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The Celestial Empire (Romance of the Three Kingdoms-ish, Updated 12/09/05)
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<blockquote data-quote="Emperor Valerian" data-source="post: 2432179" data-attributes="member: 15043"><p><strong>Felonca Makes a Friend</strong></p><p></p><p>Felonca stood still, just as stunned as the others by Nayu’s sudden and devastating attack. When the empress leapt to her feet moments later, her face devoid of color, the rogue immediately shifted so her hands rested close to her warfans. <em>Things are about to get interesting...</em></p><p></p><p>“Seize him!” the Empress shouted, just as Felonca expected, and just as she also suspected the guards that had accompanied the young Emperor and his mother into the room began to rush forward. Her warfans lashed out, ready to fight the oncoming steel, until a surprising shape intervened.</p><p></p><p>“Stop!” the young scholar that had been arguing on their behalf shouted. Even though she could not use magic herself, Felonca could not help but feel the immense surge of raw power that lashed from his staff, radiating out towards the oncoming soldiers. To a man, they stopped in place, frozen in mid-stride, their eyes wide in surprise and fear.</p><p></p><p>“How... dare... you!” the Empress snarled.</p><p></p><p>“You have ignored the advice of your Council repeatedly, Your Highness!” Won Wei growled in reply. “The duel has concluded, and the young man still remains!” Other scholars began to gather around Nayu, their staffs at the ready.</p><p></p><p>“He did not abide by the forms! He broke centuries of tradition by attacking by surprise!” the Empress shrieked.</p><p></p><p>“Only a fool lets an opponent prepare,” Felonca heard Nayu say in a cool, impressive voice, sounding rich with wisdom far beyond his years. “If Heaven had truly sided with Sho-Ti, Heaven would have protected him. Or are you saying, Your Highness, that Heaven’s Will should be bent by the mere traditions of men?”</p><p></p><p>“I...you...” the Empress shook with veritable fury, and Felonca had to suppress a smile. Nayu had her trapped. If she pressed on that his surprise attack had broken tradition and been unfair, she’d appear to be claiming her own will was above that of Heaven... a grievous and foolish statement, one that would surely make <em>every</em> scholar rise against her. Wisely, instead of replying, the Empress clamped her jaw shut so tightly that her face seemed to shake.</p><p></p><p>For several moments, silence hung in the air, the Empress staring down at the scholars and the young upstart before her. Finally, the young scholar named Won Wei spoke aloud.</p><p></p><p>“Wakabayashi Nayu is the victor in the test of Heaven’s Will!” the young man’s voice echoed through the silent hall. “As such, the Council of Scholars will surrender to him his just request!” With a swish, he turned to the attendants behind the Empress. </p><p></p><p>“Fetch the Headband of Kongxi, and the Fan of Kongxi!”</p><p></p><p>As the scholars gathered around Nayu, most congratulating, a few mumbling, Felonca’s brow wrinkled. <em>Headband of Kongxi? Fan of Kongxi? What is that?</em> Felonca thought, confused. <em>Kongxi lived hundreds of years ago... these have to be copies.</em> She gave a sigh, and put her warfans back into her belt before starting forward towards Nayu. <em>Probably things that look pretty, that Nayu will probably sell...</em></p><p></p><p>Her thoughts were interrupted by a tug on her sleeve, quick and insistent. At first she tried to ignore it, taking it to be a scholar. When the tug came again, even more insistent, she stopped, sharp words forming in her mouth; sharp words that died when she heard the slight tinkle of pearls hitting each other.</p><p></p><p>Wide eyed she looked down, and a pair of small Imperial eyes behind a sea of white pearls looked back up at her.</p><p></p><p>“How does your friend do magic like that, with no books?” the tiny, high voice of His Divine Imperial Majesty asked. Streams of pearls hanging from his head hid his face, but the voice sounded earnest in its question.</p><p></p><p>“Ah..um...” Felonca stumbled, her mind awash. <em>ITS THE EMPEROR! Do I talk normally?! Do I kow-tow now?! He tugged on my sleeve! Should I cut off the cloth and save it for later?!</em></p><p></p><p>“My friend has special abilities, Your...um... Majesty...” she managed to say uncertainly, her body too rigid in surprise and shock to bow. To her surprise, there was no protest from the young boy, or shout of indignation at her lack of respect. Instead, Yuandi raised his small gloved hands, and spun his cap around, so the pearls hung from the side. A large smile leapt across his face, radiating the happiness not of an Emperor, but of a ten year old boy.</p><p></p><p><em>I need to say something!</em></p><p></p><p>“Um... can you...um... do magic like that, Your Majesty?” Felonca stuttered. </p><p></p><p>“No,” the boy’s face fell. “Mother makes me study scholar books all day, every day.” He looked to the ground, and Felonca swore that if his legs weren’t swathed in heavy robes, he would’ve kicked his foot absently along the ground. “I would like to do magic without books.” The young face then looked back up, the smile returning. “Then, I could learn swordplay instead of magic!”</p><p></p><p>“Swordplay?” Felonca asked, more confidence in her voice. <em>He is just a boy... and he seems happy that you aren’t groveling before him, but talking TO him...</em> “Why would you like to do that, Majesty?”</p><p></p><p>“Then I could stay away from Mother, when she has rages, like this one,” he looked up toward the throne, behind the sea of scholars huddled around Nayu. All eyes were still on the sorcerer, and only the immobile guards seemed to have noticed where the young Emperor had wandered... and they couldn’t say anything.</p><p></p><p>“She’s not a pleasant person, I imagine,” Felonca replied without thinking, before suddenly catching herself. “I did not mean an insult to your family, Majesty!” she hurriedly added.</p><p></p><p>“But it is true. She is a mean person, and Won Wei says she is foolish sometimes. I trust Won Wei,” the Yuandi said. Suddenly, he stopped, and turned his head slightly to the side. “What is your name? I was impolite and did not ask.”</p><p></p><p>“I... I’m Wa-Feng Felonca, Majesty,” Felonca gave a reverent bow, her mind still not believing that she was chatting away with the Emperor of the Celestial Empire.</p><p></p><p>“I am Yuan,” the boy said, using his given name, not his royal name. “I am pleased to meet you. You seem like a nice person... much nicer than my mother.”</p><p></p><p>As the boy continued to talk, somewhere deep in Felonca’s mind, an impish thought arose. Before the words could leap to her mouth, she quickly suppressed the idea. But as the Emperor continued to speak freely as a child would of his domineering and controlling mother, the thought continued to resurface, until finally it broke through.</p><p></p><p>“You don’t like your mother telling you what to do?” Felonca finally asked. Despite the fact that she’d only been talking with Yuan for only a few minutes, she finally felt comfortable directly addressing him. When the boy shook his head, she smiled, then lowered herself down to his level.</p><p></p><p>“You are the Emperor, correct, Your Majesty?”</p><p></p><p>“Yes.”</p><p></p><p>“Then order the guards to ignore your mother and let you practice swordplay,” Felonca said quietly in a mischevious tone. <em>Let’s put something in the Empress’ hair for a while that she can’t get rid of!</em> “They have to obey you, don’t they?”</p><p></p><p>“They should,” the boy said quietly, his own mind wandering down the unknown path as well. His brow wrinkled as he thought, and Felonca could tell he’d made a decision when a smile came to his youthful face. “I shall then tell my guards to let me do as I please, or as Won Wei wishes me, and not as my mother commands!”</p><p></p><p>“That sounds like an excellent command, Your Majesty,” Felonca grinned.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Emperor Valerian, post: 2432179, member: 15043"] [b]Felonca Makes a Friend[/b] Felonca stood still, just as stunned as the others by Nayu’s sudden and devastating attack. When the empress leapt to her feet moments later, her face devoid of color, the rogue immediately shifted so her hands rested close to her warfans. [i]Things are about to get interesting...[/i] “Seize him!” the Empress shouted, just as Felonca expected, and just as she also suspected the guards that had accompanied the young Emperor and his mother into the room began to rush forward. Her warfans lashed out, ready to fight the oncoming steel, until a surprising shape intervened. “Stop!” the young scholar that had been arguing on their behalf shouted. Even though she could not use magic herself, Felonca could not help but feel the immense surge of raw power that lashed from his staff, radiating out towards the oncoming soldiers. To a man, they stopped in place, frozen in mid-stride, their eyes wide in surprise and fear. “How... dare... you!” the Empress snarled. “You have ignored the advice of your Council repeatedly, Your Highness!” Won Wei growled in reply. “The duel has concluded, and the young man still remains!” Other scholars began to gather around Nayu, their staffs at the ready. “He did not abide by the forms! He broke centuries of tradition by attacking by surprise!” the Empress shrieked. “Only a fool lets an opponent prepare,” Felonca heard Nayu say in a cool, impressive voice, sounding rich with wisdom far beyond his years. “If Heaven had truly sided with Sho-Ti, Heaven would have protected him. Or are you saying, Your Highness, that Heaven’s Will should be bent by the mere traditions of men?” “I...you...” the Empress shook with veritable fury, and Felonca had to suppress a smile. Nayu had her trapped. If she pressed on that his surprise attack had broken tradition and been unfair, she’d appear to be claiming her own will was above that of Heaven... a grievous and foolish statement, one that would surely make [i]every[/i] scholar rise against her. Wisely, instead of replying, the Empress clamped her jaw shut so tightly that her face seemed to shake. For several moments, silence hung in the air, the Empress staring down at the scholars and the young upstart before her. Finally, the young scholar named Won Wei spoke aloud. “Wakabayashi Nayu is the victor in the test of Heaven’s Will!” the young man’s voice echoed through the silent hall. “As such, the Council of Scholars will surrender to him his just request!” With a swish, he turned to the attendants behind the Empress. “Fetch the Headband of Kongxi, and the Fan of Kongxi!” As the scholars gathered around Nayu, most congratulating, a few mumbling, Felonca’s brow wrinkled. [i]Headband of Kongxi? Fan of Kongxi? What is that?[/i] Felonca thought, confused. [i]Kongxi lived hundreds of years ago... these have to be copies.[/i] She gave a sigh, and put her warfans back into her belt before starting forward towards Nayu. [i]Probably things that look pretty, that Nayu will probably sell...[/i] Her thoughts were interrupted by a tug on her sleeve, quick and insistent. At first she tried to ignore it, taking it to be a scholar. When the tug came again, even more insistent, she stopped, sharp words forming in her mouth; sharp words that died when she heard the slight tinkle of pearls hitting each other. Wide eyed she looked down, and a pair of small Imperial eyes behind a sea of white pearls looked back up at her. “How does your friend do magic like that, with no books?” the tiny, high voice of His Divine Imperial Majesty asked. Streams of pearls hanging from his head hid his face, but the voice sounded earnest in its question. “Ah..um...” Felonca stumbled, her mind awash. [i]ITS THE EMPEROR! Do I talk normally?! Do I kow-tow now?! He tugged on my sleeve! Should I cut off the cloth and save it for later?![/i] “My friend has special abilities, Your...um... Majesty...” she managed to say uncertainly, her body too rigid in surprise and shock to bow. To her surprise, there was no protest from the young boy, or shout of indignation at her lack of respect. Instead, Yuandi raised his small gloved hands, and spun his cap around, so the pearls hung from the side. A large smile leapt across his face, radiating the happiness not of an Emperor, but of a ten year old boy. [i]I need to say something![/i] “Um... can you...um... do magic like that, Your Majesty?” Felonca stuttered. “No,” the boy’s face fell. “Mother makes me study scholar books all day, every day.” He looked to the ground, and Felonca swore that if his legs weren’t swathed in heavy robes, he would’ve kicked his foot absently along the ground. “I would like to do magic without books.” The young face then looked back up, the smile returning. “Then, I could learn swordplay instead of magic!” “Swordplay?” Felonca asked, more confidence in her voice. [i]He is just a boy... and he seems happy that you aren’t groveling before him, but talking TO him...[/i] “Why would you like to do that, Majesty?” “Then I could stay away from Mother, when she has rages, like this one,” he looked up toward the throne, behind the sea of scholars huddled around Nayu. All eyes were still on the sorcerer, and only the immobile guards seemed to have noticed where the young Emperor had wandered... and they couldn’t say anything. “She’s not a pleasant person, I imagine,” Felonca replied without thinking, before suddenly catching herself. “I did not mean an insult to your family, Majesty!” she hurriedly added. “But it is true. She is a mean person, and Won Wei says she is foolish sometimes. I trust Won Wei,” the Yuandi said. Suddenly, he stopped, and turned his head slightly to the side. “What is your name? I was impolite and did not ask.” “I... I’m Wa-Feng Felonca, Majesty,” Felonca gave a reverent bow, her mind still not believing that she was chatting away with the Emperor of the Celestial Empire. “I am Yuan,” the boy said, using his given name, not his royal name. “I am pleased to meet you. You seem like a nice person... much nicer than my mother.” As the boy continued to talk, somewhere deep in Felonca’s mind, an impish thought arose. Before the words could leap to her mouth, she quickly suppressed the idea. But as the Emperor continued to speak freely as a child would of his domineering and controlling mother, the thought continued to resurface, until finally it broke through. “You don’t like your mother telling you what to do?” Felonca finally asked. Despite the fact that she’d only been talking with Yuan for only a few minutes, she finally felt comfortable directly addressing him. When the boy shook his head, she smiled, then lowered herself down to his level. “You are the Emperor, correct, Your Majesty?” “Yes.” “Then order the guards to ignore your mother and let you practice swordplay,” Felonca said quietly in a mischevious tone. [i]Let’s put something in the Empress’ hair for a while that she can’t get rid of![/i] “They have to obey you, don’t they?” “They should,” the boy said quietly, his own mind wandering down the unknown path as well. His brow wrinkled as he thought, and Felonca could tell he’d made a decision when a smile came to his youthful face. “I shall then tell my guards to let me do as I please, or as Won Wei wishes me, and not as my mother commands!” “That sounds like an excellent command, Your Majesty,” Felonca grinned. [/QUOTE]
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