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Elentiya was brought to the Maude via carriage. She would wait until the door was opened and her driver took her hand in order to help her out. She would take a step down and then another, her small feet hitting the stone walkway at the same time her driver shut the door behind her. The Queen of Zalto was dressed in her signature green, a small fan in her hand that she constantly moved in order to keep a breeze on her face. The Queen would walk into the temple and she would see Evelyn, she obviously stood out against the ivory. Elentiya bowed her head slightly to the woman before she sat down on one of the chairs.

Elentiya flinched slightly at the harsh sounding footsteps on the ivory despite that likely not being the persons intention. She looked up when someone spoke, thinking that they were addressing her. The blonde haired queen beheld what she could only describe as an obsidian eyed beauty. Elentiya stared at her for a moment, noting that she was aged but not old, a wisdom hiden behind her eyes that perhaps came with having lived longer then she herself did "My Lady" she addressed the woman kindly, letting a gentle smile come to her lightly colored lips. She had the look of at Ethen noblewoman, the clothing gave it away "how was your flight?" she asked



Hysteria landed not to far away from the temple, she had at long last calmed down from her rampage of complete horror and carnage. Her pale skin practically glowing now that it had been freed from the blood that had managed to find a way into the cracks of her armor. Her mount transformed from his phoenix form and stood next to her, he to had equally pristine pale skin and buttery blonde hair. Her guard stood next to her for a moment before she ascended the steps (if the temple had any) and walked inside.

The former Queen found that the Queen of Zalto and Ethen Regent had already come before her. She looked at the Queen for a moment, trying to place the face but coming up short when she remembered her not. None the less despite being unable to remember were the Zalton Queen's visage rang bells...the other did in fact ring several, it was hard to forget a woman who had managed to earn the scorn of Bellris' patron goddess. A cold smile came across her lips as she looked at the woman. She would bow her head in greeting before bowing her head again to the Zalton queen before she turned and went to a chair. She would then look at Evelyn "Princess. Congratulations on your victory. Lets hope you can stay out from under the yolk of your Empress predecessors"

Evelyn would watch as the three women, all leaders, came into the room. The power in this room would likely shake others that were not use to it, the common folk would probably quiver, it made her slightly nervous and she had been raised to be in the thralls of politics. She wouldn't bother to put a smile on her face as she hid her nervousness "thank you all for coming" she said, noticing that the King of Phobos had not shown yet, she would probably have to speak with him on another day. It was probably for the best anyway.

Evelyn would walk over to her chair and she would stand in front of it and gesture to Youkimi's chair "please" she asked her, Evelyn herself would not sit until the Regent did. She was versed in basic etiquette and though were the power of a Councilwoman landed between a Queen and a Regent but she was still the leader of a country as Youkimi was and until Evelyn was crowned Empress, she was the lowest ranking in the room despite the power she would soon have.

Once Youkimi sat, if she did, Evelyn would follow and take a seat as well, brushing her dress down against her legs to it wouldnt bunch up when she sat. It was clear that she wasn't comfortable wearing such a thing "I'm glad you're all here. With the weather clearing up after the storm we had last year it seems were due for some fine weather" Evelyn took a deep breath in though her nose, she wasnt good at small talk "I asked you all here today for something I consider to be an important thing. I would like to request the Kingdoms to remain within the realm of the Lionis Empire and to extend that request for Bellris to once more return to the empire." a well deserved pause before she then added "I will not ask for you to pledge blind loyalty to me, but if I have proven to any of you that I am deserving of your support I would not deny it" finally she stopped, she would have to address grievances as well. Azazel had ruined the trust that her family had built up over two hundred years.

Evelyn entered the room, with all the mein of a soldier returning from the battlefield. Dutiful, strangely tired, and somehow distant. Perhaps she simply wasn't sure how to arrange the meeting. Youkimi moved the hem of her gown slightly as she moved into the seat. One of her guards had stepped forward to assist this motion, making the chair move with ease and grace befitting nobility. She noted the momentary question present in the young queen of Zalto, but the question itself was unvoiced.

She made her statement and following her was Bellris' High Chairwoman, who spoke to the effect of lacking the power to say certainly one way or another, except to voice her doubt concerning the nation and whether they would be willing to support the empire. What was more, she was bold enough to begin making demands on behalf of the nation that she couldn't promise support from.

Bold indeed.... Though it was interesting to note that the High Chairwoman was also calling the Empire to trial not just for the injustices he inflicted on the severely wounded Bellris, but also for Ethe. What reason would Youkimi have to object to demands that were not leveled at herself or Ethe? That was the task of the heir to the throne, who was stepping into the most toxic shadow that existed in recent history.

"Ethe is grateful that the Emperor can do no more harm to her or to her fellow nations." Youkimi diplomatically began, moving her eyes away from Bellris' spokesperson and once again to the one who called this meeting.

"Ethe wishes to know what purpose the Empire would have of her, when support came with a caveat the last time tragedy struck. What are the conditions of loyalty?"

Evelyn was about to speak when the last person she had invited appeared, her shoulders became softer in his presence and she let a genuine smile grace her lips "Late or not I thank you for making it on such short notice. I do not hold it against you since I sent the letters so late." she said to him.

Once she had greeted the King Evelyn would look over at the Queen of Zalto and nod, so she was correct that she could count on Zalto's support "Thank you" she then looked over at Hysteria but she did not let her displeasure be seen as the Empress-to-be kept that smile she had gained at the appearance of the Phobian King and used what remained to nod to Hysteria. She didn't need a degree to know that what she had just said about having no power to be a lie. The Former Queen of Bellris still held the power of a Queen from what she had seen in her time in the Republic "I can not return those people to you all at once. The ramifications of doing anything without advice or information could be deadly for myself and all your people as well. I will make it one of my top most priorities since disbanding the slave trade was already on my list of things to do" she put a hand on the arm of the chair.

"Though it may seem strange but it is due to Prince Alistair Drosselmeyer that neither Ethe nor Bellris, nor any other will be harmed further by the late Emperor Azazel. I am disappointed that he is dead, I had planned to have him on trial, as for his judgement I think it would be best for the gods to judge him now that he is dead. If you have any questions about him you should see the oracles, they might have more insight" Evelyn would look over at Youkimi again, the question she posed shouldn't have been that hard. She would have to phrase her words carefully.

"Regent, I believe that lives should not be put in harms way simply because one has not decided to conform to the limitations that another has demanded or imposed on another." she started out, her eyes narrowing slightly as she tried to think, the corners of her eyes wrinkling slightly "My father was assassinated as you all know and my step-mother had the same done to my brother and sister. When my family fell no one came to my aid except for the late Queen Ophelia's husband, William. He gave me a set of royal jewels, bracelets called Agni's Eyes, that I in turn entrusted to Count Titanus to return to you Regent. The late king set me up in a small hut were I had my son and when the volcano erupted three years ago I was amongst those that were displaced by its wrath." another paused as she kept thinking, she stopped squinting now and her eyes went back to normal "Ethe gained no support when the volcano erupted, I am far more aware of the suffering that the people had to deal with then perhaps anyone in this room, but I do not pretend to assume so. Support always comes with limitations and conditions, what one can safely give without bankruptcy or suffering, how far one can travel, weather or not one has agreements with another that hates the one suffering, available resources." Evelyn leaned shuffled her feet slightly, she wanted to stand for a moment but she refrained from doing so "If Ethe were part of the Empire all these limitations go away, any restrictions boil down to resources that are available. I will not impose a caveat to support flowing either way. A united Empire will cause less suffering in Lionis and in Ethe." a stop "Ethe's purpose would be moving toward peace, a common goal I would hope all Kingdoms would agree with.

Youkimi had stipulations with all that had been spoken so far.... at least from the councilwoman. Bringing a corpse in for trial would only stink up the courtroom and the dead could not redeem themselves. If it must be done, try him en absentia and let it be on the record that he was guilty of all he had done. Then the empire and its people could move on, satisfied that the dead were guilty, and that the emperor would not be troubling them further. Holding inane and unnecessary ritual of digging up the dead would only squander the resources that could be better used elsewhere.

The king, when he arrived, brought with him the aura of war. Befitting his nation, she mused warily as she watched his gait. The queen of Zalto seemed unprepared for his arrival, for she seemed to shrink in her seat despite how the king had made no aggressive moves or lifted his voice unnecessarily. He removed his sword from his person and seemed to casually lean against a wall instead of sit. He had every right to find a chair, yet he chose not to. Perhaps he had been too busy to reply to her letter, Youkimi ventured to guess before she turned again to the group.

"Ethe wishes a stronger guarantee. We were part of the empire when the volcano erupted, and yet for a time, we did not have standing to be recognized as a nation." She did not favorably recall these memories. Blood and tears were spilt, and as much as she would have loved to gut the emperor with her own blade for his transgressions, the opportunity to avenge her queen was never placed in her hands. "Ethe has greater concern about the future than the trial of a man whose soul is absent. How will the lady Lionis on the throne be any different than the Drossylmeyer line?"

After all, anyone can call for peace and promise support to the best of financial ability, but anyone in strong enough power might too easily become a tyrant, and that threat was one Youkimi felt strongly about for her nation. Her personal support had been for Evelyn, yes, but she was here representing her nation and not herself.

"The Emperors body will not be put on trial, even if he was the worst man to have ever walked this land it would be a disrespect to him, his loved ones, and to everyone that has to sit in the room and take such a mockery. He will be buried in the Necropolis with the rest of the Drosselmeyer line that have passed away." Evelyn said in a rather snippy tone that essentially said that the conversation was done "Besides. You can not wring justice from a corpse like water from a rag." she said this before the King of Phobos spoke, so when she heard his words she nodded slightly but then just said "He is dead. No justice can come from a corpse."

Evelyn would keep her silence then before addressing Youkimi again "A Lady Lionis being on the throne will be different simply because it is willed to be so. What would you want me to do to give you a stronger guarantee? Make empty promises about Ethe being at the forefront of my mind and that it will be Ethe's well being I will think about first? Neither of which will ever be true. I must think of Ethe and Zalto and Phobos and Lionis all at the same time. I must stop bridges from burning before the fire is set, reroute food sources before a famine takes hold, and undo every nightmare that my predecessor has sent into the world." the hesitance that she once portrayed when first addressing them all was gone "I can only tell you what I have planned for the future and hope that either you know me well enough or have the foresight to see that what I have planned will in fact be good for everyone in the long run" she said, though it may have sounded like an insult even to her ears that's not what she had meant it to be "My first few actions that, and you can hold me to this, was firstly to have the Emperors late widow installed as archduchess, mainly to show that I bare no ill will toward her or the children that she gave him." her fingers steepled as she leaned back in the chair, wishing now that she had kept her regular outfit of pants instead of this gods forsaken dress "Secondly, knowing that not all firstborns are sound of mind. The latest example being Emperor Azazel, but also those in my own line- such as Emperor Cesere whom thought that going to contact a group of Nesters was such a good idea. The second thing I had intended to do was dissolve the law of primogeniture for my blood line so that an heir can be chosen on ability and capability instead of inheritance" Evelyn looked at Youkimi with a calm smile, she clearly knew what she was doing- those green eyes of hers that had seen many battles now belonged to a woman that knew now not just how to fight with a sword but how to hone the blade of politics as well "Unless you want me to go fishing into a vast lake of lies do you have something specific you want me to guarantee?

The young princess, soon to be Empress, shifted in her seat slightly and straightened her posture "Either way come tomorrow I will either be Empress of an Empire that is either about to burn itself to the ground or the Empress of an Empire that is starting to knit itself together. Though in all of this the King of Phobos is right. Everyone here has a stake in this. Lady Bellris has already made her demands well known. What of the rest of you?"

The discussion gained heat and friction, and to Youkimi's rising concern, it seemed that the basic question she had been asked had been rebuffed or misunderstood. She took a slow breath as the representative of Bellris' council continued to speak on behalf of her nation, despite earlier claims... but she affirmed that trade agreements would stand, which was something Ethe could agree with and had no trouble.

Her blue eyes did notice that Zalto's queen was seeming to disappear into her seat, and the emotion that Youkimi could read suggested pain. She was surprised by this. However, when she began to remember the history, she recalled that a daughter of the Drosselmeyer family was wed to Zalto's king. In his absence, she came... but she seemed so ill prepared for this setting, given how she shirked as tones rose and negative feelings were expressed. However... it was less anxiety in her expression than sorrow.

Was it possible that the emperor who so greatly harmed others actually did right by some of his children?

This did not fit the character that Youkimi knew from volumes of second-hand story and personal account. She couldn't express knowing enough about the light-scaled dragons, but this seemed to be a point worthy of attention, if but for the other effects that might arise with future relations.

Youkimi amended her words and strategy somewhat concerning the emperor, if but for the queen's sake. No lady needed to cry here, if it could be reasonably avoided.

As for the other matter....

"Then let me be clear." Youkimi's icy blue eyes leveled on Evelyn once again. Her expression remained as even as ever because she was a professional and had been advocating for her people for many, many years. "How do we know we can trust you?"

There were many words, and many thoughts, and while Evelyn might have been so heartily assured that she thought about the nations all of the time, thoughts were not proof that she could show to the Ethian people or use to gain their support. Besides this... didn't an enemy think often of the one he meant to invade? A blade refined for politics might only have one side honed well and neglect the sinister edge.

Though, she would admit, having heirs chosen on ability sounded like a step in the proper direction.... she found herself worrying that even this turn of willful decision would be used poorly by those who favored some children despite talent, ability, wisdom, or even temperament.

"A nation, a people, can only be loyal to those they trust."