The Celestial Seven

Thousands of miles away across a sea of open water a short man dressed in the imperial robes of deep blue walked quickly down the vast Imperial chamber halls. His blue overcoat and pale vanilla silk shirt getting increasingly disarrayed as he tugged nervously on the hem. The magnificent hall which he barely glanced at as he hurried through was lined with antiques from all across the various islands of the imperial kingdom. From the golden-enplated armor and delicate Devan crystal on the far left to the beautiful Arisian maple chandelier with nine tiers hanging from the ceiling in the center, the chamber radiated opulence.

As he got closer to the enormous dark wooden doors engrained with strains of gold at the end of the chamber hall the man gave a deep sigh and wiped away any trace of resign from his face and proceeded ahead to the door to take the notices from the waiting page. The imperial guards to either side of the massive double doors immediately relaxed the enchanted lock on the door and with ease swung it open. With one last hem tug, the Divine Matre’dium proceeded ahead into the imperial chambers and immediately saw the man he had dreaded to see. Though of course he knew his duty to the crown and court and continued ahead. “Shall I have the decrees sent out, your Divine One?” asked the Divine Matre’dium as he walked onto the balcony.

With a livid glare thrown back over his shoulder at the Divine Matre’dium, the Blood Royal in question, his most divine highness Alexcidan the Conqueror, Ruler of all Meridia and father to the most stubborn young princess in all the lands, her most Serene Highness Sheridan snarled, “No, by the Gods I will not be coerced by my own blood daughter!” With another scowl he continued to glide towards the spendidly appointed banquet table to the right of the golden entrance doors and raised an eyebrow at the people sitting at the table as he sat down at it’s head.
“And you my dearest friends?”, he asked with a sarcastic glint, “ What is your desire that I do?”

Merciver, his danifer companion glanced up from his wine with a wicked smile and said, “Alexcidan, you really can’t be too angry with her, after all she gets all her qualities from you!”.

“Merciver”, Alexcidan replied slowly with a dangerous caution, “your most precious daughter has tried to blackmail me for the last time! I cannot and will not give a 12-year old girl on her mere whim a Corisian gem!” “Talented or not!”

“Calm down Alexi!” – Mareceen seated at his right side with breeched legs crossed upon the table said. As his most trusted Calvary general and a Sister of the Sword her interjection was simply met with a side glare and toss of the hair.

With a raise of his eyebrows, Maneded, her confidant and lover, but not yet danifer companion looked down the maple table at Alexcidan’s blatant fury and straight across at his lover’s apparent placidity and questioned with a quiet anger – “ How can you Alexcidan sit there in a fury and say that Sheridan has no right to learn the way of the Holders? Because do not deny it! That is exactly what you are saying Alexi. Without a Corisian gem there is no way Sheridan could master her power and let there be no doubt that she must. The like of her talent has not been seen in ten thousand years! Yes, she is young! But so were you! And now you have become known as the greatest warrior-mage throughout the entire Imperial Kingdom and the Kashkan Empire!”

“Mane”, Alexcidan interjected, “she is sixteen – to master a gem and weave it’s powers requires the greatest control and respect!” “She would bring absolute destruction about if she wields that much power at so young a time!”
“I’m not done yet!”, Maneded snapped, “Mareceen – how can you sit there? – A Sister of the Sword and refuse to stand up and protect her right to aspire to learn what your very sisterhood advocates!”

“It’s not the same.” Mareceen quietly snapped with a look of hurt and anger on her amber face. She tossed her black braid over her shoulder and said, “Sheridan is nothing more than a spoiled brat, who knows nothing of sacrifice or honor. A Sister of the Sword believes that at all times she serves her people and her empire. Sheridan believes that at all times the world serves her!”

The silent Major-General, Raleed, who sat to the direct left of Alexcidan grimaced at Mareceen’s description of the Princess-Royal. Not because he thought her description unjust, but because he knew it to be perfectly apt. “Which was infinitely sad”, he thought, “Not only for the girl, but also for the people she will someday rule”.

With a weary sigh, Alexcidan, sitting at the head of the maple and gold inlaid oval table stared at his convened heads of state. He knew what each was thinking, from their facial expressions and his own sapphire gem. With firm resolve he said, “I thank you my friends for your opinions, but this is not under discussion. Sheridan, will never as long as she continues as she is become a Holder of a Corisian gem”.