The Royal Court

[thecanopycrew]

The destination is set, and the wagon gems have shone green to tell that they are ready. It was time for another journey into the wilds to find a key to an unknown lock.

...and to deal with a royal court deep within the ground.

Comments

[scionoflegend]

This is considerably less awe and admiration than Owain had hoped to garner from his announcement. Not even one startled gasp, seriously?

Ah well, if there are this many of them who are accustomed to being in the presence of royalty, he supposes it can't be helped. Besides, they've already gotten used to him being a descendant of the Hero-King, and that's even more impressive, so perhaps he can understand how it wouldn't be that big of a deal. So instead of dwelling on it, Owain cups his chin in his hand and nods sagely at everyone's various suggestions... especially Gil's, which earns the boy a wide grin that practically shouts 'challenge accepted'.

When Orcelito finishes outlining his plan, Owain speaks up. "Indeed, with a force as small as ours, our best hope lies in the piercing power of persuasion," he says with all seriousness. "...BUT TAKE HEED! Approaching the queen is no simple task!"

Never mind that several people managed to do so the first time around. Owain is not one of those people.

"Her loyal soldiers are many and mighty! An army may well stand between us and our goal... an army that can spit venom pretty far, so definitely watch out for that."

[finallyfallen]

"I know a few things. I wasn't there for the Ants."

He hasn't outright admitted to being royalty himself. once the 4th prince, and now an Emperor.(A title currently shared with his cousin, but that's messy.) He hasn't really felt the need too. He'd had to diffuse at least one nasty situation. A good reason why making claims of inappropriate actions should not be taken, or given, lightly.

Well, it worked out in the end.

"My concerns would to avoid offending a culture we don't know much about...Let's hope to keep fighting out of it."

[monster_san]

"I have had some experience with royalty, though not a formal court setting," Fuu said. And by royalty, she meant Prince Ferio... not exactly typical, though he dressed the part these days. "But I'll do the best I can."

If the ants didn't have any complex rituals, though, she was reasonably confident that she could get by without causing a diplomatic incident--her inclinations were to be more polite than the situation called for. She glanced at Owain, stifling a smile at his ostentatious declaration. No gasp or applause, though in a less important situation she might have given him some encouragement. She was more seriously concerned now that he might antagonize the ants.

"Perhaps we might save games of good and bad cop, or confrontations with might soldiers, until we know if they're truly hostile," she said with a smile. Like Hakuryuu, she was not eager to get into a fight. "The riddle is about a key. If we can negotiate for its gift or loan without violence, that would be ideal."

[hairsay]

Somehow in the course of all of the events going on in this small world, Jolene had gone from feeling like everyone else was completely ridiculous, to feeling mildly ridiculous, herself.

Listening to everyone here chiming in, claiming royalty, nobility, diplomacy... some of them at ages that would make her head spin if she were brand new here... her face was turning a brighter shade of red. She wasn't sure whether to call bullshit or to feel completely ashamed of herself. She hadn't even voted yet, let alone had one on one contact with politicians. She had a feeling that fancy ant royalty was going to be another ballgame removed and worse than the kind of politicking she was at least vaguely familiar with.

When it came her turn to speak, she nearly pursed her lips in abject embarrassment, but she forced herself to push that off. "I'm just here to fix any wagon wheel breaks," she grinned, hoping it didn't look like too much of a grimace.

[kingpika]

"Let's not get into a fight then. I don't particularly care for dodging venom spitting ants." What kind of ant can spit venom? Are they half-spider? But if Owain says so, then he's going to believe it. He doubts Owain knows how to lie.

He's still not going to applaud his declarations, because why the heck would Gil do that?

"Fixing broken wagon wheels is probably even more important. It sounds like we're filled to the brim with nobility already." Princes, knights, and kings. It's rare that you get so many in one place. Of course, Gil's not bothered. They're all his subjects anyway.

Even if they'll deny it.

[lady_bug]

"I'm sure the lil' ants will be polite to us!" Agitha chimed in. "They were so dignified when they left us so long ago, they certainly don't seem like the kind to attack unwarranted."

She, of course, didn't mention how the ants hissed at her when she approached them as they marched away from the tree, but eh, details, am I right?"

"The queen was so very regal and beautiful! I can't wait to see her again!"

[knight_king]

"I am also in agreement to avoid conflict with this Court," Saber took the word after Agitha. The girl had affinity with animals, or at least she displayed affection toward them. Such predisposition was the most valuable. "The best we can do is to carry something we us to bargain with them." Food, perhaps, or the vials they had from Tone's fountain. What else did they have in their power they can negotiate with them? "Understood? No incidents," she commented while she glanced at Nagi's direction.

Finally, as much as she hated to agree with Gilgamesh, she gave Jo an encouraging smile. "Do not look down at your talent," she told her, "Without these wagons, we have no transport to take us back to the Tree. Your skills would be very useful to us."

[hairsay]

Jo didn't seem much assuaged by the pep talk, but then she also wasn't about to admit that she'd gone on a braining spree a couple of months ago. The last thing she wanted was the ire of the others turned on her. Her gaze fell to Agitha, especially. The girl was the only one who'd seen the way that Jo had attempted to protect what she assumed had been their only source of food. It made the girl a sort of liability on Jo's behalf... but she seemed to have forgiven and forgotten, or at least just the latter.

Straightening up a little, bringing her shoulders up by her ears and then dropping them to try to release tension, she merely added, "I'll leave the fighting and the fancy-talk to you people."