"Your Majesty! Ambassadors from the North are here to see you, sir! They say that they bring the chance of a treaty!" "Let them present themselves, and if their offer pleases me, I will accept. If not, I have another use for them. Let them enter!"

Rapping his staff for attention, the herald straightened himself. "Presenting, Ambassadors Jadeite, Krisite, Nephrite, Zoicyte and Malachite. Ambassadors, King Ancar of Hardon!"

The first thing Ancar, King of Hardon, noticed about the Ambassadors, was the fact that they were all in a uniform of sorts. The next, and most astonishing, was the fact that they were all mages of the highest degree, well above Adept-level, and they were not Blood-Path Mages! Who could they be, and where are they from, that they could all be mages? They are stronger than Hulda even, and she is an Adept! Rising to greet the Ambassadors, he was astonished once again when he looked into one of their eyes and they, each and every one of them, had white irises! Maybe their power did this to them. If it did, then why is their hair not bleached too?

"You are King Ancar?"

"I am King Ancar, Ruler of all Hardon!" When they did not bow to him, as everyone did, he became suspicious. "Who are you? Do you think yourself above me, in my own land, that you will not bow to me?"

As one of the Ambassadors walked forward, she caught his eye. Tall, thin, lithe, and beautiful were the only words to describe her. In her black uniform, piped with silver, and a star on each shoulder, and three stars as rank indicators around her neck, she moved with deadly grace. If she weren't part of the Ambassadorial Group, I would be certain she was here to spy. Looking at her directly with Mage-Sight, he had to hide his shock at seeing the strength of her Gift. She is the most powerful Mage of them all, and she doesn’t know it!

"We're sorry, King," making it sound like an insult, "Ancar. We are not used to bowing to a King, or Queen." Performing a courtly bow, she continued. "We represent our Queen, all of us. Jadeite, Nephrite, Zoicyte, and Malachite, are advisors to Queen Beryl. She has sent us here to purpose an Alliance between our two Kingdoms. It appears that you are in war so do not dismiss us lightly. Queen Beryl, Ruler of all the Negaverse, Destroyer of the Moon, Sun, and Star Kingdoms, and Queen of all that is Evil, purposes an Alliance that would be cemented by marriage to her. Consider yourself honored, King Ancar of Hardon."

"Is this Queen so high above me that she could not come herself? I also wish to know the terms of the treaty, if you do not mind."

"The terms are very simple, very simple indeed. If you wish to discuss the dealings of your country in front of underlings, go right ahead. I’m sure they’d love to hear about how you’re doing on the front; losing to a female Queen and a mere mercenary Captain."

Turning to his herald, the one who announced their arrival, he ordered the ambassadors to follow the herald. "If you would follow the herald, he will take you to a place where it is safe to talk. I will meet you there in a few moments." The dangerous one, the one in black and silver, walked to the dais and spoke. "Of course, King Ancar of Hardon. We of the Negaverse will wait for you in the, I believe it will be, the library? Fare-thee-well, King Ancar of Hardon, for you will need lots of luck if our Queen is not pleased."

Bowing as she turned, she sent him a message using mind magic. : Know this, Ancar of Hardon: if you do not appease our Queen Beryl your Kingdom will fall, just like the other three before you. Keep this knowledge in mind, Ancar - King of Hardon. :