Module:RPG/The Fate of Xia.json

[   {        "posts": [ {               "content": "\u003Cem\u003EIt is the year 833 in the Etrandish calendar.... The de facto global calendar of Artograch and their peoples - the more ancient peoples of Artograch didn't adopt the date of the foundation of the Kingdom of Etrand as a basis for their calendar out of willingness, but out of convenience. But Etrand is far from a peaceful kingdom. When it was founded, it was founded upon the forceful subjugation and religious conversion of barbarian tribes. It expanded by absorbing more pagan tribes, forcing the dwarves to be their vassals.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHowever, it has been over six centuries since Etrand has truly expanded, or rather, had permanent territorial gains. This might change in the near future - something unimaginable has happened, that brought a new kingdom of the horizons. They call themselves \"Xia\" - a nation of forest-people who are not Wood Elves. A nation with strange names and strange gods, ruled by women who worship a multitude of deities instead of just one.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe details are left unknown to Stephanus, but war broke out between Etrand and Xia. He was called into war, like all good Knights of the Blood Red Light, to spread the word of Titanius to heathen lands, to subjugate the foreigners under Etrandish rule, to save their souls from certain damnation. Much to his own surprise, however, he - a rare example of a knight of commoner origins - was chosen to lead the army at the front. He himself didn't understand the rationale of having someone so unimportant and common as him lead, but he went along with it - one by one, the Xia's cities, castles, villages, and walls, armies fell before the might of the Etrandish army, an army composed of a huge number of spearmen, archers, crossbowmen, and a smaller number of cavalry, battlemages and siege engines.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese were the final, the closing hours of the war. Xia's capital is under siege, and he has heard no word of any Mitsuko offering surrender.\u003C/em\u003E \"People should know when they are defeated.\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe thought. At this point, he was expecting the Mitsuko family to surrender, or at very least, open negotiations with the Etrandish. Yet so far, no such thing has happened. His army had the capital surrounded, soldiers camping in tents, siege engines all aiming in the general direction of the settlement or fortification. He has come this far so far - he cannot afford to disappoint his king, and all his other superiors who put their faith in him. His army may be successful, having constantly beaten the Xia at nearly every turn, they are growing weary of this war, and are also coming to underestimate their opponents - this could allow the Xia to pull up a trick from their sleeves, one last trick to even the odds a little. Etrandish peasant-soldiers may have low expectations, but they sure don't like constantly sleeping in the loud nights of the forest.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-28T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530136800,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "Queen Kya stood overlooking the desolation that had plagued her country for months which had finally come to call on she and her family personally at the grand estate her ancestors had built so long ago, a deep rage and sorrow eating away at her. Was this what she had become? Watching her enemies, waiting for them to come knocking down her door to slaughter more of her people? They hadn't even been the ones to start this war. If only the Gods had bestowed on her the power that was hers, as they had her child, then she could whip these brutish creatures back to whatever cold hell they called home. But that was not the case. Inside, her child sat in the study, playing with her father and a large white kitsune that was almost as tall as she was when it stood on its hind legs.She was everything that Kya had left, and she was determined to protect her, even if the girl would come to hate her for it, and she knew that she would for what she was about to do. She had heard the stories of what the Etrandish monarchy was like, she knew that if she resisted until the final moment, she and her husband would be executed, her people enslaved at worst and at best made lower than serfs and her child...the best case scenario would be that her child would be killed quickly, the worst...she would be enslaved and turned into a trophy for the rival monarch. She wished that she could be strong and resist like her ancestors, but she refused to risk the lives of her people, or her child. She called a messenger and sent her to the enemies camp, conceding to the power of the enemy and setting terms for what she hoped would be an easier surrender...\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAfter weeks of negotiation, the capital of Xia was silent, its streets bare and it's citizens watching the army and the leaders of Estrand march through the streets and to the open gate of the large castle that had been home to the Mitsuko Royal Family for generations. Servants lined the paths through the castle, bowing low and even the Queens personal soldiers bent the knee as their conquerors marched through the castle before being brought into the inner sanctum, the throne room. Occupying the largest, silver-gilt throne in the center of the dais was a tall, slender woman, dressed in a formal, flowing dress, her black hair pulled back into an elegant bun and threaded through with an elegant hair pin, a prominent silver crown resting on her head. To her left sat her husband, a man about the same height as the queen, King Hideki possessed the same midnight colored hair as his wife which was cropped short and adorned by a smaller silver crown. The king was somber and quiet as he watched the approaching men, his blue eyes worried while his wifes own green gaze was filled with restrained rage.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAt the queens feet to the right was a large white fox with three waving tails and a piercing red gaze, and to the right, curled closely as was possible to the monarch, her head in the older monarchs lap, was a small girl. She was dressed in an elegant, more modern dress that was often worn by young women in their culture who were of age to marry. The Queen coaxed the child to lift her head and face their 'guests' with a hand that had been stroking the childs long hair. The girl was small, five foot one, maybe five foot three. She was a slender, small-breasted girl, one with an erect carriage which she usually accentuated by throwing her body slightly backward at the shoulders like a young cadet. Her hair was a soft, snowy white that had been left to flow freely down her back and over her shoulders like a waterfall of snow, a woven silver circlet that had been crafted in the shape of stars circling her hair. She looked as though she couldn't be much older than seventeen, and her blood red gaze held a mixture of fear and curiosity as she watched the invaders closely. There were several long moments of silence as they watched each other before the queen finally spoke.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Welcome, gentleman, to the Xiannian court.\" she greeted them formally, her voice strong and proud as she addressed their conquerors. \"We are humbled by your presence, and thank the Gods for your safe journey.\"\n",               "date": "2018-06-28T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530136800,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe Etrandish were neither monsters, nor savages. Or so they preferred to believe - claiming themselves to be tamers of savages. The enemy announced their surrender - to this, Stephanus and his soldiers responded with a sigh of relief. The engineers stopped operating the siege engines, and the army began to follow Stephanus into the city in a very organized manner. The knight remained on horseback, wearing a gambeson, a chainmail, some plated pauldrons, A rather unpleasant-looking helmet continued to mask his arguably handsome face and his long brown hair, but his azure-blue eyes remained visible even through the helmet. He marched with his men to the royal palace - the enemy's surrender wasn't unconditional, and there were several set conditions. No physical harm would come to the royal family during the time it takes to negotiate the peace treaty, and finally sign it by both sides. However, in return, Etrandish troops would be allowed to patrol Xiannian cities, such as the capital. No order was given to the enemy's army to disarm, but if they are to keep their side of the bargain, hostilities cease here and now. Any Xiannian person - soldier and citizen alike - harming even one Etrandish soldier is a violation of the conditions of the ceasefire that came into power by Xia's capitulation.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EObviously, it was unrealistic to expect his whole army to pour into the palace, or the throne room, so a dismounted Stephanus was followed by a small contingent of dismounted knights, all clothed in chainmail armour with some plated augments, wearing bascinets similar to his helmet, equipped with arming swords and the power of destructive magic, just like him. They have the power to rain down thunder and lightning upon the enemies, and finish off the remainder with their swords. They follow him into the throneroom, where Stephanus takes his helmet down, revealing his somewhat wavy, breast-length brown hair, letting it free, revealing his somewhat scarred, but still young face of a young adult, and his azure-blue eyes. Then he looks at the royals.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"My name is Stephanus Tavilrond, and I accept your surrender...\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe introduced himself\u003C/em\u003E \"...but I am just a general, not a diplomat. I am not qualified to sign a peace treaty on behalf of my king, or even to negotiate a peace treaty on behalf of my king. The best I can do is to guarantee your safety until the negotiations are concluded. For that, I have sent word that hostilities have ceased, and it is now safe to send over a qualified diplomat, who will negotiate with you on behalf of King Orlónius of Etrand. He should be arriving in several days. In the mean time, I humbly request space for me to garrison my troops, and stables where my horse can rest. I trust you have no objections to that.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe introduced himself with a first name and a last name. There was no \"of\" in it. No Stephanus of any land. Is he a commoner? This might make the kingdom's defeat even more humiliating. Stephanus did lay his eyes on all of the royal family. The stern-looking queen, the not-so-stern looking king, the beautiful girl they had, the strange fox... For now, the knight may have come off as somewhat rude, possibly even mechanical, lifeless, robot-like... but in truth, he was simply told things the way they were - and while he did take part in diplomatic missions before, he stated it quite clearly: he was on a military mission, he wasn't qualified to negotiate on behalf of the king. The king did not give him such power, such permission. But someone who has such qualifications will eventually arrive. \u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-28T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530136800,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe queen looked the general over with an untrusting gaze, the king silent and forlorn as the soldier spoke. Their child looked at him with neither defiance nor rage, but with more curiosity as time went on. This was strange to her. These soldiers were men, while theirs were mostly women. She didn't quite understand... Kya looked down at her daughter as the girl studied their 'visitors', worry plaguing her features before she looked back to Stephanus. \"...I am Kya, Queen of Xia, my husband,\" she gestured to the king, \"Is Hideki, this is Mamoru,\" she gestured to the fox who, strangely enough, seemed to bow its head to the soldiers. The queen gestured for her daughter to rise, nudging her a bit to garner her attention. When Koyuki realized what her mother wanted, she shyly rose to her feet, which were bare; the young girl curtsied low, keeping her eyes on the ground before her rather than on the men, a sign of great respect, especially for a royal. \"This is my daughter, Koyuki, my heir.\" Kya told them, her eyes never leaving the generals.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"...your requests shall be granted, rooms readied for you and the stables made available. The servants shall show your men to the soldiers quarters, where you might rest yourselves for the time being. General, I shall have rooms prepared for yourself and your officials in the palace. I insist that you stay as our guests for the time being.\" she told them, rising from her seat at the throne, her husband rising with her. Her child moved to follow but the queen held up a hand, giving the child an apologetic look before turning her gaze back to the soldiers. \"My daughter will see you to your rooms personally and show you about the palace. I will leave you in her capable hands.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHer daughter carried a look of fear as the monarchs left, but she swallowed it, tamping down on something that she could feel rising inside of her before it spilled over and caused any damage. The fox, who came up past her waist, curled around her legs, making soft yipping noises in an attempt to calm her before the young woman turned to face the men. \"...I-I suppose...I mean I can show you the grounds, if you would like.\" she told them, her voice soft and quiet like a small bell. The fox made its way in front of the small royal, almost seeming to glare at them as it's three tails flicked nervously behind it. \"Or I could just...show you to your rooms.\" She was nervous. She had been raised to fight tooth and nail for her people and everything in her told her to strike out at these men...but she also knew that that would only cause her people more suffering. So here she was, making small talk like a child instead of drawing a bow or bringing down the force of her ancestors power on these men who had marched into their home and shattered their way of life.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-28T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530136800,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EStephanus nodded to the answer he got from the queen. She has a beautiful daughter, and... she is granting them his request so easily? That cannot be. Well, that went easily. But he guesses they already know that they are defeated and are doing this to placate him and his army in exchange for fair treatment at the negotiating table. Nevertheless, he watches, as the queen is presenting her daughter, herself and her husband. He assumes that she is the actual regent of the kingdom, not her husband.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"It's my honour, Queen Kya... but, why is your daughter barefoot?\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe had to ask the question. He wasn't noble enough to not ask that question. Nevertheless, they were being granted rooms and stables. Quite hospitable, they were.\u003C/em\u003E \"Very well, we shall stay your guests for the duration of the peace treaty's negotiation. However, the person requiring the most hospitality won't be us, but the diplomat, who will be arriving in several days.\" \u003Cem\u003EHe wasn't exactly lying when he said that. The diplomat is most likely going to be a person friend of the king, someone he trusts with negotiating on behalf. Clearly a very qualified person.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe knight was somewhat confused as the king and queen of the defeated kingdom left the throne room. Princess Koyuki will be the one leading them around? That's rather unorthodox. Normally, he would expect a servant to show them around, a retainer, a butler, or even a lesser noble - definitely not the heir to the throne! But still, he accepted it. \u003C/em\u003E\"Very well, Princess Koyuki, lead us to our rooms, \" \u003Cem\u003Ehe wasn't exactly curious about the grounds - after all, for all the treatment they were receiving, they were still an invading army, not a group of tourists. In fact, he expected to be summoned back to Etrand once the war is officially over and the peace treaty is signed. Fate may hold different ideas for him, but cannot tell the future. He just orders his men to follow him, while he himself follows Koyuki to whereever she leads them. He was a simple man - he certainly considered Koyuki a beautiful one, but she looked a bit lean for his tastes. And what kind of royal would walk barefoot? Even he - a simple soldier - was wearing boots. Even peasants wear boots in his kingdom. Not even the poorest go barefoot... actually, that might be an exaggeration. \u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe queen seemed to pay little to no attention at all to the generals smallest question, instead taking her husbands offered arm and leaving the chambers, her heart and mind racing, a bad taste being left in her mouth by this whole situation. Her daughter, for her part, was quiet and careful, seeing the fox eye and even advance slightly on the soldiers, her eyes glowed softly, resonating in the strange creatures gaze which mirrored his mistresses own. \"Mamoru, \u003Cstrong\u003Ehikai\u003C/strong\u003E!\" she ordered, the animal immediately coming to heel by her side once more.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Apologies, Sirs, he means well, but he does not like strangers. Please follow me.\" With that, the small royal padded down the steps of the dais, the animal close at her heels as her feet made hardly a sound on the marble floors. As she walked, the palaces soldiers averted their gaze to the floor, a practice that had been followed for generations in their country from the time of the very first Mitsuko ruler. They exited the throne room and she took them down a long corridor that passed a large, spacious garden filled with flowers and herbs, nothing but bird song and the calls of animals filling it. \"...I don't like them.\" she spoke finally as they began to climb a staircase. \"Shoes, I mean,\" she explained, looking at the soldier from the corners of her eyes. \"They hurt my feet and I can't feel the earth if I wear them, so I don't. Mother doesn't argue with me about it, because she says my grandfather was the same way and he is someone I should try to be like.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe old king had been renowned; he was a strong ruler, as fair as ever one could be. Had they listened to any of the locals or heard their stories, they would have come to find that King Tadashi hadn't been afraid to leave his palace, and had always been willing to lend a helping hand to even the lowest born of his people. She didn't expect much chatter from them, and as they reached the top of the corridor she gestured to the closed doors that lined the hallway; each opened to a lavish room that held a large bed, a small antechamber and a writing desk. It seemed the royals were keen on making their 'guests' as comfortable as possible to at the very least make things easier on their people. \"Supper begins when the sun touches the mountains.\" she explained to them. \"In the mean time, if any of you needs anything, there is a rope beside your door in the chambers, pull it twice, and a servant will be called. If you require nothing else of me, I have other responsibilities I must see to.\" she told them evenly, the strange fox yipping softly at her side.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe knight just shrugged, as the monarchs left and turned his attention back to the princess. He paid no heed to the fox at all - so he just nodded and followed the princess. He raised his eyebrows at the sound of the animals he heard - just what kind of palace was this? Even the royal palace of Etrand didn't contain such exotic things.\u003C/em\u003E \"I thought walking barefoot would be highly uncomfortable. I wore boots all my life. So did everyone else in my kingdom. Even the poorest peasant wears boots, lest their feet freeze.\" \u003Cem\u003Enow he was making it sound like he was living in some kind of icy cold land, when in reality, his land was a land of summers and winters alike. But then he just shrugged - to each their own, he assumed. He isn't sure if he she is going to fulfil her old ambition to be like her grandfather - he has heard before what happens to matriarchal societies. \u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Very well, I have no needs for now... and I assume neither of my men do. But if they do, they will be sure to pull the rope and let their needs be known.\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe said, taking a look at the princess one last time, before letting her go and telling his men to settle into their rooms, their chambers. He assumed that they would get a room of poor quality, but he was pleasantly surprised - a rather comfortable bed.... or something that looked like a bed, pleasant looks, clean air. A pleasant change from the rather dry, airless and unnatural-feeling taverns of his own homeland. He began resting as soon as he reached his room. Part of him feels that there is bound to a trap somewhere here - as if the enemy wants to lure him into a position from which they can ambush him. Either or that, or that he and his men would be under secret surveilance, encouraged to spill the beans, reveal sensitive secrets to his own men, sensitive secrets that could reach the king and queen through a sneaky servant's or pretend-servant's ears. Or worse yet, the moment he wakes up, he and his men could be surrounded by hostile soldiers willing to detain them! Or served posioned food and wine!\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe wasn't paranoid by any means, but his worries weren't unfounded - after all, the enemy surrendered rather easily, and is now offering lots of comforts to the soldiers. If their motivation is to ease the burden on the people and prevent violent repercussions to whatever the people do... they should know better and realize that at the end of the day, a soldier's opinion has little bearing on diplomacy. At the end of the day, the King's will will override the opinions and experiences of the likes of Stephanus Tavilrond, no matter how well they are treated. But if anyone can be influenced by good treatment, it should be the diplomat. \u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAnd what of the politics? It is certain, that Xia will be turned into a vassal of Etrand, or worse yet, an autonomous province of Etrand, whose autonomy will depend on how well do the royals behave. It isn't even certain if the king and queen will stay - the higher-ups could force them to abdicate and give power to the princess, who is assumed to be easier to manipulated. Lots of unexpected things could happen. And what of the diplomat? The diplomat, Drugó Mairkel will only arrive next day, early afternoon at earliest, and he will most certainly want to take a sample of Xianian hospitality before drawing up a peace treaty. \u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe princess gave a slight curtsy before turning and taking her leave, the creature following behind her. Her heart was still thrumming in her chest, and the mixed, confusing emotions slowly leaving her. At least they seemed to be polite for soldiers who had invaded her country. She didn't understand why her mother was being so kind, at best, these men should have been allowed to use the barracks, not been invited into their home. She waved the thoughts out of her mind for the time being, going to the kitchen and helping with a few minor tasks before setting herself to her studies with her tutors. She had her etiquette classes, her language and her maths, once those were complete her favorites began.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe late afternoon found her in the training fields dressed in the same garb as the new soldiers wore, working with a much older, war hardened woman. They began with swords, then went to knives, bows and finally hand to hand. Unfortunately, she was better with a bow than anything else and while she could hold her own in a hand to hand combat but she was still years away from being the warrior her mother was. Once her studies were done, she was left to her own devices, choosing, as always, to spend her time in the garden. Her mother found Koyuki, still dressed in her training attire by the small stream that ran through the garden. \"...you will have to grow up, sooner than expected. I do not make these decisions for you, for our people lightly, Koyuki, though you know I think that I care nothing for you I do this for you...\" Kya told her as the girls red eyes concentrated on a small patch of earth. When the queen received no answer, she sighed, shaking her head and turning back to the palace.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKoyuki stayed in the garden almost all night, refusing supper and instead going to bed when most of the castle retired. When the princess left, the once bare spot of dirt was a small bush of white flowers... The following morning, when the diplomat arrived the royal family were all seated in the throne room, though this time rather than Koyuki kneeling beside her mother like a child, she was seated closest to the queen in her thrown, dressed in what the queen thought was a more appropriate attire to meet a foreign diplomat than the dress she had been wearing the day before. The outfit was a terribly dreadful thing to Koyuki, one that she was normally not meant to wear aside from a festival that was usually held in the winter time. Queen Kya looked the noble, a man she was told went by the name of Drugo Mairkel. \u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShe didn't want him in her kingdom anymore than she wanted the soldiers there, but even so... She offered the same respectful nod to the diplomat that she had to the soldiers when they had first come to the palace. \"Welcome to Xia, Lord Mairkel.\" she greeted him, introducing herself and her family, her daughter offering a bow of her own before she returned to stroking the large foxes ears as his head rested in her lap, her blood red gaze never leaving the man that stood before them.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003ESadly, the knight wasn't informed of the arrival of the diplomat. Drugó Mairkel, the diplomat arrived in the early afternoon to the palace, and he was greeted by the queen.\u003C/em\u003E \"Ah yes, so this is the famous palace of yours. I heard that you gave quite the generous and hospitable treatment to the esteemed leader of our army, Sir Stephanus Tavilrond. If you'll excuse me, I'd like to indulge in that hospitality of yours for a bit of time, before I make a judgement an augment the peace treaty. His royal majesty has entrusted me to negotiate on his behalf, so I have the right to make my own judgement on his behalf as well.\" \u003Cem\u003EWell, that was a mouthful. But he wasn't finished yet.\u003C/em\u003E \"May I be accompanied to the living quarters my lord's armed forces have been accomodated at?\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe asked to be taken to where his knights are. Truth be told, he wants to hear Stephanus out, as what he may hear from him may be useful during the negotiations. In fact, he even plans to bring him to the negotiating table.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe diplomat did take a mental note about the presence of a daughter, but lack of son. Or rather, that is what he saw - he made a mental note. This may be useful in the future. The Kingdom of Etrand did in fact have an unmarried prince, but... due to the kingdom's shake history with xenophobic nobles getting very worked up over kings marrying foreigners... he thought to himself - for political reasons, it is best NOT to get Xia's princess to marry Etrand's crown prince. Instead, perhaps they could marry the princess to some other Etrandish nobleman, to still tie the subjugated kingdom to Etrand by blood. \u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe diplomat expected to be led to the place where Stephanus is. And what of Stephanus? He was waking up, along with his own men, and asked for food by pulling the rope. After all, it is early in the afternoon, and can't go without food. Perhaps while eating, he may accidentally run into Drugó?\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe queen felt rather irked at the mans demands and rudeness though she did well to hide her feelings, instead the woman simply gave a short nod, deciding to extend the same hospitality to the man as she had the soldiers. She gestured to her child, who stood in a flourish of silks, offering a deep bow to her mother and kissing her fathers cheek before descending the stairs of the dais, her loyal pet beside her. My daughter will see your men personally and show you about the palace if you wish, My Lord. If you wish for different quarters to be prepared for you please, don't hesitate to let us know. I will leave you in her capable hands.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWith that, the queen left the man with her young daughter, the smaller girl giving the diplomat a small curtsy before she turned to their path, the soldiers and guards who were posted in the palace lowering their gaze as she passed. \"Your men are not far, My Lord.\" she spoke softly, keeping her eyes forward as she concentrated on moving in the rather uncomfortable dress. \"We made sure that they were comfortable and their needs seen to.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe fox at her side watched the man through a piercing crimson gaze, its tails flicking nervously as they walked. \"I hope that your journey was not too hard on you. The forests can be a challenging thing to navigate if you are unfamiliar with them.\" As they passed down the open corridor that lead to the staircase, she couldn't help but smile seeing her handiwork from the night before which had bloomed into a large bush full of white lilies. \"Their rooms are just up this hall, My lord.\" her words came as they began to climb the stairs.\u003C/em\u003E\n", "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00", "hun": false, "streamlinedDate": true, "unixTimestamp": 1530223200, "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko" },           {                "content": "\"I was accompanied by skilled men who showed me the way through the forest. I came as soon as I could, after word got out that a ceasefire has been signed.\" \u003Cem\u003Ethe diplomat stated quite easily. as he followed the girl to the place where his own men be. Climb the stairs, see the ground, eventually, one way or another - even if it took quite some time - the diplomat got to the place where Stephanus Tavilrond and his men are located. Or rather, a smaller contingent of his men who are privileged and deemed important enough to be housed in such luxurious conditions, rather than the barracks, and the tents outside of the city.... or inside? Stephanus doesn't even remember if he gave an order for his soldiers to move their tents into the empty spots of the city or not. Only that he wants them garrisoned inside the city.... ooooh, right. The queen said she will allocate space for his soldiers to be garrisoned at, so all that's been taken care of... probably.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"I assume you must be Sir Stephanus Tavilrond, am I correct?\" \u003Cem\u003Easked the diplomat, as soon as he saw the leader of the knights.\u003C/em\u003E \"Yes, I am. And you must be the diplomat sent by his royal majesty, am I correct?\" \u003Cem\u003Eto which Drugó simply nodded. Stephanus was deliberately imitating Drugó, albeit in a rather affectionate manner, rather than spiteful.\u003C/em\u003E \"Listen carefully, young knight. You have led the armies to subjugate this kingdom and force their leaders to kneel before you...\" \u003Cem\u003Esaid Drugó, which Stephanus interrupted with laughing and the sentence\u003C/em\u003E \"...they didn't kneel before me...\" \u003Cem\u003Ebut Drugó continued.\u003C/em\u003E \"... well, metaphorically forced to kneel. What I was trying to say is, you know this kingdom much better than I do. You spent your whole campaign fighting them, you spent several good days walking amongst them, trying to understand them, their way of life, their customs.\" \u003Cem\u003Eto this, Stephanus simply responded with a silent nod. Drugó continued - \u003C/em\u003E\"What I'm trying to say is... you see, the king's orders are clear and unambiguous. However, you can do a much better job than me translating the king's terms to their language, if you know what I'm talking about. I could see the queen's glare. Perhaps what I write on a paper is best presented when backed by your sword, if you know what I mean.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAnd the discussion about politics went on and on and on.\u003C/em\u003E \"I understand what you mean, but there is no way a warrior like me can sugarcoat the king's peace terms. One way or another, we will have to give them the cold hard truth.\" \u003Cem\u003Esaid Stephanus It almost sounded like they were talking about executing the royal family or something. In fact, if anyone was eavesdropping, and took this part of the conversation out of context, they would be forgiven for thinking that, but in truth, they were talking about something much tamer... \u003C/em\u003E\"Yes, the fact that they are going to be an Etrandish province, subject to Etrandish laws, eventually having to be baptized to the Church of Titanius. And that their beautiful princess will be married to an Etrandish nobleman. If we try to push the new order down their throats too fast, they will rebel and fight to the last men. We have to gradually domesticate them, introduce them to their new way of life, and show them the advantages of being a part of Etrand.\" \u003Cem\u003EDrugó went on.\u003C/em\u003E \"And how do you propose to do it?\" Stephanus asked. \"We will promise to them that their royal family will remain in power, in the name at least. But at the same time, we will also appoint an overseer, a viceroy to make sure that Xia is a loyal vassal to Etrand, and that the progress of introducing them to the lawful way remains ongoing. Perhaps their princess could be forced to marry this viceroy. Perhaps this viceroy could be you.\" - \"Don't tease me, Lord Mairkel. I am just a commoner who was appointed to lead this army for reasons beyond my comprehension. Clearly, the glory of marrying a princess so stunningly beautiful should go to Crown Prince Markal, if anyone.\" - \"No. Don't you remember what happened to the King Orlónius's father? Nobles conspired to kill him, his wife, and his wife's relatives, because they were foreign. The infamous Carolus-conspiracy happened nineteen years ago, but to many, including me, those memories are still fresh. We shall find someone else to marry her... but her half-Etrandish offsprings on the other hand... can safely marry into the royal family.\" - \"Such a convoluted plan...\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThese two were dug so deep in their conversation, that they wouldn't have noticed if someone - like Princess Koyuki - was possibly eavesdropping on them. But with their conversation concluded, they decided to go back to where they came from, to the throne room. They asked the princess for help, if necessary. They were ready to negotiate... but boy, if someone close to the royal family - like the princess - \u003Cem\u003Eeavesdropped, then they'd have a lot of explaining to do.\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/em\u003E\n", "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00", "hun": false, "streamlinedDate": true, "unixTimestamp": 1530223200, "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond" },           {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EShe hadn't been dismissed, so the princess had stayed outside the room while the diplomat and general spoke, and what she heard brought true rage to her for the first time since the strangers had marched into their home. How dare they? They hadn't started this war, they had been a peaceful country, a prosperous one until that day, and now they planned to overtake their county through trickery? They plotted to give her to a man that had no business ruling her country? They plotted to take their culture? No! Unacceptable! Her rage went so unchecked for a moment that the glass on the window cracked in several hairline web points as her eyes glowed and tears threatened to overflow. The only thing to bring her back to the waking world was the fox, who lightly nuzzled her hand before biting her just hard enough to garner her attention.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Hikai...Mamoru, let go, I'm fine.\" she insisted, the kitsune's ear pressing flat against its skull even as it released its young mistress. She pet the creature, small beads of blood forming on her slender hand from the bite. When the men exited the generals room, Koyuki was wiping her eyes and straightened a bit, offering a small curtsy as they asked for her help though she uttered not a word as she lead them down the stairs and to the throne room once more where she sent a servant to summon her parents before taking her seat once more, a new steely look in her blood red gaze as she fought to control her emotions. When the queen and her husband reappeared, the guards all dropped to a knee as she passed, her husband following closely behind her as they took their seats on the dais with their child.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Honored guests, my daughter informs me that you wish to speak of peace.\" she said, the girl watching them intensely, her hands grasping the arms of her throne in white knuckled hands as her pet looked from its mistress to the strange men, a soft whine slipping from its muzzle which the princess ignored. How dare they...she was a daughter of the Mitsuko line, a descendant of War himself and this was how they treated her? There was no way that her mother would ever allow this. Little did the young royal realize though, her mother, in her own way, was much like the grandfather she missed. Kya would do anything to keep more blood from being spilled, and that included giving up her child.\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe knight was completely oblivious to the fact that his private conversation with the diplomat didn't go unnoticed, and someone was listening to it. It truly is fascinating, how different points of view can collide. How the princess was highly offended at what might have sounded like normal business talk to the Etrandish. How the queen considered the diplomat rude, when he was acting according to what his country and its contacts deemed standard procedure. Even if they haven't realized it already, it's been a great culture shock so far. And how far points of view can go... what the young princess considered to be a great injustice, a plot to erase their culture, the knight consider a noble attempt to save the souls of heathens and introduce them to a moral way of life. Truly fascinating, how points of view even on the same thing can differ so radically.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBut this was no time to discuss philosphy. it was time to negotiate a peace treaty, then sign it. The knight did look at the girl once again, and at the queen too. \u003C/em\u003E\"Yes, we are here to negotiate the peace treaty. May it be the foundation of millenia of peace and prosperity between our two kingdoms.\"\u003Cem\u003E the diplomat replied, albeit there must have been a lot of unspoken and unexpressed cynycism in his mind when he said that sentence, given how he just had a supposedly private conversation with Stephanus about annexing Xia to Etrand.\u003C/em\u003E \"If your royal majesty could lead us to the room where the four of us, or more people, could sit down and discuss the matter in private, we would be very grateful.\" \u003Cem\u003EStephanus said, trying to do damage-control and make up for the diplomat's perceived rudeness, trying to put in a more earnest, honest, sincere tone into the sentence. With that said and done, they were hoping that they would be led to some kind of a conference room, or a room with a round table and seats, or anything of that kind, where they can put down all the paper and simultaneously talk peace, and do paperwork. In fact, the diplomat was already counting the number of pages of paper he had, checking his flask of ink, his quills... Stephanus was stuck there, trying to make the best of an inherently bad situation. He was a character out of place from this dark story. A hero of light, savior of innocent civilians, dragged into a war of aggression, representing and leading the aggressors. Truly genre blind.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-29T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530223200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe rage she felt coiling inside of herself was just barely contained as she watched the two men, barely restraining herself from striking out at them. She simply kept her mind focused on the kitsune who's head rested in her lap. Koyuki was not one to care for philosophy. In her time at court when her mother had left her in charge of things, she had seen many a philosopher come and go, though they were insignificant to her. The princess had no qualms with opposing views as her grandfather had always taught her to respect the opinions and the ways of others, however when another's views directly effected herself and her country...she couldn't help but to carry at least some disdain. The queen gave a nod of her head, rising in a flurry of silks, her family rising with her though this time, once again, she held up a hand to stop her child from following to which the princess looked at indignantly for.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"I think it best if your father and I speak to these men ourselves, Koyuki.\" she explained, the princess glaring at her. How dare she, keeping her from a meeting that could and she was sure would largely impact her life. She cast her blood red gaze down at their visitors as her mother and father descended the steps, her mother gesturing for the men to follow her as she lead them out. For a moment, koyuki stood there, rooted to the spot in front of her throne, the creature beside her whining and nuzzling against his mistress in an attempt to calm her...she did not stay there for long. Her feet made hardly a sound as she padded down the steps, hurrying to a smaller door to the side of the court and rushing to get there before her parents and their conquerors did; she knew this palace better than even some of the servants did, as well as all its hidden routes... The princess stood, waiting patiently behind the servant door to the war room, as quiet as a mouse as she waited for them to arrive so that she may learn her fate, and the fate of her people...\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-06-30T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530309600,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe men did in fact follow the Mother Queen Kya, and followed her they did, very obediently. following her at her own pace. They expected to be led into a room with a round table of a sort, or any kind of table where they may sit in opposites. Or rather, where the Etrandish may sit in opposites with the representatives of Xia. They found it a bit awkward that Xia only had two representatives - the Queen and the King. The Etrandish normally expect to negotiate with a whole committee, not two persons. A bit hypocritical of them, given how even the Etrandish are currently represented by two persons, which does not even include their king. From this, the Etrandish came to the conclusion that Xia was an absolute monarchy where the nobility held limited power, where the monarch's power was absolute, and the nobility had zero say in foreign policy - quite the contrast with Etrand, where the king's power is actually quite limited, and the three estates - nobility, clergy and citizenry - are constantly putting pressure on the king to do things their way. Quite ironic, given how it was Etrand that beat Xia, not the other way around. But it can said that forms of government do not influence the outcome of wars.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ENevertheless, once sat down, or given any place where they may sit and handle papers, the diplomat began.\u003C/em\u003E \"Before I begin by listing the king's terms, I wish to express my gratitude you for your hospitality. I'm also thanking you on behalf of all the soldiers you have housed in this palace. I am sure that my king will send a gift to express his gratitude, even though we are supposed to enemies at this point and time... until we formulate the peace treaty, and sign it.\" \u003Cem\u003Ethe diplomat said.\u003C/em\u003E \"With that said, it would be the best if we began the negotiations as soon as possible. Now, as people not very acquited with the Continental Artograchian way of diplomacy, I inform both of you, that our ancient customs have it that the victors of a war first present their own demands. The defeated may counter these demands with their own offers, then the two sides shall negotiate until a mutual agreement, a compromise or consensus acceptable to both sides has been reached. If the negotiations fail, the victors may force the defeated to accept a dictate. Both the victor and the vanquished are strictly forbidden from disclosing the terms of the peace treaty to any third party until both sides have signed the treaty. With that said, let's begin the negotiations, shall we?\" \u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EAnd that third party also included the people - so in theory, only Xia's two monarchs, Stepanus Tavilrond, Drugó Mairkel and King Orlónius of Etrand are allowed to know about the terms of the treaty until Orlónius has signed the treaty. But there aren't even any terms yet. And that is only theory - in reality, the lines are a lot fuzzier between the two sides and third parties. This rule can be interpreted in a way that would say that only citizens of the two kingdoms are supposed to know. Or that only the royalty of the two kingdoms are supposed to know, but not the people. Who knows. Let Xia's rulers interprete the law as they wish.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Our terms are simple. Xia will become an autonomous province of Etrand. The currently reigning royal family will retain its powers, in name at least. The Etrandish will appoint one of their own noblemen or military men as Viceroy to oversee the development of its newly conquered province until they consider the royal family of Xia trustworthy enough to fully restore them to power. This viceroy shall live in your palace, and Princess Koyuki of Xia shall marry this viceroy. As an Etrandish province, Xia's citizens will become subjects to Etrandish laws. This includes the succession order of the nobility and royalty, changing it to an agnatic-cognatic primogeniture. Xia will also be obliged to welcome Titanist missionaries. These are our demands. Do you wish to counter it with any offers you think are better for us?\" \u003Cem\u003EThe diplomat stated his terms. What is an agnatic-cognatic primogeniture? Agnatic-cognatic means, that males inherit first, but the lack of a male heir means that a female shall inherit. Primogeniture means that the oldest child is the true heir. An agnatic-cognatic primogeniture, in effect is a system, where the oldest son inherits - if there is no son, then the oldest daughter.\u003C/em\u003E\n", "date": "2018-07-01T00:00:00.000+02:00", "hun": false, "streamlinedDate": true, "unixTimestamp": 1530396000, "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond" },           {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe princess was quiet as a mouse as her parents and the strangers entered what had been the war chambers for centuries, her heart thrumming in her chest as she concentrated on nothing but the voices coming from the room. In the chamber, seeming to sprout from the very floor in the center of the room was a large, angular table, indented and chiseled from the same bright marble as many of the grander rooms were with a map of the Xiannian Kingdom and those Kingdoms which bordered their countries forests. There were large, comfortable chairs stationed around the table spaced about two feet apart and the map seemed to offer about three feet of flat surface space before it would dip down to join the map, leaving plenty of room for writing utensils. The far side of the room standing opposite of the large door which served as the entrance to the room was lined with large, vertical windows that overlooked the palace gardens, the very top of them shimmering with pieces of colored glass that depicted the Xiannian’s God of War, Muramasa, a man with what appeared to be blond hair, green eyes and clothed in armor as he lifted a flaming sword over his head in triumph. The other windows held similar depictions though of different gods and goddesses, each linked to battle in one way or another.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKya and the king took seats with their backs facing the windows, the kings eyes somber while the queens were serious, troubled and locked on the visiting noble as he began with the pleasantries. She barely listened to the beginning explanations, having done similar meetings with conquests that her own grandfather had made before the Great Time of Peace when her father had taken over the throne prior to the mans death she was familiar with how these events usually went, though this time she was the one forced to pray to her gods for mercy… When the older man began with his terms, it wasn’t surprising to the Queen, she had expected such conditions to be proposed though she hoped to avoid or soften some of them, when the matter of her childs marriage was brought forth the woman barely blinked, her husband however looked at her with apprehension. She allowed the diplomat to finish, paying her consort little to no mind before shifting to sit back in her chair, her bright eyes fixed on the noble across from her as she carefully chose her words.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“…I will accept Estrands terms that we become a province of the country and that we will have another who will oversee the interests of your King.” she began, the words tasting like bile on her tongue. “I will even consent to the marriage of my child to such a man.” At this, Hideki physically turned his body to face his wife, a look of apprehension on his handsome face. \u003Cstrong\u003E”Kya you can’t mean tha-!”\u003C/strong\u003E he began, only to fall silent as the woman held up a hand, not even blinking as her gaze remained locked on the man across from her. Koyuki, quite in her hiding place was so shocked that she almost forgot to breathe. How could her mother agree so easily to such a thing? “The laws of succession…that may be harder, but we can implement them, at the very least we may do so slowly over time if this is acceptable.” she continued, shifting so that her elbows rested on the table and interlacing her fingers as she leaned in. “…we will allow your missionaries to proceed, however, I ask you to consider this; our Gods are ancient, and the only True Lords our people, my family even have ever known, you are saying you wish to erase centuries of antient practices and tradition; do not force this on the people. It is one thing to conquer and obtain a kingdom, quite another to keep it, especially with an empire such as the one my ancestors were given.” she continued, referencing a legend that the Mitsuko royal family had been descended from the Gods.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“I ask that you allow our people to practice their beliefs and to not persecute them for it, for if you were to force conversion you may stoke a fire in our people as you have not even seen in battle. I am quite confident that you have the ability and means to halt an uprising, the people would fight to the last man…I do not wish to see any more bloodshed, on either side. Not only would this be a sorrowful event, but your people are used to open plains, not the rolling land of our forests. You would have no one to work the land you have fought so hard to obtain.” the queen explained. Her husband was quiet, his hands baled into whit knuckled fists in his lap as he half listened, his main concerns lying with the child he felt his wife was trading like cattle in this horrible deal. Koyuki felt her legs shaking as panic began to overtake her, her chest feeling as though it were about to burst. She couldn’t listen to any more of what might come, instead turning from her hiding place and dashing out of the servants corridor and back through the throne room, the kitsune at her heels as she wound her way through the palace and up to her own room, slamming and locking the door behind herself and her pet as she fought to make sense of what was happening, or at least what was about to happen…\n",               "date": "2018-07-01T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530396000,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\"Very well. The people of Xia will be free to practice their religion... for the time being.\" \u003Cem\u003Esaid the diplomat.\u003C/em\u003E \"As for the viceroy, and your daughter's future husband... My king has decided that Stephanus Tavilrond will be that man.\" \u003Cem\u003Eto this, Stephanus responded with a panicked glare. With one sweep, one peace deal, he is getting married. The king didn't consider the possibility of him having a lover, or someone else in mind at all. But then again, the king didn't even know Stephanus personally. To the king - on whose behalf Drugó was negotiating - Stephanus Tavilrond was just a military man. A military man of commoner origins, who should be thankful for his opportunity to not only become the governor of a new province, but also marry someone of royalty. The absent king cannot imagine why would Stephanus protest... but he did, with a panicked glare, but no words.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThen the diplomat began writing on a piece of paper, and reading what he was writing simultaneously.\u003C/em\u003E \"The Kingdom of Xia capitulates its sovereignty to the Kingdom of Etrand, and is reorganized into the Autonomous Province of Xia, co-ruled by the Royal Family of Xia and an Etrandish Viceroy appointed by the Kingdom of Etrand. The first viceroy will be Stephanus Tavilrond. Princess Koyuki of Xia shall marry Stephanus Tavilrond. The Autonomous Province of Xia will adopt Etrandish laws, the Etrandish succession law, and legalize the presence of Etrandish troops in the province. Titanist missionaries will have a free reign to spread their faith. The indigenous population of Xia will be free to practice their own religion for at least fifty years, and the King of Etrand may chose to extend this time period indefinitely into eternity at will.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Very well, Now, please sign right here, and I will forward it to the king as soon as I can. Once he signs it too, the war will be officially over, and all the terms in the treaty will come into power.\" \u003Cem\u003Esaid the diplomat, handing over the piece of paper to the queen, waiting for her to sign the piece of paper and hand it back over to him. Then he would take the paper, thank her, and wave his goodbyes, exiting the room with the paper, and getting out of the palace. Unless the monarchs leave together with the diplomat, he remained sitting there, and said. \u003C/em\u003E\"Well, I guess Drugó Mairkel's job is done. I guess I will be spending far more time in this palace than I originally intended.\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe made his snarky comment - his way of coping with a situation like this... like an unwanted marriage. If the monarchs leave the room, the paladin leaves together with them.\u003C/em\u003E\n", "date": "2018-07-02T00:00:00.000+02:00", "hun": false, "streamlinedDate": true, "unixTimestamp": 1530482400, "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond" },           {                "content": "The king’s hands were white knuckled fists as he listened to the diplomat speak, barely keeping his rage hidden when the man told them that their child would be married to the general that had invaded their home. From what he understood and the way that the soldier had introduced himself when he had first come to the palace, the man was not even of noble birth, that alone was a slap in the face. The dark-haired man began to rise but his wife quickly reached out a hand, her slender fingers resting gently on his own in an attempt to calm him though it didn’t seem to work as he pulled himself away and rose from his seat, looking down at the queen though her gaze remained fixed on the diplomat. “I will have no part in this.” he growled through gritted teeth, his footsteps heavy as he stormed out of the room, the chamber echoing with a resounding ‘Bang!’ as he exited the heavy doors. Kya herself fought back tears as the document was passed to her for her inspection, her emerald green gaze looking over the terms of the peace contract and her stomach twisting and knotting as her slender fingers moved to sweep the quill up.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShe hesitated for a split second as the tip of the quill hovered over the space where she was meant to sign, thinking that maybe she shouldn’t, however that need to protect her people which was second nature to her won out. Her husband would seethe and mourn the loss of a daughter, and their child would despise her for forcing her to marry someone she had no say in, but she was convinced that this was what must be done… Her name and titles were signed in elegant, swooping letters, the quill quiet as she laid it on the marble, a heavy feeling in her stomach as she effectively signed away the land of her ancestors and the visiting noble took them up… The woman was silent for a long while, her bright eyes lingering on the palace that sat at the car end of the map that wove and wound through the beautiful table before her gaze flicked to the man who was to become her child’s husband. She assessed him for a moment, taking in his handsome features and recounting his victories in battle. In a way, most would see Estrand as mocking them with such a union, a high-born princess to a soldier with no titles, not even a lesser noble, but in the end it may be better for the kingdom, as well as for Koyuki herself that it was such a man.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“…it would seem that way.” she told him softly, remaining seated for a moment before sighing and rising from her chair. “Please don’t think it rude, I am simply going to give you the facts as they are; my daughter will not be happy, nor will the people.” The queens eyes watched the generals own, watching for his reaction at her words before she rose from her seat and made her way out of the chamber. “You will certainly have your hands full, Viceroy. She has been raised as every future ruler before her, with a quick wit and a strong fighting streak. She is not a quiet, obedient child, not for me and certainly not for any man…” The tall woman stopped for a moment as they entered the throne room, turning to the man with a surprisingly pleading gaze. “…I ask that, when the time comes, you be patient with her…she has been raised with the world at her feet and the expectation of being a true ruler, she won’t understand right away what her new role is most likely to be, and if I am not mistaken, neither will you…you will each need the help of the other if either of you wishes to be successful, even if circumstances aren’t what anyone would necessarily wish them to be.”\u003C/div\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-03T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530568800,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\"Oh, I can understand. I'm using to people not liking me... though I am more used to them being above me in rank, not below me. By time, they will learn to appreciate this new peace. I guess I saved Crown Prince Markal from a big scandal, as well as a married life with someone so fiery.\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe laughed at the end. It is true. Etrand does have an unmarried crown prince - but the king deliberately decided not to marry him to Koyuki. Why? Wouldn't he have been perfect for her? Forcing Xia's royal family to marry into Etrand's royal family, integrating them even faster? At first, one would think that yes, it would have worked. Except that merely roughly three decades ago, there was a big scandal, a massive conspiracy, a series of assassinations, all caused by the fact, that the reigning king at the time, as well as his predecessor, both married foreigners - the xenophobic nobility feared that a new, foreign-influenced ruling class would be created to replace them. King Orlónius feared, that if he got Crown Prince Markal to marry Princess Koyuki, the same conspiracy would have repeated... or worse: an open rebellion. Orlónius already had rocky relations with his kingdom's nobility, the aristocrats not taking kindly to the fact that he favours the peasantry over them. There it is, two reasons for the king to favour Stephanus like that.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EBut Stephanus did not really bother to explain away the details of the famous Carolus Conspiracy to Queen Kya. If she wanted to learn about it, she could order for an Etrandish history book... or just ask their king. \u003C/em\u003E\"When are you going to break the news to your daughter? Are you sure your husband isn't going to... try to dispose of me violently? He looked rather wrathful in the room. I am supposed to relocate my place of residence to this palace, but I won't be able to sleep easily, if the threat of assassination looms over my head. But either way, let us see to this arrangement working out. Truth be told, I had no idea what got into my esteemed king's mind, when he decided to insist that I marry your daughter. But the king's orders are the king's orders. If I were to disobey, I'd be a traitor.\" \u003Cem\u003EOh yes. Except that this time, he will have double-loyalties. As the viceroy, he will have to not only report to the King of Etrand, but will also have a responsibility towards the people of Xia. And, there is the fact that he will be co-ruling with Xia's existing monarchs... he will be like an overseer to them, making sure that they remain loyal vassals, potentially overriding their decisions, giving orders on his own, if his own ruler sees fit.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOtherwise, he followed her everywhere. That is, until he got into the mind to ask the question. \u003C/em\u003E\"Now that the negotiations are over, I assume it is best if I get dismissed and depart to the sleeping quarters reserved for me and my men? After all, I won't be appointed viceroy, until the King himself signs the treaty, and notifies us of it. And the wedding with Koyuki won't be possible, until we build a church or chapel in this city... unless we travel to Etrand to hold the wedding. The latter might give you an opportunity to meet with the King himself... but the earlier might help to pacify the people a bit more.\"\u003Cem\u003E Both would have their advantages. The earlier would send a clear message to Xia's people and nobility about the new order, while the latter would be simply convenient and fast.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-03T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530568800,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe queen didn’t know what to say to the general, part of her wanting to ask him just why he thought her people would come to appreciate foreigners in their home disrespecting the way that they had lived for centuries while the other part reminded her that, for the sake of those very people, she needed to remain silent. She didn’t expect him to understand, soldiers like him rarely did. They fought for their rulers in their holy wars, following orders without question and doing everything in their power to proclaim their Gods above all others. It never once occurred to them that others might live in a different way, that others may hold different beliefs, and if they did realize these facts, they had had it so engrained in them that the way those others lived was wrong and must be corrected that no one would ever be able to convince them otherwise…\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKya’s lovely face twisted in a look of disgust as he spoke of his king and the crown prince, finding it unbecoming that a man should fear one who was to be their equal. While it was true in the end when it came to matters of state the Queen held power over all in their culture, that did not mean that the men were expected to sit idly by like pets, to the contrary, they had as much to do with the decisions and the prosperity of their country as the women. “If your crown prince is so meek that you believe he would be unable to handle my daughter, I am glad my child is not going to be forced to marry him.” The woman stated bluntly, taking a seat on the steps that lead to her throne. “Koyuki needs and deserves someone as passionate as she is, someone who will rein her in while still allowing her her own freedom, even with your customs being implemented. She needs someone who will not shy away from her or look down on her for who and what she is, but instead help her rise to what she can become.” Kya explained, raising a brow when Stephanus asked about her child and her husband, a ringing note of laughter filling the throne room for a moment before she caught her breath.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“My dear boy, you have far more to fear from your intended than her father I assure you. She has been under the impression since birth that she would be allowed to choose her own consort, couple that with the fact that she is now expected to sit back once I and her father retire and hand her country over to a foreigner, well…as I said, you will need to be patient with her… As for her father, it is I who must worry about Hideki. As ashamed as I am to admit it, he has always been closer to Koyuki than I have…he will not forgive me this time I’m sure, for making such a decision for her so easily.” She began to rise from her seat after a moment, heading for the training grounds though she stopped when he asked about his accommodations as well as the marriage, turning to him with a bit of a surprised gleam in her green eyes. “If anything, General, I intended to have you moved closer to my daughter’s quarters. Seeing as you two will be joined, I believe you should have the opportunity to get to know one another.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“As for the marriage…this may be a complication. The people will never recognize the validity of a marriage performed under your God, whether a church is built here or not. While I am not against the practice, I think it might be better for both Koyuki as well as our people if you were married by our traditions here and then perhaps we could orchestrate something in the capital of your home country, that way both parties are satisfied; our people see that the future king is not merely a conqueror but a fair and just being, and your countrymen get to see that Xia is doing their utmost to uphold their end of the peace treaty.” she explained, sighing softly. “While I realize it is probably not ideal, I believe this would be the best course of action.”\u003C/em\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-03T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530568800,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EIt seems that the walk towards the training grounds provided for a perfect opportunity to have a long-winded discussion about politics and marriage. And so he took the opportunity.\u003C/em\u003E \"A-a-ah....\" \u003Cem\u003EStephanus interfered to what Kya said about surrendering her sovereignty and sitting back.\u003C/em\u003E \"The viceroy... that is me.... will not be the ruler of the autonomous province of Xia. I will be merely an overseer. You will still be the ruler, and one day, she will. I will be merely an overseer, appointed for one generation, to oversee that Xia is an obedient vassal to Etrand, and lives up to their terms of the peace treaty. If you were expecting a warlord to become the new ruler of Xia, then I'll have to disappoint you.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Well, yes, the best thing to do, to placate the people, would be to perform the wedding under both rites. As much as taking part in a foreign religion's ritual makes me, a paladin squirm, it is a sacrifice I am willing to make, for Etrand and Titanius. But yes, I'm afraid adjusting will take a toll on both me and her. I am a paladin, a man of honour. I do not lay my hand on a lady, unless she strikes me first. Let us sincerely hope it will not come to that. I will be taking the path of patience with her. She will have to see reason one day.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"As for the Crown Prince... While I never met him, it is not that he is meek, I don't think so. It is that the elite of the kingdom wouldn't have taken kindly to the future king marrying a foreigner, even one coming from a conquered and subjugated kingdom. As the mother of my future, and the ruler of an Etrandish province, I don't think I am breaking any laws by letting you in on some secrets about Etrand's history and internal politics...\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe began telling her a tale about the infamous Carolus-conspiracy\u003C/em\u003E \"Merely twenty-nine years ago, a man named Carolus Marecling led a plot to assassinate Queen Hió of Etrand, the wife of the then-reigning King Calhoun, mother and father to our currently-reigning King Orlónius. Thankfully, she is alive and well, and you may meet her when we travel to Etrand for a wedding with your daughter, if we are that impatient. King Orlónius is a human, like me. His father Calhoun is also a human, and so was his father Cairbré, and every King of Etrand. Except that Cairbré and Calhoun both got half-elven wives from our ally Artaburro. For Cairbré, they tolerated it, he was too much of a behemoth to be complained about. But for the meek and not so competent Calhoun... some of the more xenophobic nobles feared, that a new elven ruling class would rise up to replace them, so they plotted to assassinate the queen. Eventually, the plot was a failure, and the ringleaders were executed. But the dead plotters have succeeded in sending a clear message to the king, and his currently-reigning heir. This is why they chose me to marry your daughter, instead of Crown Prince Markal. Had they made her marry him, the nobility might be up in arms, spreading panic about a foreign takeover. I'm not letting you in on a big secret, big King Orlónius has a rocky relationship with the nobility of the country. I think he envies the fact that you used to have absolute power over your subjects, without the aristocrats, the church and the burghers constantly putting pressure on the crown.\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003ESo Etrand's nobility was afraid that a new foreign ruling class would conquer the kingdom from within. Knowing this, it was clearly a smart choice not to marry the crown prince to Koyuki. However, the knowledge of this may give Kya some bargaining chips over Etrand in the future.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Etrandish politics are very intricate. Everyone is trying to put pressure on the king, and everyone is trying to buy his favours. Be a good vassal to him, and I will be no longer needed, and you or your daughter will be given full power over your subjects again. Be a very good vassal, and you might become wealthier than you were when you had your sovereignty. I don't know how much of a long-term planner the king is, but I think he intends to marry all the children I have with Koyuki with his future grandchildren...\" \u003Cem\u003E- It's just a guess, but maybe the King of Etrand intends to use Stephanus as a proxy, to integrate Xia's bloodline into the Bryantid dynasty in the future.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOff course, given how much Stephanus said about his country's politics, recent history, and more, they most likely arrived to the training grounds by the time he was finished letting all the words flow out of his mouth. He wasn't sure if the queen was going to get offended by this all, or if she was finding the Carolus Conspiracy fascinating, surprising, worrying, or whether she was going to respond to the fact that Stephanus assumes that Xia is an absolute monarchy, in contrast with Etrand, which is most definitely a feudal monarchy. But either way, he knight decided to take a good look at the training grounds, whether anyone else was here, whether Koyuki was here, or maybe if the queen was intending to train or spar.\u003C/em\u003E \"When do you intend to break the news to her? Do you intend to beat your husband to it?\"\u003Cbr\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-04T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530655200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe queen shook her head as the General tried to ease her mind, sighing softly as, at least to her, he blundered through his words. “While you are correct, our family in a way will still rule our country, you seem to be forgetting your own laws which we will be forced to abide by, my dear.” she told him, a sad gleam in her emerald green gaze. “Your king wishes for us to adopt your customs, from what I understand unless there is no male heir present, a woman may not inherit or truly rule and govern. This means that while my child will inherit the throne and our country, ultimately she will not hold the same power as her predecessors, all of that power will lie in your hands once you both are married and the crowns must be passed to the next generation.”\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EIt was sad, heartbreaking even to think that such a thing would happen, especially since while Xia would remain in the possession of their family, it would still be as though it were not their own. This would be the second time in her family’s history that the land would be taken from them it seemed, though the monarch did muster a smile when the man spoke about the marriage and her daughter. “Well, it is comforting to know that you wouldn’t harm herm, though I have enough confidence in her to say that even if you were the sort of man who might even consider such a thing she would most certainly be able to hold her own. I will do my best to ensure that the ceremony here at least will be a day you might both enjoy, and hopefully cherish. Closeness, even forced, can often breed fondness if not love. Though I doubt she would call any of what is to come reason.” Kya’s grimace only deepened as he told her about the king and the history of his family. “In that case, to be honest I’m glad that Koyuki was promised to a general such as yourself.” she confessed as they entered the training grounds, his words seeming to, at least partially, have the opposite effect on the royal.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“Forgive me, but a king who cannot control his own people is not a king, he is barely a man in my opinion. Had any of my officials done something like that you may rest assured that when all was said and done not one would be left breathing. I can tolerate many a thing, but threats are not one. My nobles know far better than to cross me in such a deplorable manner.” she insisted, waving a hand when he began to speak of wealth. “Money isn’t something that interests us, General. We have a wealth all our own here; the people who occupy this land and the land itself. Of course, coin is always a good thing to have in case a winter is particularly harsh and our mages can do nothing to help the crops or if we must procure something we cannot make or grow ourselves, but you will find that in Xia, it is not overly coveted.” She chose to not pay any mind to Stephanus’ statement about any children that he and her daughter may have, instead looking around the training fields as they walked. Men and women alike were donned in practice attire and armor, wielding staffs, swords, daggers, bows and some only their fists as they spared.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E“Knowing Koyuki, I would say that she already knows.” Kya told him, sighing softly as she continued to scan the yards, walking slowly as she did so. “And if I am correct, she will be here. If you wish to run to avoid her for the time being I understand, she will not be in a good mood, and looking for a fight.” It took the queen another ten minutes until she had found the girl, weaving and dodging her opponent as the combat master oversaw the match. The young man that was constantly on the attack was a head and shoulders taller than the small royal, with golden hair and deep, almost amber colored eyes was obviously a soldier. He was young, lean with coiled muscle and his gaze was focused as his arm delivered quick lunges with the small, slightly dulled dagger that was grasped in his long fingers. “You’re sloppy today!” he taunted as the white-haired girl jumped back, narrowly avoiding his strike as he came at her continuously. “Is her majesty tired?” he questioned, eliciting a glare as the girl brandished the weapon in her own hand and practically threw herself at him. The young man side stepped the attack, reaching out to grab a hold of the girls long braid and pulling hard, coaxing a cry of pain as his dagger was directed at her throat. “Put whatever’s bothering you out of mind or you’ll end up dead remem- Ah!”\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKoyuki’s red eyes glowed softly it seemed in the sun; she’d slammed her foot down on her opponents own and jammed a well-aimed elbow into his ribs, causing him to loosen his grip just enough for her to slip out of, turning on him and throwing all her weight into knocking the soldier onto his back, straddling his chest to keep him pinned and positioning her knife where, were it sharp enough and were it to nick at flesh, there may have been no recovery. The combat Master clapped a few times, signaling the end of the match and as the two struggled up to their feet, chastised each for sloppy work. Koyuki was too emotional and her opponent, Takeshi apparently, was too smug. “You each have work to do, however, Takeshi, it appears we must review lessons in not playing with our food.” The master chastised the young man. “Had you simply ended the fight rather than gloating, Koyuki would not be the victor.” If the princess noticed her mother she chose not to acknowledge it, instead walking to the opposite side of the training area to a bucket of water that waited for the participants while her opponent followed behind her, whining about how she had used a cheap trick to beat him in what was supposed to be a fair fight. “War isn’t fair,” she could be heard telling him after pouring a bit of water over her head. “It’s bloody and confused and everyone’s fighting to stay alive. No one is going to be honorable when you’re coming at them with the intent to end their life.”\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-04T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530655200,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\"No, I will not flee her. It is about time I face her, like a real man would. After all, what kind of a man I am, to run away from my future wife, even if she is as fiery as the legendary Koyuki?\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe asked the question. they were already at the training grounds. \u003C/em\u003E\"I see they are all already training... I will show her what a real sword looks like, and how one fights with it, if she really is looking for a fight. Does anyone here have a wooden practice sword?\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThat was the only way he could react to the situation. Off course, he could have retreated back to his living quarters, but that would have been boring? What would he have, if he did that? He would be bored. He would have absolutely nothing to do, other than wait for the news about his king signing the peace treaty... which is definitely days away. He would only be able to eat, sleep, and maybe hold conversations with his own soldiers. Surely, that is not much to do. So, to make a more interesting and exciting story, he chose the other way: staying around, to face Koyuki like a man would. He may have just commited the biggest mistake of his life. But he wasn't a man of many regrets. He asked to be provided a wooden practice sword, as he did not want to use his real sword to spar with anyone - his sword is sharp, constantly kept sharp for battle.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe clapped as a result of him witnessing the fight between Koyuki, and that man he did not know. He clapped, probably not knowing that this is probably going to anger Koyuki. But he did not care. He clapped, and watched. He stepped near, and proclaimed his intend to spar -\u003C/em\u003E \"Perhaps I could have a moment of swordfighting with my future wife? I don't believe she has seen me in action. Can anyone here give me a wooden sword? I would prefer not to risk wounding or killing her with my real sword...\" \u003Cem\u003EOff course, any further response would depend on whether he is given a wooden sword or not. He saw them fight using dulled metal weapons, but his sword was sharp. So sharp, that he never touches the blade without gauntlets or gloves on, lest he cut his own hand. He did not even consider how will Koyuki react to him calling her his future wife, or him intending to spar with her. He may have just done the very thing her mother Kya was passively advising him against, warning him that Koyuki will be in fact looking for a fight.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe was no stranger to combat, quite obviously. He was a paladin, an armoured man who is supposed to single-handedly kill tens with one sweep... Not. That kind of exaggeration doesn't even apply to the magic used by the most powerful of them. But he was definitely taught how to use weapons, how to kick, punch, trip an opponent... and worst of all - in the Etrandish school of swordsmanship, kicking and punching are considered perfectly legal and valid moves in a swordfight. But Xia's people might think otherwise.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\"Am I allowed to kick, punch and trip? Is magic allowed?\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe asked his final question. He expected magic not to be allowed. After all, this is a spar, a weapons match. It would be highly unfair, if he can just use his telekinessis to choke Koyuki and force her to forfeit. It would also be unfair if he can shock her with balls of electricity, even if they are non-lethal. So he definitely expects the answer to the last question to be a no. But to the first one, he expects a yes. \u003C/em\u003E\"Don't worry, I will go softly on her...\"\n",               "date": "2018-07-06T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530828000,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "Kya resisted the urge to grin slightly when the general called her child ‘legendary’, finding it odd that he would attribute such a title to her daughter when she hadn’t seen a battle field aside from the one that had been outside their windows just days before. While the girl was indeed a formidable advisory in their practice rings, Koyuki had yet to cut her teeth in a true battle. None of their soldiers had ever did a disservice to her by going easy but still, even the queen had to admit that it might be interesting to see a battle, even a mock one between the crown princess of Xia and the man who was now meant to take her hand, especially considering the peculiarities of the family’s origins and their inherent skills when it came to any game of war…\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EMost of the Xiannian soldiers, even the servants paid no attention to the foreigner, those who did merely offered a glare to the soldier; many of them had lost friends, mentors and even loved ones in the war before the queen had surrendered, and none of them rejoiced seeing the man that had lead the campaign amongst them. “I can only offer you luck then, General.” Kya commented as she watched her daughter, her heart aching in a mixture of sorrow and frustration as she watched the young woman converse with her sparring partner. The young man would have been entirely too friendly for a soldier by most outsider’s view, especially considering the fact that he was speaking with a member of the royal family. Koyuki for her part seemed far more at ease on the practice field with the soldiers than she had in the throne room of her family’s palace, making jokes and teasing the soldier for one thing or another as they relaxed and caught their breath from their previous match. They continued to joke and play for a while, until Stephanus spoke up that was.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe area around them for about ten feet out went silent as soldiers, servants and masters alike turned to fix their eyes on the General, a look of shock on the faces of some while others like the white-haired princess herself looked at him with rage. Had they just heard this man state that he was going to marry the princess? For a long moment, Stephanus was met with only stares, finally though, her voice low and controlled, his intended spoke. “Someone get the man a sword.” Eyes that had been trained on the soldier flicked to the princess, her own crimson gaze locked on the man that she was going to be forced to marry. Her friend leaned down, speaking lowly to her, his own gaze never leaving the man before them. “Ko, are you sure that’s smart? This guy is a veteran soldier, he’s a \u003Cstrong\u003Egeneral\u003C/strong\u003E for crying out loud. I get why you’re mad but don’t be-.” her gaze turned to him, annoyance resting in those strange colored eyes as she measured him. “You think War can’t take a General?” she demanded, the soldier shaking his head. “That is not what I mean. I know you’re good but you aren’t your ancestor.” The girl seemed to ignore him then, beginning to braid her hair anew and twisting it up onto the top of her head to keep it out of the way. “Just get me a sword.”\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe man sighed, looking from the General to the small royal before trotting over to the fence line… A small boy who was about half Stephanus’ height came to him with a large, well-crafted broadsword, one that had been dulled but which was still heavy with true metal, the soldier handing a similar blade to Koyuki which the young woman inspected closely, swinging it in several large arches seemingly effortlessly as she waited. The Master looked from his charge to the enemy soldier, worry practically written on his face as he stepped up. “Alright then…the rules are-.” he began, only to be cut off by the princesses ringing voice. “The rules are that there are none.” Every head turned in the royal’s direction, even the queen seemed surprised, and troubled by the statement as the girl’s gaze locked on her opponent. “Fight as though your life depends on it. Women aren’t weak in this country, General. We fight alongside our men, we don’t coward behind them.”\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAs she spoke, a resounding cry of encouragement came from the female soldiers and a few of the men, a crowd beginning to form around the practice field that they would be using; it wasn’t often that they got to see the Mitsuko heir use everything that she had, none of their battle mages even could compete with the blood of Muramasa after all. She was focused on him as she tightened her grip on the blade and stepped into the practice ring, her eyes glowing softly as she felt something begin to pulse inside of her. This wasn’t the beat of her heart, no, it was entirely different, this was what her grandfather had used to refer to as the voice of their ancestor. It whispered to her, called to her, analyzed and re-analyzed strategy as she readied herself to face off against the man who, in her mind, had marched into her home and turned her world upside down.\n",               "date": "2018-07-06T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1530828000,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\"Fight as my life depends on it, huh?\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe asked with a surprised gaze, raising his eyebrows. \u003C/em\u003E\"I guess I won't be needing this then.\" \u003Cem\u003Ehe said, tossing away the wooden practice-sword he was given, pulling his actual metal sword from the scabbard.\u003C/em\u003E \"Very well, princess. I'll try to go easy on you, as I don't want to kill or maim my future wife... but as you wish, I'll fight if my life depends on it. I'll patch you up if I accidentally cut off your hand.\" \u003Cem\u003EThe last sentence was mostly a sarcastic joke, but it had some truth in it - as a paladin, he can heal wounds, which is what he'll do if he accidentally causes bleeding wounds to Koyuki.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe got into the warrior's stance, having his sword in front of him, held by both hands, with the intent of having quick access to anything trying to reach his face, for a quick stab. This may have looked like a defensive stance, but it was mostly a bait. He simultaneously went sideways to circle around Koyuki, waiting for her first attack. He was strategizing. His intention is to wait for her to attack, so he can parry her, perhaps throws her off-guard with some good old telekinessis.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIf she doesn't attack and he gets impatient, he simply starts by throwing some thunderbolts her way. He wants to test out if she has any magical abilities, and this may be the best way. But either way, if she attacks him head-on, he simply uses telekinessis to not just push her back, but to trip her, only to go in for the pseudo-coup de grâce by dashing in front of her, and placing his sword very near her neck, deliberately with the intention of forcing her to forfeit.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EOff course, he is fighting Koyuki, so things are most definitely not going to go as he intended. No quick blows, probably no opportunity to trip her, magically or physically. If she is using some sort of dagger, he will have a really hard time parrying it with his sword - his only choice will be to make an attempt to punch her, or to throw thunder and lightning in her direction. Or alternatively, deliberately bait her into attempting to use her weapon, only to close in and attempt to squeeze it out of her hand. Extremely risky. He will not try to cut her hand off with his sword, unless his own life is really threatened by a bladed weapon closing in on him.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-08T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1531000800,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EOnce she saw that her opponent had chosen to forgo the practice sword, Koyuki traded her own dulled broadsword for a short sword. The weapon was slightly curved and held a red jewel at its pommel, but otherwise it was a rather ordinary looking blade. As the paladin seemed to prepare himself, so to did the girl, even as a few of her friends looked on in nervous anticipation... The princess closed her eyes for a moment, taking a few deep breaths before stepping opposite from the man, nothing but calm on her porcelain face now as she watched him; it was almost as though she were a completely different person once she slipped into her stance, her sword held out and at the ready, her left arm slipped behind her back as she stood straight and true, following the man in his circling though she went the opposite direction.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHer red eyes glowed faintly but with each passing moment the light intensified, showing that it came from within as a hush fell over the audience that had gathered to watch... As that tell tale boom of thunder roared before her, Koyuki jumped back with surprising speed, avoid each strike, her arm never breaking free from behind her back nor did the hand that held her weapon flinch. In a flourish, once she was out of his reach, she raised the sword, her voice seeming to echo around the field as she called a spell... \"Spirits of Sorrow and Isolation, in the name of my heritage and my will, grant me a greater power. I order you and your members, Come Forth, Binea! Servant of Murumasa! Thou who controls the power to create kings, bring forth the great raging gifts to the child of War!\"\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShe moved the entire time, being sure not to stand too still lest she be cut down. Once her chant was complete, a force of light seemed to strike down from the heavens, connecting with her blade and surrounding the metal with crackling lightening. As soon as the weapon was complete, she turned on her heel, suddenly charging the knight with quick lunges and jabs, displaying not only the affinity she possessed for magic but the reflexes of one who had been trained for war, careful to parry any strike that the man might have made and using sheer will to amplify the lightening which had surrounded her weapon to extent a few inches past the blade in order to give herself a bit of an edge, breaking away and beginning to circle him as he had done to her. \u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe girls breathing was slightly more rapid, though it had nothing to do with exhaustion; she was enjoying this. It had been far too long since she had had a challenge, and with so many emotions whirling within her, the prospect of a decent fight may have been just what the girl needed...\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-09T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1531087200,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe knight made an attempt to exploit the situation - that is, Koyuki being busy casting a spell - by deliberately using telekinesis once again to try to trip her, and possibly throw a few thunderballs into her face. Except that she was moving the entire time, so he had the thankless job of trying to target her while she was moving.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EShe made an attempt to charge at him, but he was preparing just for this. First, he put his magical power into trying to push her back - telekinesis once again. Afterwards, he takes his sword into both hands, holds it out towards her, and thunder and lightning begins to charge into the sword, shooting out at the end of the blade, towards Koyuki. At least, that was the plan. In war, however, things rarely go according to plan. He may have been counting on her charging in, and him blasting her face with magical electricity that feels like a shotgun to the head, if the blast of electricity fails to do sufficient amount of damage to her, there's always the faint possibility of it not even making a dent on her, forcing him to suddenly come up with a Plan B. Alternatively, it could be so effective, that he turns into an accidental murderer in the brink of a second - not inconceivable either, as this dosage of thunder from such a close proximity is normally lethal to mortals not wearing armour. Hopefully not.\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe hopes, that this sudden literal shock will stagger her, or at very least, stun her temporarily, otherwise, he will have to formulate his Plan B much quicker. What is his plan B? It's to force her to parry - make a mock-attempt to cut off her sword-holding hand, not with the intent of actually cutting it off, but to force her to parry instead of actually attacking him. Should he manage to get close enough to her face, he will use his fist to punch it as hard as he can. \u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHe's trying his best to simultaneously avoid killing her and beat her in a combat where he must \"fight as if his life depended on it\". It's easier said than done. Unlike Koyuki, he did not particularly enjoy fighting - to him, according to his own religious beliefs, violence is merely the means of an end, a double-edged sword that can be used for good and evil. He considered violence for violence's sake to be evil and immoral - he was taught to finish the job as fast, effectively and cleanly as possible. For him, violence is not the end itself, but the means to an end, a tool to achieve his objectives - a tool he has been overusing lately. This duel between Stephanus and Koyuki is the fight of not just two individuals, but two opposing philosophies and religions, it seems: the orderly and organized, even possibly mechanical Titanists, and the chaotic and animistic... what is the name of Xia's religion? Well, it doesn't matter. He is a professional warrior, who is not at all amused by Koyuki's cherishing of violence, and seeks to put her to her place by beating her in combat fair and square.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2018-07-09T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1531087200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EIt hurt, that charge of thunder and lightning hurt like hell as it connected with her flesh, knocking her back slightly. She was seeing dark spots in her vision so she tried to distance herself from him, her heart thundering in her chest. She could say this much for the man, he was good. Realizing that she was actually admiring the soldier that her mother was intent on forcing her to marry only served to further enrage her, and in a flash Koyuki closed the distance between them again, her crackling blade coming down in one heavy strike after another. She poured all of her hatred and anguish into her strikes, the clash of their weapons echoing around them as Xiannian soldiers cheered her on, calling for General Travilrond's defeat as their princess focussed on the battle. The queen, who had stayed back for the most part, was now as close to the practice ring as she could get, her heart thrumming in her chest as her child did her best to stay out of the mans range. She had thought this little display would be comical at first, but that sharp blade of the generals made her uneasy...\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EKoyuki's chest heaved slightly as she collected herself, seeing red now as she looked at him. She channeled her rage and indignation into her blade, the lightning that surrounded the steel crackling and roaring as though it were a living, breathing being as the short sword was transformed it seemed into a longsword. A flash of silver hair, and her quick feet had her propelled across the distance to her opponent, the sword brandished and ready to strike. She didn't even have to touch him with the actual steel, if any of the lightening touched him, that would bring unimaginable pain, he'd have no choice but to submit. The power that she wielded made her a force to be feared, but her control, that was another thing entirely. She had little to none when her emotions entered the mix, causing her to be far less aware of her surroundings and her attention to be hyper vigilant on her target. She was going to kill him, that's what her eyes snapped as she closed in, her speed picking up it seemed with every step.\n",               "date": "2020-04-02T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1585778400,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EStephanus was a soldier, while Koyuki was a warrior. That much was certain. The knight's strikes were precise and calculated, almost mechanical, and sometimes reluctant. He wasn't fighting with emotions, but instead he tried to calculate his opponent's moves, and act accordingly. This was both a strength and a weakness. He had an easily time dodging and parrying Koyuki's emotionally driven charges, but a harder time launching an equally effective counterattack, other than just blasting her with lightning and thunder. Which is what he previously did, and it caused much pain to Koyuki, who seemed to recover rather fast, and attack him with all her hatred once again. Stephanus had a simple plan in mind - dodge and counterattack, punch even. The girl was a passioante fighter, but slightly predictable.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EOf course, that is not what would transpire. Her sword was transformed, and it was surrounded by lightning, not unlike the one he used to cause her so much pain. The knight jumped back and smirked.\u003C/em\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003E\"Well-well.... looks like you have some magic tricks up your sleeve as well. Too bad it won't do you any good!\"\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cem\u003Ehe said, bluffing at her. In reality, this, was an unexpected development to him, and he had to be extra-careful, dodging and maintaining a distance from her, while also using his brains to calculate a new strategy, as quickly as possible. Then it all dawned on him. Why even use his sword to begin with? If they can use just about any weapons for this fight - provided they don't kill each other - then why not go all the way? He did already use his lightning before. So he decided to use a more basic trick: telekinessis. He aimed his hand at her, with the intent of manipulating the air around her body, as well as her body too. At first, he would attempt to choke her - or rather, manipulate the air around her neck to compress and converge, simulating the experience of being joked while also held up in the air. If that didn't work, he'd simply use his magic to push her away, or at least push her sword away - or the hand that was holding it. If he has to jump away at any time, he'd jump while sumltaneously trying to make her trip - not by actually using his legs, but by using his telekinessis to push her legs. But it all depended on whether she had resistance to it. Judging by how much pain she must have felt from the thunder bolt, he did not expect her to have much magic resistance. But he wasn't sure.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EWhether his intended strategy worked or not, he did not intend to come out of this fight as the losing one, for several reasons. Losing would be a huge loss of prestige. It would embolden the defeated to rebel - and while his people would be able to beat them easily, it would cause much loss in life. Besides, if she was so intend on killing him... well, then she'd sign the death warrant of herself, as well as possibly her mother. Stephanus had a huge responsibility with this duel. The lives of a lot of people were hanging on it.\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2020-04-03T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1585864800,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe voice that seemed ever present in the back of her mind whispered quickly in her ears, and she could hear the smirk on the non-existent face. It demanded she submit to the bloodlust that coursed through her, it called for his blood, and her willingness to provide it. She'd been trained and drilled all her life for this, to hold her own in battle, though the magic that she wielded...her grasp on that was still limp, guided only by the deft, weakened hand of the God that had fathered her line, a distant memory that wasn't her own. She was so focussed on him, so intent on appeasing the voice in the back of her mind that she didn't notice the magic, not this time. As she lunged for what she had originally expected to be the last attack, the breath caught in her lungs. Confused and dazed, she desperately tried to move, but found that her own body betrayed her. She could hear screaming, her friend, the young man that she'd been sparring with just before calling for her to be put down while her hands trembled and she fought for breath.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThis wasn't possible, it couldn't be... Before she knew what was happening, the blade in her hand crashed to the ground, causing a deep, growling roar of thunder to sound as it struck the earth, the lightning that had gathered around the blade scorching and burning the ground. She tried to fight it, the hold that he seemed to have on her, but even the voice in the back of her mind whimpered, a kicked dog it seemed rather than the fierce wolf that it had been just moments before as tears picked at the corner of her eyes and the edges of her vision faded from red to black as she came back to her senses, mostly.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\"Damn it put her down!\"\u003C/strong\u003E the young, blond soldier was screaming at Stephanus, rage on his face as a redheaded woman clad in practice armour held him back, daggers in her eyes as she glared. She knew she couldn't intervene, to do so would mean war, again. No matter how much they wanted to engage, whether they killed the general or not would mean nothing when their own lands and people would be decimated. Kya, her heart thundering in her chest as she watched her child, suspended above the ground and gasping, looked to the General, then man that was to take her child as his, her green eyes pleading though her face was stone. \u003Cstrong\u003E\"I believe that this match has been won, Sir.\"\u003C/strong\u003E she called to him, praying that news of this little sparring match would not reach the ears of his superiors. It was an odd thing, fearing someone, a strange feeling that she'd not experienced before, one that she hoped someday she could forget...\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2020-04-03T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1585864800,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003E*The knight was sweating rather nervously, as the combat went on, yet, ultimately... he was 'triumphant'. Or so he thought, albeit it seems to have been confirmed by the girl's mother. Still, so much was at stake. He tried his best to look dignified, but ultimately, he was sighting out of relief inside, that he managed to prevent much bloodshed with this 'victory' - which really was more of a fluke. Nevertheless, he ceased his magicking, and released that little girl, making her fall to the floor. The knight then put his sword back onto the scabbard, and walked away from the place, where the duel was held, taking mental notes of the looks on the faces of his former enemies, how they were glaring at him, how they were angry, how they all wanted to kill him, yet knew better. Yet, before leaving the dueling field, he had a few more words to say.*\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\"This is an event not to be repeated. I hope you all understand it for your own good. I am a man of mercy, but my superiors are not. They punish defiance hard. Pray hard, that news of this defiance won't reach the ears of my superiors. My mouth is shut, so I wash my hands, if any of you decide to open yours in front of the wrong person. Nevertheless...\"\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*Then he looked at Kya, and once again at her daughter, who was to marry him.*\u003C/em\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\"...I hope this fight made it clear, that the new order is here to stay. I am returning to my living quarters, unless...\"\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cem\u003E*And he looked at the queen, Kya once again. He would be returning to his living quarters, unless she wanted to talk to him. Truth be told, he was expecting her to want to talk to him. He was rather rough to her daughter, albeit for a good reason - if not for his somewhat underhanded tactics - from the Xian's point of view - he would have been killed. And had he been killed, it would have meant another war. His superiors, his king would have demanded the rebellious little princess's head, and the royal family of Xia definitely would not have extradited their own daughter. The end result would have been another war. If Stephanus lost, yet still lived? The nobles would have taken it as a sign, that rebellion can be succesful. Same results: another war with many lives lost. This, was perhaps the best possible outcome, at least as far as Stephanus was trying to think from Xia's point of view. He gave them a good scare, he taught the girl a lesson in humility, and he effectively avoided another war. Or so he thinks. Maybe, he actually made things worse, by humiliating the princess in front of her mother and her mother's loyal subjects. Maybe this humiliation will only serve to inflame them even more. Who knows? Whatever the case, Stephanus was hoping, that Princess Koyuki has learned a valuable lesson. If being defeated in war wasn't enough, she'll have to break the news in front of her friends and sparring buddies - unless her mother forbids her, given how the very fact that a duel took place, is information that better not reach the ears of the Etrandish upper echelons, who might demand even harsher sanctions on the recently defeated Xia.*\u003C/em\u003E\n",               "date": "2020-04-04T00:00:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1585951200,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "The princes coughed as she crumpled to the ground, wheezing and fighting for breath as the blond soldier rushed to her side, helping the white-haired young woman to sit up and looking her over worriedly. Her pale face was stained a light pink from the effort that she’d exerted, sweat beading over her brow. She waved her friends hands away, embarrassment and anger welling up in her that she fought desperately to push down within herself, angry tears welling up in her crimson eyes as she tried to keep a hold on her emotions. She’d been so close, her freedom had been just a few inches…her thoughts grew quiet as the redhead who had held the blonde back from going after Stephanus and the young man himself, a fresh wave of shame cascading over her. She turned her eyes to the ground, ashamed that she had allowed her own pride, and the hatred that she held for her circumstance to get the better of her. She could have been directly responsible for the deaths of every one of her friends…\u003Cbr\u003E\n\n\u003Cbr\u003E\nKya watched her daughter with a heavy heart; it wasn’t fair, she knew that it wasn’t, but this was the way it had to be. Koyuki wasn’t used to being told that she didn’t have a choice in matters that concerned her, and Kya supposed that she had her late father-in-law to thank for that. King Tadashi had been closer to the princess than she herself could have ever hoped to be, and that was her own fault she supposed, and he had indulged her by encouraging her interests in combat, gifting the princess with swords and bows, and giving her leave to avoid political events… She watched the small group crowd around the girl, deciding that it was probably not best to approach the young woman as the soldiers helped her up, those closest offering words of praise and enraged whispers about the “ticks” that the foreign knight had used. The queen turned away from the scene, moving up the hill to catch up to him, her face unreadable as she once more fell into step beside him. \u003Cstrong\u003E”…this will sound foolish to you I suppose, but you did not need to be so harsh with her… Koyuki is, quick tempered, ill-mannered even at times but…she is still just a child.”\u003C/strong\u003E she told him finally, her voice betraying her emotions. \u003Cstrong\u003E”A child who is being asked…being forced, to give up everything she ever knew to be hers. Down to the right to choose her own husband… I am not telling you to condone her behavior, or allow it to slide, but try to put yourself into her situation… I will do what I can, to hopefully help you both become closer, maybe reach an understanding, but effort must be made from your side, as well as from hers if this is to work.”\u003C/strong\u003E",               "date": "2022-05-29T12:15:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653819300,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EStill sweating and panting from the combat he just partook in, and the obligatory exercise in oratory that followed, the paladin was eager to return to his living quarters, but was stopped the mother of the girl he is to marry. As a matter of fact, he was expecting to see her and have a discussion with her about this recent event: he already made himself clear, that this was not to be repeated, and that it would be in the best interests of the Xians of news of this incident did not spread beyond this very hall. Kya hopefully heard that loud and clear and didn't follow Stephanus just to voice her disagreements with that sentiment. And indeed, she didn't - she had something very different to say, and the knight listened to the very end, as the queen pleaded to him to understand her daughter. He could only sight, and repeat the words he previously said before.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"My apoligies, thy majesty... but I don't believe she understood the seriousness of the situation.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe cleared his throat.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"I understand that she is just a child being forced into an unwanted situation... But in war, people are forced to accept unwanted conditions and make harsh choices all the time.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe felt very tempted to imply that they lost the war precisely due to this kind of attitude, and could have won if they gave in everything, used 'underhanded tricks' and went 'harsh' on their enemies... Instead of treating their enemies like children to be spanked for bad behaviour. Still, out of respect, he did not voice those thoughts\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"... nevertheless, I will try my best to be a loving husband to her. She's a beautiful girl, I took no pleasure in causing harm to her.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EBut once again, he felt tempted to imply that despite this, he considered it a necessary evil to demonstrate to the Xians that they were a defeated regime. He did not say 'vae victis', as he had honour, but there was a limit to what the victors could tolerate. Hence his harsh words about not letting this incident be known to any of his superiors.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\".... I wish speak to her in private, with your permission, once the steam has cooled down. What kind of gift shall I give her?\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe asked, knowing that obviously, he had to take an effort too in getting closer to his future wife. He already had an idea - a sword - but still asked the queen just to make sure. He was more than willing to be the understanding man - but obviously, as Kya herself said, this had to be mutual, and she had to get over that tantrum.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-29T12:39:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653820740,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EKya felt her heart ache in her chest as she listened to the soldier speak. She knew that he was being restrained, that he could have done worse and that, from her experiences with her own soldiers, he may have wanted to do worse, but a softness entered the Queens green gaze after a moment at he expressed his intentions and his request. It wasn't necessarily proper. Under ordinary circumstances, a chaperone would be with them, but under the circumstances Kya thought that some time alone might be good for them.\u003Cbr\u003E\n\n\u003Cbr\u003E\n\u003Cstrong\u003E\"I will arrange it, perhaps a walk in the gardens later today, or a meal together.\"\u003C/strong\u003E she suggested, pausing when he asked about a gift for her child. \u003Cstrong\u003E\"A gift...\"\u003C/strong\u003E she mused, searching the farthest recesses of her mind. She didn't know her daughter as well as she would like, but when she thought of her... \u003Cstrong\u003E\"A bow. You might give her a longbow. She used to ride and hunt with my late father-in-law. Swordplay is a passion, but she was close to the Old King. I imagine she feels closest to him in the woods during a hunt, or in his garden.\"\u003C/strong\u003E she offered finally, looking up at him. She didn't want to keep him for too much longer, especially if she was to prepare a moment for the two to have alone. \u003Cstrong\u003E\"I'll have the midday meal brought to the gardens and send a servant when everything is prepared and...thank you, for being willing to put an effort into her.\"\u003C/strong\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\u003Cbr\u003E\nWith her words hanging in the air, the queen left him, heading back towards the palace, her steps slightly hurried. The rest of the morning was busy; Queen Kya had the cooks make Koyuki's favorite snacks, as well as several dishes from their conquerors homeland, hoping to sate both parties. The princess herself returned to her own rooms shortly after the duel, her pride wounded more than anything else. She sequestered herself there, going over her studies and reading until midday when the servants came, helping her out of her practice uniform and into a simple kimono with blue flowers and golden leaf embroidery. Once she was dressed, she was instructed to make her way to the gardens, an order she followed without complaint, the white haired girl sitting properly on her knees at the short table that had been set up once she arrived. The garden had been one of her grandfathers treasures, a place of serenity and sitting beneath the blooming cherry blossoms she found herself missing him more than ever...\u003C/em\u003E",               "date": "2022-05-29T13:31:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653823860,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003C\u003Ci\u003EThe knight said no more words, simply nodded. He acknowledged that there was more to these people than just the extent that he had to interact with them as part of his duty. They had an unusual architecture, unusual clothes, unusual customs, and obviously, if he was to marry their princess, he would have to adopt to them the same way they would have to adopt to the new state of affairs of them being a conquered people. He had plenty of time to ponder these thoughts, as the queen left him, and he proceeded to leave for his living quarters, where he'd be served mostly by squares from his own home country - an exchange of clothes would be in order after the sparring match, as well as some maintenance for his sword, and treatment fitting a noble - which was still new to him: before the war, he was just a commoner, one of the few rare examples of a paladin of commoner roots.... and then, with the war, he got all those fancy titles, and now he is marrying a princess. It is still somewhat foreign to him to have to hand over his stale shirt to a person.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOf course, in his living quarters, a familiar face would show up: the diplomat Drugó Mairkel, who, despite Stephanus' best efforts to instruct the Xians to keep the aforementioned incident a closely guarded secret, got a wind of the news... or maybe he was a witness to them, without Stephanus' knowledge.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"I take it they'll remember this lesson for years to come.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ethe diplomat said\u003C/i\u003E - \u003Cb\u003E\"Let's just hope they'll see the writing on the wall, and know that resistance is futile from now on. Their princess is definitely a fiery one.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EStephanus replied.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"Lord Stephanus, if she had killed or defeated you during that duel, do you realize what it would have started? What were you thinking?!\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ethe diplomat turned more interrogative.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"What was I thinking? She was the one who demanded a duel. I merely complied. I went easy on her, and still beat her. Where is the harm? What would it say about our kingdom and army if I were to refuse? That we're all cowards who only show bravery when we have the advantage of numbers and our siege engines? This might have been a more valuable lesson to the Xians, than the feats of our armies...\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EStephanus continued. The discussion eventually went towards a different direction, with jokes about Stephanus having to get used to the local climate, architecture and cuisine. Or how Stephanus intends to give a gift to the princess... With the end result being a lot of money spent to quickly ensure that he won't get to meet the princess empty-handed.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003ENot being one to turn down an invitation to a royal feast, he naturally makes his appearance to the lunch, where he was positively surprised to see food from his own homeland. Still, this was not the end of the day... Knowing not to prod the princess during the feast, he waited until the end of it, expecting some kind of signal from Kya, who previously mentioned a walk in the garden. He had his servants ready to hand him over a package containing the gifts to Koyuki, but he would wait, until he knew that it was the opportune moment to follow Koyuki to the garden and deliver the gift.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-29T14:38:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653827880,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cem\u003EThe princess had been seated beside her mother, her snowy white hair left to hang loosely down her back. She seemed dazed and distracted, using the two long sticks that the Xiannian’s used for eating utensils every now and again to grab a morsel of food though it seemed that her appetite had diminished. Around them servants and nobles bustled, visiting with one another as they viewed the blooming trees around them, a few of the higher ranking Xiannian nobles shooting glances at the Etrandish though they made no move to be hostile towards the invaders. The whole affair was rather tame, music being played, noble children giggling and running underfoot, running to their parents for a morsel of food before continuing to play. Were it not for the fact that they had just been conquered what felt like a mere handful days before, one might have been able to call the scene serine…\u003Cbr\u003E\n\n\u003Cbr\u003E\nAfter little over half an hour, Kya leaned in and seemed to whisper something to her daughter and the girls’ crimson eyes found Stephanus, a deep, embarrassed blush warming her pale cheeks before she turned her gaze away from him. For a moment, it looked as though she was going to refuse whatever Kya had apparently asked of her, the Queen glaring down at the younger royal, but soon enough Koyuki shifted up, dusting off her kimono before leaving the small event to head deeper into the garden. The blonde-haired knight that she’d sparred with that morning moved to follow, his armor glinting in the soft sunlight, but one of his comrades reached out, grasping him by his arm and shaking his head as though to warn him against following the princess.\u003Cbr\u003E\n\u003Cbr\u003E\nKya looked to Stephanus now, offering him a slight nod as though she were giving him permission to follow the girl. If Stephanus followed his fiancé he’d find her across a simple wooden bridge, kneeling under a large wisteria tree that, much like the cherry blossoms was in full bloom, shedding a rich scent. Before her was a small shrine that had been painted a deep black and red, a crescent moon crossed by a blade etched into the front of the small structure, two stone kitsune standing guard on wither side of the temple. She seemed engrossed in her prayer, her palms pressed flatly together, and her head bowed. \u003Cstrong\u003E“…what did you want to speak to me about?”\u003C/strong\u003E her voice was small now, a slight edge to it though she seemed to be keeping her composure, at least with a little bit of effort.\u003C/em\u003E",               "date": "2022-05-29T20:57:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653850620,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003C\u003Ci\u003EThe knight stuck with a knife, a spoon and a fork that he brought with himself, having struggled with the chopsticks, no doubt causing much laughter among the Xiannians... or would have caused laughter, if he wasn't a foreign conqueror representing their recent national humiliation. As a matter of fact, their nobles did in fact shoot glances towards both Stephanus and his fellow Etrandish, albeit no overtly hostile moves were made. Obviously, they were well aware, that they weren't exactly welcome here, hence them having to clear their throats every time someone dared to glare at them for too long. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIt only took a single nod from Kya to know that it was his time to speak to Koyuki in private. He took the box that his servant gave him, and went to follow Koyuki into the garden, accross the wooden bridge, to the tree that she seemed so fond of. Truth be told, he took his time to follow her, taking slower steps than she did - he used it as an opportunity to observe his environment and ponder at the scenery, just amazed at how relaxing and spiritual it all looks. There is something special to this place, that could soothe even the most maddened berserker... or so he thought. Then he gulped, realizing that he was going to talk to one of those she-berserkers right now, albeit not without giving her a gift.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Princess Koyuki...\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe began by saying her name.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"I'm well aware that you resent me, however, I came to deliver a gift as a token of my goodwill.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe said, opening the box in front of Koyuki... a box containing three items: a longbow, an arming sword, and a tiara. They were all well-decorated, though obviously, with the exception of the tiara, practicality meant having to compromise on aesthetics and decorations. All of them were in the Etrandish style, which meant that all three items were in an aesthetic very much foreign to Koyuki. A blade with two edges and no curve?!\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"I am letting you know, that I intend to do my best to ensure my future wife's well-being.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe stated, as if it was the most matter-of-fact thing ever. In a way, these three items, and the fact that they are in the Etrandish style symbolize the House of Mitsuko's future integration into Etrandish nobility- but it is also symbolic of his openness to make gestures towards her, towards his former duel rival, by gifting her two weapons of war that originate in his country.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\n\n\u003Cb\u003E\"And if I may suggest... a bit more practice with the sword? Perhaps this sword...\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe said, pointing at the one he was gifting her.\u003C/i\u003E",               "date": "2022-05-29T21:26:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653852360,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EThe young woman\u0026#039;s eyes glanced over the gifts that he presented to her, the knot in her stomach tightening as she saw that they had been crafter in the style most familiar to him. To Koyuki, it was a stark statement; she was no longer a Xiannian, or at least she shouldn\u0026#039;t be. In the back of her mind, a voice soothed her, gentle and sweet as it reminded her that this was likely not meant to be an insult but even so, the thought hurt... Slender fingers traced the weapons, the princess doing her best to be polite as she studied the odd tools and their shape. \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;...thank you, My Lord. I will endeavor to train harder.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E she spoke finally, keeping her crimson eyes lowered as she tried to ignore the rage and embarrassment that still seemed to occupy her her. \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;It is a kind gift, though I assure you, there will be no need for you to ensure anything for me. I understand my place in this arrangement, though I may not agree with it. My actions today on the training field were...regrettable. I should have held myself in more control.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E Her voice was gentle and calm now, though laced with depressed tone as she turned back to the shrine before them. Her grandfather had told her that the wisteria guarded against demons, maybe the fact that he could join her in this place was a good sign... \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;...is there anything that, I should know about you in particular, My Lord?\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E she asked him finally, remembering that her mother had stressed that she should get to know him. The Queen was right, of course; if she were going to be wed to the man, she should probably know more about him that just his prowess in battle...\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-29T22:12:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653855120,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EIt was quite the refreshment for the knight to hear this fiery princess apologize to him - it's almost, as if someone replaced her, exchanged her personality with something completely different. He was honestly expecting her to lunge at him violently, and was even prepared to react accordingly. Her more relaxed attitude made him sigh in relief.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Don't feel too bad about it. Sometimes... it helps to let it out.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe told her, putting his hand onto her shoulder... if she did not physically resist, that is. He'd withdraw his hand upon the first sign of any resistance or objection, verbal or nonverbal. Of course, he wasn't being entirely truthful: the duel could have went in many ways. One of them could have gotten accidentally killed. His defeat could have encouraged the Xiannians to revolt against the occupiers, which would have led to more deaths - potentially hers too. He was well-aware of this, about the potential highly negative consequences of any alternative outcome. He still decided to give her a more light answer - after all, as her mother claimed, she is just a child.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Me?\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe asked from Koyuki with a bit of a surprise and confusion on his face, clearly hesitating, processing the question in his mind, especially being hesitant about what should he tell her and what should he keep a secret. One particular detail is that his story so far is a literal rags-to-riches story, with him having been born as a son of two homeless street rats, adopted by a knightly order but still lacking any titles of nobility for much of his life, gaining it only during this war. He figures it would be better to omit that detail - lest the royal family of Xia find itself humiliated by having to marry their daughter to someone not born into royalty - and instead allude to his preference for modesty through other means. Of course, lying by omission only works if the other party doesn't try to pry - which Koyuki might.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"There is not much to know about me. I'm one of the Knights of the Blood Red Light, and was just an ordinary knight before the war.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eexcept there was literally nothing ordinary about him: knights are usually born into nobility, while he was adopted by the order... that, and the fact that he achieved a high rank at a young age by virtue of being a real prodigy. He was just barely a couple years older than two decades, in fact. Not that Koyuki would be able to guess this, given his overly formal way of speaking and other mannerisms that suggest a more advanced age.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I enjoy simple thins, such as horse-riding, swordplay, tea and wine. My world is the plains, not the palace.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe said, alluding to his more modest background. Even before this, it could be observed, that he wasn't particularly fond of luxuries. Arguably the literal opposite of the decadence that the elite of his people were suffering. Not that the people of Xia would know this.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"Oh and... please don't call me Lord. Just Stephanus is enough... or Steph... titles make my skin crawl.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe said, smiling somewhat awkwardly while scratching his back. So far, \"general\" was the only title that he ever wore proudly. Koyuki presented a completely different personality than usual, and so did Stephanus, being much more humble and down-to-earth than Koyuki must have expected. Yet, at the same time, it was still the man who led the invading army and killed many of her comrades, defenders.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-30T15:20:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653916800,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EThe young woman flinched slightly when she felt his hand on her shoulder though she tried not to make any objections, a sigh of relief slipping from her when he pulled away. It was rude, she knew it was, but she was trying at least; no one would be able to say that she didn\u0026rsquo;t try\u0026hellip; As he spoke, she couldn\u0026rsquo;t help but be a little surprised. She knew that he wasn\u0026rsquo;t noble born from her eavesdropping, but she hadn\u0026rsquo;t expected him to be quite so easygoing, at least in his likes. She\u0026rsquo;d expected him to behave as foreign princes had in the past, boasting about his accomplishments and titles in some misguided attempt to impress her, but he was being fairly modest. Of course, it could always be a trick, after all he technically already had her, he didn\u0026rsquo;t really need her to like him considering the fact that she had to marry him, regardless of whether she ended up wanting to or not, and he\u0026rsquo;d been responsible for plenty of her friends and countrymen\u0026rsquo;s deaths\u0026hellip;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;It would be fairly improper for me to refer to you as anything but your title.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E she told him, rising from her kneeling position and carefully dusting off the kimono, keeping her eyes lowered still as she was doing her utmost to keep her emotions in check though with the voice in the back of her mind lurking like a demon on a thin chain, growling and demanding retribution for what had been done to her people it was hard. \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;When it\u0026rsquo;s just us though\u0026hellip;Stephanus will do just fine\u0026hellip; And, I suppose you should use my given name as well. If we\u0026rsquo;re to wed then we should get used to one another I suppose.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E The young woman\u0026rsquo;s tone was flat, but it was clear that she was making an effort if nothing else. She finally turned her attention fully on the paladin, her crimson gaze filled with a more docile light than it had before.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-30T22:12:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1653941520,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"Very well Lady Mi- I mean Koyuki...\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe replied, awkwardly practicing saying her given name. She was definitely taking the necessary steps. Baby-steps, but still steps none the less. He may have been a man with blood on his hands - none to his regret, as he was doing his duty, and killing hostile combatants in combat is not considered a sin in any culture or religion known to mankind - he still had honour and dignity, and was not going to force himself on an unwilling princess, even if it was within his rights. He was more than willing to be the patient man, to show a more civilized side of his people. One certainly wouldn't expect the husband in an arranged marriage to even attempt to be understanding of his wife. Yet here he was, trying to befriend his future wife.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\"And what about you, Koyuki? What must I know about you?\"\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe question was obviously referring to her likes, though it was partially rhetorical, given how her mother already spilled the beans to him, to an extent. After all, how did he know that she'd appreciate a longbow as a gift? A sword was an easy guess, given their duel, but no one else - other than Kya - could have told him about her fondness for hunting as well, or closeness to a certain grandfather who had a fondness for archery. Granted, it was yet to be seen, if she had the strength to draw the bow - Etrandish longbows are made with longbowmen in mind, men who practice from childhood and develop the muscle for it. Still, Stephanus wanted to hear it from Koyuki's own mouth, about what she likes, before he goes ahead to invite her to do... well, anything, really. He remained completely oblivious to what was going on within Koyuki's mind.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-31T15:28:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654003680,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EThe princess looked at him when he asked her about herself, a slight spark of surprise lighting her gaze as she regarded him.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;\u0026hellip;I don\u0026rsquo;t know what would be pertinent for you to know really.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe told him after a moment, her gaze returning to the wisteria tree as a gentle gust of wind shook its long tendrils, pulling loose petals from its branches so that they fluttered to the ground, dusting the shrine in soft purple.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;You seem to have already guessed my likes, to an extent at the very least\u0026hellip; I don\u0026rsquo;t like the palace much, my mother says that my grandfather spoiled me in that regard\u0026hellip;he taught me how to use a bow and a sword and would take me hunting with him, much to my mother\u0026rsquo;s discontent.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EHer voice was soft as she spoke of the old king, laced with longing.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHe\u0026rsquo;d passed some years ago, far before the Etrandish had likely ever considered the prospect of attacking their more peaceful neighbors, but she missed him every day. He\u0026rsquo;d been the person she was closest to and now\u0026hellip;it felt to her as she had no one.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;This was his favorite place in the palace\u0026hellip;he used to bring me here, tell me stories of our clan. He showed me how to perform the dances under this tree.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EShe was speaking more to herself now, almost forgetting that the paladin was with her until the voice in the back of her mind stirred, growling at her for showing her weakness. She shook herself out of the daze she\u0026rsquo;d been in, turning back to him with a rueful smile.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;Apologies, I\u0026rsquo;m rambling\u0026hellip; Thank you for the gifts, Stephanus. They are appreciated. I shall endeavor to learn to use them-.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EThe princesses voice came to a halt as the sound of heavy footsteps reached her ears, her eyes flicking to the entrance of the small sanctuary. The blonde soldier that she\u0026rsquo;d been sparring with that morning stepped into the light, his amber colored eyes watching the paladin closely as Koyuki folded her arms in her kimono.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;Highness, I just wanted to make sure you were alright,\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe explained himself, his speech far more respectful now that they weren\u0026rsquo;t on the practice fields. His eyes flicked from the paladin to the gifts that he\u0026rsquo;d brought his friend, a wariness in his gaze and movements as he approached, keeping his eyes lowered and focused away from Koyuki\u0026rsquo;s own as was custom.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;Thank you, Takeshi. I\u0026rsquo;m fine, Lord Stephanus and I were just having a short discussion.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EHer tone shifted, a slightly firmer note laced in it as she nodded to the gifts that the Etrandish warrior had brought.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;Please have these taken to my rooms. I fear it would be improper to produce them amongst the other guests.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EIt looked as though the soldier wanted to say something more, but whatever it might have been he stowed it in his mind, instead bowing low to the paladin, showing the proper respect that was required for the fianc\u0026eacute; of the heir to the Xiannian throne.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;I can take those from you, My Lord.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-31T19:35:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654018500,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"Hunting? The favourite pastime of nobility in my homeland.... Well, besides feasting and jousting. Now I know where must I take you.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe replied, not mincing his words at all, that he intended to win her favour. He was used to speaking with honesty, and wasn't exactly known for mincing his words - possibly a side effect of his cruder background. He couldn't relate to her comments about parents and grandparents though - he had none. He doesn't know anything about his own, except their surname, but even that, he is skeptical about. But that was besides the point, and not a talking point as of the time. Of course, over the time, Koyuki seems to have wandered off in her thoughts, talking more to herself than to him. He did take mental notes, and remembered where must he seek out Koyuki the next time, where can he talk to her without a chaperone.Nevertheless, what she was saying was already giving him plenty of ideas for the future, ideas he dared not to vocalize as of the moment.... but ideas he intends to implement in the future none the less.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EOf course, they don't seem to spend all this all alone, as one of Koyuki's defiant friends arrives, obviously shooting glares towards the gifts he gave to Koyuki. This wasn't lost to Stephanus, who was all too aware of the ongoing tension, of the implications within Takeshi's words. He felt a temptation to be snarky and tell the amber-eyed blond man 'What were you expecting? That I'm some sort of savage who would do unspeakable things to your princess while it's just the two of us?', but he resisted it. He was pretty sure they more or less expected him to say something like that anyway, and it would have been redundant, if he actually said it. Even with that man minding his business, bowing respectively, calling Stephanus 'my lord', and agreeing to take his gifts to Koyuki's room, Stephanus could still feel the tension, the resentment in the blond soldier, the implied threats - or maybe he was imagining things. Or maybe he was being vigilant, rightfully sensitive to glares and wary looks. Of course throughout all these, he said nothing. He gave a quiet nod to the last sentence, if that was needed to convince Takeshi to take his gifts to Koyuki's room, but otherwise he said nothing, unless someone asked him something along the lines of 'cat got your tongue?' - which would have been very rude.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I believe he was one of the witnesses to our unfortunate melee, was he not?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe asked Koyuki to make sure, only now realizing how familiar that face looked. \u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-31T21:19:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654024740,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EThe young warrior straightened once Stephanus seemed to give him a nod of approval, keeping his eyes down now though there was tension in his movements. He shifted to gather the gifts that the man had presented the princess with, looking at the young woman from the corners of his eyes before bowing low to the two, lingering for a moment longer than was probably necessary before disappearing back along a servant\u0026rsquo;s trail. Koyuki watched him go in silence, her gaze almost wistful though she turned her attention to the man beside her, looking up at him with a level gaze.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;Takeshi Nakamura, yes, he was witness to our bout this morning. He\u0026rsquo;s the second son of a prominent family in Xia.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe explained to him, covering a soft yawn with one of the arms of her kimono, half hiding her face as the events of the day began to catch up with her.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAccessing the power of Muramasa still left her feeling tired as she had little training, seeing as the power was a bit different from that of the palace mages, feeding off of her emotions rather than direct spells, not to mention that she had been the first in two generations to be born with the Gods blessing. It made mastering the thing curled inside of her rather difficult.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;\u0026hellip;Takeshi and I have known one another from the time that we were children, but as a second son he is of lower rank and was instructed primarily in the ways of war while his brother was taught to lead\u0026hellip;had his brother survived the war, he would have become head of the family, and Takeshi would be named a samurai in the Royal Guard. Now, as his brother is no longer able to take over as head of the family, the responsibility will fall to him\u0026hellip; I apologize for his behavior. Takeshi means well, he just doesn\u0026rsquo;t always use the tact that he should\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EHer words were matter-of fact as she shifted, rolling her neck slightly in an attempt to loosen tightened muscles before she offered a short bow.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;Please excuse me, I should return before anyone else seeks us out.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-05-31T23:21:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654032060,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"Second son of a prominent family? Small world....\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe remarked, almost feeling like the protagonist of a story, where everyone who is named is of importance, and bound to be a recurring character. Well, this being real life, rather than a work of fiction, it is beyond any doubt, that they will run into each other again - though he definitely has hopes that it won't be a violent encounter. How important will this character be in his story remains unanswered, but knowing how much he'll have to deal with the politics of Xia... Takeshi is no doubt among those he ought not to get on the bad side of. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHe felt tempted to brace himself to get a hold of Koyuki as he saw her yawning, but once again, resisted any such urges. Instead, he listened to her describe the aforementioned amber-eyed blond man. More information, putting his behaviour into proper context. The son and heir of an important family, whose older brother got killed during the war. Quite ironic, that it was the one who got taught to lead ended up dying, while the one raised in the ways of the sword survived - happened once in his country's history too. But he decided not to bore Koyuki with his kingdom's history as of this time - there will be plenty of time for that in the future. He simply took in the information and took mental notes, knowing that this will be someone who might be a source of more nuissance in the future.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Very well, I shall return to my living quarters as well. I look forward to the next such meeting of ours...\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe said, bowing, offering to kiss Koyuki's hand - and in fact kissing it, if she showed no overt signs of resistance - and then he'd wait for her to leave, only leaving after she did too.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-01T15:38:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654090680,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EKoyuki made no move to stop him from kissing her hand, offering a small bow before she left him in the small garden and returned to the guests at the feast. She took her seat beside her mother once more, quiet rather than her usual cheery self, something not unnoticed by some of the nobles though more notably, by the children of those nobles. After she had spend the required time at the gathering, she rose, bowed deeply to those in attendance, outstretching her arms as she announced her departure, begging the forgiveness of those in attendance and asking that they excuse her rudeness as she felt rather tired. This was customary, a gesture that was made only if she was leaving before the current ruling monarch. The Xiannian\u0026#039;s bowed low in kind, her mother lifting a hand and making a gesture as though shooing her away, granting her daughter leave to retire. Once the ceremonious responsibilities were taken care of, the princess made her way to her room, allowing the servants to strip her of the heavy fabrics so that she could dress in a lighter yukata and slipping beneath the covers of her bed, falling into a deep, dreamless sleep...\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe princess slept through dinner, as well as an attempted visit from the blonde haired soldier, the effort that her skirmish with Stephanus and then having to deal with the nobles at the feast having worn heavily on her. In the morning before the sun barely began to pique over the mountains that bordered their lands, she rose, shedding her yukata and dawning the training uniform. She\u0026#039;d been about to leave when the gifts that Stephanus had furnished her with the day before caught the corner of her eye. They had been laid neatly on a table in the room, and for a moment, she thought about putting them away, somewhere that she wouldn\u0026#039;t have to see them, her curiosity, however, got the better of her as she picked up the bow. It was slightly heavier than the one she was use to, a tad smaller as well, yet somehow the balance of it seemed to suit her slender hand. After a moment of consideration, she picked up the string that had been placed beside it, before leaving her rooms and heading out. She liked to be in the training grounds early; no one was there to bother her or gawk, and her mother usually wasn\u0026#039;t up to chastise her about how a princess shouldn\u0026#039;t be playing with weapons.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShe set her regular bow down, leaning it against the side of the fence after stringing it with ease before turning her attention to the Etrandish weapon that her future husband had furnished her with, running her slender fingers over the wood, trying to get a feel for it before gripping it in her non-dominant hand and hanging the string, sliding it over the slightly curved top of the bow and letting the end hang... The odd bow, without a doubt gave her some difficulties, and after a few tries she got frustrated with the weapon and set it down, picking up her own long bow and sending several well aimed arrows into the target at the end of the field, two centering themselves while a third rested just outside the bullseyes ring. She did this several times, trying to ignore her irritation though in the end it won out; as petty as it was, she didn\u0026#039;t like to lose, not even to an object. Soon enough she was back with the smaller weapon, moving slowly but with purpose. Eventually, after a few more attempts she was able to string the damned thing, a sense of pride filling her as she knocked on arrow to the string and trained it on the target, her finger tracking where she intended to send it...\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-02T06:32:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654144320,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EStephanus spent the rest of the day in his own living quarters.... which was about boring as it gets. Meetings with bureaucrats and military-people, lots of paperwork to be done, the salaries of soldiers to be handled,  Rather than the exciting weapons-play that Koyuki ended up doing the following day. Cases like investigating the armoury, making sure that the relief will arrive correctly, et cetera - there was even case of an arson that needed to investigated! One might think that such low-level events ought not to be within the scope of a general, but apparently, they were. Even if he was given an invitation to the dinner the royal family had, he would have had to decline it, due to the call of his duties. By the time he was free and had time for his own matters, it was pretty dark, and he dared not to bother the royal family - he spent it attempting to write a poem... for Koyuki. Of course all that he could come up with were to be scrapped, as they simply did not sound particularly good.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThe next day, he had breakfast in his own living quarters, eating food native to his country, and downing it with tea. Without paperwork to handle, he had free time - but what to spend it with? He normally cannot access to Koyuki without an intermediary like Kya. Asking to speak with her would be somewhat awkward, but that is perhaps what he ought to do, now that he knows where her passions are. He did not even really know where she was - oblivious to the fact that she was at the training grounds -, so searching in the garden would have been fruitless. He figured that the best course of action was to prepare for his next meeting with Koyuki, and try to write a poem for her - something to impress her, now that he has already delivered gifts of weapons. Still finding no success there either, he decided to oversee his soldiers and partake in their regular training.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EIt was a separate training ground, so Koyuki would not see what was going on here - spearmen practicing against dummies, longbowmen and crossbowmen alike shooting at targets, it was necessary to keep the men in practice in case of a Xian insurgency. While there was no open rebellion or anything of that sort, there were some incidents recently, such as an arson that Stephanus had to have a hand in investigating - it is most likely, that Kya and Koyuki did not hear about that at all, as such insignificant news seldom reach the ears of royalty. If the royals wanted to have a word with him, it wouldn't take much - a simple messenger would be enough to summon him and drag him away from the training ground to the palace, to wherever they wish to speak with him.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-02T15:46:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654177560,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003ESweat beaded her brow the longer she practiced and though she would be loath to admit it, the Etrandish bow, as strange as it was to her was a finely made weapon. It took more power to draw, and she had yet to make a shot in the center of the target. By the time some of the soldiers and nobles had arrived at the training field her arms ached, and she\u0026rsquo;d only been able to keep two arrows straight on target and male and female soldiers were coming to inspect the odd weapon in her hands. They were curious but were quick to discount it before beginning to take up their own exercises, Koyuki shifting away from them as they settled into their usual routines. On any other day she would have stayed with them and practiced, however her pride after being so soundly defeated was still sore and she didn\u0026rsquo;t feel the need to stay, heading instead towards the gardens, her Etrandish weapon in hand while the Xiannian longbow had been hung across her lithe frame.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAdmittedly, it probably wasn\u0026rsquo;t the best place for the weapon, certainly it was improper, but she did not feel the need to carry both weapons in a single hand. Unfortunately, no sooner did she reach the gardens than a servant did appear, holding a message from her mother requesting her presence. She glared at the parchment, contemplating refusing the vailed order but eventually decided it better not to encourage the woman\u0026rsquo;s wrath, turning and making her way back towards the palace and her mother\u0026rsquo;s throne room. About the same time that Koyuki had been given her own summons, a young boy was offering a piece of rolled parchment with the same request to Stephanus. If the man were to heed the queens request, he would find his intended in the throne room before the older royal, an annoyed look in the girls red eyes, his bow still in her hand. Kya herself would regard each of them with a level gaze before speaking.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;After yesterdays\u0026hellip;theatrics, I think it might be best if the two of you spent some time getting to know one another. Therefore, from today on if the General will agree to it, I propose you both spend at least an hour in one another\u0026rsquo;s company. You may tour the palace, so that General Travilrond may become familiar with what will become his home, take lunch in the gardens, go hunting\u0026hellip;\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eat her last suggestion, the queen looked at her daughter, hoping that making the offer to willingly allow her out into the forest that surrounded the palace might make her more agreeable to the terms.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;You may do anything that the both of you deem fit, but you must spend the time together. I have discussed this with your ambassador, General, and he agrees that it may help to\u0026hellip;smooth things. You are of course, free to decline as I\u0026rsquo;m sure you have other duties to attend to, but we do think that it will help you both.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EKoyuki said nothing; she knew that the man had a choice, but there was a vailed order in her mothers words. She would not be allowed to decline.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-03T04:21:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654222860,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"I accept the proposal.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStephanus replied. When he received the parchment, the first thing he did was to immediately read it and answer the summons as fast as he could - to the point that he did not even change clothes to something more proper and civilian, instead dressed in his military garb, his neck surrounded by chainmail and plated pauldrons, his torso covered by three layers of protection and one layer of decoration: a gambeson, chainmail, a breastplate, and finally a white tunic with a red sun-eye logo on it representing the knightly order he is a member of. So he was there, listening to the queen's request, accepting her proposal. In fact, if Kya did not propose this herself, he would have proposed it himself: he wanted to spend more time with Koyuki, his future wife. After all, once the wedding ceremony is finished, they will be spending every day together, so they might as well get used to it. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"If I may ask a question.... will it be just her and I, or a chaperone, or maybe bodyguards on both sides?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStephanus asked, as that part was not made entirely clear. He already accepted the proposition, so maybe it was a little late to ask such questions, after having accepted.... but he still needed it to be made more clear. Either of those options - except maybe the chaperone - would have sufficed for him, and each had its fair share of advantages.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBeing able to spend time alone with Koyuki opens up a lot of avenues for discussions that may not be allowed to take place in front of anyone else, and maybe even intimacy. In contrast, having bodyguards and being allowed to bring in the company of nobles from their own respectively kingdoms would also open up avenues for familiarizing themselves with other's cultures. Arguably, the middle-ground - a chaperone - would be the worst of both worlds, hindering intimacy and understanding, as well as cross-cultural learning. He eagerly awaited Kya's clearence to his question - as 'you may spend this time any way you desire, as long as you do it together' wasn't clear enough to him, hoping she has already decided, and it wasn't up to him - or Koyuki - to decide.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Well then.... shall Koyuki and I.... begin today?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe asked, eyeing Koyuki. If they are going to spend those daily one-hours in solo, without any external interferences, on what effectively amounts to medieval equivalents to dates, then he will have all the opportunity in the world to praise Koyuki for her beauty and skill with the bow and the sword, take her hunting, practice the sword with her, and maybe even write a poem for her. If they are going to involve other people, they will get more cultural immersion at the expense of private intimacy.... not that there is much intimacy for the two of them - time may heal all wounds, but it is going to take time for these two former enemies to come together hugging and kissing. Even if he brings in effort. Would it be proper, if he took Koyuki hunting on his white mare? Kya did say that as long as they do it together, they may do whatever they desire... but what were really the limits?\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I believe it would be for the best, if I took your beautiful daughter out riding and hunting.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe finished, effectively spoiling his intentions to both Kya and Koyuki, under the assumption that it will just be him and Koyuki, with no one else.... besides possibly bodyguards.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-03T16:13:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654265580,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;That you may discuss together. I have every confidence that you will behave fittingly of two individuals of your stations, however if either of you feel that such measures should be taken, I have confidence that you will choose well together.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EKya answered the knights question as Koyuki\u0026rsquo;s eyes flicked to the armor clad man. An hour every day. While she wasn\u0026rsquo;t particularly happy about the arrangement, she wasn\u0026rsquo;t about to defy the queen openly, certainly not after the day before. At the very least it would give her an opportunity to get away from the palace, if only for a short amount of time\u0026hellip;\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShe turned to look at him fully when he made he slipped his compliment in to his statement to her mother, her eyes questioning; she was often paid lip service, or she had been a great many times, both by nobles in their court as well as visiting dignitaries, however she trusted the description even less coming from the General though she was careful not to let it show. The queen herself gave a slight nod to the General\u0026rsquo;s suggestion, seeming unphased.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;If that is how you wish to spend your time, so be it. Unless you have any other inquiries, I have other matters that require my attention.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EShe waited a few moments more, giving them the opportunity to raise any concerns that they may have. When she wasn\u0026rsquo;t interrupted, she rose from her throne, stepping down from the dais to her daughter to whisper in her ear that a change of attire would be in order.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EThe princess watched Kya with indifference as she left, looking over to a corner of the room and motioning for a servant to come to them, the young man bowing low as he approached.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;Please take these to my rooms,\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ethe request was soft, gentle even as she carefully unstrung both bows, handing them over to the servant who accepted them with a quick nod before disappearing and leaving her with her intended. For a moment she seemed to hesitate, but after considering her options she dusted herself off, trying to shake the dust of the training field off her simple outfit as she turned to Stephanus. She supposed that after the day before she should have expected this, but even so she never would have expected it so soon.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026rdquo;So\u0026hellip;what would you like to do with our time together today then?\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe questioned him, folding her hands before her and doing her best to try to take this new arrangement seriously.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-04T00:11:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654294260,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EThe paladin raised no objections to Kya's suggestion, abstaining from any opportunity to interrupt her when she decided to leave the throne and attend to her other duties. Obviously, to his ears, what Kya whispered to Koyuki would remain a secret, but it coincidentally happened to coincide with what he was thinking too: a change of attire was in order, as going on what ammounts to a (medieval equivalent of a) date with Koyuki in full body armour is not going to do it. A change of attire was most definitely in order for him.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I suggest we meet at the gatehouse in our attire of choice... with a weapon choice. And possibly a steed of choice. Then we go riding and hunting. Or would you prefer to just ride?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe made the suggestions, taking one of her hands softly before he began speaking. Unknowingly, he was giving her an opportunity to defy this new arrangement, but he was also indirectly indicating that he was trusting her. His idea was simple: change to more comfortable clothes, and come down with a crossbow and his white mare. Of course, if Koyuki was in no mood for hunting, only for riding, there would be no crossbow - no need for it. Truth be told, this would be his first time hunting, ever - he wasn't a nobleman before the war, and obviously, there were no hunting trips during the war. In fact, he only used a crossbow once or twice in his life, and never even used a normal bow or longbow - thus, if he was forced to use one for the first time, no doubt his clumsiness would leave Koyuki laughing.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHe awaited Koyuki's answer - given what Kya told her, it would be prudent for her to change clothes too, after all. If she agreed, the two would part ways and reunite maybe fifteen or so minutes later at the gatehouse, with Stephanus already being atop his horse, in somewhat simple-looking, but still coloured and decorated clothes, dressing both for comfort and an indication of his status. If, for some reason, Koyuki decided to rush things and not give him - and herself - time for a change of attire, naturally, he'd have to accompany her all the way to the stables where his horse is stabled - and potentially hers too, if she has one. And of course, if Koyuki had any alternative suggestions, that would also warrant its own answer. \u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-04T09:54:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654329240,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EKoyuki\u0026rsquo;s crimson eyes flicked to the generals when he took her hand in his own, seemingly wary. She didn\u0026rsquo;t think that he would do anything to her, not without provocation at least, he\u0026rsquo;d proven that on the training field the day before. Even so, this was still an arrangement that, if she really had been afforded a choice in the matter, she would have refused. Some small piece of her in the back of her mind chastised her, reminding her that this man likely had little if any choice in the arrangement as well, the presumed knowledge, however, wasn\u0026rsquo;t enough to stir sympathy or empathy for him, not yet at least.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026rsquo;m not sure that an hour would be sufficient enough for hunting, a ride certainly wouldn\u0026rsquo;t be out of the question though. It wouldn\u0026rsquo;t take either of us away from our duties for too long and you would be afforded the opportunity to survey the land that will be yours.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EThe princesses\u0026rsquo; comments were straight forward and not without merit, after all a hunt usually took quite a while; generally, it was an all-day affair. Once they seemed to have decided on their activity, she offered her fianc\u0026eacute; a small bow before taking her leave. Before she met him at the gatehouse, she washed herself quickly, scrubbing the thin layer of dirt and sweat from her hands, arms, and face before making herself presentable as her mother had directed her to.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EShe dressed herself in a simple riding kimono of deep crimson fabric and black pants, tying her long white hair back in a neat bun and inspecting herself in a polished silver mirror before making her way back to Stephanus.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026ldquo;We could ride along some of the general hunting trails outside of the palace. It might be good to show them to you before we make an attempt at hunting with one another. I wouldn\u0026rsquo;t want you to get lost after all.\u0026rdquo;\u003C/b\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-11T18:42:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654965720,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"Very well, that shall be where we ride today.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe replied to her, atop his own white horse, waiting for Koyuki to mount her own black steed. As they left the gatehouse atop their own horses, riding separately, the land itself started to open up, giving them all the room to sightsee. He expected Koyuki to show him the hunting trails, the places where they ought to ride - while they will hunt in the future. He followed along, no doubt ready to ask questions about all the plants and animals that he'd see along the way. And there were oh so many that were utterly foreign to him, peeking his curiousity.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"So this is the way the local nobles tend to go hunting? Fascinating...\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe would say, as they went on a trail surrounded by trees. Just the perfect place to get lost at, if one isn't careful - and also the perfect place to get ambushed by wild animals, if one isn't careful. He was unfamiliar with the local flora and fauna, so he was unsure, if they were at any risk of a wolf attack, bear attack or boar ambush, or even venomous snakes - despite not being much of a hunter himself, he was all too familiar with what kind of mortal dangers lurk in the wilderness of his own home country, and was expecting Xia's hunting trails to house similarly risky potential encounters. A bear attack would be highly problematic and potentially traumatizing, but if he were to save the princess from one... well, it's best not to wish for danger.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"How do you not get lost on these routes?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe asked, already being somewhat confused.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-11T19:15:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654967700,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EThe princess pulled herself up onto the gentle mare, leaning down to scratch the animals neck before righting herself in the saddle and leading him away from the imperial palace. The trip would have been freeing had she been on her own, the fact that Stephanus was with her however left the young woman on edge... As they went along the trails she did her best to be pleasant, pointing out a few herbs along the trails and explaining their medicinal properties and pointing out tracks and game trails. She was at least pretending to make an effort with him.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;How do people hunt in your country? I would have thought that it was done the same everywhere.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe told him, dismounting after a while to give the easygoing mare a break, as well as to enjoy her surroundings, looking up at the knight as he seemed to be turned around.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;My grandfather took me along these trails from the time that I was old enough to walk. Sometimes I think I know these forests better than I know the palace itself, though the last few years it\u0026#039;s pleased my mother to try to limit my access outside of the walls of our home.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EShe looked to him for a moment, searching his face for a moment before going back to her saddle and pulling herself into it again and turning her horse down what appeared to be a less used trail, motioning for the general to follow her.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;There\u0026#039;s a clearing down this way, we can rest the horses for a while before we continue on.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-11T22:31:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654979460,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"They hunt in... well, the dedicated hunting grounds, which belong to the nobility.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe replied to her, which more or less meant that yes, they do it mostly the same way as her people. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"You like the forests more than the palace? That's pleasing to hear... It is far more serene out here, than in the palace. Bureaucrats everywhere, with their chit-chat and nonsense. I was never truly in my element inside.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe elaborated to Koyuki, implying that the fact that she prefers the outdoors means they'll be going outside even more often. This was a silently implied vow, to liberate her from the compulsion to be inside, letting her to be outside more often. What was his life like before the war anyway? Constantly going on missions, which meant being on the field, being out there, spending half of his time on horseback... just like now.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003ETruth be told, he was slightly skeptical to follow her down the trail, as the road looked less used than the one they were traveling on. Many thoughts crossed his mind, such as the distinct possibility of being lured into an ambush, but in the end, after around a second of zoning out, he snapped back into reality and went on forward to follow Koyuki down the path. Hah, ambush.... As if she would ever attempt such a thing. She may be a child, but she must have enough tact to realize that such an act would be a political suicide, and directly lead to the deaths of many she loves. Still, he had a bit of a wariness, knowing that such paths must mean more wild animals, including deadly ones. While killing a wolf or a bear would take almost zero effort for someone like him, it would be highly inconvenient and awkward to come back to the palace in tattered clothes and explain things to the queen, who could simply forbid Koyuki from leaving, if she were to learn of such an incident. May the divines forbid, that Koyuki be injured during such an incident.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EThese thoughts continued to go down his head, while he was following her on the slightly suspicious-looking path. Just where was she leading him?\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-11T23:37:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654983420,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;I feel more at home here. The mountains and animals can\u0026#039;t lie about their true natures. Humans lie to me all of the time.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe told him as she concentrated on making sure that they were following along the path, careful to keep the mare at a slow walk so that, hopefully, she didn\u0026#039;t trip over anything. She felt a rush of excitement when he mentioned that he preferred the forests to courtly life as well, though she dismissed it, telling herself that she couldn\u0026#039;t get her hopes up, not to mention the twinge of guilt that she felt whenever she even remotely thought of him as anything less than the person, or one of the people at least, responsible for the fall of her home.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShe didn\u0026#039;t have much fear of the larger animals that might be in the forest; it would be one thing if she were on her own, she would have been more on guard, but one of the larger predators that stalked the mountains generally would have had to be mad to come upon humans in a pair, especially with the large animals that they rode.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Not much further!\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe called over her shoulder as she saw the familiar break in the trees, lifting a delicate hand to shield her eyes from the sun as they rode into a small meadow, the young woman dismounting and pulling the saddle and bridle off of the mare once they reached the small pond near the north of the area and letting her trot to the water for a drink. The pond itself branched off into the forest, taking cool water down the mountain and appeared to be fed by a natural spring at its far side.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EA large, twisted weeping willow drooped to provide shade over part of the clear pond, Koyuki taking her saddle blanket to rest it under the shade near what appeared to be a weathered stone shrine that had seen better days. The palace gardens were certainly far more impressive with their bright colors and variety of blooms, but there was a simple beauty here that the princess had coveted all her life.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;You can relax,\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe called after a moment, falling back onto the blanket and cushioning her head under her arms.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;I\u0026#039;m not going to stab you in the back out here...\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T00:32:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654986720,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"I-.... It's beautiful...\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe remarked as he saw the pond and the flowers, with the sun hitting his eyes too, with him having also dismounted his horse. Naturally, his horse was also somewhat thirsty, so he allowed her to walk over to the pond and have a drink. He figured, he could give it a try as well, taking his empty flask and dipping it into the water, followed by him drinking its contents. It would have been wiser, to wait for Koyuki to inform him whether the water was drinkable for humans or not, but he did not hesitate. It's been a while since he drank springwater, which had its own unique kind of taste that he appeared to miss. He definitely had a taste for beer, wine and tea, but there was something special about pure, unadulterated springwater that did not need to be boiled to be drinkable and spiced to have a taste.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Do the others know about this place well? Can they find us here, if they are looking for us?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehis curiosity got the better of him, compelling him to ask this question. It was a semi-rhetorical question: he knew that the queen did not appreciate the times when the princess leaves the palace in favour of the fresh air of the outdoors. Was this like a secret playground for her? Or perhaps more? Or maybe just one of the many places that embodied everything she prefers about the forest to the palace? He felt she had a special emotional connection to this place in particular, and he couldn't blame her: the water from the pond was tasty, the scenery had a special charm to it, and the rays of the sun appeared oh so more seductive out here, than in the palace, where they struggled to penetrate through the windows. Truth be told, the meadow partially reminded him of his homeland, namely the immediate surroundings of the city he was born in and grew up in. So similar, yet so much different at the same time, with all the alien characteristics.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStill, he did stand back against the nearest tree, opting to stand instead of sitting down or resting his head against anything. He then took a good look at Koyuki, still finding her as beautiful as ever in her clothes. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"In my homeland, there is a giant forest in the middle of the kingdom... It is the size of two duchies, utterly uninhabited, and no one dares to go inside. What do you think could be inside?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe asked her, wondering if she also preoccupied her mind with the question what completely unmolested nature must look like. Of course, with such a question, he was also giving her an opportunity to throw some snide remarks at his country, his people, his culture. Brave enough to conquer Xia, but not brave enough to venture into that giant forest in the middle of their own kingdom.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T01:16:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654989360,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cdiv style=\"text-align: justify\"\u003E\u003Ci\u003EShe was quiet as he spoke, opening blood red eyes to look up through the tendrilled veil of the willow, sunlight playing in the leaves of the large tree.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;The Gods of old probably.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe answered his question about the forest in his homeland finally, spreading her arms wide.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;My grandfather once told me that once, the whole world was covered in forests. In those forests dwelled the spirits of the Gods. When the Gods formed human kind, they bade their spirits to live with them and work in harmony, but humans became greedy because of a hole in their hearts that the Gods had left unfilled. Perhaps the spirits of the Gods now inhabit the forest.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EShe grunted softly as she sat up, rolling her shoulders to loosen up muscles that had stiffened from her practice that morning as she\u0026#039;d been trying to work with the strange bow. It would take much more practice, but lucky for her she had a hard head, at least that was what her mentors and friends liked to tell her.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;It certainly would be a sight to see. Mamoru is supposedly a spirit from ancient times.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe told him idly, speaking of the odd fox-like creature that seemed to follow she and her mother, the animal that had growled at the invaders the first day they\u0026#039;d stepped into the throne room.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;...tell me more about Etrand. I know that we\u0026#039;re going to settle here, but I\u0026#039;ve heard that we\u0026#039;ll be required to go there for a second marriage, as your people won\u0026#039;t be likely to accept a marriage under our customs. And...I guess I should know at least a little about my husbands home.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003EHer pale face flushed with an embarrassed blush when she mentioned the inevitable marriage and called him her husband, the concept still foreign to her. At least it was apparent that she was trying to get used to the idea, and that she was genuinely trying to be civil if nothing else.\u003C/i\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T03:53:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1654998780,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"My church says that our ancestors were once given an island of paradise, but they grew greedy, so the divine banished them from the island into this world of work and suffering, sinking their homelands. And so we found the continent...\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe replied by mentioning a myth from his own religion. Of course, reality was a bit more complicated, with his ancestors splitting up into different races, and the humans being just one of the three that initially developed. And the rest is history, with the Kingdom of Etrand rising to prominance and becoming a multiracial, cosmopolitan kingdom, and so forth. He decided not to bore Koyuki with his country's history at this time: there was plenty of time for that in the future, in conditions less comfortable than the one they are in now. So instead, he took his flask into the water once again to take a sip from the springwater.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Wait, was it the symbol we saw in the throne room?\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe asked, having only vaguely remembered. While earlier, on, he resolved himself not to bore Koyuki with Etrandish history.... she asked about it herself. Now he had to tell her. She spoke about the marital customs, and how his people likely won't accept marriage according to her customs, while his mind was already on taking a deep breath before he turns into a living-breathing history book. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003E~ Alright, Stephanus... we might as well start from the very beginning.... ~ he thought to himself. And he took a deep breath. And he began.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"You see, it all began when the Ancestral Elves grew too greedy to live on the gifts that our god Titanius left them on their islands of paradise. So Titanius grew cross, and banished the Ancestral Elves from their home, sinking their islands. They landed upon the continent of Artograch, but it was not an empty virgin land - nay, it was a land already inhabited by many different races. So my ancestors spent centuries fighting a bloody war to create a homeland for themselves.\"\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHe sure began the history lesson at a very early date, getting carried away. Koyuki asked him about his country's customs, not about an entire history lesson from the very start!\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"But then the Ancestral Elves split. Those who settled in the northwest, in what would become Froturn became the High Elves. Those who settled in the southwest, in what would become Dragoc, would become the Wood Elves. And those who settled in the East, in what would become Etrand.... were cursed to lose their immortality and sharp ears. They were the ancestors of the humans, my people.\"\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EAnd he just kept going, and would keep on going, if Koyuki does not stop him!\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"The High Elves re-discovered the Light of Titanius, while my humans were sentenced to the fate of being illiterate pagans and barbarians for over a thousand years, disunited, composed of tribes constantly bickering... until we we were unified by a man named Corlagon, who adopted the faith, writing system and laws of the High Elves, bringing us humans into the light kicking and screaming. And our kingdom grew. We expanded in the north and the south. The Dwarves asked for our protection, and we provided it. We became the most powerful kingdom on the continent in no tim-\"\u003C/b\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Oh wait, you wanted to ask me about our culture, not history, didn't you?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe suddenly stopped, awkwardly scratching his head. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Eeeh, you see... most of Etrand is flat plains, with some mountains, many rivers. The land is divided between petty nobles, vassals of the king. Except in the north, where the Dwarven clans live under our protection. And the south, where the Lizardmen live under our protection. And in some of the cities...\"\u003C/b\u003E\n", "date": "2022-06-12T17:57:00.000+02:00", "hun": false, "streamlinedDate": true, "unixTimestamp": 1655049420, "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond" },           {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EHer eyes flicked to him as he began his history lesson, an amused glint in her eye. Though she couldn\u0026#039;t necessarily say that she enjoyed his company and certainly couldn\u0026#039;t say that she was excited at the prospect of marrying the man, he did have a few amusing quirks. When he seemed to realize the minor error he\u0026#039;d made she couldn\u0026#039;t help it, despite herself, she laughed, leaning back on her hands to look up at the great tree once more.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;If I weren\u0026#039;t a first hand witness to even a fraction of your capabilities with a weapon and wasn\u0026#039;t privy to the stories of surviving soldiers, I would think that you were more likely to be a scholar than a general.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe mused, closing her eyes as a gentle breeze brought cool air into the clearing, enjoying the sounds of nature.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EBeing here somehow brought calm over her, it always had, perhaps because it was a holy place, or perhaps her grandfathers spirit still lingered, ever present...\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Flat plains...that\u0026#039;s nothing like Xia.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe murmured, already feeling home sick at the prospect of leaving, and they weren\u0026#039;t anywhere near being close to doing so. She rummaged in her saddlebags, pulling a gourd from the pack and something wrapped in a cream colored teacloth.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Come sit with me, may as well have something to eat while we\u0026#039;re out here. Noriko managed to sneak some of this seasons peach sake from the cellars too so we\u0026#039;d better not let it go to waste.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe insisted, unfolding the cloth and grabbing a biscuit from the small haphazard mountain of bread, dried meats and cheese. It wasn\u0026#039;t grand, but it was better than nothing at all as she held the gourd out to him, apparently a bottle of some kind.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T19:58:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1655056680,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"A scholar.... you're flattering me, sweetheart.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe laughed. What he presented was merely surface-level knowledge of his country's history. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"All knights are expected to know history. In fact, many of my fellow younglings were spanked for not being able to memorize the names of all of our kings.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe revealed a bit more trivia. And this was still surface-level knowledge that every literate person was expected to possess. Scholars kept even more knowledge in their brains. Still, the fact that he could make Koyuki - out of all persons - laugh, even for a moment, meant a lot for him. It made him genuinely happy and smiling. Hence the teasing 'sweetheart'. Luckily for him, he was such a child prodigy, that he avoided spanks due to failure to learn. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Sa....ke?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe tilted his head with a bit of confusion, as he sat down next to her regardless, being practically consumed by the anticipation of what Koyuki might uncover before him: bread, meat and cheese. He did not expect her to bring food, but.... it was definitely a welcome addition. He only grabbed a small piece of bread, cheese and meat, putting them together into some kind of makeshift pseudo-sandwich before biting down on it. Then he was presented with a gourd, looking at it with some confusion first, as if to ask 'Do you want me to drink from it?'.He had a bit of a concern for the fact, that they might be drinking from the same bottle, constituting an indirect kiss.... Still, unless Koyuki gave him an answer or stopped him, he eventually went ahead to take a sip from it, opening his eyes wide as he did so - he couldn't open his mouth while drinking, so this was his way of letting the world know that he found the taste amazing.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T20:28:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1655058480,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cdiv class=\"FormattedBlock\" style=\"word-wrap: break-word;\"\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E\"Well, that's one way to ensure that you're men are well learned I suppose.\"\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cem\u003Eshe commented, trying to ignore the indignant blush that stained her cheeks when he called her 'sweetheart' as she bit into her own small meal. She watched him from the corner of her eyes as he took the gourd and drank, a small smirk turning up a corner of her lips when it appeared that he enjoyed it. At least she wouldn't have to refine his sense of taste.\u003C/em\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003E\"Sake, it's like your wine, only we use rice instead of grapes.\"\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cem\u003Eshe explained, taking the guard from him if he were so inclined to pass it back to her, pressing the odd bottle to her lips and tipping the contents back, not seeming to be concerned with the fact that his own had just been nestled there. It was warm and sweet, leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste though it was still pleasant.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EHer mother didn't allow her to have much officially, but the guards and soldiers never begrudged her drinks during festivals or late nights if she was able to slip away from the watchful eyes of her parents and mentors.\u003C/em\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003E\"Ah...you'll have to get used to it, seeing as you'll be here with us. Unless of course you choose to have you're own spirits brought from your homeland.\"\u003C/strong\u003E \u003Cem\u003EEverything in her rallied against this; sitting with him, sharing food and drink, but the rational part of herself reminded her that it wouldn't do any good for her to behave poorly. After all, regardless of her wishes or how she felt, effectively she was bound to Stephanus, so she may as well attempt to get along and show him a few of her own personal pleasures.\u003C/em\u003E \u003Cstrong\u003E\"...thank you by the way, for your gifts I mean. I tried using the bow this morning but, it has a bit of harder draw back than I'm used to.\"\u003C/strong\u003E\u003C/div\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T21:02:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1655060520,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"I like the taste. It is a bit spicier than wines I am used to, but.... It is pleasant in its own unique way.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe described the sake she made him drink. Of course, knowing her mother, the fact that they drank alcohol out here would have to remain a secret. Even if it brought them closer together.... Let's just say that alcoholism may bring people and cultures closer together, it doesn't bode well for those who participate in it on the long run. While he had no intention to bring spirits from his own homeland here.... he did want to make Koyuki try wine from his own country. It is quite different from her sake: it has a dark red or purple colour to it, stains skin and clothes alike when spilled out, has a sourer aftertaste, even if otherwise sweet. In contrast, the sake tasted spicier, but also more 'raw', less fanciness and more direct alcoholic 'oomph'. He could not truly describe it, but he appreciated it none the less.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Oh? Ah right, it's a longbow after all....\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe awkwardly scratched his head. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I guess I should have given you a crossbow.\"\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Ehe laughed. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I actually have one on my horse, with a few bolts. I'll confess a secret to you: I never shot a bow or crossbow in my life.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe admitted this to Koyuki. Yes, he just bought a weapon that he never ever used in his life with him. He was a knight, a swordsman, and before he was given nobility, he belonged to a class of soldiers that was effectively forbidden from even learning ranged weaponry - except for destructive magic that for all practical purposes acts like ranged weaponry. That is fine for some unknown reason. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Do you want to try it out?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe asked her - he never saw any of Xia's warriors wielding a crossbow, while that weapon was ubiquitous in Stephanus' army - except for the fact that Stephanus himself never even held one in his hands before he brought the weapon with himself to this trip under the wrongful assumption that they are going to be hunting. They say any man can learn how to shoot a crossbow within a single afternoon, after all....\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-06-12T21:26:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1655061960,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Well, I\u0026#039;m glad you like it. That\u0026#039;s one thing we can agree on at the very least.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E she commented when he gave his thoughts on the sake, the young woman taking another small sip from the gourd. She had a decent tolerance for the stuff but even so, she had enough sense in her to know that indulging too much when she was alone with an unknown man, even one who was apparently meant to become her husband, was probably a bad idea. The princess raised a brow when he mentioned the bow. She carried a long bow usually, but she thought better of mentioning anything, though when he mentioned that he\u0026#039;d never shot the crossbow he\u0026#039;d brought with them, or any bow for that matter she felt a flash of curiosity.\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003EAll of their soldiers were trained in both close and long ranged weaponry, though mages were few and far between, coveted even to the point that they held high positions within the ranks of the army. \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Well, I may not be able to rival you with a sword, maybe not even with magic, but I know I could show you a few things where a bow is concerned at the very least.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E she told him absentmindedly, shifting up from her seated position when he asked if she wanted to try using the weapon and lightly dusting off her backside and setting the drink in her place before turning to face the general yet again, the royal seeming to watch him expectantly. \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;I\u0026#039;ve been told I\u0026#039;m a quick study, though of course that could always be flattery. I don\u0026#039;t think it would hurt to at least have a go with the weapon.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-07-04T00:36:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1656887760,                "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko"            },            {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"You want to try shooting... the crossbow?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe raised his eyebrow, asking just to clarify if that is really what she wanted. All it took from Koyuki was one nod before he'd be walking to the horse to grab it along with the bolts, holding both in a somewhat clumsy matter - as if he was carrying a box or dining plate rather than an actual weapon of war - before presenting them to Koyuki. It was a regular - if somewhat ornate - crossbow, rather than a windlass arbalest, meaning there was no rolling mechanism of any kind: it was just one roughly foot-sized stirrup that the crossbowman must insert their foot into to pull up the string. Any attempt by Koyuki to pull the string up without putting her feet into the stirrup would end up being a complete failure, but after her foot is in there, she might be amazed to see how easy it suddenly becomes to pull up the string and put it behind a raised place at the back. It might seem like an overly convoluted mechanism to Koyuki first, when her regular longbow has a longer range and the same armour-penetrating capabilities with the ring kind of arrow.... but then she might get to discover the real strength of the crossbow: the ease of aiming. And once the string is attached to the lock, all she needs to do is to put the bolt in front of the pulled-back string.... and then lift the trigger down there.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStephanus has seen them in action before, but only from a distance: him being a paladin meant that he was practically forbidden from learning about ranged weaponry, but he did see crossbowmen in action, and more or less saw how they shot their weapons - thus, if Koyuki were to force him to show how to shoot it, he wouldn't be entirely clueless, despite never having held one in his hands before. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"I think you're supposed to put your foot into it and then pull something up.... If I recall correctly. And then you hold it up and look into that... thing...\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe would say, if Koyuki struggled way too hard with the crossbow. The rules are obvious: never point it at a living being, unless you intend to kill said living being. After all, it isn't that hard to accidentally push up the trigger, firing the crossbow bolt. It may be best to get a good feeling of the weapon before firing it.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Be careful with that. It must be dangerous...!\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe naively warned Koyuki, having never used a crossbow himself either. Or any type of bow. Unbeknownst to him, Koyuki probably knew more about ranged-weapons safety, than he could ever hope to, and quite possibly already knew better than him to take precautions.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-07-04T17:07:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1656947220,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            },            {                "content": "\u003Ci\u003EShe held the crossbow in a firm grip, slipping the bolts into the folds of her kimono before fully turning her attention to the device that Stephanus had offered to her, mindful of every corner. The princess took a minute to inspect the actual weapon, crimson eyes moving over every part of the odd bow. It was fascinating, unlike anything that she\u0026#039;d seen before, certainly unlike anything that the Xiannian\u0026#039;s had to offer. For a moment she tried to force the string back with her own strength like she would her longbow, but that had little to no effect whatsoever. Her attention was pulled back to the man when he was explaining how he thought it worked after she\u0026#039;d tried and failed several times to draw the string before she looked back to the crossbow, shifting so that she could brace it against the forest floor and slip her foot into the stirrup. It was still difficult to draw but eventually she was able to draw it to the lock.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Calm down, any weapon is dangerous; a longbow, sword, magic, this weapon... I know how to handle arms.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe insisted, taking a few steps away from him and hefting the bow to her shoulder, leaving it free of the bolts for the time being until she could become accustom to the weight and the sensitivity of the trigger. It felt awkward in her hands as she aimed it into the forest, keeping her breathing as even as she could before pulling the trigger to dry fire the weapon. Pulling the trigger the weapon jerked slightly in her hands as she hadn\u0026#039;t been ready for the recoil, though she made a mental note to account for it and shifted it down from her soldier, inspecting it a second time before drawing the string again. She dry fired a few more times, just enough to get used to the way it felt when she fired. Once she was satisfied with her ability to keep a decent grip on the weapon she fished one of the bolts from her kimono, setting it to the string and aiming at one of the trees that surrounded the meadow, taking a few deep breaths before pulling the trigger and cursing softly under her breath when the bolt missed the trunk that she\u0026#039;d been aiming at.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Definitely something that would take some getting used to.\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe commented, taking a seat then so that she could more thoroughly inspect the device.\u003C/i\u003E \u003Cb\u003E\u0026quot;Why are you carrying a weapon you\u0026#039;ve never used before, Stephanus?\u0026quot;\u003C/b\u003E \u003Ci\u003Eshe asked, looking up to him after a moment.\u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-07-18T22:12:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true, "unixTimestamp": 1658175120, "user": "Koyuki Mitsuko" },           {                "content": "\u003Cb\u003E\"I wasn't sure whether we were going to go hunting or not, so I figured I'd have a ranged weapon, just in case. They say you can learn how to use one in a single afternoon.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe explained it with full honesty, though he did not exactly expect her to really buy it. He was fearing that she was suspecting some kind of plot by him to assassinate her, but rest assured, he had no such intentions - he wasn't lying when he said that he never used a crossbow before - still, it was said that one could learn how to use it within a single afternoon, so he thought nothing of it.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Ci\u003EStill, the sight of Koyuki firing the weapon - even if she missed the trunk of the tree - was something to behold. He saw her fire a regular bow before, but not a crossbow. There he was, never having used a ranged weapon, unlike Koyuki. If danger comes from afar, his only weapon - besides his sword - is magic. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"It is expected for nobles in my country to go on hunting trips and their weapon of choice is typically a crossbow as well.... albeit a smaller, more hanheld one than what my men are carrying. You'll be seeing that kind of weapon more often in the future.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003EHe felt tempted to say, that he might be forced to let his future wife save him from embarassment by being the one to hunt. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"You can keep it.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe said, taking a brief glance at the crossbow, then Koyuki. \u003C/i\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Consider it... an additional gift.\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Enot that he expected her to be particularly impressed with the weapon. It is deadly at close range, and fairly accurate, can be kept loaded, but as Koyuki can surely find out, reloading it takes a bit of time. By the time a crossbowman reloads his weapon and fires again, an archer will have let four arrows loose already - it probably won't take too long for Koyuki to figure out that rate of fire is this weapon's weak point, and something her Xian archers have an advantage at.\u003C/i\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cbr\u003E\u003Cb\u003E\"Speaking of which... How long have we been here?\" \u003C/b\u003E\u003Ci\u003Ehe asked the question while taking a look at Koyuki's face - unless she was straight-up pointing the crossbow at him, in which case he'd look away -, not having brought any machinery that lets him measure the time, beyond taking a brief glance at the position of the sun and not being able to deduce much from it. While he was more than willing to spend more than the agreed-upon daily one hour with Koyuki - in fact, he would have gladly spent over half of the whole day with her, if she consented to it - he knew, that if they went missing for two long, her mother might get worried. \u003C/i\u003E\n",               "date": "2022-07-19T15:32:00.000+02:00",                "hun": false,                "streamlinedDate": true,                "unixTimestamp": 1658237520,                "user": "Stephanus Tavilrond"            }        ],        "sectionName": "Kingdom of Xia"    } ]