Phoenix was feeling nervous as they approached the pace’s throne room. Dazien had been as thorough as he could be about the proper protocols they needed to follow and reassured her that if he introduced himself as her Herald then he could handle the talking. It was a relief during these weird moments of formality but she strived to learn more from both watching him and the other royals. If someone as obnoxious as Emrys could follow decorum than she definitely could, right?

  She was also nervous about her outfit, but Dazien had reassured her that she looked fine. It was the only dress she had found that covered more of her while still dispying her Soul Mark. She had known she would need to show that here eventually, like Dazien had told her before they even stepped on the ship, but she had thought one of her other dresses would have been fine.

  After realizing the style difference here, she had found something in one of the higher css dress shops that had sheer sleeves with cuffs that hid her Oathbond, but left her shoulders bare and easily dispyed the mark. It was a paler green than she normally preferred, but the silky material covered her chest, turned sheer around her midriff, then opaque again as it actually fell to her ankles with only a single slit up each side stopping at mid-thigh.

  Dazien on the other hand, made everyone stop and stare as they passed.

  She had helped fix up his hair to be more even with her Prism Brush earlier, but he kept it short instead of spending the little pile of Sapphire Bits they would have needed to fuel the brush to grow it back out. She could only imagine how much more people would have stared if it had been long.

  He didn’t wear a shirt at all, only golden bands around his biceps and wrists, which made his ritualistic tattoos stand out even more against his warm brown skin. They glinted amethyst like his hair, and covered every inch of him from the neck down.

  A golden belt held a small bck pouch that rested against the small of his back, and helped hold up what Phoenix could only describe as strips of golden chainmail that fell to just above his knees and tinkled with every step he took. He didn’t even wear shoes, just gold bands around his ankles that matched the bracelets.

  Despite the severe ck of clothing, what made Dazien’s appearance stand out as regal in her mind, was actually the charcoal makeup around his eyes and the golden circlet around his forehead. He looked like some ancient Egyptian prince like that.

  Phoenix was just gd that it wasn’t only her and Dazien like she had briefly feared. Uncertain if only their House members could go before the queen, she had asked Dazien who all would be going with. While Camil and Ren would be staying behind, he had reassured her by pointing out that Saiya and Rayna were both technically seen as nobles, though more minor ones as cn heads, and if anyone questioned Uriel’s presence as his seneschal, both of them were prepared to announce him as the Chosen of Destroyer.

  She hoped it wouldn’t need to come to that, mainly because she didn’t want the potential negative reaction Uriel would have to deal with while he was already struggling again with not touching. She didn’t want him regressing in his progress of coming to terms with his powers and position like he seemed to be on the verge of doing when she had spent time with him in his room. While this was an obvious step back, she was determined to help him keep moving forward and that meant moving herself forward as well.

  The rge doors to the throne room opened to allow their party through as she stood directly beside her brother to lead the group. Saiya and Rayna were side by side directly behind them and didn’t look nervous in the slightest compared to how she felt. Both of them were in matching dresses today that consisted of a bikini top and wispy silk skirt that accommodated their tails.

  Uriel brought up the rear, looking like a shadow ninja dressed in all bck the way he was with only the white torc and emberlit eyes providing any alternative colors. He kept his hood up and hands csped behind his back, as he seemed more like an imposing bodyguard trailing behind them.

  Phoenix gnced at Dazien, who seemed surprised about something and she mentally whispered to him through his [Noble Subjects] ability, “What is it?”

  “The pcement of the royals; It’s not what I expected.”

  She returned her gaze to the thrones they were heading straight towards to take the family in. A scantily cd woman with a rge golden crown upon her head sat in the rgest throne in the very center of the raised dais. Phoenix assumed this Night Elf was Queen Emilia with her regal posture and long silver hair flowing down her shoulders.

  To the queen’s left was an empty seat but to the left of that and set slightly further back was another elven man Phoenix didn’t recognize but she assumed was the queen’s consort that Dazien had mentioned might be present. Although she wasn’t formally married, apparently the queen would recognize anyone she was in a retionship with or who was a parent to one of her children.

  “That’s one of the dads on the right?” she crified.

  “Yes. Princess Emina’s father has been a long time consort.”

  She gnced over to see the princess sitting on the left side, but also pushed further back and not directly next to the queen. That spot was currently being filled by Emrys who wore a silver crown atop his head and was smiling at them.

  “What about Emrys’ dad?” she whispered.

  “Nobody knows who they are. Queen Emilia never recognized them as a consort.”

  She tried not to frown at that information, not wanting to make the royals think she was unhappy with them by accident. “So what’s weird about their pcement?”

  “Emrys is in the pce of the Heir. He’s not just the third born prince, he’s been recognized as the crown prince that will become king one day.”

  “Is that odd?”

  “No, just unexpected. Usually age is the default for the hierarchy and both Emrys and Emina are Emerald Caste, but their mother has chosen Emrys to inherit for some reason.”

  Behind those five prominent thrones were eight more smaller seats that each held a High Priest or Priestess and represented the clergy of the Luxury Pantheon. Many of them had their eyes fixed on Phoenix’s Soul Mark.

  As they got to the end of the silver carpet they walked upon, both Dazien and Phoenix dropped to a knee, followed by the others behind them. The servant that had led them here then loudly announced, “Regent Phoenix Waynd of the Sacred City Barony of Tulim of Blomsterang and Saint of the Celestial Pantheon, along with her brother, Heir and Herald Dazien Waynd, present themselves before Her Majesty Queen Emilia of Serenydi. In attendance are the Ladies Saiya and Rayna of the Dewsong Cn of Epa Toivo, and Uriel Karislian, a Seneschal of House Waynd.”

  One of the servants then presented the gift they had brought for the royals, the gss dispy that kept the various alien flowers that had bloomed around the World Tree in a perfectly preserved stasis that could be easily viewed and appreciated for their otherworldly beauty. In the center of the dispy was also one of the golden leaves from the tree that had grown where Paul had been put into his own stasis. No other tree like it existed in this world, and Patricia had quickly restricted access to only a few select people.

  “I thank House Waynd for this beautifully unique gift,” the queen said in a clear and firm voice, “To match the uniqueness offered, we gift to you this relic that has long been in our possession and that I remember Baron Waynd finding interest in.”

  One of the royal knights actually walked up to them that time, removing a cloth that was covering the item in his arms. It was a small golden lyre harp that was slowly glowing with a warm light.

  “The Harp of the Sun,” the queen announced, and murmured whispers echoed through the hall from the other knights, staff, and nobles lining the areas further beyond the wide carpet they had walked down. “Legend has it that this harp is one of the keys to the Primordial Gate of the Wind that was sealed long ago. We entrust its care upon your House.”

  “House Waynd thanks Your Majesty for such a grand bestowal,” Dazien formally replied, holding his hands out to accept the gift that the knight pced within them, “You honor us with your generosity and thoughtful consideration.”

  He turned slightly, still remaining kneeling with eyes facing the ground, to hand it to Phoenix as he had told her earlier he would for whatever gift they might give in return. She made it vanish into her collection to be looked at ter and continued to remain silent but couldn’t help peeking up at the thrones.

  The queen’s icy blue gaze flitted over them for a long moment while they all stayed kneeling with heads bowed awaiting to be addressed further.

  “I have been informed that you two are the adopted children of Baron Paul Waynd, a man I had exiled from this nd. Is this true?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Dazien replied, finally raising his head to look at her now that they had been asked a question. Phoenix peeked up as well to watch while Dazien continued speaking, “It is on his behalf that we have been sent before you.”

  Her face remained utterly impassive but the question showed some of her surprise, “How? I had heard he had fallen in the war against the Soul Reapers. Trapped in a cursed stasis that even the Schor has no answer for.”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” Daze confirmed with a nod, “He had made the request before that event, however, and only now have we managed to reach this blessed city to see his wishes carried out.” He reached into the bck pouch and slowly pulled out a sealed envelope. “I was asked to bring this letter from our father directly to you. I sincerely regret that it could not have arrived sooner, but the blood moon and the unfortunate events that befell us have deyed its arrival.”

  Emrys stood then, apparently surprising the princess and a number of the servants nearby. He was dressed in simir fashion to what Phoenix had first seen him in and spoke with a confidence she probably couldn’t have mustered with that much skin showing, “I have spoken with my mother about your unforgivable treatment at the hands of one of our own.”

  He took a few steps forward down the steps from the dais to stand before Dazien, “On behalf of the royal family and nobility of Serenydi, I apologize for what you went through, Herald Waynd, and offer this gift in minor recompense in addition to accepting your delivered letter for my mother.”

  As he took the letter from Dazien’s outstretched hand, he repced it with a ftter square box that a servant had hastily brought over for him. Dazien gnced between the box and Emrys in mild confusion before Emrys smirked and whispered under his breath, “Go ahead and open it.”

  Dazien did so to reveal a golden torc that had runes etched on the inside and was inset with blue and purple gemstones that softly glowed with obvious magic.

  Her brother’s head snapped back up in surprise, but only seemed speechless for a moment before responding, “Thank you, Prince Emrys. It is a grand and thoughtful gift.”

  “I believe it pales in comparison to what you endured, but it is hopefully a start to improve the retionship between our two families.”

  Dazien slowly nodded before gesturing with a hand to the letter Emrys held and saying, “Mending that retionship is what my father hoped to achieve as well. Hopefully, this is another step towards an alliance.”

  Emrys did show a look of surprise at that but remained silent as he nodded and returned to the queen’s side, handing her the letter for her to open. A servant had already moved to bring a small knife to break the wax seal with House Waynd’s crest on the envelope.

  Gasps were heard throughout the hall however when the queen lifted a piece of jewelry out of the envelope as well as the folded parchment containing Paul’s words. The jewelry itself made Phoenix’s heart clench at the sight, knowing there was no taking it back now as Queen Emilia examined the metallic blue feather held in gold with a rge sapphire jewel making it appear more like a brooch to Phoenix.

  Even without the letter, Paul’s intentions were made crystal clear.

  Slowly, the queen opened the parchment to read, her expression completely unreadable, and Phoenix wondered if she was even reading any of it or if she had already decided the answer.

  Phoenix gnced at Emrys who also seemed to be unnaturally schooling his expression to not reveal the thoughts or emotions within. “Saiya? Can you get a read on either of them?” she whispered over the network.

  “No. They’re not letting anything through.”

  Emrys seemed to notice her watching him then, and gave a small smile before shrugging as if unsure what his mother might say.

  It was only a few seconds that had seemed to st an eternity before the queen spoke again, “Paul Waynd offers an official apology for his past transgressions and wishes to form an alliance of houses through marriage, stating that as a Ruby Caster he is now worthy of sitting by my majestic side.” She gnced at their party again before asking, “It bears not only his handwriting but his aura signature and the Covenant Binding of authenticity, but he does not address himself as Baron in this, merely Lord. Why?”

  “He wrote this months ago, before his curse took hold, but knew he would hit Ruby before the blood moon ended. My father likes to pn for things far in advance when he can, much like myself. While we understand that he cannot enter into a formal marriage until his awakening, I have another letter from Ambassador Patricia Waynd detailing those requirements and ensuring an additional contract of betrothal for an alliance until a marriage between our houses occurs,” Dazien expined as he pulled out another envelope from his pouch.

  The queen merely snapped a finger for a servant to rush forward to pass the second letter between them and she opened that one to read as well.

  Queen Emilia read for longer this time, going through multiple pages that Phoenix assumed detailed a more formal proposal than Paul had thought to prepare, considering he never would have predicted the situation he was currently in. They wouldn’t have been here like this if he had simply died instead and Phoenix would have abdicated to Patricia instead.

  While they waited in prolonged silence, Phoenix was starting to grow more anxious and was about to bug Dazien for more expnations of anything to take her mind off her worries when the queen asked, “This mentions potential substitutes to take into consideration should I find Baron Waynd no longer suitable given his past and current circumstances. Who exactly is she meaning?”

  Dazien tensed beside her before softly stating, “She has two unwed children of marrying age currently… along with myself.”

  “What?!” everyone yelled into the mental network at once in response to Dazien’s procmation.

  He simply sent a hush in response before continuing aloud, “All three of us have spoken with Ambassador Waynd and agreed to be considered, but there are further stiputions should Your Majesty wish to explore that option, which includes a mandatory courtship period for assurance of compatibility.”

  Queen Emilia looked from Dazien to her son and then daughter before looking at Phoenix instead and asking, “What of your sister? Does the Regent of House Waynd not offer herself for consideration?”

  Phoenix’s entire body froze like a deer in headlights at the suggestion. She had promised not to speak aloud unless directly commanded to and luckily Daze answered in her defense.

  “My sister is only nineteen years of age still. She also dons the white torc and we believed she would not be a suitable option for your court, Your Majesty.”

  As the queen gave a thoughtful hum, the entire party silently awaited without a single unnecessary breath escaping them.

  Finally, she answered, “I must meet with my council to discuss House Waynd’s offer. In the meantime, you shall remain as honored guests. I will call for you again once we have reached our decision in no more than a month’s time.”

  Dazien bowed his head again and stated in the cultural farewell he had told them all about earlier, “Thank you, Your Majesty, may your home shine and your heart be filled with joy.”