Hope you'll enjoy!
The guard ran towards the meeting room as fast as he could. He knew the king wouldn't be happy with the news though, or the advisers that he interrupted the meeting. But no one cared about their complains anyway.
He didn't even mind to knock on the door before opening them and walking in getting everyone's attention.
"Have you got no brain in your head?" Cowin snap at him right away "You are suppose to knock before walking in on the meeting. We could have talked about confidential things that are not for the ears of a mere solder that doesn't even know to behave correctly."
The guard waited till the advisor was finished with his homily before bowing to Van "Your majesty a levi-ship from Basram was spotted. They will be here in ten minutes."
Van was surprised with the news but remained calm "Thank you. You can go."
The guard bowed once more and walked out closing the door behind him. Right after the doors were closed Cowin turned to Van with a huge grin on his face.
"Perhaps princess Laviel in onboard. Perhaps meeting her would get you to change your mid about the-"
"It won't." Van answered coldly before he stood up and headed to greet the unexpected, and a bit unwanted guests.
Merle watched from the balcony as Van walked down the palace stairs where he will wait for the carriage as the custom in Fanelia was. She was frustrated after noticing the ship that landed. So frustrated she didn't even heard footsteps behind her.
"Who came?" a male voice asked making the neko shriek in fried.
Turning to Mamoru she threaten "Do that again and I'll use you as a scratching post kid." She then turned back and watched as the carriage drew closer to the palace "Royal family from Basram cane to visit. That vultures."
"Why is that?" Mamoru asked when he came next to her and watched as the older man stepped out followed by a woman that was probably his wife. In the end a young girl came out and curtsied to Van. Her gesture made Merle growl which terrified the boy from the Mystic Moon. He wasn't familiar with cat-people and didn't know how exactly do they express their anger and frustration.
"Three months age king Biel offered Lord Van the hand of his daughter." Merle was fuming as she explained.
"That wrench?" he pointed to the princess.
Merle looked at him and suddenly began to laugh like a maniac. She could barely breath and when Eries decided to join them on the balcony of the dining hall asked what was going on and why she was laughing no sound came out of her mouth that would answer the questions.
Mamoru looked at the older woman and bowed before answering instead of Merle "I called that princess that just came a wretch."
Eries looked at him curiously "Did you now?" a smile spread on her lips "You are just as straightforward as your sister."
"I'll take that as a compliment." Mamoru grinned.
Van sat in his throne hearing what king Biel has to say about his unexpected visit. The members of the royal family were sitting comfortably on his right while in the chairs on the left were Folken as the main advisor, Syan who Van trusted more then his other advisors and Eries who knew Basramians from before.
"I must say I am surprised with your visit king Biel." Van said calmly.
"We have become inpatient, that's all. I have send my offer over three months ago and no answer came till this day, so a visit was the best way to clear everything up. I even brought Laviel so you could meet her and see for yourself how charming she is."
Van listened patiently "I am surprised no answer came for I have send it right away."
"Perhaps something happened with the messenger." Queen Julliette suggested a bit to fast making Folken look at her suspiciously.
"Perhaps." Van said "But if the message did came you would have read that I have declined your offer king Biel. I appreciate it, but I wish to find a bride by my own."
"You can start searching right now." Queen Julliette smiled to Van "An eligible young woman is right here."
"Yes, but your princess Laviel isn't the one I am looking for." They didn't like hearing that.
King Biel was about to say something when Folken cut it "You seem somewhat familiar queen Julliette. Have we met before?"
"I doubt it. I haven't do much traveling in Fanelia or Zeibach." She smiled sweetly, but behind a smile was a calculated woman, Folken could see that.
"I could be mistaking of course." Folken said and glanced at Van. The young king haven't missed his brothers look, he could see that Folken didn't believed the queen's words at all. But they both knew it would be stupid to press the matter any further.
A nock on the door was heard and the same guard that interrupted the meeting earlier that day walked in and bowed to the king "Queen of Asturia has arrived your majesty."
"Thank you." Van said and the guard left "You are free to stay longer if you wish. We are having a naming ceremony in three days." He said the king of Basram who smiled at Van's words.
"We would be honored." He answered.
"A maid will show you to your quarters." He said before standing up, his brother ad sister-in-law getting up as well.
A maid walked in and Basramian royal family followed her but when Van wanted to walk out queen Millerna stormed in. She didn't look very pleased.
"What are they doing here?" she asked Van.
After explaining to her about the offer and Van's answer Millerna was starting to realize why they came. She wasn't the slightest surprised hearing they claimed the messenger never arrived in Basram. On the contrary, she rolled her eyes and sat on the chair where king Biel sat several minutes ago.
"It wasn't the first time they have done so." She explained "You were in Freid that summer Eries visiting Marlene on Chid's first birthday when they done the same thing with father. He refused king Biel's trading offer ad they simply showed up few weeks after father send the response in Pallas because the messenger never delivered father's answer."
"What happened in the end?" Van asked staring to get concerned.
"Father agreed in the end. Queen Julliette persuaded him to do so." She looked angry "I was young then but still knew how a blackmail sounded."
"What?" Fanel brothers snapped at the same time.
"She threatened she would say late duke Freid Chid wasn't his son. If father knew that the duke already knew the truth he would never get in the trade with Basram." Millerna stood up suddenly.
"I think I know what you are talking about now." Eries said calmly before turning to Van "Don't allow them to blackmail you, cause if you do they will never be sated and the price they will want you to pay will grow."
"I have no intention to let them control me." Van said seriously before smiling "And now about more happy subject. Millerna I believe you want to see your niece."
The young queen smiled and nodded "Melaniya stayed with her father back in Asturia. My pour baby coughs a lot and the healer said-"
"Are you talking about Melaniya or Allen?" Van joked.
Millerna glared at him before grinning "What's the difference?" she asked making everyone laugh.
"Oh, while you here there is someone else I thought you would like to meet." Van said as they headed towards Eries and Folken's chamber.
"Oh, and who might that be?" she joked thinking Van might talk about a girl. But thinking better about it she realized it was impossible.
"They arrived three months ago from the Mystic Moon." Millerna looked at him shocked making everyone laugh.
"I must say Hitomi's family is quite interesting." Eries said casually.
"Her whole family?" Millerna stopped walking and looked at them "Are you serious?"
"They are really here." Folken said calmly.
"When can I meet them?" she asked right away.
A black-furred cat-boy stood in front of a large desk in a study. His father was sitting in the chair ignoring what he was talking until Leat screamed at him making Gant frown on his words.
"You let them use you like a puppet. That damn queen has her own reasons and plans of revenge and you are to blind in your rage to see it. When everything ends people will blame you and they won't bother to help. In the end you will be the bad guy."
"You don't know what you're talking about boy!" Gant barked at his son "If things were right you would be a prince of Fanelia, a throne heir of the kingdom protected by the dragons. But now you are just a beast-child that disobeys his father that only wants the best for him."
"I doubt that an attack your homeland is the best thing you can do for me." Leat said calmly trying not to cry.
Gant looked at him "I have the saying here Leat. Your mother knew that and so should you."
"Yes, she knew you have the saying. That's why she followed you out of the warm home when you decided to leave Fanelia in the middle of the winter. Isn't that what killed her in the end."
"Don't you dare to blame me for that!" Gant stood up angrily "I did my best when she got sick and even paid the royal healer to take care for her. When she died queen Julliette personally fired the healer cause he wasn't good enough."
"Because she is such a good person. Right." Leat was about to leave when he once more turned to his father "She never liked the beast-people, she calls us 'mistakes of the nature'. Are you so positively sure she didn't ordered the healer to kill mother?"
After saying that the neko left leaving his father in doubt. Gant knew what his son was talking about. He remembered queen Julliette's saying once before beast-people were repulsive. But that was long time ago, while they were still back home. She would never act against Elissa, would she?