[center] The orders were given, the subjects bowed their heads and all started making preparations as per the instructions of their Emperor, some more reluctantly than others. Such was a leader’s life as Aleko probably understood it and there was more to come. During the planning and discussions, Cyrus simply listened and silently contemplated, seemingly pleased with what he was witnessing, the Halfling was determined and thought of each angle before making a decision, his strategies were solid and his reasoning sane, his dedication was what pleased the wizard most, a clear and strong differencing factor from his father. Scribe was never more enthusiastic than he was in these moments, jutting down on his files every single detail, documenting everything he considered worth noting. By the time the last issue of the day was discussed, the low orange rays flowing out of the windows from the hallway indicated that is was already past noon. “[b]I believe both the generals and the envoys have no more issues to discuss.[/b]” Cyrus nodded “[b]You have done well, sire. You may take some time for yourself now, if anything that requires your attention arrives I will be sure to announce you[/b]” He bows his head and proceeded to leave, announcing Aleko “[b]If you will have need of me, you can find me in the Library, sire.[/b]”. Most of the generals and envoys have retired to their respective chambers, others could be found in the Dining Hall. Aleko was now alone and free to wander the fortress as he pleased, all the while Scribe was still following closely behind, careful not to disturb him, of course he would leave if he is told so but until then he was oddly fascinated with seeing what the new Emperor was up to. The Dining Hall was once again populated with people as it was roughly time for dinner. Some of the servants and guards could be found as well as some of the generals and envoys. In one corner one could see Marcus and Durran enjoying a drink over a game of chess. Gymor, Ethel and Ludwyn could be seen at another table having a hearty meal. At the bar, one could spot Caine sipping some dark red wine while apparently scribbling over a small handbook of sorts. Before Aleko could decide where to sit, a red-ish flash appeared in the corner of his eye, shortly followed by Anny Wayfinder, with her open notebook as always. “[b]Sire, sire ! I…[/b]” she stopped midsentence as if she had forgotten something, taking a few moments to look over Aleko she realized that the emperor hadn’t even had time to sit down and think about what to eat. She then bowed her head deeply “[b]I apologize for bothering you, sire. But I need your input…if you would allow… [/b]“ She then presented her open notebook, a number of statistics were written regarding the supplies aboard. “[b]As you can see..[/b]” she said as he indicated with her finger over some of the writings “[b]…we are starting to run low on fresh water and vegetables. Grain could also use a re-supply though if necessary I think we could make it another 2 weeks, assuming we ration it. Mr. Hawke also requested we bring a new batch of sanitary alcohol, medicinal herbs, bandages and…[/b]”she takes a moment to fumble through the pockets of her brown shorts, eventually pulling out a small folded note “[b]…these…um…materials.[/b]” The note contained a number of dusts generally used in chemistry along with a number next to each, nothing the requested quantity. Anny took both the note and the notebook back after Aleko took a good look through them “[b]So..Sire, if it is at all possible, could we land sometime this week and gather the needed supplies? Oh..and...should I inform Mr. Hawke that we will be getting his needed resources as well?[/b]” After inspecting the note, Aleko no doubt realized that while Hawke’s supplies were indeed of use, they were also quite costly, he would have to think about whether or not they could afford such extra expenses. After giving his answer, Anny politely thanked him and then rushed out the door almost immediately teleporting as is her fashion. After solving that minor issue, Aleko had a bit of time for himself to enjoy dinner, be it with company as it would seem that the trio of envoys would welcome him to dine with them and contribute to conversation, or by himself if he would prefer. Sometime later however, Aleko was approached by Korvius, as he was instructed, with a plate of oven baked and seasoned tomatoes. “[b]Hello, sire, enjoying your meal I would hope?[/b]” he presented the plate to the young Emperor before mentioning “[b]As you may or may not know, we Undead retain very little, if any, memories of our past lives. Mmmm…One thing I still happen to retain is the satiating aroma and taste of home-baked oven tomatoes. Sadly, being the way I am right now means I will never be able to enjoy their taste.[/b]” A short would-be sad chuckle escaped him “[b]Would you care for some, sire?[/b] “ he asked. Some time later, after dinner, Aleko was heading for the Library. However, he was stopped by a guard standing in front of the door. “[b]My apologies sire, master Weaverstar instructed that no one is allowed to enter the Library at this time.[/b]” The guard was standing stoic, apparently unfazed by the fact that his emperor was the one standing before him. Upon asking for details, the guard simply shrugged “[b]I’m sorry, sire. I don’t know why, only that I was instructed to not allow anyone enter for any reason. This includes you, if you will pardon me. [/b]“ Before anything however, as if on cue, the door opened and Cyrus walked out, placing his hand on the guard’s armored shoulder “[b]It is quite alright, there is no need for that anymore.[/b]” He said with a smile, the guard simply bowed his head and steeped aside no longer blocking the entrance. “[b]My apologies, sire.[/b]“ Cyrus said to Aleko as he rubbed his eyes, looking rather weary. “[b]I had a bit of…business to deal with, trying to understand what the guard’s reports about these…noises was all about…[/b]” The wizard contemplated for a few moments before shaking his head “[b]Ah, pardon me. I did not wish to bother you, sire. As far as I can tell, there is nothing dangerous in the Library, if you wish to browse some books you are more than welcome to, of course. Now, if you would excuse me, I believe I will retire to my quarters now. I hope you will have a good evening, sire. Good night.[/b]” And with that and a deep bow, the old man excused himself and walked away, heading for some rest. The Library probably offered the most privacy of all the rooms of the Fortress, quiet, quaint and seemingly cut-off from the outside world. It was decorated with antique furniture, giving it an old appearance, as if it were some ancient place of study, save for the few lamps providing the lighting in the room along with the soft rays of the setting sun flooding the furthers end of the room. An overwhelming variety of books could be found here, some were light reading, some were educational materials of varying subjects, some were history books, encyclopedias, dictionaries for various languages, Aleko even spotted the occasional cook-book here and there, unsure why it would be here and not in the kitchens. Some of the books, Aleko recognized, [i]Master Winzent GrauFell's Art of Hand and a Half Sword Fencing and Hand-to-Hand Brawling[/i] along with [i]Enchiridion of War: Beauty in Death, Glory in Blood[/i] and [i]Master Grana del Reviera Knightly Tome of Weaponry and Melees[/i]. Other tomes that seemed to catch the Emperor’s eye were [i]Tea and Gardening Ceremonies by Tanaka Mori[/i], [i]Impelluiso’s Documented Myths from around the World[/i], the [i]Dance of Frost and Flame[/i] series by Gregor R. Marteen, [i]Crimson Crying Retribution by Rockwell S. T. R.[/i] , [i]Theodorus Neek’s Higher arts of Social Etiquette[/i], considered the rival of book of [i]Robban Rocknail's Social Etiquette Throughout Avalon: A comprehensive guide[/i], and last but not least, [i]Astralus Halloen’s Documented Personalities of Importance from the History of Avalon[/i]. From time to time, during his reading, Alkeo had this odd feeling as if someone was watching over him…yet whenever he would look around it was plainly obvious he was alone, to make matters worse, he could swear he heard a sinister laughter from time to time without being able to fully detect its source… The rest of the evening was for Aleko to enjoy at his own discretion. [/center]