[h3][b]L I U  &  M A I[/b][/h3]
[hr][hr]
"Your Majesty." 

Liu turned at the sound of Mai Mei's voice. He watched her approach, warily (though he did a spectacular job of hiding it), acknowledging her with a nod. "Lady Mai."

To say that Liu was not happy about this arrangement was...an understatement. [i]Everybody[/i] knew that the Duchess of Mei'an desired his hand in marriage. It was the way things were done, amongst the nobles of Euhijan; women married up. And men married in whatever direction they chose.

Of course, as a duchess of one of Euhijan's most prosperous regions, there was no [i]up[/i] save for one of the king's advisers, a prince, or the king himself. And seeing as the king's advisers were all currently married, well-there you have it.

In other circumstances, perhaps, Liu would not have been so hesitant to marry the duchess. But there was the [i]small matter[/i] of her former husband, the Duke of Mei'an. He'd died in a hunting accident, apparently. Liu didn't think that the fact this "accident" had happened just a few months after the duke killed his daughter as a pledge of loyalty to the former Regent was a coincidence.

There was no evidence of any wrongdoing on Mai's part, of course, though Liu would not have put it past her. [i]I suppose I should have thanked her for arranging for the duke's death, you know,[/i] he mused idly to himself. [i]He[/i] was[i] one of Jiangli's supporters, after all.[/i]

Her dislike for Jiangli aside, though, Mai was still too dangerous to marry. Her father wanted the throne, had [i]always[/i] wanted the throne, and Liu was no fool-he knew why Mai's father kept insisting on the marriage. It was fairly obvious, really.

The [i]real[/i] question was whether or not Mai wanted to do what her father said.

He hoped that the time they would spend together in Vertiron would give him an opportunity to answer this question. Frankly, Liu had no intention of marrying one of the princesses from the other kingdoms, and having Mai on his arm during the official events would help dissuade any princess or noblewoman who sought to make a name for herself by marrying the frigid King of Euhijan. 

And if any of them thought to win him over with their "womanly charm"?

[i]I'd like to see them try,[/i] Liu thought, amused. His cold eyes flitted over to Mai, who was standing next to him, waiting for their gift to the Queen Regent and King Theodoro to arrive. [i]I wonder how long it will take her to figure it out. Oh, I've no doubt that she will realize it, eventually; Mai Mei is a smart woman. I suppose there will be some part of her that is relieved, mmm. I imagine that her wedding night was not particularly pleasant, given the duke's...proclivities.[/i]

Liu was drawn from his thoughts at the arrival of the gift. Two servants held a box made from gleaming rosewood between them. The box was simple but elegant; the surface was not cluttered with intricate carvings or bright paint, but anybody could see that it was made of some of the finest wood in the entire world and had been polished to perfection. 

Liu arched an eyebrow, turning slightly so that he was facing Mai. "Shall we?"

Mai gave him a small, sly smile. "After you, Your Majesty." Her voice was soft; she gazed up at him from lowered lashes. 

Something in Liu's expression hardened as he turned away and began walking.

*****

A short while later, the pair had reached the ballroom. A herald announced their presence, and Liu took the opportunity to scan the room, taking in the sights and sounds that were so different from those of Euhijan. 

Liu knew that he must have stood out among the other guests, if only for the severe nature of his attire; he wore dark gray robes, almost black, with a high collar and long sleeves that left only his head and hands uncovered. Those with a keener eye for fashion would see that his clothing was made of very expensive fabric, despite the complete and utter lack of ornamentation.

Liu was perfectly aware that the other kingdoms wore black at funerals and for mourning purposes, yes. He also didn't particularly [i]care[/i].

Mai, on the other hand, wore deep crimson silks, tastefully decorated with swirling gold embroidery. She had painted her lips the same rich red color as well, and her black hair was sparkling with jeweled hairpins. The red went beautifully with her hair and complexion, Liu noted, though there was something vaguely threatening about the color. [i]Looks more of a blood-red than crimson,[/i] Liu thought to himself. 

As they made their way to Queen Theresa and King Theodoro, Liu began to study the other guests in attendance. There was a red-haired woman who looked Astarian, and who held herself with too much energy to be a typical noblewoman, although her blouse and skirts suggested that she was of noble birth. A lanky man with the same red hair downing a glass of wine-[i]Not Astarian, that's for sure,[/i] Liu realized as he and Mai walked past him. [i]That accent is....strange.[/i]

Liu thought he caught a glimpse of the golden-haired crown prince of Astaria at some point, although his attention was drawn away from him by a black-haired woman wearing a gown with a neckline so low that it rivaled Mai's. He could practically feel the duchess mentally arching an eyebrow as they swept by.

"I suppose she does not care for tradition, either," Mai murmured, referring to the color of the woman's gown. 

Liu gave her a slightly amused look. Mai had spoken in the dialect of her home, a dialect so different from the Euhijanian spoken in the capital that it may as well have been an entirely different language. "I suppose she does not," Liu whispered back in the same dialect. He studied her reaction-a small glint of wry amusement appeared in the duchess's eyes for a couple of seconds.

[i]Two can play this game, my lady,[/i] Liu thought, idly.

Ahead of them, there was a small commotion centered upon something black and white and furry. [i]A tiger?[/i] Liu gave a small snort. [i]The Usamolians. Of course.[/i] 

[hr][hr]

Mai followed Liu's gaze to the tiger cub the Usamolian princess had just gifted the King and Queen Regent of Vertiron. [i]A bold gift,[/i] she acknowledged, a ghost of a smile playing over her lips. 

The King of Euhijan tensed, beside her. The movement was subtle, and would have been imperceptible to the others, but Mai noticed it. She realized why he had done so a split second later; he had caught sight of the crown prince of Usamolia, Abd ar-Rahman III.

Mai knew of him, as did everybody in Euhijan. Out of all the foreign devils, Rahman gave Vincento Corelli a run for his money when it came to "most hated". 

Mai knew that King Liu despised the three kingdoms more than most. He'd adored his older brother, and the war had taken both the crown prince and the former king of Euhijan. Jiangli had risen to power-some would say "seized the throne"-after that, and, well. There was no question in anybody's mind that Liu really, [i]really[/i] did not like the former Regent of Euhijan. 

Mai herself could not say that she was any fonder of the Usamolians than Liu. [i]My sympathy goes to the woman he decides to make his wife, and even more to the women he decides to add to his harem so that he can fuck them when he doesn't want to fuck his wife,[/i] she thought to herself, resisting the urge to curl her lip in disgust at the thought of being a part of a [i]harem[/i]. Or, even worse-having her husband's affairs be part of a long-standing custom, legalized through centuries of tradition. She wondered, briefly, if the Euhijanian woman he'd taken was still alive. Whether or not she'd committed suicide, yet.

In her peripheral vision, Mai could see a tall, blond-haired man bade a fond farewell to the petite Usamolian princess before making his way over to the woman in black, a glass of wine in his hand. Mai had heard of a pale-eyed foreigner assisting the Usamolian forces during the war; had heard of a White War Elephant who'd killed a general her father had been close with. She suspected that this was him.

To their left, a woman wearing the familiar bright red of home swept by. [i]Qiu.[/i] The countess' skirts were much more voluminous than Mai's, and her neckline higher. Mai discreetly let her gaze follow the other Euhijanian woman as she strode in the other direction. [i]Looking for a husband, is she?[/i] Mai thought to herself, amused. She cast her eyes about for her brother, Que, but she could not see him from her vantage point. [i]Hmm. Well, he's bound to be here somewhere. In truth, I was rather surprised to learn that he would be...attending. Given the accident, and all.[/i]

"You haven seen the countess's brother?" came Liu's voice, completely devoid of emotion. He spoke in the dialect of Mai's hometown (something that she noted with great amusement), and when Mai looked up at his face, the king's eyes were as cold and as stony as ever.

Still...there was something, there. A tautness in his jaw, a rigidity in his posture. [i]Ah. He doesn't like them much, does he? It figures; their father supported Jiangli, after all.[/i]

Mai paused for a moment before responding. She gave Liu a coy look. "Perhaps," she murmured, a small, sly smile forming on her lips. Liu gave her a cool glance before turning his attention back to their hosts, who were scarcely ten feet in front of them.

The man currently presenting his gift to Theodoro and Theresa was wearing a bearskin. A [i]bearskin[/i], of all things. [i]He must be sweltering,[/i] Mai mused. [i]Poor man.[/i] His gift was an ivory drinking horn, and Mai learned that his name was Sigafst Ogmundsson, the Prince of Grimmrheimr. [i]From Lygarthien.[/i]

Soon enough, Sigafst was done, and it was Mai and Liu's turn. Mai let Liu do all the talking; he [i]was[/i] the King of Euhijan, after all.

"Your Majesties," he said politely as Mai curtsied-the Western way, of course. "It is truly an honor to be here today. I'm glad to see that you are both in good health, and the ball is...lovely." Liu's voice was pleasant and amicable, as if they were doing nothing more than discussing the weather, and there was a bemused smile on his face.

He paused delicately before beckoning the servants forward. They placed a fine rosewood box in front of Theodoro and Theresa, and Liu removed the lid to reveal a sheathed sword. The hilt was rather ornate, decorated in a very Vertiron style.

"A gift for Your Majesties," Liu told them mildly, letting the King and Queen Regent take in the sword, and its...[i]relevance[/i]. "A sword, found on the battlefield twenty years ago. I came across it in the palace, one day, and it took me a moment to realize where it had come from. When I learned it was of Vertiron origin, I immediately knew that it had to be returned to its home." He paused, deliberately. "A gift of peace, if you will." Liu's voice was as pleasant as ever.

Mai [i]had[/i] to admit that it was a bold move on Liu's part. What looked to be a peace offering on the surface was, in reality, also a [i]reminder[/i]. 

[i]Besides,[/i] Mai thought. [i]What use do we have for swords, let alone Vertiron swords? We have guns.[/i]

With the greetings done, Liu and Mai left in search of something to do. Mai watched as Liu slipped away to Qiu, heard him give her a mildly interested "Hello, countess. I trust you are well?" before Mai cast her eyes about for a likely conversation partner.

She found Prince Rahman of Usamolia, alone. Mai made her way towards him at a leisurely pace, picking up a glass of wine on the way. "Prince Rahman," she greeted pleasantly, giving him a warm smile, one that did not quite reach her eyes. "I hope you don't mind the company?"