"Father, Your Majesty." Caine says,"We have the boy Exian come to see your August Majesty and to pledge his allegiance to Amber. He is a bit addled and may say something inappropriate as he had a harsh journey and his native shadow was destroyed before his eyes by terrible Rolandae fiends."

Julian grunts uncomfortably.

Caine continues smoothly,"Sir Hyss helped rescue the boy and brought him to Amber to ask Your Majesty to support his people while he pledges his service to his grandfather. The boy is a son of Corwin and has been believed lost."

"Rubbish," Oberon says annoyed,"He was fine until I told you to pick him up."

Julian glares at Caine.

Caine smiles,"Yes sire, but his location was... Different that where you said he would be. We had to take... Certain... Steps.:"

"Bring him in and spare me your monkeyshines, Caine." Oberon growls.

There is a trumpet blast. Familiar sounds toot from it in a blaring ensemble of drums and horns.

The herald barks out,"His Royal Highness Prince Exthian, Prince of Amber, Prince of Parys. Son of Corwin of Amber and Parys."

There is a huge amount of attention as Caine beams smugly. The Green Room is bright and well lit as nobles and Royals and other notables look at this new arrival.

Caine's notorious flunkey from Acquitania, Sir Hyss stands by the youth leading him in. The boy's eyes seem a bit overwhelmed though his pupils are clearly dialated.

Sir Hyss bows to Oberon lowly. Oberon looks at him," You have five seconds to get out of my throne room before your head decorates my upholstery. You have five minutes to quit Amber before your hide becomes upholstery."

Caine looks offended at Oberon.

Oberon counts," Five... Four... " Sir Hyss teleports out quickly as someone made sure there was a quick gap in the defences so he could leave quickly.

Exthian's dark black hair crashing into his shoulders. Black boots lead into loose black pants. A silken shirt is covered by a black jacket which falls to just above his knees. About his clothing the glint of silver shows...no, it is not silver but steel that lines his clothing. To his left his sword hangs polished in a black scabbard. He has the features of Corwin but softened by pain and worn by loneliness. His eyes as well glint of steel and he scans the room.

Oberon smiles to him,"Welcome to Amber Grandson." he says warmly.

Exthian bows slightly and slowly. "So maybe they weren't making it all up," he admits to himself.

Oberon chuckles,"Amber is for real. Our one true Realm is alive and well."

"I take it you are the one who had me dragged here then?"Exthian asks the kind.

Oberon is a redhaired middle aged man looking serious. He nods to the young man before him. "So I am. I am what I am."

"And do you put much token in dreams?" Exthian asks cuiously?

"Depends on the dreams." Oberon chuckles,"They are a result of past lives, past visions, past sins, past sorrows, and way too many past nights in the taverns with cheap women."

Exthian nodds slowly, using the time to think. "And for what reason was I lead from the only reality I knew to stand in your court today?" Exthian asked.

Oberon smiles, his face grins, his voice then deepens,"Because it is your destiny. My grandson."

An elf, with long black hair and sitting near the throne groans."I hate when he said it to Cedric that way. Cedric had Star Wars nightmares for a month."

Oberon looks at the elf,"Well Xanthus, YOU were the one making high magical death stars."

Oberon looks back to Exthian,"You are fated to come to Amber and take up your great and terrible fate as a Prince of the Blood Royal of the One True Kingdom."

"And no choice am I given in my life? To live it out peacefully far from here?"

"You have no choice." Oberon says gravely. "You can go and visit your pet shadow when you are done your chores."

"Exthian lowers his head to the king. "But I ask for no rewards and wish for no chores."

Flora, a beautiful blonde woman, mutters, "then you will get more chores and no rewards as is your wish... in abundance."

"And if I refuse," he asked king oberon softly.

Oberon smiles,"Then we would investigate why you would make such a mad decision. We would have to ask the High Seas Fleet of Rolandae to visit your home shadow and find out what terrible plague caused your country to provide you with such a madness. Then it would get... worse."

"You probably would end up serving one of your cousins as their secretary. Maybe Scherazade as her social secretary or maybe Laszlo as the responder of his fan mail."

"So I am stuck in a game that I cannot quit? A game where there is only one winner and a game that lasts forever?"

Oberon chuckles,"Yes and I win." "However think of it as necessity and obeying necessity provides its own rewards."

A short pert redheaded woman snorts,"Sounds more like being a permanent life long student in lazy vanilla land."

"Then let us get this on with. What tasks must I complete before you are satisfied?" Exthian says.

The blonde lady laughs,"I like him. He is a feisty nephew. That would be good."

A skinny balding tonsured man with a terrible hunchback comes over. His breath is rancid and he smells of cheap whiskey. "You are to kneel to be knighted and pledge fealty to the king." Master Balaam indicates an evergreen coloured pillow.

Balaam looks at the pillow tapping his foot.

Exthian looks at the pillow thinking. Surely there was a way out of this...someway...

"You may kneel." Balaam tells him

"My Lord Oberon, words are just words and forced fealty is not true allegiance or trust. Know that I give these pledges only because I stand on the edge of a knife. Actions shall always speak louder than words.": He said it not so much as a challange...just a statement.

"Words are fine for now, Grandson. You are doing fine." Oberon says with a slight growl.

Julian groans,"Goddamned Haven Lawyer."

Oberon says softly,"Noted. Please procede."

"Do you, Prince Exthian of Amber do come forth and pledge to be the loyal vassal and subject of His Most Excellent, Royal and Imperial Majesty, King Oberon of Amber?" Balaam wheezes.

"I so pledge." says Exthian

"Do you swear allegiance to His Majesty King Oberon of Amber and his chosen successors as Lords and Leiges of Amber and their subject states?"

Exthian hesitates noticably before continuing, "I do."

"Do you swear fealty for your lands of the Shire of Brandenbertey?"

"Is it permisable to refuse gifts fromt eh crown?" Exthian asks.

"No. These are lands and titles for your home and income in Amber." says Balaam crisply and snarkily.

"I don't really need any money, you know," he whisperes tot he hunchback.

"Just say I do." Balaam snarks. As Oberon is wall faced and unmoving like a statue.

"But really..." Exthian sees Oberons face rigid and desides not to push it. He can sale them later. "I do." he adds quickly.

Then Oberon asks," "Do you pledge personal loyalty and vassalship to me, Oberon of Amber? "

"So I pledge personal loyalty to you in exchange for lands i don't want, chores i don't want, and family i have never met? Sure, why the hell not." Exthian snorts at his bad luck. "I do."

Oberon utterly ignores what Exthian says other than the last two words.

Oberon then gets up and touches a burning sword of green energy brighter than a torch and looking almost ghostly on Exthian's shoulders and then his head, "Arise Sir Exthian, Knight of the Order of Ganelon."

"Arise Earl of Brandenberty." Balaam says adding quickly.

A knight too, great, now he has to protect the populance of a city he doesn't know from harm as well. They day just gets better and better.

Servants come and put gold spurs on his boots

Is it my punishment that I get the worse named province in the area for being a smartass?" Exthian whispers to Balaam.

Oberon laughs,"No, it was the next up in the queue.

"I never have any luck, sire." Exthian responds.

Balaam whispers,"If you do as you are told, I will look out for you. Fail to heed me and I will make your life hell."

Exthian casts the hunchback a quizical look, then ignores him for the time being.

Oberon then motions for a blond young man to come over,"Ferris, Now that aura is meeting everyone. I want you to go and take Exthian to meet his many relatives among your cousins. The aunts and uncles are too important to talk to mere under royals." Oberon casts a sour eye to his children.

This text is copyright © Craig Lucas and Josh Redmon; "Amber" is copyright © Roger Zelazny; "Amber" the diceless RPG is copyright © Phage Press. No copyright infringement is intended.

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