Vincent stood before the mirror in his room adjusting his royal coat for special occasions; a red gem dangling from his neck that his father used to wear all the time. Being king did not feel right, not one bit but today was the day to pull it altogether. “So.. today is the day” he spoke to himself in the mirror reaching out for a reflection he thought would never be the same. His fingers brushed the glass slowly as if he could break and shatter away. He hung his head low still feeling the ache in his heart from his father’s passing. “Your majesty—?“
He snapped out of his grieving and turned toward the door with a serious look. “Yes what is it?” he addressed the servant, taking strides for the doorway to exit. The servant bowed and followed after flicking through her papers. “Today is the day, surely you know that sire?” the assistant responded to which Vincent the second nodded. “Of course, please make sure my sister is ready to greet them by the gates. I will go on ahead.” He dismissed the servant to which he continued walking through the empty but well decorated hallways, his strides stiff making it obvious for anyone to realise this young boy was at most busy, focused and of a higher authority. His shoulder padding felt heavy, but maybe it was just the burden of his own thoughts and the new acquired responsibility he had to manage.

He pushed the doors to his palace open with both hands so they made an evident noise scrapping against the ground. He could have ordered the other servants to open it for him or the guards certainly but doing this himself helped to ease the tension. As the doors were fully opened, ready to welcome its guests; he overlooked the front gardens and the stairs to ensure everything was in order. He looked further ahead to the gates of the kingdom and nodded to one guard beside him to his left. “It’s time to open the gates”. The guard nodded back, blowing a horn to signal it was almost time for the tournament arrivals. The horn’s sound echoed throughout the kingdom and the people could be heard rejoicing for the festivities to come. It was after all, an exciting time to behold.
Even from afar, the prince could watch as the golden gates opened and the guards prepared themselves. “Like the letter itself said.. we will be waiting by the doors” he murmured to himself with a small smile of anticipation.

Sophia stood before her father in expensive noble's clothes with the family crest on it. To hide her girly hair and features, her and her father put up her hair under a unique hat and a baggy shirt under the vest and jacket seemed to hide any clues to her true gender. She looked like a very handsome man infact. She twirled and giggled before giving a tight embrace to her father and letting a single tear cascade down her cheek. This was the big moment. This was the day she was going to begin a journey of a lifetime's waiting. If she was to reach success and be crowned victor, all past friends and foes would know she was infact a she. They would know girls could do just as well as men, if not better.

She headed out of her home and waved a final goodbye to her father before walking up the long road to the palace where the princess and prince should be waiting for all participants as well as nobles to watch alongside them. On her walk down to the road, she tucked any loose hair away and wiped away any of the remains the single tear had left behind. Today would be the start of one of her greatest challenges as 'Edward'. Step after step she finally was in view of the palace. Just as terrific and majestic as she last saw it. With a deep breath she continued walking to the gates and up to the princess and prince themselves. A quick, manly bow seemed to do the easy task of showing respect and her few chosen words did the rest. "The name is Edward, Edward Luienn. Nice to see you again my royals."

Cassandra was wide awake and brushing her long strands of silky brown hair, watching them curl at the end of her brush just as she heard a knock on her bedroom door. "Come in" she said softly, dropping the brush on her vanity table and spinning around to view whoever was interrupting her morning routine. It turned out to be her brother's flustered looking assistant. "My lady your brother---" Cassandra stood up from her vanity stool and dusted off her pink dress. "I know, I know... I will be at the gate" she replied stepping past the assistant and entering the empty hallway as she imagined what was to be. This is exciting.. this palace will be filled with life again! she rejoiced in her heart with her white long gloved hands entwined in front of her chest with glee. Her eyes wandered to the many portraits displayed on the walls of her family history.. her ancestors, her mother and at last their recently departed father. She sighed, releasing her hands from each other as she turned a left to see the doors to the palace had readily been opened. She stepped out, feeling the calming breeze blow her hair behind her shoulders. Her oceanic blue eyes settling on the beauty of the outside gardens then finally, her stiff brother. "Good morning brother" she greeted, her hands meeting in front of her lap as she turned her head standing beside him. Her eyes widened at an early arrival. A knight it appeared of their own kingdom.
"The name is Edward, Edward Luienn. Nice to see you again my royals."
Cassandra tilted her head as a sign of respect. "It is a pleasure" she said politely. "I must welcome the other kingdoms.. please excuse me gentlemen" she said. She smiled, a small smile before turning to step down the stairs holding the ends of her dress slightly so they wouldn't touch the ground as she walked downwards to the carriage that awaited below to take her to the gates.

Her eyes widened at the white horses and pink flowered carriage designed just for her. The driver tipped his hat to which she smiled before a servant held her hand so she could steadily step into the transport. The driver nodded to the servant to confirm the princess was ready and the horses started moving under the direction of his reign.
Arriving at the gates, a servant readily helped the princess out of the carriage. Cassandra's eyes observed the guards and the surroundings to check nothing was wrong. "This way my lady" a servant offered her a seat to which the princess gently waved it away. "That's not necessary but thankyou" she replied wishing to stand by the gates as the arrivals entered.

Cid looked into the distance watching as the gates opened, the kingdom a magnificent sight to behold, while the beauty of Enticelle couldn't be matched in his heart what he saw before him was certainly amazing. He rode slowly, not in a rush to get inside, more apprehensive in fact, though you would never know, his face hidden from view, as was the rest of his body, his shield on his back and his sword at his side. He knew what he was here to do, his goal was to make sure that those of his country made it through unscathed and he would try his hardest to make sure that happened. Of course he was no saint, he was interested in the rewards and glory that would come with victory in such a universal event but that was second on his mind. When he arrived at the gate he dismounted the horse and left it to a servant who seemed to be taking horses to the stable, giving him a small coin for his trouble and a nod as thanks. Now at the gate he could see where he would be for awhile in all of its grandeur, something he was in fact very impressed by, from the palace itself to the gardens around, everything seemed majestic. He didn't enter immediately, whether it be his enthrallment by what was before him or just a bit of nervousness, he found himself thinking about all of the training and things he had done to get up to this day and it was an overwhelming feeling to know that this would be the biggest challenge he had ever faced, warriors from all over the kingdom would arrive and if he were lucky he could prove himself in battle.

He didn't stand still forever though, the excitement of what was to come too much to ignore and he quickly stepped through the gates, the first step seeming to cause everything around him to come alive, his daze snapped and the sounds and movement of everything around him flooding his senses. As he walked in he noticed one woman first, one who matched the princess of The Belauricen Kingdom in appearance and by the way she stood and those around her status as well. He simply nodded to her in a polite fashion before heading inside and towards where he assumed people would be gathering, figuring since the prince organized the event that he would announce when it was time to begin. He made his way forward, his armor clanking against the ground as he walked, the heavy gear nothing to him as he wore it most of the time. When he was close enough to the prince he did remove his helmet though, finding it only natural to reveal his face, at least in greeting, to royalty whether or not they were from his kingdom. "My name is Cid Beranthor, I am thrilled to be inside of your kingdom." he said in a calm and polite voice, his hair slightly matted down by sweat but his green eyes full of spirit, his anticipation obvious as a smile formed on his face.

It was rather unerving, scary, perhaps a bit creepy even. The silence that was going to be once the sheperd would sell the rest of the sheep he still had. The constant "Baaaas" and Baaaaas" that were practically a part of Antoine were slowly dissapearing. What had been fifty bustling sheep has now been reduce to about seven sheep, 20 pieces of silver, and 5 pieces of gold.

With that being said; walking with a small group of animals was nice change of pace in comparison to the difficulties of maintaining a whole crowd of sheep and making sure there wasn't any stragglers. Antoine walked with his fluffy white friends and his large companion by his side. The large dog was proclaimed "Jeb" and if he could probably stand Jeb'd reach the sheperds torso. There was the majestic city over the horizon, The Belauricen Kingdom, where God was leading Antoine as Antoine led his sheep.

That day, he had woken up particularly early before the sun had decided to wake, ate the rest of the bread he had left, and decided to get a head start from his kingdom "brethren". In all honesty though he didn't believe of royalty and loyalty to the kingdom though he had always shown the proper respects to both.
There it was, the golden gates wide open for entry, and there they were: a shepard walking with a polearm instead of the time honoured staff (which is a little odd to see), his sheep and trusty dog.

As Antoine neared the gates he could make out the pink charriot driven by white horses, a thing only for royalty, and a horse with a knight passing him by.
Man he needed one of those. A horse. The sheperd could feel his sandals just thinnng on top of the grass with every step he took right after another. Oh but at last! Antone took his first step into the kingdom, delighted very much, and eyes soon befalling a young lady.
Not just any young lady but a beautifull one at that, perhaps royalty? He guessed she was as he walked up to her with his bleeting sheep and dog, deciding to give a better, proper introduction then the knight that had just passed.

So the shepard took his white hat and held it to his chest. "Good morning fair princess." He started respectfully, bowed, and put back on his white hat. "My name is Antoine Dialosus, shepard of The Enticelle Kingdom."
He smiled once more to show a kind demeanor to the princess to whom he spoke to so casually and extended a hand downwards to pet Jeb's head, while his other handheld onto the polearm, blade facing upward. After all he wasn't used to speaking in formalities.
"If I may ask, my dear, but is this where everyone shall meet?" Antoine spoke casually again; eyes gazed upon her silk skin.

As Nikolai wandered the hillside outside of the Belauricen Kingdom walls, he reflected on why he was there. Only a few days ago, he had been surprised to receive a visit from Sir Dakkart, a knight of the Nimoa Kingdom. Nikolai remembered Sir Dakkart as a patient from a year back. When Dakkart was brought to Nikolai, he had been on death's door. He was suffering from a horrible poison he had been infected with during a raid on a bandit camp. Nikolai managed to successfully develop an antidote to the poison. It took some time for Sir Dakkart to recover, and during this time, Nikolai taught him a good deal about how to make some broad-spectrum antidotes that would help fend off common poisons using local plant-life. In gratitude, after he recovered Sir Dakkart taught Nikolai how to fight with is tanto, training him until he was able to defeat even seasoned knights with ease. When Sir Dakkart received an invitation to the 56th Belauricen Palace Tournament, he remembered Nikolai's remarkable skill with a blade, knowledge of all things apothecary, level-headed demeanor under pressure and knew the enigmatic apothecary had a far better chance of success at the tournament. Nikolai was grateful for the invitation and received permission from the royal court to attend the tournament. The royal court could hardly deny the one who had single-handedly wiped out the Taurtian gang with his own special poisons, and Nikolai left that same day. He had no intention of competing in the tournament, he just figured he would sneak into the palace, take a look at the mystery prize, and go from there.

The journey from his home in Nimoa to this hillside outside of Belauricen had taken a few days, but Nikolai was still early. He wanted to take some time to gather plant-life specific to the region in order to make some potions of various uses later on. Nikolai stood from where he had been resting under a tree, brushed dirt from his leather armor and continued on, the sun shining on his mask. As he crested a hill and looked down the side away from Belauricen, he saw that the hillside below had been decimated not more than a few years ago. Trees were strewn all over, burned stumps poked up from the ground, and even a few bolders had been crushed into gravel. He had heard rumors of the dragon that guarded the tournament prize, now he began to believe them. "Looks like someone let the dragon out to play," he murmured to himself, the mask making his voice sound hollow and un-human. He then decided that he would much rather join the tournament than risk a confrontation with a dragon. Nikolai explored the devastated area and was pleasantly surprised to find an exceptionally rare dragon scale among the boulder ruins. Such things were quite valuable as apothecary supplies. Nikolai slipped the scale in a special pocket and walked back to the main gate. As he walked towards the gate he saw a handful of guards, a servant, and a young girl who, from the way she dressed and the respect the others afforded her, could be no other than the Belauricen Princess Cassandra Vorgoule. Having spent a great deal of time with the knights of Nimoa, he recognized the Cid, the knight with the bladed shield from their tales of his valor as he passed through the gate, followed by a shepherd with a polearm who stopped to talk with the princess. Nikolai glanced in their direction, as he walked through the gate, continuing on towards where it seemed people were gathering for the tournament. All the while passerby gazing at his masked visage. "I miss the wilderness already," he thought, "fewer prying eyes out there."

Vincent II Vorgoule

"Good morning brother" Vincent the II turned his head to smile as his sister joined his side. "Good morning my dear sister.. and how are you this lovely--" he was cut off by the sound of an arrival which turned out to be correct. Ah busy busy as ever.. I'll never get to know my sister at this rate.
The man appeared to be a familiar knight of their own kingdom whom humbly bowed in their presense.
"The name is Edward, Edward Luienn. Nice to see you again my royals.” Vincent nodded his head as so did his sister. "It is a pleasure" she said politely. "I must welcome the other kingdoms.. please excuse me gentlemen" Vincent caught her wearing a small smile but it faded as she descended down the stairs though it was comforting that she seemed supportive enough of the tournament and him paving the path for the tradition to continue. He returned his attention to the Belauricen knight. "It is nice to see you again Edward" he replied, looking over the family crest proudly stitched into the man's clothes. "I'm sure you will do us proud" he added with a warm smile before gesturing inside the palace. "We have a feast all set out for this year's combatants much grander than last year. Feel free to eat if you find yourself hungry while you wait for the tournament to begin" he offered, looking over to his assistant to check she was jotting down the names during introductions as she was paid to do so.

The sound of armour clanking caught his attention next as the prince once again gazed ahead. Another man approaching who was obviously a knight in shining armour, removed his helmet before proceeding with introduction. "My name is Cid Beranthor, I am thrilled to be inside of your kingdom." Vincent nodded his head. "I am thrilled that you will be joining us as well.. out of formality may I question which kingdom you will be representing?" he asked before gesturing to his assistant to listen closely. He turned his head back to the newcomer noticing the sweat in the man's hair. He must have travelled a long way.. he thought to himself gesturing to the palace. "Please come in, you must be weary from your journey. Feel free to sit down and eat as much as you please before we are ready to begin for the tournament" he added.

At the back of his mind was concern and anxiety on his sister's behalf. It didn't feel right to send her all the way to the gates.. it was rather risky what could happen with strangers coming in. He rubbed his chin in thought but then reasoned his father would have sent her out anyway. As his father used to say about the tradition. "You send the ladies to greet the men so as they enter the gates they will no longer be burdered by the difficult nature of their journeys.. think of war my son. Think of war. Would you not feel better to see a lady smile as you return safe and sound?" He shook off that thought being reminded of his future marriage.

"Remember honey, never underestimate your opponent. There's always someone stronger out there so keep your eyes open" Came the firm words of Angie Reed, the mother of the very girl that was getting ready to set out on her journey to the Belauricen Kingdom for the tournament. The female that stood before the woman was non other than Willow Reed, her soft blue eyes glowed as she soaked in her mothers words as her father, Daniel, double checked her back, making sure she packed everything she could possibly need. His brows were furrowed in deep thought as tuffs of black hair, with a few streaks of silver fell into his face as Willow nibbled on her pink lips. She would be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, but there was no way she was going to admit that to her parents. Instead, after her mother's speech on other opponents and her fathers inputs, she simply replied with a "Yes Ma'am and Sir".

Her dark hair was gathered in high ponytail, tousling around with every movement she made as she brushed her bangs into a sweep out of her face. Her attire was simple, a midriff top and black shorts that reached her knees with comfortable shoes she could move around in, it was one of her training outfits. Her armor was safely tucked away until her fight. After a few more check ups, Willow retrieved her bags and tossed them onto her back with ease, her muscle tensing to show how muscular this tiny woman actually was before she relaxed, able to now carry her belongings comfortably. "Well I'm off now.." She spoke softly, her parents nodding their approval and wishing her a safe trip, even so much as to offer a wave as she left from her home to her allied kingdom. Her parents weren't much for affection, but they managed to offer their goodbyes and I love you's as she went on her way. Secretly, she clutched at the locket her older brother had given her awhile ago, it was a nervous habit of hers whenever she was nervous, she just barely managed to keep her hands off of it while her mother talked away. She had wished to see her brother before she left but she knew her parents wouldn't like that, they'd probably call him a distraction seeing as he wasn't their most favorite person in the world.

But that's another story.

It didn't take long before she was approaching the familiar atmosphere for the Belauricen Kingdom, seeing as she was the knight, she was no stranger to this place. But she continued on her stroll, taking her time to actually admire the Kingdom and it's walls. Never had she once taken a moment to take in the beauty of it all, but you never can when your this busy girl! She had noticed a male on his horse also making his stroll to the castle, an opponent later on maybe..? She gave a shake of her head, she wasn't going to worry about that now. As she approached, her hand dropped away from the locket after one final squeeze as she was let into the gate with is after a nod to a few familiar guards and knights. Her icy eyes had drug themselves over to the female that was obviously her Princess. At seeing her conversing with a male with a sheep by his side, she caught her eye and offered a smile and a respectful bow of her head before continuing on to where the others would be gathering.

Upon approaching, she noticed the male on the horse from earlier also there talking to the Prince who's in charge of the whole tournament. Not wanting to seem rude, she approached and stopped at a safe distance, offering a smile and a bow of her head like she had done before and waited patiently. She had learn a huge lesson on being polite to people, especially her royals by her parents and never forgot it. So for the moment, she had turned to look over the kingdom, letting her mind wander and relaxing before she would have to become serious once again.

“I bet the walls are made of gold!” “I bet all furniture is made from diamonds!” “I bet the ceiling is made from starlight!” Timal, Wuy en Cormaka were shouting enthusiastically, imagining what the inside of the palace would look like. Kiron turned around and smiled to his friends. “I’m not so sure about that.” He then gave Cormaka a doubtful look. “Starlight? How would that even be possible?” Cormaka looked at the ground in embarrassment and said: “I don’t know. By giving it a good polishing?” They all laughed, making a small boy jump up in surprise. “I can tell you this though,” Kiron continued the conversation, “I heard all the girls in the palace wash themselves every morning in a bath of pure silver, so they can keep their body as smooth as possible.” He winked to his friends. “And I mean every part of their body.” They all laughed out loud again, and Wuy started talking about a girl he had met the day before as they were making their way towards the palace.

As they got closer and closer, Kiron felt his insides turning upside down. He tried to hide it from his friends, but he was getting quite nervous. Fighting in an Arena was one thing, entering a tournament, packed with royalty and knights, was something completely different. He had told his friends that winning this thing would just be a formality, but Kiron knew that it was going to be difficult. For starters, he wasn’t familiar with the rules of a tournament at all.

After ten more minutes, they arrived at the grounds of the palace. “Well, I guess this is it.” “Don’t forget us when you’re rich and famous, buddy.” Timal sneered. Wuy stared at the palace in amazement and asked, “You’re going to stay in here?” Kiron looked at the palace himself. “Yup. I probably end up in the servant quarters though. But don’t worry, I don’t think I have to stay inside all the time. We can go to the pub whenever I feel like it.” His friends wished him good luck and patted him on the back. Kiron turned around and showed one of the guards the invitation, which was given to him by the Grandmaster of the Arena. The man said nothing, but nodded as a sign that Kiron could enter. Not sure what to do next, Kiron strolled through the gardens, slowly making his way towards the palace itself.

The first one to pass the gates appeared to be a knight in shining armour.. but from where? her mind dared to wonder as she lightly swayed side to side a little excitedly with her gloved hands linked in front of her lap though out of the corner of her eye she did manage to catch the stranger nod to her before continuing on his way to the palace.

She heard footsteps approaching and turned slightly to see a shepherd whom had removed his hat and held it against his chest; a very gentleman-like mannerism. "Good morning fair princess." he greeted before bowing and returning his hat to his head. She smiled, tilting her own head graciously. "Good morning" she replied polite as ever giving the stranger credit for his first impression. "My name is Antoine Dialosus, shepherd of The Enticelle Kingdom."
She blinked twice before responding. "I see.. it must be lovely to be surrounded by such beautiful lands.. I even dare to question if Belauricen cannot compare." she said humbly, before her eyes wandered to the flock of sheep and the dog Antoine patted, a dog she would call quite large. "If I may ask, my dear, but is this where everyone shall meet?" She pointed to herself hearing dear, finally remembering to introduce herself. "Forgive me for the delayed introduction of myself.. I was partly distracted by your flock of sheep. It's not everyday I get to see such animals." she admitted before smiling again "I am Cassandra Vorgoule, the palace up ahead is where all combatants will be meeting with the prince in preparation for the tournament." she explained briefly with a closed eyes smile as a guard watched the conversation closely noticing the shepherd holding a polearm, out of concern the princess would come to harm.

She reopened her eyes to glance behind Antoine as another male passed by carefully observing all others before continuing on his way followed by a female with icy eyes that landed on her own. Cassandra would be lying to say she was unmoved by those eyes as from just that she could almost tell that the female was a fierce combatant. The female's smile softened the princess' worry as she returned the favour before the female combatant also continuined on her way after the others. Her eyes returned to Antoine. "You are a combatant as well?" she questioned out of curiosity.

With his sword dangling behind him, Bryden walked cautiously towards the gates of the Massive Belauricen Palace. His armor was starting to make him hot, as he was not used to these temperatures. His bare feet kicked up bits of dust as the continued his steady pace. On his left shoulder sat Midnight, who sat right on the crane of his neck. He pet him before finally getting to the gates. The guards didn't seem to like him very much, as they began to yell at him all of these demands, like who he was, why he was at the palace, why he needed that big sword, and more. Bryden was beginning to get confused with all of their yelling, when he pulled out the letter and showed it to them
"I am Bryden the Second of Nimoa, Whitefang of the Mountains. I was told to come here upon the request of the King to enter his tournament. Here is my letter of proof." His icy blue-grey eyes bore into the guards. They were about to open the doors for him when the one yelled to him

"Sir, pardon my asking, but you should be wearing shoes, or riding on a horse after such a long journey. Where is your horse? Where are your shoes?" Bryden groaned inwardly. He had forgotten to put them back on, as apparently shoes were the custom in cities and palaces. He grabbed them from his bag and put them on quickly. They felt weird to his feet, as if they were restraining them.

"I did not come by horse, I did not need one." He then entered the castle, ignoring the odd stares from the guards. Once he entered the Palace he paused just a foot inside the doorway. He had forgotten to ask how to treat royalty. He knew a couple wrong words would get him in deep trouble, but his father had told him to just speak your mind in a polite and clear manner. He looked up at the grandness of the castle, and continued past the sights to where the Prince was standing, along with other people introducing themselves. The landscaping look phenominal, however he was one that liked the natural beauty than human interference. Nows not the time to be thinking of landscaping!

"I am Bryden II of Nimoa, known as the Whitefang of the Mountains. It is most honorable to me that you would choose me for such a Tournament." He said in the politest manner he could.

Cid smiled even wider when he was asked where he was representing by the prince, "I am thrilled that you will be joining us as well.. out of formality may I question which kingdom you will be representing?" He had a tremendous amount of pride for his homeland of Enticelle, "I will be representing the beautiful lands of Enticelle sir, I hope to do them proud." he said with a smile as he bowed and looked over his shoulder, the prince had much to do and he didn't want to take up too much of his time. "I shall take my leave for now then, mingle as they say" he said with one last nod before turning and walking away, he didn't want to block up the line, somehow, in the time he had introduced himself to the prince a multitude of other participants had shown up. He had a feeling that the tournament was going to be something to remember, chances are the opponents he met would be stronger than he could even imagine. As he wandered away from the prince, and all of the others eager to introduce themselves, he found himself moving away from the main part of the crowd all together, instead wandering to an outer area and looking back in, observing the larger picture and taking in everything that was going on from the arrival of more people, all here for the same thing but most likely all for different reasons. It was interesting to see all of them, eagerness on their faces and hope in their hearts, people native to Belauricen, people from his home country of Enticelle, and even people from Nimoa, it gave him the impression that a lot of life changing experiences were going to be taking place, when you gathered so many great people in one place something was bound to occur.

He didn't watch on forever though, he just waited for a few more contestants to trickle in, wondering where his countries princess was at, his duty as a knight causing him to think of protecting Enticelle's royalty before his own life and even in a tournament such as this it was a hard habit to break. She hadn't arrived yet though so he had decided to move on, to go take a load off seeing as he had traveled for over two days fully suited in armor to get here. He kept the helmet off his head for not, something compelling him to keep it removed for now, something he rarely did, but then again was rarely required of him. He instead headed towards the food, not only hungry from his long arduous journey but very curious about what kind of cuisine he would find here, the food of Belauricen a mystery he intended on solving. When he found the seemingly endless supply of food, an amount the word feast had a hard time covering he just chuckled gently to himself. As a knight he was use to eating things that weren't exactly so glamorous and what lay before him made him almost nervous, it seemed almost like a last meal, 'Eat up because your going to need it' was all he could deduce from the spread. He shrugged though and reached in picking up a few pieces of fruit and eating them, surprised by the strong flavor of the unknown red berry. He grabbed a plate and loaded it with fruits and a bit of meat before going and taking his seat, not wanting to eat to much in case he had to fight, it would do him no good to stuff himself and pay for it in combat, no matter how great the 'exotic' food of Belauricen was. As he took his seat, he turned away from the table to watch for more people, he wanted to be sure he didn't miss a thing, trying to stay out of the way, though for a man of his size with such armor it was rather difficult to avoid peoples gazes. It didn't matter though, eventually everyone would arrive and when they did, everything would be explained, all of the questions the lot of them had would be answered, "This is going to interesting..." he muttered smiling, his sharp green eyes wandering.

Sophia smiled as her royalty seemed happy to see 'himself' here. "Oh I can only try Vincent, by the way, the palace is looking lovely as ever. New gardener.?" She gave a light chuckle then slowly entered the palace not wanting to annoy him or keep him from his duties. Her large emerald eyes seemed to be lost in a neverlasting gaze. Everything from the highest ceiling tile down to the floor tiles and everything inbetween. Although, soon she was sucked back to reality as she heard others entering and introducing themselves. Quite a few had caught her eye, two in particular though. A girl that was standing before Vincent that seemed to be a knight. A quick moment of fury had passed before looking at the knight in shining armor that had also caught her eye. His brown, matted hair and emerald eyes seemed to do the trick. Clasic well mannered knight. She sighed softly before walking up and introducing herself to be friendly and know her opponents. "Hello, the name is Edward, Edward Luien. I am one of the knights from this kingdom. It's a pleasure to see people from the other kingdoms here." She let a genuine smile take up her face. Her smiles were almost always charming.

As she waited for a responce from the gentleman, she picked up a plate that slightly resembled her own armor, a sparkly, shining silver. She smirked, excited to slip into her armor later and get this tourny over and done. Her fragile small hands were something most knights saw off about her as it was a more feminine trait but so far, no one but her dear friend Adrielle knew of such a thing. She grabbed a small portion of ham as well as the finest wine around and drizzled an odd sauce made from wine, pigs blood, broth and some herbs over a salad she grabbed as well. To be truthful, ever since she was small her plate consisted of meals like this her father being a higher noble. Sophia looked bck to the gent, her plate now full of salad and ham, a crystal glass behing held carefully at hand. A table was near and she wondered if this man would let 'him' sit with him. She wanted to make some allys as well as true friends, romances were out of the picture for now as no one knew her true gender even.

The prince looked behind the crowd of tournament entries for a minute to spot one that stood out by gender; a female combatant. He watched as she smiled and bowed her head in respect to which he was once again caught by the surrounding male voices. "I will be representing the beautiful lands of Enticelle sir, I hope to do them proud." The knight said proudly to which Vincent nodded to confirm he had heard him. "I shall take my leave for now then, mingle as they say" he said. Vincent smiled. “But of course” he added, stepping to the side to show he was free to join the feast.
"Oh I can only try Vincent, by the way, the palace is looking lovely as ever. New gardener.?" Vincent raised an eyebrow as the familiar knight walked onward inside the palace. Why did that man's words seem..like a slight flirt? Vincent twitched and then re-adjusted his collar just as another spoke up.

"I am Bryden II of Nimoa, known as the Whitefang of the Mountains. It is most honourable to me that you would choose me for such a Tournament." the stranger announced. Vincent stopped fidgeting around his collar about to explain that it was his father who had invited him and not himself but decided against it. “The honour is mine. I apologise that my father won’t be joining us..” he said in an almost calm manner. Yes.. I think those words were better suited rather than straight-forwardly say I did not choose him. The man did not appear to be a knight so he assumed it was a rogue. “Feel free to come in and eat” he said with a nod before wiping his forehead though there was not a drop of sweat. He just found the situation stressful with so many people coming to see him at once.

He walked up to the female combatant with a kind hearted smile. “Sorry to keep you waiting.. how rude of me, what happened to the rule of ladies first?” he said casually, extending his hand to shake her own. “I don’t believe I’ve seen you around before but I can sense a Belauricen air about you.. do you live outside the gates?” he asked, letting go of her hand to look around for others. No more at the moment.. He turned to look back at her and smiled. “Well without further ado, feel free to go inside and eat with the others.” He offered before folding his arms. His assistant rushed to his side to which he nodded finally realising. "Right formality.. can you state your name and kingdom should I be mistaken?"

Cid watched all of the people but when one approached him he was somehow oblivious until spoken to, almost like he had dazed out staring into the distance. His mind was heavy with thought and it was hard to keep it all organized with the numerous things going on and all of the people around him. So when another knight introduced himself he just turned his attention that way. "It is a pleasure to meet you Edward, I am Cid Beranthor. I am happy to be invited to this wonderful kingdom..." He gave a smile back, his might not have been as charming as Edward's but he had a very calm genuine feel to him, almost like the smile contained nothing but true emotions. Of course he was horrible at deception and lying so things like smiling or speaking always revealed what he truly felt and as of this moment, excitement and joy were the most present emotions. He made sure to watch how a native of Belauricen prepared food though, something that had caught his interest quite easily when he watched the salad and ham be doused with some sort of sauce, the likes of which he had never seen. It was odd being in a different land, he had been to other places before but not such a large and unknown place, at least for him, so he was finding all of the differences he saw intriguing, not just the food but the people and of course the majestic palace and while he preferred the natural beauty of Enticelle he couldn't deny the splendor of Belauricen, and he hadn't even seen it all.

His attention was still focused on the knight Edward though, his first instinct was to introduce himself and get along but of course competition was in the air and he wanted to get to know the types of people he would be fighting, who would fight fairly and have an honorable match, and of course those with less than honorable methods. Edward was still standing there though and Cid laughed to himself gently, "Where are my manners, I am truly sorry, would you like to sit with me, I would be honored to share my first meal in this country with a true Belauricen" A slight smile formed on his face as he motioned his hand for Edward to take a seat, he had almost forgotten his manners in his anticipation, he did not want the the thoughts of what was to come and his curiosity to ruin his manners or stop him from getting to know the people he could potentially be fighting, though he was slightly puzzled by the knight next to him. Edward seemed dainty for a knight, not that he hadn't seen much smaller knights, and he had seen plenty of women handle a sword with such a frame but for a knight who he assumed wore full armor, it was an interesting thing indeed, not that he would underestimate anyone. He noted one last thing though as he offered the seat, a glass of wine, something he rarely partook in, not only because it was a bit too exquisite a product for him to have on a regular occasion but because alcohol was a weakness of his to say the least, a glass or two and he would start feeling the effects, a weak tolerance. "Tell me Edward, what do you make of this tournament, as a citizen of Belauricen I am curious if you have some insight." He wanted to know what others thought, he knew he was excited, a bit apprehensive of course, he had no idea of the real rules or even what the prize was, someone from the country in question may have a more rounded idea than himself, especially one who seemed comfortable speaking to the royalty.

It was an awful morning. It was the morning. And Adrielle was dreading every ray of sunshine that was peaking over the horizon. In only an hour the royal family would be arriving at the gates to meet their guests. Princesses from nearby kingdoms would too be joining them. Both the ideas of beautiful young women as well as blood-thirsty knights coming into the delicate balance of the kingdom made her want to cringe. But it had been the king's decision for it to happen. It had been Vincent's decision. And not even she could refuse him.

With a sigh, the redhead forced herself to stand and move to her wardrobe. She changed into a dark purple dress, short of course, that had long sleeves and showed off her form. Her nurse fixed her hair, brushing it and putting a diamond tiarain her hair. With pale skin such as hers, no makeup was needed; not that she would have worn it anyway. It made her feel fake and foolish.

"Milady, do I have right to speak?" her nurse said as she examined the young woman.

Adrielle smiled. "You always have right to speak, Lilliana. You don't need to ask of my permission."

"Thank you, Milady. I think you look absolutely stunning. Your father won't have to search long to find you a suitor."

"Why thank you, Lilliana," Adrielle said, turning from the woman and looking out the window. A light frown downturned her lips. A suitor. If only her father knew that she loved someone else. "I'll be going now," she said with a small sigh. At that she headed down the stairs and out the front door. Dawson, her father's servant and protector, followed behind her as she made her way to the commotion. Knights, rouges, and women alike were arriving with smiles adorned and hopes high. She spotted Sophia amongst the other knights and couldn't help but smile lightly. The girl was tough, she had to give her that. But immediately her eyes turned to Vincent. He as of course doing his duties, being gentle and kind, being the King of Belauricen. Adriella gracefully weaved through the flocks of people, animals, knights, and came up behind Vincent. She gentle took him by the arm and rested her chin to his shoulder. "I trust you're doing just fine?" she asked, a light smile decorating her lips. It was clear that she was the slightest worried. The impact of his father's death was still bothering him, whether he'd admit it or not.

The honour is mine. I apologise that my father won’t be joining us.. As soon as the Prince spoke of his father, Bryden instantly regretted his choice of words. He should have known that the Father would have been the one to choose him, though he was unsure as why he did.

"Thank you for your generousity, Sir, however I believe that if anyone should be eating, it would be Midnight here." His hand went up to his cat instinctively. "But I shall go to the dining hall if that is what you wish." Bryden was tiring of the formalities, but he knew that the only way to not get everyone mad at him would be to keep his cool, just as he always did. He turned and walked into the palace, where a table with knights and warriors had already began sitting. His first act of strategy would be to understand the mindset of his opponents, while trying not to give anything away about himself. His eyes were normal at the moment, which made his job easier. The alternative would be to be blind for a while.

He sat down at the table, a seat away from a certain knight named Edward being spoken to by a man that seemed to be from Enticelle, but he could not tell for sure. He was now sitting cross legged in the chair, the smells of alcohol and meat filling his nose and awakening Midnight at the same time. He was unsure if he should approach anybody for the moment or continue to watch how they interacted. His father's number one rule of combat was to know your enemy better than you know yourself.

Kiron arrived at the palace before he knew it. He had enjoyed walking through the garden, as he never got around to being in one. But a young man greeting all the combatants one by one brought him back to reality immediately. When Kiron overheard some people referring to the man as the prince, he was surprised. He hadn’t thought he had to talk to the prince! Not before he had won the tournament anyway. Kiron looked for another way into the palace, but all the other entrances seemed to be guarded by watchmen. Guess I’m going to introduce myself to the prince then.

He was just about to enter the plaza in front of the palace, when the prince approached a woman, who was probably a combatant as well. He barely glanced at the woman though, as the prince himself was quite an interesting person. After the death of the king, the weight of an entire kingdom rested on this man’s shoulders. What surprised Kiron for real though, was the faint aura that surrounded the prince. Only Kiron could see it of course, as that was his own power, but the aura meant that the prince had some kind of power of his own. Kiron had never heard that the royal family had powers, but then again, what did he know about royalty? For all he knew, it was some kind of big secret nobody was supposed to know about.

Wondering if the conversation between the prince and the woman was going to take long, Kiron sat down on a small bench that was hiding in the shadow of a tree.

“Sorry to keep you waiting.. how rude of me, what happened to the rule of ladies first?” was the voice of the prince that greeted her and snapped her out of her day dreams as she turned towards him, giving a soft smile and reaching her hand out to take his hand in her own. She shook firmly as she spoke, "It's quite alright, your a very busy person!" She gave a soft chuckling, nodding at his question, "I am actually one of your Knights but I do live outside the gates." She responded, gathering her hands behind her back before lifting her hand to smack against her forehead. "I'm sorry my prince, how I could I forget? My parents would be so mad at my rudeness" She offered with a half smile, but she was serious, they would be furious that she forgot her manners.

With her forearm laid across her chest, she gave a bow of her head as she spoke just as she had been raised. "I am Willow Reed, I am from the Bealuricen kingdom. As you previously stated, I do reside outside the walls" She said, then after a moment, she lifted her head to offer another smile, turning her head as she noticed more and more people had started to arrived and had shifted her bags on her back just as a female had came up and attached herself to Prince Vincents side. "I shall take my leave and do as you had suggested, I will leave you too your duties" She chuckled, slipping past the two to make her way inside as she approached the table, she had placed her bags down near her seat before fixing a plate of food but only a tiny amount.

She was hungry and usually she ate WAY more then what was on her plate, honestly she ate like most men and luckily her work outs and training were keeping her in shape to let her eat whatever she wanted. But not to seem rude or greedy, she placed a few pieces of meat, vegetables, some fruit and wine as she took her seat next to her bags and rested with a sigh. She hadn't realized how long she had been on her feet, but she was glad she wasn't on them anymore.

As Nikolai approached the palace, he saw the man he knew from his work with the royal court of Nimoa as Prince Vincent II. He was presently talking to a man with a cat on his shoulders and had a woman holding onto his arm. He seemed rather preoccupied, so Nikolai presented himself instead to the servant taking down the names of entrants. He showed the servant his invitation, then the note from the royal court explaining how he would be attending in the stead of Sir Dakkart. The servant informed him of the feast in the palace. "Thank you," replied Nikolai in his hollow voice, "I will join the other entrants inside." Nikolai calmly observed the crowd of people enjoying the feast and mingling. The one thing he could say for this party was that the amount of socializing distracted people from staring at his odd outfit. He secured some food from a banquet table, some berries he recognized as wilders which provided a steady boost of energy when eaten, as well as some cool water. He then proceeded to take his food to a table against a wall and observed the festivities. He saw Cid talking to a Belauricen knight who was slight of frame. Nikolai continued to observe the other entrants for a moment, but he was hungry and the berries actually looked quite good.

Nikolai unsealed the beak of his mask and opened it. He then proceeded to place the berries into his mouth one at a time and chewed them thoughtfully, chasing them down with the refreshing water. After finishing the berries and water, he looked around again and decided he should probably talk to someone at some point. He figured he would strike up conversation with Cid at some point since he was most familiar with him. But that could wait until later. For now, Nikolai was content to sit and rest at his table.

When the woman left, Kiron took his chance and approached the prince before anybody else could. “Excuse me, my prince,” Kiron bowed, fully aware that it wasn’t the proper way of bowing, “My name is Kiron Pellada. I’m one of your citizens and here to enter the tournament.” He stood up again and gestured to the other people approaching. “I hope you don’t mind me saying it, Your Highness, but if you ever need to get away from all of this, I know a good place called The Hedgehog, where they...” Kiron stopped talking when the woman taking notes gave him an angry look. He bowed again, “Sorry, never mind me.” He quickly stepped back and entered the palace. You stupid fool. You just couldn’t keep your mouth shut.

The banquet was, to his mind at least, magnificent. It was the most food he had ever seen together in his entire life. Not that he was ever starving for food, but this amount was just ridiculous. Forgetting his manners once more, something a certain barmaid told him he really ought to work on, Kiron grabbed a plate and put all kinds of food on it: bread, meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, cream, spices... you name it. Chewing it down at once, an older lady was looking at him with a horrid look on her face. He winked at her and continued to make his way along the table. He only stopped once to look around the room, but, as far as he could see, it was only filled with knights and rich people. Nobody would be interested in him. The best place for him was right here, at the table with all the food.

Helena sat in the carriage with her father, she was not happy about going to the tournament but she wasn't given much of a choice. She was upset that she would miss the birthing of the new animals in the forest. She loved her animal friends; if she was happy why did she have to go and make "real" friends as her father said. She sat there with a bored expression on her face; it had been a long ride and she was tired of being cooked up. "Helena are you even listening to what I'm saying your well being is at stake my dear", said the King sitting across from her. "I'm sorry father could you say that again", she said almost whispering. The King sighed he never understood why his daughter was like this, her mother had been vibrant and talkative but Helena preferred the company of animals over people. "My dear you are already eighteen years old most girls your age have been married for almost a year already", he said with a sigh. Helena looked at him for the first time this whole trip, she had been staring out the window of the carriage most of the time.

"Marriage? That's what this trip is all about isn't it? It wasn't cause you thought I didn't get out enough it was because you want to get rid of me by marrying me off", she said in a slightly aggravated tone. The King was surprised he had never heard Helena raise her voice over almost a whisper before; but mention the word marriage and it brings up her ire. "I'm not trying to be rid of you child, I'm just trying to do whats best for my daughter. My dear I was unable to produce an heir to the throne of Enticelle so that means it is in your hands to produce an heir. I also want you to have a husband of noble blood, so that was my intentions of taking you to the tournament not to get rid of you", he said with a loving look in his eyes. The older Helena got the more she resembled her mother and sometimes it hurt to look at his daughter; he had still not recovered from the heartache of loosing his dear wife. "Your lucky I am giving you the choice of your husband my dear many women a forced to marry someone they have no feelings for. I understand that love is a beautiful thing to be cherished, so I am willing to let you find it. But if you don't find a husband before your nineteenth birthday I will choose someone for you", he said in a authoritative tone of voice.

Helena knew the discussion was over, there was no getting out of this either when her father finally decided something there was no changing his mind. "I have to find a husband great", she thought to herself. It was hard enough just for her to talk with her father, let alone a man she didn't even know to begin with. She settled back in her seat as the scenery of Belauricen came into view of the window. Helena had been on trips with her father before and she always memorized the scenery, and nature of the area they were going to; so she always knew where she was. She could see that they were nearing the palace because decorations and banners flying came into view. She sighed and prepared to get out of the carriage, which she didn't mind too much but what she didn't like was the reason she was there.

D. Michaelis, Tradidit Ferventes


Armor bound in white, black, and blue, Michaelis stood in the entryway of the palace gates, his head tilted up to get a better view. "<Should be bigger>," he mumbled absently. Righting his head, he glanced at the small gathering of people, and gripped the bag's draw strings at his feet. Hoisting it over his right shoulder with a sigh, "<This had better be a wonderful holiday away from home. From all accounts, my gift to the princess should suffice as a guest gift.>" Reaching into the small bag at his left hip, he pulled out a small box containing a small gold chain. Within the center of that gold chain, was a flawless rose quartz, which was carved to look much like a rose. "<Yes, this should suffice.>" Nodding to himself, and securing the bag comfortably over his shoulder, he gathered his courage, and stepped onto the palace grounds.

What he noticed first, was the pink and white dress of the princess. Next came the odd assortments of people from across the lands, and finally, the prince at the steps to the palace proper. An odd feeling at the back of his mind made him stare at the young prince. <Why do I feel such hatred for someone such as him?> His mind perplexed him, but after shrugging his shoulders, and shaking his head, he decided to address it later. "My lady, Vorgoule," he called aloud, removing his helmet and calling her attention to himself. Taking a few short strides, he knelt a sword length and a half from her, placing his bag and helmet near his feet, and his right hand over his left breast. " I am D. Michaelis, Tradidit Ferventes. Sir Michael, the Warm Handed," he added the last part for those who didn't understand the language he grew up with. "My name and my trade is spoken well throughout my homeland. Perhaps word has reached here?" He dared not look up at her, as was custom, and honor demanded he stayed rooted until asked to rise. "My lady, I bare with me a guest-gift, will you accept it from me?" Slowly, his hand reached into his bag at his hip, and pulled out a plain white box. With both hands, he opened it slowly, revealing the thin gold chain and rose-carved flawless rose quartz crystal.

"If the jewel does not suffice in color, then allow me to change it for you." Placing the box onto the stone beneath him, Michaelis removed his white armored gauntlets. Gently storing them within the bag next to him, he closed his eyes, and murmured softly, hands outstretched over the crystal. Blue light flared beneath his finger tips, as launched itself at the crystal. There, it began to change color. First, the color of sky at high noon, a deep green of the forests in Enticelle, and ending with a soft pink infused with lavender, just as sweat began to bead his forehead. "I believe this should suffice," he whispered softly, his breathing coming out in short gasps. With shaky hands, he lifted the box towards her, "Will you take it, my lady Vorgoule?"

The amount of people surprised and overwhelmed Bryden: he could not fathom the amount of participants the King had ordered for, and they kept arriving. So Bryden let his eyes scan the room, and found a man with a mask and full leather armor. Bryden knew this man was from his home country as well: his name was Nicolai or something along those lines. He then glanced sideways to notice a man mowing down on food like he was going to die tonight, even though the irony in that comment was evident. He needed to strike up a conversation with somebody, get the tension out of his head. He then realized it would take days to talk to everybody, but he knew he should start quickly.


While Midnight chewed on a piece of steak, he noticed a female knight not far from his seat. She looked like she was starving and tired beyond belief, yet restrained herself from trying to show either. He turned his view back to the man who was still stuffing his face.
"You know, you could slow down when eating. It not only makes you look like a fool, but it could give you indigestion." Bryden spoke in his nonchalant manner. While the man tried to empty his mouth, he heard a familiar voice coming from outside. His hearing was slightly better than human, so he could make it out: It was Michaelis. His eyes narrowed in annoyance and slight anger. He knew of the the man, since they were both from Nimoa, and he did not like nor trust a man who tried to win a Princess over upon arrival.