While holding the H'kelan helmet in her lap, the Queen of Barcea quietly listened to them all. She said not a word during any of the conversation, simply waiting, watching, and observing. Towards Etsuko (and Calypso by extension), the Queen gave a gentle smile and a nod, a little more so as Calypso brought up a hand to wave gently, fingers wiggling as she did so. Towards the large, almost inhuman, and armored figure, Kori's gaze was curious, but at the refusal of information she simply nodded, remaining patient. As Ennis and the woman began to have their back and forth though, the light in the Queen's eyes began to change, though to what wasn't exactly apparent; it was an aware, attentive sort of expression, but to what end no one would be able to tell as the Queen looked back down to the helmet. Briefly, she turned it in her hands as she went over everything in her mind, fingers running along the curves of the metal slowly. As she did so, Cyril spoke a little.

[b]“There was one more who showed up afterwards, a young woman. Her name was Lyrena Stomfort, Barcean. She was… affected by the sight, and chose to rest in an inn in the Capitol.”

"I see... There's blood on this helmet, Cyril."

"... The soldier wouldn't just give it to me."[/b]

The Queen gave a nod, not pushing her brother for any more information. What "Joy" had said and the situation in general made it very clear what her younger brother had to do. She simply held it back out to him for him to take before she could simply settle her hands back down in her lap. As she did so, the Prince looked towards the ambassador from H'kela. His gaze was not disdainful or hateful, but almost tired as he held up the helmet with one hand, the Queen carefully watching her brother's movements.

[b]"Like you said, Ennis, its clear cut what happened during this 'incident,' isn't it? Gartian sent H'kelan soldiers to slaughter Barcean innocents, and they succeeded. That means they must have carved through the defenses we set along the border, and the Sentinels did not protect them."[/b] Cyril tossed the helmet forwards then in a mostly gently movement, but with enough force that the heavy helmet could clang to a stop in front of the ambassador's feet. [b]"There were three soldiers lying in wait for us. The helmet should settle whatever leftover doubts you may have."[/b]

The Queen's hands moved, going to the armrests of the throne as she spoke to her brother once again, making no attempt to conceal her voice. She spoke clearly enough for everyone to hear.

[b]"We'll need to reinforce our western border, and send men to Hillsborough and wherever else that may have been attacked to tend to the victims. Gartian caught us off guard, and he may be moving again already to do it again."

"Is defense all, Kori?"[/b] Cyril asked, his gaze going back to her as he turned away from the H'kelan ambassador and back to the Queen. [b]"Gartian won't stop just because we strengthen the borders. He'll strike again, and again, and again, until we're all dead."

"I know this well, Cyril, but these are the resources we have at the moment. To do anything more..."[/b] Kori did not elaborate any further, instead once more looking to the group. Her kind smile returned in faint form, and she began to stand as she spoke to each of them in turn. First, it was to Etsuko and Calypso.

[b]"I thank you for your help, Diviner Tanaka, and Ms. Calypso. I apologize that you were pulled into this, if even for a little. Please, stay here and rest for the night. Tomorrow you'll be provided all the supplies you need to travel to wherever you might go next. It's the least I can do."[/b] She then looked to the tall figure next, giving him a slight nod as she began to step towards him.

[b]"Please, give me a few minutes, and we will talk more to your liking."[/b] This was all she said as she approached, but instead of stopping in front of the man she stepped around him, to Joy. Once more that attentive look came into the Queen's eyes as she closely examined the woman's face, slowly blinking before her smile returned, a little fuller than before.

[b]"It's been awhile, Vesta. Welcome home."[/b]

From where he still stood near the throne, the Prince's gaze suddenly snapped over, his eyes widening in surprise. [b]"Wait, what did you say-"

"'Joy' may be a common name for people, Cyril, but you should have recognized her. I can't believe you didn't."[/b] After Kori said these words, Ayano gasped. From Etsuko's side she went to Kori and Joy, tripping slightly at first in her shock, hand going out to find Joy's. From there, she began to feel her way up Joy’s arm, to the woman’s shoulder.

[b]"Joy... It's really Joy! Our Joy!!!"[/b] The Princess' voice was excited as a large grin came over her face.

Joy had been fidgeting with the straps on her jacket, anything to appear busy, as the Queen had made her way through the travelers. She stopped stiff as she felt the presence of the Queen in front of her, Kori's regalia replacing the floor that Joy had so intently fixed her gaze upon. When she first heard her name, her real name, the woman stirred and her eyes rose up with alarm only to soften as they met Kori's.   The Queen's look wasn't one of anger. Joy recoiled out of instinct at Ayano's touch, but made no attempt to brush her hand away. And, for what seemed like the first time in years, Joy felt herself smile.

[b]"I'm sorry I took so long to return, Your Majesty. I am glad to see that all of you are well, although I do wish we could have reunited under better circumstances,"[/b] said Joy, her voice straining as she tried to hold back her emotions. The smile slipped from her face. [b]"I...I fear I owe you more than an explanation. Your father, I..."[/b] Joy swallowed and looked away from Kori, lightly tussling Ayano's hair. [b]"...We can talk of that later. If you'll have me, I am here to help."[/b]

As Cyril approached the Queen smiled, nodding as she let go of Joy and stepped back. [b]"Of course, Joy. We'd like nothing more."[/b] Ayano, meanwhile, continued to beam in Joy's general direction. The Prince came to a stop in front of Joy, shifting there briefly, fidgeting some.

[b]"Er... I'm sorry I didn't recognize you immediately."

"I do not think an apology is necessary, but I appreciate it anyway,"[/b] said Joy, tilting her head. She decided to keep it to herself that it had not been her completely part of her intention to be recognized, although she was pleased that things had gone better than she believed they would. A nagging voice in the back of her head reminded her that the other shoe would surely drop soon enough. She nodded to the bloodied helmet. [b]"All I can say is that I am glad you took your lessons to heart. Shall we get back to the matter at hand?"

"Right."[/b] Cyril said with a nod, looking back towards Kori. [b]"What did you mean earlier, Kori?"[/b]

The smile on Kori's face changed slightly, from one of being pleased to one of simply existing. [b]"Direwolf Argentum is still in Gurata, Cyril. He's made sure we still have our allies."[/b] As she said this, Cyril straightened some, before he suddenly brought his hands together, one fist coming down onto the palm of the other.

[b]"Of course! The Guratans! They'll be affected by this too! I can travel as fast as any messenger, and I can bring the Sentinels too, in case. You know how they settle their political decisions..."[/b]

Kori gave another nod. [b]"Ayano, you'll go with them as well, just in case. Gartian hasn't turned north yet, so you'll be out of danger until we have more forces. Inform the Sentinels, Cyril, and get them ready."

"We'll leave tomorrow morning."

"Good."[/b] With that, Kori turned to look towards Ennis. Her smile softened some as she stepped towards the ambassador, her hands in front of her. [b]"What will you do, Ennis? I know this probably wasn't your vision of your most favorable outcome, but you've always worked hard here. I know you hold no ill intentions."

"This is quite the opposite of what I had hoped for, Your Majesty,"[/b] said Ennis. [b]"If there's one thing I want for our two countries, it's peace. The Guratans could help broker that. My family has been on good terms with the chieftains for some time. I could help assist your brother in swaying them into action."[/b]

He omitted the part where he could also ensure that Cyril did not convince the roaming tribes into utterly demolishing the H'kelan forces.

The Queen gave a deeper nod, before looking to her younger brother. [b]"It seems like a good idea."[/b]

Cyril, his expression relatively neutral, gave a nod after a moment. Knowing the Direwolf, he'd have more than enough support to get what was needed for Barcea, but he wouldn't speak against his sister on the matter. [b]"Alright. We'll get it done."

"Take Diviner Tanaka and Ms. Calypso with you, as you go to inform the Sentinels. You still have some extra rooms in that part of the castle, so they can stay there for the night."

"Done."[/b] Cyril looked to Joy then, giving a smile. [b]"Want to come along? I can show you what I've been doing while you were gone."

"It would be an honor,"[/b] said Joy, straightening her posture to one more resembling of a soldier than of a crippled crook. [b]"After you."[/b]

Cyril nodded, and with a gesture he began directing Ayano, Alasa, Etsuko, Calypso, and Joy along. As he passed Kori though, he briefly stopped to say to the Queen quietly, [b]"Make sure to ask him about Drosil."[/b] The Queen's eyebrow raised slightly, but she simply nodded as Cyril continued on.

With that, the group separated. Cyril led those who went with him through the door that was to the left of the throne, into the gently lit hallways of the inner ring. He led them around the curve to the northern part of the castle. Though there was no real change in the appearance of the hallway itself, Cyril seemed to know immediately when they reached their destination, gesturing towards the doors that lined along the inside of the curve, each side by side and a fair distance from one another. He then pointed towards two of them in particular, the two that were closest to the group.

[b]"Ms. Tanaka, Ms. Calypso, those two rooms are currently empty. If you don't mind, you'll be staying there for the night, and I'll make sure servants come to assist you with whatever you need. Over here first, though."[/b]

The Prince led them towards a set of double doors on the outside of the curve, opposite the rooms. Upon opening them and stepping through, he led them through one of the hallways that connected the inner and outer rings, and it became more apparent that they had truly crossed over into a different section of the castle. Both sides of the hallway had windows (and doors for that matter), which allowed them to look out into the courtyards. Here they were set up not for beauty, but clearly for function and training. There were clear spaces set up for sparring and equipment for practicing everything from archery to sword strikes.

Through the opposite set of double doors the Prince led them, to the outer ring of the castle. Once again, there was an obvious shift in appearance from the rest of the castle that they had already seen. Though everything was still clean and well lit, there weren't any sort of decorations set up along this part of the castle. Instead, there were more doors than anything, which (upon further investigation later) would lead to rooms with further training and strength building in mind.

This was the part of the castle that the Sentinels stayed in, and where they stored all their equipment and practiced while in the Capitol.

For a brief distance down the hallway the Prince continued to lead them, towards a door that was slightly ajar. Banter could be heard from it, and Cyril simply pushed the door open all the way for them as he entered. The room itself was large, and was clearly some sort of break room with tables, chairs, and the like.

[b]"Everyone, meet the Sentinels."[/b]

There were three others within the room, and all looked towards them. One sat at the table, and had a meal fit for three set in front of him. He had short brown hair with a little piece that stuck up as a cowlick, and slightly tanned skin. His clothes were of simple cloth and of a deep green, clearly some sort of undershirt with pants; the deep green armor that sat nearby testified to this much. Even as he looked over, he continued munching from one of the many plates in front of him, green eyes blinking slowly.

Another man sat in one of the chairs nearby, where he was cleaning a large axe on his lap. He was a big man, both in height and build, and very clearly strong. He wore furs that covered his lower half and above his midriff, but for the most part his torsos and arms were bare, save for the tattoos of animals that scrawled over him and wrapped around. His skin was a heavy sort of tan, and his hair extremely short and dark. When he looked over to Cyril and those behind him, a big smile began to grow on his face as he stood.

The last one was a young woman who stood up to the side, and at the sight of them snapped her book shut. She turned to approach the Prince with a brisk step, heels clicking against the floor with each movement. She wore a simple but nice dress complete with fine boots and gloves (the colors of which were a variety of tans, faint pinks, and faint greens), and had pale skin with long blonde hair. In her hand she held a staff that was carefully carved and was a sort of faded off-white.

Cyril's eyes widened as he saw her approach, and his face paled as the staff went up.

[b]"Dear Ambrosia-"[/b]

Down the Prince ducked, covering his head as the young woman swung the staff with an almost murderously annoyed glint in her eyes. It just barely passed over his head, instead solidly colliding with the frame of the door. A snap rung out, and the top half of the staff went flying, clattering against the floor. As quick as he had ducked, the Prince came back up, holding his hands up to either side as he pressed back against the doorframe while the young woman held the broken end of the staff towards him, jagged splinters held just a little away from his chest.

[b]"Where have you been?!?"[/b] As she spoke, voice raised up to a slightly shrill pitch, she waved the broken staff threateningly. One could practically see the sweat drop forming on the side of Cyril's thread. [b]"How dare you take Ayano without telling anyone?!? She is precious, what the Hell were you thinking?!? Or were you thinking at all?!?!?"[/b]

Rolling his eyes behind the rest of the group, Alasa reached forwards to give Ayano a gentle push forwards, into view of the young woman. The change that came over her face was immediate as her annoyed expression softened, sharp features becoming gentle as she reached forwards, beginning to carefully pull the Princess back along to where she had been sitting with her book.

[b]"Oh, there you are, sweetie. Are you alright? Cyril didn't push you too hard, did he?"

"U-uh, n-no, Diane, I'm fine..."[/b]

While Ayano was pulled away, Cyril slowly relaxed, reaching up to wipe his forehead and then to touch the top of his head, as if to ensure he hadn't really been hit. He then looked over his shoulder, towards where the staff had impacted against the doorframe, and shuddered after he saw the crushed wood. (Calypso, who was standing closest to the point of impact, was blinking rapidly and her smile seemed almost startled.) Slowly inhaling, he stepped forwards before turning back to face the group once again, hand going around the room to gesture to each individual as he named them.

[b]"Okay then... Anyway, this is Sampson Avary, that's Gortul, and there's Diane Laues."[/b]

He pointed to the eating man, the tall man with the axe, and then the young woman with Ayano in turn. Sampson never stopped eating, just waving his fork between bites. Diane, meanwhile, simply ignored them all, only focused on Ayano as she sat the Princess down. Gortul, in contrast, threw his arms out as he continued to grin widely.

[b]"Welcome, friends!"[/b] Immediately, the man's accent was apparent; his vowels were heavy, speech clumsy, and his "s" came off more as a "z." He seemed truly happy to see them all though, and as Alasa walked by Gortul clapped the archer on his back, an action that almost sent Alasa to the ground as his knees buckled. Cyril, meanwhile, kept his gaze focused on the group, holding up his hands slightly.

[b]"We've been able to grow a fair bit for the few years we've been together. Clearly, we're not that big, but I'm trying to make sure we keep it quality over quantity. Alasa was the first, Diane the second, Sampson the third, and Gortul the fourth. I'm... honestly very proud of how far we've already come, really."[/b]

Meanwhile, the Queen had picked a different path. Gently beckoning the tall armored figure with a slight gesture, she took him to the door to the right of the throne. As she walked along, she looked to one of the guards who stood nearby, bringing up a hand slightly. [b]"We'll be fine, for the time being. I'll return here soon."[/b] The guard nodded and the Queen opened the door, holding it open behind her for the tall figure. As she did so, she looked towards the H'kelan ambassador, giving another nod.

[b]"Do what you need to prepare, Ennis."[/b]

The door led to the inner ring's hallway, which the Queen began to lead the figure along, in the opposite direction that Cyril led the others in. Every once in a while they would see a servant or a guard who would bow to them as the Queen walked along at a leisurely pace, but for the most part they were indeed alone in the quiet hallway. After a minute or two of walking to get away from the throne room, the Queen looked over to the tall figure with her gentle, patient smile.

[b]"I feel like I might understand your need for secrecy, but I need to know as much as you will tell me. Is there anything you can tell me at all? Perhaps your name, to start?"[/b]