[center] [h1]The Night of the King’s Death[/h1] [h2]GM Post - [color=f4a460]Ehkota[/color][/h2] [/center] Fueled by his endless agitation, the young prince paced restlessly about his personal quarters. He had planned everything out down to the last detail, preparations made in advance all to lead up to this very night. Yet, despite all his efforts, his elder brother had beaten him to the climax and stolen what should have been an assured victory. Where had everything gone so wrong, what was it that he missed? Ehkota knew there had to be some kind of sign that his brother had been on to his plans, some indication that he had been planning a counter move… The more he thought about it, however, the more he came to realize that his greatest failure had been staring him in the face for months. Gaelnesh had never been ignorant to his younger brother’s antics, he had simply played dumb and allowed Ehkota to do the hard work for him. With the groundwork set for him, it was child’s play to swoop in and take the crown… all without lifting a single finger. The man’s inaction should have raised more red flags with the young prince. A nasty snarl erupted from Ehkota’s throat, twisting about the space menacingly as he continued his feverish pacing. A curt knock on the door pulled Ehkota from his spiraling thoughts. For a moment he wondered who would have the gall to call upon him at such a time, but a gruff voice reminded Ehkota of the guests he had abandoned. Pulling the pregnant Twen through the door, Ehkota’s guard peeked back out into the hallway before shutting the door firmly behind him. “[color=f4a460]Oh right… I had almost forgotten. Any signs of that wayward bride?[/color]” He didn’t know much of the situation, having been too caught up in his own annoyances to care. From his understanding, at some point during his and Kagan’s interactions with Gaelnesh one of his guest’s brides had mysteriously disappeared. While it wasn’t exactly his own guard’s responsibility to keep tabs on anyone but Twen, Ehkota had still offered up the man as a tool to help track down the missing property before retiring away to his chambers to gather his thoughts. The guard shook his head in response, having turned up no leads as to where the girl might have gone. He had found the situation more than a little suspicious, but with his current duties of keeping Twen safe he hadn’t been able to properly investigate. “[color=gray]No one has seen her or the beast which makes me think that she might have been taken. I would look into it further but I am currently tethered to dead weight.[/color]” Ehkota waved his hand in the air dismissively at the pair, his own expression still somewhat stiff. “[color=f4a460]You may leave Twen with me. I would much rather we not have to deal with an angry kinner, otherwise I would leave it my brother’s problem.[/color]” The guard hesitated a moment before bowing his head and exiting the room. Twen shifted nervously as piercing eyes fell upon her, the door shutting firmly somewhere behind her. Beckoning with his hand, Ehkota summoned the girl who shuffled forward sheepishly. “I’m sorry m’lord. I turned away for only a moment and she-” Cut off by a sudden impact, Twen was thrown to the ground with a yelp as Ehkota struck her with the back of his hand. The girl held a shaking hand up to the side of her face in shock, eyes trailing upward to her master as if to find an answer. “[color=f4a460]You’re the reason I lost to him, aren’t you? After all I have done and provided for you, and you still went behind my back.[/color]” “My lord, I swear I don-” With his fingers wrapped around her neck, Ehkota lifted the small girl into the air so that they were eye to eye. She struggled within his grasp, squirming as she tried to gasp for breath. “[color=f4a460]What a pity, I was actually beginning to like you too. Now because of you I have to start all over. Sorry but I won’t be requiring your presence any longer, traitorous bitch.[/color]” He watched as a sense of realization reached Twen’s eyes, a brief moment of panic setting in before he snapped her neck. Ehkota sunk into a nearby chair after tossing the woman’s corpse aside, a long exhale filling the newfound silence. With the way that everything had played out, and the apparent lack of guards breaking down his door, it seemed that his brother thought him incapable of any real harm for the time being. It was as if the entire thing had been his brother’s idea, and Ehkota had simply played along. [color=f4a460][i]Father’s condition was the best shot I had at undermining Gaelnesh without confronting him directly. Guess I’ll just have to find another way to get back at him… everyone loves a good underdog.[/i][/color] While he had a few ideas of how to go about redeeming himself, the process would take a fair amount of planning and a great deal of time. Ehkota had more than a few supporters within the capital itself due to the rising discontent with political affairs. The country longed to return to its more brutal roots, if he could just tap into those ideals Ehkota might be able to insight a rebellion that would force his brother to abdicate the stolen throne. Leaving the corpse of his bride behind, Ehkota took only what he needed before heading out. Slipping out a side exit before making his way into the darkened city. [center] [h1]The Following Days[/h1] [h2]GM Post - [color=0072bc]Gaelnesh[/color][/h2] [/center] The dawn set fire to the sky, lighting the clouds in bright hues of red and orange. From the outside, it was beautiful… some might have even called it beautiful, however it was an omen for those who knew to read them. While the city still shook the grip of sleep away, the royal castle was bustling with unseen activity. Servants ran about sending messages to one another, tending to daily tasks as well as the many additional ones they had been assigned due to the occasion. Word had spread quickly throughout the castle, many taking moments to honor the passing of their king. With no real protocol in place there was understandable confusion… The country had never needed any sort of burial process in the past outside of their normal customs, however it somehow felt wrong to subject a man of his stature to the same treatment as everyone else. Gaelnesh had spent the night making plans and barking orders, directing the staff in whatever ways were needed. Hand written letters had been drafted and sealed, sent out first thing in the morning by royal messengers to any of the war lords still in the area. They would be allowed entry to the castle at some point in the future to discuss any immediate issues, however there were more important things to tend to. Due to the late king’s condition, Gaelnesh could not allow anyone from outside of a small group to witness the corpse. His burial would not be a public one, but a feast would be held in his honor for anyone who wished to attend. Once Ehkota’s absence from the castle had been noted, the newly crowned king ordered the doors sealed and guarded. Ehkota was not one to give up so easily, and after suffering such humiliation it was difficult to say what his immediate reactions would be. Time was needed to study the new antics, something Gaelnesh had very little of for the time being. With a feast to plan and announcements to make, the next fews days were going to be hectic at best. [center] ~~~ [/center] Gaelnesh allowed the news to circulate for a couple of days before he chose to address the people, informing them of the tragic passing of the late king. He spoke little of his own crowning, sticking to talks of the memorial feast and promises of the future. Considering the events that had occurred it would have been of little surprise to hear of rising conflicts, however the days following the king’s death seemed quiet in comparison. Somehow he had expected a quicker response from his brother, but he knew the planning that went into setting up an assassination had been months… if not years in the making. While his younger brother might have contingencies in place, it was rather unrealistic to expect any immediate retaliation. The new king, having settled down into a chair for the first time in several days, began to doze off in his seat. Eyes growing heavy, Gaelnesh fought a losing battle to keep them open with each passing blink. Much to his surprise when he next slid his lids open, the lighting in the room was completely different and his daughter stood before him with her back to him. Sensing his movement, the young woman turned around with a concerned expression. “[color=f49ac2]You’re overdoing it father, you of all people should know better. I trust you were able to regather enough strength for this evening’s announcement?[/color]” She asked, approaching the chair to sit on her father’s lap with her arms around his shoulders in a light hug. “[color=0072bc]Announcement?[/color]” The man was drawing a blank on what his daughter might be referring to. The preparations for the feast had already been made, an event that would take place the entirety of the next day… He had nothing else that needed to be said, at least nothing that came quickly to mind. Shaking her head as if she expected such an answer, Evienne allowed a short bout of laughter to fill the room. “[color=f49ac2]Don’t worry, everything for grandfather’s memorial is in place. You have seen to it yourself. I am speaking of the preparations for the impending holiday. By this time next week we will have needed to make the trek down south for the holy festival. You haven’t forgotten have you?[/color]” They both knew that he had. Gaelnesh had never really been one for fancy parties or festivals. The closest he came was usually the Choosing Ceremony as it was established and regulated per his father’s vision. Even the memorial service was out of the ordinary for the man, so it was of little surprise that a festival dedicated to the gods had slipped his mind. Rubbing his fingers to his temples, Gaelnesh sighed. Evienned raised a brow but remained silent as he massaged the tension from his skin. “[color=f49ac2]Messengers have already been sent out to the lords that have already departed for their homes. They will be reminded of the event and the location of the shrine this year is dedicated to. If you would like, as I’m sure you have a great many things to do, I can handle this evening’s address in your stead.[/color]” While the king was quick to resist such an offer, his daughter’s persistence finally led to him giving in to her expectations. He would be allowed to retire for the evening to get proper rest while Evienne handled some of the more minor responsibilities. [center] ~~~ [h2]GM Post - [color=f49ac2]Evienne[/color][/h2] [/center] Evienne stood on a stage that still stood from the Reaping, surrounded by a decent amount of guards loyal to her father's authority. It was a strange sight to see something so inherently defensive from a capable warrior, but following the assault at the arena and the shift in political power… it didn’t hurt to take precautions for the time being. The princess hadn’t been a huge fan of the decision, but it was one of the conditions of allowing her to handle the address so she couldn’t deny the request. Glancing down at the face around her, Evienne chose her expressions well. She could not seem too cheerful as it might be taken as disrespect, but it also would have been deemed weak if she seemed too solemn. Trying to find a good balance between the two, the woman stepped up to speak to the crowd. “[color=f49ac2]First off, I would like to officially thank you all for the time and energy spent making this year’s Reaping a success. We are looking forward to seeing what victories are to be earned in the coming year, what honors you bring to your names.[/color]” She paused a moment to survey the scene, adjusting her mannerisms accordingly. “[color=f49ac2]Due to the passing of my grandfather, and our king, we have had some unforeseen events scheduled to take place. That includes tomorrow’s feast. However, I would like to take this time to remind you of what time of year it is. In about one week’s time the annual festival of the gods will be taking place. This year’s festivities will be held at Drun’s southern shrine so please remember to bring your offerings with you.[/color]” “[color=f49ac2]May the gods bless your blades and acknowledge your strife.[/color]” Evienne bowed her head slightly to indicate the end of her ‘speech’. A small path was opened up for the woman by the guards that tagged along, Evienne quickly hopping down from her place in the spotlight. There was so much else to be done in preparation for the festival, after all, the royals were not exempt from such an important event no matter how inconvenient. [center] [h1]Day After the Feast[/h1] [/center] Despite being so close to the Reaping, the late king’s memorial felt nothing like the previous event. While the Reaping and Choosing Ceremonies were vibrant and hungry, the feast had a more diligent tone. It was a quiet fierceness that the elders wore best, hardened after the many centuries of combat. Generations of stories were shared telling the tales of warriors both current and fallen. Alcohol flowed freely from cask to cup, and from cup to belly. And one of the most noticeable differences in festivities would have been the lack of public dueling. Petty squabbles and immature brawls had been kept to a minimum throughout the day, and most of the participants showed a sense of camaraderie as opposed to the rivalry they expressed during the Reaping. It was an interesting thing to witness such different sides of the culture so close together in time. Even if one did not agree with the policies or decisions of the late king… it was still clear in the behavior of the guests that he was still highly respected at the very least. It was almost heartwarming. [hider=Important Notes] Really the only thing you absolutely need to note is that we are gearing up for the festival in the south! Next GM post will begin the actual festival so don’t dally in setting your characters out on their journey! [/hider]