Maria stayed at the King's side as the royal family parted to either side to allow the Hallig delegation to enter the castle. Beyond the doors, they'd proceed to the next part of the ceremonies. In the meantime, Maria kept her eyes on the nice passing by, especially on King Miquella's own knight, who she identified from General Solcrista's loredump as the Knight Finlay, the trusted right hand of Queen Malenia… among other less savory rumors. Well, rumors were a fact of life. She would be extremely surprised if rumors about her being the king's lover or the queen's lover or one of the princes' lover wasn't already spreading among the Marchionesses, no doubt created on the spot.
She felt Dame Finlay's gaze on her as the knight clad in Hallig's secret alloyed gold passed by, before turning her gaze forward. The gazes of the other knights in the delegation never wavered, simply looking straight ahead. Foolishness. Ceremony in an allied nation or not, that wasn't how one guarded someone!
The king and his kin moved back into place as the door closed, and the bell rang once more to signal the arrival of the next delegation, the silk-clad delegation from Xiarmah. Maria twitched when she saw what they were wearing. The long, flowing garments men wore looked like robes, with sleeves wide enough to be torn off and repurposed as a shirt. Beneath the robes she saw flashes of sensible footwear, as well as what seemed like sensible trousers. The women wore the same, which were actually cut to be dresses. Instead of helmets of any sort, some wore ornaments that dangled like wind chimes, while other simply let their long hair fall down their backs. At the very back, however, Maria noted a muscular woman who wore no ornament. Indeed, they wore nothing at all save for a silken orange Master's Set and a confident smirk. A very dangerous knight, then. No one wore the Master's Set unless they were supremely confident in their skills.
In their midst was a woman clad robes the color of grass, a sword at her hip. She would be First Queen of the Sword Sungs Xiulan, if Maria recalled correctly, one of the current Queen's consorts as well as the commander of Xiarmah's knights and armies. Normally, the First Queen of the Bonfire would be sent as a diplomatic envoy, but according to what Maria had been told, the woman was currently pregnant and expecting. At her side, the rather heavy man wearing black and white robes would be Po the Black, the one hailed as the Dragon Warrior. It was a title of accomplishment that actually had little to do with dragons, but that didn't mean that the man himself wasn't dangerous.
Maria stepped forward to repeat the ceremonial words. Already she could see this becoming… repetitive. Still, Maria retained her dignity as she repeated all the questions again—"We hail from Xiarmah, the Jewel of the World"—and maintained her watchfulness as the procession passed by. Up close, Maria saw the selection of metal knuckles, small knives, whips, and cane-like wooden rods the delegation's knights were armed with. They must be truly skilled, if that was all the arms they carried. The woman in the back wearing the Master's Set had a pair of clawed knuckles hanging from her waist. Unlike the other knights in the delegation, she did not carry a pouch filled with alchemical concoctions and perfumes, another sign of her confidence in her ability. Maria was sure she wasn't the only one watching the no doubt dangerous woman until the doors finally closed. Why was such a person not the one escorting the queen consort?
On the next bell entered the white-clad knights of New Catarina, their queen in their midst in the same armor. Maria approved of the relative uniformity. Should the queen need to be protected, all the knight had to do was break line of sight to her for the few moments it would take to exchange weapons with her. Perhaps not even that. Some of the knights also had hammers of a similar style to the queen's personal weapon.
After the delegation from 'the Eternal Home of Siegbrau'—Maria had to suppress her reaction to such… Katarina-like forthrightness— entered the doors into the castle, the delegation from Etran came forth. At the sight of them, Maria had to raise an eyebrow. While the knights that entered wore tabards with the crest of Etran, the knights' armor was marked with the brand of the merchantile house of Argent Silver. That was… a very bold statement. Most of the merchantile houses were satisfied with secretly controlling the country. Clearly Argent Silver had intentions beyond that. The woman in their midst wasn't clad a knight, but was one of the Councilors who ostensibly ruled Etran, the Lady Victoria Ivanovna… who unsurprisingly represented the state where the house of Argent Silver was based… and had connections to the head of Argent Silver, the so-called Merchant Queen…
Maria wondered how long before the other houses decided Argent Silver was too dangerous and brought it down.
Once the councilor was through, the bell rang again to announce the delegation from Ethenell. Maria found herself looking at them thoughtfully. While their delegate wore fine silk, including a cape and some sort of head piece that was probably for keeping off the sun and possible heatstroke in their lands, the knights with him wore light garb, with what armor there was being made of leather and a little chain mail. They moved lightly however, and from the curved swords at their waste it was clear what their prevailing meta was. This left many of their faces exposed, revealing brown skin a hair of a similar shade to some of her Gerudo wards, and instead of the different shades of hair she was familiar with, all the Ethenelli had dark brown hair that looked almost black if it weren't for the way the light caught it.
The man in the center was Prince Cezar Dahl, one of the current king's many (many, many, many, MANY) half-siblings. According to the reports she had been given beyond the lectures to prepare for her role of guarding the king, he was one of the few of said siblings still alive, because he had chosen to support his brother instead of seeking the throne himself. Reports also said that he was, in actuality, a mercenary known as the Golden-Eyed Wolf, but Maria saw no hint of such golden eyes now. Was there a way to disguise one's eye color? Probably.
The one next to him was, however, was who drew Maria's eye. Pale bleached bone and a polished skull filled with glowing red eyes, the undead next to him was naked except for a pair of curved swords and the Master's Set, though one done is pristine white silk. The undead knight moved strangely, since his body was completely bereft of flesh, but there was relaxed confidence in his stride nonetheless. This, then, would be the one called Dead Achmed, one of the most skilled fighters in all Ethenell, and a noted blademaster who had taught many, both living and dead.
Once the delegation from 'the Everchanging Sands' was through, there came the delegation from Drang. Clad in dark leather armor reinforced with geisteel, capes billowing behind them, the knights surrounded a dignified woman with long orange hair who made her think of Mary Hunt for some reason. Clad in a sky-blue dress with a wide pink ruff, a yellow veil draped over her hair, the woman Maria identified as Lady Zandra Ri looked like some kind of flower. She had to remind herself that the woman would not have been sent to speak for Drang interests is she were incapable.
Maria took note of the knight at her side. With plain features and unremarkable hair, she would not have thought him anyone notable had she not been informed beforehand. Sir Steve Armstrong was the leader of a band of five knights who were famous beast fighters, known for dealing with many of Drang's rogue beasts, ogres and other deadly fauna. Practically hunters, really. The fact they had yet to lose a member spoke well of their jolly cooperation, and in his skills as a leader of knights. Maria would not be surprised to learn that the other members of his band were also in the delegation.
After those from 'Drang of All Wants' was the delegation from Tasmeria. Wearing simple plate armor, the group of knights surrounded a silver-haired woman who… well, as Lady Mary would have put it, was possessed of great pride and dignity. Queen Mylene Almeria, from 'the Cradle of Chocolate' was probably the only one to mean the 'cousin' literally when she greeted the king. Next to her stood her escort, their plate armor equally simple, looking almost interchangeable with the other knights of the escort. He should be Rein Chelka, according to General Solcrista, and by the spear he held it probably was. While not particularly famous, he was noted for being exceptionally skilled with the weapon, capable of repelling groups while standing his ground. As choices for someone to protect a nation's queen in foreign lands, it was surprisingly practical reason.
Finally, the bell rang for the final time, and the door opened to admit the much belated delegation from La Sable. The moment, it did, trumpets rang out, breaking the solemn atmosphere.
"Oh, dead gods, not this again," Prince Alan said, wincing and scowling as if the music was a personal affront. From the harsh, tinny sound of it, it probably was.
Through the doors came a man dressed in opulent clothing. His suit was a brilliant white silk embroidered with vivid purple and gold thread that clashed garishly. The tie around his neck was clearly cloth of gold, as was the glittering cape at that hung from his back and the gloves on his hands. Unlike the other delegates who had walked with quiet dignity, this man strutted with arrogant confidence, his arms spread wide as if expecting adulation and occasionally grabbing his cape to fling it wide, as if expecting the heavy curtain to flutter in the wind. Golden rings set with large gems adorned his fingers, and Maria idly wondered if they had been chosen for size rather than quality. Thin dark threads like smoke wafted up from him.
Instead of being surrounded by proud, solemn knights armed to protect, he was instead trailed by knights clad in golden armor. Unlike the knights of the Gold Order with their dull shine, this armor gleamed like mirrors. Instead of weapons, these knights—or possibly simply armored men—carried trumpets and drums, playing what sounded like a pompous marching tune. They did so quite badly, clearly out of tune. They trailed behind their delegate, clearly more focused on announcing his arrival then guarding him. Only one of then actually carried a weapon, a knight who trailed two steps behind the man in the lead with a great gilded greatsword in addition to the wooden spiral-carved sword. The gold would probably come off at the first clash of weapons.
Out of the corner of her eyes, Maria saw the many Marchioness and Marquises sneering at the display, only to hide their mouths as the delegation came closer. Tellingly, Duchess Claes looked on with silent disdain. Next to her, Katarina was staring open mouthed, as if she was unable to comprehend the spectacle that was happening. The delegation approached the bonfire on its stone bowl, where seven wooden swords were already burning, stopped just a little past where the other delegates had come to rest. Still, the awful music continued to play for a full minute more before it finally finished.
In the silence that followed, Maria saw Katarina hesitantly raise her hands as if to applaud a show, only for Lord Keith to gently pull them down.
At the King's side, Maria was proud that she didn't falter, speaking the words once the reverberations of the music had silenced. "Who opens the door?" she said.
Instead of the gilded knight, the gaudily dressed man stepped forward. "We are honored visitors, here to grace you with our presence!" Instead of speaking normal, the man yelled, and people winced as the Wind Magic made his words deafening.
Out of the corner of her eye, Maria saw Prince Alan twitch again.
When the echoes of the response faded away, Maria asked again, "From what land do you hail?"
"We hail from La Sable, the Greatest Country In the World!"
"What do you seek?"
"We seek rest and welcome, for we have come a long way!"
One last time, Maria reminded herself. Then it would be over, "Show your humanity."
The man stepped forward, and looked down on the king. They had thinning hair that had been carefully combed and set with clear gum, their lips set in a dissatisfied expression that left it constantly puckered. It made their smile seem false as they said, "I am Donnar Horntuba, the Lord Presider of the great nation of La Sable! We greet our friends here in Sorcier!"
The King's voice was perfectly smooth and courteous. Only Maria's association with his son the Third Prince let her hear the signs of an undercurrent of emotion in the words. "Greetings, Lord Presider of La Sable. We are Artorias, King of Sorcier. You are welcome to share our bonfire."
At the Lord Presider's side, the knight with the wooden sword handed it to him. The Lord Presider took the sword in both hands and somehow managed to strut the single step it took to get close to the stone bowl containing the bonfire. Flourishing the sword dramatically and nearly dropping it, he poked it into the middle of the bonfire. It stuck out at a sharp angle, and when he let go, the wooden sword clattered onto its side.
Behind the royal family, the doors leading into the rest of the castle opened.