Oberon has a page come up to him and pass him a note.

He reads it and hands it to Balaam.

Oberon interrupts the Ambassador from Outer Ossettia,"Sit down and pipe down. I have imporant things to do. Now if you do not bring me the tribute by Wednesday, I will hire Rolandae to come and pay your capital a visit with their new 22 inch guns on their battleships."

"And I will skin your ears and use them as linings for flutes." Oberon warns as the nattering courtier sits down shaking.

"Now please tell Aura she may enter and make sure she is properly dressed. I hope Alexis, Rory and Laszlo can do this together. They certainly can't co-operate very well in Ardor."

The slender brunette sweeps in with an air of confidence and the natural sensuality of one raised in Atlantean society when announced. She looks absolutely perfect, despite what anyone familiar with Atlantis' preferred mode of dress may have feared-or secretly hoped for.

The cut of her blaiut is simple but Aura is anything but: the rich silk velvet brocade in royal purple hugs her torso before falling in deep lavish folds to the floor. The bead trim which looks like opals at the hem and cuffs matches the jeweled girdle that rest on her hips; platinum with pale opals alternating with Atlantian fire gems. Around her neck is a large oval fire gem also set in platinum that is perfectly framed by the low cut silver trimmed neckline and her upswept hair is studded with tiny amethysts.

She looks neither right nor left, keeping her eyes only on the man on the Throne as she approaches

Following her are two dozen men carrying crates and large heavy chests-the larger three bearing the royal arms of the Emperor of Atlantis require two men each to carry and they are still having to struggle and look disgruntled when the strikingly handsome black haired man dressed in simple black pants and a white poet shirt leading them signals for them to pause as Aura stops at the edge of the Royal Presence and drops into a deep graceful curtsey.

Oberon the King of Amber is sitting on his throne that is a rock of solid Amber with fine carvings on it. The room is long and ornate. There is a sense of power and majesty in both the room and the enthroned monarch.

Oberon is a clean shaven middle aged looking red haired man. He is wearing an ermine robe today with a long green velvet cloak and a gold chain holding it in place.

He looks severely at the oncoming Aura.

The Announcer bellows out," Her Royal Highness, Princess Aura of Amber, lately from Shadow Atlantis K45-b."

Oberon nods as he hears it, "Pray, Laszlo, escort the Princess to the area before the throne."

Laszlo bows to the king, and steps up alongside Aura, whereupon he formally offers her his arm. If she takes it, they will walk together towards the throne.

Gram and Balaam the King's two secretaries rise.

Oberon looks to Aura," Grand daughter."

The stern red haired man looks at her gravely,"Are you prepared to swear allegiance to the King and to Amber?"

Gram coughs and looks to Oberon.

"Yes Gram?" Oberon says flickering annoyance,"What is it?"

"With respect, the King of that shadow is being obnoxious and claimed Aura was his subject. He is objecting to the naturalization of Aura."

Aura looks at him with a faintly puzzled frown at the mention of *the King* of that Shadow, as the Shadow has more than one kingdom.

Oberon glares at Gram then stops,"Gram, ask Caine to see that there is a new King of that shadow before Midnight."

Gram looks to Caine. Caine nods.

"Done, Sire." Gram tells the Amber Monarch.

Caine smirks and starts running his thumb along a favourite dagger.

"Now Aura," Oberon says cheerfully,"Where were we?"

She turns from looking mildly confused at Gram and smiles. "Oaths of allegiance, Your Glory. Which I am, of course, prepared to give."

Gram asks Aura while she kneels before the King of AmberL:

"Will Her Royal Highness, The Princess Aura , Countess of Meriovis , do come forth and pledge to be the loyal vassal and subject of His Most Excellent, Royal and Imperial Majesty, King Oberon of Amber?"

Oberon adds,"Oh, and I just made you the Countess of Meriovis ." he says with a twinkle in his eye .

"That was very nice of you, Your Glory," she says as a whispered aside with a flash of a playful smile before looking more solemnly at Gram.

Balaam hisses at her,"Your Glory is outranked by Your Majesty." Gram and Oberon ignore the petty functionary.

Aura just gives him an innocent look

Gram continues," Do you pledge Allegiance to His Majesty King Oberon of Amber and his lawful heirs as such a time as he chooses to select one?"

"Certainly," she replies agreeably.

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

"I will serve to the best of my ability," Aura intones.

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

"Of course, Your Glory," Aura replies with all the seriousness the occassion calls for.

"Excellent," Oberon intones and takes his Sword of State and procedes to tap her shoulders and her head and says,"I dub thee Dame. Companion of the Order of Ganelon. You may rise, Dame or Lady Knight of the Order."

He then says,"You are also to be named Ambassador to the Court of King Jason at New London. Jason rules what was the coastal regions of Ardor which have been returned to human use under the usurpation of my eldest son Finndo. Jason calls his little Kingdom Neuvo Sangre."

"There you will extract tribute. Preferably in gold and manufactured goods and anything that I or my Office require from Jason. You will also avoid creating serious diplomatic incidents." the redheaded Amber monarch says glaring at Scherazade for a moment.

"You will also obey without question or going soft." A second glare at Breyd.

"But of course," Aura nods, having no idea what the glares are about.

"You will commute using a trump deck which Balaam is giving you," Oberon says,"After you take your first trip over our roads. You also are receiving the manors and lands of the Shire or County of Meriovios."

"You may be stand and seat yourself in the second row with your cousins," Oberon says.

Aura rises gracefully and curtsies again.

Balaam, a weird little hunched over thin man with a balding head and a few stringy long hairs trying to obfuscate the glare, smells of strong spirits lectures her,"You must always obey the Sovereign Grace and Will of His Most Excellent Majesty. That includes minding his eyes and ears...." as she is seated between Sabine and Zariya.

"Indeed," Aura says with another perfectly innocent smile as she takes the trump deck.

"And asshole," Gerard says pointing to Balaam.

Aura manages not to chuckle.

Scherazade seams to be intently looking at that which was handed to Aura as if with a scientific curosity.

Sabine can't contain her laughter at this jibe. She looks coldly at the sniveling manservant as he seats Aura. If looks could kill.....

Zariya doesn't bother to hide her smirk at the comment either. A look almost twin to Sabine's is directed Balaam's way from her as well.

Balaam glares back at her though when there is a chance of eye contact, the Royal Appointments Secretary keeps his head respectfully low. He does come within her personal space for a few moments brushing on invisible air between them.

Sabine smells old body odour from lack of washing over several weeks and his cocktail of many alcohols including lately whiskey on his breath.

Sabine's nose wrinkles and she waves her hand about to try and clear the air. Balaam might catch a glimpse of a dagger pommel up her sleeve. Easily accesible...

Balaam smiles to her ever so slightly and then procedes to return to the safety of his little desk at the front corner of the Green Room where he smiles openly to her.

Sabine does not return his smile, her lips have twisted into thier customary crooked grin. Should Balaam sit down at his desk without looking her may not sit again for a week. Someone has left a broken glass on the seat.

"What a charming ...man," Aura mutters sarcasticly while appearing to be fascinated by her ring.

"Him? He's a waste of skin." Sabine mutters as she watches the court.

"I think I heard that somewhere," Aura murmurs as she looks up to watch the proceedings.

He sits down and there is a pained look on his face as he cries out.

Oberon glances over and looks at him and then looks at Sabine.

Balaam looks in great pain. He is taking bits of crushed glass from his backside. His hands are bleeding from both the glass in his buttocks but from his hands.

Gram looks over and checks for poison and then goes back to his work.

Oberon shrugs, "Now, where were we?"

"Bring in the Ambassador from Outer Hyperera."

A strange garbed old man comes in and stands in front of Oberon. Defiantly. He is wearing a lot of plumage from many coloured birds. He has strips of gold foil over his head, arms and back like an over tinselled Christmas tree.

Oberon says,"You forgot to bow," ever so gently as he picks up a small green crystal shotglass with the Amber Unicorn Rampant Dexter on it. He downs the green liquid.

Gram walks over and with a sudden doubled fist hits the Ambassador in his stomach and the old man doubles over groaning in pain. Gram goes and sits down.

Oberon glances at his fingernails for a moment. Look at the envoy. "Much better."

"Now we have this issue here. You have demanded Amber cede control of the Golden Circle Alliance to an elected body, you say?" Oberon says mildly.

"Has anyone reported that hell froze over or that Haven people dress like hippies and goth children?" Oberon asks anyone absently. "I thought not."

"Now it saddens me that your king would have complaints of Amber's leadership," Oberon says,"Your shadow kingdom has five shadows in it and ten affiliated with it. No?"

The weakened man with less fight in him nods wordlessly, still clutching his stomach.

"Good," Oberon beams at him cheerfully. "Now the matter is over. Amber is ruling its backyard and firmly."

"Now your tribute is tripled and will be payable by Candlemas if you run into trouble, I will declare your kingdom forfeit and sell it to Rory for pastureland."

"Secondly, your king is very naughty. I want to have his wife and children delivered to Caine's custody until such time as he refrains from taking Thelbane gold. My Royal Grandson Kenneth is clever but his beneficiaries must learn to keep quiet of their bribes." Oberon observes,"Caine will come by with a small detachment, say five or six legions of infantry and will collect them next week. He has already known the Queen so he will be happy to reacquaint himself with her."

"Thirdly," Oberon says nodding to a couple of the elite Royal Guard."You have been plotting against the Royal Court of Kolvirii and trying to install Cambragol of Ardor as King in place."

"I object!" interjects Throndo embarrassed and angry at once,"This is a violation of our Sovereignty as a Nation State."

"I agree."Oberon says,"Throndo is offended," he tells the Ambassador who is visibly scared and looking around for best possible exits.

"Xanthus, are you ready?" Oberon looks to his brother in law who nods with a spell ready.

"I have a problem..." Oberon drawls as he stands up and paces in between his throne and the kneeling envoy,"I need to administer suitable chastisement to warn the diplomatic community to not offend our good friends and cousins in Kolvirii. Also I need to inform that son of the Kolvirii Mayor and scion of House Finarfin (Xanthus scowls at the rival Noldor house), Cambragol that he is not to use Amber to make mischief against his Kovlirri Father."

Oberon smiles,"My problem is that you have so many people to talk to. So many people. So little time."

Then he gives the signal. One guard grasps the envoy.

"Your Diplomat status is withdrawn. You are Personae Non Grata. As Head of the Golden Circle, I void your immunity."

The other guard bisects the terrified man from nave to chops making him two one legged men.

Xanthus mutters incantations in some high Noldor chant and the man neither bleeds nor dies but there is a clear polyethylene window on each half where the blade mark fell. One can see split heart, split lungs, split throat, split spine and so on.

"Now your retainers will take one of you to Cambragol where you may serve him. The other half will report to your king and show him your half loyalties. Naturally your king will cut off half your neck to blame you instead of him and Cambragol will be much more unhappy."

"Have a nice day," Oberon waves as he remounts his throne. "Ta ta."

He looks over and notices Ferris. "Oh and by the way, do tell Cambragol that is a hint of what I have in mind regarding the memory of my daughter Esme."

This text is copyright © the players and GM of Equinox; "Amber" is copyright © Roger Zelazny; "Amber" the diceless RPG is copyright © Phage Press. No copyright infringement is intended.

Please click to go back to:

Zariya: Equinox

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page