A bit of commotion filled the hall when a large grey and red bird entered the room. On most occasions a Talonflame would be the bearer of news from her parents. Zokura's heart skipped with anticipation at the possibility of hearing from her mother and father. Rising, she made her way directly to where the bird stood, tall and proud. But when she looked at the talonflame again she noticed it was not one of the messengers, no this pokemon was much larger and of a more pristine pedigree. It was one of Donovan's birds, no doubt. No other birds were of the calibre of Donovan Johansen's. Yet in its beak it held a letter, which the princess kindly accepted with a curtsey of thankyou. She said nothing for a moment, unfolding and reading the cursive within then nodded. 

[b]"Thankyou for informing us of Ser Donovan's late but certain arrival, you have my deepest appreciation for your services."[/b] She reached out a hand politely and stroked the neck feathers of the pokemon, enjoying it's soft plumage. She then returned to her place at the table, setting the letter on the dark wood surface.

With the arrival of Ana and Haxorus, Adomorn and Zoroark, and an unusual, though far from surprising, entrace from her younger sister and Raiku, Zokura found it was finally time to begin. She adjusted her seating, tuning her posture and clearing her throat quietly before speaking to the group.

[b]"My apologies to you all for summing you here at such an early hour. I know many of you have other rituals and practices you'd be doing at this time of the morning, but I assure you, I would not pull you from your lives and duties was there not a great importance placed on the reason."[/b] She took a breath then, clearing her mind and pushing back her nervous thoughts of the darkness she had witnessed earlier today. [b]"There is an unsettling presence nearing our kingdom's boarders in the east. Some of you, I feel, may know of what I speak. There is a darkness that slithered up from the night and fought with the sun, trying to snuff out its light. The sun won this time but tomorrow I fear the display may creep into view again, and the day after that, and every day after that until the darkness swells and takes the skies."[/b]

She shuttered lightly at the thought of the discomfort the sight had brought her mere few hours before. Though she felt a deep sense of security surrounded by these people, her family close by and her parents far off in the west, she could not help but dwell on that darkness. 

[b]"Those of you who did not lay eyes on this darkness of which I speak, you will be requested to rise before the sun tomorrow and gaze upon this shroud of unease for one cannot truly understand the direty of the situation at hand without feeling the negative radiance expelled by the shadow on the horizon."[/b] She looked then to her little sister, her cherished little sister.

[b]"Adelaide, I ask that you no longer leave the immediate kingdom. Even the farthest of the farmer's fields is too far for you to stray until this issue has been addressed properly. Raiku, for her safety, for your own, and for my sanity, I ask you to enforce this request."[/b] She felt terrible confining the free-spirited young woman but her love for the girl and Adelaide's safety took priority over her sister's feelings and resentments towards Zokura.

[b]"The reason you were all called here, was to be informed and to provide your respected and valuable input into a plan of action to be taken. I understand you may not fully grasp the concept of a [i]darkness[/i] seeping over the horizon, what it might mean, or what we're to do about it. But your minds are sharp, and you all deserve to know what threatens our lands that we might deal with it appropriately."[/b] She stopped for a moment, considering if she should continue, but decided to open the floor for input instead, knowing when to speak and when to listen.

[b]"Speak now, my friends, and speak freely; we are of equal worth in these chambers."[/b]