Remember to return the Vizier's katana to him once you get your own back, Princess.

tokage, go ahead and swing if you like. But do be careful and do not break anything.

*walks into the throne room*

my queen, i have been invited to the Festival of Ritual Inebriation in a neighboring land. i will return sometime tomarrow. please take care in my absence and happy new years to all.

*puts on his lampshade party hat and fades out*

Your Majesty-sensei, I request to take a couple days off before I resume my tasks again. I seem to not be feeling myself lately and am afraid that I would not be able to perform my duties to the best of my abilities. I would like to spend some time just to relax in my chambers and meander around the castle grounds. I hope this isn't asking too much of you and the Queendom. *bows respectively*

*gives Ailuro a hug* Take your time to rejuvenate yourself, deshi. I do hope you will feel better soon. If there is anything else you would like, please know that you can always ask.


Take care of yourself as well, my Vizier. If the other land's choicest beverages are of excellent quality, perhaps you could try to smuggle bring a few samples back here.

*swings from chandelier* wheeeee! XD

*waves tails at vizier* have a good time! love the hat. bring this one some rum, please!

*loads slingshot with water balloons and fires them at Tokage* >D

It's nice to see you kids have fun. Go ahead and make a mess. I'll clean it up later.

*walks into the wet, balloon covered throne room carrying a giant sack over his shoulder*

damn..... someone must of had a good time. oh well better clean this place up before someone slips and sues the crap outta us, though we could just have them shot....nah i better clean this up.

*puts down his sack. CLAP! the room is shiny and sparkly-like.*

Looks like I'm too late with the mop and bucket. But thank you for cleaning, my Vizier. And if I may ask, what do you have in that sack?

*opens up the sack and empties it on a nearby table. all sorts of strange bottles and containers fall out*

FREE DRINKS FOR EVERYONE!!!!

*clap! confetti storm*

(rats, i was at work and didn't have a chance to fight back! ~___~)

all right! my lord, you are, as they say, 'the man'. XD *grabs sake bottle* may i pour for you?

not yet...

*pulls the last bottle out of the bag.. its a cobalt bottle that seems to glow slightly. pulls out two champagne flutes and pours*

i would like to have a drink with the queen first...

*hands a flute to the queen*

*accepts the drink from the Vizier*

Thank you. Here's to a good year for our queendom, and many more years to come.

*crouches with the exorcist and apprentice queen behind the throne in hopes of glimpsing a New Years kiss*

*raises his glass and smiles*

indeed... may we be prosperous in all our endeavors

*lifts glass* And here's hoping that peace will reign once again, when all conflicts are resolved.

*takes a sip from the glass* . . . oh, my . . . delicious. What is this? *takes another sip for good measure*

*waves to the captain and giggles as they wait for a that possible kiss*

*whispers* it is good to know that this one is not the only one who refers to herself in the 3rd person. XD

*whispers* maybe the vizier's getting the queen tipsy, huh? *waggles eyebrows*

yes indeed some peace be most welcome after all the attacks that occured recently...

anyways... i'm not quite sure what this drink is called.. apparently its made from some kinda sacred berries that only grow on a certain mountain in lands far to the south. but it is quite enjoyable...

*takes a drink, then turns to the crouching duo*

you do know we can see you right?

XD kya~h, skyandaru!

*blinks at the vizier* uh....we...don't know what you're talking about!! *@ the captain* rats, they're onto us!

Tipsy? Would he do such a thing? *glances at the Vizier in a curious manner*

Nonetheless, this drink has a nice taste. Must import . . .

*notices the glance from the queen*

what? do i have something on my face?

*rubs face in hopes of rubbing away the phantom crud*

Haha, no, no, there's nothing bad on your face.

*whispers to tokage* no, no, no! she's supposed to use that as an excuse to get closer to him and then...*smoochy face*

*whispering back* gah, she just doesn't get it, does she? even if there's nothing there, she's *supposed* to go, 'nu~, you didn't get it, it's right *brushes own cheek* here. *pause* nu~ you still didn't get it...here let me!' and then go in for the kill!

*turns attention back to the royals* c'mon your highness! you can do it! XD

You kids are rather noisy back there. What's all the commotion about?

*halo appears*

oh...nothing... just, uh... you know... uh... making...pie... *slaps forehead* dammit, wrong excuse!

*casually walks in on the two* o_o;.. >>;;.. Was I disrupting something? *makes to quickly walk away then notices pair crouching and discreetly joins them*

*turns around to face the crouching duo again*

pie? that could have been the worst excuse of all time.... so what are you two doing there?

oh we were just kiss dusting the back kiss of the throne for kiss you know, dust. *halo*

But of course you would dust for dust. What else would you dust for?

*turns to the queen*

perhaps we should get a royal duster so such things don't happen again maybe?

*smiles*

*laughs* Wonderful idea. Privacy is hard to get in a castle like this nowadays. So many people arriving and the like . . . we might even need an employment agent sooner or later.

well i heard that an emperor in the lands to the east once had his own forbidden city, maybe i should have armstrong build us one of those...?

He could, and by "us", do you mean the entire queendom or just a selected few?

well what would be the point of having a forbidden city if everyone was allowed in it?

So then who would be allowed in? Just you two?

But of course it wouldn't be everyone. How silly of me. *goes to put down drink* That stuff must really get to me. Perhaps I should not have any more, but . . . *glances at remnants longingly* Who will be allowed into this forbidden city then? And do we really need a "city"?

we could make it nobles only, thats a nice small number of people. i guess we could get servants too, i mean we'd have an entire city....

It's starting to sound like quite a hefty project.

i don't know. i mean, if i send armstrong and like 40 ninjas mayeb have armstrong find some other alchemists to help, maybe make another philosopher's stone out of the enemy when i go with the exocrist to retrieve my ninjas. i think we could get it done pretty quick.

the captain is confused as to how much different that would be from the current castle.

cause even less people would be allowed in it. we can even install an intercom so we dont have to come out if we don't want to.....

Must we sacrifice more people for such a cause? Can we not just seal off a part of the castle with a certain passcode of sorts?

couldn't you just remodel a few floors of the castle and designate it as "nobles only?" you could install your intercoms in the hallways or something.


sorry, just thinking about the royal budget.

EDIT: umm, yes, basically what her royal queen-ness stated before me. ;;

well its the enemy my queen... we haven't shown them mercy in the past... are we changing that policy?

cause either way they have to die for capturing/killing my ninjas. i just figure we could better use them rather than just killing them outright.

Ahh, yes, the royal budget is certainly something to think about. But then again, we have the philosopher's stone in our possession, so perhaps we need not worry about funds. Which reminds me . . . *takes off the necklace that carries the philosopher's stone and hands it to her Vizier* I had forgotten to return this to you when you came back.

And it is true, what you say of the enemy . . .

*takes the necklaces and puts it on*

thanks for taking care of it for me while i was gone...

*smiles*

Of course I would take good care of it. Had you not returned, it would have been the only keepsake I have of you, aside from that note and the ring.

you...three are certainly talented in role-playing.