to the King that you have arrived," he opened the door for them and after they had all entered Nimal rushed off to go hunt down the king to let them know that the Cartoonians had arrived. Seeing him with the Mokans, Lord Nimal whisked himself over to the King and with some passive aggressiveness attempted to get the King's attention. King Seram however held up a hand as he was still talking with the Mokan Delegation.

The Qoryx
Even as he talked to the Mokan delegation King Harold was laughing inside, he enjoyed playing pranks even if he was King. Though the King was unable to fully enjoy the prank as he was engaged with the Mokans. After the Arvolken arrived at their table which oddly enough had a Crown Knight guarding it to ensure no one else other than the Arvolken delegation sat there. A clear plastic sheet had also been placed over the table; despite the King not caring obviously some of the others who helped prep for the ball knew that the Arvolken were germaphobes to the extreme and thought that a plastic sheet that had a nicely disguised disinfectant spray bottle at hand would help them relax at the ball a bit.

As the two Imperial Princes whisked themselves to the dance floor, Lord Drungar and a well dressed man approached Bernhard. The man who wore a suit and looked more like a mercenary than a nobleman introduced himself first, though refrained from handshakes or any form of contact.

"Minister Bernhard I presume? I am Fredric Vur Manlor, CEO of Global Security Institute. How do you do?" he attempted speaking in Bernhard's native tongue but gave up almost immediately. Lord Drungar simply bowed, a stern look on his face now.

"How are you finding yourself here so far? Strange foreign land with strange foreigners and all." Fredric chuckled at his own joke before dismissing the Crown Knight and took a seat across the table from Bernhard with Drungar taking a seat next to Fredric. They obviously were there to discuss business.

Greal

She eyed over the delegation smiling a bit at Jane's obvious excitement then shot an equally aggressive glare at Behringer; as if to challenge her right then and there to a fight. Of course it was brief though and maybe only Thomsen would notice it since he was closest to Bjor whose eyes then lit up when she saw the crate of whiskey.

"Surely you don't mean to give us such an exuberant gift?" Lord Bjor asked as they made their way to the motorcade before getting in after the Greali delegation. His question took her off guard a bit but she responded without hesitation.

"I know absolutely nothing about Greal. I am a frontline commander, the King asked me to greet you only because him and I are close friends. Does this bother you that we both know absolutely nothing about the other?" a smile slid on her face as she picked up Thomsen's straightforwardness replying with her own bluntness. Then she added quickly.

"This is how relations begin, with first contact. Then after you've seen how we conduct ourselves and we see how you conduct yourself and learn about one another's countries we can then determine whether it is worth the energy to strengthen or cut ties all together. Wouldn't you say, your excellency?" she laughed slightly and then looked out the window. The drive to the mead hall was rather uneventful however when they arrived things were in full swing. Lord Bjor opened the door of the SUV for the Greali delegation and then walked with them into the Mead Hall.

[CoraSpia]

The personal aircraft of Prince Aerkunlauh nos Variskura

It was quite a common occurrence for the notoriously slow Havenic government to simply pass the role of foreign affairs spokespersons to one of the provinces, and it was clear from recent history that right now Velstrania was the golden child of the Haven. The far-flung theocracy, responsible both for the abolition of slavery and the Havenic inability to aid Ralkovia in its recent war, was seen as a safe pair of hands on the international stage. People, it was theorised, liked Velstrania. International tentions with Velstrania were typically started by Velstrania, and recently it had been on its best behaviour. Smarter minds might have wondered why this was and if the Velsturman government had some other intentions but unfortunately the Havenic foreign relations department was not staffed by the nations best thinkers.

The Haven had sent one of its own however, or rather the small near-independent province of Celeria had. Maria Schtenko was an elegantly dressed businesswoman in her mid 30s, and she was acting in the role of Havenic trade representative at this event. With multiple superpowers likely to attend it would not do to have the business community completely left out. And so she sat on Aerkunlauh's plane, arguing with the daughter of the chair of the Velsturman representative about her intentions.
"So let me get this straight," Maria snapped, "I'm reading this frankly damning intelligence report about you, and rather than deny it you're telling me that it's...completely true."
"Sure am," Suuentliok informed her, giving her that winning smile that won the hearts of men and the anger of aging rivals "You can bet if I did my homework into this nation that I don't think it should be allowed to exist. I think that about most places honestly, they're mainly tyrannical and deny their citizens the right to exercise their free will. In fact all governments are like that, it's why Velstrania exists, to fight them. It's called the unending war, you know, it's very important. Let me tell you all about it."

Lady Suuentliok nos Karelminor did just that. In fact she did this for well over two hours, and being good Velsturmen her mother and the Prince did nothing to stop her preaching. It was her will that preaching occur of course, and so therefore occur it did. As a result, the delegation that arrived in Tupioca was an extremely bored and slightly annoyed one. It had not discussed the other countries or their representatives, it had not formulated a plan. It had instead listened to a 17 year old girl preaching. If one wished to say that things weren't going particularly well therefore, you would be quite correct.

The Haven didn't really believe in going to balls and parties with soldiers to accompany them, it set the wrong tone for a nation that would much rather sell you oil and computers than fight you. They had brought a few guards, Velsturman crusader force soldiers in their green dress uniforms, but what exited the plane were the 4 guests and their various servants and aids, with lady Karelminor leading the way carrying the customary 3 gifts that Velsturmen gave to foreign leaders.

[Tupioca]

The personal aircraft of Prince Aerkunlauh nos Variskura

It was quite a common occurrence for the notoriously slow Havenic government to simply pass the role of foreign affairs spokespersons to one of the provinces, and it was clear from recent history that right now Velstrania was the golden child of the Haven. The far-flung theocracy, responsible both for the abolition of slavery and the Havenic inability to aid Ralkovia in its recent war, was seen as a safe pair of hands on the international stage. People, it was theorised, liked Velstrania. International tentions with Velstrania were typically started by Velstrania, and recently it had been on its best behaviour. Smarter minds might have wondered why this was and if the Velsturman government had some other intentions but unfortunately the Havenic foreign relations department was not staffed by the nations best thinkers.

The Haven had sent one of its own however, or rather the small near-independent province of Celeria had. Maria Schtenko was an elegantly dressed businesswoman in her mid 30s, and she was acting in the role of Havenic trade representative at this event. With multiple superpowers likely to attend it would not do to have the business community completely left out. And so she sat on Aerkunlauh's plane, arguing with the daughter of the chair of the Velsturman representative about her intentions.
"So let me get this straight," Maria snapped, "I'm reading this frankly damning intelligence report about you, and rather than deny it you're telling me that it's...completely true."
"Sure am," Suuentliok informed her, giving her that winning smile that won the hearts of men and the anger of aging rivals "You can bet if I did my homework into this nation that I don't think it should be allowed to exist. I think that about most places honestly, they're mainly tyrannical and deny their citizens the right to exercise their free will. In fact all governments are like that, it's why Velstrania exists, to fight them. It's called the unending war, you know, it's very important. Let me tell you all about it."

Lady Suuentliok nos Karelminor did just that. In fact she did this for well over two hours, and being good Velsturmen her mother and the Prince did nothing to stop her preaching. It was her will that preaching occur of course, and so therefore occur it did. As a result, the delegation that arrived in Tupioca was an extremely bored and slightly annoyed one. It had not discussed the other countries or their representatives, it had not formulated a plan. It had instead listened to a 17 year old girl preaching. If one wished to say that things weren't going particularly well therefore, you would be quite correct.

The Haven didn't really believe in going to balls and parties with soldiers to accompany them, it set the wrong tone for a nation that would much rather sell you oil and computers than fight you. They had brought a few guards, Velsturman crusader force soldiers in their green dress uniforms, but what exited the plane were the 4 guests and their various servants and aids, with lady Karelminor leading the way carrying the customary 3 gifts that Velsturmen gave to foreign leaders.

CoraSpia

Lord Harsvaak waited impatiently for them to get down the steps of the aircraft; he simply wanted to get to the Mead Hall before everyone was too drunk to actually interact with. When Lady Karelminor and the rest of the delegation(s) reached him he gave a obligatory bow before straightening his suit out. He was a rugged looking old man who had seen too many battlefields and not enough time spent home among civilized folk.

"Welcome to the Grand Kingdom, mi'lady, I do hope the flight was not too arduous or boring." he spotted the gifts and paid them no mind, they weren't for him so why the hell did he care what they were. Motioning for them to follow him to the motorcade the Crown Knights snapped to attention after ordering arms. The sun's setting light gleaming off of their armor; if any of the delegation was intimidated that was the whole point of the Crown Knights being there to prevent any unwanted or would be assassins.

The drive to the Mead Hall was uneventful as always but once the delegation had exited their vehicles the music was blasting and some people were already stumbling around by the doors smoking and socializing. Lord Harsvaak grunted in the direction of the Mead Hall entrance as a servant rushed up with a mead horn, Harsvaak quickly took a sip and jabbed a figure towards the delegation behind them.

"Give 'em a drink, that way we can enter the bloody place," he waited tapping his foot, obviously impatient and wanting to just get inside already.

"It's customary for guests to drink from a single mead horn before entering a Mead Hall, I am a surrogate for the King, normally the host would present the horn and drink with you. Though I already drank so drink up, then I'll get you to your table then you can mingle or hunt down the King himself." the gruff old man was definitely the wrong man to escort these specific guests.

[CoraSpia]

Havenic delegation

The rather Brusk reaction took Karelminor a little off guard, at least for a few seconds. You did not become a career diplomat however if you were unable to understand such blindingly obvious social cues: this man was clearly more focussed on the drinks on offer than escorting them to the ball, and he was doing an incredibly poor job at hiding this fact.
"I wonder if all of this countries representatives are so polite and charming?" Suuentliok asked during the ride down. Aerkunlauh laughed and answered her "If they are we're going to have such a good time of it here, I can just see it."

When the large mead-horn was presented the mood seemed to improve among the Havenic party. Here was an opportunity to show something that might impress the old man, and they had just the person with them to do it.
"I don't drink," Karelminor lied with a sad sigh as she handed the horn to Suuentliok who took it with a knowing smile. Suuentliok was a shade over 7 feet in height and was known as one of the most beautiful and graceful young women in the entire Haven, and that was a competitive category. Every movement she made was fluid and graceful, as if it was all part of some carefully-staged dance. Her next act was no exception.
Slowly, almost dantily, she lifted the horn to her lips and extended her mouth to fill the narrow opening. Her head went back and she seemed to pour the contents down her throat, not spilling one drop before handing it back.
"By the way," Karelminor explained when it was all done, "Our bags which are on the plane. We really must get into the hall to meet the other guests, but with some extremely expensive items in them I'm not sure it's wise to leave them to the servants. I'd much prefer that a member of the nobility supervised the unpacking, especially somebody with clear experience who can be trusted. Would it be too much to ask you to do this small favour for us?"

[Tupioca]

He chuckled, shook his head, and folded his arms a look of amusement coming to his face replacing the annoyance.

"I fought to keep from becoming the King's lap dog, I'll be damned if some foreigner is going to tell me what to do. You may be descendants of giants but you're in the no position to order me, a Lord, what to do. Find yourself another lapdog, I am sure one of these other noble crows will flock to you soon enough. Don't trust your servants? Sounds like you need new servants." at that he simply walked into the Mead Hall a smile on his face. Obviously though the interaction caught the attention of some of the nobility who were outside, looks of embarrassment and outrage on each of their faces. A young man walked up he was dressed similarly to the other norther lords; a kilt, sash, and a silk shit but he had several silver chains hanging from his shoulder going across towards the opposite hip and a braided gold rope wore like a necklace.

"I apologize most sincerely for Lord Harsvaak, he recently lost his son to an unfortunate accident. Otherwise he is a very tolerable man to be around. I am Sir Roder, son of Lord Drungar. I can contact the Captain of the Guard back at the aeroport if you wish for your belongings to be secured properly." he extended his hand, obviously a major generational gap between the older and younger generations of the nobility in attendance.

"It is a shame you don't drink, Tupiocans are notoriously good fun when everyone is drinking but looks like she can drink for everyone here. Come, it's better inside and I'll see where you're table is so that you can put those down and enjoy yourselves." he said pointing at Suuentliok then at the gifts as he spoke and escorted them inside.

[AHSCA]

After a few moments Melisandre knocked on the door rather aggressively just incase Marcella had passed out.

"Your grace, are you ready to be escorted to the ball?" the Lady Melisandre was impatiently waiting but she managed to keep that fact masked. This was a royal guest and it would not do her any good if Marcella complained to the King about her actions. After a few more minutes of no doubt Marcella working up the courage, Melisandre escorted her to the ball. After they exited the Royal Palace and started the short walk over to the mead hall music could be heard outside along with the laughter and roar of the partiers inside. Of course when they arrived the King was preoccupied with the Mokan delegation but Marcella caught the attention of a rather plastered nobleman who stumbled over and shooed away Melisandre.

"You don't want to be with her. Ever since her husband tried to assassinate the King she's been his personal errand girl. Now away with you she-wolf" he waved his hand at Melisandre who hurried away with disgust and rage all over her face. The nobleman was dressed very much like Lord Drungar was; kilt, sash, silk shirt embroidered with gold silk. Except his color scheme was a bit more extravagant; his kilt was a deep blue and bright yellow, his sash was a sunset orange, and the shirt a brownish cream color with a gold eagle embroidered on the collar.

"I am Lord Francis Habstone, welcome to the festivities. May I interest you in some ale?" he offered Marcella a chair and a large tankard of ale.

Marcella was rather startled by the rather loud knocking. "Yikes!" She accidentally shouted aloud. Had she been lost in thought that long? She must have, surely they'd allow a lady to prepare, especially considering she was here alone, not with her handmaiden or even her bodyguard to help her. Clearing her throat and just hoping she hadn't heard, she gave a quick shout back, "Oh yes, I'm coming!" Marcella took one last glance in the mirror, she was as ready as she'll ever be, appearance wise, anyway. she hurried along to the door, opening and closing it gently behind her. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting, being I'm without my maiden to help, it took a little longer than expected." Well that was a nicer excuse over I'm having an existential crisis . "No time like the present, let's go!" Well off to the ball she was going, or so she thought. As soon as they entered the main hall she could get sight of the King who was occupied with other guests. Maybe she was a bit late but that was to be expected given how long she took to get dressed and psych herself up.

Marcella had opened her mouth to speak but before any words of thank you or question could come out they were intercepted by someone, or something?) Well he was a person, she assumed but he seemed a bit tipsy?) He dumped a few scandalous facts upon her rather quickly, the woman whom had been escorting her apparently was married to a man who tried to kill the king. Wait, not the sitting king? Well yes, apparently the current sitting king because he mentioned that the Lady was now the king's errand girl. He shooed her away, "Ah but - I -" This was all happening so fast that she could hardly get a word off. He introduced himself as Lord Drungar and he promptly offered a chair, which Marcella sat in, rather instinctively. "Ah perhaps a little bit, would be nice." It'd be rude to decline a beverage from her, host? Wait wasn't this supposed to be a ball?

Marcella was not particularly a heavy drinker but she could enjoy the nip every so often. "Uh thank you, Milord. Uh begging your pardon, Milord but I'm a little surprised you told my escort to leave so suddenly. Just I came by myself you know, hehe." she let out of a nervous laugh, "I'm in something of a relationship but it's also quite long distance if you get what I'm saying." Again a nervous chuckle, it was best not to get into the long details of that. "Mmm but I'd also hope to meet the King rather soon. I mean I understand I'm probably a bit late, it takes time for lady to prepare and look her best, you know."

[CoraSpia]

Karelminor

A look of disappointment briefly crossed the diplomats face as their escort refused her very reasonable request, only to be replaced by a chuckle.
"Oh no they will be fine I'm sure," she informed Sir Roder with a grin, "We only have one suitcase each and our servants are very competent. I just thought he needed to learn that yes everyone did notice how undiplomatic he was. If he'd accepted we've good enough servants and large enough budgets to waste that he'd have been carting suitcases up and down stairs all night, and life as a diplomatic can be boring and lacking in laughs. Oh...and I do drink, I just know that of the 4 of us here I rank in third place. Just wanted to let my daughter have the sort of quantity she likes."

[Eitoan]

Midat Airport

Lord Drungar after the handshake pulled in President Shrdlu for a warm embrace.

"Oh come 'ere you," he chuckled before releasing the President and motioning for them to follow them him to the motorcade.

"You Eitoans are always a timid bunch. Even when we were having our scrap down here you all took in everyone fleeing from the fighting. You even took in my own clansmen who were about to be massacred during the Winter Campaign. King Harold has even proclaimed yourselves the guests of honor. Our northern neighbors have done right by us ever since we unified and even before then." he followed them into the SUV as they drove off towards the Royal Palace.

President Shrdlu returned the embrace, though somewhat reluctantly at first. His meetings with King Harold had always been friendly, although more businesslike. Still, Ephriam had come to expect the rather more lusty show of hospitality from his southern neighbors. Many of the meetings had been in southern border towns, always a colorful trip, and greatly appreciated by his countrymen and curious Tupiocans alike. Patting Lord Drungar on the back, the nobleman released the President, who struck up a conversation.

On the way to the SUV, Shrdlu told Drungar “Well, it’s good to see you my friend. We have a lot to look forward to here.”

His wife Ruth shot him a sideways glance.

Ephriam gabbed on. “It’s a fine day to come to Midat. Any day is a fine day to come to Midat. You know, what with military matters up north, and juggling or even trying to decipher big power politics, this is a welcome getaway. I trust King Harold is in fine fettle. And I suppose a little more attention to our corner of the continent from friendly and like minded neighbors can only be a good thing. You know, I was just thinking, how are you fixed for vodka? Of course we’ll be drinking appropriately for this fete, all of it royal and house label, but I can arrange a couple of cases of Harbormaster’s Club private label for you. Don’t know you preferred beverage, but I think you’d like it.”

The two chatted cordially during the entire trip from the airport to the palace. Cutting through the business district, small knots of curious sightseers paused and waved. Businesses were festooned with the banners of all the attending nations. Three blocks from the palace, heavily guarded and behind barricades a group identified as the delegation from the Eitoan Chamber of Commerce in Midat waved and hoisted the blue banner. Across the boulevard from them was a larger group, mostly and younger professionals. President Shrdlu requested the motorcade halt, and he stepped out, Ruth Shrdlu in tow. He smiled. She smiled. He waved to to crowd flanking the SUV briefly, and returned. They sped off to the palace.

Tupiocan Royal Palace

The President and Mrs. Shrdlu were let off at the side lawn of the palace, valets whisking their luggage away effortlessly while the welcoming committee, a Tupiocan functionary, a butler that would be assisting the presidential party during the stay, and two senior diplomats from the Eitoan embassy in Midat moved in to greet them. After introductions they were led to the guest residence lobby, much marble and some decoration, updated recently in the ancient structure. Leading past the sweeping staircase, they were directed into a spacious elevator, heading for the third floor. The butler led the way a short distance down the red carpeted corridor to an elaborate door, which he opened with an ancient brass key. Behind him the President and Mrs. Shrdlu chatted briefly with the embassy party. Senior of the two was the Eitoan Ambassador, Elizabeth Palek. Off to her right, towering over the diminuitive diplomat and the presidential couple was Colonel Issac Matteson, the Eitoan Military Attache in Midat.

Stepping into the suite, the butler showed the party around. The front sitting room was spacious, but not enormous. A small bar was found to the right of the entrance, stocked to the President’s tastes. Two brands of Eitoan private label vodka on the top shelf, three selections of cvajk, a popular clear drink usually vanilla flavored, a bottle of gin, dry vermouth, and a small decanter of smoky Tupiocan whiskey. Below the bar was a selection of various white and red wines, and a case of the President’s favorite porter. A comfortable looking sofa was found in front of the bank of leaded glass windows on the opposite side, flanked by two love seats. Palek and Matteson scouted out the one on the right. The walls were decorated by paintings of hunting scenes, and the lighting was dim by modern Eitoan standards. Overall, it was not disappointing. To the left was a small office, suitable for private meetings. To the right was the bedroom. The President and Mrs. Shrdlu went off to explore their sleeping quarters. They found the bath fixtures outdated, which was not surprising.

The butler bade the party adieu for the time being and left the suite. Palek and Matteson made themselves comfortable on the love seat they had been investigating. Ephriam stuck his head out of the doorway and announced “We’re just going to freshen up, then change for the ball. We’ll be a little while. He closed the door and attended to his business.

Elizabeth turned on her tablet and reviewed protocol for the affair. Familiar with the diplomatic community in Midat, she was known there as “the hostess with the mostest”, or more vulgarly as “Tits”. Relatively young for an ambassador, the bouncy, fun loving blonde seemed a good fit for the Midat post. A lifetime Foreign Affairs professional, most of her experience had been in Tupioca, serving as a Consul before her appointment in Midat. The Midat assignment was viewed in Foreign Affairs as the “fun” posting; light on big power intrigue, heavy on entertainment. And she took to the entertainment function with gusto. The job was easy enough, consisting of routine business matters, water control and transportation business, and of course sorting out costs related to the springtime Rampage in the Eitoan southern territories and adjacent Tupiocan baornys. Just farm and ranch boys and girls having fun, getting hammered, drag racing through towns at midnight, and the inevitable baby boom six months later. She was dressed for the ball; a smart black outfit, single strand of pearls, and modest gold earrings that highlighted her blonde, short curls. She dressed appropriately, but could not hide her figure, a point of consternation. Would she draw attention from the attractive but less endowed Ruth Shrdlu? Elizabeth Palek planned to stay safely in the background.

Colonel Matteson was looking forward to the ball. He too was a good fit for the Midat post. Certainly a competent infantry officer, the scar across his right cheek gave witness to close fighting during the Battle of Bartenura where the Eitoans broke the back of the Ralkovian Death Guard, something his hosts respected. He was a favorite at court since his assignment, and got along well with Palek. When not squiring visiting dignitaries around the capital or observing exercises he enjoyed fencing, and always found familiar partners among the Angels of St. John and Wolves of St. Michael. He was very much at home in the palace, and it was rumored that his attendance was specifically requested by the royal household. Foreign Affairs also wanted him there. They felt the presence of a uniform among so much royalty might be a good idea.

After a while the President and Mrs. Shrdlu emerged. As per protocol, he was decked out in standard black tie attire. He looked good in it. In fact he looke dapper in his white dress shirt, low cut waistcoat in the "V" shape, black bow tie, and oxford dress shoes. Mrs. Shrdlu was similarly elegant, sporting a white designer outfit with white jacket, mid calf cut skirt, and a long, drooping gold necklace, simple, yet attractive. Pleasantly made up, she was in a cheerful mood as the party stepped off.

The butler guided them back down to the lobby, where he introduced the usher that would take the party to the Reception Hall. They chatted away as they were led through wining paths into the public area of the palace, finding shields and weapons belonging to the various Tupiocan clans and nobles as well as the royal family. Ruth seemed most interested in the sights, asking several questions along the way. The President and the two diplomats chatted away, going over last minute details of attendance. He reiterated their main roles. After the initial greeting by King Harold Palek was to try to arrange chats with the dignitaries in strict order of precedence. Matteson would get chummy with the various Tupiocan aristocrats.

Arriving at the Reception Hall, the usher went ahead and made arrangements, then motioned for the party to enter. The President and his wife came in first, stiffly and formally, followed at a couple paces by Palek and Matteson, less solemn. Upon their entry they halted, awaiting formal announcement. Seeing King Harold, currently in conversation with Karelminor, a smile crossed Ephriam Shrdlu’s face. He turned to Palek.

“I’m glad to seen Karelminor here. Please have someone get a message through the the Havenics that I’d like to talk to her”, he requested.

“Okay. Yes. But remember order of precedence. Our hosts first, then heads of state, then accredited diplomats”, she reminded him gently.
“Yes, of course. Arrange it.” he agreed. “We’ll have the mead with the King, and try to circulate to see Jimmy Kudo first, then Elizabeth Franshaw preferably next. I met both at the affair in Gallagher, very friendly. I had business in Valkoliki when building my company, but would like to talk to her now in my official capacity. I think a multilateral opportunity on continent would be a good place for that”.

Ruth looked around at the array of dignitaries, then composed herself. Pretty good in the beer department, the dignified state dinners in Vladarsik rarely gave her a chance to display that side of her personality. But with the mead horn awaiting, it could be a diplomatic asset.

[Mokastana]

"You will come to like the taste of mead, if you do like it I will send some cases of it home with you when the ball is over...if there is any left that is. We Tupiocans love drinking mead, ale, and anything else under the sun and moon that gets us in a festive mood. To hell with diplomacy, drink to friendship" his smile grew ever bigger for a split second before continuing.

"You look a little lost your highness, first time interacting with another monarch or nobility outside of your country?" he directed this towards Queen Kaida.

....To hell with diplomacy, drink to friendship"

Kaida smiled back and took the horn, slightly unsure if how to drink from it. Eventually she just went for it, and took s small swig of the drink. It was sweet, but had a bit of harshness under the flavor she did not expect. It was certainly a different drink than the fruity beverages she was used to from back home. Handing the horn back to the King. She stood waiting for something else to happen, apparently, the king noticed..

"You look a little lost your highness, first time interacting with another monarch or nobility outside of your country?"

For the first time in her Reign as an acting monarch, Kaida blushed, more angry at herself than anything else. She had ordered the deaths of rebels, led her platoon through numerous obstacle courses, and served in a signals unit during her time as a conscript. Talking with another person shouldn't be this hard. Realizing the King was probably expecting a response… she spoke up, more to say something than anything else:

"Yes..... I'm the first Queen of Aqua Anu in decades, but I was born in AHSCA. My mother was related to Duchess Shino Villa, and Aqua Anu wanted to restore their monarchy, however there were no relatives of the old monarch to claim the title. So the Anuiens and Mokans thought to ask the royal family of AHSCA if they had any spare relatives and well… here I am….

I know Island culture, and have wanted to visit AHSCA for some time, but that would end up a big formal thing… Sorry, I'm talking a lot. I guess what I'm getting at, is that I'm unfamiliar with Royal etiquette."

[The Qoryx]

Prinz Einar

Einar was enjoying himself so far; it had been too long since he’d had the opportunity to dance with his husband while on an official visit. As they danced among other nobles and diplomats, Einar took a moment to examine everyone that was in the room. Some people he recognised, the regional Queen from Mokastana, an obviously Greali career diplomat, the Eitoan delegation, the Havenic delegation, and a number of locals. Then he nearly tripped over Sander’s boots when he saw a young lady who looked very much like the reigning Duchess of the AHSCA islands sitting down at a table near his, with a Tupiocan Lord.

The Tupiocan Lord was drunkenly slobbering all over this poor lady, and Einar gestured for Sander to look over. Having been slobbered on by drunken men and women in the past in seemingly the same way, Einar had a particular hatred for this type of socialising. He stopped dancing and gave Sander a look he’d given many times before, which was that he’d be back after going to save this poor lady. Sander smiled and gave a small loving squeeze of his hand before Einar let go and walked over to the table. This would be the first time he had spoken Dienstadi in some time, even though he was well educated in it as all Arvolken aristocrats are. Approaching the table, he stopped next to it and clicked his heels together and gave a slight bow from the neck towards Marcella.

„My Lady, I apologise for the intrusion, but I recall from our previous meeting in Lamoni that you are owed a dance with me,” Einar says with a thick Arvolken accent.

He then turns to the drunk Lord sitting adjacent. „If it please you My Lord, allow me to honour my word to this fair Lady and engage with her in a dance. I am certain there will be ample time again during this event whereby you may engage her in further conversation.”

His conversational style in Dienstadi was much more diplomatic than in his mother tongue. Since he would have only ever been heard speaking in Arvolken at this event, he was surprisingly very eloquent in his word usage and vocabulary; his handle on the Dienstadi language was incredibly advanced, unknown to most.

Turning back to Marcella before the Lord could reply, Einar extended his hand and bowed ever so slightly, as while Marcella was merely a Duchess and therefore below his rank at home, she was a reigning Duchess in her country and therefore ranked above him. As with any true Arvolken aristocrat, he would respect her position despite having never met her.

Reichsgraf Bernhard

Bernhard had quietly been observing, noting all the people he wanted to speak with and who he would strategically attempt to dance with, gloves on of course.

First, I must stop at the table to review some notes and straighten up before making the diplomatic rounds, he thought to himself.

Walking over to the table, he saw the two diplomatic heavyweights of the delegation, Princes Sander and Einar, setting their swords and hats on their chairs before holding hands and proceeding onto the dance floor. He truly admired their relationship, and being single himself he couldn’t help but envy what they had. He took his seat at the table, and motioned for the other delegates to continue on without him. He pulled out his compact notebook from his tailcoat pocket and began writing in it, notes about the Tupiocan culture, who was in attendance, and so forth.

As he wrote, he casually glanced up to think and suddenly saw two men standing there across the table from him. He recognised Lord Drungar from before, but the other man was a new face, and his outfit made him look almost like a pirate from his country’s age of sail.

What an odd country this is, terribly quaint and backwards for being in such a modern time, he thought to himself.

He looked the man up and down, and noticing the stern look on Lord Drungar’s face realised they were there for him! He quickly stood and clicked his heels together, and extended his hand - he was a diplomat after all, and he had his gloves on so he was protected. Bernhard first shook hands with Lord Drungar, then the unfamiliar man who then spoke, or at least attempted to speak, in Arvolken to him.

Ik Globe Minishter Burnhard...

What a truly awful noise coming from this auslander; he was slaughtering his mother tongue with horrible effect, and the look of absolute disgust and bewilderment gave away how poorly the man was doing. Catching on swiftly and switching to Dienstadi, which was then translated by a guard behind Bernhard, the man resumed speaking.

Minister Bernhard I presume? I am Fredric Vur Manlor, CEO of Global Security Institute. How do you do?

When the guard finished translating, Bernhard smiled and put away his notebook before speaking in Arvolken to the man, which would then be translated by the guard behind him for the two men, into Dienstadi.

„Grüezi Herr Manlor, ich bin Staatsekretäre des Reichs Auswärtiges Amt, Reichsgraf Bernhard Ernst zu Bülow. Ihre Ehre mich zu treffen wird geschätzt.”

The guard spoke up to translate what was said. “Warm Greetings Mister Manlor, I am Imperial Foreign Secretary Bernhard Ernst, Imperial Count of Bülow. Your honour to meet me is appreciated.”

How are you finding yourself here so far? Strange foreign land with strange foreigners and all.

Bernhard listened to the translation as Fredric laughed and took a seat across from Bernhard, with Lord Drungar sitting beside him. He didn't find anything funny in what was translated, so he thought for a moment before looking back at the two men across from him. The two of them looked very much as though they were there to talk business, so Bernhard took his seat again before responding.

„Alles wird gut, obwohl ich denke, dass jemand hier denkt, wir hassen Keime?”

He lifts up the plastic sheet covering the table, before setting it down and resuming. „Aber egal, wie kann ich Ihnen helfen?”

The guard again speaks up, „All is well, although I think someone believes we hate germs altogether?”

The guard does the same gesture with holding up the plastic sheet, then continues. „Anyway, how may I help you gentlemen?”

Bernhard was a direct man who did not waste time with pleasantries when business was needing discussion. While the language of diplomacy was the norm in his profession, a true Arvolken is much more direct and fact-driven than other ethnicities. He takes a bottle of wine from the table and pours three glasses for them all, handing the two gentlemen their glasses before he takes a quick sip from his glass and returning his gaze to the two men across from him; he always did business with a drink, and this was good wine for what it was.

Bernhard thinks to himself, hmm. Perhaps my trade envoy Ulrike should join me..

[Cartoonia]

Cartoonia
As the Cartoonian delegation was ready to venture over to the ball Lord Nimal escorted them all the while speaking with The Supreme Leader. As they left they may have caught sight of Duchess Marcella and Lady Melisandre. Lord Nimal had a smile from ear to ear.

"Supreme Leader Jimmy, you are in for quite a treat if this is your first time to a Tupiocan ball. I will announce to the King that you have arrived," he opened the door for them and after they had all entered Nimal rushed off to go hunt down the king to let them know that the Cartoonians had arrived. Seeing him with the Mokans, Lord Nimal whisked himself over to the King and with some passive aggressiveness attempted to get the King's attention. King Seram however held up a hand as he was still talking with the Mokan Delegation.

“That sound good, thank you”. As he left to tell the king of their arrival, the couple looked around the ballroom, getting a view of the fine decor, the elegance of such a kingdom, as well as some of the people that they know quite well.

“I see that Duchess Marcella is here. And I see the delegations from Mokastana and Eitonia”.

“Familiar faces in the region no doubt. Though we still have alot to learn about the different nations of the region we occupy”.

“Indeed Rachel, what better place to start than here I suppose. Though, I do hope to hear some lively music tonight”.

[AHSCA]

Marcella really wasn't sure what to do, this man whom rather insistingly sat her down, the man who was quite inebriated and talking her ear off. Suddenly another man approached her, he wasn't familiar though he mentioned promising a dance with the man from a meeting in Lamoni. Strange, why didn't she remember that of all things? It's like in her head a dozen or so little Marcellas were scrambling to pull out the file of this memory but not having much luck. "Ah right!" She decided best play along. "It's good to see you again. Milord, if you'll excuse me, I should be a good woman of my word." She stood giving a small little polite bow to bid him farewell, then took Einar's hand to let him lead her away.

"Oh thank you for saving me there. This is a bit awkward but I must admit and I'm rather embarrassed to admit but I just don't seem to remember you or meeting you in Lamoni." Why she felt the need to be truthful now, she really couldn't say, she was a bit honest to a fault but it was a party not a high stakes summit with the fate of the world on it, no need to bluff or try to be deceitful. "But still, I thank you for rescuing me, Good Sir."

[The Qoryx]

Marcella really wasn't sure what to do, this man whom rather insistingly sat her down, the man who was quite inebriated and talking her ear off. Suddenly another man approached her, he wasn't familiar though he mentioned promising a dance with the man from a meeting in Lamoni. Strange, why didn't she remember that of all things? It's like in her head a dozen or so little Marcellas were scrambling to pull out the file of this memory but not having much luck. "Ah right!" She decided best play along. "It's good to see you again. Milord, if you'll excuse me, I should be a good woman of my word." She stood giving a small little polite bow to bid him farewell, then took Einar's hand to let him lead her away.

"Oh thank you for saving me there. This is a bit awkward but I must admit and I'm rather embarrassed to admit but I just don't seem to remember you or meeting you in Lamoni." Why she felt the need to be truthful now, she really couldn't say, she was a bit honest to a fault but it was a party not a high stakes summit with the fate of the world on it, no need to bluff or try to be deceitful. "But still, I thank you for rescuing me, Good Sir."

Prinz Einar

Einar held Marcella's hand through his glove and the two of them proceeded to the dance floor. He chuckled at her confusion, and once they were sufficiently away near the other side of the dance floor, he stopped and let go of her hand as if to prepare for a dance. He spoke again in Dienstadi with his thick Arvolken accent.

„You are correct in that we have never met, however as a man who has been caught up in similar situations by men and women unable to hold their liquor, I have made it a personal endeavour of mine to disrupt the practice wherever possible. We have not met, nor have I owed you a dance, however I think given the situation, you are most certainly owed a dance, if for no other reason than to resume genuine enjoyment of this event."

He stands up straight and clicks his heels slightly, then bows again from the neck.

„My Lady, I am the Prince Einar of Der Reichseidgenossenschaft. This is my husband, Prince Sander. We are both pleased to make your acquaintance, for the first time."

He laughs and smiles at her.

[AHSCA]

"Milords, it's great to meet you as well!" Marcella curtised as he gave his bow. "So I'm glad I'm not completely losing my mind and forgetting about an important arrangement I made. That's quite a relief if I must say. Thank you for saving me, I'm not as experienced in dealing with intoxicated nobility from other nations." That and this was a regional party which was wearing on her nerves pretty harshly but she kept that to herself. "Exciting to meet new people isn't it? I haven't had as much pleasure at attending a lot of balls since I became the Duchess of AHSCA, the ones I have were usually with our friends as opposed to our whole region of neighbors."