(King's Landing: 7/31/298 AC) Lady Stork III

"Can you believe that fool tried to goad me on?" the Firelord questioned, with an incredulous look lining her fair features. The Lady Azula was still baffled by her earlier incident, with the Kingslayer, outside the small council chambers. From the moment Stork had been summoned from the servant's quarters partly past midday, to the Firelord's chambers, the Firelord had spoken endlessly of the event. The woman who had once been heir to an entire world sat upon an ornately carved, black wooden chair. The sweet scent that seemed to follow her everywhere, lingered in the air, mixed in with the smell of a pot of still steaming tea on a nearby table. The Lady of Dragonstone was clad in a red silken robe, with black flames embroidered throughout the golden cuffs and collar of the robe. A blood red sash served to fasten the robe to her waist, which helped to accentuate her shapely hips and keep her naked form underneath from spilling forth.

'She knows she is beautiful,' Lady Stork thought. 'Seven-hells, I know she is beautiful,' she remembered, thinking of how she would oft find herself staring at her reflection, during those times she was ordered to assume the Firelord's form. 'I was once a decent mummer, and now look at me! Brushing the hair of my very rich, very spoiled, very dangerous, patron, like some lowly servant.' She glanced down towards the two 'women' who were scrubbing the Firelord's feet over a small basin of water. A third woman was to her left, occupied with filing the Lady Azula's nails. 'She only gets this prepared for three things, and seeing as the day is nearing its end, it is not preparation for a new day, nor for some courtly affair. It was preparation for something else, something baser,' she shuddered at the thought. Her three companions were silent, and wore strange masks, half smoky gray, and half ghostly white, with black tracings. They bore hoods and torn robes, with oddly patterned dressings beneath. At their sides, laid upon the floor, were curved short swords with a silver five-pronged flame decorating the cross guard. All were sheathed within black leather scabbards, with a silver tip towards the end sharing the swirling design of the three women's dressings. 'The Kemurikage,' she uttered their title in her mind, 'a legend from the Firelord's home country.' They unnerved her, the silence, and the blank stares. They could seemingly emerge from the shadows, and indeed they had, that night when the Lady Azula had informed her of her imminent departure to Winterfell.


(King's Landing: 2/26/298 AC) Lady Stork III

The Firelord had summoned her, and she did not tolerate tardiness. She rushed up, from the servant's quarters to the apartment of the Master of Ships. There she stood, slightly winded, before the large silent guard. 'One of Qyburn's Repurposed,' she knew. For a few moments, he did nothing but study her, before he removed himself from her path. She knocked twice, and heard Lord Stannis' brusque reply, "Enter." As she pressed the door open, she noticed only two torch stands being lit. One burned beside Lord Stannis' desk, who had been writing something in silence, and the other flared blue, behind the Lady Azula. The Firelord stood on the balcony, her hands resting on the stone railing, staring out towards the city. The light from the fires gave birth to long shadows that crept across the room. The red and blue hues caused by the flames presented a stark contrast between the Lord and Lady of Dragonstone. Lord Stannis' rigid features were seemingly sharpened by the crimson flame at his side. The ornate desk, on which he was currently working, and the nearby bookshelf, whose knowledge he would continually review, added a sense of harsh symmetry, and order to his person. The azure flames, on the other hand, danced behind the Firelord, swaying with her silk gown, and the lavish curtains that separated them. The Firelord appeared as a spirit, behind the thin cloth of the flowing draperies. The flames swirled and flickered, unsure, and unstable. The light was soft, and fluid, not as unforgiving as Stannis' own. 'Perhaps that was the point?' she wondered before she corrected herself, 'Perhaps that was the illusion the Firelord wanted to convey? She controlled the fire after all…'

As the drapes rippled in the night breeze, she heard her. "Lady Stork," the Firelord spoke, straightening herself, "come here." As she approached, she felt a cold shiver crawl up her spine and the strange sense of hidden eyes following her every move. She cast a quick glance back towards Lord Stannis and saw his attention still focused on the parchment before him. She hesitated as she took her place at the Firelord's side, still shivering at thought of what was unseen. For a moment the Lady of Dragonstone remained silent before she waved her hand. Chains began to rattle, and out from behind the swaying curtains, hidden in the shadow of the archway, to either side of her, materialized two figures. "Look at them," the Firelord ordered. She turned to gaze at the two forms at her sides, taking in their odd style of dress and unnervingly symmetrical masks. "Don't forget the one behind you," the Lady of Dragonstone whispered. Goosebumps coursed over her arms, as she turned to face the third unseen shade. The third form stood between the swaying draperies, slightly tilting its head to the side, like a child discovering a new toy. "Memorize her face," Azula had commanded the three, whose gazes towards her had not faltered. "She is to be allowed safe passage, if she bears my token, and places it in the correct position." The Lady Azula turned away from the balcony, with the one behind them yielding to the Firelord, and standing aside to let her pass back into the room. The two at her sides grew closer, pushing her to follow the Firelord. She felt their blank gazes boring into her, as she stepped past the one in between the curtains. As she passed beneath the archway, she felt the three close up behind her, stalking her, with the slight rattle of chains constantly reminding her that they were there. She had wanted to launch into a series of questions of, 'Why she was here?' 'When had they arrived?' and 'For what purpose?' However, as before, she knew questions only served to make the Firelord suspicious. Once the Lady Azula arrived at Lord Stannis' desk, she snatched a small Pai Sho piece, emblazoned with the Firenation emblem, off of it. The Lord of Dragonstone glanced up, seemingly annoyed, before he looked back down, and returned to his writing. The Firelord held up the piece for her and the three shadows behind her, "My token," she stated. "Stork, I hope you remembered your lessons in Pai Sho?"

"Yes, Firelord," she replied, her skills had atrophied somewhat, but she still understood the basics of the game played in the Firelord's home country. A game similar to Cyvasse, yet with its own oddities and figures. She remembered the Firelord having introduced the game to Ser Steffon and Lord Stannis, both of which took to it with fervor. The former because he enjoyed playing something from his mother's home, and the latter because it amused him to best the Firelord.

"Good. As soon as you enter this room, you will find a small table placed in front of you. On it, will be a Pai Sho board, set with variations of the 'Iroh Gambit.' You will have no more than a minute to place the fire tile down for the correct counter, otherwise…' the Firelord looked over her shoulder, towards the three specters at her back. "Well, that does not need to be elaborated on. But I would be severely disappointed, of course."

"Of course," she replied humourlessly, knowing the Firelord would see her death as a minor inconvenience.

"Now I am sure you have a multitude of questions swimming around up there, but I will answer only the ones relevant to your position. After Lord Arryn's death, I called for them," Lady Azula nodded towards the three, "along with several more repurposed and a dozen Firenation guard. Thoros is a passable Flameguard that my husband holds in high regard, for some reason. A reason he has yet to elaborate on," the Firelord shot a questioning glance towards Lord Stannis, who remained silently writing. "Well, he might not value his own life, but I do, and I will not have my husband suffer a case of sudden death while I am away. Besides, only I have the right to kill him for that horrendous choice of colors for our beddings."

Stannis rose at that, "You may find comfort sleeping in Lannister colors, but I do not."

"They were the colors of the Firenation, of my family, long before the Lannisters claimed them," Azula chided.

"This is Westeros, not the Firenation."

A shocked expression briefly crossed the Lady Azula's face, before she narrowed her eyes and frowned. "More's the pity," the Firelord replied, holding her lord husband's gaze for a moment before she turned back towards her. She heard Stannis sigh before the sound of quill on parchment continued. "As I was saying, you will need to place the correct counter, so they," she nodded towards the Kemurikage, "will allow you to enter. I am quite certain several individuals in King's Landing will see my absence as an opportunity to raid my pantry, and I seek to encourage that illusion. Perhaps I will be fortunate enough to catch a spider or a mockingbird?" She heard a snort of amusement come from Lord Stannis' direction, and yet she had not seen him lift his head. The Firelord flashed her predatory smile, before continuing, "You are to follow my husband's orders as if they were my own. You will come to this room, when Stannis summons you, to serve as is its caretaker. All messages, my husband and I write, will be sent through hawk, and they will be sent from and received here. So if Stannis is not present, then you must always be here, ready to receive them."


(King's Landing: 7/31/298 AC) Lady Stork III

"Stop there," the Firelord ordered to the Kemurikage filing her nails. She saw the Firelord assess them, and their sharpness, by lightly scratching at the palm of her hand. "Good, not too sharp, not too dull, just enough…" the Lady Azula's voice lingered a bit towards the end, as a mischievous grin tugged at her lips. The Firelord looked down, towards her feet, and frowned slightly, "Just a bit more. I do not want the night I have planned to be marred by poor foot hygiene." The Firelord snapped her head towards the door, impatiently tapping the base of her finger against the armrest of her chair. "By the way, can someone tell me where in the spirit world my husband is? That meeting should have been over hours ago. I have just recently arrived from a long trip, and I require attention."

Lady Stork felt some degree of sympathy for Lord Stannis. The demands the Firelord placed upon those under her command, were outrageously stressful. However, she could scarcely imagine how Lord Stannis felt, holding the 'special' position of being husband to the Firelord. Just then, she heard the door click, and sway open, revealing the Lord of Dragonstone. As the door shut behind him, the Kemurikage all rose and reached for their blades. Stannis remained at the foot of the small table holding the Pai Sho board. He glanced at it quickly, before he reached over and placed the Firenation token in its correct place. The Kemurikage studied the placement before relaxing and returning to their duties. One stood by Lady Azula's side, after completing her task of filing the Firelord's nails, while the other two continued scrubbing her feet dutifully.

She saw Lord Stannis cross the room, towards his desk, laying down several rolls of parchment he had strapped to his side. "After the small council meeting had adjourned, Lord Stark wished to speak with Renly and I, on Commander Lee, and the rumors of Slynt's duplicity."

The Firelord perked up, "And what did your dear brother say?"

"He held true," Stannis replied, heading for the steaming pot of tea placed upon an adjacent table. "He agreed with me," he said, as he lifted the teapot off of the low flame, "that Slynt was untrustworthy." Lord Stannis poured part of the pot's contents into a nearby, small ceramic teacup, before he continued, "And that Lee was the only choice for his replacement."

"Good. Let's hope he remains true. The King doesn't need his rule undermined by ambitious individuals like your brother," the Firelord stated. Lord Stannis nodded his response and sipped at his tea. "That being said," Lady Azula looked towards her Kemurikage. "You three, stand guard on the balcony, and lower the heavy curtains." The Kemurikage bowed their heads, with the two at her feet placing the foot paddles off to the side. They rose like smoke, and took their swords with them, sliding them underneath their torn cloaks. Gliding over towards the balcony, two of the Kemurikage went to either side of the curtain wall and tugged at the golden rope cord that held the heavy cloth in place. A sheet of thick fabric cascaded down, over the thin silk, shutting out light from the slowly setting sun, while the Kemurikage trio remained outside. "You may leave, Lady Stork," the Lady of Dragonstone whispered, staring at her Lord Husband, who seemed confused, as he continued sipping his tea. "Dear husband, would you care to lock the door after Lady Stork?" Lady Azula purred.

She saw the moment of realization hit him, as he gulped down his scalding hot tea, and rushed her out the door. As soon as she was out, the door slammed shut behind her. She heard it lock, and took several steps back, as the Repurposed guard resumed his position in front of the entryway.