the mending of the gown [r]

[Xavier]

he had a hundred souls
and a hundred to go

he surveys the meeting spot from above and takes notice of the timely arrival of theh plegians. xavier snorts while he and his guards are still out of earshot.

the thing about being the queen to a country that ended up throwing the world into a zombie apocalypse is that it tended to make diplomatic trips less impressive. to xavier, maeve is less "her highness queen of plegia" and more "her highness the queen of the reason i've been cleaning risen blood out of my boots for the past few years of my life." it's proof that he's been away from court for too long. thank naga for that, but a lord never escapes his own status or responsibilities. he's all dolled up in a white and blue outfit that is fit for a queen's eyes and all that xavier can think about is how easy an axe would pierce his chest without a proper breastplate. not that he should have been worried about such a thing happening on ylissean soil, had banditry not been more and more common lately as ylisstol fell into disarray.

despite the fact that xavier had only been sent with a couple of lightly armed guards, he does not feel like he is being thrown to the lion's den. part of not falling apart in the court was pretending to be the lion, regardless of whether he was or wasn't. at least in a ylissean field, that was pretty true.

they land a good distance from the queen's convoy and all three pegasus knights dismount quickly, a sign of respect that has not been abandoned even in these times.

xavier is the first to bow. "good afternoon, your highness. i hope that you had a pleasant trip." by which he means, i hope you at least saw a few of the plegian bandits who had sought to take advantage of ylisse's disarray, even if you made it here in one piece.
Maeve

LAIKA OF GS!

[Maeve]

This was a diplomatic mission. That would be the only reason she was allowed to conduct it herself. She left the military men to doing military things. When it came to diplomacy, Maeve, for once, knew what she was doing. Mostly, she prayed to peace--to any god that would accept what remained of Plegia. She feared there was no god at all that could be so generous. There were soldiers with her, part of Saar's elite guard, but she left them behind, some of them carrying bows, if they held arrows in their hand too, that was only to be expected. Their queen approached the pegasus knights alone. "Pleasant tidings to you, sir," she returned with a a politician's smile, where all the right muscles moved, yet somehow it was still only a mask. The smile faded, but the gentle sorrow that replaced it was--although genuinely felt--very much another mask. "And I hope your travels were safe as well, though I fear that will not come to pass until the Grimleals and their dark god are gone for good." She did not bow. Queens don't bow. Still, she inclined her head; respect where it was due, because she did treat people how she would like to be treated. Unless they were Grimleal, of course. "I am Maeve, Queen of Plegia." She was sure he already knew that. "Your name is...?"

TAG Xavier

[Xavier]

he had a hundred souls
and a hundred to go

the arrows are not unnoticed by xavier, but for ylisse's sake, he pretends otherwise. constant vigilance was not a boon to the pegasus knights -- it was an absolute necessity for anyone who wanted to stay alive. some of the recruits didn't seem to understand that. some recruits seemed to believe that vigilance and panic were the same thing. those were usually the ones who accidentally died in training, if they were extremely unlucky.

in his early battles, xavier thinks that camille was the only reason that he was able to stay in the sky when blood rained around them.

"we know our routes well, your highness." he smiles with teeth, the kind of smile that he had never lost since arriving from the border wars. "we wouldn't dare to show ourselves to the queen of plegia in uniforms bloodied by the grimleal. we have higher regard for your highness than that." that was probably the most that he can say under the circumstances. xavier's form of diplomacy's got bite to it, just like everything else he does.

"i am lord xavier of house lilford, lieutenant to the knights of cydonia, servant to the halidom of ylisse." it rolls easily off his tongue, nothing more than rote memorization. "i am honored to make your acquaintance."
Maeve

LAIKA OF GS!

[Maeve]

If they'd shown up bloody from battle against the Grimleals, Maeve would have been mortified. Certainly, she expected the Knights to defend themselves, but to have the Grimleals exert their force so easily to diplomatic envoys... would be embarrassing, so say the least. "If you were waylaid by Grimleals, then I fear Plegia has lost any hope of peace with the Church." She sighed. She wouldn't have even been surprised if the Grimleals were so bold as to rain attacks on any Ylisseans that crossed their borders. "Thank goodness that you were not, and I pray--to any god that would hear me--that your safety continues." Maeve nodded, mentally noting down each title as she'd been taught to do, but she didn't understand why there needed to be so many. Long titles were a thing among the Ylisseans, she knew. It was very pretty and courtly, but Maeve was thankful her list stopped at Queen.  She cut to the chase. "I understand the Knights of Cydonia wish to enter into Plegia. I am uncertain for what purpose. The crown does not mind visitors--although I must advise that this is a poor time for visiting--but the entry of a sizable armed force is no regular pilgrimage."

TAG Xavier_

[Xavier]

he had a hundred souls
and a hundred to go

man, the queen of plegia is much better at this diplomacy thing than he is. xavier may not have been the exact son that his mother had wanted, but he can recognize a master artist at work.

yeah, uh. i don't think grima's going to be offering someone like me any protection. or anyone, really. it's probably not a thinly veiled threat, but who knew with the politician types?

"i'm under the impression that people who don't enter plegia as a heavily armed force sometimes end up dead." ylisseans weren't historically a welcome sight for many who blamed their neighbor for their misfortunes. "i'm sure that you would understand our reluctance to take such a risk." he glances at her guards for the briefest of moments.

"but i'll get to the point. if your border security can't stop ruffians from entering our country and wreaking havoc, then you should at least be able to turn them over when asked." xavier resists the urge to shrug. "when our citizens demand justice, who am i to deny them?" they're a vigilante force, and he has no intention of pretending otherwise. that's a nobleman's job.

which he kind of is right now, but that's beside the point.
Maeve

LAIKA OF GS!

[Maeve]

Diplomacy was the fine art of making threats while speaking pleasantries. Truly though, Maeve hoped this encounter would go well, and she suspected that the Knights also hoped for the same. Maeve nodded. The Lord Xavier didn't possess the most honeyed of tongues, but she saw no reason to take offense. "Historically, Ylisseans that enter Plegia unannounced soon become dead. However, I believe we all wish that the past is past. My father sought peace between our nations, and I seek to finish what he started, so that his death is not in vain. Unfortunately, the Grimleals stand in my way." She too looked back at the archers. They were looking very archer-like, which was to say they looked antsy about their bowstrings. She sighed. There was no reason for the Knights to strike her down here, not unless they were allied with the Grimleals--a happenstance that Maeve feared but highly doubted. "If you are only here to seek out our Grimleal fanatics, then I extend you my every welcome. The crown has difficulty chasing them down, and I am happy to grant your order open access to Medon but nowhere beyond. All that I ask is that you carry banners with which we may identify you. Understand: should your order become party to the ruffians that you hunt, then we rescind our welcome." She paused, giving time for a response but not waiting for one. She considered her words. The ones she chose here would be important. "I have an alternative proposition however. The Grimleals are a plague to the entire continent of Ylisse, after all. They trouble us as much as they trouble you. I think we can all agree that Grima must not be summoned again."

TAG Xavier