ty | morpheus (morphly) wrote in mythologs, @ 2012-06-25 17:06:00 |
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Her palms rested delicately against the ceramic of her teacup. The tea itself was too warm to drink, but in Camelot, warmth was almost a currency -- or perhaps a language, one that they fluidly adapted to where it could be spent or spoken. In this instance, it was too hot for her tongue, but perfect for her cold fingers, buffeted as was the rest of her by the rushes of wind that somehow swept through the castle's sturdy stone walls.
The Queen of Camelot offered the Ryugunese ambassador a smile. They would get down to business soon enough, but only moments ago had Morpheus been ushered into this particular receiving chamber, to be greeted by the sight of a beautifully set tea table and the queen herself, doing her utmost to be dolled down yet ravishing. She did not mean to attract the ambassador with her looks, of course, but Gwynevere knew she was Camelot. And there could be no other light in which to present Camelot than the best.
Especially with the situation that wavered so delicately on the cusp of something beautiful or horrific, a pendulum teetering gently on a strand of spider silk mere inches from snapping.
"I hope the tea is too your liking," she said, finally, and it was almost as if she pitched her voice to match the scene, soft and soothing like the white lace that dangled over the edge of the table. "You'll find the make is quite different from what you've perfected so brilliantly in Ryugu-jo, but our herbs do have their own charm."
Morpheus recognized exactly how big of a deal meeting with Camelot's Queen was and in turn actually decided he try to get a few hours of sleep which, of course, failed completely no matter how tired he was. So it was no surprise that he wasn't in the lightest of moods (but then again, he was in Camelot) when he was castle-bound to meet her Highness. Quite frankly, Morpheus wanted the situation over with -- the situation brought all sorts of disruptions in his life, and he hoped that the Queen would see reason,
As expected, the whole room looked... delightful was how Morpheus would say. Pleasing, even. Ryugu-jo had a practically startling difference, and perhaps Morpheus would never get used to the Camelotian setting, and it made him wonder if that was the reason why his dear cousin had decided to escape the clutches of their region. He greeted her with a simple bow, "Queen Gwynevere."
Ever polite, his etiquette almost obviously rehearsed, Morpheus gestured if he could take a seat from across from her. "You're correct, it quite different," and Morpheus was so picky about his tea but he wasn't going to say that. "I have to thank you for the warm welcome, and the accommodation from the past few days is appreciated," he said, sounding slightly distracted as his eyes glazed over what was set on the table. And then his attention averted directly to the queen,"I heard that you've been preoccupied." Morpheus smiled slightly, condescending in the way that he couldn't help. "Although not too preoccupied, I hope?"
"There are many matters that necessitate my attention, yes," she concurred, pleasantly ignoring the touch of superiority to his mien. "But I should like to think I have time at my disposal for an esteemed guest."
That was the first bit - acknowledging that her company was, in fact, regarded with the highest degree of respect. Gwynevere was not blind to near-smugness that faintly lacquered his every word and action. Nephew to the emperor and representative of the region, Morpheus was not a man who took kindly to anything less than what his station demanded. Nor was he a man who would enjoy lingering on the pleasantries, not when there was business to conduct and searches to be had.
All these the queen took into account as she gingerly tilted the rim of her teacup to her lips. She took the slightest draught before gracefully replacing the cup on the table.
"Nevertheless," she continued. "I shan't bore you with my little trifles." Her smile was beatific, that of a woman who had all the patience and acquiescence in the world. Except Gwynevere was no yes-woman to kowtow immediately to every swish and flick of Ryujin's pale, Ryugunese wrist. "My chancellor has given me the essentials, but I feel it is always best to hear straight from the source:
"What is the Emperor's stand on the renegade couple?"
"That's nice of you to say," he replied, his tone lacking the sarcastic pitch he originally intended, and the person who didn't know Morpheus would've thought he was being genuine. Morpheus often wondered if it was ever going to be counted as diplomacy without having to go through all the petty pleasantries and just going straight down to business. Besides the fact that, in reality, Morpheus was terrible at it, it seemed pretentious to have to try and bring the semblance of peace into the room while everything else outside was going straight to shit.
Morpheus took his cup in his hands, letting the heat radiate on his fingers comfortably before he mirrored the queen and took what was probably the first of very minimal sips. He would be nursing his tea for as long as the conversation lasted.
He cleared his throw to start and placed his hands back on his lap. Morpheus would always try to remember the region he represented during times like this. "Well, it's not much changed from what I'm sure you already know," he said, knowing information was relayed to her as his was handed to his Emperor. "The emperor's main priority is still your Camelotian, and until he is in our custody, we will not worry about the runaway princess," he went on, sounding uncharacteristically tired. "But I think you'll agree that the location of the said couple is a major concern." Besides -- what was the point of negotiation over something neither of them had?
"That is correct." She retracted her hands from the table, folding them neatly in her lap. "Camelot is prepared to pull all the stops to retrieve the couple, and we would fully cooperate with Ryugu-jo to that end."
As for the matter of ceding Heimdall entirely... That, she could discuss with the Emperor himself. Who was Morpheus to know if the Emperor could be plied or not, if perhaps he might yield with the right coercion? Gwynevere was not incapable of giving Heimdall to the Ryugunese--it was only lawful, even though the very thought ripped her heart to shreds--but she had made Merlin a promise, and she owed it to Igraine to, at the very least, exhaust every possible solution.
"That's also nice to hear," Morpheus said, nodding slowly. "I keep on getting told that we have the utmost support from Camelot, and I have to say that it sounds great to her it from the queen herself." At least Morpheus understood -- a mother would desire nothing but to protect her own, but it was foolish for anybody to think that the situation was ever in Camelot's hands.
Morpheus traced his finger over the edge of his cup before looking at the woman opposite to him. "I hope you know what that means, Your Excellency. We'd like to be very clear in what your cooperation means, and to the Emperor, that would mean bringing the man that disrespected our way to our hands to be dealt with by our laws," he said calmly. Morpheus would hope to get an answer once and for all.
That was silly -- there was so much more to cooperation than one man, surely the Emperor understood that much. However far he presumed the Ryugunese reach was, Camelot was so much nearer to many key locations of information. Camelot was capable of being better informed and better equipped to deal with the couple had the couple come to its side of the world. Otherwise, a suitable retrieval force from Ryugu-jo would take weeks to arrive where Camelot was, and weeks entailed a time frame more than sufficient for the couple to make an escape.
Yet she could not let Morpheus go without an answer, so she had already prepared a suitably forceful yet undecided argument. "If there is no other choice, so be it."
There was something harder about her delicately amicable veneer as she moved on to the next words, as if she would brook no argument, "But I would like the chance to discuss with the Emperor himself before discarding the possibility entirely, and I hope to do so over the journals as soon as this meeting has reached a mutually satisfactory conclusion."
The queen's words arrived as a bit of a relief for Morpheus. It wasn't like he had just received the region's full submission on the matter, and it wasn't as if he ever really expected it either -- but it was a step forward in the right direction. Even as her other words followed, Morpheus nodded through them. He wasn't sure if his uncle would be glad about it, but what could he do? The queen had every right, after all. Either way, Morpheus had relaxed slightly.
"I'm glad that you must see reason," he stated, nodding again. "Since that matter is sorely out of my hands, I could only wish that your talk with the Emperor goes... smoothly." He took another sip of his tea. "Culture grows and runs very deep in Ryugu-jo, I'm sure you know. A piece of advice," he said, shrugging weakly. "It's going to take a lot more than words to change the Emperor's mind."
"I am well aware." Beggars could not be choosers. It was unprofessional enough that she would attempt a parlay with the Emperor on an issue that was so unquestionably his right to dictate, but her word was her word.
"Well," she said, demeanor brightening up considerably. "Shall we move on to the particulars of the search efforts?"
Morpheus smiled again, the way he did the first time. "Just making sure, Your Excellency. I wouldn't want things to go badly." By saying that Camelot would comply if needed, she had given Ryugu-jo room to move around and breathe. It probably wouldn't do if the queen took back her word, but that was beyond Morpheus' reach now.
"Certainly," he said before picking up his cup and taking another sip out of reflex. He paused, cocking his head back. And after a moment he added, "This is actually quite good."