The group that comes to a stop in front of the castle is a strange one, comprised of four people in strange dress. The most richly dressed, and the one upon whom the other party members seem to center, is a young woman of eighteen or nineteen with flowing black hair, dressed in red robes of the finest silk and mounted on a graceful gray mare. Accompanying her is another woman, dressed in strange robes as well but of a much plainer fabric, with the air of a maid about her. The other two are guards, men in strange armor carrying slender swords, with fierce looks upon their faces. All of them talk in a strange tongue, looking up at the castle walls, before they finally seek entrance.
"I am Saori Inokuma, an ambassador sent from the Emperor of the Eastern Kingdoms."
It is the richly-dressed young woman who speaks, rather than the men with her, who seem not to understand the language of this land. Her words cause a moment of confusion among the guards, but in the end she is allowed in after submitting to a search and directing her men to lay aside their weapons. It is a mission of peace, after all, and she wishes to emphasize that. And so she proceeds into the castle, hoping that soon she might meet with the king.
Thu May 01, 2008 10:16 am