[b]Monavdu, Alysfyn[/b]

Thick leather boots lined with the fur of some northern beast clacked against the polished tiling and resonated through the high ceilings of the Monavdu palace; their echoes accompanied by the telltale jingling of chainmail armor. Honor guards standing with statuelike rigidity looked on from either side of the corridor as the trio made their way to the King's chambers. Flanked on both sides by towering, stoic northmen, Prince Theodocis Haalenstern swaggered down the hall with purpose. Though he was a royal son, Theodocis could have easily been mistaken by the more civilized courtiers for some manner of northern warlord. Indeed, the palace guard had tensed noticeably when they had been allowed in the doors; Vedic warriors were easy enough to spot, and the reputation of the sons of Veden preceded them. Veden was, as all those acquainted with the peoples and customs of the world, was a land of wild, turbulent men. Their skill with the with the axe was unmatched, and their qualms with finding use for it few in number. Those who desired peace and order were always on edge in the presence of the sons of Veden.

For a man of Veden, especially one of royalty, Prince Theodocis was rather short in stature. The sons of Veden were known among other things for their respectable height, as one might imagine looking upon the warriors accompanying Prince Haalenstern. Theodocis, though, stood a full head shorter in height than the guards at his flanks. Even so, he was formidable enough. His physique was that of a bear - giant shoulders covered with studded pauldrons swung to and fro with every step and barrel of a chest beneath that. A mane of coarse yellow hair fell down his shoulders in a single braided column upon a cuirass of leather sheets interstitiated with swathes of chainmail armor. A thick goatee of the same blonde hair curled around his mouth and hung in an angular, trimmed beard off of his blocky chin. Underneath a hanging brow, gray eyes looked over each of the armored guards contemptuously. If only he had been born a few inches taller, the Vedic prince might almost qualify as a giant.

As he was every time he visited the palace at Monavdu, Theodocis was deeply impressed by its exquisite architecture. With every visit, the northern prince discovered some new detail of the edifice. Be it the gargoyles, the vaulted ceiling, or the skylight windows beaming warm golden sunlight down from above him; the palace had fascinated him ever since he had first laid eyes upon it nearly a decade ago. Even after becoming so familiar with the structure's magnificence, Theodocis made it a point to notice something new about it whenever it crossed his mind. Prince Haalenstern was thoroughly convinced it was the greatest edifice in all the world. Even if it was not, certainly there was nothing in Veden that could hope to match its majesty.

As the trio came to the end of the corridor, Prince Haalenstern and his companions came to a massive double door guarded whose handles were guarded by a final pair of honor guards. Standing directly in front of the door, a guard draped in a loose cape. With mechanical precision, the captain of the guard stretched his hand out toward the approaching prince and extended his palm to bring the him and his guards to a halt several meters from the door.

"In the name of his most noble majesty - our glorious King Malius Enywyr - halt now and state thy intent!" The caped guard demanded from the bottom of his throat. His hand fell back to his side, but now hovered noticeably close to the pommel of his sheathed blade as if he expected the need to draw it.

"I am Theodocis Haalenstern, son of Dragan Haalenstern, Lord of All Veden. Your King has summoned me to this hall, and I come now to make good on his command." The Prince's voice boomed through the hall, as if he spoke from inside of a barrel. Satisfied with the prince's response, the guard captain stepped out of the way and permitted the two guards manning the doors to draw open the door. The guard captain led Theodocis through the doors into the interior palace, leaving his companions alone in the corridor as the doors were closed behind him and his escort. A brief, silent tour through a series of colonnaded hallways brought the two out another door into an opulent patio overlooking a manicured lawn and the harbor beyond it. There, seated upon his lounging chaise, was none other than King Malius himself lounging to the song of crashing surf and gullsong.

"Your majesty." Said the guard captain as he dropped to his knees, allowing his cape to pile in bunches upon the floor of the patio. "Prince Theodocis Haalenstern of Veden, as you requested." With that, the guard turned on his heels and left the two in privacy.

"Noble King." Prince Theodocis acknowledged in perfect though deeply-accented Sphili, offering a respectful bow of the head. "Word has reached my ears that my services are to be of use to once again. How may I serve thee?"