[hr][hr][center][color=black][b][h2]Bretturean[/h2][/b][/color]
[b]City of Everyren, Bretturean Kingdom[/b]
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The city of Everyren possessed an air filled with the clamor and the chaos of a large port city in the busiest time of day. The whole town seemed alive with activity as it bobbed and weaved as many common folks went about their business. The Grand keep in the center of the city was the heart of the capital. The fortress possessed a gray stone exterior surrounded by a colorful green courtyard filled with vines and planted flowers imported from the forest realm to the east. It was within this high structure that the council of Lord Knights was now holding court. The chamber was large and ornate; banners hung from the walls as well as ceremonial swords and shields.  It was a circular room of generous size. It held a domed ceiling above with chimneys strategically placed above burning braziers so that the chamber was always warm regardless of the season or weather. 
 
In the center of the room stood a half circle of men, five in number, with each wearing ornate armor with regel capes and belted swords. Before them was a round table of oakwood and on its face was the blooming flower artistry that was the heraldry of Bretturean. The man who sat in the middle of these knightley lords looked to be a ruggedly handsome man, he appeared young though his dark eyes seemed to possess a sharpness that hinted at a brilliant intellect. A courtier entered the chamber through two large double wooden doors and stopped short a few feet from the table with a low bow. 
 
"M'lords, the delegation from Illyrica has arrived." 
 
The center Lord nodded as he scratched his beard, "send them in, we shall hear their words." His Bretturean accent thick and strong. 
 
The courtier quickly disappeared through the large doors and within moments they were swung wide open. Three figures marched in, two cream colored Suns of Mars fitted in an impressive array of armor that caught every spark of light offered, their faces concealed by their helms, and one very different looking woman. 
 
She wore the badge of Iao on her right shoulder and the emblem of Mother Night on her left, both clipped a long flowing cape the color of a purple spring night. Her body was wrapped in furs and belts, hiding the glints of steel that formed her armor, and upon her face she wore a large black patch over her left eye, a jagged scar running from under it and down her otherwise flawless cheek to cleave the corner of her lips. Despite her look of experience, she held herself well, and with a spring of youth in each step.
 
The trio approached the round table of knights, the escorting Suns stopping halfway there while the delegate continued her approach. As she found herself by the hem of the table she pressed her fist to her chest and bowed her head, “Lords of Bretturean,” she looked up and paused where one would expect her to flood the room with the various titles endowed on both her and the company before her, but instead she smiled at the group before her, “I have no doubt you are all well aware of why I am here.”
 
One of the seated Lords possessed of sharp features with a goatee and mustache, tapped a finger on his hard wood of the table and spoke, "a guess may be a hazard, you act as voice for your Mother Night yes? Well, then speak and have your words meet acknowledgment." 
 
“Charce has provoked Illyrian attention into the south with unnecessary violence, and is quickly bringing despair and destruction to this previously unbothered land,” The delegate shook her head, “My Archon seeks out the voices of reason and understanding among the Lords of Bretturean to help us all see this rising conflict ended quickly.”
 
One of the knight lords sitting to the far left, broader of the waist and build than the rest,  drummed his fingers as he responded, "unprovoked violence is it, well a that sounds a right dodgy that given the news we've heard. If what you say is true, what would you have Bretturean do?" 
 
“Wait,” the delegate seemed dumbfounded, “dodgy, news? Charce has attacked our borders, disrupted the peace in the south, and has set up to invade Illyrica. We cannot have this be a precedent for the south, the fighting will simply spill over and the council of Iao has made it very clear that they want to stay out of the south indefinitely.”
 
The delegate sighed, “I have been asked by Lord Regent Ai to come to Bretturean to propose a simple alliance and eventually a peaceful pact to ensure that wars in the future can be avoided by stopping such bold strikes we now see Charce making.”
 
"As we hear it," said the same pot-bellied Lord, "it was Illyrica that has threatened the peace, the border towns of Samis, Diosissa, and… ah yes Apussae are known to have been gutted this month alone." 
 
"Lord Ivan has a point," spoke the mustached noble from before, "nevermind it is well known Illyrica employs privateers to waylay trade on the Sunset seas; your own Mother Night has claimed sovereignty of the East. The invasion of the Northern Kingdoms has made that all too clear Illyrica to rule everything east of the Shambled lands. Are we to believe Illyrica has suddenly lost its thirst for conquest?"
 
The delegate cocked a brow above her good eye, “my Lords, Illyrica has no thirst for conquest. Mother Night asked of Iao to take the lawless lands so that they may be secured under her -- Bretturean is no lawless land, and Charce was not without law. I hadn’t even heard the names on the lips of my superiors until Charce began murdering our southern patrols and building large forts on our border. There were no orders from Illyrica be it Iao, or the Southern Archon’s and Exarch’s to even touch a hair of the south until the recent aggressions. Lesmania was secure and out of the sight of the Archon of War himself, already deemed sufficiently attended to by her own politics and leaders. Charce has fallen from this point of view, and now we ask Bretturean to help us balance things once more before entire cities of blood are spilled.”
 
"You must think us so daft as to-" the man was cut short when the lord sitting in the center raised his hand for silence.
 
"Enough Lord Beerus," said the dark-eyed man as he turned his gaze toward the delegate, "assuming Mother Night's desire for peace is genuine, what assurances can Illyrica give that they do not seek the to add the southern kingdoms to her rule. And what aid would Illyrica ask of Bretturean concerning Charce?" 
 
“Charce has shown itself unfit for peace and it’s leaders have proved unable to maintain a balanced border with us, and so it would be under the best interests of the South if the lands of Charce were put under a split custody of both Illyrican and Bretturean, split down an agreed border, to maintain a peaceful and possibly open border in the future,” the Delegate answered, her hand finding its way to the top of a chair’s back, “Illyrica alone can’t say what is best for Charce, but Bretturean can fill where we lack to ensure this balanced alliance. The Beyond knows there are greater threats to the lands of mortals, and such infighting -- especially without prior parlay’s and meetings -- serves no one.”
 
There were grumbles from around the table at this declaration, and a few shifted in their seat while the man in the center of Lords, Varncknis, remained silent for a time. The others looked on as if waiting for his lead. Finally, he broke the silence, "you speak in a very round about manner delegate. But it is evident you would have us dishonor ourselves by turning on our allies based on their supposed breaking of this peace?"
 
There was a pause before he continued, "the roundtable will convene and discuss this...proposition of yours. We must also meet with Sea Lord Karadal to validate these allegations of skive and warmongering you so quickly level. In the candle length till then, you and your retinue are free to enjoy the hospitality of Bretturean."
 
“Might I leave on a final word?” The Delegate quickly asked.
 
Lord Varncknis crossed his fingers under his chin and nodded giving her permission to speak. 
 
“Might Charce revoke her aggressions and lay down her arms, so would Illyrica. We do not want the war, and we come to you only if Charce will not see reason, so I wish you luck on your talks with Lord Karadal. If even all three nations could simply talk and avoid armed conflict, then there would be a great victory for all of us. Thank you for your ears,” The delegate bowed her head and lifted her fist to her chest as before. As silence overtook her audience, the delegate gave one more parting bow before turning, her hand slipping from the untaken seat she had held. Only the sounds of her boots clapping the floor made sound as she exited the room, her Suns following shortly after.