Meeting of the Twelve

I just want to remind people that in this world, though most of the people and powers are the same, the history of people and their countries are different. If details don't match up with the manga, it's likely done on purpose for a plan I have later in the future. It won't make sense right away, but it will in time.

As soon as the servant had shut the doors behind them, they bowed low to the newcomers. "Welcome king Sinbad and Princess Yamuriha."

Yamu and Jafar nodded at the servants while Sinbad went ahead. In the centre of the room the rest of the twelve sat around a round table with their advisors or siblings standing at their sides. Sinbad couldn't recognize them all by the masks, he'd lost track. Yamu hurried over to her Magnustand's spot, though they would have no say in the meeting without her father, their king, there to attend. Sinbad wondered what his excuse was. Beside them was the King of Heliophat with two advisors and the prince who Sinbad recognized as Sharkkon. Balbaad had their king with his two brothers and guards behind him. Yamato of Kina had the largest chair, since it was his country. There was Phartevia's queen, Artemyra's queen, Kou's king and prince, as well as two Kings from Laem. Their chairs were squished into their spot, both of them looking very uncomfortable with the arrangement. From what Sinbad had heard of their politics, he wasn't surprised.

The Kings of Sasan, Akita and the Queen of Imuchakk had not arrived yet, but he was not surprised. Their countries were even further away from Kina than Sindria was. Despite that, Kouen glared at him when he took his spot next to Balbaad and Jafar stood behind him.

"You're late," Kouen told him. Hid red mask that covered his eyes was very simple, only a black outline and flames at the bottom. Sinbad still remembered when Kouen had become ruler after his father had passed and he'd shown them his true identity. It had been the most recent time someone had revealed their true identity to the council, but it was a rule that they all did. Anyone who entered their meetings must have shown their face ahead of time.

"Ah, sorry about that," Sinbad apologized easily as he leaned back in his chair. "We may have taken a few wrong turns on our way getting here." Jafar mumbled under his breath how 'taking a few wrong turns' did not mean 'spend time flirting with palace women.' Sinbad ignored him.

Kouen did not look pleased, but as always, he let it go. "Very well. Since we are all here, I believe we should get started."

"Should we not wait until all of the twelve have arrived," Titus asked. His mask was gold on one half, black on the other, with white jewels like tears trailing down from the eyes. It fit over his entire face, leaving only the mouth to be seen. That did surprise Sinbad. Of all of them, Titus was the most willing to share his identity with others.

Koumei, and man who wore a mask on half his face that was simply black with a few white outlining, answered him. (It actually reminded Sinbad of a bird) "The Kings of Sasan and Akita have run into some difficulties on their way here, and won't arrive for another week. They have asked us not to make any decisions that will affect their countries until they arrive. As well, Magnustands ruler had some important business to attend to and will not be free until tomorrow." There was some murmurs through the crowd, but no one spoke up. Yamu, their king's daughter, remained silent. A representative of the king could not do anything in the meeting, they all knew. "As well, Queen Rurumu of Imuchakk will not arrive for more than a month." Sinbad raised his eyebrow skeptically.

"Why?"

Kouen paused. His guests could see through the mask him surveying the room, noting all the faces before answering. "From what we had heard…her mask has broken."

At first it was silence. Sinbad whistled. Others gasped so softly it sounded like a simple breeze. Jafar's eyes widened behind his mask, disbelief evident in his expression. The masks that were made for the royalty of the countries elite had been made for each new leader and their affiliates long before their reign even began. Rurumu was the daughter of the earlier leader, before his assassination by a group of traveling assassins, which meant she had her mask for years. They knew the masks were not invincible, yet never had a mask been damaged. Magicians who served under the royalty were charged with making sure the masks would not fall off, completely conceal the identity of the wearer, as well as making sure that they would not break under battle, harsh weather, or any kind of magic. The only times masks were destroyed was if the wearer was destroyed and they had no use for the mask anymore. The only country that passed their masks on from generations instead of making new ones were Sasan and Artemyra. Which meant the masks couldn't have been destroyed by age…

Interrupting the silence, Sinbad asked, "Did they say how her mask was broken?" Sinbad knew he was not the only one whose mind immediately flashed back to the assassins who had killed her father.

The King of kou did not seem surprised by the question. "They gave us no further detail other than that the mask was broken and they would not leave their lands until it was complete." Sinbad frowned, but was not surprised. The people involved with the twelve were always secretive, and despite their supposed trust, they kept just as many secrets from others in the Twelve.

Ahbmad of Balbaad leaned back in his chair like it was a couch. "Fine. We won't be making any final decisions. Can we start the meeting?" Other rules sent each other annoyed glances which the king of Balbadd didn't notice, to absorbed in whatever world he thought he was the king of. The third prince's cheeks turned a shade brighter with embarrassment for his brother, or perhaps that was just from the bright red and orange mask which looked like it was constantly on fire. If it wasn't for the golden chain that reached both sides form the middle, Sinbad would have assumed his mask really was on fire.

Raising an eyebrow, Kouen obeyed. "Fine. As we all know, there are a few things that we need to discuss over the next three months that will affect all our countries. I believe most of our topics should not be discussed without all our leaders here." He paused for assurance from all the leaders. None of them objected, so he continued. "For now, we many discuss the battle strategies for the upcoming war against the Dark Continent." A few murmurs were spread through the room, mostly the servants and associates of the Twelve. Not many of the kings or queens could speak even in whisper. Anything they said at the table must be shared with them all.

"Have we confirmed that we are going to war against the Dark Continent?" Queen Serendine of Parthevia asked skeptically. All of them knew how included Kouen especially was on going straight to war.

Kouen must have known they knew this, for he gave an explanation. "In the last meeting, unfortunately you had to leave early because of the trouble in your kingdom your majesty, we decided to at least go along with planning strategies for the battle and wait to see what they do before actually putting any plans into action. If they do not attack or send us any message by the end of this year, we will attack on our own." The rest of the members nodded in agreement while Serendine tried to conceal her disapproval.

Even though he wouldn't say it out loud yet, Sinbad agreed with her disapproval. The Dark Continent was an area no one had ever visited, or at least said that they visited, in known history. They had never made any contact with anyone outside of their nation, and they were cut off from the world by a series of caves and darkness, called the line between the known and unknown world. Sinbad had visited the countries around, but he'd never been to the continent itself. Rumors of the people in the land spread from nation to nation Children with the power of beasts. Creatures that popped out of the ground and ate a man alive. Nothing had been confirmed. For decades before, most had decided to leave them alone.

Until a recent incident.

The council decided they had no choice to get involved.

"The armies of Kou are ready to take on the Line separating the known and unknown world," Kouen told them. "We recommend the armies of Artemyia and Sasan go with them in order to be able to travel the terrain…" They continued talking about the difference strengths and weaknesses of various armies, how many people should stay in case the war was brought home, and where exactly they should try to invade. Sinbad leaned back in his seat, pinching his nose in exasperation. He couldn't believe he'd come all that way, considering all the problems that they could have been discussing, for battle strategies? Sometimes he wondered if the twelve secretly wanted to avoid the truth of the situations in their countries.

They must have known they couldn't avoid their nation's problems forever.

"Can we guarantee that the public minds of all our nations are on our side?" The prince of Balbaad mumbled too loudly. They doubted he had meant for anyone to hear him, but they had. A few of them actually turned to him, interested in his statement.

The king of his country hissed at him. "Prince Alibaba, shut up! Who said you were allowed to talk?" Alibaba closed his mouth and hung his head sheepishly.

"No, speak." Sinbad ordered, excited someone had finally changed the subject to something more interesting. "I want to hear what he means by that." Ahbmad did not look happy, but begrudgingly he waved the okay for his brother to speak.

Alibaba looked surprised anyone had even heard him, but hurried to answer before he could lose his chance. "I think all our leaders can agree that each country has forms of mutiny because of how many things we hide form them. In some cases, because of how private the royal courts are, they may as well not even live in their own countries. If we ask them to go to war against a country they don't know about, for a task that we likely will not tell them, and serve under people who won't show their faces to us, can we guarantee that they will all lift their swords? Some may see it as a chance to rebel against their king- or queen," He added hastily, glancing at the queen of Artemyra. The fact that no one objected meant they

"What do you propose we do prince Alibaba?" Titus asked politely. At the question Alibaba hesitated, surprised that anyone had taken him seriously as he also came to the realization he hadn't thought that far ahead.

"I…I'm not sure. W-we could start by giving them a better reason to go to war than 'the strangers who wear masks' say so."

"He's not wrong," Queen Serendine noted. "Just on my way here I overheard a crowd speaking against our rule, saying we were too suspicious and have too much power." A few grumbles were passed around the table. Sinbad overheard someone say, 'that wouldn't happen in my country.' he doubted that comment would get him very far.

"It is a tradition for the kings and queens identity's to be hidden from the public," Koumei, prince of Kou, added in. "For the safety of the ones who rule, so they can detach themselves from personal affections to their citizens and think of the good of all countries of the alliance, and to maintain a power over the people through the citizens ignorance, among other things," Koumei quickly finished, deciding not to go into detail the reason for the masks that had been decided upon centuries ago. They all knew the history.

However, the king of Kina murmured, "You know, with all that is happening lately, can we really afford to follow tradition? The masks are supposed to install fear in our citizens, but all that fear is doing for some is making them want to get rid of us."

"Are you suggesting we get rid of our masks?" The Queen of Artemyra demanded incredulously. From the shocked eyes and glances of doubt that went around the room, Sinbad could tell that they had gotten off topic.

If he didn't intervene, things were going to get out of hand. "No one is saying we need to get rid of the masks," he told them, all attention shifting towards him. "We just need to give the citizens of the twelve nations a reason to trust that the masks are for the best once again. The masks install a fear into the citizens so they do not attack their rulers, but we can't forget they were originally also intended to be a reassurance for the people. We all know how valuable identity and secrets are. With ours kept hidden, they believe that we hold an upper hand against our enemies, whether we actually do or not, since the people only know of the rumors that go around. As far as they know, the dark continent is nothing but an anthill against our power."

"But King Sinbad, perhaps that is the problem." Titus interjected. "Just because the people believe we have the power to do anything, doesn't mean they know we will use it for the best. In the past our ancestors kept their identities secret while still speaking to the public freely, but now we have become too distant with them. As far as they know, or what some of them believe already, we don't care of the people and have no reason to help them. If it were a battle, how can we guarantee that we will stay by their side and have their best interests at heart? The people are just as afraid of us as they are of our enemies."

A silence slipped through the crowd as they debated his words. Few of the leaders were foolish to say he was wrong. The masks were a tradition of their ancestors that had worked in the past.

However, the past had worked differently than the present.

"So we need to reassure the public," Kouen concluded. "Make them believe we are on their side…Assure them we are no different while still convincing them we hold a higher power…" Sinbad didn't believe that would be too hard to convince, his metal vessel strapped against his waste like a trinket. He doubted showing the people one of his strongest weapons would be the smartest move.

"Personally, in most countries I don't believe this is as big a problem as it is in others." Queen Serendine voiced her opinion. "Most countries have succeeded in staying in touch with the public while still keeping their identity, power, and the workings of the palace a secret."

"True," Aarmakon spoke up, reminding everyone that he was actually there. "But the biggest countries, the ones with a bigger population, are the ones that don't see their rulers regularly. Those countries would be Kou, Parthevia, and Laem." Titus glared at Nerva from behind his mask, showing that he had thought the same thing before the meeting many times before. Nerva pretended not to notice him, feigning surprise at the suggestion. The two of their approaches to governing their nations were extremely different, Sinbad had learned from meetings in the past. Nerva was more traditional, and liked to avoid any problems that suggested the old ways needed to be changed. Titus, when he had joined, showed a very different idea, and that he wanted many things in their country to change. He was more open even with his identity, though for a while Sinbad hadn't been sure if he was a boy or a girl. Because of the political struggle in the country, neither of them got to make any decisions as of late.

Out of curiosity, Sinbad wondered just how they were going to decide which one would lead.

His question was answered before he could even say it.

"In Laem, we will hold an election." Titus gave his suggestion before anyone could stop him. "We'll allow the people to elect their officials before we start the war." His fellow leader swirled around in his chair to stare at him in outrage.

"An election?" Nerva shouted. "Are you insane?"

But Titus held firm. "No. let's allow the people to decide which one of us they want to rule. That way we can get closer to the people while also solving our own political problems." If Jafar wouldn't have criticized him for it, Sinbad would have laughed out loud when his mouth dropped open.

"Y-you want to let the people decide politics?" he summarized, as if hoping he would say something different.

"It's never been done before," Armakon noted, but he did not look bothered by the idea.

Ahbmad on the other hand shook his head. "That sounds like a terrible idea. Who would let their people decide such important matters? What do they know compared to those who have been groomed for success like us?"

"I'd watch your tongue Ahbmad," Queen Mira purred humouredly. "Not all our members here were fed hand and foot on a silver platter."

"Let's put it to a vote," the king of Kina, Yamato, suggested. "I like votes. Since it's only for Laem, I doubt it's a problem if not all our members are here." The others glanced at each other for confirmation. They all nodded in approval. "Alright. Those who are against the votes raise your hands."

Nerva, Ahbmad, Kouen and surprisingly, Mira, raised their hands. Sinbad raised an eyebrow at her, but she just shrugged. The mischievous glance she gave him behind her feathered mask. Jafar would not have been happy with the ideas Sinbad started to get.

"And those in favour?" Titus, Serendine, Armakan, and Yamato raised their hands. Everyone turned to Sinbad expectantly, waiting his response. He glanced from Titus to Nerva, then to all the others at the table. Perhaps it wasn't well known, or according to how they saw he acted, they would have assumed he would have been one of the few not to be bothered if the twelve became more public.

They were wrong.

Sinbad did not want them to become more public. He wanted to know the exact number of people who knew who he was before anyone else did. He wanted to be able to count the people who knew his true power on his hand. He wanted the only ones who knew close details about him to be people who he could keep so close he could say where they were at all times. Sinbad, more than most he assumed, had many secrets he knew should never come out.

But the thing about having many secrets?

They were safer as long as the secrets of others could be used to hide them.

"I vote in favour," Sinbad told them after quite some time. Nerva cursed under his breath while Titus smiled at Sinbad gratefully. Sinbad smiled cheerfully back, already putting a plan in motion to get Titus on his side. How many secrets could the so-called golden boy have that Sinbad could use to help keep his hidden?

"It's decided then," Kouen concluded, ignoring the annoyed grunts Nerva and Ahbmad gave. Mira and Kouen did not seem too bothered by losing the vote, and continued as normal. "However, it does not help with our other countries, Kou and Parthevia. And while these are the countries with the most problems with the citizens, they are not the only ones with these problems."

"Let's do something here in Kina," Yamato suggested. "If the people from the other countries see we put lots of effort into helping a country with as small a population as my country has, they would be assured that they would absolutely be in our thoughts. While it is not a permanent solution, it is a quick one if we are to go to war soon." From conversing with Yamato on a personal level, Sinbad knew he secretly just wanted more attention to be spent on his small island of a country.

As the discussions went on, Sinbad groaned and leaned back in his chair. He was getting nothing done. They hadn't even approached the subject that he'd wanted to discuss, and what they did want to speak of held little to no interest to him. "Jafar, how much longer was this meeting supposed to go again?" Jafar's death glare sent chills up Sinbad's spine.

"I'd be careful if I were you your majesty," Jafar advised. "Who knows when the lights will turn on you?"