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Azazel looked at Ambrosia with a small smile "Some things just...came up" she said to her with a soft sigh as he rested his head on her shoulder "Zalto is a great place, you can take some time their and look around, enjoy the city before our cruise" he whispered as he found himself pressing his lips to her neck "I just found something out about two of my children that is mortifying" he said softly as he wrapped his arms around her as he pushed her back so he was laying on top of her, resting his head upon her shoulder, he would let out a soft sigh as he let his hand run though her hair.

((Sorry that its short))

Azazel was in the middle of dictating a letter when he felt the change coming on, it was painful as he felt an itching on his scalp first as his hair began to grow but it wasn't until it tickled his chin that he found out and he roared in raged that turned into a pitiful screech as his eyes started to round out as he saw his fingers thin into pale more graceful versions of the ones he knew well. He looked over to see the eyes of the scribe resting on his quickly changing form and he grabbed the sword that was always at his side and brought it into the scribes neck, already he felt his strength weakening as his arms thinned, but he had managed his purpose as the scribe lay bleeding on the ground. He struggled to get over to his bed as another wave of pain hit him as his ribs constricted, forcing him to the ground as he felt a pain in his lower regions just before he blew out a breath hard enough to make his nose bleed. "Great Zedekiah!" he yelled, his voice already higher pitched and more lyrical as he arched his back and clutched his stomach as his eyes paled. It was one of the worse ones.

Taking a deep breath the Emperor let it take hold, if he didn't it would be more painful as the vision passed though his mind. Yuriel, Wyndal. He felt his body turn as the vision took over. A strange man standing over an open grave as a faint screaming came from an iron box that was being lowered into the ground just before others began tossing dirt onto the grave. Their was writing on the walls and a strange pale haired woman carving more words into them as the coffin was buried beside her.

Azazel groaned as the vision faltered, showing the last shovel of dirt before a stone sarcophagus was placed over the grave and a body tossed in and covered with the lid...so whomever this was, it was a dupe grave, the person whom was buried alive was buried under the sarcophagus. Azazal shivered as he felt the power in that room before he was forced back into his on body. He felt like his entire body was on fire as he looked up and grasped the edge of his bed and pulled himself up, his clothing feeling loose as he pushed himself up onto his feet only to look into the mirror, his long black hair, heart shaped face, dainty nose and wide eyes. He had to exercise the minimal amount of self control he had in order to keep himself from shattering the mirror before turning to look at the letter that was written, all it needed was his signature. Taking a deep breath Azazel would sign the paper before rolling it up and attaching it to the pigeon that had been brought to his room "just stay still you ugly bird!" he hissed as he grabbed the bird and brought it over to the window and threw it out, slamming the windows shut once he did, going over to the door and locking it before walking over to his bed and stripping off his clothing and crawling into bed.

Letter sent to Queen Ophelia Quatrez of Ethe;
"Lady Ophelia Quatrez, Sworn Kingdom of the Empire, Queen of Ethe;
You are no longer requested to continue your ventures to the capital unless it is for matters of a political nature or for your own pleasure and leisure.
Your fealty to the Empire shall be maintained, to be called upon in times of war if it shall be needed, the reconstruction of Ethe and the troops supplied to your Kingdom shall be maintained in return for your Fealty.
As of today, May the 8th of the year 201,
Azazel Drosselmeyer,
Your Liege Lord, and Emperor of Lionis"

The Emperor found his enjoyment of this world slip quickly away when a knock came at the door, was he supposed to do something today? When the door clicked and the handle opened the Emperor found her body tightening in response as she felt undeniable range boil up from her toes to her long black hair "Emperor Azazel, Duke Keiron of Phobos is here at your request" the guard said, looking around the room he would spot the dead scribe and pull out his sword "Emperor Azazel?" the man called out as he walked over to the bed. When the guard was close enough the Emperor sat up and reached out her slender hand with her long nails and turned the guards cheek into bloody meat "Get out!" The Emperor attempted to sound enraged but it only came out as distraught and maybe a little haughty, but it did the job as the guard backed out of the room and closed the door. The guard would take up his post once more after closing the door "Your visit will begin momentarily" The guard stated to Keiron.

The Emperor stood up and growled slightly, she had a dress just for such occasions. Taking a deep breath she stood from her bed and went over to her wardrobe. It was a delicate but simple dress that she could easily put on and take off herself, she had had it made that way so she wouldn't have to use maids. She would put the dress on and smooth it out before walking over to her desk and taking out a few letters that had been hidden next to his nightstand before walking over to the small table, ignoring the dead scribe.

The Emperor would then walk over to the door and open it before looking out at the Duke Keiron Achmetha. The guard who had had his face clawed by the strange woman coughed slightly "Introducing, the Emperor's Official Proxy, Archduchess Roxana of Dante, Twenty fourth in line to the Imperial Throne of Lionis" the guard said and the Emperor nodded her head "Thank you, for actually doing something right" Roxana said as she then opened the door a little more "Next you can do is remove that thing from the chambers." she said to the guard whom bowed and walked into the room, picking up the body of the dead scribe and marching out with it. Archduchess Roxana Dante then looked at Duke Achmetha with a tight lipped smile "Well. Come in." Roxana said as she turned around and went over to the table and sat down We have important matters do discuss you and I, and close the door behind you, these are matters best spoken about in private" Roxana said to him as she looked at the paper.

Roxana would wait until the Duke had shut the door before she began talking, her long nail taping on the table, her lips no longer pressed together in annoyance as she lowered her eyes to look at the paper, her chest rising and falling with each breath as she looked at the what was written down to remind herself what needed to be spoken about. Ah! Yes! that was it. Marrying his incestuous daughter out of the family. Well, she wouldn't be married out of the family...she would just be far away from her brother, less of a distraction for the Heir of the entire empire "I have several more appointments to get to in the name of his royal highness so lets get straight to the point" Roxana said to the Duke "His highness would like to offer the hand of his eldest daughter, Princess Ursula, to you in marriage" Roxana said bluntly.

Roxana looked at the duke, not bothering to smile or pretend to be happy to be here, it wasn't particularly something she enjoyed, being in female form...they where weaker creatures after all, and the fact that she had to show this form in front of a man that could easily slit her throat or over power her in this body angered her. However Roxana simply sighed out though her nose and shook her head before looking up at the duke, at the very least she could make this more comfortable "Oh please spare me the flattery, You and I both know very well that even if I had been an Archduchess prior to my cousin's siege of the throne of Lionis you would not have been remotely aware of my existence. The very fact that you see my face now is a privilege that you did not know you would ever have" Roxana said as she leaned back, crossing one of her long legs at the knee "you are far below me in stature, both before my cousin took the throne and now so do not pretend you would have even been informed of my 'beauty' and 'grace' Duke Achmetha" Roxana whispered out, one of the candles in the room coincidentally blowing out at just the right time "The Emperor is out making sure that some... investments haven't been put to waste out in Ethe. I'm sure you can understand that maintaining the existence of a kingdom is far more concerning to the empire as a whole then the marriage of a lowly thing such as a daughter"

Roxana would stop tapping her fingers on the soft wood of the table, letting her nail sink into the wood as she stared into the dukes golden eyes, taking a deep breath that would raise her chest high before she would let it out "The Emperor has Seven children if you are aware, Four daughters and Three sons. He already plans to marry as many of his children off to each of the kingdoms as possible, particularly renewing the bloodlines of Zalto with the Blood of Lionis, among some other things." she said to him "With so many children he can easily bring all the royals together under his rule with marriages, but Phobos is a very peculeir Kingdom, with a king that can so easily be ripped from this world with just one person whom is stronger" Roxana said as she drug her nails slowly though the soft wood "The Emperor finds that marrying one of his children into a well respected, old bloodline of Phobos is far more secure then marrying a daughter into the bloodline of the current ruling family." Roxana snorted and of course lets not forget, Duke Achmetha, that if Phobos ever becomes a true monarchy instead of this show horse you Phobosans play at, then it will be your bloodline that is second to the throne of all of those Letho brats die off, and if you say...have a wife that is of the Emperors brood" Roxana nodded her head as if she had spoken the conclusion as she would move a few papers out of the way to take out a simple sketch made of charcoal of Ursula "This would be Princess Ursula, Second living child and first living daughter of the Emperor"

Roxana smiled at the Duke as she slowly cracked each of her knuckles, she didn't know about the slave trade that the duke was a head of, but the Emperor knew, in fact the Emperor did. The Emperor was an avid participator in the slave trade, constantly visiting the cells in search for a certain b***h that didn't die a year ago, and on one of these searches he had just so happened to see the duke, but Roxana didn't know this. So instead it took the Archduchess the greater part of her restraint not to summon the torturer from the dungeons and use the plyers he had to rip of this insolent mans tongue, but she wasn't going to ruin her plans. This little ball of sin sitting in front of her was going to be used as a punishment for that incestuous witch that was her daughter "No it wont be me that you would have to please for the rest of your existence, just the daughter of and the Emperor himself, which I would be far more worried about, because if I get angered by your words I cant just let my horse trample you to death, where as my cousin and his daughter can very easily." she said to him "oh, and by all means take a week, take two if you want. However this marriage...the Emperor requests when you do that you return as their will be no big lavish ceremony." Roxana pulled a certificate of marriage out from under some of the papers, it already held Ursula's signature along with the Emperors and someone named Lord Brennent, the only side that was empty was the grooms side along with the two witnesses "When you do decide of course" Roxana said as she rolled the paper up.

Roxana would smile as she finished rolling the paper up before setting her hands onto her lap "Now for something else entirely, should be quite the mood sombering change of pace for you" Roxana said to him, now the Emperor may know about the slave trade, which could easily get the Duke hung for treason, but he didn't know about his experiments, however Roxana smiled "The Emperor wishes to request your.... wide next of little birds...you called it?" Roxana gave a little pause in her voice "To find a certain woman that use to be part of those 'little birds'. Roxana looked up at the Duke "The b*****d, Evelyn." Roxana looked at her dress and picked up a piece of lint "as of last month her elder sister, Rose's body has been recovered from the Ashland's, The body of Prince Mikhail was found in the dungeons when he first took the castle, but Evelyn...well, lets just say the Emperor believes that if their is no body then their is no death." Roxana said to the Duke as she stared into his golden eyes "The Emperor....Requests most discreetly, your services in locating the dead body of Princess Evelyn"

Azazel's dreams were full of blood, he was on large warhorse, Valter fought beside him as they fought across the field of battle, his armor coating in both fresh and congealing blood. The Empress stood just inside the balcony window of the Lionis castle. He called for a crossbow and a near by man handed him a loaded one. He aimed it at the woman, her black hair whipping around her neck as he let loose the bolt and watched it fly toward the Empress. He watched as she reached out her hand and she caught the bolt.

He remembered riding back after that, his soldiers feeling the air being pulled from their lungs. They eventually managed to get back to camp. Azazel had gone to his tent to meet with his mistress only to find several items thrown, the makeshift bed overturned. His dreams echoed what he had done that day as he rode out, following a high pitched scream, only to arrive at the river and wade into its waters to clutch at the lifeless body of the first woman his love had never waned for. The face that haunted his dreams, her eye closed, her golden hair matted down by water and mud, a crust of blood upon her lip. He tilted his head up and screamed as he held her to his chest.

The Emperors eyes snapped open just as he drew his sword and turned on the woman's killers. He looked up at the ceiling and felt his bones begin to change. The sick emperor, with images of death and sickness raging though his mind managed to stand up and lumber toward the window, pushing them open. A roar would escape his throat as his vocals changed, his skin darkened and became scales, and he over tripled his size. Wings growing from his back as he became a powerful dark dragon, his tail cracking against the castle side, causing it to shake to its foundation and break a hole though the roof of his chambers before he flew off.

She didn't know how she had climbed all those stairs with her aching feet and burning lungs, determination seemed to be the key factor. The guards would be upon her soon unless the guards were just as stupid as the Emperor. She raised the lanterns in her hand as she opened toe door to the Empresses room, she had never actually been in here, her step mother had forbid it, so actually seeing what it was like was...anticlimactic, she thought something would be hidden in here, but nothing was.

Evelyn shut the door behind her and walked over to the Empresses bed, her eyes looking over at the two sleeping children before she placed a hand on the Empress, trying to shake her awake "Majesty, Majesty, wake up" she whispered.

She was about to take the water but when she remembered where she was she shook her head, thinking the danger might be a little to great, for even if this woman had married into the Drosselmeyer family she was still that. A Drosselemeyer. Evelyn looked at her as she took the glass and put it on the table "My Lady, I come on an unspoken favor to your father, Mayor Joachim" essentially it meant that the Mayor hadn't asked her to do this but she was still doing this "To make it rather simple, I would like you and your children to come with me. Either to my home in Bellris or back to your fathers." she said as she held the lantern just a little higher "The Drosselmeyer's armies have been pushed back. It will only be a few weeks before they either take the city or it falls to internal forces"

Evelyn looked over at the crib and saw one of her children, it made her ache to see her son again, but instead she looked back at Ambrosia "I doubt that if the army reaches the palace before the generals that your title will be held in respect, most likely you will be looking a painful horrors that people mistakenly assume are only found in the slave markets, Not to mention that your children will probably be killed" she added the last bit, that last part was probably the most true, for even if Ambrosia was not a Drosselemeyer by blood her children where "If you need to leave a letter you may, but you and the children need to come with me" she said.