The emperor's speech was nothing incredibly suprising to the Triarchs, rumors had been reaching the royal court for several weeks from various traders speaking about the things they had witnessed, but for it to be officially acknowledged by the Arkronian court was a suprising thing indeed. The representatives of every nation seemed to respond with barely veiled excitement for their potential gains or with grimaces for their potential losses. The Triarchs met this speech with concern. 

Vahn gave a look to the representatives of the confederacy, their long time rival and arguably the biggest threat to the stability of the Triarchate, before returning his focus to his table 

 	[color=Gold] "We'll have to stregnthen our border forces if what the Emperor says is true, the Jeteya are always looking for any chance they can get to strike at us. If the Arkronians are really in a situation serious enough that they're not just trying to cover it up, we might not be able to depend on their aid for some time." [/color]
	[color=RoyalBlue] "We can dominate the coasts and the mountain clans are more than capable of putting up a fight, worst case scenario we could wittle them down in a war of attrition. For all its posturing the confederacy doesnt have the men to match us, the plains tribes can either take shelter in the cities or hit and run. That said, even if the Arkronians are down for the count I can't imagine the Cynn would be willing to try something so risky as attacking us alone, they're just as dependant on foreign allies as we are." [/color]
	[Color=Gold] "Unfortunately for us their foreign allies are signifcantly closer than our are. We're not exactly popular in our region of Mycoria, The Saa'Kaleed and the Yuravians are both likely candidates for confederate allies. We'd still have naval dominance on our side, but it would be difficult to maintain our supply and construction lines if we're facing a three front invasion." [/color]
	[Color=MediumVioletRed] "It may be best for us to reduce the area we have to defend. . . Perhaps if things continue as they are now we should consider withdrawing our forces from Kho, our colonies there are still young enough as to not be particularly productive and we already have the clans there fighting against us, in  war it's nothing more than a staging ground to get closer to our heart lands if we try and keep it secure. Depending on the time frame we find ourselves in in such a situation that may mean leaving the colonists behind, but it's easier to replace a few colonists and a weak land claim than it is four hundred years of centralization. [/color]
	[Color=Gold] "That's. . . a shockingly bleak view from you Haster. I think that's a discussion for another time, for now we should at least try to enjoy the feast. From the looks of King William and his goose leg it seems to be delicious. [/color]
	
	At that the Skekarii rejoined the other delegations at their table in eating and drinking. many of the fruits and animals provided by the numerous wait staff were familiar to the court, exotic animals and spice found only in the jungles of Skekaria, all of which would have had to have been exceptionally expensive to have transported all the way to the capital. Beyond the Skekarii goods there were still many more dishes that were nearly or completely foreign to the Triarchs from all corners of Mycoria. To the lower classes such a feast would have seemed almost insultingly oppulent, but the assembled nobility understood well the importance of power plays and image. 
	After some time the conversation in the room returned to its more typically pleasant tone, the emperor's notable absence being more or less overshadowed by the splendor of the occasion, glamour being the excellent tool of distraction that it is. The pleasantries were not to last.

”Honored guests. Unfortunately there has been a security incident and the palace has been placed under lockdown until further notice. You will not be able to leave the grand hall. Please enjoy the food and wine.”

[color=RoyalBlue] "I take it we're not returning to the villa anytime soon?" [/color]

[center][h1]Vosya, Colonial Capital of Kho. [/h1][/center]

	Prince Yie woke to the sounds of clashing swords and shouts from the city walls. With a slow yawn and a stretch he got out of bed and waited for his chamber servant to bring him his morning fruit and bread, as well as the daily briefing. As he waited he thought on what had brought him to this far end of the world. In many ways he was a lot like his father, or so he had always been told. He was tall for a Skekarii and had the sandy skin and freckled complexion common to many in the Wya clan, but where his father was content to maintain his lot, Yie had ambition. 
	The island of Kho had been formally granted to the Skekarii Triarchate nearly fifty years ago in the aftermath of the third rebellion, but no serious efforts to colonize it had been made until the past few years. It was a rugged land with rough seas and sheer cliffs for a coastline, nothing like the hospitable shores of Wyacannae. Still, it was part of the ancestral lands of the Skekarii people and for that reason it was decided that it was to be brought into the fold. As one of the last acts of Queen Kahnys Ae the colonial city of Vosya was established on the south-western coast of the island in an effort to administer and oversee the incorporation and development of Kho. Many governors had been sent and many had failed, there was simply too much resistance from the natives, but eventually the continual importing of settlers from the mainland beat the odds and Vosya was now well on its way to becoming a vibrant metropolis, safe and productive, an excellent staging point for any noble desiring to prove themselves before the court. Or, at least, thats what the letter he had recieved from Haster upon her innauguration had said. 
	The idea that someone over a decade his younger had risen to the throne before him frustated Yie, but she was still Queen- and a popular one at that- and if she was offering him a position of governorship at a significant post then he was hardly in a role to refuse. So Yie took the role and boarded a ship to the colony, eager to build his own reputation independant of his status as prince. 
	Vosya was nothing like he had expected. The thriving metropolis was little more than several crisscrossing roads and a small set of stone walls, a city of perhaps fewer than five or six thousand people. Far from being safe and secure the city experienced raids and skirmishes with native resistance on a nearly daily basis, but despite the setbacks Yie was determined to turn the colony into what he had been promised.
	That was nearly three years ago and the sounds of alarm had become little more than background noise, though perhaps less frequent than they had first been. 
	[color=aquamarine] "Your grace, your breakfast is ready. The steward asks that I inform you of news from the capital, it seems that their radiances have arrived safely in the Imperial Capital. It seems the Arkronians have also recieved a delegation from the Confederacy." [/color]