[h2][color=FF0000] Mai Mei of Mei'An [/color][/h2]

Mai stood with her uncle at the entrance of the castle, largely unimpressed by the obviously Western-style building, what with its milky white walls and multiple towers. Sure, it was elegant, but Mai found it...boring. She much preferred the palaces back at home, with their bright colors and the way they just seemed to flow with the nature around it. The perfectly manicured lawns made Mai feel like she was standing in a public park, not at the front of a palace. Mai fondly remembered the moon doors and pagodas surrounded by water lilies that she was used to. Mai had always taken a special liking to moon doors; she loved the way that they seemed to "frame" the outside scenery. Perhaps that was the fundamental difference between the peoples from the two hemispheres of the world, if only in the arts-one strived for control, while the other was content to leave things as they were and add to the beauty of what already was. 

Lilith Hathor, the princess of Aciras, began to speak, welcoming the royalty of the world from a balcony. Mai appraised her coolly, her eyes flitting upwards toward the slender brunette. From what she read in the reports she'd received about the royalty that would be in Aciras and from what Ming told her, Mai knew that Lilith was independent and energetic. There was nothing particularly unique about the princess's upbringing, at least in Mai's opinion. Granted, most of the nations represented in Aciras were relatively secure and had consolidated power long ago, save for the Verenonblith Empire (which coincidentally was in a situation not unlike that of Mei'An), so there would be almost nobody who'd gone through anything like what Mai had seen and done.

As she strode up the steps and into the castle, Mai took a moment to assess the other people gathered in Aciras. She only let her eyes linger on each one for a moment, as if she was simply casually observing what was going on around her. Alexander Belmont of Mirenia caught her attention. The dark-haired boy was dressed in a suit, and like Lilith, Mai didn't think there was much to say about his childhood. She remembered that the report said he was stubborn and lied very often. 

Razzle and Scott Wester of Selnia were just slightly ahead of Mai and Ming. Razzle had on a frilly pink dress that Mai found all too girly for her tastes (as hypocritical as that was), although it fit the girl's personality well. The cheerful princess almost resembled a doll with her dainty appearance. Just then, Ming glanced at Razzle as well. "She smiles too damn often for her own good," he muttered under his breath in the Black Mountain dialect of Meridian, though the chances of anyone being fluent in the official version of Meridian were slim. Mai thought that the description her uncle provided was very accurate. Next to Razzle, Scott Wester wore a standard tuxedo. The shaggy-haired blonde seemed much more reserved than his bubbly sister. Again, Mai found that she didn't think there was anything, well, [i]interesting[/i] about their lives up to now. Mai knew that it wasn't their fault, and that it frankly wasn't any of her business, but she was going to say whatever the hell she wanted to herself.

Dina and Angel Langar of Iorenda were just a few feet from Mai and her uncle. Both the princess and the prince wore suits. Dina was tall and thin, with white-blonde hair cut in a rather boyish style, while Angel was shorter than his half-sister and had dark brown hair. Quiet, standoffish Dina seemed to be the complete opposite of flirtatious Angel. Mai remembered that there was a minor passage about Dina refusing any suitors that the King of Iorenda suggested. She made note of that before directing her attention toward somebody else. 

A blue-haired girl walking with her parents caught Mai's attention next, presumably Annika Everine Fiske of Shadowpine. [i]Another princess that likes to smile,[/i] Mai thought to herself. The report had hinted at some sort of controversy surrounding her birthright, but there was no hard evidence of whatever the report was saying. [i]Controversy or no, I'd venture to guess that the girl would be a much better ruler than her brother, whom Uncle tells me is absolutely loathsome.[/i]

A redhead in an ocean-blue dress with a metallic yellow sash was climbing out of a limousine behind Mai. Amberlyn Rose Manera was, in Mai's opinion, your stereotypical rebellious tomboy princess that complained about fancy balls and being forced into an arranged marriage. Mai particularly disliked those kinds of princesses and princes. She felt that they truly did not understand the sacrifices other people went through just to be in the same position as them-after all, it wasn't like Mai had her position presented to her on a silver platter; she'd fought tooth and nail for it. However, Mai decided that prematurely judging this Amberlyn would not be the wisest thing to do, and told herself to put aside her personal prejudices and bias for the sake of politics.

Mai noticed Micah Stubbe of Azaroth walking inside the castle, and took a moment to study him. He had blue hair like the princess of Shadowpine, and from what she could infer from the report, Mai guessed that he would be a fairly good ruler, despite the fact that he'd experienced terrible nightmares as a child. He certainly stood out in the crowd, even amongst the royalty of the most prominent nations on Earth, with his shock of bright blue hair and muscular build. 

Finally, Mai and her uncle reached the castle doors. Inside the large, opulent dining room, the pair found their seats. Mai sat down and glanced to the head of the table, where the royal family of Aciras was seated. Her uncle sat directly across from her, although Mai would have preferred to have him sitting right next to her more so because it would have been possible to discreetly speak to him in Meridian about the others in the room than because of some sort of childish attachment. Her uncle was only staying a week in the kingdom anyway, and Mai had gone months without seeing him before while he was trying to win the support of the wealthy of Mei'An. Besides, Mei'An was far too unstable to withstand the lengthy absence of her ruler, so if Mai carried any childish attachments in the first place, they would have to end right here and now.

As luck would have it, to Mai's right was Niklas König of Königreich der Welten-the prince she was to marry. She wouldn't have recognized him at all if not for the brief visual description and small photograph included in the report, the placard at his place, and the flag pinned to his suit vest. Mai felt her heart harden when she saw the empty holster at his hip and the army pin next to his nation's flag on his chest. He was a soldier-that much Mai knew from the reports-but seeing this soldier-prince in real life changed everything. Although Mai forced her expression to remain neutral, images of soldiers dead and gone belonging to the realm of the past flashed before her eyes; nationalist soldiers beating and raping women after burning entire villages to the ground, socialist soldiers ransacking and destroying the lavish homes of the wealthy and slaughtering anyone who was suspected to support the return of the Mei Dynasty, enemy soldiers from the island nation of Jaripa chaining hundreds of people together and pouring gasoline onto them before setting them on fire. It took every ounce of willpower for Mai to keep from bolting right then and there. She instinctively clutched her bladed fan tighter and gently patted the heavy ruby ring attached to the end of her braid.

[i]Not all soldiers are like that,[/i] she told herself in a futile attempt to melt the iciness that had seized her heart. Mai gave her uncle a surreptitious look, which he returned evenly. His sharp gaze gave Mai the courage to swallow her fears, push away the memories, and take a few deep breaths before the king of Aciras began to speak, though she kept a vise-like grip on the fan. She mentally chided herself for letting her emotions get the best of her before directing her attention to King Lucian Hathor.

"Good people of my brother and sister Kingdoms, I welcome you all here today just as my daughter did just moments ago. Here you will be served a meal, then you will be shown to your rooms, where your belongings have already been placed. Last but not least, after these proceedings, you shall feel free to roam about the Castle lands. May our home be yours for the next few months. One a side note, The Great Ball will be held tomorrow at exactly seven pm. That is all," King Lucian Hathor of Acrias said, his booming voice echoing off the walls of the large dining room. Next to him was Queen Alice Hathor, who exuded an aura of authority and refinement.

Mai quickly cast her eyes around the room, searching for people that she hadn't seen outside the castle. Again, she only let her eyes linger on each individual for a second, giving her the appearance of just absentmindedly looking at her surroundings. Based on photographs included in the reports as well as the placards placed on the table, Mai was able to piece together who was who. Larissa Blake de Boer of Xaecia (dark-haired, glasses, reported to use crutches, ruthlessly vengeful, and the creator of a group called the Phantoms in Xaecia) was seated next to Karma Kennen of the Verenonblith Empire (tall and muscular, appearing to be fairly outgoing, reported to be very meticulous, the son of the emperor of the Verenonblith Empire and the commander-in-chief). Delia Oblitus-Veren (pale complexion, blonde hair, reported to be very calm and level-headed with a regal air to her) was sitting farther up the row of princes and princess than Mai. Larissa was rumored to have been the one behind her mother's death, and Xaecia was a nation that Ming Mei was keen on negotiating a trade agreement with. The Verenonblith Empire was a subject of considerable interest to Mai, simply because civil war had torn up the empire just like what had happened her own beloved Mei'An. She knew that although it was the older generation that consolidated power, Karma and Delia probably were raised in a much more tense political atmosphere than most of the other princes and princesses present. This made them valuable friends but also powerful enemies. Mai held no irrational fear of the Verenonblith Empire-Mei'An was isolated from most all of the nations represented by miles and miles of desert and a formidable mountain range-but the Verenonblith Empire was known to be ruthlessly expansionist. Mai predicted that they would not make a move anytime soon due to internal strife, but one could never be certain. In any case, the background of Karma and Delia made Mai especially wary of the two. The fact that Karma was trained to be a soldier that added to Mai's slight sense of uneasiness. 

Olympia Whitehall of the Royal Brittanian Empire was seated near Mai. She was of an average height and had long chocolate-brown hair. Mai knew that Olympia was a precocious strategist, and rumor had it that if not for Olympia, the Royal Brittanian Empire might not have withheld all of the land that many nations were constantly fighting over in that region of the world. Mai recognized that Olympia would be another powerful friend and formidable enemy, but again, the Royal Brittanian Empire's focus on the territory surrounding its established land posed no threat at all to Mei'An. If anything, Mei'An would benefit from friendly relations with the Royal Brittanian Empire and access to its impressive arsenal of military technology. 

At the very front of the room sat Akoni Kelekolio of Hawilunia. Short, dark-haired, and outgoing, the report mentioned that Akoni had a reputation of being quite the jokester and loved to swim. Mai supposed that was understandable, as Hawilunia was an island nation with a rather tropical climate. 

Once Mai finished assessing the other princes and princesses in the room, she looked back at her uncle, whom Mai noticed had done the same thing. Ming Mei was not so subtle about it, but he had never been a particularly subtle person. Mai's uncle rarely sugarcoated anything and would rather just get straight to the point than play the word games Mai found herself so adept at. His piercing eyes would have definitely been more intimidating than Mai's demure, docile expression that she donned at political functions. But to underestimate Ming Mei for his tendency to be blunt would be a grave mistake-there was something about him that inspired loyalty, and this loyalty would have the entire population of Mei'An holding a sword up to your throat if you decided to threaten him. 

Satisfied that the reports had been accurate, Mai let her attention return to the head of the table. She wondered if she should strike up a conversation with Niklas, but a trace of her earlier feelings of coldness and revulsion stayed her tongue. [i]This marriage will never work out if you don't stop being unreasonable, [/i] Mai berated herself. [i]Give him a chance.[/i]

So, Mai mustered up a coy smile, lightly touched the hand of the man she was betrothed to, and murmured a polite hello. Mai looked up at him through lowered lashes, deliberately giving herself the appearance of a pliant young girl, but she laced this shy glance with just the tiniest hint of steel, alluding to the thorns concealed by her delicate appearance. [i]Even the most beautiful roses have thorns, [/i] she said silently to herself-a mantra that had gotten Mai through everything she'd encountered thus far. Hopefully, her personal motto would not fail her this time.