(combined and reposted for your convenience.<del>old thread deleted</del>.)<br/><br/><br/>character sheets go here:<br/>http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=146156.0 (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=146156.0)<br/><br/>Out of character thread is here:<br/>http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=146158.0 (http://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=146158.0)<br/><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Lady Temptress</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Xyna is roaming the grounds in front of her Castle of red brick and a gothic flare followed by several royal guards and her Personal Assistant she is inspecting the front of her royal gardens and they are an assorted ray of flowers. <br/>" I am growing bored lately. we need some excitement in the Kingdom," <br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: TaurusBeresford</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Endorel found it hard to get up this morning, having spent most of yesterday preparing for his father's funeral. This was on top of cleaning his remains that appeared as though he were attacked by a wild animal along with one of the horses the care of which his family had been charged by the Queen's captain of the guard. They had been employed here for nearly 200 years, starting with his great-grandfather's time, and he was determined to keep the family tradition. As such, He had also taken care of the remaining living horses yesterday. He wasn't really looking forward to the wake that was being prepared by the coroner; as it was, it was suppose to be a closed casket due to the severity of the attack, but he had a pretty good idea of what he would expect to see if it had been open.<br/><br/>He decided that if the day was ever going to get started, he would have to be the one to do it, being his mother died when he was 14. He grabbed a emptyflask and a piece of bread from the cupboard and began absently knawing on it as he prepared to milk the family goat for his favored drink of the morning. First thing he noticed was two of the Queen's guards preparing their horses, probably for the morning patrol outside the castle. He had heard them rustling up the horses earlier, but was kinda surprised to see them still tacking them. He wondered what could be taking them so long this morning, but he kept his thoughts to himself. When he finished getting his drink, he headed to the stable again prepared to start the mornings cleanup of the stalls.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Lady Temptress</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Queen Xyna is still in the courtyard of The Royal Palace and she is making sure that the grounds keepers are doing their jobs properly and if 0they aren't, then, they will either deal with her or the King. They don't want to be in trouble with King Hunter. Even though, the Queen is no push over,  she usually lets her husband dish out punishments and he is extremely good at doing so. Queen Xyna is a rather shy Vampiress Queen and yet, she does have a temper. She nods to the maid who is assisting her in the gardens. " You may go take care of your other duties, Lila." the 15 year old lycan slave girl does as she is told and she ran off to do her kitchen duties. " Well, the gardens are superb and now, I must meet with the King." she is't late in meeting with him this morning a sunny warm spring day and she rushes off to find King Hunter. One must not be tardy to meet with him, not even the Queen. However, Xyna stops by the stables to speak with the long time stable boy to check on the horses.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: TaurusBeresford</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote"><br/>The drow, quite young compared to the Queen's age, looks to be about the same age as the queen. Endorel is busy toiling with the horses and as such has his back turned to the Queen as she enters the stables; he is aware of her presence having worked with horses his whole life, and they had given him notice of someone's arrival. Using his own senses, he gathered that there were at least three of them. From his back he has longer than shoulder length dark brown hair, and his skin appears to be a medium brown, but streaks of dark green can be seen as well. He is wearing a dark leather jerkin and pants, but at his sleeve area can be seen a dark green tunic under the jerkin. They appear to be well made, and if the light in the stables were more dim, one would see a faint yellowish glow emanating from his leather.  He did not keep his shields up unless necessary, and since the horses weren't objecting, he did not see a reason to have it up now. He trusted the horses more than anything because they were mostly very aware of their environment at all times.<br/><br/>He was just finishing the last stall cleaning, so he did that before turning around to greet his visitor. Normally, the guards would just come in to grab the horse they needed along with the tack required and be on their way. These visitors were for the most part remaining stationary. It wasn't very often the queen actually went into the stables as far as he knew as the guards usually gathered her horse for her while she waited. He turned around and on the front of his jerkin, it appeared almost tattoo style a dark green tree emblazoned on it with a dark colored horse silohetted behind it. When he saw the queen, the thought came to his head again that she had been queen for his entire life, but she still looked so young. Then his better senses gathered, He bowed to the queen saying "M'lady."<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Hunter Phoenix</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">King Hunter was stalking around his expansive study, looking for the recent reports on the enemy movements up North. The lands that he had ruled over for many years were currently battling a series of skirmishes against a foe that didn't want to give up and he didn't want to give up either, one way or another, someone was eventually going to die. He gave up looking for the reports in the end, he would soon find them when he least needed them.<br/><br/>He walked out of his study, clinking as he did so as the plates of his armour chinked against one another. For a vampire, he was a strange one, he liked to keep his armour on at all times, in case of attacks from assassins as had happened several times over the course of his reign. He was also a little paranoid that at any time there could be an uprising within his own kingdom, so he had to be severe with his punishments whenever his workers failed to complete a task to his satisfaction. Fear was the best tool in keeping people in line and he had even grown a certain liking that bordered on the erotic when it came to punishing slaves when they failed.<br/><br/>Now he headed on to meet his Queen. He was never late and he didn't intend to be today, she would normally stroll around the grounds and make sure everyone was doing as they were told, otherwise he would have to come down and give them a very public seeing too. This normally produced the results that he desired; it would normally be a while before someone else made a mistake that would cost them.<br/><br/>He strode into the throne room and looked around, his generals were milling around, waiting to talk to him about something, but it could wait until after he had spoken with his wife.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Lady Temptress</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Queen Xyna gave a faint smile at the stable boy and she glances around at the prestigious and very well groomed horses. " Morning lad, how fair thee and your family?" she questions curiously and she has about 10minutes before she speaks with the King. " I won't be going out for a ride this morning, like I always do and I have paper work that ~ have put off for too long. Would you ask your mother to send the King and I some more of her fresh bread and pies? We will pay her of course. Thank you. I sense my husband is near and so, I won't take up anymore of your time." she said softly to the stable boy as she turns to leave the stable.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Mossberg</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">    Furyk stalked the tops of the walls around the castle just after sunset. It was in his nature to make rounds after he woke and before he went to bed. He not only wanted to catch any slumbering guards, he also didn't ask men to do things that he wouldn't do. That was one thing he had learned about being in command, you had better be ready and willing to do dirty work yourself. It not only made sure that the job got done, it also helped morale. Resting his left palm on the pommel of his sword he continued along the top of the wall until he came to a door guarded by a lycan. Giving the large man a nod Furyk went into the door and headed down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs he turned and went down the hallway heading towards his office. <br/><br/>    Once in his office he left the door cracked so that people would know he was in. Going to his chair, which had the left arm removed to accommodate his sword, he sat down. Looking at the stack of papers on his desk he sighed in resignation. Gods how he hated paperwork. Gritting his teeth he took the top piece of paper and began his daily check of the reports coming in from around the countryside. He may just be head of the Royal Guard and not a general of the kingdom's armies, but trouble in the countryside could mean trouble coming here and he wouldn't let that happen.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: TaurusBeresford</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">She was looking around at all his hard work, and he was happy that he'd done it instead of lapsing in the time of his father's death. He was confused when the queen asked about his family; surely she would have known about his mother being many years passed, but it was possible that she'd not heard about the death of one of her horses or the caretaker, the stable master. He tucked his hair behind his ears and appeared to be somber as he stated, "I fear m'lady that ye hast not heard of the misfortune to your stock of horses. One of the finer steeds was lost yesterday; it was the one you requested to be studded to a mare in another kingdom. My father was lost as well in the tragedy; as such, it leaves me working in your stables alone if you'd keep me, but your minus a stablemaster until you see fit to place one."  He was relieved that she was not to be going out, for who knows what lies out in the woods this day that had caused such a horrendous mess just the day before. He was a bit dismayed at her next question, though he'd heard that she'd asked several times since his mother's death. He supposed there were too many matters of the kingdom that it would be impossible to keep track of the people too, short of the ones who caused problems anyways. he decided to remind her again carefully, "Mother passed away some time ago, and it has been my father and I who've caried on that tradition." As she turned to leave, he felt a bit dismayed that perhaps she hadn't caught all of what he'd said, and now felt heavily pressured to do both the Queen's request on top of the daily tasks done by two people for the care of her horses. He tried his best not to allow the worry to be displayed upon his face just in case she decided to turn about quickly.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Hunter Phoenix</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">Hunter sensed that his wife was situated near the stables outside, so he had a couple of minutes to get some business out of the way. He took the time to talk to several of his generals that needed to go back out into the field, they briefed him on the current situations on the battlefields and he sent them on their way.<br/><br/>Once they had all been seen too, he headed out of the throne room and towards the exterior of the castle so that he could go and see his darling Queen. The business of the war was keeping them apart more than he liked and he was getting frustrated that his forces had been unable to conquer the enemy lands in one swift movement, now his armies were tied up on several fronts, trying to stop enemy incursions into his lands.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Lady Temptress</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">The Queen glances over at one of her guards that are watching over her. " Go, send the King here to the stables and the Captain of the Guards as well. Now!" She shifts her attention to the lad and she softens her  tone his way. " I am so sorry about your father. Someone will pay for this with their lives. I had no idea of you dear mama either. My apologies and you may keep the job here and oversee the stables. You are in charge of it all now. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask me. I have sent for the King and the Captain of my guards. We must find out who is behind this, my loss of horses and the death of your father." she liked the lad and his family, they were good and loyal to her, to her husband too. She looks down at the rest of the horses and she wore a faint smile. Thankfully, they are all alright and unharmed and no one else died. What was going on? If someone wishes to start a war, then so be it. But it just maybe the last thing that they do, if they continue to harm the Kingdom.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: TaurusBeresford</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">He was relieved that she had heard him, and was glad to take over his father's position. By rights, he would be the obvious choice, but he wasn't about to have been bold enough to tell a Queen her place; she could have already had a previous choice. "Many thanks m'lady; I will try to uphold all that my father taught me."  He watched as she suddenly seemed to become furious at the news that had already been through the captains office. He wasn't sure of the details in the report as he wasn't directly involved with the scene where his father had been killed. There had been an order for an armed guard escort for the coroner and Eldorel to handle the aftermath of the carnage. By the time Endorel had arrived, the coroner was already carting off his father, and he'd only gotten a short time to see the devestation to his father's corpse before he was restrained from the cart and told to handle the horse and cleanup of the area. He decided to let the captain of the guard handle the details she was requesting, "I'm certain the captain will have all the information you require, m'lady, but the wake is around midday, and I have much to do before then." If she turned away he would find some menial task to continue working on as the scene played on, and he was already scanning for his next task.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><div class="quoteheader"><div class="topslice_quote">Quote from: Mossberg</div></div><blockquote class="bbc_standard_quote">    Furyk was about halfway through the pile of papers when the report of the stablemasters death showed up. "Damnit," he cursed out loud. Dropping the paper he started rising from his chair when a knock sounded at his door followed by a man in livery and armor. <br/><br/>    "Sir!," The man said with a salute, right fist to heart. "The stablemaster has-" Furyk cut him off with a wave of his hand.<br/><br/>    "I know. I just read it," he said with a motion of his hand to his desk. "I gather that the Queen sent you to fetch me?" At the mans nod Furyk nodded himself and motioned the other man to lead the way. He followed him out the door and out of the castle to reach Queen Xyna. <br/><br/>    A few minutes later he came into the stable and bowed to the Queen. Standing up he looked at Endorel. "I am sorry to hear of your loss. Your father was a good man." Looking back to the Queen he said, "How would you like to handle this your Majesty?" That was Furyk, straight to the point.<br/></blockquote><div class="quotefooter"><div class="botslice_quote"></div></div><br/><br/><br/>**The Horses react to the captain of the guard**<br/>It suddenly became quite raucous with loud whinneys and hooves hitting stable walls. Instantly Endorel pulls out a charm with a few elvish words that quickly quiets the horses as his shields go up.<br/><br/>(waiting for the Queen to respond to the captain)