A Storm Gathers: Lagi's Decision

If this will save my country, then I have no problems with it .” Lagi picked up the quil and swallowed hard, this was definitely a stressful situation as it is. He would have to get her pregnant in two years or else the contract is null and void. He already told his dad and Octavius to act as they will; something was bound to happen no matter what. If left in the hands of fate, will he meet his end like Zou? “With this, things are bound to change….” Lagi would then sign the contract proposal, sealing the deal.

Ruki chuckled and patted Lagi’s shoulder, leaning on it and whispering in his ear.

“Don’t worry, my King. I will make saving your country a very pleasant experience for you, promise.”

She then planted a wet kiss on his cheek, leaving smears of lip paint on his cheek before returning to her room to finish preparing for the day. Yoshiro ignored his sister’s antics, applying an official Kou seal to the document before looking to Lagi.

“We will make this as non-lethal for you and your country as possible, King Lagi. I must send this by messenger to my father, so he will give official orders to cease the attacks. In the meantime, I was wondering if you could allow Wei Tenji a bit of freedom. She has no desire to escape her confinement, but I need someone I can trust to run a message to Marquis Niraj. I would like his assistance in helping me deal with my father. He has the most knowledge of Kou royal procedures and, from what I have heard, has become quite powerful in his own right. He may be able to give me some ideas I have not come up with for helping my father off his bloody throne.”

He tapped his fingers on his desk, rubbing a hand over exhausted features.

“For now, we need you to make a public announcement. Ask the people involved in the rebellion to stop. Beg them to cease the violence, as it will only lead to more deaths. Ask them to give you time to renegotiate with the Emperor, to trust you enough to resolve this with no further bloodshed. Explain that the Emperor has heard their cries of unrest and is not unfeeling to their unhappiness and has agreed to renegotiate the terms of our alliance. Hopefully, this will be enough to get my Father to put an end to Kaito’s slaughter.”

Yoshiro would then rise, moving to whisper in Lagi’s ear so Ruki could not overhear.

“Do not stop fighting until Kaito has fully retreated. Inform whoever is actually leading these rebellions that this public call for an end to the rebellion is an act and to continue until Kaito and Lilly are gone from this country. He is dangerous and she is psychotic. Do not stop your fight and do not lower your guard around Ruki, either.”

With no more explanation, Yoshiro would move to gather the contract and prepare to meet with messengers, acting like he had not spoken to Lagi. He raised his voice again so Ruki could here.

“I am off to send messages. Ruki, assist King Lagi in writing a convincing plea for the people. You were always good at using your words to manipulate people, this should be easy for you. You are to be a Queen, teach your King some of those skills.”

Ruki would snort but nod and wave Yoshiro out the door before turning to Lagi with a freshly painted grin.

“Well, my King, it is just you and I. Let us get this speech written.”

Lagi listened to what Yoshino had to say and agreed with him, it would be foolish to turn down his guard around Ruki. “Alright, Wei can have some spare time. I’ll allow it..” Lagi sent for the guards and gave them the new orders. “….” It kind of sucks though, he had no fair chance of relaxing ever again if that was the case, at least if she was still around with any latent thoughts of slitting their throats. She was rather fair, that was the saving grace to say the least. “…” Little did Yoshino and Ruki knew, Lagi’s father should have given the letter to Sly, who would have given the letter to Octavius. Lagi was currently the loop; he didn’t know what would have happened next. However, Lagi told him everything he knew and to do what he must, as well as his father support. Matters were running into a blind charge.

“I guess we can get started on the speech now. “ Lagi would say this as he sat down at a nearby table and started to write the speech.” Salutations, my fellow countrymen. It is I, King Lagi, with a special announcement to the people of Reim. Set down your arms, we should no longer indulge in this pointless violence and bloodshed. I have been granted some other chance to diplomacy with the emperor of Kou, we could further our attempts of fixing our current state of affairs and convey around the proper change that we need. Please, put your trust in me to end all of the carnage and chaos. This is all in order to lead a much better life. The emperor of Kou has heard our plea’s, our cries of unrest, and is willing to talk terms. Permit me to get the most of this to ensure your safety, our civilization, and our future.”

Lagi was speaking as he was writing, he then put the Quill down and turned to Ruki. “How was that?

Ruki listened to him spouting off words, snorting and shaking her head.

“No wonder your citizens want you off the throne, my King. You speak like a true politician, and not a good one. You took over from an Emperor, insisted they call you ‘King’ and now talk like someone that doesn’t know them at all. Did you not grow up in this country? These are proud, warrior people and you are talking to them like weaklings. You call it ‘pointless’ bloodshed, making them feel like you do not understand their plight. You ask them to trust you, when they already don’t like you. No, this will not do at all.”

She sighed and began scribbling on the parchment with the quill, murmuring to herself. Yoshiro was not wrong, she had a talent for words, for saying what people wanted to hear.

“People of Reim! The Emperor has heard your voices, and he would like to renegotiate the terms of our alliance. All he asks is that we lay down our arms, so that his troops may leave the country unharmed. We will retain an alliance with them, in terms of trade and peace, but no longer will he insist of usurping out very way of life. He will return Reim to its people! So, I beg of you, lay down your weapons and bring an end to this rebellion, so that he may withdraw his troops and bring them back to Kou. He has seen the futility of trying to take an Empire that will not bow to him. He no longer wishes to waste his resources when a simple trade and military alliance is much more profitable for both countries. He has even offered the hand of his eldest daughter as a show of good faith that he will cease his attempts to rule this land. Stand down and let him leave, so that we may rebuild and flourish under this new agreement.”

She held the parchment out to him with a smirk.

“My King, you never deny a person’s pride or their strength. Tell them what they want to hear, that the Emperor fears them. That he is so scared, he wants to run away. That is the only way to end the violence. Your people are people of pride. Play to their pride and you will have them eating out of your hand. Quit trying to convince them that you will be the one to save them, that is not what they want to hear. They want to hear that they were the ones with influence, with voices and swords big enough to be heard and feared.”

Lagi had a shocked look on his face; he didn’t really know what to say to that. She totally one upped him in political speaking. Lagi had no real training in this, he just managed to be articulate at times that he feels pressured or stressed. During the moments when you are weak and vulnerable, it I better to be able to talk your way out things instead of rushing your life and dying in the process. Ruki was pretty good at using her charisma to her advantage.” Wow, I guess I have been doing it wrong this entire time, do I really make myself sound that self-centered?”

Lagi would pick up the speech and start to read over. “Well Ruki, I guess you proved that you are a lot better than this than I am. I wasn’t really trained to handle speeches with crowds or anything; I mostly just said whatever came to mind. I’ll start reading it over and memorize it in no time, It’s a form of weakness if I start reading off of a sheet of paper, these small gestures would be something that the people would pay attention to. However, just know that between us, I understand that you was the one that helped me with it and I won’t personally take all the credit for it. “ Lagi was trying to be sincere, he didn’t think Ruki would of cared or not. However, Lagi did admire her wisdom.

Ruki laughed and shook her head.

“My King, I am here to be your support, and I honestly do not care for getting credit on some silly speech. My job is to make them not hate you, because if they hate you, they will never accept me as a Queen. As for reading off the paper, they might respect you more without it, but if you can’t remember it, it’s better to read it than to mess it up.”

She stood, ruffling his hair with a snicker.

“You truly are hopeless at leading. That is okay, I am trained for it. Just remember, you are not their savior. They do not need you to save them, even if they look to you for direction. You must always make them feel like they are the ones that influenced the change. Always make them feel proud and powerful. If you don’t, they will rip you to shreds and then try to steal my pretty little head.”

She turned towards the cabinet holding her clothing and stripped from her kimono, having no modesty in front of her King as she began pulling out her public attire for the day. As she dressed, there was no shortage of flashes of skin for Lagi and if he paid attention, he would notice that instead of dressing herself in the fashions of Kou, she had chosen a long toga-style dress that was more fitting a Reim citizen. The material still draped elegantly over her form, so she had no objection to the attire, though she did miss her kimonos and silk. But, this was in the name of being better accepted by her King’s people, so she would do what she must. As she pulled her hair up and fixed it into a style that was common in Reim, she turned to Lagi with a sultry look, looking very much like a Fanalis, even with the sharp Eastern facial features.

“Well, My King? What do you think? A bit more to the taste of your people, I am assuming. We are here to make them believe that I am a gift from my father to service their King and to assimilate to their country, an assurance that he will not attempt to invade. To your people, I must appear as a hostage, basically. I am the promise that my father will retreat. As such, I will make every effort to copy Reim styles and customs and, in public, I may appear to be clumsy in my efforts. Do not believe that act, for that is all it is. I am well coached on all major cultures, but if they feel I am struggling to fit in with them, they will accept me more readily. They will see me as a victim of my father’s machinations. Never give your citizens reason to believe I am the one improving your ability to lead or speak. I am a harmless woman, only here as a barter with a country that fears Reim. Understood?”

She wanted to make it very clear to Lagi that he was not to draw attention to a difference in behavior in front of the public. Now that he was legally bound to marry her, she could be more open about her manipulative ways, because he would believe it was something to suit him. But the public must never catch on to her intelligence, not until they had fully embraced Lagi as their ruler.

Lagi continued to watch Ruki as she began to undress herself. Her body was perfect and alluring. She looked very much like a fanalis, which called out to Lagi’s inner desire for them. It was something he was slowly trying to get over, but it was hard. A fetish starts to evolve when you find other reasons to like them besides their skin. “ I guess you are right….” Lagi would say with a small smile. He was rather relieved that Ruki was as smart as she was, there were a few things that tend to rather crash and burn if Lagi was in charge of them.

“I wouldn’t say that I am that much of a naive person. I know who you really are and I know what you are capable of, it would be hard to believe anything else. You are a princess of Kou; you are formidable with your title alone. After spending these few days with you, I don’t think it would do you any justice to only label you with your title f you have so many other things going for you.” There was definitely a bit of respect in Lagi’s words as he looked back at the speech. After a while, lagi swallowed hard and nodded his head.

Alright, I think I got the most of it. As well as your warning, i heard you loud and clear. “ With a small smirk and a shrug, Lagi would proceed to get up. “Alright, we should be getting ready to put on a more convincing show for the masses.

Ruki chuckled, moving to Lagi’s side and kissing him.

“Good boy. You are right to not underestimate me. But do not think you know who I really am. For you, I am the perfect Queen, able to make these people love you and to satisfy you in other ways. To others, I am something entirely different. But, you will come to see several sides of me in the coming years, my Great King. As long as you never mistake me for harmless, then we will get along just fine.”

She would give him another kiss, this one lingering, before shooing him towards Yoshiro’s room.

“Go, get prepared for the day and remember, come to me through Yoshiro’s room, so that if any question it, you are going over policies and whatnot. Get dressed, I will meet you in the Throne Room once you are ready to make your speech.”

---

Yoshiro hurried to Wei Tenji’s room, knocking before entering.

“Miss Tenji, good morning. I am sorry to impose so early, but time and tide wait for no man, and neither does war, which is what we are trying to avoid.”

She gave him a gracious smile and bowed, already working for the day. She had been permitted to continue with her position, though she had been restricted to these chambers.

“It is not an imposition, Prince Yoshiro. How can I be of assistance?”

Yoshiro would return her smile and bow before continuing, his voice soft but urgent.

“I have arranged with King Lagi to give you a bit of free time, today. I need you to seek out Marquis Azix Niraj and tell him he needs to come to the palace. Do not tell him it is to meet with me, simply state you have some policies to discuss that are urgent. If he would bring the woman that assists with the education reform, I believe her name is Ariella Negri, it would be most welcome, as well. Can you do this for me?”

Wei listened with a worried ear but nodded, understanding his goals and why he wished to speak with the two magicians.

“Of course, Prince Yoshiro. Anything to help us avoid full-scale war. I will prepare to head out shortly.”

Yoshiro rushed forward, kissing both of her cheeks before heading for the door.

“Many thanks, Miss Tenji. I know this is an awkward time for you. I am sure King Lagi will authorize some Reim guards for you, to ensure your safet in the streets. Now, I must be off! Good luck, Miss Tenji.”

He would then leave, hurrying off to sort out the rest of his duties. Perhaps he would have time for a nap later.

Lagi kissed her back; he wasn’t that resisting with her touch. The way her lips were sweetly placed upon his, it was a drug. It was more like poison to man who didn’t know any better, a growing addiction to a man who knew quite well. “Alright….” Lagi would say this simply as he got up and went towards Yoshino’s room. After leaving through Yoshino’s room Lagi would head on towards his quarters. He was pretty silent as he sat down in a nearby chair and asked one of the servants to bring Hidan to him. Hidan was one of his retainers and he was always a good person to talk to. When Hidan walked into the room, he had a feeling that there was something on the King’s mind.

“My King?” Lagi would wave his hand towards Hidan and turn to him. “You are allowed to call me by my first name Hidan, you are one of the better friends that I had in years after all. It wasn’t just duty for you when you claimed to support me, you honestly think I can of use to this country.” Hidan was a bit puzzled, but he still responded kindly. “My King, is there doubt in your heart?” Lagi would get up and pours himself a small glass of wine. However, his wine pitcher was filled with water. Hidan coughed and began to explain himself.” I was informed that you would be doing a speech, I would much rather you be sober after the speech is over.” Lagi had a weak smile as he laid down in his bed. “ I guess you’re right, mind bringing me something to eat while I get ready?” Hidan would give a sharp bow and proceed to get the king something to eat while Lagi mulled over his thoughts.

Wei Tenji hurried through the streets towards Opportunity Hall, two guards trailing behind her. She pushed into the building and smiled at the woman at the front desk.

“Yes, I need to speak with Azix, please. Or Ariella, if he is not available.”

The woman smiled at the familiar face of Ms. Tenji, glad to see the woman unharmed.

“Let me check and see if he is available, Ms. Tenji.”

---

Ruki waited in the throne room, fidgeting slightly in her attire to make the servants believe she was uncomfortable with the style. In reality, the toga-dress was quite comfortable and easy to move in. It also did well in hiding the dagger strapped to her inner thigh, she was never without adequate protection. She knew that if an attempt were made on her life, the guards here would do little to stop it and she had ordered her personal guards to remain behind. She intended to present herself as nonthreatening to the people of Reim, a simple girl with a pretty face being used as a pawn by her father, nothing more.

Yoshiro passed by her, looking exhausted, his face pale as he paused long enough to compliment her choice of attire.

“Fitting right in, I see, sister. Good. See if you can’t behave for a bit. Pieces are moving on the board, but we await a few more.”

He stopped to kiss her cheek before moving towards his room to catch a few minutes of sleep. While he would have liked the chance to see Lagi’s speech, he did not think falling asleep standing up would be wise.

---

Kaito snorted at the messenger, waving him away with a look of disgust. Did Yoshiro really think he would stop his attacks just because he claimed the King was in their corner? No, he would not stop until Father himself said to cease. He was having too much fun to stop before then. He gazed out at the town of Selk. It was one of the first larger villages after leaving the village and Commander Lin Ru Han was marching his men into the thick of the population. Lilly was with him and he could hear her giggles of glee from atop his horse.

The young girl of six currently had the children from the school trapped in the schoolhouse and was chanting about playing with them, her blood lance already dripping from her previous attempts to ‘play’ with the teachers. The girl was tireless and it made Kaito grin sadistically when he could hear the school kids crying out for assistance. He turned his horse back to camp. From here, his Commander would move on to Tibur while Kaito took a different route to approach the Remano.

After having something to eat and calming his nerves, Lagi finally started to head on over to the throne room. He had the speech memorized for safe keeping and continued to go over it in his head. Hidan trailed in after in, he was one of the retainers that always seemed eager to tend to Lagi and his needs. After arriving, Lagi saw Ruki and gave her a small smile. “You look comfy.” Lagi was making a small gesture towards how uncomfortable she was making herself seem.

If anything Ruki would make a good actor if there was any kind of comedy or tragedy plays being hosted in Reim. There was another form of entertainment that he hasn’t really got a chance to experience, maybe it’s something that Lagi can try to explore once Reim has seen more peaceful days. An alternate form of entertainment other than the coliseum . “Well, I guess we should get started. The message probably got around and the crowd should be awaiting us.

Ruki followed Lagi out to the crowd, her face looking meek and unassuming. Her eyes were cast down as Lagi moved to begin speaking, but she kept a careful eye on the crowd, listening and watching to their reactions as he spoke. She was ready in case it seemed things would take a turn for the worse, prepared to step in and confirm any details to these people.

The people were rustling about, unsettled by the news pouring in from villages surrounding Remano about vicious attacks. They wanted to know what the King intended to do about the violence and wanted to know why there was a member of Kou royalty at his side. The people were angry and confused, they needed a strong guiding hand to tell them what they wanted to hear.

Lagi would activate his communication orb in in his pocket and squeeze it firmly as he began his speech. He spoke in a strong and booming voice, his communication towards the masses was improved as he spoke the next few words with conviction.

“People of Reim! The Emperor has heard your voices, and he would like to renegotiate the terms of our alliance. All he asks is that we lay down our arms, so that his troops may leave the country unharmed. We will retain an alliance with them, in terms of trade and peace, but no longer will he insist of usurping out very way of life. He will return Reim to its people! So, I beg of you, lay down your weapons and bring an end to this rebellion, so that he may withdraw his troops and bring them back to Kou. He has seen the futility of trying to take an Empire that will not bow to him. He no longer wishes to waste his resources when a simple trade and military alliance is much more profitable for both countries. He has even offered the hand of his eldest daughter as a show of good faith that he will cease his attempts to rule this land. Stand down and let him leave, so that we may rebuild and flourish under this new agreement.”


If there was one thing that lagi showed, it was his ability to remember things as well as he does. His improved memory was mostly geared towards animals and what he felt that was essential to know about them. However, he was now using this skill for politics.

330/350

Abilities used

Spoiler:

The crowd listened to the words of the king, their eyes dancing between him and the woman looking meek at his side. Grumbles and curses were heard throughout the crowd, along with random cheers and cries of relief. The King was telling them that the violence was over, all they had to do was stand down. Those that simply wanted peace were overjoyed at this news, they wanted no part of the death and destruction, they wanted only to live without being controlled by a foreigner.

But more of the crowd had been angry for too long, their hatred had started when Lagi had taken the throne and called himself King as a leader under Kou. His words were no longer enough to appease them. They had seen what kind of promises the king made, they were not interested in hearing more of his lies. They had no assurance that the violence would end and, at this point, they were thirsty for revenge. They wanted Kou to bleed and suffer for thinking they could take this land from them. And the painted harlot the Emperor had sent to wed the false ruler meant less than nothing to them. She was just another pawn embedding Kou in a land they did not belong in. She could dress as a Reim citizen all she wanted, it would not appease them.

Ruki listened carefully as the citizens broke out in argument between each other, the dissenters calling for Lagi’s head, those wanting peace asking for time to allow Lagi to prove himself. Not liking the number of rage-filled cries, Ruki stepped forward, about to speak when something came flying towards her. The rotten tomato smashed into her chest, the juices staining her pristine toga-dress, seeds sticking to the swell of her breast as she looked down at herself. She did not allow anger to show on her face, instead bursting into tears as a show for the people. She raised her weeping voice to be heard over the hoots and calls from the crowd.

“People of Reim, I am only here to ensure peace. I am second in line to the Kou throne, but I have given that up so that you will always have a bargaining piece against my father, the Emperor. Please, just give us a cha-..”

Her words were interrupted by another rotten tomato, this one smashing into her hair and dripping down the side of her face. She let the tears flow free, her rage at the disrespect hidden under a mask of defeat and confusion, playing the part of a clueless noble only trying to help. Grabbing Lagi’s arm, she pulled him from the crowd as they began throwing any items they could find. The peace-desiring people were trying to calm those that wanted only blood, so the crowd was not full of purely angry people. That was more than she could have hoped for, so it was time for her and the King to make an exit. Her grip on his arm was stronger than it appeared but she did not drop her mask of a weeping Princess until the doors of the Palace were closed behind them.

As soon as the doors were shut, her eyes stopped dropping tears and filled with anger. She was not completely without a sense of humor, though, and the announcement had truly went better than she had expected, so she smirked and grabbed the remains of the tomato on her chest and smack Lagi across the face with it.

“Have some food, my Great King, your people wish to feed us! But, it went well, all things considered. It was only rotten tomatoes, not rocks or arrows. I am impressed. More people like you than I initially thought!”

She looked down at herself, making a face of disgust at the feel of the juices running over her. She raised a hand to her hair, grimacing at the tomato lodged there and rolling her eyes.

“Ugh, I simply must clean off. I will meet you in the library in a bit, Your Grace, once I have removed this nonsense from my hair.”

She would then leave Lagi to himself for a bit, retreating to her room to bathe and redress herself in another outfit styled after Reim culture, this one more revealing but also more comfortable. She may as well get used to the style, she would be wearing it for a long while once she was married to the King.

It seemed that the crowd was having mixed results. They didn’t appear too pleased with the current speech that Lagi was emitting, but at least some of them were asking for peace. Maybe they were putting up with Lagi simply because he was a part of the Reim ultra directly. It was only an assumption that Lagi thought to be true when Ruki tried her hand at speaking to the crowd, they immediately started to pelt rotten tomatoes at them. It didn’t work out too well, and Ruki pulled him out of there before he had a chance to react. He had every intention of doing a follow up speech and calling out to his dragon companion.

Maybe it was a good thing that it didn’t turn out that way. As a matter of fact, Lagi was caught off guard when ruki decided to put the rotten tomato in his mouth. “Buffp-“ Lagi gagged when it happened, he couldn’t believe that his citizens actually pelted garbage at him. It’s like when a beast you been watching over bites your hand, and you would be left with the urge to slap the hell out of them. That was the feeling deep down inside, but Lagi didn’t let it show. “ Alright, I guess I’ll meet you down at the library. “ He would then proceed to his own bathing quarters in order to clean up himself. He knew the people disliked him, but was it really this bad?

Ariella looked her lover in the eye, frowning as she struggled with her news. She was still unsettled by hearing Lagi’s voice in her head with no clue of where he was or why she could hear him. She had rushed to his office in Opportunity Hall as soon as she had heard Lagi's message.

“Azix, he… he said something about the Prince and Princess overthrowing their father and… he said Lilly was here. She is in Reim and working with Prince Kaito. The last I knew, she was in the Plains and I was abandoning my country to deal with her terror while coming here. But now she is here. She is here and she is killing again! We have to stop her.”

She was pacing the floor of his office, keeping her voice as quiet as she could in her unrest. The sudden message had been unsettling enough, but to know that the girl responsible for her mother’s death and her own torture was back was too much for her to keep contained.

Azix arched a brow as he looked up from a desk cluttered with scrolls when Ariella entered the room with a disturbed look on her face. She proceeded to assault him with verbal thunder, each drop of information leaving him with questions. 'Who? Prince? Princess? Lilly?' Suddenly, Azix's eyes went wide and his face paled when she mentioned Prince Kaito. The orange magician remembered the sadistic prince quite well. Unbidden a memory of Kaito inviting a young Azix to play a game in the lower sections of the palace. Azix had followed along, cautious, but hoping that Kaito's promise not to hurt him was true. His words rang untrue when Kaito locked him in one of the large bins that the staff dumped the chamber pots in.

Azix shuddered and shook his head, shoving the painful memories out of his head. He stood up and gently grabbed Ariella by the shoulders. "My love, we will stop her. Don't worry." He kissed her forehead and swept a loose strand of her purple locks behind her ear. He gave her a comforting look with a warm smile and waited until she had calmed down a bit. "Now, what is this about Princes and Princesses?"

A knock sounded on the door before swinging open with Kylar poking his head in, "Hey, a Miss Tenji is here to see you."

Azix looked at Ariella before nodding, "We'll be down in a second." He waited until Kylar closed the door before speaking. Azix brushed his lips against her lips and nuzzled his nose against hers while staring into her golden hues. "Are you going to be ok? We should go see what Miss Tenji wants."

If she agreed, Azix would lead her downstairs to greet Wei with a friendly smile and a bow of respect. "Miss Tenji, it is nice to see you again. How have you been?"

Wei looked up as Azix approached, pleased to see Miss Ari with him.

“Ah, my two favorite advisors. It is going well, Mr. Azix.”

She looked cautiously between the two magicians, her tone guarded.

“There are some matters concerning the education program that I would like to go over with you two, if you would not mind. I have to return to the Palace immediately, as the King is afraid the citizens may lash out at me for my heritage. Would you be willing to escort me back to the palace?”

She tried to convey urgency with her eyes, though her tone was nonchalant. It was imperative that she bring at least Azix back to the Palace. If they agreed, she would immediately begin leading them back to the Palace with quick steps, her face shrouded from the public view by a cloak.

---

Ruki joined Lagi in the library, once again perfectly dressed. Yoshiro followed behind her, still looking exhausted after his short nap. Yoshiro looked to Lagi with an arched brow.

“The Princess informs me that the speech went better than expected. That is good to hear. Now, we should begin planning the wedding as soon as possible. Father should receive his message shortly and will expect the wedding to be planned quickly, as a show from both countries that we are serious about an alliance.”

Ruki listened with half an ear, waving her hand idly.

“Oh, must we have a large ceremony? Those people are out for blood and I would prefer to keep my wedding dress free of produce.”

Yoshiro glared at her.

“It is important that the wedding is a large affair, so there will be no doubt that you are, indeed, legally bound to each other. Now, Lagi. There is the matter of you spreading the announcement of your wedding. You need to begin speaking with our people immediately about important Reim figures being present at the ceremony. In one of the offices, a clerk is waiting to speak to you about anyone you can think of that should be present. You will also need to set a date. I highly suggest making it no more than one moon from now. Sooner, if possible. While you do that, I need to discuss Kaito with my sister.”

While it was true that he needed Lagi to provide the information to their clerk, it was more of a way to get Lagi out of the room. He did not want the King to hear their plans, if he was not aware of them, he could not tell anyone.

Lagi proceeded to exit the room and headed on over to the clerk that Yoshino directed to. He had a feeling that there were some things that they didn’t want him around to hear, but those two siblings wasn’t the only ones that were being secretive. With the communication orb, Lagi could easily pull strings in the weirdest of places by only a thought of the person he wants to contact. However, there wasn’t much he could do at this point so late in the game, they was planning on rushing the marriage.” Guess I need to see this clerk. “ Lagi proceeded to the clerk and started to set up invitations of important reim guests and officials.

Ari followed Wei Tenji down the road, grabbing Azix’ hand for comfort as they moved. Though her face did not show it at the moment, she was terrified to learn Lilly had returned to Reim. The girl had slaughtered her mother and spent weeks helping Elric torture her and Ari had never fully dealt with that. The only sign that she was struggling, however, would be the tight grip on Azix’ hand. Wei led them directly into the Palace and to the library, the guards recognizing both Azix and Ariella and letting them through without a weapons check, understanding that both were allowed to have access to their wands. Ari sighed as Wei led them into the library before seeing who was standing there.

Ruki and Yoshiro, heirs to the Kou throne, were discussing something over a desk when they entered. Ari froze, her eyes narrowing at Ruki before looking to Wei with an arched brow.

“I cannot imagine they need to be here for talks about education reform, Ms. Tenji.”

Wei gave a nervous chuckle before muttering to Ari and Azix.

“I apologize for the deception, however it was necessary. Please, just… hear them out…”

Ari literally bit her tongue as she turned a glare to the two nobles. Lilly was here on behalf of Kou and the presence of the two children of the Emperor had her tasting blood. These invaders had brought terror back to this country. The last time she had seen both of them was at a diplomatic gathering, just before Kou had tried to invade Magnostadt. While she had been interested in Yoshiro at first, when his visit came immediately before an invasion, her opinion of the young man had fallen considerably. She had recalled hearing her father and mother discussing the dirty tactic of sending children as an excuse to scout a country and in her young, 15 year old mind, Ariella had been livid that Yoshiro had mislead her into thinking he might like her.

Her grip on Azix’ hand tightened, trying to resist the urge to spit vile words at the siblings. It took all of her control and a memory of Lagi’s message about the Prince and Princess overthrowing their father to keep her from attacking the pair. She turned to Azix with a questioning gaze, unsure of how to proceed.

Azix followed Wei Tenji to the Palace, led by Ariella's tight grip on his hand. As they walked, Azix gazed in her eyes with a worried look on his face. He knew his lover was probably still reeling from the shock of learning Lilly was back, but she didn't show it, he had to give her that. Azix was amazed by Ariella's strength and kissed her cheek lightly. Silently, he sent a silent prayer to fate for making Ari's path cross his own, though he questioned its decision in bringing Lilly back to Reim.

Wei led them down various hallways until they came to a library deep in the heart of the Palace. When she opened the door, Azix stepped in after her before noticing two individuals sitting over a desk. Azix froze in time with Ariella and his grip tightened when he recognized Yoshiro and Ruki. The orange magician's face twisted in disgust and he started to turn away when Wei stopped him. Azix looked back to Ruki, remembering how that pretty face could spit words so cruel, before settling his gaze on Yoshiro.

While most of the royals had been cruel to Azix when he was younger, Yoshiro had been the exception. The Prince had surely avoided and ignored the young Niraj, but he had never gone out of his way to pick on him. The times Azix could remember of Yoshiro's childhood pranks, the expression on his face had been one of duty, not enjoyment. That hadn't stopped Azix from despising Yoshiro, the Prince had still been one of the 'golden' children who could do no wrong. It was a position he had at first envied and then grown to hate, part of the reason Azix wanted to abolish the caste system.

The neutral expression on Azix's face faded into a grin and he shook his head. No longer was he a lone child, hiding from the cruelty of the world behind a collection of masks. He had grown up since then and had become more than the scars of his past. Azix stepped forward and deeply bowed before his cousins, showing them the necessary respect of their station. "Good afternoon, Prince Yoshiro and Princess Ruki. It has been a long time."

Azix straightened back up and folded his hands behind his back, "You wanted to speak to me?"

Yoshiro and Ruki looked over as the door was opened and Wei Tenji led not only Azix but Ariella into the room. Yoshiro gave Wei a thankful smile, bowing to the woman.

“Miss Tenji, I appreciate your assistance. You may return to your quarters.”

The dismissal came without thought, his attention turning back to the two magicians and he returned the bow respectfully.

“Cousin Azix… Ariella… I thank you for coming.”

Yoshiro blushed slightly when he looked to Ariella, recalling steamy kisses in a closet before he shook the thoughts from his head. A quick glance showed Ariella and Azix holding hands and he arched a brow, about to speak before Ruki stepped forward. She had not bothered to bow, her face twisted into a sneer at seeing the two magicians. She seemed almost offended that Azix did not appear frightened to see her.

“Ah, cousin. I would say nice to see you, but there is no need to lie in front of family, correct? You seem to have made yourself quite at home, here in Reim. I guess it is true, like father, like son, hm?”

Yoshiro glared at his sister, she was not making this any easier. It had been difficult enough to seek out Azix in hopes that he would help. If she botched this, he would be back at square one. Luckily, her attention seemed to have turned to Ariella.

“And the pretty little Ariella Negri. The last time I saw you, you were attached to Yoshi’s lips. I see you have lowered your standards considerably, I did not realize traitorous scum was your thing…”

Ruki’s next words caught in her throat when Yoshiro prodded her side and she tossed a glare to him. Trust him to ruin her fun, Azix had always been a favorite target of hers as a child, giving her much practice in the art of shredding a man with words alone. Ariella was just another diplomat’s brat that had trailed after Yoshiro like a puppy, but an easy target. Yoshiro cleared his throat, drawing the attention away from his sister.

"My apologies, my sister may have gotten older, but it appears she has not grown up any."

Ariella ground her teeth as she looked between Yoshiro and Ruki, the venom the woman was spouting angering her even more. When Ruki began talking down to Azix, Ari bit her tongue, trusting her lover to handle himself and she squeezed his hand lightly and then Ruki began spitting her venom at the lightning magician. Ari ignored the comment about Yoshiro until Ruki mentioned Azix again and called him ‘scum.’ She could not stop the catty response that she bit out.

“Ruki, I am surprised you noticed anything around you, you are usually too busy pressing your breasts in the face of anyone that will look. I see that has not changed any.”

Taking a deep breath, she turned an angry stare to Yoshiro.

“Yoshiro, I am assuming you arranged this little meeting. Were you planning on warning the country your father is invading this time? Oh, never mind, too late for that, considering you brought Kaito and Lilly along with you.”

Yoshiro gave her a bewildered look, confusion clear on his face.

“How did you know that? And how do you know who Lilly is?”

Ariella tore her hand away from Azix to stomp over to Yoshiro, jabbing a finger into his chest.

“How did I know? King Lagi was nice enough to warn me. So Kaito is here, wrecking homes and lives. You want to know how do I know Lilly? She killed my mother! You… you invade my first home, killing my friends and their parents and now that I am in Reim, you invade and you bring that MONSTER back here. You brought her AND you brought Kaito!”

Ari slapped Yoshiro squarely across the face, the Prince too much in shock over her shouting to respond. Lilly had killed Ariella’s mother? Yoshiro knew that the child had been responsible for a previous killing spree in Reim, but the details had seemed unimportant, so he had not bothered to look more into it. His face stung where the magician had struck him.

Ari heaved in angry breaths, her entire frame vibrating with anger and fear. Lilly was here and Yoshiro knew about it. It was the invasion attempt of Magnostadt all over again, complete with the psychotic Prince Kaito and the new addition of Lilly. Whether directly or indirectly, these two people had been responsible for much pain in her life, still remembering her father returning from his battles looking worn and hopeless, remembering as Kitana’s uncle spoke in hushed, terrified tones about the plans for his niece, remembering worrying every time father was gone for longer than expected. The memories were now boiled with memories of Lilly and her torture, flashes of Kios abandoned mixing in. She wanted nothing more than for Ruki and Yoshiro to suffer for what their father had done, for what they were currently engaged in.

She was too upset to consider that Lagi had said they were rebelling, all she could see was the horrors she had suffered at the hands of Kou and Lilly in the past.

The grin on Azix's face wavered as Ruki started speaking, but he held his composure. He accepted the remark about his father without batting an eye, but he was caught off guard when she mentioned Ari kissing Yoshiro. Azix looked between the two for a moment, but he was not able to judge how he felt about the matter before Ariella spoke up. The comment about Ruki's habit of flaunting her body earned a smirk from the orange magician, but the tension in the room soon became more palpable.

When Ariella stomped over to Yoshiro, Azix let his wand slip down his sleeve and into his hand. He let the yellow magician speak her mind, but when she raised her hand to slap Yoshiro, Azix called to the Rukh to cast Kage Youshiki. Two shadowy shapes formed a few feet in front of Azix before they streaked towards Ariella's arm to stop her. It was more accurate to say that one was aimed for Ariella, the other accidentally went off course to smack Ruki in the face.

"Stop, Ariella!" Azix's voice rang out with an authority not normally present in his tone. He flicked his wand to tug Ariella's arm back and walked up to stand at her side, resting an arm on her shoulder. "Ruki might deserve a slap, but so far Yoshiro hasn't done anything to deserve it." Azix gave Ariella a scolding look before his expression softened, letting her know he understood there was history, but now wasn't the time to deal with it.

When he saw that Ariella would back down, Azix turned to Yoshiro, "Now, you wanted to talk to us? I hope you can explain why Lilly is with you. I expect Kaito, he is perfect for instilling fear and cleansing the herd of dissenters, but not her." As he spoke, Azix led Ariella to a chair and held it out for her to sit, while gesturing for the others to sit as well.

He finally took a seat at the head of the table and kept a careful eye on Yoshiro. He searched the man's face to gauge his reaction to Azix taking control of the meeting with ease. The last time the two had seen each other, the orange magician had lacked self-confidence and had been skittish. Since then Azix had grown stronger, wiser and had become a King Candidate, earning a shot at guiding the world in a new direction. Azix had broken out of the shell of oppression that had been placed upon him, gaining the desire and the will to see his dreams succeed. If the information Lagi had given Ari was true, and the two heirs planned to betray their father, then they might be of use to Azix.

Azix flicked his gaze towards Ruki, curious to see how she would react as well. He imagined she would try to put him in his place, but he was prepared to deal with her antics.

[270/300]

Used::

Ruki was laughing at Ariella’s tirade until one of Azix’ shadow arms came to strike her, immediately scowling at her cousin and clenching her fists. Yoshiro raised an arm to bar her from moving, still in shock at Ariella’s outburst but thankful that Azix had interrupted it. Both siblings were slightly shocked at the confident demeanor of their cousin, remembering him only as the quiet boy they had tortured for fun.

Yoshiro was glad to see that Azix had come into his own and had grown from the sullen, shaken boy into a confident man with more than a small amount of magical talent. Arching a brow as Azix seemed to take control of the situation, Yoshiro allowed him to take the seat at the head of the table. His cousin had gotten gutsy, as well. He gave Ariella a look of contrition, he had not realized her personal connection to Lilly, not that he had any say in her presence here.

“Lilly was not someone we chose to bring along, it was Father’s idea. He felt it would make the Reim people cave in more easily, I suppose. Regardless, it was not our choice. She is traveling with Kaito, the last I heard. They make quite the happy pair, slaughtering their way around the country. I have informed my father of Ruki and Lagi’s pending marriage, but Kaito will not cease his attacks until Father orders it. I am sure you remember what Kaito is like, cousin.”

Ruki had been silent, shaking with anger still from the slap, but finally spoke up, her voice edged with malice.

“Some stupid little girl does not change anything. Lagi agreed to marry me under the pretense that Yoshiro’s plan is successful. He is hoping it will appease father long enough for Yoshiro to carry out his plans.”

Yoshiro silenced his sister with a look before glancing between Ariella and Azix.

“That is what I need your help for. You both have adequate reason to support my plan and the power to help me achieve them. I need you to help me unseat my Father from his throne.”

He would pause then, allowing them to ask questions.