The Empress's New Groove (Zhornee First Diplomatic Contact, Open to All)

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Empress Mar'Dikan of the Zhornee Empire looked on with satisfaction as her army of male servants made the last preparations to the ballroom for the coming aliens. Her alabaster skin was mostly on display, as a symbol of the Goddess's favor, to show that the snow of the planet couldn't touch her.
Her fellow Zhornee were dressed similarly, as a mark of their position in the palace. In the corners of the large chamber, Holy Crusaders were clad in silvery armor, spears in their hands and their eyes staring straight ahead. If anyone made a move on the Empress's life, they would be killed by these fine women within moments.
The chamber was decorated with shades of blue and white, mimicking the tundras and ice that lay outside the palace. Servants walked with platters of Zhornee food, consisting mainly of differently spiced tubers called Kallin, the only thing that grew naturally on the planet; as well as small glasses of Xanna, Zhornee alcohol. Mar'Dikan had heard that the drink was much stronger than anything the aliens had, so she had made sure the glasses were as small as possible.
One of the servants came up to her, motioning for her attention. The Empress recognized him as one of the many twelve year old servants she had hired last month, and knelt down to his level. The child whispered in her ear that ships were starting to arrive at the small space port behind the Palace, and Mar'Dikan's face lit up.

She strode out to the port with two Crusaders behind her, ready to greet her guests as they arrived, eager to meet aliens for the first time.


(Info on Zhornee, Info on Vullain)

 

[Cylus Jest]

Cylus ever the trend starter exited his Lambda shuttle rapidly, glaring around at this place which reminded him vaguely of Hoth. He was fine with ice and chill though and was qiite ready to meet these Zhornee peoples.

He thought he could see some as he approached the palace, coated in their warm furs. He was sure that they much rather preferred their furs, but Cylus' black cloak which swung around his figure and his mask kept him warm enough for now. The locals were xenophobic, he wasn't sure if his frightening mask would harm or help by hiding his face. No matter he was here to exchange pleasantries.

Stepping past the peoples and into the ballroom area he took notice of the Empress. It was obvious who she was, the only figure not coated up like it was their living. He took a slight approach, giving look to the various guards about. At about fifteen feet away or so he stopped, taking a knee and flicking off his wide brimmed hat in a sort of ceremonial bow to the authority of the local ruler.

"Good greetings Empress."
As he waited there for a response he took note of how young the Empress was, and that she was quite attractive...perhaps it was the hair.
[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

 

[The Page Master]

Don't get me wrong. Being Ethereal is great, but you must take risks in life. That is how Dr. Jekyll became Mr. Hyde, Captain Nemo found the Giant Squid, and how Cinderella first met her prince. The Page Master knew not why he was drawn here. He had read about and seen many grand balls and royal gatherings, but this one took a different twist on the typical story plot. The atmosphere consisted of a matriarchy, something that was hardly found in classic stories across the galaxy.

He materialized behind a large group that was about to enter palace grounds. None of them noticed his presence. Most of the less nice-dressed-looking were likely the entourage for the select few well-dressed and extravagantly-looking people walking near the middle front of the group. He tried to act as though he were part of the group, but he was easy to spot and so was stopped.

"Name?" said the bouncer/guard

"The Page Master." said...well, The Page Master.

"...You're not on the list! Guards? Take him a---"

"Are you sure? It seems to be right there..." Sure enough, his name suddenly appeared in black ink on the page while the man wasn't looking. The man looked down at the page, stared confusedly at the spot, and then motioned for him to go inside. The click clack of his unique scroll staff could be heard down the hall and partially inside the Main Hall before it got lost in the sound of chatter. This was all quite new. He would need time to study his surroundings.


[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

 

[William Kerkov Sr]

Kerkov walked thru the spaceport with his two armed guards, watching the passing zhornees. He noticed that most of the populous in the area was female, strange. His thoughts passed through him as he and his guards traversed the spaceport. The temperature was freezing inside the building and unfortunately he had not brought a thick coat.

A grin spread across his face as he saw the Zhornee queen approach, "Ah queen, it is a pleasure too meet you."

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

The Empress smiled wide as she saw guests begin to arrive.
As they came and greeted her, she struggled to understand their Basic; she had only recently learned the language, and the sound of it was still foreign to her ears. Her servants only understood basic commands, enough to serve the guests.

To say she was shocked when the first few to arrive were male was an understatement; On Vullain, men were not allowed anywhere near politics. The closest they ever came was being a servant to a politician. Her own servants were more surprised than she was, and they became even more nervous.

"Greetings to you as well, on behalf of the Zhornee Empire, I welcome you to Vullain." She replied to [member="Cylus Jest"] in thickly-accented Basic, motioning for one of the servants to get him a glass of Xanna. "Please, feel free to help yourself to any refreshments you wish." Outside the city, the Zhornee villagers starved by the hundreds of thousands; but they didn't need to know that.

Her innate senses tingled, and she frowned for a moment. She could sense a being of immense power in the room, but could not find such a being with her eyes. ([member="The Page Master"])

She smiled at [member="William Kerkov"], admiring his pristine uniform; then realized he appeared to be freezing.
"By the Goddess, you're freezing!" She cried. The Empress barked in Zhornai for a servant to give up their fur cloak, and they did so without hesitation, handing it to the admiral.
"Please, accept this coat. It will help keep you warm; as well as some Xanna!"
The Empress laughed as another servant fetched him a glass.

She had the feeling that this would only prove to be better as the evening went on.

 

[Jaster Awaud]

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

Another diplomatic mission, how many did her father send her on now? Must reach the range of at least 25 now, his grab for power was interesting to her, he was her father after all.

Shakk had snuck into the party only a day earlier, blending into a average human looking culture seemed easy enough. The hardest part was learning the language and accent enough to pass as a citizen. Getting into the party was the easiest part, she just showed her "Alien Pass" her father called it. It was just a peice of paper that stated she was in place of her father [member="Jaster of clan Awaud"], he was building something somewhere if she really cared enough. Now she sat in the grand ball room, in Zhornee clothing and sipping on soda she brough from home.

She was a spy, a scientist, and force user, yet the man couldn't get his lazy butt to this planet and she had to take his place. Then she noticed, the men were servants and the woman were the worrier. She grinned, 'he was afraid of being turned down for being a man.'

Then she noticed the empress, she'd wait for her turn to speak with her and then walked up, she spoke Zhornia perfectly, a perc white being a scientist.

"Hello, I am Shakk Awaud, reprisenative of my father Admiral Jaster Awaud, I am honored to be in your presents." And bowed a proper Zhornee way.

 

[Morgan Redeaux]

Morgan Redeaux still had possession of one of Bartho Redeaux's private yachts which she had stolen from him the night he was executed and she fled the Coruscant compound. It had been sitting in storage so she decided to dust it off and take it out for a spin to visit the planet of Vullian. As she strapped herself into the pilot's seat and put the yacht, which she had renamed The Ladytron, in launch mode, she downloaded the information on Empress Mar'Dikan and her race of Zhornee into her torso port so she would be prepared with talking points for her visit. The planet had been featured on the popular holonet site Galaxy Travel and Leisure and said that Empress Mar'Dikan was offering tours of the planet to outsiders. Morgan, ever the curious protocol droid was very fascinated with other lifeforms and cultures. Now that she was off of Mayferria and on her own for awhile, she thought, why not?

After a short hyperspace jaunt, she arrived in the Unknown Regions and landed on Vullian. As the ship port as she came into land, she could see quite an audience was awaiting travelers from the Core Worlds. Morgan opened the hatch and exited to be greeted by a Zhornee emissary who lead her to the Empress's palace. Since this was an extremely cold planet she wore a faux leopard coat which so far wasn't keeping her very warm.

Spoiler

\

The first thing Morgan noticed after entering the Empress's Palace was that most of the Crusaders, as they were called by the Zhornee, were of the female species. She declined a drink since the droid had no need for fluids or material sustenance. The Empress, an exquisite specimen herself with long silver hair was busy entertaining other guests so for now the droid waited in the ballroom, inspecting the decor, embellishments and interesting customs of the Zhornee.

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"] [member="Cylus Jest"] [member="The Page Master"] [member="William Kerkov"] [member="Shakk Awaud"]

 

[The Page Master]

As The Page Master walked around, surveying what was to be seen, a thought suddenly claimed him. Now, wait a minute...This is a party and I am a guest...Where are my manners?!? I forgot to bring a present!!...Hmmm...What would make a fitting present? Well, I guess a book would do just nicely. I can't imagine that they get many of those around here.

He went to a solitary corner and faced away from the main crowd. Here, he closed his eyes and searched his mind until he found which one he wanted. He opened his eyes and "Grimm's Fairy Tales" appeared in his hands. The content consisted of the original 86 stories, but the words were revised and beautiful illustrations were added to make it all much easier to understand. "...Ah! But I must not forget..." He peered into the surface of the mind of a young local serving boy. It took himself a mere minute or so to completely grasp their entire language. He did LOVE learning new things.

As soon as he learned their language, he turned to the book, waved his hand over it, and all of the words in the book were translated to Zhorneese. He opened the left side of his robe to put the book in an extra-dimensional pocket. The bulk of the leather-bound book would not be visible through his robes and The Page Master didn't consider the fact that pulling the book (which was the size of a textbook, yet much more classic and charming in appearance) out and presenting it would likely cause natural confusion.

He made his way to the front of the Main Hall where he could see the Queen greeting her guests. There seemed to be a queue lining up to meet her, so he respectfully took his place in line and waited.

[member="Morgan Redeaux"] [member="Shakk Awaud"] [member="Empress Mar'Dikan"] [member="William Kerkov"] [member="Cylus Jest"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"] and her race were naturally attuned to the Force, yes, which would make it all the more likely they would sense a powerful presence in the air as a ship would touch down. As the YT would land and its doors would open, a cloaked figure would step out. The cloak was fur pelt-decked, likely to match the cold climate of this planet. A lightsaber hung on the 6'2 figure's belt as its hood kept its face obscured. Seeing quite the line waiting to meet the Empress, the figure would step in, waiting patiently.

Eventually, his turn would come. As it did, he would stop in front of her for a moment. A tense moment, perhaps one that would cause her guards to grow anxious and grip their weapons a little more tightly. Finally, the figure would remove their hood. Long blonde hair flowed down his face, which was moved to the side with just a little movement on his own. Brimming brown eyes graced a youthful face, but with a look of experience and maturity, especially in those eyes, that deceived his appearance. It was a deceiving look for a man who was once the Grandmaster of the Jedi Order, but the Jedi Master was who he was.

He would smile gently as he looked the Empress in the eyes. His own eyes held no ill will, nor would his presence if she were to try and sense his intentions. Truthfully, he was here because he had heard of another new race deciding to make itself known, a new empire, of sorts. He'd spent more time doing diplomatic work lately, but honestly he was simply here to show that he could be trusted and relied on should need be. Besides, nothing was wrong with a good time, right?

"Your Grace, it is both an honor and a privilege to finally make your acquaintance" The man would greet, with a polite bow in respect. "My name is Jedi Master Joshua DragonsFlame. Of course, you can just call me Josh" He would add with a smile. "Your race is quite.. Unique, I must admit, I've been doing my homework before I came here. Your resistance to the cold is staggering, I feel like if I stayed in the cold as long as you, I'd be a Sith-Cicle before the 6 hour mark" He said, with a chuckle escaping his lips. Heh, Sith-Cicle.

"Another thing that's garnered my interest is this affinity for drinking I keep hearing about. About how strong your Zhornee alcoholic beverages are" The blonde would add, hints of amusement starting to garner on his face as he was being rather lighthearted about this whole thing. I mean, what's the point of meeting the Empress of a race nobody's seen before if you're going to be all stuck up and cold and overly polite? I mean, come on, he knows where to draw the line between formal and stuck up boring. Nothing wrong with cracking a joke or two, and actually giving your host something to ENJOY! "I've been drinking strong shtick for years, mainly because my students drove me to drinking" He trailed off, letting that crack sink in with a grin before continuing. "No joke, I had this one student who drove me up the wall and into the vodka. One minute he was doing illegal gambling, another he was doing illegal swoop racing, another he went running off into a war. Then I had to hear about him chasing this one girl who was two ranks higher then him, annnd then I had to play Doctor DragonsFlame The Counsellor because turns out she decided to play for the other team, if you get my drift ,and leave him in the dust. But I doubt you have time to hear my stories, you're obviously a very busy woman, so I'll get straight to the point"

"I've learned to be capable of outdrinking a Rancor. So this apparent strong drink of your race's that appears to be your custom, and your affinity to it has garnered my interest. Whenever you have a free moment... If it may please you, Your Majesty... I'd like to offer a friendly drinking contest when a free moment has graced your schedule. If it cannot be done, I understand, but I do look forward to it if you care to accept my offer at some point" He would speak with a smile.

He was obviously crazy. Or perhaps just daring. Maybe a little bit of both. "Granted, I probably won't WIN... But I can try" He added with a grin crossing his face. He had started the conversation off with the usual formalities, then took a more lighthearted approach while still remaining respectful and polite. His preferred stance, though some royalty seemed to prefer the... Overly polite and formal shtick. He did that well too. But the Empress here didn't seem the type. Josh himself was a little more comfortable as well, probably because he wasn't playing incognito in the middle of a blasted Sith party.

 

[Cylus Jest]

Cylus gave a polite and courteous nod to the Empress before he moved off and began to watch the queue of people try and meet the her. A servant approached him, offering a glass of Xanna which he accepted with another nod.

He couldn't help but feel like he knew the current person meeting her, the one with the blonde hair. He seemed so familiar and yet he was positive they'd never met. Perhaps this journey would not be just to find and meet an Empress and her entire race and peoples and to finally set foot on a new planet, but to find other conversations as well. Perhaps...for now, he was going to need to find a way of enjoying this Xanna, which meant removing his mask.

He lifted it up, looking upon the world with his green eyes, he took a sip of the liquid and nearly spat it out at the intense strength of it. He held it however, swallowing it down and returning the mask to it's position, he'd need a few minutes composure before he tried such an act again.

[member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] | [member="The Page Master"] | [member="Empress Mar'Dikan"] | [member="Morgan Redeaux"]| [member="Shakk Awaud"] | [member="William Kerkov"]

 

[William Kerkov Sr]

Gladly Kerkov took the fur coat and the drink the servant gave him,
"T-thank you young man, and you too your majesty. Now I hear that your planet has a very primitive and small navy and I would like to help that. I can ensure your protection by contracting us for a few years at a low cost. And to guarantee this we can leave a commander and his ship here for immediate protection. Our Naval capability is renown for it's defense and I want to help your newly emerged planet into the galaxy."

Although Kerkov wasn't really much of a drinker, more of a smoker, he drank the Xanna gratefully.


[member="Cylus Jest"] | [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] | [member="The Page Master"] | [member="Morgan Redeaux"] | [member="Shakk Awaud"] |[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

The Empress raised an eyebrow and smiled as [member="Shakk Awaud"] spoke to her in fluent Zhornai, and was even more impressed when she bowed in the traditional manner. The Empress inclined her head in acknowledgement of her bow, and her eyes roamed up and down the woman, trying to figure her out, while responding in Zhornai. "Greetings, Lady Awaud. It is always a pleasure to meet new people. If I may ask, where did you learn to speak our language so well?"

As [member="William Kerkov"] offered to bolster the Zhornee Navy, Mar'Dikan felt a large weight fall off her shoulders. As is stood, her Navy was more a show of power than anything else. The pilots relied on the navigation computers almost entirely to fly the ships, and the crews were too terrified to do their damn jobs. "I must admit, I expected nothing like this! If you did that, our factories would be open to you, my friend!"

When [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] spoke to her, at first the Empress was in shock. She had never had a male speak with her like that, let alone challenge her to a drinking contest! As her Crusaders prepared to strike him down for his audacity, they froze as she let out a loud laugh for several seconds. She smiled at him.
"Once the politics are over, I would love to take you up on that! It would be my first such contest, but I think we would both enjoy it!"

She glanced a the line forming, and grinned. These aliens were proving to be more fascinating than she anticipated.

[member="Cylus Jest"] [member="The Page Master"] [member="Morgan Redeaux"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Normally, Joshua would have been much more formal then he was, without as much lightheartedness to him. But truthfully, he knew full well why he was being more lighthearted then usual. This race, this empire, they were new to the galaxy fold, trying to meet others, find allies instead of enemies, and form successful relationships that could bring them into the future. The thought on his end was... Did they REALLY want to deal with stuck up, overformal people who might be fake, or just trying to play to them and suck up for their own means? Or worse yet, fear messing up with people who acted as if one little mistake could result in war? Josh didn't want this, really. He wanted the Empress and her subjects to be comfortable, he'd rather be friendly instead of uptight. Formal, still, for respect, but keeping that respect in a more friendly and lighthearted fashion was what he was going for.

He studied her face for a moment for a reaction, as well as those of her guards. He was worried for a moment he might have offended them, perhaps due to a miscommunication of his behavior to their customs. His gaze looked to the guards the moment they had made their even slightest move to attack. His expression changed, one that would likely put them off from attacking even if the Empress hadn't stopped them with their laughter. Just like that, his demeanor had changed from the friendly diplomat to the warrior he was. And this likely wasn't a warrior you wanted to get OUT of a diplomatic state.

His gaze would return to the Empress with a smile as she laughed and accepted his offer. He had been worried for a moment he had offended her. "I'm glad to hear it, your grace. Its been quite some time since I'm partaken in a contest like this, but I think we'll still have a blast anyway. Just try to have some kind of quarters set for me in the likely conclusion that I... Outdrink more then I should. The last time I did without proper precaution, it didn't end well for me" He would half-joke with an amused chuckle. [member="Nimue Stormson"] would know what he was talking about.

"I'll leave you to your work, your grace. I'll approach you when the time is better" He would bid farewell before walking past her after a polite bow, and heading in to see what trouble awaited him.

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

 

[Jaster Awaud]

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

Shakk recovered from her bow and looked at the empress. She had truly downloaded the basic translation into her ships database after the planet was found, with that she landed in secreat on the planet where she dressed as a native of the planet and toured its streets. With the little she knew how to speak she toured the market area of the capital to speak their common toung. She had said she was from a distant part of the planet and didn't speak very well. She was taught the basic communication skills of the planet from the native. To be honest though, she should keep her secrete landing out of the statement.

"Well empress, the data your goverment provided allowed me to learn the proper pronunciation of your language, it took time, but I learned it." She continued to speak with the empress in the reason she was on the planet.

"Now empresses, I am here apon request of my employer, an agreement in state can be found with our corporation ability to build stations and ore refineries on your planet, it is our corporations policy to accommodate to you needs before any agreement can be settled."

 

[The Page Master]

As [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"] passed by the queue line, The Page Master reached out and touched his shoulder, garnering his attention. In a casual conversational tone and a smile on his face, he said, "Very good, my boy. Diplomacy is a most important tool for a hero, such as yourself." He took his hand off the shoulder and would turn back to wait in line peacefully, unless the man decided to continue the conversation.

When it was his turn to address [member="Empress Mar'Dikan"], he came forward and bowed deeply to her. Was it strange that one so old of face could manage such a feat without the creaking of bones or fatigue? Strange, indeed, would think the Queen...or not. But even if it were not her conscious thought, it would be a nagging curiosity in the back of her mind until she addressed it.

The words that he would speak to her would be tentative and have a fair share of momentary pauses in which The Page Master would furrow his eyebrows, look off to the side, and try to think about how to pronounce the words of Zhornai correctly and expertly. "Greetings, your majesty...It is an honor to be allowed into your court...It is wonderful to learn about a new civilization such as this one...As an act of friendship, I would like you to present you with this timeless compendium of classics."

At these words, The Page Master reached into his robes and produced the rather large book he had mentioned earlier from the extra-dimensional pocket in the lining of his robes. One would think that having a book stored like that would have a telltale bulge, but there had been none. He easily used his right hand to hold out the book and present it (His left hand still holding his unique scroll staff). A servant boy reached out to accept it in her place (it was likely undignified to have a Queen accept her own gifts up front), expecting to only need one hand just like the strange tall man was doing. However, the weight caught him off guard and he slightly fumbled under the unexpected bulk of the book before firmly grasping it in both hands with no damage done to the book. A minor slip up in most eyes, but the Queen would interpret it however she felt.

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The man would look back and smile faintly at the praise of [member="The Page Master"]. So there were friendly sorts besides the royalty in this party after all, aye? He would nod in response, seeming grateful for his words."I don't consider myself a hero. Just a man that does the right thing when he should. Something that not everyone likes to do. If people call that hero... Then I accept it with pride" He spoke with a chuckle, and a polite nod in respect to the man as he would walk into the party to allow the man to speak with the Queen himself. He wouldn't let him lose his chance on his account.

He looked forward to the drinking contest with [member="Empress Mar'Dikan"] though.

 

[Aidan Moonrunner]

Mar'Dikan kept herself from sighing in relief, and simply kept smiling. The offer of [member="Shakk Awaud"] was surely delivered from the Goddess herself. Between the rebellion and the plague, the Imperial economy was barely holding itself together, and the government was desperate for any kind of business.
"Well, our biggest need is weapons and ships. With the planet's. . . current state-of-affairs, we need more powerful weapons for our troops. Can you deliver such?"

As [member="The Page Master"] handed her the book, The Empress noticed. . .strange things about him. She looked at him suspiciously, her senses telling her something was wrong, but she did not feel any ill-intent from him. With a shrug, she opened the book, and her eyebrows shot up in shock as she saw that it was in Zhornai.
"Where did you get this?" She asked, her mind trying to figure it out.

When her guest line had died down, the Empress knew she had a certain someone to sniff out.
She found [member="Joshua DragonsFlame"], smiling as she waved over a large bottle of Xanna and two glasses.
"I am eager to see what happens here, my friend." She said before drinking deeply from the glass, enjoying the burn of the Xanna.


(Sorry about the delay. Got so caught up in my other characters, I forgot about the Empress. :embarassed

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Later in the party, it seemed that the Empress had been eager for their little game, as once the guest line had died down, she would end up tracking him down. He looked over, noting the eager Empress and her bottle of the alcoholic liquid that her people were known for. The young man would chuckle as he would lead the Empress to a table. Once they had sat down, he would take the bottle once she was finished pouring her own, and gracefully pour a glass-full of Xanna into his own.

"Something tells me you're about to kick my arse in a drinking contest" The young man would joke as he would raise his glass. "To the future prosperity of your people" He spoke as he would drown the drink in one gulp. His eyes widened for a moment as he adjusted to the taste. But that adjustment came quickly as he set the glass down and began laughing.

"Hahaha-Wow! THAT is strong. No wonder your people are known for your drinking prowess if you drink this on a regular basis" The blonde would compliment her joyfully, before pouring himself another glass. "On your mark, Your Grace"

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

 

[Jaster Awaud]

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]

Shakk was meagerly impressed with the empresses secrecy. The company wasn't in way of creating weapons as much as they were in the medical field and bioengineering. The Umbrella Interest Company studied life on multiple planet and see how they could be changed to benifact the populist. If that required weapons then one would have to complete much research and genetic manipulation for the biological engeneering to acquire this. Though outside their realm of science, it was not impossible for the company to achieve these proposed ideas, just not at the moment.

"Unfortunately your empress, the people I represent are in the field of medicine and bioengineering," Shakk could not fill the women with false hope that a small medical company could create such weapons, "the Company is interested in your planets resilient wildlife and wish to post a research lab in your northern region, in compensation and payment a factory will be built for your populist to work and boost your economic standing in the Galaxy, medicine will be its main output."

Shakk wouldn't want to waste her time as she had other guest to attend to, Shakk also had other matters to attend to. The conversation was interrupted as the empress was spread between multiple conversations.

 

[The Page Master]

Crudification Hypetanius! thought the Page Master to himself. A good story did not rely heavily on the Suspension of Disbelief. He had clearly made a mistake since her disbelieving shock was quite understandable. He thought quickly to himself. Did he play this off as a confused senior citizen, a mysterious fellow, or tell her the truth?...Well, the truth was likely too much, too soon, and too long. Besides, he himself wasn't entirely sure of the truth itself.

He spoke once more in the hesitant, careful Zhornai. "...I got it from my library, dear Empress...It was carefully worked upon by these very hands..." He lifted his hands as a gesture to accompany his words. "...I apologize if it is not to your liking...."

[member="Empress Mar'Dikan"]