<div class="floatleft">(http://safebooru.org//samples/2382/sample_c0bcae7a14b94a1bb932cd64d9e63552953ac928.jpg?2480828)</div><div class="floatright">(https://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/e/e3/Exalted_Dawn_Solar.jpeg)</div>As one might imagine, Xenovia and Ren were both quite taken by surprise when the esteemed Lord Umari revealed that he, too, was also one of those chosen by the Unconquered Sun.  To say this was astonishing, given his apparent age and power, was an understatement of massive proportions.  Before she could think to comment about this discovery, however, she caught an exchange happening just out of the lord's line of sight, an exchange that set her blood to boiling and her anima to flare anew.<br/><br/>"Enough!"  she shouted, slamming Echoes of Ash into the floor once again and glaring at the lord's escorts.  "Forgive me, Lord Umari, but is it common practice for your guards to threaten an unarmed, frightened woman who is<em>already stepping away from their charge</em>?"  She seemed somehow larger, her presence taking up much more of the room than should be possible, as her anger was made manifest.  "There is due caution and then there is blatant idiocy!  We did not come here by choice in the first place, so why would we offer violence to such initially gracious hosts?"  She continued to glare, though she had yet to make any move to advance or attack.  "The only reason we have taken such a stance now is the unreasoning hatred the world has for us, where instead of celebrating our return and welcoming us with open arms they drive us from our homes and try to slaughter us for the crime of merely drawing breath!"  She took a moment to calm down, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, her anima seemingly diminishing as she reigned in her temper.  "I apologize for my outburst, Lord Umari, but I could not ignore this disturbing display of incompetence among your personal retainers and guards.  I realize I have perhaps overstepped my bounds, but under the circumstances I hope you can understand why."<br/><br/>***<br/><br/>Ren, meanwhile, was as nervous as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs, remaining at Xenovia's side and hoping this wasn't about to become a fight.  Damn her mistress's temper and stupid sense of chivalry!  Why couldn't her charge be more cautious in such an obviously volatile situation?<br/><br/>"Please don't make this worse," she whispered, Xenovia barely able to catch the plea given how quiet it was.  "At least think about how much trouble you're making for me before you jump into danger, again."