Succession: Heir to the Empire

Rein

"Oh come on, that isn't fair! Besides, Syrien would know if I ever tried it again on you, and I doubt he'd take it lightly. though, perhaps it's better that you don't. Strangely enough, the first time I made a drink and Syrien drank it, it gave him blood poisoning. Don't ask me how." Rein replied with her own smirk. It was hard to tell if she was serious or not.

"Thanks. I can't learn much though, thanks to the current laws set in place. Hm, maybe you'll be able to change that when you become Emperor?" Rein added. A plain looking cup filled with a red substance appeared in her hands. With a devious smile, she offered it to Kegan.

"Care for a drink, Kegan? I'd be simply crushed if you didn't."

C.C.

In an instant C.C., Rhys, and Katie vanished. A half-second later a golem made to look like Katie (as she had looked on the bed) appeared.

Not to long after this Caesar entered the room.

Susanna

As Caesar opened the door up, Susanna quickly rushed past him into the room. "Katie?" She asked rhetorically as she looked down to see what she thought was her cousin's body. lying on the ground before her. "S-she can't be...Katie? Katie wake up." Susanna protested as she leaned over her cousin's corpse and grabbed onto it as she pleaded.

"Come on. Please don't be....." Susanna continued to plead until she checked Katie's pulse, only to find that there wasn't one. As she realized that Rhys had succeeded in killing her cousin, and that the last thing that Katie would ever experience was being raped, Susanna began to cry.
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Kegan

"You cannot be serious." Kegan asked rhetorically as he chuckled a bit. "I am truly sorry bit I think I'm going to have to decline until I learn a spell for checking to see if things are poisoned or not."

Rein

"Ah, you're no fun Kegan. Well, I'm getting bored just talking," Rein commented, making the cup disappear, "Why don't we go somewhere? Any suggestions?

Caesar

"Oh Susanna...I am truly sorry...." Caesar said, acting sympathetic. Of course he was a superb actor, so Susanna wouldn't be able to tell. Excellent, Katie was dead. Step one was complete.

"I....I wish I could have prevented this. I am sorry."

Alec wrote:

((I think we should have C.C. and Rhys arrive a bit earlier.))

Carlisle

"Huhuhuh..There..we go." The Doctor informed Epiphany between gasps for air after he was done healing her completely. Before he said anything else, Carlisle sat down and leaned his back against the wall as he tried to rest, still breathing heavily. "So how do you you feel now?" He asked politely after he settled down a bit.

((Sorry, I have been busy lately.))

Epiphany rubbed her skin Carlisle finished healing. All there was left was small pale lines where her cuts used to be. "Thanks," She replied and leaned her head against the wall. "I just feel a bit tired. I think i'll survive until after dinner. Shall we leave now?" Epiphany stood up and felt how sore her shoulders were.

Carlisle

"Sure, I mean, if that's what you want." Carlisle replied as he looked up at Epiphany, straining his neck slightly as he continued to sit down. "Anyways I think we have plenty of time to change before dinner. Just make sure to tell me if your wounds tear open are anything serious." Carlisle requested as he stood up, a weak smile on his face.
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Susanna

Susanna simply ignored Caesar's apology as she looked down at Katie and wept. "I-i'm sorry Katie." Susanna muttered a few minutes later before closing her cousins eyes before standing up. "We need to find C.C. . ...She'll be able to fix this..." Susanna informed Caesar, unsure if what she was saying was true or not.
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Kegan

"I really have no idea where we would go Rein. But since we can't be cut off or blocked off from anywhere now, do you have any ideas?" Kegan asked in reply as he stopped leaning on the wall and stood up straight.
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Rhys

"Are we there?" Rhys asked as he looked down at Katie and C.C. .

C.C.

"Yes, we're here. We must hurry and stablize Katie." C.C. said.

Rein

"Well, I have always wanted to visit the castle grounds. I haven't been allowed outside in years." Rein answered.

Caesar

"I just checked for her presence....but, I cannot sense her. C.C. has apparently left the castle, Susanna. I'm....sorry." Caesar said. He made sure to keep up his mask of sorrow.

"I'll be sure to take note of it." Epiphany replied. "See you later." In honest, Epiphany would rather rest through dinner. The challenge for the day got her quite exhausted, but she knew it would be best to join dinner.

Kegan

"You haven't been? ....oh." Kegan wondered aloud in confusion as he noticed just how pale Rein actually was. While Kegan knew that he probably shouldn't be surprised to see that the Kingdom kept note of Rein's heritage, He still found it off-putting that they kept her in the Castle. But that didn't matter now he realized. Better to ignore it and allow her to break the rules then to start a riot over it when he was weak and already out of Baruti's favor.

"That sounds excellent. I didn't quite feel like eating with the other Heir's tonight anyways."
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Carlisle

"Uh ok. See you later." Carlisle replied, whispering the last part as he smiled weakly. "I guess I should go get ready for dinner then. Should be an interesting meal after everything that's happened today." The Doctor noted as he put away his medical supplies back into his bag.

"Hopefully everyone's in a good mood...Well I hope everyone is at least pleasant." Carlisle whispered to himself as he walked out of the room.
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Susanna

"She left? What do you mean she left Caesar!?" Susanna asked, almost screaming as she took a step closer to the Humage. "She wouldn't just leave me. She couldn't just...not now, she can't be gone now...." She whispered quickly and emotionally, beginning to look and feel as though she were broken.

Rein

"Great! So, where do you suggest we go?" Rein asked.

Caesar

"I'm sorry, but she is not here, Susanna." Caesar stated.

(Timeskip to the next challenge?)

(Maybe to the dinner?)

Kegan

"Umm the Troyos district? I've never been there before, and I know you've never been there. Could be nice" Kegan suggested as he began to walk down the hall with Rein.

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Susanna

Susanna paused after Caesar one again informed her that C.C. was no longer in the area.

"Then I suppose this means that Captain Alwyn succeeded." She stated bitterly after she finished crying a few minutes later. "Caesar...do you at least know where he is?"
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Rhys

"What do you need me to do then?" Rhys asked. He was beginning to feel very tense, but he knew that C.C. would most likely be able to save Katie's life in the end.

Rein

"Sure, anything is fine with me. Just be sure to keep away from the brothels. I don't want you to go abusing your power now." Rein teased. She interlocked her arm with Kegan's, and patted his back.

Caesar

Caesar closed his eyes and concentrated. "I'm picking up traces of magic in this room...I sense that the captain was in here. Obvious, I know...however, it appears he left just a few minutes ago. And...oh my, now this is serious...."

Caesar opened his eyes and stared into Susanna's. "I...don't know how to tell you this, but C.C. was in this room, with him just a short while ago. She was the one that transported him out of here."

C.C.

"Just make sure I'm not disturbed. This is a very delicate process, and I don't want to make a mistake." C.C. replied, placing her hands above Katie's chest. She closed her eyes and began the healing process.

Rhys

"Yes Mam." Rhys agreed reluctantly to C.C.'s orders as he stood up and walked towards the door.
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Kegan

"Don't be ridiculous. I would never go to one of those...places." Kegan informed Rein in a serious tone. "Besides, if I abuse my own power then how am I supposed to judge others for abusing theirs?" He said before a small grin came onto his face, implying that he was joking.
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Susanna

"What? M-maybe they got into a fight, maybe C.C.'s getting rid of him for what he did to Katie!? But then she could have been back by now. She could have gotten rid of the Captain very quickly." Susanna muttered as she tried to piece together the events with the information that Caesar had given her. Unfortunately it seemed like the only thing that made sense, was the thing she didn't want to believe.

((Is it just me, or is the 'bold' button not working?))

The healing process was long and grueling; C.C. nearly lost Katie several times during the process. However, as serve as he wounds were, C.C. successfully healed the girl. Exhausted, C.C. collasped to the floor. It had been centuries since she last used her magic so much. However, it proved to be successful. Katie would regain consciousness soon, and would have only some minor scars from her wounds.

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"Well, you'd be surprised how hypocritical a lot of people can be. Just make sure you don't end up as one of them, or I'll straighten you out. Forcefully." Rein joked. She was glad to be out of this castle, after being couped up in it for many years. She would definitely enjoy this time.

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"There can only be one drawn conclusion from this, Susanna. C.C. was playing you. Playing us all, no doubt. She may seem like a friendly, semi-bitter Mage, but I have no doubt that her true personality is a much more wicked, darker side then she's shown. C.C has probably been conspiraring with the Captain and others since the Emperor died. I have no idea what her true intentions may be, but they can't be good. No doubt your cousin was just collateral damage to her." Caesar said rather bluntly. Everything he said were all lies, of course.

However, would Susanna ever know that? She actually knew very little of the mysterious Mage. For all she did know, C.C. could be everything Caesar was describing, or worse.

((I think a time-skip to dinner should be done soon.))

Rhys

"Are you alright? Did you...succeed?" Rhys asked quietly after seeing C.C. collapse onto the floor. He had left the doorway that he had been guarding after things had gotten a bit more intense during the procedure. Just as the Captain began to wonder whether or not C.C. had successfully finished healing Katie or not, the Guard noticed that the young girl was breathing quietly as she slept, causing him to smile weakly as he realized that all of their work had not been for a lost cause.
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Kegan

"Oh I'm sure. After everything Syrien's told me I would be surprised if you let me even do something as small as vandalism or littering." Kegan replied dryly as he walked up to a Guard waiting just outside the gates of the Castle.

"Heir Kegan, what may I do for you Sir?" The Guard asked quickly after a few seconds of staring at Kegan and Rein, most likely trying to figure out who t was that he was speaking to.

"My partner and I need transportation. We're headed to the Troyos district and we'd like to be there before mealtime." Kegan ordered.

"Of course Sir, Just wait a few minutes." The Guard replied before quickly walking away.

After the guard was out of hearing distance, Kegan turned towards Rein with a somewhat proud smile to see how she felt about seeing him order around for them.
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Susanna

"But I trusted her. Katie trusted her." Susanna stated, whispering the last part in horrific realization as her mind began to explain how easy it could have been for C.C. to abuse that trust with Katie and Susanna so as to accomplish whatever her goals were.

With Katie dead, C.C. responsible, and Caesar being the only one who and helped her, Susanna realized that her life had turned upside down and the only person she could trust happened to be an unstable man in a body with five other personalities, one of them being a being who had tried to rape her three hours earlier. As the hatred and fear that Susanna held for Caesar faded away she quickly embraced him. "Thank you for trying to help me Caesar. I...thank you."

C.C.

"She should be fine now. However, we need to decide what to tell her." C.C. said.

Rein

"Well, it sure feels nice to give the order for once. I'm tempted to give the guard an impossible command." Rein commented, giving a playful smirk.

Caesar

Caesar stiffened for a moment, but hugged Susanna back. "You're welcome, Susanna. I...may not show my....kindness much, but I do care for you, Susanna. I wish I could have saved Katie, but I will help you make sure that C.C. and Rhys are brought to justice."

((I think around now may be a good time to time-skip to the dinner.))

(Agreed.)
Baruti yawned as the servants began to put the different dishes on the tables, but inwardly, he was grinning. Meals were always a good way to gather information. He wondered what were on the competitors' minds.

Rhys

"Ok, so it's agreed that we tell her that we're doing this to protect her and Susanna from Caesar?" Rhys asked C.C. as he finished dressing himself up in a clean suit. The Captain had announced his presence to the Staff of the Manor a few hours ago, and he and C.C. had already made up where Katie would be staying and living until they took care of Caesar. Now all that was left would be convincing Katie to stay here until the Castle became a safer place.
Katie was now awake and waiting for Rhys and C.C. in a small private dining area, but before Rhys and C.C. wnet in there, Rhys wanted to know what they could and couldn't say to the girl.
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Kegan

"Well here we are, the Troyos district..." Kegan stated as he took a step out of the carriage and then turned around to help Rein step out.
The environment around them was a shockingly clean one, no beggars, prostitutes, farm animals, or even mud in sight. There were shops lining the wall behind Rein, and a few eating areas as well. But those things weren't why Kegan wanted to see the Troyos district. What really brought the Elf here(Not including his date) was the famous magic garden of the district with it's floating rivers, forever-burning torches, and oddly colored plants. Of course it was a five minute walk to get to this park, as the paths to it were all too small for a carriage to go down, but still... Kegan was secretly excited to see the garden.
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Clara

"Well here it is Clara, don't waste this gift..." The Noble reminded herself as she walked into the dining hall only to see that the only person there was Baruti. Of course that wasn't including the busy Servants hovering about, but after all it wasn't like they mattered at all, right? She reminded herself as she walked past them towards Baruti with a polite smile on her face.

"Hello Lord Baruti, Steward of Gaboria." She greeted the man while curtsying in the way that a Noble would to a man of higher rank then themselves.
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Brighe

"I can't believe I'm doing this, Kegan isn't there tonight... I don't have to go..." Brighe muttered to herself in protest as she walked down the hall towards the dining area. The Elf was currently dressed in a green human outfit. It was given to her by another Ambassador sent by the Elves to Gaboria. She actually looked quite good in the dress, but she was oblivious to this fact and mainly just felt uncomfortable in it as she walked.

"No, no you have to go simply because Kegan isn't going. There might beimportant news that he'll need to know later and you'll be the one to tell him." Brighe reminded herself again before she began to walk even more quickly towards her destination, now determined to do her duty for the sake of her Nephew.
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Carlisle

"Well there you go...absolutely perfect." Carlisle mentally told himself as he finished tying his bowtie, the final accessory to the suit he was wearing right now. The Doctor wanted to look good tonight for some reason, and so he had spent the last hour getting ready for the meal. But now that the Heir was satisfied with how he looked, he realized that he was already behind schedule and was going to be late for the dinner, causing Carlisle to quickly rush out of the room.
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Susanna

"I-i think I'm going to stay here for a while longer, why don't you go to the dinner without me?" Susanna told Caesar as she looked away from the fresh grave that Katie's body had been buried in. They were currently in one of the hidden gardens of the castle, and they had just finished burying Katie just a few minutes ago, but it was still obvious that Susanna hadn't finished mourning her cousin's death yet. "Just...you need to be there, and I'll catch up in a bit."

"Greetings, Lady Clara Estelle," Baruti said politely as he smiled at the young woman before him. The old being had lived for a long time and he knew an act when he saw one. It was a good one too, if he said so himself. Most thought she was a kind, caring individual when, in reality, a much more ambitious lay beneath. He kept quiet about it, though. It amused him, really. He grinned as Nebi entered, a red and blue nobel's suit replacing it.

"Ah, here comes Nebi. He is currently has won two challenges, more than the other heirs," Baruti said, seeing that Nebi, though a bit bruised from his fight, was pleased with himself.

"Of course," he continued, "That doesn't mean he will win. The game continues, even outside of challenges."

Baruti grinned, enjoying how Nebi's face fell.

"So, where are the others?" Nebi asked curiously, "Where's C.C.?"

"They should be along soon, even Caesar," Baruti stated, his lips curling in distaste. He didn't like unpredictable variables. Only he could surprise people, damn it.

((Say, where's roman_tic_kataang? She hasn't posted in awhile. By the way, who's Brighe again?))

C.C.

"Yes. We need to explain what we think Caesar, or Rau, may be trying to do to Susanna." C.C. confirmed. On retrospect, she knew she should have covered up her magical trail. No doubt Caesar had sensed it, and had filled Susanna's head with lies. It was a regretable choice not to do so, but there was no changing that now.

"I just hope whatever Caesar is planning, we can stop him." C.C. commented aloud.

Rein

"Wow, this place looks amazing! I've never seen anything like it!" Rein gasped, looking around the place in amazement. She grinned at Kegan. "Thanks for bringing me here!"

Caesar

"Very well.....Susanna, if you....need someone to talk to, I'm....willing to listen. And...if you want to become stronger...I'm also willing to help there." Caesar paused for a moment before heading toward the castle. Inwardly, Caesar smirked. So far, so good...

Maul and Tsuba

The doors to the dinning hall opened, and Maul and Tsuba stumbled in. The two were covered in dry blood, and Maul was missing his left arm. The two calmly approached Baruti.

"Baruti, I thought I'd inform you that the High Elders of the Order of the Shadows have been....removed from power. A new council of Elders will be hand picked by me soon enough."

(Brighe is Kegan's Aunt.)

Rhys

"We'll stop him. He may be intelligent and powerful, but he's also violent and unstable. We'll just have to be patient he'll fall by his own hands most likely." Rhys replied as he turned around and looked at C.C. .

"Now, are you ready?"
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Clara

"So this is the peasant who's winning... His taste is just as bad they said." Clara thought as she studied Nebi's appearance with an observant smile. "Heir Nebi." Clara greeted him as she held out her hand for him to kiss, wanting to see if he knew how to react correctly to this gesture. But before he could react, Maul and Tsuba entered the room covered in dried blood. Clara looked surprised for only a few seconds. Reacting quickly though, she covered her shock with a smile as though she was glad to see these two enter the room and didn't notice the state they were in whatsoever.

After the Kaleesh finished explaining what had happened quickly, Clara walked up to Tsuba. "Tsuba, it's so wonderful to see you after all this time." She said with a cheerful smile on her face and a friendly aura around her. At least, that's how she made it seem.
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Brighe

As Brighe walked into the banquet hall she was rewarded with he sight of two people, a male Kaleesh and a female Human, covered in blood and injured. Oddly enough though no one seemed to be reacting to how the two appeared, and so Brighe realized that it was probably best if she acted the same as well, as odd as it was.

"Well this is going to be horrible." Brighe jokingly mumbled to a Servant beside her as she tried to speak to a Servant so as not to be alone. Unfortunately the a Servant simply looked at her as though she were insane, grunted in reply, and then quickly left the room without looking behind. "What a wonderful start Brighe, truly you are a master of fitting in." She sarcastically thought to herself as she headed for the table to find her seat, knowing that she could use her race to pretend that she was ignorant so as not to have to introduce herself to the others just yet.

Baruti frowned at Maul's news. The High Elders were predictable and he was able to plan ahead, taking in account their motivations and actions. With Maul killing them and handpicking their successors, the Kaleesh had ensured that he would control the Order of the Shadows. Beneath his cowl, his eyes flashed yellow for a moment before he looked at Maul with a thoughtful expression.

"Under what authority did you eliminate them, Heir Maul? And for what reason?" he asked in an unreadable tone.

He killed them? Nebi asked himself, taking in both Tsuba's and Maul's appearances. He never thought Maul would do such a thing. He seemed loyal to his Order, but, in retrospect, maybe that didn't mean he was loyal to the leadership.

Maul and Tsuba

"They had become corrupted. It is stated in our Sacred Laws that no corruption whatsoever is to taint our organization, for we are the watchmen of the Gaborian Empire. Any and all members found to be corrupt are to be executed on the spot. I followed our Law, with the help of Lady Tsuba. For that, I thank you." Maul said, giving a curt bow to her. Tsuba nodded.

"Just make sure you remember our deal, Lord Maul. I didn't risk my life for anything, now." Tsuba reminded. The Kaleesh nodded and took a seat at the dinner table. Tsuba turned to Clara and gave her her own fake smile.

"Ah, Clara, good to see you as well."

A moment later the door opened again, and Caesar walked inside.

C.C.

"Of course." C.C. replied.

"Corruption is in the eye of the beholder, Lord Maul. Remember that for every action, there are consequences. SOme of your fellow members of the Shadows may attempt to eliminate you for the corruption they see in you,"Baruti warned.

So, it seemed that Maul's ideals were guiding him, which he expected. The extent of those ideals, however, he hadn't foreseen. And it also seemed he had an arrangement with Tsuba. Most interesting indeed. The two will betray each other, he noted. Both wanted the throne too much.

Rhys

Rhys nodded in satisfaction to C.C.'s reply before opening the door and exiting the room. The walk down the hall was a quiet one, and it luckily gave Rhys time to think about what he was doing with himself, everyone else, and what the heck he was doing with his life.

"Ah, here we are." Rhys informed C.C. as he walked up to a door on his left, slowly opening it as he peeked in to see a young girl sitting by a fireplace across the room. "Hchmm, Katherine?" Rhys asked after loudly clearing his throat as he stood in the doorway.

"Umm yes, that's me I suppose...." The girl calmly and quietly surprised as she looked away from the fireplace so she could see who it was that was keeping her.
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Clara

"It's been too long since we've last spoken." Clara said as she kept the false smile on her face. "Shall we sit together?" She asked before motioning to the table to point out that everyone was beginning to take their seats.
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Kegan

"But of course. Who else would I come here with?" Kegan replied before he gripped onto Rein's hand. "I believe that the Gardens should be somewhere in that general direction. Shall we go there first or are you feeling hungry?" He asked politely after pointing towards a thin yet artistic path to their right.