[center][b]Kori, Cyril, & Ennis[/b][/center]

It wasn't quite home, but Ennis generally felt comfortable in Barcea's castle. Within those walls he didn't have to ride a horse for an entire day and he didn't have to deal with sleeping on beds stuffed with hay and food made from bones and little else. Today, however, a certain eager nervousness had consumed the ambassador. A letter had been waiting for him at his loft above the flower shop when he had returned briefly to take a bath and change into a nicer set of clothes. It was from Nia, informing him that she had been able to secret away his family away from Gartian and that they were now safely in the care of his father. The happy news was shattered quickly by the time he reached the end of the letter, however. It seemed that his home country was no longer fine with bloodying a few noses and then heading back across the border. However, according to Nia his father had yet to mobilize his troops and that had given Ennis an idea.

Which was the real reason why he was nervous. The room behind the throne was decorated in the traditional and simple blues and whites of the rest of the castle, with only a small wooden table and a few comfortable chairs furnishing the place, but it had a heavy air of importance to it. This was where all of the real decisions were made, out of the earshot of gossips and spies. Ennis had never been in the room before—there was no need for an enemy ambassador to be involved in internal policy for starters, and he also believed the other councilmen did not trust him—but he had been invited personally by the Queen after sending her a request for a private conversation. To him, it was a pretty big deal. Ennis had arrived early. Really early. He paced back and forth behind the small table, his hat clasped in his hands behind his back as his boots threatened to dig themselves into the floor from all of the walking.

He could hear footsteps echoing throughout the large throne room beyond the door: the Queen, surely. Ennis quickly fixed his hair, smoothed his eyebrows, and forced himself to stand the hell still. A small, unworried smile was on his face as Kori stepped through the threshold; the smile dipped just barely as the ambassador saw Cyril behind her. He bowed his head slightly.

"Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice, Your Majesty, Your Royal Highness," he said, gesturing towards the table with his hands. "I'll try to keep this brief. Please, have a seat."

The Queen returned Ennis' smile with her usual grace as she entered, but all the Ambassador got from Cyril was a slight nod. With Kori at the lead the two moved into the room, having already been heading towards the seats even before the ambassador made the suggestion. The Queen sat at the chair at the end of the table, while the Prince sat down at the one next to it. For the moment, Cyril seemed distracted, as if his mind were somewhere else as he remained in his own thoughts, but the focus of the Queen was entirely upon Ennis as she continued to smile.

"What is it, Ennis?"

"I received a letter from a friend," he started. The ambassador did not join the two at the table, deciding to remain standing instead. He pulled Nia's letter out from his tunic and set it on the table, propping himself against it with his hands. "My friend's a soldier in the H'kelan army. She's probably with Gartian's forces right now waiting to begin their march across the border as we speak, but I am sure you two are already quite conscious of the H'kelans field movements and I did not call you here to tell you what you already know." He straightened his collar. "What you may not know is that my father's forces are absent from Gartian's army. The Kirun's soldiers are only of the highest caliber; they are like a fine sword tempered by the masterful blacksmith. Without them Gartian's army is significantly weaker, yet still very much a threat to your country's well-being. I mean no offense when I say it, but from my travels with your brother I can sadly say that your citizens are not as prepared for war as I had thought them to be."

He held out his hand in protest, certain that Cyril would try and bark some patriotic nonsense at him.

"However, I am not here to criticize your people. They have been lucky enough to spend years in peace, whereas mine do not even know what that word means. I've lived here for almost a year. It would absolutely crush me to see any more harm come to these good people." Even if they were a bunch of backwater farmers and dimwits. Ennis didn't add that part in. "Your Sentinels, Cyril, are strong, but there are only a few of them. You need more help. The Guratans are not enough; what they have in strength they lack in tactics and discipline. I am not saying that your forces are going to lose, no, but I am saying that at this moment any victory would be Pyrrhic. I think, however, that I can be of some service. I can make it so that victory is certain."

The ambassador took a step back from the table and looked at Kori. "I'd like to propose an allegiance between our two families. Would you like me to continue?"

Perhaps to the ambassador's surprise, no response came from Cyril when expected; the Prince remained quite calm, and it seemed that what Ennis had to say drew him back to earth, and into the conversation. He was listening carefully, his face grave; though Ennis may have had a habit of talking too much, there were times when he was right, and this was one of them. Still, though, the fact that the Kirun's forces weren't yet a part of Gartian's was a good sign...

The Queen, meanwhile, had to only think for a moment. She gave a slight nod, still smiling gently at Ennis. "I see no harm in hearing what you have to say. Please, continue Ennis, and let us know what you have in mind."

Ennis joined the two at the table.

"I will go to the Kirun and convince my father to march his men against Gartian. He's stubborn, my father, and it will take some effort to make him budge, but I believe he cares too much about his countrymen to see it fall to ruin under some Rabid King. If you swear to me that no reparations would be demanded of the H'kelans and no lands will be annexed once we dispose of Gartian then I am certain I will be able to convince him to act in our favor," he said. "Then, our two countries can try and see if they can live together in peace for a change."

He folded his arms over his chest and smiled, looking towards Cyril. "Of course, I imagine I'd need an escort across the border." He turned back to Kori and said, "But that's only if this idea pleases you, Your Majesty."

"I would like nothing more." Kori said, giving a nod. "You have my word, so long as the next ruler of H'kela doesn't try to continue Gartian's ambitions. That is something I fear almost more than Gartian himself."

Cyril, meanwhile, had brought a hand up to rest on his chin, as he thought it over. "It's too late for you to leave today, not safely. Tomorrow I'll have someone take you to the border, and send a message with you; I'll have you meet up with the Sentinels, and Alasa in particular. If anyone can get you safely over the border and protect you to the Kirun, it'll be him."

"Of course, of course," said Ennis, pleased by how willing the two were to listen to his suggestion. He was less pleased by the idea that he would be setting off the very next day after just getting back, but he knew that time was of the essence. His father would only be able to delay for so long before he was forced to send Gartian some of his troops. Already the ambassador was planning a solution to Kori's concerns, but decided not to speak on it. Ennis pushed himself up from the table, forcing himself to keep his smile on his face from becoming too wide. 

"I thank you for your cooperation. And I can assure you, Your Majesty, that nobody would be foolish enough to follow in Gartian's footsteps," he said, nodding to the pair. "I shall take my leave, then, and prepare for tomorrow's journey."

"Prepare well, Ennis." The Queen said this as she stood up, and Cyril did the same. Once more, the Prince gave a nod before he turned to walk out, back in his own thoughts again. The Queen, meanwhile, gave him another smile, before turning to begin slowly walking out.