An Osthian Royal Marriage, Foreign Dignitaries Welcome (RP)

[Osthia]

The marriage is in the Empire of Demoness, and all are welcome to be present for the wedding.

[Fenwick]

He stood on the balcony outside his room, the warm smell of peppermint wafting up from the mug in his hand. He seemed lost in thought as he lifted the mug to his lips and took a small sip, watching the sun rise up over the city below. People in the grand capitol were rising for the day, cars starting to fill the streets as the day in New Avalon began. He smiled to himself and sighed contentedly as he savored the sweetness of the tea, a constant part of his morning routine.

It had been almost six months since his father died, but the feeling was still new to him. He turned his back to the scene outside, deciding that the rest of the country was up, it was time for him to do the same.

Walking into his private kitchen, he untied the belt that was binding his robe together, then tossed them both on the back of a chair. He only paused in the kitchen long enough to refill his mug, then head on to the shower.

Twenty minutes later he emerged, his shoulder-length brown hair still slightly damp, his towel around his waist. At this very moment he was best described as scruffy, the beginnings of a beard growing on his kindly face.

Ned pulled his hair back so that it wouldn't make his shirt damp, then quickly buttoned it up and loosely put on a tie. He grabbed his briefcase and his saber from next to the door, quickly fastening the latter to his belt. He left his room quietly, locking the door behind him. The Palace was still cool, the marble and stone work of the hall pleasant to the touch of his fingertips.

Turning to the sound of footsteps, the Emperor nodded to his assistant who was approaching.

"Good morning, Yuri. Sunrise was beautiful this morning, wasn't it?"

Yuri nodded affirmatively. "Unfortunately, the mariner's superstition about red skies seems to have come true. Though there is a bit of amusing news as well."

"Oh?"

Yuri passed him a small folder. "Reports came in this morning. Seems there is unrest in one of the northern suburbs of Deseret. There was a political demonstration going on-"

"Yes, I remember signing their petition for assembly."

Yuri nodded. "Apparently some of them had a little too much to drink and got rowdy with the Police overseeing the event. Other members of the group saw the Police subduing the drunks and it got out of hand. Tear gas was employed, but the forces there were a bit overwhelmed. One officer died late last night after being trampled by the crowd."

Ned frowned. "Not good. What actions have been taken?"

"More police have been called up and they've been issued riot gear. There has been some looting and the like. Your brother is requesting authorization to deploy one or two units of the National Guard."

Ned sighed. "It's his responsibility to issue that order, not mine; and he should know better. Alright, let me get in touch with him."

Yuri raised an eyebrow, curious. "And the other matter?"

Ned flipped to the second section of the folder and grinned. "Oh my, oh my. And Ji-Ji gave me crap for my..." he paused and glanced at Yuri. "Your idea for finding me a wife."

Yuri innocently raised his eyes to the ceiling of the corridor, seemingly oblivious to everything aside from a particular ceiling tile.

---

Ned shook his head exasperatedly at the image of his brother, Leighton, on the screen in front of him. "Look, you know that, I know that, what's the problem? Just get this contained... and try not to hurt them. Water cannons, tear gas. Rubber bullets and bean bags as a last resort."

"Right, I just needed authorization because half of my Guard units are in the Eastern Block dealing with the flooding there. Needed to pull from the Core units."

"You have my permission. I'll talk to you later this afternoon, alright?"

Leighton nodded his agreement. "Is what I hear about Jia Li true, by the way?"

Ned chuckled slightly, "Yes, yes it is. I'm going to be pestering her after I get off of here with you."

Leighton grinned mischievously. "Good, give her a hard time for me too. Oh, and say hello to Yuri for me."

"I will." Ned leaned over and flipped the switch to cut teleconference off. "I wonder if he meant our Yuri or hers...?"

---

To the Esteemed King Christofer I,

I would be most delighted to attend this joyous and solemn occasion. It would be my honor to represent my country and to be present for my dear friend, the Empress Jia Li's, union with yourself.

Emperor Ned Davion
The United Provinces of Fenwick

---

Shortly after sending his official response to the wedding invitation, Ned dialed up the link to the Communications board in Sacred Rock, the capitol of Demoness. He grinned broadly, more than hoped to see the shining and smiling face of Yuri Katsuragi, the head of communications there.

[Demoness]

Jia Li spoke on, words seeming to spill from her mouth of their own accord, and quietly the ever-loyal Xel Nedia, Solar High Guard, corrected her grammatical errors and sometimes plentiful malapropisms, but she heard not a word. Her attention was focused on ignoring Beowulf Corbmac, Imperial Minister of the Interior, who was droning in her ear about the protests of Cabinet. He was a rather sour man with salt and pepper hair and the air of a man who has been in his position for far too long. "...Without respect to our traditions, our milennia of traditions, in the name of 'progression' and 'international peace' and you barely paid respect to the Cabinet when you nonchalantly announced your marriage to this foreigner whom you know nothing about. This young king has already tried to drag us into a war and has Your Divinity even properly negotiated a marriage contract with this stranger? You know nothing of his nation - I know because you haven't ordered a single dossier on the Kingdom of Osthia. Really, Your Imperial Highness, your whims are no way-"

"Corbmac-dana, if you would listen for just a moment, you would notice that my terms of negotiation are precisely what I am dictating, and don't you think it should be Foreign Affairs' job to lecture me on my spontaneous diplomacy?" She felt Xel's hand on her shoulder and her tension was soothed. He often knew her mind and today she was thinking, not for the first time, that her younger sister Hikari would have been better suited for the throne, but abdication was simply not allowed and she would always have her sister for guidance.

Beowulf's sternness lost no moment. "Foreign Affairs is underneath my department, as almost everything else involved in this international marriage," he replied smoothly, somehow keeping snideness out of his tone while keeping his air of arrogance. "Let me see," he continued, reaching for the paper from the scribe. "Have you added a dowry and a request for a bride price? It is customary in the West, even for royals, and for you it must be especially high. We can't have a goddess looking destitute." He scanned the pages, murmuring approvingly at her careful words, and was pleasantly surprised to find that she had in fact included a dowry as this obscure custom was never born in Demoness. Humbled, he said, "If you are finished, milady, I will run this down to the appropriate office and your cabinet can review it immediately." He left as soon as she nodded and she was relieved for him to finally go. She sunk into her chair. "If I had known getting married would be so hard, I wouldn't have done it!" she lamented.

Xel frowned darkly behind her. "I can't say I approve of it either, Daemonesu-kami," he said distantly, using her religious name rather than her reign name. "As much as it pains me to agree with Lord Corbmac, he has some very valid points. You aren't known for your careful deliberations before making a decision."

Jia Li stiffened immediately and turned on him. "I deliberate more than everyone thinks. Demoness' isolation strategy has worked for centuries, but the economy has become global as well as everything else and it benefits the country more to step into the international stage while it can. King Christofer may be young, but he has potential, as does his nation, and alliance will be beneficial in time."

Xel nodded and said nothing, noting that she had spoken defensively. Best to let her alone.

---

The face wasn't smiling or shining, but it was indeed that of Yuri Katsuragi. "This is the Communications Hub of Demoness, Sacred Rock office, Yuri- Oh, it's just you." The stress lines of her face eased at least into a smile, however small. "Why are you making your own calls, Ned-mitsu? Er, Your Excellency."

[Osthia]

It was the day before the wedding, and Christofer was sitting in the throne room, listening to his Ministers. "Your majesty, what if the empress, your fiance, decides to use this royal marriage to annex our beloved kingdom? Her empire is several times larger than ours, and if they invade, Osthia will be doomed. She is not trustworthy." Christofer glared at his Minister of Defence. "Perhaps that is what you think, but I assure you, she will not take advantage over this. And we will not take advantage by saying I have a claim to her throne. It would make me look like a monster. I trust in Jia Li, and as your king, I advise you trust her too."

The Ministers said their goodbyes and congratulations as the young monarch flew to the capital of Demoness. It won't be long before I finally meet her face to face, he thought. He had black hair, a fair face with very little acne, and he was thin, but fit. He wondered if she was as beautiful as his Minister of the Press said she was.

[Osthia]

OOC *tag*

[Ashunera]

Governor Ryan opened the invitation to his cousin's wedding. He smiled and began to prepare to go. I cannot wait to meet my cousin's wife-to-be. This will be a joyous occasion. I know it. He dressed into his finest robe, the robe telling of the glory of the Moon and Stars, and put his waistlength black hair into a ponytail. He then grabbed a fine, jewel encrusted comb. A perfect gift for his cousin's wife. "Lelianne, I will be going to Demoness. Take care of things here for me while I'm gone, would you?"

He arrived two hours later by means of private jet

[Fenwick]

Ned smiled broadly. "Eh, you know how it is. And you know better, by the way." He turned his head and held up the copy of the brief regarding Jia Li's marriage. "Just figured that I'd call Ji-Ji and offer my congratulations in person... well, sort of. I promise not to tease her too much." Ned set the slip of paper down on his desk. "That and I figured it wouldn't hurt to say hey, since we hadn't talked in a while. Don't want to get you in trouble though for chatting with heads of state rather than routing calls," he said with a wink.

[Demoness]

TO: Osthian Foreign Office or similar structure
FROM: The Demonessian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
SUBJECT: Marriage Contract

To Whom It May Concern,

Her Imperial Highness, Empress Jia Li, will abdicate any right of rule she may gain by marriage in the Empire of Osthia so long as His Majesty King Christoer will likewise deny any legal right he feels he may have in the rule of the Dragon's Realm of Demoness. Properties belonging to the dowry and the bride price may merge.

Regarding Offspring: The first female issue of HIM Empress Jia Li will inherit the Demonessian throne and automatically abdicate all claims to the Osthian throne. All other issue will have full access to their birthrights in both countries.

Regarding Divorce or Separation: Should the marriage fail, all properties will return to their original ownership. All mutually owned properties will be sold and the money split, or put into trust for any children. Children will split their time evenly between parents following on a three month rotation, which may be adjusted for religious and/or government reasons.

Respectfully on the behalf of HIM Empress Jia Li

OOC: I will write a proper reply to the rest tomorrow as I got home quite late.

[Osthia]

TO: The Demonessian Foreign Ministry
FROM: The Osthian Foreign Ministry
SUBJECT: Marriage Contract

His Imperial Majesty has agreed to matters of children and their thrones. He does wish that any male children will be given the Osthian throne and promises that any daughters will be given your throne. He has told me and the Council that he has no intentions of taking the Demonessian throne from you or your family. As for the subject of divorce, even though His Majesty has a feeling that there will be no such seperation in the future, he will abide by the contact.

On behalf of the Empire of Osthia, I congratulate you, for the Emperor is a kind young man. He respects the people and is willing to give them rights. He has also said very noble things about Her Imperial Majesty Jia Li. He hopes that this marriage will be everlasting and beneficial not just for our two empires, but for him and Her Majesty.

Sincerely,
Foreign Minister Harold Sforka

[Demoness]

Yuri released a disgusted sigh. "Ji-ji-mitsu can write me up. She owes me after handing this place over when it's only half-finished," she griped. "The contractor she hired took many shortcuts and the wires will need to be redone and the database wasn't ready when it went online." She shook her head; sometimes Jia Li's whims did not work out.

"Anyway, Her Imperial Highness is with Her Grace and she asked not to be disturbed until the wedding. I think all the talk has gotten her nerves frayed. You are coming tomorrow, aren't you? I'll see you then. I'm sorry, but I need to get back to work." And with none of the courtesy allowed to a foreign dignitary, she hung up the phone.

---

The metallic reverberations echoed off the courtyard and walls as the fencers fought. Both women were light on their feet, but the stronger arm belonged to the woman whose face was uncovered. Hikari was a flawed mirror, almost a shadow, of her sister and for this she became the bolder of the two. Her face was set in concentration, but her green eyes were alight with enjoyment. Her twin was losing vigor and allowed her defense to slip; Hikari slid her blade into the opening and tapped the padding, signaling her finale point.

Breathless, Jia Li removed her mask and shook out her long raven hair; as the sun hit the strands, they ignited the fire hidden within. Though they were nearly identical, something indistinguishable made her the beauty of the two, whether it was her smile or her assumed naivete. "Are you sure you don't wish to switch places with me?"

Hikari chose to ignore the tone that suggested she wasn't kidding. "They would notice," she replied, pointing to her right eye. It was a vivid green, like her sister's, but hers contained a ring of gold; this was only the most obvious difference. She had a light dusting of freckles across her cheeks, more muscle mass born from a better constitution, and was not prone to misspeech. "And you would miss out on the joy of marriage." She noticed Xel stiffen out of the corner of her eye.

The Empress sighed deeply as they began care of their weapons and putting their gear away. "I am not as focused on our religion as you are, sister. I don't have the faith."

"As you shouldn't," she interjected softly. "If you truly believed yourself a goddess, you would be arrogant; this keeps you humble and allows you to rule wisely."

"And I don't have the ear of the Cabinet and Council of Twelve as you do," Jia Li continued. "You will be appointed to their ranks as soon as their is an open spot. I have to fight them for everything."

"Rule is never simple and you will rarely be popular." She sensed something deeper at work and asked, "You're afraid, aren't you?"

"It's such a change. How am I to cope? How will he react? I don't know much about him. I only have faith."

Hikari smiled and caressed her sister. "No one ever said marriage would be easy and for us it will be much harder, but you have strength in your optimism and I know it will work out. Air your fears, but don't listen to them."

Jia Li laughed musically. "Thank you, priestess," she joked and let her mind be eased.

---

The Next Day

Sacred Rock was blanketed from the streets to the highest buildings with banners, streamers, and flags to celebrate the upcoming wedding. While the Easter Lily was the official flower of Demoness, the streets were covered in cherry blossoms, Jia Li's favorite. The Dragon Bridge, crossing the Blood River, was a difficult checkpoint as the safety of the joyous day was security's primary concern, but modifications had been made to make passage up the plateau's winding path less dangerous than it normally was. The Jade Palace and Sacred Cathedral, sitting atop the plateau, were lavishly festooned with decorations behooving such a significant event. All guests were received with skill by the Head Handmaid and her assistants, all able to treat dignitaries with customs from their respective nations. Jia Li was there as well, shadowed by her sister and guard, taking her turn to greet the guests she could and immediately welcomed her husband-to-be when he arrived.

Jia Li wore a long white gown that trailed behind her; she didn't move often for fear that it would become caught. Despite Demonessian wedding garb being simple, Beowulf had talked her into a more Western style and cherry blossoms carved from jade were laced into the dress. Her waist-length hair was braided tightly around a slender silver tiara and allowed to fall freely down her back, though someone had managed to weave real cherry blossoms into her hair. Even with makeup dusted across her cheeks, she looked more youthful than her years, especially when she smiled. "Greetings, my fair husband," she said shyly.

[Osthia]

"And greetings to you, milady," Christofer repiled while bowing at the waist. He then took her hand and kissed it. "Are you nervous...would you mind if I called you Jia?"

[Demoness]

"You may call me Jia if it's easier for you," she replied. "I am nervous. Aren't you?"

[Osthia]

"Yeah, I'm very nervous. I heard about you, by the way. My Minister of the Press told me about you. He told me that you fence. Is that true? Because I like to fence myself. Perhaps we could fence sometime."

Ugh, he thought to himself, I'm about to marry a beautiful woman and I'm stammering about fencing. I must sound like someone who talks too much

[Demoness]

Jia Li stiffled an amused giggle that held no malice. "I fence sometimes, mostly with my sister. Oh! I'm so rude! This is my sister, Princess Hikari," she said.

Hikari bowed deeply. She was dressed conservatively in a white sundress and several gems, mostly jade, had been woven into her hair, which sat as a crown on her head. "Your Majesty."

Jia Li turned and gestured to a man standing behind her. He wore a uniform of plain black with a sun crest on his chest and a sword and pistol at his side. He did not look much older than Jia Li, even with the grim, resentful look on his face. "This is my Solar High Guard, Xel Nedia. He is one of three people charged with my security." As she introduced him, he looked up and down Christofer, seeming to size him up, before bowing as well. She seemed a little disappointed that he didn't speak, but smiled on his behalf. "What shall I call you?" she asked. "Do you like Christofer or Chris, or...?"

[Osthia]

"My Ministers always call me 'Majesty.' But I think I would like to be called Chris by someone else." he smiled at Jia and then bowed to Hikari and Xel. "It is an honor to meet you two. Ithink I would like to get to know everyone better. Tell me, what is a favorite pasttime in Demoness? I am interested in foreign culture, considering that Osthia has been shut out from the outside world until my grandfather opened up trade."

[Fenwick]

Ned shook his head amusedly at the screen that displayed a blinking Call Ended. "Didn't even get a word in edgewise there. Hasn't changed a bit."

---

The Next Day

Ned stared at the now crowded and narrow path leading up the side of the plateau. "You know, I'm really starting to think I should just start using the Osprey when I visit. Save a lot of effort."

"Until their anti-air batteries decided that we were far too close to the Palace and decided to turn us into burning scrap," his brother Erryn stated rather matter-of-factly. "Which I'm sure would put a damper on the whole visit."

Both were wearing the full white mess dress uniform of the Fenwicki Army, the uniform resembling a white tuxedo with gold knotting on the sleeves and shoulders. Finding it rather uncomfortable in the June heat, Ned tilted his head slightly, allowing some air to pass the collar of his shirt. "I always hated wearing this thing. Shame that we look so smashing in them."

"Right until we spill something on them at dinner, bro." Erryn turned his head and smirked. "Let's just hope, for your jacket's sake, that we aren't having some sort of food with tomato sauce."

"Hey, that was just once," Ned stated, his voice feigning hurt.

[Demoness]

"My Ministers always call me 'Majesty.' But I think I would like to be called Chris by someone else." he smiled at Jia and then bowed to Hikari and Xel. "It is an honor to meet you two. Ithink I would like to get to know everyone better. Tell me, what is a favorite pasttime in Demoness? I am interested in foreign culture, considering that Osthia has been shut out from the outside world until my grandfather opened up trade."

"Riding has been the favorite pasttime of the royalty for years, as is the martial arts, though I am not well versed in military tactics, as Xel can attest," Jia Li replied. She had hoped the jibe would raise Xel's spirits, but he seemed content to remain sullen, so she continued. "There are sports, some our versions of Western events, and falconry - oh! And many games with chitaels." Though there weren't any currently present on the plateau, it would have been noticed that large cats were allowed to wander the streets of Sacred Rock. Chitaels were tawny, black-spotted intelligent felines that took the place of domesticated wolves in Demonessian history as they were kept for guards, hunting, and pleasure, and had remained half-wild without incident.

"You will love them, but I've had them banished from the plateau for our day. I didn't want them disturbing the guests."

The Next Day

Ned stared at the now crowded and narrow path leading up the side of the plateau. "You know, I'm really starting to think I should just start using the Osprey when I visit. Save a lot of effort."

"Until their anti-air batteries decided that we were far too close to the Palace and decided to turn us into burning scrap," his brother Erryn stated rather matter-of-factly. "Which I'm sure would put a damper on the whole visit."

Both were wearing the full white mess dress uniform of the Fenwicki Army, the uniform resembling a white tuxedo with gold knotting on the sleeves and shoulders. Finding it rather uncomfortable in the June heat, Ned tilted his head slightly, allowing some air to pass the collar of his shirt. "I always hated wearing this thing. Shame that we look so smashing in them."

"Right until we spill something on them at dinner, bro." Erryn turned his head and smirked. "Let's just hope, for your jacket's sake, that we aren't having some sort of food with tomato sauce."

"Hey, that was just once," Ned stated, his voice feigning hurt.

Before them stood the slight form of Adiwyn Moonflower. She was a brunette with rosy cheeks and vivid blue eyes and to the observant, slightly pointed ears. Though she appeared no older than twenty, she held the air of a matron much older and the fact was that she had appeared the same when Ned and Erryn were children. She even wore the uniform of the Head Handmaid - a long, flowing understated dress of a flower pattern. She bowed deeply and regarded them warmly, but despite the familiarity she shared with them, she analyzed them closely even while speaking demurely. "Your Majesty, Major Davion. Welcome to the Jade Palace on this most joyous day. Her Highness will be relieved to see some familiar faces among the crowd. I'm afraid though that she is with her future husband and not available to speak with you personally at the moment."

[Fenwick]

Ned and Erryn both nodded as they took in the information.

"That's no problem," Ned started. "These things usually are pretty busy. Awfully short amount of time to allow for much planning to go into it, though?"

Erryn stood off to the side, surveying the surroundings, taking note of those around and absorbing snippets of conversation, and storing these facts for later.

[Demoness]

Adiwyn smiled wanly. "If you knew what the Handmaids were capable of, you would be amazed," she said. "It was short notice for many of the guests though and I imagine not all of them could make it." Though she spoke to Ned, her eyes followed Erryn's. "The Lawspeaker and Cabinet would not allow the festivities to look rushed either.

Erryn heard murmurs of discontent from people who looked like they may hold high government positions. A few men and women, in whose experience Erryn knew to be from the clans, gossiped about one another while ambassadors spoke about themselves and their countries.

[Osthia]

OOC: Do you want to skip to the wedding ceremony itself or continue the conversations?

[Demoness]

OOC: I was enjoying RPing the conversation, but if you wish to skip ahead, we can.

[Osthia]

OOC: We can do more conversation, but yes, we should do the ceremony soon.

IC: "So Jia, tell me a little about yourself. I would like to get to know you better, considering that we might be living with each other for the rest of our lives."

[Osthia]

OOC: tag

[Demoness]

OOC: Sorry, really rough time at work. I'll also skip forward to the ceremony since I took so long to reply. Feel free to add anything.

IC:

JIa Li smiled again. "I think it would serve you better to ask my friends and staff; you'd probably get a more honest picture." She laughed. "I have no real interest in ruling, but the responsibility can only fall to me, so I have little choice, and if you ask most people, I also have little skill in it. If I could have chosen my vocation, I would have been an astronaut or a writer or something flippant. Everyone says I'm stubborn and I'm quite lucky to be alive. I fell ill when I was sixteen and very nearly died. My mother died giving birth to me and I've only recently began to get to know my father. My best friend is Xel here and my sister is my best spiritual advisor." She did manage to slip a lot of truth into a few minutes, more than she'd meant.

---

After some time, the guests migrated into the cathedral to wait on the wedding party. The decorations were as secular as possible in a country where the ruler was considered divine, and the presiding official was a judge rather than a priest. Christofer and Jia Li were both heralded by their respective national anthems. The ceremony was short, having all its religious connotations stripped, but an important part of Demonessian tradition remained: as part of the vows, the palm of the left hand was sliced open by a ceremonial knife so the new couple could literally join blood as well as spiritually. Afterwards, they officially signed the marriage contract and were announced as the new royal couple to their subjects.

[Osthia]

In Osthia, the wedding was televised, and at first the people gasped when the knife was pulled out for the blood binding tadition, but then throughout Osthia an audible sigh could be heard throughout the empire as they realized that it was merely a traditional act. The Osthians applauded when the new royal couple kissed and they realized that now the royal family had been expanded to a foreign country. In osthia's past years, the royal family's children had married any Osthian they chose, commoner or noble. This was Osthia's first royal marriage, and it seemed like it was one out of love rather than politics.

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _

Christofer took Jia Li aside from the celebrations and asked, "Jia Li, would you like to visit Osthia? According to Osthian tradition, the royal couple is displayed to the public in the capital and accepted in that manner.Following that would be a tour throughout Osthia so that all may see the new wife or husband in person, rather than on television. It gives the lasting impression that the Dralien family cares for the people and shows them that the new spouse cares for the people as well."