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Neutral
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Isadora rolled her eyes playfully, huffing softly at his words. "Oh how right you are," she teased, the dramatic tone still in her voice. While it might sound vain, she did find themselves to be two of the most attractive people residing in the kingdom, or the castle at least.
As they reached the doors, she sighed and straightened her shoulders. "Let the fun begin," she whispered, striding in at his side. Only this time, she didn't go to sit on the couch where her father had intended. She stayed, her arm still gently entwined with his. Her father gave her a stern look, which she promptly ignored as her hold on Xevon tightened lightly. She wouldn't verbally disobey him, but she wanted to try to make a stand.
Her father sighed, pausing as he gathered the correct words. "The kingdoms west most of us have yet to truly be affected by war, though there has been talk of northern soldiers being spotted amongst them. While they are for sure taking over the northern pass, it would seem that it won't be long until they are pushing in from the west as well," the older man explained, his brows furrowed as he looked down at the battle map on the table. |
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Lightbringer
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"Fancy that," Xevon muttered under his breath. "They're coming in from the west and not the east. So, from that, we can gather that this empire tries to at least filter their way through other kingdoms and country-like entities," he mused slowly, waving his free hand. The other remained around Isadora, if but to just piss off her father even more. Luckily, he was far enough away to avoid any rib bruising from his grandfather again. "There's a reason for what they're doing and I just can't figure it out," he said quietly. "Why come through there... another big entity than the east? It would be easier to just come through the east." |
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Neutral
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Isadora knew that her father was pissed, but she hadn't bothered to care. It bothered her deep down, of course, but she knew she had to start getting involved on these matters. She listened to the words exchanged between Xevon and her father, her brows furrowed as she pondered over the matter.
"Could it be that they are trying to recruit forces in the west? If we know they want our southern territories, they could be making alliances with the west rather than forcing their way through the east.." Isadora had spoken her thoughts aloud, wondering if it could make sense at all. She wasn't sure what their standing was with the west or the east, but it surely couldn't be great considering how they hadn't received any assistance from the other kingdoms. |
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Lightbringer
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"They'll have a heck of a time trying to recruit them," Xevon grumbled shortly. "The western kingdoms have the haughtiest attitudes of anyone else. Just because they have the coast lines." He sniffed, eyeing the map for a moment. A sharp look crossed his face before it relaxed once again. "But it is possible that they could be trying to at least set up an ally with them to pass supplies and troops through." He tilted his head to the side. "Why the southern territories?" At that, his grandfather looked toward Isadora's father with a rather uneasy look. He seemed uncomfortable with the mention of the southern territories. |
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Neutral
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Isadora hummed to his response, her gaze flickering from the map to her father. He'd seemed slightly surprised his daughter had been able to come up with such an idea, as if she hadn't the slightest idea of the possibilities. She couldnt help but wonder as well of why their intruders would want their southern territories. That was one thing that her father had kept strictly under wraps around her.
Her father shared Xevon's grandfathers uneasiness, his weight shifting from one foot to the other. It was apparent that neither man wanted to speak of it, but Isadora wouldn't be having secrets. Not when they'd forced the pair to marry without question. The least they could was delve deeper into why. "Uh-uh. No secrets," she shook her head, her father giving her a sharp serious look that stopped her from speaking any further. |
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Lightbringer
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Xevon tipped his head lightly watching her and then her father. But at that look, his own expression darkened almost immediately. There was that temper--that dangerous chin-down, eyes up look that his father wore whenever he was irritated or pissed off. "If we are to accurately conduct a diplomatic visit," his words were steeled and calm. "Then we will need the information on the southern territories. There will be no secrets, indeed. Because our survival depends on it." The older king let out a weary sigh, rubbing his face for a moment or two. "That's... the thing," he finally mumbled. "There's nothing in the southern territories, just... ruins. What once was there... is gone, diminished to rubble." |
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Neutral
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Isadora hadn't missed the way he'd looked at her father, and it nearly made her heart flutter- despite the look he'd gave was terrifying. With her gaze now trained at the table, she listened to Xevon reiterate that there could be no secrets, his words eloquent and fluid in the art of speaking. God how she envied him then.
Isadora's head snapped up, a chill running down her spine as the king admitted that the south was nothing but ruins. "W-What? What happened?" She asked, her voice now uneasy as if she wasn't sure she wanted to know. The southern territories had been their more vicious military based lands, but now they were just gone? |
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Lightbringer
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Xevon glanced toward his grandfather and took in a deep breath. Gone. His head shook just the slightest bit as he watched the older king take in a steadying sigh of a breath. What had happened? "We don't know," the man finally whispered, breathlessly. "The messengers stopped coming. Everything seemed... to stop suddenly. We sent our own scouts down to see what had happened and they found ruins. Not a sign of life anywhere..." Xevon frowned as the older king continued. "The scouts returned... but they seemed to perish soon after. It's not safe. Something happened and it's not... good." |
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Neutral
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The whole situation made Isadora uneasy. There were plagues and such, but nothing would have caused no sign of life. Not to mention, the scouts who died would have spread any sickness. "It just doesn't make any sense... Does anyone else know of this?" She asked, her gaze meeting her fathers. "Not... not to our knowledge. That doesn't mean that there aren't suspicions," he sighed, rubbing his forehead. If the other empire had caught wind, or even been behind the sudden destruction, it could explain why they sought out the south so bad. Isadora turned her attention to Xevon, wondering what his thoughts might had been. It seemed the more they discovered the more that was left unknown. |
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Lightbringer
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Xevon likewise looked back at Isadora with a rather uncertain and uneasy frown etched in his expression as her father mentioned that no one else had seemed to know about it as far as they knew. His hazel eyes lowered to the table. "But, if they don't know about it, the southern lands are still a military wonder. If they do, it's a weakness for us." He lowered his hands to rest on the table edge, pushing his shoulders up. But his eyes didn't leave the map. "It would be best to figure that out while we are on the diplomatic mission to the empire's heart." |
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Fall 
Day 
