Boy was he pale.
That was the first thought that crossed her mind as she was greeted by the Ambassador from Serendipity, this Lord Rune Di'Veera. Some cousin of the Queen, or some such none sense that bored her. She was tired as it was, and his arrival ruined her afternoon nap. Did not he understand the tradition of 'Afternoon' time? But still, she was told it was prudent to meet with him. So with a roll of her eyes, she allowed for him to come in, and sat upon her throne, eyeing the pale foreigner with a skeptical gaze. Though she tried to show indifference, it was difficult for her when she was anxious to begin her nap. If this affair ruined her chances to get her beauty rest, there would be consequences!
Her pet cheetah, Kehfta, lifted up it's gaze from where it lay, curled up upon a plush bed, and it's golden collar gleamed in the torch light. It wagged it's tail patiently, but kept it's green eyes upon the strange smelling stranger and took note of everything he did. And as their introductions went on, Persea waited eagerly for it all to end. Really, how long must these formalities go on for? ANd was one of his valets picking his nose? Gross. Just gross. Such pigs these pale skinned people were. She couldn't wait to be rid of this man, but then she found out, through the conversation she wasn't quite paying attention to that well...
"He's what?" Blinkingly, she turned around to one of her servants who explained it again.
"He will be staying here. The North West Wing has already been prepared."
And she visibly made a cringe as she glared down at her servant then looked snottily towards her guests. Well this was just great. A pale skinned foreigner.. staying in her palace.
Ugh, she'd have to have the walls and floors scrubbed down thoroughly after he left- and any silks he touched- burned.
"I bet you must be tired after such a long journey, Room DiVee. Why don't I show you to your wing?" Anything to get herself out of this wretched conversation. It was a social entrapment nightmare, and she didn't particularly like the way the man looked, or even looked at him. Ugh. So barbaric.
Rune yawned. And yawned again. And yawned again. That was pretty much all he was doing right about now. There was nothing else much to do. He was sooo boorrreeedddd.
He couldn't wait for this stupid meeting to be over with. All this stuffiness and formality. He thought that he'd be losing that here in Essyrn. He'd heard this city was full of fun and good times, but so far all he'd seen was sand and the inside of his carriage.
He had made his own simple introductions, and it would be nice if that was the end of it, but apparently there was a long, formal process for introducing a new ambassador, and he was trapped in it. His bevy of servants was handing regal gifts and trade goods to the Shah's, and he was left with nothing to do while the entire process took place.
He'd occupied himself through the first part of it ogling the Shah, and that had been entertaining for a while, but he'd taken in her beauty and was done with it now. Just like with any other precious gem or piece of art.
He was only a few moments away from nodding off on his feet when he heard the Shah's voice again, which he hadn't perceived since the beginning of the ceremony. Her words had him nodding eagerly, and in his excitement he didn't even hear her mispronunciation. "That would be awesome!" Rune couldn't tell if the looks from his advisors and the Shah's staff were because of his language or because of the fact that they were interrupting the ceremony.
He walked away from her without bowing and stood by the door, waiting for one of his servants to come and open the portal. They were all so shocked at the breach of protocol that none of them made a move. He was about to gesture for one of them to come over, when he was quite rudely interrupted.
Na'il rushed through the palace, sandals pattering on and threatening to untie themselves. Her wild hair had been wrangled into a high ponytail and it swished back and forth as she continued moving towards the throne room. The guards lazily lifted their eyes towards her, processing that she was there but too unmotivated to do anything about it. They all knew she wasn't a threat to the Shah. Plus, it wasn't the first time she had paid a random visit to her cousin... and they had learned that trying to stop her was pointless. Once she was moving, she wouldn't halt until she completed her goal.
So blue dress flowing behind her (and barely managing to stay untangled from her legs), Na'il bursted into the throne room. She knew that the Serenian ambassador was supposed to be here and that Persea, filling her duties as the Shah, would be talking to him. Which meant she wouldn't be napping. Determined to speak to her cousin before she found an excuse to get away, Na'il had more energy than ever. She swung the doors open full force and finally skidded to a stop, standing in the entrance.
"Persea!" she shouted, louder than what would be common for a throne room or 'suitable' for a noble. Na'il's breath remained scattered as she continued, "Persea, cousin, please listen to me! The slaves, we must help the slaves! Their conditions seem less than desirable. I spoke to one just five minutes ago and he explained to me their situation! Surely you, the Shah, can do something about it? If you won't spare their lives, then at least make their time in our planet more worthy! Give them better clothes, or food, or at least something to pass time with! Oh please Persea, I beg you!"
One minute, he was standing by the door waiting for it to be opened, and the next it was. Opened. From the other side. With great force. Not that Rune was currently aware of any of that. He was too busy being knocked out.
Now Rune is pretty weak in constitution and in willpower to fight through pain, but let's not make too much fun of him for succumbing to so little damage. In his defense, the door was a heavy one, the kind that gains momentum as it swings and can open or close with a satisfying *crash.* He was also exhausted from the traveling, and relatively hungry compared to his norm, which meant he was even weaker than usual. Finally, he was leaning forward to gesture someone to come to him, putting him off-balance and front-heavy. These factors meant he was ill-balanced and unprepared when the door slammed open and the edge of it hit him squarely on the back.
And so Rune was sent flying to the ground at a high velocity. He didn't even have time to try and put his hands up to catch himself. He landed head first, with a crash. His forehead made contact with the ground first, which KO-ed him immediately. This was actually good for him though, because the skidding he did afterwords on the stone floor would have been rather painful if he was conscious.
The end result was one mildly injured and very unconscious Serenian ambassador.
What happened before her was more than a series of unfortunate events. In fact, they were a series of very unpredictable and unbelievable events, yet there she stood, wide eyed and a witness to them. For one second, she had been moving across the floor towards this 'Room DiVee', and the next- he was gone, smashed behind a wall and sent tumbling across the floor like a crushed insect.
Persea could only blink, not even hearing what her cousin had spoken to her before she exclaimed loudy,
"Na'il! You just smashed the Ambassador of Serendipity with the door!"
And now how was she to explain this to her guest when he awoke!? Stupid foreign pig...
Persea was less than pleased.
Na'il heard her dear cousin speak and quickly shook her head. "Persea," she whined, "You aren't listening to—" Her voice suddenly cut off as she processed what the Shah had said. Na'il slowly turned her head to the left, praying that she had misunderstood her.
She hadn't.
Rune Di'Veera laid on the stone, not moving. Mouth agape, Na'il turned back to Persea and then finally demanded, "Stay here, I still want to talk to you." Then she rushed over to the strange looking foreigner to check his pulse.
A dead ambassador wasn't good, especially if he was killed in the Shah's throne room by the Shah's cousin. Plus, ambassador or not, Na'il didn't wish anyone dead. Even more so if it was by her own hands. She bent down onto her knees and leaned forward, pressing her fingers to the side of his throat. The pulse was slow, but it was there. She sighed and looked up at Persea. "It's alright, he's only unconscious. Why was this foo... foreigner standing in front of the doors, cousin?"
Persea folded her arms across her chest.
"He was about to be escorted to his room." Now it looked as if he'd have to be escorted there by her guardsman. She gave a snap of her fingers.
"Come, help the Amabassador to his room, see that he has fresh water when he rouses and keep an eye on him as he rests." Then her eyes cut to her cousin as she sighed. "Our conversation will have to wait. I'll have to pray now to the Goddess that he won't awaken irate and demanding war." And with a whirl of her robes, she stormed off to follow her men to the guest wing Rune would be staying- not letting Na'il a moment to butt in.
Oh, but what horrid luck! There was one thing about boring visitors, but it was another thing all together to assault him! Once Rune was settled into his room, Persea remained, shouting out orders to ensure everything would be as suitable as possible for when he awoke...
Hakeshena guide her... this would be something interesting and difficult to explain!
The headache that awoke Rune was intolerable. Had he had too much to drink last night? He needed something to clear his head. "Jasper." he called instinctually. "Jasper, some tea."
Jasper was the young man's long-suffering man-servant. He had served Rune for almost his entire life, and the ambassador relied on him for, well, everything.
At the current moment, Jasper was just outside Rune's room. He didn't hear the young man, and besides, he was too busy reassuring the Shah that no mind would be paid to whatever the "ambassador" said. This incident would have little lasting impact, no matter how Rune wanted it. He was making it very clear to her who it was in the Serenian delegation that held the real power. He did, however, ask that the Shah be as apologetic as possible. The young man might be a little less insufferable for everyone that way.
When no one answered his call, Rune forced himself out to sit up and look around him. He was in a lavishly appointed room, but one that he was totally unfamiliar with. Maybe he had partied too hard last night.
Suddenly his headache intensified. He couldn't tell if the pain was centered in his forehead or on the back of his skull, and when he felt both places there appeared to be a bruise. The events of yesterday slowly came back to him, definitely not a party, but he couldn't figure out what had happened to him. "Hello!" he called. "Is anyone there. I demand to know what's going on here!" he shouted.
It seemed any conversation Persea and Na'il may have had would have to wait even longer- for the moment Persea was informed the ambassador was awake, she hastily stormed into his room and threw back the curtains that had been aligned on all sides of his bed.
"Room DiVee," she said, giving a humble nod of her head, for a woman as powerful as the Shah, she did not bow to simple ambassadors. "I see you are awake and well?" Or so she hoped. The last thing she needed was for some foreign relations person to go about spreading rumors at how uncouth the Essyrnis were. If anything, these 'Room Divees' were the uncouth ones!
Rune looked up at the Shah, actually surprised that she herself had answer his call. He knew that he was important enough to warrant her concern, but he hadn't thought that the Essyrni had any concept of his rank. It looked as if these Essyrni barbarians did have some concept of just who he was.
His surprise revealed itself in his speech as he addressed her, "Oh, uh, your majesty," there was probably a more correct form of address but Rune hadn't been paying enough attention to catch it, "I guess I'm doing okay. I just have this weird headache. Can you tell me what happened?"
Normally Rune wasn't so polite, but the Shah was a pretty girl, and that usually brought out Rune's good side. Well, his sleazy side anyway. He could have some decorum, if he was trying to impress.
Persea stood uneasily at the question, but raised her head and made no hesitations to reveal,
"You were hit by a door."
The Shah's words took several moments to register in Rune's mind. "Hit by a door?!" he exclaimed. He thought back. He had been standing by the door, and he seemed to recall them opening outwards.
"Well why the hell did you hit me with a door?!" he shouted indignantly and in all seriousness.
"Hit you with the door?" Persea blinked and was taken back, anger becoming her as the blood in her veins heated and her face wrinkled in anger. "Do I dare remind you to whom you accuse? You are addressing the Shah, the sole and sovereign ruler of ALL of Essyrn. And I will NOT be talked to in that way!" And each time she spoke, she took a step nearer towards him, and her volume was raising exponentially while her hands now clenched into tight fists. And at such an accusation, she began to wish she HAD hit him with the door. What an imbecile! How DARE he accuse her! THERE WOULD BE GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THIS!
Rune looked on surprised at the Shah's outburst. So she wanted a shouting match? Fine, he'd give her a shouting match. "How dare you threaten me! Do you know to whom you speak?! I am Rune Di'Veera, Son of The High Lady of Featherfall and Nephew of the Queen herself! You should feel graced that someone as important as me was sent to this backwards city that calls itself a country! ONE WORD FROM ME COULD BRING SERENDIPITY'S WHOLE ARMY CRASHING DOWN ON YOUR PITIFUL CITY, AND YOU THREATEN ME!? AFTER YOU HIT ME WITH A DOOR?!"
Persea narrowed her eyes poisonously upon him.
"How Dare you come here, accuse me of attacking you, mock my country and threaten war. You ungrateful, foreign pig!" Persea was positively seething, and she took one haughty stance and then jabbed a finger, pointing it in her cousins's direction.
"It was not me who hit you with the door, but my cousin." And if the man was about to entertain any sort of rebuff on the matter, Persea narrowed her gaze and added. "And it was on accident."
Really, what sort of man stood so close to a large, unopened door anyway? He, as far as she was concerned, was a fool! And she was just about ready to throw this man out to show him how unforgiving the people and sun of the desert were!
Rune stared at Persea through slitted eyes. What he would do to get his hands around that skinny little throat...
No. As satisfying as that would be, he needed to restrain himself here. Gods only knew where his mother and aunt would send him next if he killed the Shah! He shivered at the thought of having to live in Yoreiqi, or maybe Thanatos. Ugh.
The best he could do was scream a few more incoherent insults, something along the lines of: "no-good stinking backwards uncultured moron!"
After he was done with that, he turned on the one who had actually hit him with the door. He hadn't noticed her enter the room, but he was probably too busy yelling at this stupid Shah.
"And YOU!" he shouted at her, "What do you have to say for yourself, injuring my great person!"
Na'il had been watching the argument with annoyance. Not only was the ambassador extremely rude and uncivilized, her own cousin wasn't acting much better! Couldn't they just talk it through in a kind and political way? Simply apologize and move on? It wasn't like anyone meant to hit him with a door!
Finally Persea pointed the blame to her (which she expected to happen sooner or later) and Na'il prepared herself to apologize. But then he started yelling at her. She hadn't even said anything!
"I did nothing except open up the doors!" responded Na'il bitterly. "You were the one who was standing there! I had business with the Shah, though apparently that's been interrupted. You think you have it bad, but do you not know of the pains of others?! Slaves are made fight to the death almost daily and poverty is abundant, even though the wealthy can practically bathe in their gold. And you think that your 'great person' being injured is the worst that can happen?! Fool!"
"Na'il!" Persea snapped, her rage now whipped at her cousin. "Now is not the time! We can speak on this matter later." And then turning to Rune, her eyes narrowed poisonously. The man was lucky she chose to speak to her cousin first, for the first thing that would have came out of her mouth was to put the man clean in jail. But instead, she narrowed her gaze.
"You, ambassador to the Serenians, you will apologize for your vulgar words towards our people, or you will be shown out of this city and forbidden in my presence. Do I make my self clear?" ANd if Na'il tried to interrupt her, she held up a hand in an attempt to silence her or anyone else. "Be silent, The Shah speaks. I am the vessel of Hakeshna, the voice of our people, and every word I breath is law. I will not tolerate such insolence."
Rune was making ready to tell both Persea and Nah'eel [sic] just what he thought of their demands for apology, but Jasper chose that exact moment to walk in. He walked swiftly passed the pair of Essyrni women, whispering apologies and excuse me's as he went, to stand Rune's side. The man-servent whispered in his ear: "Now young master, I know that this is hard, but you really should apologize. Your mother and Aunt are very cross with you and I can't imagine what they'd do if you got sent back on the first day."
Rune glared at Jasper, but remained in a sulky silence. He decided to compromise. He wasn't going to apologize, but he wouldn't insult the two anymore either. Unless they antagonized him again.
Jasper saw that Rune had no intentions to apologize, and turned to the Shah and her cousin. "Ladies, I think we've all had a long day, and I believe it would be best now for us to disperse before any of us do anything we can't undo. I believe that any rash action taken today could have negative repercussions for all of us."
The words were civil, and most people would perceive them as such, including Rune. However some, those who were really paying attention, would notice the very subtle threat implicit in the sentence and the dangerous gleam in Jasper's eye that spoke volumes about the man-servant's true capacity in the Serenian delegation.
"I am here to speak with the Ambassador," Persea's sharp tongue came in reply as her eyes gave an almost equally dangerous glint in return. Though she herself, had no mere strength, she was still the head figure of a strong, but albeit, dwindling nation.
"He needs to speak for himself, or not be here at all."
She would NOT speak with the ambassador of an ambassador! And her eyes cleaved through the pair of them like a hawk's.
Jasper's eyes flashed, and he almost groaned out loud. He was equipped to deal with one spoiled brat, but two of them? He looked quickly at Na'il. Okay, three spoiled brats.
He looked imploringly at Persea. She might be spoiled, but maybe the Shah wasn't as thoroughly stupid as Rune. He could hope. "Now, your majesty, please, be reasonable. Rune here," he pointed back at his young charge, "is under certain duress, having just received a head wound, and his earlier shouting has left him exhausted. I believe that he will be able to continue conversing at a later time, when he's rested, right Rune?"
Rune shook his head. "I'm just fine Jasper, and I can give the Shah here," he gestured at Persea, "the words she so strongly desires to hear."
The man-servants hopes got up for maybe half a second before he remember exactly who it was that he had in his charge. "Now Rune..."
But the young man was paying him no attention. "I'm sorry... that you are unfortunate enough to be the figure-head ruler of this sad second-rate city in the middle of nowhere that people only humor because it used to be important." He laughed cruelly. "There's your apology lady, take it or leave it."
If looks could kill, Rune's head would be on a pike.
"Unless an official apology is made by the ambassador himself, I want him out of my palace come morning!" And the tone in her voice was final.
"Well I'll be glad to get out of this burning hell-hole you call a city!" Rune shouted back at the Shah. He'd totally lost his head now, and he was paying no attention to what he was saying. "Besides, you're the one who should be apologizing, considering I was injured while I was your guest! Such a backwards people you are, showing so little care for an ambassador injured on your watch!"
"STOP!" Na'il shouted at the top of her lungs. It seemed like the only reasonable one there was her! And maybe Jasper. She was still undecided... but at least he tried to make peace, even if there was a threat hiding there. "Persea," she added slowly and giving her cousin a smile. "If you don't head to your room soon, you're going to miss your nap. Couldn't have our lovely Shah losing on her beauty sleep, now could we? Not like you need it."
She took a deep breath before turned and looking at the more ignorant of the fools. Still with the same smile plastered on, Na'il added, "And Sir Rune, if more rest does not please you and your head feels fine—I'm truly sorry about that, I am—" not "Then it would be my pleasure to take you on a tour around the palace." She paused before turning to Jasper and saying. "Don't you think that would be a good idea?"
Jasper clapped his hands together. "Why that's a wonderful idea Lady Na'il. Rune and I would love a tour of the palace, right Rune?"
The young man rubbed the goose egg on his head gingerly. He was still angry at Persea, but this was an argument that he wasn't sure he could win, and he had gotten an apology. Plus a pretty girl was offering to show him around. "I guess I'm okay. I can go on a tour."
He rotated out of the bed and stood up, unsteadily at first but he managed to right himself. "Well?" he asked Na'il, expecting her to lead and ignoring Persea.
"Na'il!" Persea snapped. "One does not speak to Shah in that way." And she narrowed her gaze upon her cousin, but seeing how her suggestion calmed the situation a little bit, she held back and bit her tongue. Best let her deal with this idiot.
"And before you can dare think to take a look about my home, I am still expecting you to humble yourself in my presence. You are no Queen, you simply speak for her- and you are to address a Shah as is appropriate. The apology then...." she said, not about to lose her grounds on this. She might be young, but she was the Shah! This would NOT be swept under the rug!
Jasper stared with exasperation at the petulant chil... at Persea. There were two of them to keep track of now.
Couldn't the stupid girl see that as a ruler there were instances where she needed to put her arrogance aside? Of course not though, she was only a child and she had no perception of the big picture. He turned to Rune, maybe something there...
But no. Rune set his jaw firmly and shook his head. "I don't see that I did anything worth apologizing for. I only returned insults and nothing more. I am an Ambassador vested with the full authority" (that was a lie but Rune didn't think Persea knew that), "of Serendipity and it's Monarchy. I refuse to submit to the decree of a ruler from another nation!"
So saying, Rune walked out the door, making sure to not get hit with this one, and stepped out into the corridor, waiting for Jasper and Na'il to follow.
Persea glared at the defiant ambassador, but stilled her anger, if only for but a moment as she turned to her cousin.
"See to it that he becomes reasonable upon your return. Your Shah commands this!" And with little else to say, she showed herself out and commanded her guards, whom she ordered, to keep a close watch on her 'guest' while she stormed back to her room.
OOC: Okay, exit Persea for now XD if you need her to appear again, lemme know