To Catzali - V

Isetzar walked towards the bridge as he wrapped his headscarf around his hair. Knowing Valri he had an idea of what the prince wanted to discuss.

So did he.

He opened the door and inside the well-lit room he saw Valri–with the helmsman and a couple other men. Both were dressed as panzas of the empire. In front of them? A large map–one Isetzar recognizes as a map of the Ursan Empire and its neighbors.

"Ah, Setzya!" Valri called out as he bade his friend to come to his side. "I invited your men here too. They'll be here shortly."

"Kairm is actually with Nuriya right now," said Isetzar. "I suggest you send someone there to fetch him then."

"Oh, is that right? Very well," Valri called a maid who promptly answered. "Go to Our Lady's room and fetch Sir Kairm."

The maid went on her way, and Isetzar took his spot at the meeting table.

{"We're here to discuss what the hell are we going to do after we get to Catzali, as well as to get everyone up to speed as to what's been happening to the Ursan Empire."}

"Setzya? This is Sergaz Panza and Ersaim Panza," said Valri. "They're my men. Have you met them already by any chance?"

"I've crossed them a few times at the palace, though never for a lengthy discussion," said Isetzar. "I thought most of the panzas were your father's?"

"Most. Not all," smiled Valri. "These two are from Catzali. So maybe it's more accurate to say they were my mother's men."

"Pleasure to formally meet your acquaintance, Lord Sasan," bowed Eraim. A tall, broad-shouldered man with a neatly groomed mustache in a royal blue and sunset orange overcoat and wore his imperial green headwrap in a neat turban. "You may have seen us when you were much younger during His Highness' tutelage under your grandfather, but after the prince was named heir to His Majesty, we of course left with him to aid in his new role as crown prince."

"Is that so?" said Isetzar. "Well, since you're here we'll probably have hundreds of opportunities to talk! Pleasure to meet you too, Eraim Panza!" Isetzar took the panza's hand for a shake and a friendly embrace.

"Eraim here is one of the empire's best siege engineers," Valri mentioned. "He apprenticed as a cannonmaker before entering my grandfather and later my mother's service."

"Now I'm a master cannonmaker, myself," said Eraim. "If I may be permitted a bit of pride. All the cannons used in the Fortitude are of my design and serviced by my direction."

"Including the spiritbane launcher?" said Isetzar with a smirk.

"Yes!" Eraim said. "Hahah! Seriously, what a novel idea! I have you and the prince to thank for that project! Who would have thought you could have machines casting magic?"

Isetzar crossed his arms, glanced at Valri once, and chuckled.

"Definitely one of our best ideas…" Valri remarked.

"...."

"Sergaz?" Valri turned to his other panza–standing on his right.

Sergaz Panza was stone-faced and taciturn. A handsome man with short, dirty blonde hair, blue eyes, and a clean-shaven square jaw. He was also a tall man, only half-a-hand shorter than Eraim, but looked much heavier. He wore his green headscarf loose, and wore a wood-green jacket over a saffron yellow undercoat. He wore a great scimitar by his side.

"Permission to be honest, Highness?" asked Sergaz.

"Granted. But why?"

"I'm well aware of who this man is and the history between you two," said Sergaz. "But…the Sasan lordling has accrued a rather…unsavory and at times disturbing reputation in the imperial court. I'm not sure if it's in your best interest to keep associating with him."

"Sergaz?" said Valri. "He's my friend. One of my dearest."

"I know, Your Highness, and I apologize for my rudeness," bowed Sergaz. "But duty compels me to speak against your dear friend. Because I have reason to believe he might be a mons–"

"Sergzhi?" Eraim interjected. "It's not our place to judg–"

"No, Eraim! Our place is to protect him! We swore on his mother's deathbed!

Sergaz then turned his gaze at Isetzar who kept silent, but now looked at Sergaz with genuine intrigue.

"I'm not too keen on the Sasan princess now to be perfectly–"

"Sergaz…"

Valri spoke through his teeth with a calm, chilling voice.

One that could freeze the room silent.

"Highness, you got to underst–"

"I do understand," Valri continued. "And I thank you for your honest and faithful service. But enough."

Valri then turned to directly meet his panza's eyes–with his own.

"I need him…I need both of them."

"..."

Sergaz sighed and dropped the issue. "Understood, My Prince."

Sergaz glanced at the amused Isetzar once more and turned to focus on the map laid out on the table.

"Your Highness?"

Polnaz walked into the room shortly after.

"Apologies for taking so long! I was helping the cooks with cleaning."

"Not at all!" Valri smiled. "Please take a seat."

Sunzar walked in soon after him, bowed once, and took a seat with little ceremony.

"Where have you been?" asked Isetzar, genuinely curious.

Sunzar motioned that he'd been playing cards with some of the deckhands. Isetzar chuckled and patted him on the back.

The big surprise was Kairm.

"I'm here, Highness. My Lord," Kairm bowed graciously.

But he didn't take a seat yet after Valri and Isetzar saw him. Instead? He stood by the door.

"Kairm? Why?" asked Valri.

In ten heartbeats, Kairm showed why: he opened the door and carefully brought in a still limping Nuriya–who Kairm supported all the way here.

'Kairm!" shouted Isetzar. "Why is she here?! She's supposed to be res–"

"I wanted to be here!" Nuriya, still shaking, shouted back as she clung to Kairm for support. "I need to be here…Valri calling all your men, it could only be about one thing. The matter at hand concerns my future, right? I definitely have a say in that!"

She wore a smile on a determined visage–still in pain, but trying her hardest to keep it to herself. She saw Isetzar's eyes full of worry and her heart couldn't help but ache. She closed her eyes, brushed it aside, and focused on trying her best to regain her poise to join the meeting.

"......"

Isetzar stood up and dashed to help Kairm hold her up.

"Setzya?"

Valri spoke as Isetzar propped Nuriya up by his shoulders.

"She's here now…And she's right. This won't take too long."

"Niya…" Isetzar gently smiled at his sister. "Let's get you a seat."

......…

Nuriya took a seat beside Valri and across the map from Isetzar.

Beside her was Kairm with Sergaz beside him.

Beside Isetzar was Polnaz and Eraim.

And beside Valri was Sunzar and, of course, Nuriya.

"Ok. Now, that we're all here? Let's get started."