[hider=Liang]
[u]Kingdom Name:[/u] Liang
[u]Kingdom Colors:[/u] Green and yellow, although traditionally the colors are red and gold. There is a new flag due to King Ming Mei wanting to get away from Liang's feudal past.
[img]http://i64.tinypic.com/2d7jar7.png[/img]
[u]King and Queen:[/u]
Ming Mei (no queen)
[img]http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m8zeeze9yg1qb87dfo1_500.gif[/img]
Ming is a pragmatic and rational man, unlike his older brother, who had his head in the clouds. He can be brutally honest, and thinks that he's too old for the petty games that the younger members of court like to play. He would much rather go back to his home in the mountains and live out the rest of his days in peace than rule a country, but he does his duty for Mai and Zhou's sake. Ming always had a strained relationship with the rest of his family besides his older brother (Mai's father). He has come to love both his niece and son dearly, and he loves his country just as much. Despite his age, Ming has a quick intellect and a sharp tongue. He exudes an aura of authority and dignity, even though Liang isn't exactly the most powerful of nations at the moment. Ming is known to make practical laws and reforms that benefit all.

[u]What the Kingdom is Known For:[/u] Liang has always been one of the largest nations in the world. Its vast territory includes deserts and mountain ranges and grasslands and rivers, and along banks of the Yellow River was where one of the first ancient civilizations developed. 

Liangii luxury goods were especially coveted all throughout history. From the earliest traders to the industrialists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, everyone wanted Liangii silk, Liangii porcelain, Liangii scented wood...and although factories and industrialization have made silk and porcelain widely available to all, Liangii still retains its status as the original producer of these valuable goods.

Finally, Liang is known for its significant cultural and political contributions. Western forms of government can trace some of its roots back to the Confucius and the civil service exams; and centralized bureaucracies have become all the rage. Culturally, Liang is known for its vibrant and ancient customs and traditions, from elaborate hairpieces to martial arts to stone lions.

[u]Kingdom History:[/u] Liang is a country with a long, rich history that spans from the dawn of civilization to the modern times. One of the first centers of civilization developed on the banks of the Yellow River, and it flourished at the same time that other river valley civilizations such as Mesopotamia and the city-states of the Indus River valley were developing and prospering and declining. The very first dynasty of Liang is considered to be a legend; the existence of the Xia Dynasty has never been confirmed. However, by 1500 BCE, the Shang Dynasty was in power. The foundations of the ideographs characteristic of the written language of Liang date back to the Shang Dynasty. After the Shang Dynasty collapsed around 1000 BCE, the Zhou Dynasty took control over the piece of land surrounding the Yellow River that would eventually develop into modern-day Liang. It was during the Zhou Dynasty that feudalism was first established as an institution in Liang. The idea that the ruling family possessed the "Mandate of Heaven" which gave them the divine right to rule and that the ruling family would lose it when they became cruel or ineffective rulers surfaced during the Zhou Dynasty. The Mandate of Heaven legitimized the Zhou Dynasty's rule, and it would remain as a powerful force in Liang politics for almost three thousand years.

As all dynasties do, the Zhou Dynasty eventually fell from power. Due to the decentralized nature of the Zhou Dynasty's government, many wealthy landowners had acquired a considerable amount of influence and sway over politics in Liang. This led to the Warring States period, and after considerable infighting, the short-lived Qin Dynasty-which is notable for building the Great Wall of China, its harsh Legalist policies, and standardizing things like currency and measurements in Liang.

After the Qin Dynasty came the famed Han Dynasty and its great achievements in politics and science and technology. The Han Dynasty is especially notable for creating the public service examinations. The Han Dynasty rose, prospered, declined, and collapsed, launching Liang into another period of internal strife around 220 CE. 

Fast forward another couple hundred years, and another centralized dynasty emerges-the Sui Dynasty, which was followed by the Tang and then the Song. The Tang Dynasty saw a flourishing of Liang culture and is commonly regarded as Liang's "golden age". The Song Dynasty was overrun by Mongol invaders led by Genghis Khan, and the Yuan Dynasty-established by Kubilai Khan-took power in 1271 CE. Discontent with being ruled by foreigners, resistance to the Yuan Dynasty mounted until the native Liang rose up and overthrew the Mongols and established the Ming Dynasty...and the Ming Dynasty rose, flourished, declined, and fell, to be replaced by the Qing Dynasty.

By now it was a familiar story-each and every dynasty would rise to power, prosper for some time, and then fall. Then, a new dynasty would take its place. It was no wonder that the people of Liang expected nothing less; this same dynastic cycle had been repeating itself for thousands of years, every since the Shang Dynasty of 1500 BCE. Throughout Liang's long and complicated history, it had been relatively isolated from the rest of the world. Early centralization and skill in bronze work had launched their science and technology to arguably the best in the world, rivaling that of the most advanced civilizations of the time. Paper, printing presses, gunpowder, seismographs, silk, porcelain...they all originated from Liang. And like the Western powers, Liang had done some exploration-and found nothing that they wanted. Liang generally had a very isolationist policy; and why not? They had everything they needed in their own country, and held a favorable balance of trade with the Europeans that wanted to get their hands on Liang silk and porcelain and luxury goods.

However, developments that were occurring outside of Liang would change the course of its history. While the Ming Dynasty was in power, the European nations underwent their Renaissance and Age of Exploration, and soon enough, a bit after the Qing Dynasty was established, they went through their Enlightenment period and industrialization. All of these developments effectively propelled Western technology to far above anything found in Liang. During the nineteenth century, European countries began to put pressure on Liang to open up their country to foreign trade. Eventually, this led to the Opium Wars, in which the Qing armies were flat-out crushed. 

Liang entered a period of turmoil that spanned from the late 1800's to the 1950's that featured growing internal unrest and external pressures, and it seemed like the Qing Dynasty would collapse onto itself. During this period, a family of relatively humble origins sought to influence politics enough with cunning diplomacy and well-placed threats to keep the nation together while distinct factions of varying ideologies began to form, the most prominent of them being the nationalists and the socialists. In a bold and daring move that defied all of Liang's traditions, Li Mei married into the Qing Dynasty in hopes of pacifying the common people, as Li himself was regarded as the self-made common man. For a while, it seemed like this ambitious ploy had worked out. Liang lapsed into peace for a couple of years, but the shortcomings of the plan soon became apparent. Li Mei was a better military leader than a ruler, and he ruled too much with his emotions and not enough with his head. To make matters worse, the Empress was extremely conservative, stuck in the ways of the past and refusing to allow for much-needed reforms. Li Mei was assassinated by a group of nobles who were discontent with his policies, and the second-oldest brother of the Mei family-Mai's father-was given the throne at the age of fifteen.

Mai's father was in power under the guise of the Qing Dynasty for about twenty years, and during these twenty years, the imperial dynasty's power steadily began to wan as the Empress and other nobles pulled the strings behind the scenes. During the 1980's, the nearby island-nation known as the Empire of Nippon-allied with a couple Western powers-launched a renewed invasion, which forced Liang to give out even more trading concessions. 

In 1995, the Qing Dynasty was on the brink of disintegration. Six months after Mai Mei was born and sent away to live with Ming Mei (the youngest brother of the Mei family) in the Black Mountains, serfs stormed the capital city of Lianjing and slaughtered the royal family and the nobility. An all-out civil war erupted, with a score of distinct factions that possessed different political ideologies that had been biding their time since Li Mei married into the Qing Dynasty vying for power. The Empire of Nippon also decided to launch yet another invasion in hopes to take over Liang once and for all. The separate factions fought and fought and fought, and eventually there was only one left: the socialists. During the bloody civil war, Ming Mei came out of isolation, getting back in touch with old allies and friends, and creating his own faction to oppose the socialists. 

With most of the other factions dissolved or falling apart, there was only the socialist faction left to eliminate before monarchical rule could be re-established. This group generated widespread support with its ideas of social equality and sharing all property, something which greatly appealed to those that remembered the huge wealth gap present when the Qing Dynasty and the Mei brothers were in power. However, the socialists were intent on purging Liang on all traditional influences, and they alienated the upper and middle class by actively persecuting them just because they happened to have more money. Ming managed to win the support of the wealthy, and the rest is history. With more funds than the socialists could ever imagine to accrue, Ming was able to raise a considerable army and buy firepower from foreign nations, while the socialists were stuck using crossbows and outdated artillery. After defeating the socialists in a series of battles that were concentrated on the socialist strongholds, Ming was finally able to take power-albeit reluctantly-and bring about the revival of the monarchy. 

When he became king, Ming lived frugally, which got the common people on his side. Ming abolished feudalism, redistributed the wealth, and modernized the country with help from a few foreign allies. Since the socialists had pretty much killed off all of the landed gentry, Ming was able to give the vacated land to the public and encourage industrialization. He began establishing foreign relations with friendly countries to help this industrialization into fruition. Ming named Mai as his heir as soon as he took power, because although he was a spry old man, he still was old and wouldn't live forever-plus he never married and never had children. And so began a new dynasty: the so-called Liang Dynasty, to represent [i]all[/i] of Liang. 
[/hider]

[hider=Mai Mei of Liang]
[center][h2][color=FF0000] Mai of Liang [/color][/h2]
[img]http://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/media_photos/low_1460459234_Godmother-Fan-Bingbing-Leisure-High-res.jpg [/img]
[sub][i]"Even the most beautiful roses have thorns."[/i]-[b]Unknown[/b][/sub][/center]

[indent]Mai Hua Mei[/indent]

[b][u]Nickname:[/u][/b] Rose (a nickname given to her by Casimir D'strad of Ortha, due to the fact that her name translates to "rose" in English)

[b][u]Birth date and age:[/u][/b] June 10th, 21

[b][u]Sexuality:[/u][/b] Asexual

[b][u]In Depth Appearance:[/u][/b]
Mai (or Rose) is taller than average, standing at five feet and eight inches. She is about 125 pounds, giving her a rather slender figure. Mai has thick, wavy, midnight-black hair that goes down to her waist and relatively pale skin. Her eyes are a chocolate brown color, and Mai has naturally long eyelashes. She has a heart-shaped face and long, thin fingers. Mai has rosebud lips that are usually painted a deep red color. She has a sort of delicate and dainty look to her, despite the fact that she is tall and willowy. Mai likes dressing up and takes great pride in her appearance.

Mai typically sports some sort of dress (she likes them because there is plenty of space to hide something under the skirts, plus they are just so goddamn [i]pretty[/i]) and does almost everything in a pair of high heels. Her preferred color scheme is red, black, and gold, although she does like to experiment every now and then. Mai absolutely adores traditional Oriental-themed fans and parasols. In terms of cosmetics, Mai is an avid fan of eyeliner, mascara, and even kohl on the occasion. She also absolutely adores lipsticks, though she wouldn't be caught dead in public wearing something as outrageously garish as neon green lipstick (but shh-she does indeed own a tube of neon green lipstick). Mai tends to go rather heavy on the make-up, although she makes sure not to overdo it. 

[center][img]http://coolspotters.com/files/photos/771633/fan-bingbing-profile.jpg?1357428497[/img][/center]
[center][sub][i]"Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like hell underneath."[/i]-[b]Michael Caine[/b][/sub][/center]

[b][u]Personality:[/u][/b]
[center][u]• Charismatic • Sly • Perceptive • [/u][/center]
Mai has always been a people person. There is something about her that seems to draw others to her-whether it's her carefree laugh, her twinkling eyes, or her bright smiles, no one can say. She enjoys a good conversation about anything and everything and is always willing to talk to others. Mai thinks with her heart when she needs to, but uses her brain at the same time. Behind the eyes sparkling with mirth and the delicate lips curved up in a sultry smile is a woman made of steel who is keenly aware of her surroundings. Mai can process a lot of information at one time, taking in peoples' actions, words, and emotions all at once and forming a conclusion based on what she sees and what she knows. She's always been especially good at figuring out people. Mai is constantly listening even if she doesn't tell the world what she's thinking. Mai is particularly good at detecting when others or lying and lying herself. However, if you are someone Mai believes she can trust, she will shed the half-dazzling and half-seductive smile for a more natural grin and pour her heart out to you with no attempts to manipulate or deceive.

Mai is not "smart" in the usual traditional of the word-complicated mathematics and things like astrophysics and literary analyses all go straight over her head. But Mai has always been a people person, and she knows what makes people tick. She is able to work out what others might think and how they might act based on what she sees and knows about them. Years of being around people with more suspicious motives has led to Mai being initially distrustful wary of strangers. Of course, on the outside, Mai is demure and charming and polite; using a perfect combination of sugary sweetness and sharp wit to detract attention from her real intentions-she has learned to play her part well during the years spent at court and in the presence of her uncle's enemies.

[b][u]Likes:[/u][/b]
[list]
[*]Lipstick
[*]Things that are stylish yet dangerous (shoes with spiked heels, parasols with blades on the ends, etc)
[*]Calligraphy
[*]Getting dressed up
[*]Roses and all things red
[*]Liang-she loves her home with all her heart
[/list]

[b][u]Dislikes:[/u][/b]
[list]
[*]Sloppiness (especially in clothing)
[*]Untrustworthy people
[*]People who don't think before they act
[*]Anything sexual (Mai thinks it's just gross)
[*]Useless violence and destruction
[/list]

[b][u]Fears:[/u][/b]
[list]
[*]Feeling like she isn't in control
[*]Being read like an open book
[*]Being manipulated or used
[*]Her uncle being forced to give up power
[*]A repeat of the extreme violence that she witnessed in her early years
[*]Liang being invaded and taken over by a foreign power
[/list]

[b][u]Biography:[/u][/b] When Mai was born, the Liang royalty was on the brink of disintegration. Several distinct factions of varying beliefs and ideologies had risen to power, but all of them agreed on one thing-it was time for the imperial dynasties to go. Liang was technologically behind most major world powers, and although it was large and had plentiful natural resources, the military was stretched far too thin and its techniques were totally backwards. Liang's dire situation came to light about a decade before Mai was born with the invasion of a neighboring nation that caught everybody by surprise. Within a year, Liang was forced to give major trading concessions to a dozen different countries that all wanted to get their hands on the silk, porcelain, and other luxuries that the country was famous for. In response to foreigners taking over their land, jobs, and positions, the people of Liang began to grow more discontent, and the unrest finally broke out in violence when Mai was just half a year old.

The first wave of revolts came from the countryside, where impoverished serfs were suffering from sky-high taxes and no opportunity to better their station in society. Mai's father was not a particularly effective ruler, and her mother was too stuck in tradition and the days of the old. Both of them refused to do anything about the feudal system that was obviously tearing the country apart. And so the violence escalated and people grew angrier and angrier until they eventually stormed the capital city of Lianjing and killed off the entire royal family-all but Mai, who was sent away to be protected by her father's younger brother. 

After the royal family was ousted, Liang erupted into an all-out civil war. Each separate faction refused to tolerate the others, and widespread warfare gripped the nation. To make matters worse, the neighboring island-nation known as the Empire of Nippon decided to take advantage of the turmoil and invade Liang. However, Mai lived safely in isolation. Her uncle, Ming Mei, was believed to be dead after he fled from court. Mai's father was the only one to know that Ming had done so because he wanted to pursue a life other than that of a member of the royal family. In his small home near a stretch of imposing mountains known as the Black Mountains, Ming spent his days learning multiple fighting styles and indulging in the arts. He taught Mai everything he knew, and by the time she was fifteen Mai could knock someone out in ten different ways, wield a variety of blades, and paint breathtaking landscapes. 

Mai knew from an early age that she was royalty. Ming told her everything as soon as she was old enough to understand it, and Mai has always accepted that one day she would rule-no matter what it took. As she grew up, Ming began to come out of isolation, getting in contact with old friends and allies, most of whom were shocked to find him alive and breathing. The faction in power changed over a dozen times before Mai was ten, and most of the common people were sick and tired of all the fighting. Some even began to wish that the royal family had never been killed, as there were times of prosperity during the reign of Mai's parents despite the fact that they were completely ineffective rulers. Ming used the political instability to his advantage, and formed his own distinct faction-a faction that would support the reinstatement of a monarchical rule. 

His efforts finally paid off when Mai was about eleven. With most of the other factions dissolved or falling apart, there was only one more faction to eliminate-the socialists. This group generated widespread support with its ideas of social equality and sharing all property, something which greatly appealed to those that remembered the huge wealth gap present when Mai's parents were in power. However, the socialists were intent on purging Liang on all traditional influences, and they alienated the upper and middle class by actively persecuting them just because they happened to have more money. Ming managed to win the support of the wealthy, and the rest is history. With more funds than the socialists could ever imagine to accrue, Ming was able to raise a considerable army and buy firepower from foreign nations, while the socialists were stuck using crossbows and outdated artillery. After defeating the socialists in a series of battles that were concentrated on the socialist strongholds, Ming was finally able to take power-albeit reluctantly-and bring about the revival of the monarchy.

Due to the nature of his activities, Ming was usually forced to bring Mai along with him because of security reasons. Ming firmly believed that Mai was the safest at his side, no matter what anybody else said. Mai grew up seeing how the poor lived and experiencing it herself, and vowed that she would be a better ruler than any of the faction leaders or her parents. She also encountered many people who would undermine her uncle and everything he stood for if they could, and learned not to judge a book by its cover, so to speak. Mai has seen more than her fair share of violence and destruction in her day, and she has an instinctive mistrust of the military due to the brutal acts carried out by the soldiers of the competing factions and the army of the Empire of Nippon. Mai learned to speak the numerous dialects of Liang, and she grew up speaking the Black Mountain dialect as opposed to the official language (Meridian). She has also learned to speak other languages, including English and Spanish (although she has a slight accent with English and an atrocious accent with Spanish, which she is well aware of and working to get rid of). Ming Mei also made sure that he taught her all that he knew of court intrigue. When he became king, Ming lived frugally, which got the common people on his side. Ming abolished feudalism, redistributed the wealth, and modernized the country with help from a few foreign allies. Since the socialists had pretty much killed off all of the landed gentry, Ming was able to give the vacated land to the public and encourage industrialization. He began establishing foreign relations with friendly countries to help this industrialization into fruition. Mai's teenage years were spent living in a beautiful palace with courtiers and officials running every which way. Ming named her as his heir as soon as he took power, because although he was a spry old man, he still was [i]old[/i] and wouldn't live forever-plus he never married and never had children. Ming also arranged a marriage for Mai in order to secure an alliance that would greatly help the industrialization process going on. Mai didn't like it, but she recognized that she would have to go through with the marriage in order to ensure the survival of her uncle's precarious reign.

As for Zhou-Mai's cousins-Mai was initially very suspicious of him due to the possibility that he could have been working for one of her uncle's enemies, but she has grown fond of him over time and now does not think that he has any ulterior motives at all. Mai does her best to keep him from messing up [i]too[/i] much in front of other royalty, although that is a task that is much easier said than done.

Theme Song: 
[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rfSHisyHdc]Castle-Halsey[/url]
[sub][i] I'm headed straight for the castle
They wanna make me their queen
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying that I probably shouldn't be so mean
I'm headed straight for the castle
They've got the kingdom locked up
And there's an old man sitting on the throne that's saying I should probably keep my pretty mouth shut[/i][/sub]

[b][u]Other:[/u][/b] 
Color code-FF0000
Face claim: Fan Bingbing

[img]https://www.dramafever.com/st/news/images/fa16aa18972bd4075266626b78899e510eb309b1.jpg[/img][/hider]

[hider=Mai's Relations Sheet]
[center][h1][color=FF0000]Mai Mei[/color][/h1]
[img]http://www.royalcaribbeanpresscenter.com/media_photos/low_1460459234_Godmother-Fan-Bingbing-Leisure-High-res.jpg [/img]
[color=FF0000]{[/color][i]"My skin has turned to porcelain, to ivory, to steel." -Sansa Stark (George R.R. Martin) [/i][color=FF0000]}[/color]
⚜ Respects ~*~ ☯ Neutral ~*~ ☮ Friends ~*~ ♫ Best Friends ~*~ § Wary of ~*~ ♥ Potential Love Interest [/center]
[center]
☯[color=ed1c24][b]Raven Willow[/b][/color]☯
[i]"She appears friendly enough, with a stubborn streak that pop culture has deemed "fashionable". Likable, yes, but prepared to rule? That I cannot be so sure of."[/i]
Relation Details

☯[color=7ea7db][b]Shawn Hunter[/b][/color]☯
[i]"Goodness gracious, he may just be worse than Zhou, from what I've read of him."[/i]
Relation Details

§ [color=a187be][b]Elizaveta Romanova[/b][/color]⚜
[i]"She reminds me of myself-the revolution, the tyrannical father, the hiding. That makes me wary of her almost instantly. But there is something in her that I lost long, long ago-I feel that she still believes that people are inherently good. Perhaps that may not be such a bad thing for someone like Elizaveta."[/i]
Relation Details

☯[color=007236][b]Feora Swinth[/b][/color]☯
[i]"She seems like a very headstrong and willful woman, one who would never stand for an arranged marriage. I wonder how that will play into the dynamics of her betrothal."[/i]
Relation Details

♫[color=0054a6][b]Zhou Xianshi[/b][/color]♫
[i]"Zhou, Zhou, Zhou. What am I ever going to do with Zhou?"[/i]
Zhou is Mai's cousin. He was born a bastard but discovered his true heritage, and after Mai's uncle took the throne, Zhou quite literally burst into the throne room and demanded answers. Initially, Mai was distrustful of him, suspecting a conspiracy or something of that nature, but she gradually grew to think of him like a very improper and troublesome brother.
☯[color=2F4F4F][b]Caterina Versini[/b][/color]☯
[i]"​She's quite the confident one, is she not? One must wonder how it feels to be in her position, after the murder of her sister. I am inclined to believe that at least some of that confidence is forced.​ After all, she was not raised to be the heir.​​​​"[/i]​ 
Relation Details​  

☯[color=0054a6][b]John Drake[/b][/color]☯
[i]"​A tutor on princely duties, hmm? If he needs a tutor, I wonder how he views the 'antiquated' practice of arranging marriages. Not with much enthusiasm, I'd gather.​"[/i]
Relation Details

​​♥[color=sandybrown][b]Casimir D'strad[/b][/color]☮
[i]"Oh, Casimir! His sense of fashion is both ridiculous and striking at the same time, and Ortha is absolutely enchanting-at least, the parts I've seen of it. He's quite a charmer, that Casimir, but like his kingdom, there is more to him that just what he allows to show through. I am certain of it."[/i]
​Mai met Casimir while she was accompanying her uncle on a trip to Ortha in an effort to negotiate a trade deal. She accepted his invitation to go explore the city surrounding the palace at night, and was rather surprised when he began to lavish her with gifts. To this day, she remembers him affectionately, though she recognizes that holding on to lingering feelings of fondness will do her no good in the years to come. 

☯[color=00a651][b]Zachary Hunter[/b][/color]☯
[i]"​Is it possible to be even more of a troublemaker than Zhou? Because if so, Zachary and Shawn certainly are.​"[/i]
Relation Details

☯[color=00aeef][b]Nikolai Johanssen[/b][/color]​​☯
[i]"​Fooled by a pretty girl and some sweet words in his youth, eh? Interesting."[/i]
Relation Details​​
​
§[color=b069d4][b]​Liviana Traianus​[/b][/color]​⚜
[i]"​Never judge a book by its cover. She may be small, but she is intelligent, and the intelligent ones are the most dangerous, even if Liviana herself does not believe this.​"[/i]
Relation Details
​
☯[color=royalblue][b]Leonard Ford[/b][/color]​☯
[i]"Brought up with two competing ideologies, it seems like. I do wonder how that has affected his way of thinking."[/i]
Relation Details
​
§[color=FF0000][b]Edwin Drakewine[/b][/color]​☯
[i]"A romance with a middle-class girl leading to her murder, hmm? How intriguing. He gives off the impression of being as strong as the empire he is to one day rule, but there are cracks in his armor. Even so, it would be extremely unwise to underestimate him in any way, shape, or form."[/i]
Relation Details
​
​​☯[color=799C82][b]Yu Song[/b][/color]☯
[i]"He reminds me of a calmer version of Zhou." [/i]
Relation Details
​
☯[color=FF4193][b]Isobel Martinez[/b][/color]☯
[i]"Are her acts of charity genuine or for show? Nevertheless, she and Zhou will make for a heap of trouble. That will be a pain to deal with, to say the least."[/i]
Relation Details
​
☯[color=cyan][b]Henry Peterson[/b][/color]☯
[i]"His past reminds me of Zhou. Adventurous and filled with fun and exploration, I do not doubt. But the more important question here is if he is capable of ruling well or not."[/i]
Relation Details
​
​​♕§[color=burlywood][b]Niklas König[/b][/color]⚜♕
[i]"I suppose I already have an unfair perception of him, given my past history with generals and soldiers and the like. If I ignore his military background, Niklas is almost too good to be true. In any case, his country is strong, and like it or not, Liang needs this alliance. So I will do what I must and put the past behind me. There is no other option."[/i]
Mai has always harbored an instinctual distrust of all things military, due to the fact that she had seen enemy soldiers do unspeakable things during her childhood and early teen years while her uncle was marshaling support for his cause. She tries to forget and move past it, especially since she is betrothed to the prince of a militaristic nation, but some things are easier said than done. Nevertheless, Mai will do all she can to make sure that her marriage is one that is beneficial to Liang and brings prosperity to her people.

☯[color=fff79a][b]Serafina Grey[/b][/color]☯
[i]"Why must she insist on dressing in all black? It makes her look like one of those overly dramatic teenagers who have too much time on their hands. But beyond that, she seems impulsive and overly emotional. Unfit to rule? Perhaps. We shall see."[/i]
Relation Details

⚜[color=forestgreen][b]Cara O'Brien[/b][/color]☯
[i]"Her blunt nature is a breath of fresh air compared to the stifling atmosphere at court back in Liang. Nevertheless, I must tread carefully around her. She wasn't chosen to be the heir to the throne of the Celtic Consortium for no reason."[/i]
Relation Details

☯[color=thistle][b]Sade Magoro[/b][/color]☯
[i]"Carefree and optimistic, two usually positive traits that can be very dangerous in a ruler. I suppose the death of her older brother has grounded her a little bit, though."[/i]
Relation Details

☯[color=C71585][b]Talya Krasnoff[/b][/color]☯
[i]"​We are almost complete opposites. She's practically grown up as a normal teenager-​​and a rebellious one at that. And oh, for the love of Liang, [/i]what[i] has she done to her hair?! I'm not sure if I like it or not, but it fits her very well."[/i]
Relation Details


§​[color=rosybrown][b]​Fareeha Amari[/b][/color]☯
[i]"Too arrogant for her own good, that one, but I'd best keep my thoughts to myself. You'd have to be a fool to alienate the princess of an oil giant like  Mamlakat Alssahra​.​"[/i]
Relation Details

​???[color=FF0000][b]​Mai Mei[/b][/color]​???​
[i]"​I can only hope that I am prepared to take the throne when the time comes. Nothing else matters besides the survival and prosperity of Liang and its people. If I am to be queen, I must remember that a queen belongs to her people, not herself. Who I used to be does not matter. Who I want to be, what I want to do, none of it matters. Liang comes first, and I will do anything for my kingdom.​"[/i]
​Mai recognizes that she's lost some of herself on the way to the throne, but she isn't sure if that's necessarily a bad thing. Mai may put on a facade of being coquettish and even a little carefree, but on the inside, she is always analyzing everything about everyone and tends to be rather cynical. She wonders if there will ever be a day where she can just be [i]herself[/i], whatever that may be, but she knows that it is not very likely and readily accepts the fact that she will be the Mai that Liang needs her to be, not the Mai that she thinks she is.

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[hider=Aesthetic Boards and Outfits]

Aesthetic Boards:

[hider=Porcelain]

[b][i]"My skin has turned to porcelain,"[/i][/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/wIC3Yha.png[/img]

[i]Mai grew up at in a tiny village deep inside the peaks of an imposing mountain range on the southeastern border of Liang. She was raised by her uncle and developed a love for traditional Liangii brush calligraphy and the blue mountain poppies that could be found everywhere. She very much enjoyed painting Liangii fans and parasols by hand as well. Mai grew up with tea and plain wooden bowls filled with rice and simple cotton dresses. Sometimes, she misses her old life so much that it aches, but inside, Mai knows that she can never go back to the simple existence she once led amidst blue poppies and crisp mountain air.[/i]
[/hider]

[hider=Ivory]
[b][i]"to ivory,"[/i][/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/tEshsok.png[/img]

[i]Mai had just turned nine when the whirlwind began. Her uncle came out of hiding and went off to gather support for his cause, leaving Mai in the capable hands of a close friend. When the socialist leaders caught wind of this, they tracked down Ming's home in the mountains and burned it down. Mai watched in horror as the only livelihood she had ever known went up in flames, not daring to call attention to herself by crying out. Her uncle eventually heard about this and decided that Mai would be the safest at his side. So from then on Mai was not Mai, but rather Xing Xing, the poor daughter of a farmer, or Yueyin, the wealthy niece of an educated businessman, or a score of other identities that Mai donned like her favorite sweater. And when Ming finally took the throne, Mai continued to play her part, becoming a demure, pliant young girl. During this time of transition, all Mai saw was red, red, red-red blood, red flags, red fires-and the red became as much of a part of her as the black of her hair or the brown of her eyes. Mai slipped into a pair of spiky heels, painted her lips red, and realized that even the most beautiful of roses could have wickedly sharp thorns.[/i]

[/hider]

[hider=Steel]
[b][i]"to steel."[/i][/b]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/DBxrSwU.png[/img]

[i]Now, Mai participates in the cutthroat politics and backroom deals that run rampant in Liang as the former members of the various factions that officially dissolved when her uncle took the throne continue to vie for power. Mai has sweetened her tongue and sharpened her bladed fans, masking her rather cynical judgments with innocent smiles and coy glances. On the outside, Mai is still the compliant girl she played during the onset of her uncle's reign, her head supposedly filled with nothing more than thoughts of suitors and dresses and make-up, but on the inside lies a perceptive, analytical strategist, wary and patient. One thing's for sure, though; Mai and her uncle have quite literally clawed their way up to the top, and Mai will not let anyone or anything stand in the way of making Liang as prosperous as it was in the ancient times.[/i]

[/hider]
[img]http://i.imgur.com/4kX36ZL.png[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/45uYhmj.png[/img]

[img]http://i.imgur.com/ol9KmB7.png[/img]

Outfit for Grand Ball/General Aesthetic:
[img]http://i.imgur.com/2x0d1aL.png[/img]

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