Thread: An Empire in 100 Nights (Rosewood x LeatrixSage)

After the bitch has surrendered, as she no doubt will, we should have her send letters to the remaining enemy troops to compel the- The Emperor said to his generals, only to be interrupted by the unexpected shouting of a woman who could only be the famous Solveig Nordanvind. He ignored the shouting and opened his mouth to continue, only to be interrupted by more of her shouting before he could say a word. He looked at his generals for a moment with a smirk on his lips and a twinkle in his eyes. And then they all interrupted into raucous laughter, several of them slapping their knees as they bellowed and howled with laughter. How typical was it for a female queen who had been forced into surrender to try and make herself seem tough by screeching like a bitch! It was hardly the first time they had broken a kingdom, let alone the first time a queen had tried to use her screeching to seem tougher than she really was. As the saying went in the south, 'the cornered mouse bites the hardest'. I'd..I'd better go see what she wants huh? the Emperor said between chortles as he rose to his feet. For all the humor and mirth in the tent, the generals still rose to their feets immediately and saluted him as a sign of respect, they were officers down to their very bone and they would die before disrespecting their Emperor. But they felt at ease enough to stand there with tears in the corners of their eyes and barely restrained grins on their faces. One general had the boldness to go a step further. We will pray for your survival, my Emperor! he said, in an exaggeratedly serious way. Which immediately set them all laughing again. With a smirk on his lips he gave them a wave of his hand as a farewell and stepped out of the tent. The dirt crisped and crackled under his heavy warboots, which drew a few eyes towards him. The rest were drawn when he spoke up. Solveig av Nordanvind, I presume, he boomed. His voice was a crisp baritone but it was firm and clear and many years of yelling orders on the battlefield had given it a great deal of strength. All who heard it turned and saluted at once, a common courtesy that was considered a sign of respect and deference to the Emperor. When the queen turned to face him, along with her stooges, he saw just how attractive she was. She had that fiery hair that could like a blazing fire, a soft sunset or molten gold depending on what light caught it. Her face was built in a sharp way but her eyes, nose and lips were feminine enough to give her the appearance of a lady who could be both beautiful and fierce, at the same time. She wasn't what he had expected, after having seen all the tough, squat women of the north this tall beauty was like a breath of fresh air. The furs muffled it but her figure also didn't seem to have been tarnished by the luxury of her station. Interesting...he'd need some time alone with this woman, to see how far she might go to protect her lands from his armies. No doubt a deal could be hammered out that would give both parties what they truly desired.... She, in turn, saw a man taller than men from either the north or the south who was neither lanky nor bear-like with a muscular build. He had hair that was either very dark brown or black, it was a matter of perspective. It was combed back and fell down to about his ears. His eyes were a pale blue and set on a face perpetually covered with stubbles that no amount of shaving could get rid of for long. His clothes consisted of leather armor with chainmail for the immobile parts of his body such as his chest. The armor was designed to serve on both the battlefield and court. Heavy warboots went up to just above his ankles with metal plates built on the front with several sets of straps holding it in place. A fur cloak had been wrapped around his shoulders but seemed to be an afterthought for dealing with the colder weather of the north. He stepped forward and approached Solveig, his two personal guards quickly falling in line behind him. They were more heavily armored than their Emperor and were armed with poll axes, a traditional weapon among the personal guard of the Emperor. While it made them somewhat predictable to those familiar with the Empire, the mastery of a single weapon that was useful in almost all situations made them foes to be reckoned with. Once there were only two steps between them, he held out his hand for her to take. I am Emperor Adas Morgrundt, also called the Fist of the Empire, the God-King and a variety of other less important titles. And I assure you milady, I fear no woman's scorn, he said, his eyes boring into hers as he gave her a smirk.