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Imperial Court
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Zhao Yun kneeled there silent as the Emperor read the message that had come in Zhao Yun's bundle. James appeared to be quite solemn and serious as he read the message carefully. Besides James sat Empress Ling, who looked at her husband worriedly. Beside the throne stood Colin, his enormous WarHammer strapped to his back, he himself leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed.
After a moment, James nodded slightly at the document, closed his eyes, sighed, and then looked up towards Zhao Yun, who was still kneeling.
"Well, my good sir...I am afraid I cannot give your lord a decent answer right away...but I do have this message for him..." James explained. Zhao Yun gave a quick nod and looked straight at the Emperor.
"What shall I tell my Lord?" he asked
"Tell him he is welcome to come to the Capital City if he wishes, that he will be most well received. If he should come, however, my answer will probably be ready by then." Answered James
Zhao Yun bowed his head and gave his respects to the royal family. As he was getting up, though, James stopped him with a drawn palm.
"Please, stay with us this night...it is already late outside and pitch dark...plus the storms get really rough during these hours" offered James, to which Empress Ling and Colin nodded slightly.
Zhao Yun bowed his head. "I thank you, noble lord, for your offer. Very well, I shall stay for the night." He said, a small smile on his face.
James grinned in response. "Excellent. Today we have a feast in your honor then, my fellow warrior" he declared, as he made the appropriate arrangements with a servant.
Zhao Yun bowed his head again. "My lord, this is too much honor...I am nothing more than my Lord's servant..." he protested. James dismissed the protest with a laugh.
"The most loyal servants should always be rewarded! Don't you agree, Colin?" James asked his son.
Colin lifted his head and nodded with a grin. Colin loved parties for two reasons. One, the drinks; two, cause it was easier then to run off with Yuki to his or her room. Zhao Yun bowed his head once more and thanked the royal family.
James smiled at the Shu warrior. "Now then, please get up...Colin will show you to your quarters for tonight" James said, to which Colin responded by removing himself from the wall and walking up to Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun only then got a good look at Colin. He noticed how the boy's golden hair matched neither his father's nor mother's. He also noticed how languid he seemed, and yet this young man easily wielded a hammer that could easily weigh as much as Guan Yu's Blue Dragon. Through his silk arm-robes, Zhao Yun could see that though misleadingly languid, Colin had very muscular arms. His chain mail, though, prevented Zhao Yun from evaluating the prince any further. Zhao Yun then stood up and followed the young prince out of the Imperial Court.
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North Tower
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"...and this will be your room..." stated Colin, as he waved his hand towards a medium sized wooden door. Colin then proceeded to show Zhao Yun how to use the door handle, before opening the door and walking inside with Zhao Yun.
Zhao Yun was awed by the size of the room. Never had his rooms ever been as big as this one. Furnished with a double-bed with silk sheets, a table, some chairs, a desk right next to the window, a wardrobe, and a small area which was the bathroom, Zhao Yun was amazed at how equipped the room was. Colin smiled as he saw the Shu general's reaction, and slowly back out of the room.
"If you need anything, I'm two rooms down, so just knock and I'll be right with you" stated Colin, before leaving the room entirely.
Zhao Yun looked at where Colin had stood, before closing the door and looking back at his room. Now what the hell was he going to do until the feast tonight? He was then struck with an idea. Why not explore the castle? Who knows? He might even find something interesting to occupy him for the next three hours.
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Colin's room
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Colin closed his bedroom door slowly and lazily while giving a sigh. He liked showing others around and all, but today, he really was kind of tired. Zhao Yun's ride had interrupted his moment of peace with Yuki and had almost made them get caught by soldiers who had come to fetch him.
Colin sighed again before taking off his WarHammer and laying it in its rack. He then walked over to his bed, where he slid off his arm robes and then took off his chain-mail. By now, he was completely bare chest, his well-chiselled chest evident. He was about to take off his pants when a small creak caught his attention. Colin froze immediately, before quickly taking a step to the right as something tried to pounce on him. He then grabbed that something and pinned it to the bed with his arms. Colin smiled, it was Yuki, who had come to visit him.
"I thought Imperial bodyguards were more competent than Princes" taunted Colin with a sly smile.
Yuki responded with a smile of her own. "I was going easy on you, darling. Don't underestimate my skills" she purred as she then lifted her head and kissed Colin on the lips softly.
Colin returned the kiss gladly and was soon lost in it, as he wrapped his arms around her, an act she replicated as well. After a minute or so, they broke off the passionate kiss, both breathing a bit more heavily.
"Yuki, love...should we?" he asked, a mischievous glint in his eyes.
Yuki just smiled at her loved one. "We shall..." she purred, as the mischievous glint also appeared in her eyes.
Colin smiled as his hands started to untie Yuki's dress slowly.
Outside of the room, barely anything could be heard from the amorous encounter of both Colin and Yuki, but at one point, as a single servant was walking down the hall, he jumped against the stone wall as he suddenly heard a "AAAAAAAAAH" scream of pleasure, and then silence. Needless to say, the servant thought it was from the other rooms or his imagination, so he dismissed it and went back on his way.
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Streets of Pytheas
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Zhao Yun gaped at the marble white buildings surrounding him. Never had he seen such a level of organization in any city, as every block was assigned a specific amount of houses, and no block passed this assigned number. Also, he noticed that people did not have to go to wells for water, but instead got water in their homes through a complex hydraulic system which also provided a sewer system.
As he rode down the road, Zhao Yun entered the market sector of the city, widening his eyes in marvel at the craftsmanship of the people of the city. Elaborate pots and jewelry adorned the market stands, marvelous enough to make Zhao Yun stop in front of one and examine the jewelry.
The merchant seemed interested in Zhao Yun's curiosity and smiled at the warrior.
"You wish to buy goods from Francis, yes?" asked the merchant in broken yet understandable Chinese.
Zhao Yun restrained a chuckle at the man's attempt at speaking Chinese and nodded to the merchant. He took a golden necklace with a jade phoenix ornament and showed it to the merchant.
"How much does this cost?" he asked.
The merchant looked at the necklace and then at a notepad. He then looked up at Zhao Yun with a grin.
"That be 2100 gold pieces, foreigner" replied the merchant.
Zhao Yun lifted an eyebrow at the price, but nevertheless took out the money from his personal wallet an paid the merchant to the exact gold piece. The merchant took the gold happily and bowed to Zhao Yun.
"Thank you for honoring my shop, stranger" said the merchant while he bowed. Zhao Yun nodded before getting on his horse again and riding off to the living sector again.
This time, as he rode slowly towards the palace, since the banquet was to be in an hour and a half, he met with a unpleasant scene. In front of him, in an alleyway, a middle-aged man was struggling to keep a firm hold of a young woman, was trying to free herself from the man's grasp. Zhao Yun stopped his horse in front of the scene and looked down onto the man.
"Villain! Let go of that woman, you wretch!" cried Zhao Yun, as he twirled his spear and aimed it right at the man.
The man turned from the girl and released the girl, who ran behind Zhao Yun's horse. The man slowly drew away from Zhao Yun's spear, a nervous smile on his face.
"Er...please pardon me, lord...I was under the influence of who knows what..." mumbled the man, as he drew back, further into the alleyway.
Zhao Yun glared at the man and then looked at the woman, who turned out to be probably no older than 20. Zhao Yun had to fight off a blush from creeping up his cheeks.
"Are you alright?" he asked, his voce strong and commanding.
The girl started to nod but suddenly cried out as she saw her would-be rapist throw a knife right at Zhao Yun's head. Zhao Yun, however, sensed the knife coming and grabbed it with his left hand by the handle, the blade less than a centimetre from his face. The man stood there in shock, just as Zhao Yun drew his spear.
"You dare assault Zhao Yun, Tiger General of Shu?! Face death, villain!" cried Zhao Yun as he threw his spear at the man, nailing the man right in the collar, and pining him to a wall, which was stained red with blood. Zhao Yun slowly rode up to the corpse and swiftly drew his spear, cleaning the blade with a handkerchief he always carried. He then went back to the young girl who had been assaulted and offered her his hand.
"Come, I will take you to the palace, and report this to the Emperor" he said. What he said took a second to register in the mind of the young girl, who suddenly squealed with delight.
"You're going to the palace as well?! Excellent! I live there!" she squealed, confusing him.
"You live in the palace? Who are you?" he asked, his eyes betraying curiosity.
The young girl curtsied at Zhao Yun. "I am Roslyn Featherswan, younger sister of Mortimer Featherswan, Regent General of the Imperial Army" she explained, while smiling at the Shu general.
It took Zhao Yun five seconds for the information to register. And when it did, he quickly bowed to her.
"Sister!! What are you doing out here?!" came a cry from behind Zhao Yun
Zhao Yun turned to see a young man, possibly five-six years older than he, striding up, a fully-armed escort behind him. Rosalynn sighed as she saw her brother approach them, furious.
Zhao Yun visibly gulped as the Regent-Marshall stored up to them. Mortimer Featherswan had grown into a very well-built man. The golden locks that had once graced his head were now replaced by silver strands of hair. His suit of armour was black in its entirety, except for the silver emblem of the Empire on the middle of his breastplate. His long, flowing red cape flowed in the air as the Regent-Marshall stormed up to the two, his metallic boots causing a small tremor every time he rammed them into the ground.
Mortimer glared daggers at Zhao Yun. "YOU!!" he yelled, while grabbing Zhao Yun by the collar and lifting the innocent Shu general off his feet and into the air, amazing Zhao Yun. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER?!" he demanded ferociously.
Zhao Yun was tremendously fascinated by this man. Not only was he imposing in nature, but his strength was amazing. He quickly shook his head. "I have done nothing, lord Regent!" protested Zhao Yun. "I swear it! I am an ambassador on behalf for Lord Liu Bei of Shu!!!" he explained.
Mortimer seemed to calm down a bit, but not entirely. He did, though, put Zhao Yun back on the ground.
"Fine...I'll let you go...get you now to the palace...I heard Emperor Grandhart is making a feast in your honor...you DON'T want to NOT attend" Mortimer threatened.
Zhao Yun nervously nodded and got back on his horse, from which he galloped hard towards the palace. As he left, Mortimer swung around towards his sister, only that she wasn't there anymore. Mortimer sighed in frustration.
"Dammit! Slipped away AGAIN! Guards! FIND HER!!" he ordered. The guards nodded and dispersed at his order. As soon as they were out of earshot, Mortimer's shoulders slumped.
"Stupid girl..." he muttered, before walking out of the alley and back to the palace.
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Imperial Palace, an hour later...
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Zhao Yun felt really unfitting as he entered the hall in his war armour and clothes, while everyone else wore gala dresses. He was about to enter the dining hall but a guard stopped him. Zhao Yun looked at the guard curiously.
"Err...yes?" asked Zhao Yun
"Your name, sir? So that we may announce you?" asked the guard
Zhao Yun blinked, before putting a serious demeanour. "I am Zhao Yun, ambassador for the Shu Kingdom" he told the guard, who nodded.
The guard then turned towards the hall and walked up to the entrance, where he banged the butt of the spear on the ground, calling for attention. Once he had it, he then proceeded to announce Zhao Yun.
"My lords and ladies...The ambassador for the Kingdom of Shu...Lord Zhao Yun!" the guard announced in a loud voice.
Zhao Yun then entered the hall, his armour polished and shining in the light of the torches. His metallic headband wasn't in its usual place, as Zhao Yun thought it better to not have it on tonight. Instead, he had his long hair tied up in a low ponytail, which swung back and forth behind his back as he took a step. As Zhao Yun approached the tables, James stood up from his throne to greet the warrior. At James' sides were Empress Ling and Colin. Beside the Empress sat Reccus, while Yuki sat beside Colin. Both bodyguards were wearing gala dresses as well, Reccus using a red dress, while Yuki wore a dark blue dress.
"Lord Zhao! Welcome!" greeted James, as Zhao Yun approached.
"Emperor Grandhart...please, call me Zhao Yun, or Yun, if you prefer...I do not deserve the title of Lord..." protested Zhao Yun with a smile.
James laughed. "Nonsense! But if you prefer it otherwise, then I shall call you Yun, as you may call me James" he replied.
Zhao Yun immediately felt even more uncomfortable. Sensing this, James directed him to his seat next to Yuki. Once they were all seated, the food was brought in. After about an hour of feasting, James called in for some entertainment. Colin leaned towards Zhao Yun as his father did so.
"Yo, Yun...ever seen magick tricks?" he asked, kind of eagerly...too eagerly...
Zhao Yun watched the youth with a confused expression.
"Magick? I think Lord Zhuge Liang can do magic...he is reputed for controlling the elements..." replied Zhao Yun.
Yuki nodded. "I have heard of Lord Zhuge through onii-chan...but this type of magick is different, Lord Zhao" she stated.
Zhao Yun stared at her, confused. "How so?" he asked earnestly.
Colin smirked. "This magick controls EVERYTHING" he answered.
Zhao Yun was about to speak, but the entrance of a single man, dressed in priestly robes, cut him off.
"That's the last surviving mage, Christian Neverguard" whispered Colin
Zhao Yun turned to Colin. "What happened to the others?"
"They were killed in an ambush set up by the Romans when we rescued Reccus…a horrible tragedy…but we avenged them by burning the Roman city to the ground" Colin explained.
"I see…how tragic…" commented Yun.
Colin was about to say something when a bright flash caught everyone's attention. Christian Neverguard was performing a magick ritual with the use of a sword, which kept glowing as the mage swung it around. Yun was captivated by the mage's ability, and even more amazed as the shapes the mage traced seemed to come to life, just before disappearing. Suddenly, though, a guard rushed into the hall, disturbing the festivities. The guard ran up to James' seat and whispered something quickly into his ear. James' eyes widened at the guard's report and stood up abruptly. His jovial demeanor vanished at once as he assumed a serious expression.
"My friends! I have ill news!" cried out the Emperor, as he turned to Zhao Yun. "Lord Zhao…my guards report that an army bearing the standard of Shu is on the run from another army, bearing the emblem, that you described, of Wei! Also, my guards report that the Wei army is catching up to the Shu army, which is slowly slowing down, due to the civilian population it is carrying!" announced James, catching Zhao Yun's attention and making him stand up. "Lord Zhao, we have not allied ourselves with your kingdom, but attacking a column of civilians is unforgivable! If you can make haste, we will house your people in our borders." He stated, while the other lords nodded.
Mortimer and another man stood up.
"My lord, we will escort Lord Zhao to his lord's army. By our faith, we will not allow the barbarians to kill those innocent civilians!" they cried in unison.
James smiled at the two men.
"Thank you, Mortimer, William. Go with a hundred infantry and fifty archers. We are merely stopping the Wei army, not attacking them head-on." Ordered James, before looking at his son. "Colin, accompany them as well. Take your Raiders and slow the enemy at whatever cost" he said. Colin nodded and stood up to leave.
Zhao Yun bowed to James. "My lord, there are no words to express my thanks to you for this help. Truly, the Lord of Pytheas is a virtuous one."
James smiled at Zhao Yun, before turning to his generals.
"Go forth, Protectors of Justice! Dish out Heaven's Punishment to those who would harm the innocent!" shouted James, as the lords in the hall gave a cheer that could be heard throughout the castle.