That night the Demons got to six locations throughout Niman Territory before vanishing as the sun came up. Their final total favored the Wrath Demons by six kills, though the other Echo disputed some of them.
Cain heard of the commotion they were causing from conversations in the King’s raid group chat. The Demon Mercenaries’ rampage in Niman Territory was the talk of every on of Skyview’s neighboring nations that night.
The goal was to disrupt their attacks and keep them from returning to Skyview, and they did that, hitting every target they could easily take and freeing thousands of enslaved people.
They did so well in fact, that an Envoy from the Nyanko Confederacy came to the Palace this morning to request an audience and officially thank the King of Skyview for returning their abducted citizens.
King James knows already that the culprit wasn’t a mercenary group but Cain’s Summons, but he’s not about to turn down an alliance with a nation known for its skilled warriors.
In the late morning hours, King James schedules a meeting with Chief Kahlil, the emissary sent by the Nyanko Confederacy, to meet with him. As a lunch meeting, the chief is invited to bring his companion with him, a short and dainty raven-haired human girl named Khali.
She’s relatively quiet through the early stages of the meeting, simply sitting and listening as the two men share pleasantries, but once the refreshments arrive, she becomes much more lively.
Not towards the humans. No, she is bound and determined that she will be able to lure Gwen off the King’s lap with snacks. With her status hidden, the girl hasn’t realized that the Kitsune is more than a pretty pet fox, and her efforts aren’t going as well as hoped.
“If you want to play with her, just ask.” King James smiles at the girl, amused by her antics.
Finally, she gets to a square of pumpkin pie, and Gwen looks to King James for permission before hopping in her lap to eat the snack from her hand as Khali strokes her fur.
“I knew I just had to find the right snack. All foxes love one particular food; you simply need to learn what it is to become their friend.” She informs them in her gentle voice.
She seems to be a kind person and certainly is very lovely, so James looks at her status to see what class, if any, she has chosen.
[Name] Khali
[Race] Human
[Class] Bard
[Level] 17
[Age] 15
A Bard is a good choice for a noble daughter; they’re often asked to perform for audiences regardless of class. Being a bard turns a necessary skill into a helpful trade. What surprises him most is her age.
Yes, she’s pretty petite, but her single-minded fascination towards making friends with Gwen made her seem much younger than he would have guessed by appearance, which can be deceiving with heavy makeup.
A grand victory banquet is scheduled for tonight, with all Nobles and their families invited, the first of the meeting events to select potential harem members in advance of his coming of age birthday in a few weeks.
King James invites the pair from Nyanko as his guests of honor this evening, exactly as the emissary had hoped. His instructions when we was sent here were to attempt to form a long term alliance and military aid agreement with Skyview. Finding a Royal husband for his daughter does both those things at once.
Khali keeps Gwen in her arms as they finish their meeting, promising to have her back before preparing for the banquet.
“So, I see you’ve made one new friend here already, but what do you think of the King? The Council wants to propose an alliance, but if you’re not willing to become part of a Royal Harem, I very much understand.
There is a chance you could be Queen, but a much better chance that you never would be more than one of many women who share a King’s bed.” Kahlil informs his daughter, making very sure she understands the situation.
“One of many means more time for fluffy things like Gwen here. Perhaps he will choose a nice soft Beastkin, someone to cuddle like Giselle.”
Her father shakes his head at her notion. “The chances of a Beastkin might be high, but competition among a Royal Harem is intense. The women are more likely to be cutthroat competitors for the throne than a new cuddle buddy for you. Keep that in mind.”
They’ve reached their assigned quarters, so the two separate, with Khali taking Gwen into her room to relax until the banquet.
The Chief’s daughter and the Kitsune settle on the plush blue velvet divan song the wall under the window and Khali takes out a brush designed for fur from her inventory, offering to groom Gwen, who is happy to get the attention as she observes her target for the afternoon.
The girl constantly talks as she brushes and pets the fluffy Lieutenant, slowly revealing personal desires and national secrets. “I’ll tell you a secret little fox since you can’t understand me. A Royal husband seems to me like far too much work.”
Gwen giggles at her assessment, and Khali continues with a smile. “Pleasant evenings in bed are one thing, but I’ve never cared for banquets, politics, and formal events. If we could play the violin in the woods right now, I’d be much happier than wearing all this makeup and the fancy dresses and jewels. Seriously, they’re ridiculous. I can barely walk in this. It’s to weigh twenty kilos and it’s got these stupid high heels.”
The fashion of Nyanko is what Cain would call Victorian. Multiple layers, corsets, large amounts of jewelry, and full makeup. Even a Geisha would be dismayed at the sheer amount of costume and makeup that go into their daily apparel, and for a Royal Banquet, it will be even worse.
Gwen takes pity on the girl and informs Cain of her impending issues. Misha and Mythryll have just the solution for her, so Cain heads back to the Palace with them earlier than intended, looking for the emissary of Nyanko.
Kahlil is found in his assigned room, going over documents he hopes to present to the King tomorrow, when a butler announces that Duke Cain, head of the Defense Council, is here to see him.
“Please, bring him in. We have much to talk about. Welcome, Duke Cain. I have been told that you arranged the military action that caused such an uproar in Niman yesterday. The Nyanko Confederacy is in your debt.”
Cain nods politely to the emissary as he enters. “Think nothing of it. Everything I did, I did for Skyview. But I’m here on another task tonight. My sources say the young King is quite taken with your daughter. If you don’t object, I had thought that my people might help her get ready for the banquet in a manner suitable for a Skyview Noble? The fashion of Nyanko is exquisite but somewhat stuffy for a young lady in this heat.”
Her father considers the proposal for a moment, noticing the elegant and somewhat modest dresses of the two women with the Duke, before agreeing. “Just don’t go too overboard, I’ve heard rumors about some of the Noblewomen of Skyview, and Nyanko values modesty.”
That’s good enough for Misha and Mythryll, who head next door to get everyone ready, while Cain details all the targets the Echoes attacked that are public knowledge from the raids last night. Nyanko is an ally, and pointing out that Skyview is capable of defending many villages simultaneously is beneficial for their image.
The emissary Kahlil is a court noble through and through, with his brightly colored clothing, while Cain goes as Duke Chen suggested a Defense Minister should, in a polished black chest plate with gold decorations. In the Roman style, it is fitted to his torso, showing exaggerated pecs and abs. It is worn under his suit coat in place of a vest and tie.
Maria wears a similar armor in gold over a blood-red gown with open shoulders and long sleeves, coming to meet Cain just before the banquet. Kahlil looks impressed, and the Succubus looks very formal in her armor and gown that the palace staff procured for her.
The ladies meet them outside Khali’s room, having dressed the Emissaries daughter in a champagne-colored satin evening dress with a matching lace shawl. It covers much more than usual for Skyview, but in the eyes of a protective father, even the hint of cleavage is scandalous.
“Trust me; she will be comfortable and not overdressed. The young ladies of court always look much older due to their makeup, but the King is still weeks away from his coming of age birthday. The mid-twenties look they go for is nearly Ancient in his eyes.” Cain says quietly, and the emissary finally gives in.
Internally, Khali is celebrating. There is no corset, no layers upon layers of petticoats, and no caked-on makeup. If this is the life of a Skyview Royal, it is more suited to her.
The Herald introduces them all as they enter the gardens where the banquet is being held, finding many lower Nobles have already assembled on the lawns.
Kahlil can see that Cain was correct; despite the two very different fashion themes, fancy Victorian Royal Court versus elegant evening gowns, almost every young debutante brought here in an attempt to woo the King has her makeup done to look older than she is.
There are a few notable exceptions. The cat folk girl that Duke Chen brought wears no makeup at all, and Cain can see calluses on her knuckles from martial arts training. He’s not sure they’re related, but with her dark hair and vaguely similar facial features despite the difference in species, she might be a granddaughter of his.
The other notable exception is an Elf that arrived with a delegation from the Serrah Woods. She had chosen an Elven traditional leaf-styled knee length gown with only a hint of makeup. Despite her looks, Elves age slowly, so she is probably older in actual years than half the parents of the other candidates.
The three fresh faces hit it off immediately while their Guardians talk shop. Misha, Mythryll, and a few guards escort the girls away from the center of the gathering to find a comfortable spot to talk, without all the noise and the crowd of bodies.
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