Love is a Battlefield (Session Summary)

**Love is a Battlefield** details the events of the September 6, 2020 session where the party fights palace guards while serenading their paramours.

## Session Notes

* After gathering the ladies in Princess Eneuli’s chambers, Aedan asks what kind of shenanigans have been planned for the group. Victoria explains that, per Veitium traditions, a man will publicly express his love through public serenade — Talos, Simon, Anastasios, Eli, and Mbeni are all preparing their musical selections.

* Aedan asks what her part is regarding the tradition, and Cecily advises to enjoy the performance. If the person being serenaded likes the performance and shares their feelings, they’re to give the performer a token of affection with a public compliment on performance to show that they were serenaded and were pleased. Cecily suggests a dinner in front of the entire court is an acceptable venue for reciprocation.

* Cecily asks Eneuli for a pin and pricks the princess’ finger with it, using her blood to figure out Ti-Yo’s plans. The only information Cecily provides is that “things are about to get interesting.” Aedan toasts to things getting interesting.

* Cecily sends the princess to her dressing room as she will need multiple dresses to change in and out of easily, then asks the group which of them can look most convincingly like Eneuli, as her fiancé will also be serenading her tonight. The group chooses Sorni.

* While the ladies get ready, the boys and Mbeni prepare by getting drunk as musicians for Lord Rastaban, Eneuli’s fiancé, begin to take their places. Anastasios says that their performances will drown out Rastaban’s and signals for Eli to start the music — which plays through a nearby lavender bush.

* Anastasios calls out for Sorni and begins to sing to her. His selection – a loud, rock-inspired number – quickly drowns out Rastaban’s musicians and he directs a servant to try to put a stop to Anastasios’ antics.

* Talos drunkenly intercepts them, asking where more liquor can be found. The servant attempts to attack Talos but he resists and knocks the servant off his feet with a quick sweep. Talos hides the body behind a nearby pillar.

* Once Anastasios finishes singing, he proposes that he and Sorni get married for real. She reminds him that they can get married *again* after the princess is married. Ani begins waxing dramatic over Sorni’s perceived hesitation and Eli and Mbeni tell him to sit down and shut up so others can sing.

* Sorni is whisked to Eneul’s dressing room and instructed to change into the princess’ dress to take her place on the balcony.

* Eli calls for Victoria and begins to sing to her. His song – a jaunty doo-wop inspired song – captivates the attention of the group but alerts more guards to the impromptu concert.

* Talos again intercepts the soldiers, who question whether he’s part of the attempts to interrupt Lord Rastaban’s serenade. Talos attempts to misdirect the soldiers by letting them know the serenade was by the recently-married Lord Raven and attempts to send them in the opposite direction. The guards walk away, afraid to upset the Queen by upsetting the King’s future-brother-in-law. Aedryan bristles.

* Once Eli finishes singing, Victoria declares her love for him and he asks about staying in her chambers that evening. Victoria accepts.

* Simon then calls for Aedryan and begins to sing to her. His song – a soft, piano-rock ballad – causes Rastaban to send out four additional guards to question Talos.

* Talos insists that the song is being sung by the king for Cecily and he would lose his head trying to stop them. Simon, meanwhile, declares his love to Aedryan, tipping the guards off to Talos’ deception. When a guard refers to Aedryan as a *trollop*, Simon excuses himself to direct Talos to kill the guards. Talos, aided by Victoria, engages the guards in combat while Aedryan leaves the balcony to meet Simon in the garden and confesses her love for him.

* Rastaban takes advantage of everyone’s distraction by starting to sing an eerie, repulsive song that borders on threatening to Sorni dressed as Eneuli, who does her best to maintain a straight face. Once the song concludes, she hastily makes her way to join the battle in the garden.

* Mbeni and Anastasios insist that Idaxis should serenade Eneuli, revealing their plan to take the heat from Simon and Aedryan by having another man declare his interest in the Queen’s daughter. Although Idaxis is irked at first, he relents and calls to Eneuli to sing a pop-inspired rock song — to the ire of Rastaban, who decides to take matters into his own hands by joining the guards in the garden.

* Once Idaxis finishes singing, Aedryan pulls herself from Simon to go meet the group, worried that Idaxis might find himself in trouble.

* Mbeni calls out for Aedan and begins to sing an energetic, guitar-driven anthem to her. Aedan enthusiastically rushes Mbeni to hug her and the two join the fight in celebration of their love.

* Before Rastaban can swing his sword, Aedryan attempts to interrupt him with a half-truth about his performance and asks for a teaching recommendation. Rastaban states that another man declaring love for his fiance demands an answer. Aedryan reminds him of the fact that he will be marrying Princess Eneuli, not Idaxis, and to let her group handle the matter.

* Rastaban rebuffs the reminder, saying he’s fully aware that Eneuli’s affections aren’t with him. Aedryan contends that, regardless of that fact, he shouldn’t have to get his hands dirty handling the situation.

* Rastaban calls for Eneuli with a threatening message: if she doesn’t willingly go to his bed on the night of their wedding, he’ll take it out on Idaxis. Before departing, he reminds the group that there is a dinner the following evening and the Queen will have much to deal with come dawn. He leaves.

* Aedryan thanks the group for killing the guards on behalf of her honor, and Talos readies himself for the stage.

## Additional Information

The songs sung in this session are as follows:

* Anastasios sang OK Go's "You're So Hot"
* Eli sang Billy Joel's "For The Longest Time"
* Simon sang Keane's "Somewhere Only We Know"
* Rastaban sang The Police's "Every Breath You Take"
* Idaxis sang The Killers' "Mr. Brightside"
* Mbeni sang Melissa Ethridge's "Come To My Window"

A playlist of these songs (not including Rastaban's stalker song) can be found here.