Open Chronicles The Mountain Queen and the Dragon Valley

[Esmeralda]

She approached the throne, still being escorted by the noble, and gave a formal curtsey

Esmeralda felt a pang in her heart at the sight of her old friend, "Helia," she said her name softly, as if it could not really be her. She had changed, the air around her was different, chilling even. Years had passed since they had last seen each other, Esmeralda was not yet ready to deal with such emotions as yet. Now was not the time to show weakness of any sort. "Thank you for traveling so far, it is much appreciated. I will have a servant set up a chamber for you, your ladies maids may accompany her." Esmeralda signaled for one of her personal maids to step forward, Esmeralda whispered, "set up a room for the heiress, the one on the second floor under over looking the rose guards will do fine."

"Enjoy the festivities Princess Helia." Esmeralda looked up, away from Helia. A sign she was done with the conversation and wished to continue it no further.

"My lady."

"Good evening sir, how can I assist you this evening?" Esmerelda smiled, a rather conceled smile. Why had he approached her? Deplomicy? A possible suitor? She would find out shortly.

 

[Ashieron]

The dragon keepers nods some, “My name is Ashieron, my lady. My companions and I are a part of an organization in which we assist dragons and raise them up with others of their kin.” The elf tilts his head out of curiosity.

“It has come to my attention you have an egg. But no one to assist you in your endeavors with the dragon sleeping within the egg.” He tells her. Such a weird custom to assign a ruler with a dragon and no one else. Seemed like a form of power assertion. But to use a dragon to do that was sad, it was as if it was a pawn in their games.

“Perhaps we might be able to come to an arrangement or more preferably an alliance, my lady, if you wish to do so. Since there are still those that wish to harm their own kin and those who wish to hunt dragons and their eggs.” He informs her with a stern yet gentle voice. Someone who didnt make these offers lightly to say the least.

Esmeralda Sophia Le Roux

 

[Helia Glacies Kyxo]

"Thank you for traveling so far, it is much appreciated. I will have a servant set up a chamber for you, your ladies maids may accompany her."
"Enjoy the festivities Princess Helia."

Helia didn't know what to expect, but she really couldn't blame Esmerelda for keeping their reunion short. She knew that before such treatment would have felt like a dagger in her back, but of course now she felt nothing.
She curtsied again and allowed her handmaidens to go with the servant. Naturally she would be staying for a while, matters of great importance were never resolved in a day, and they had an alliance to build.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Princess Esmeralda."
She rose without another word and followed her escort.
She certainly didn't expect a tearful reunion, they were both very different people now with huge responsibilities on their shoulders.

She nodded respectfully as they passed the elf who was being recognized by the princess after them. She'd seen many elves and some even held high positions in her court, but his type of beauty was a rare sight, though her lack of emotion didn't allow her to linger for long on that thought.

Her escort was a noble who actually began as a wealthy merchant. He contributed much to Mardania and to Mardus so that recognition for the title of noble came easily and he was among those of the royalist faction in her kingdom, but he was also familiar with the courts here, so she meandered about and allowed him to introduce her to his various friends and business acquaintances.

 

[Dane Greymane]

"Dane, please stand and join me at my side."
"I am aware of your fast, please do not feel you need to any longer, fill your belly, your men as well."

He complied with her request and stood up, moving to stand at her left hand side. From there he could watch everyone and move to protect her if need be.
He took her words as an order when she said he could eat and a servant brought him a plate.
"Thank you, my princess."
He began eating, and was soon requesting another plate from the servant, only to finish that one just as rapidly and ask for another refill.

But even as he ate plate after plate of food with tail wagging happily in swishing motions, his eyes were ever watchful, especially as the other princess made her greetings... He didn't know cold could have a smell, but if it did he would describe it as Helia Glacies Kyxo. Evidently his new mistress and this princess from another kingdom knew each other at one point, but he could feel How tense Esmeralda became when she first saw the white princess.
After the princess an elf approached to speak with his charge.
Dane didn't seem very intimidating at the moment with food in his mouth and his tail whipping back and forth, but he still had a duty to perform.
"Please maintain a respectful distance of fifteen feet."
He was stuffing his face to his hearts content as ordered, but his eyes were steady and his muscles were taught like a bowstring.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

Nosdyn had much to learn about mortal politics and social habits...it all interested him.

He carefully studied the ritual that was performed by Dane. He knew what runes were but they were beyond his knowledge. "Interesting..." He carefully studied the way the symbols glowed for a moment. And then relaxed after. He was impressed by the capacity for magic that the wolf seemed to possess.

There were many gathered.

The Vampire Lord also had his own gift to present to Esmeralda but that could wait.

He kept eyeing the night sky. He knew soon, before sun rise, he would have to retire to his personal quarters and return the next night.

It was his understanding the festivities would last a really long time.

So he would see it through to the end. The Vampire Lord could not help but notice the energies swelling off Dane's body at the point, he could see heat signatures...auras. Being blind had other strengths. As he drank from his chalice. he knew the hour was looming ahead where he would have to retire to his personal chambers. He could not be out with the sun...

 

[Sung Na]

Sung Na had observed the wolf being made her personal guardian and bound by magic. Definitely an honorable thing to put oneself into, and he was fasting, a very tough thing to do, it taught discipline and self restraint, very honorable indeed. He would not mind a friendly sparring match with the wolf, not only to see his martial prowess, but because he saw honor in fighting the wolf, friendly or otherwise.

But that was for another time. He indicated his men to pick up the two chests, which had been checked and proven harmless, and he had them move to an out of sight but nearby place to wait for when the princess was receiving gifts and offers.

Once this began, he would signal for his men to follow, and as was customary greeting back home, snapped his feet together and put his right fist to his left palm and bowed at the waist. “My lady. I am Sung Na, warlord of Xian Kin in the East. I come bearing gifts and the offer of trade with the province of Xian Kin.”

The soldiers would set the chests down and inside would be a number of things, jade carvings both green and white, and many colors of silk in the form of long sheets folded to fit into small spaces, a broad wooden handfan decorated with elaborate dragons of eastern style in gold paint. And a couple of silk dresses in the eastern style.

 

[Focraig'Diin]

A simply dreadful job, and the ice mage already found himself wishing he had never taken this, simply letting the ambient ice cool the refreshments. He wasn't even using his magic - the residual cold radiating off his body alone did a comfortable job of keeping all these beverages cool. He kept up his hood, letting only the irises glow from the darkness beneath it. Of course, it gave him a more ridiculous look than before.

A hooded, blue eyed mage emanating an aura of white mist and cold, standing over a veritable feast of beverages, alcohol, and the like? If anyone he recognized saw this spectacle, they would probably never let him live it down.

Unlike his times in Amol-Kalit, he could not simply scare everyone into submission - this was a grand event, with many important figures and nobles and whatnot gathered in celebration, to make political connections and all that rot. That kind of attention came with security. High-level, most likely, to defend against any manner of attack, magical or not. He was skilled with his own craft, sure, but against the army of an entire kingdom?

...Well, he did have a chance, but it would most definitely invoke the Herald of Magic on his rear, and that was something he would keep out of his way as much as he could.

All he did now was wander to and fro, making sure the beverages were all cooled evenly, and not frozen to their spots due to excessive -

Wait.

The familiar, yet alien sensation nearly stopped him dead in his tracks as this aura registered in his senses. Another who practiced the arts of ice, like himself?!

But wait a moment, he dared not delve too deep, else his actions be mistaken for a violation of privacy. What fleeting bits of magical power he could sense, while all it gave was a vague image of whatever he was looking for, much like a rumor of a whisper of a conjecture, it was enough to alert him this user of ice magic was not one he should provoke.

Well, granted he could probably face this mage head-on and walk away, but no sense in prodding a sleeping tiger, now was there?

Could be royalty, for all he knew. Still he kept watch, now having an actual reason to stay and observe the festivities, if only to curb his sudden rising interest in sensing another source of cold.

Hopefully he was wrong about the royalty part. That was a self-jest, not a challenge to whatever deity was up there, waiting to prove him wrong.

 

[Esmeralda]

hunt dragons and their eggs.”

Esmeralda was skeptical...this man seemed to judge her when it came to her egg, he had no idea of their customs and reasoning behind the egg. Esmeralda was though in need of a dragon trainer, the more alliances the better. Her eyes first narrowed, then she smiled at the elf, "yes Sir. I am in search of a dragon tamer."
Esmeralda looked to the crowd then back to Asherion, "In the morning I will open my court to discuss further alliances and other politics." The smile now vanished from her face, "please, enjoy the rest of your evening."

muscles were taught like a bowstring.

Esmeralda turned to Dane, "Would you mind keeping an eye on Asherion?" Her voice was a whisper. One only he would be able to hear. "Send a guard up to my chambers to guard the door," She looked straight ahead though, trying to kill all suspicion, "not a soul is to enter, I sense tension and I do not want my egg interfered with."

province of Xian Kin.”

Her first gift of the evening, she was flattered. "Thank you Sung Na, I am certain the treasures within this chest are of great beauty," She signaled servants to take the chest. "As regards to your trade offer, my court will be open tomorrow, please come see me then."
Esmeralda looked up again, breaking eye contact and her focus no longer on Sung Na, a signal of dismissal.

Now to enjoy the party.

"Dane, I am going to go dance, please try enjoy your self," She winked, lifted up her skirts slightly and made her way down the stairs, instantly a Nobel asked her to dance and she accepted.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

Vampire Lord Nosdyn also had a gift for Esmeralda a gift he'd crafted himself with assistance from his vassals.

He watched the queen calmly and approached her at that point. "My lady. For when you are done this dance I also have a gift for you as is customary." He said calmly his voice was pleasant, and he'd learned a considerable amount of their customs in the time he spent in their kingdom.

He watched her reactions carefully and waited for a response.

In the mean time he noticed that she was really quite beautiful. Any painter or sculptor would do well to capture that beauty. He'd been off to the side mingling with other nobles and building his connections to the kingdom, allies.

Nosdyn had some resources available to him but he was not in his full element outside of his castle.

He waited until Esmeralda finished her dance with the fellow until she would approach him with the gift in question. He was trying really hard to learn their customs, many social habits were not known to him.

He'd been a miner when he first started and miners were known for being rough necks.

He moved to the side to allow the queen to finish her dance and waited...to properly present her his gift.

 

[Ashieron]

Ash does aa the queen says and the other two keepers follow him. They didn’t exactly look pleased at being called tamers as they all looked at each other as they left. He motions to the other keepers, “We’re leaving! We will be back tomorrow.” He tells the others and they all gather around and talked in draconic as they walked out the door. It was probably a simple cultural issue but there was no way to tame a dragon. They did what they would want in the end and that included burning down their own city.

They would exit the ball, preferring not to get involved with the general rabbling of a ball. Dancing, drinking and feasting outside of their own havens on the Isles of Sheketh. Besides they would probably have a better time walking amongst themselves and the dragons then with the posh nobility and guests of this ball that were not acting as themselves infront of the Princess. For they knew none yet and they would wait till the morning to find out what was in the council.

 

[Esmeralda]

dance I also have a gift for you as is customary."

The dance came to an end, as the music began again Esmeralda made her way to the man whom had spoken to her earlier. The way she walked, so gracefully, elegantly, made her look as if she were floating on air.
In the back of her mind she thought about her old friend Helia. Then her mind wondered...something felt off, something was not right. She shook the idea off, deciding to enjoy the rest of the evening.

She stood close to the Lord whom wished to speak to her earlier, but she would not approach him first, a sign they were equal, she doubted as such.

 

[Deleted member 2578]

The small relic was im his possession, kept in an ornate jewel box.

He bowed towards her and handed her the ornate jewel box. "Within is the amulet me and my people have fashioned for you." He says to her gently.

He had a kind demeanor though he was a Vampire lord.

He waited for her to take the gift gently from his hands and he smiled softly, it a toothy smile.

Though he was a Vampire he was respectful of their ways and customs.

He knew he had a lot to learn.

He waited for her reaction.

 

[Esmeralda]

Spoiler: OOC NOTE

idk if this thread is dead, if it is just post an angry face reaction on this post

The following morning Esmeralda arose, the festivities from the previous evening had continued well into the night.
Once she had her breakfast she was dressed by on of her hand maiden and made her way to her private library where she would wait for the emissaries from the previous evening to join her.

 

[Sung Na]

Sung Na, having stayed in the barracks with his men and her city guard, arose early as usual, donned his armor, and went to the library. It was there that he was to meet her.