Loukas was impressed by the standing stones and as he was experiencing that sensation he realized that he had never actually been to Kiev before. They had come far and it was a strange shock to him to realize that they were so close to the great city of the Rus. Then the robed figure steps forward and then the robed figure reveals himself to be Vladimir and then the new Knyaz (assuming that the old one has died already) reveals the boyarinas and Auntie Sophia.

That the situation is rather different than he expected is a surprise, but the elements of that difference are, well, shocking. Can this be true?

Loukas takes a breath, steps forward and goes to a knee, "I am Loukas Ouranus and greet you in the names of Volos and your father, who sent us forth to find you, your Highness. It is with great pleasure and relief that we find you well. The honor is heightened by the introduction to your Aunt. Greetings, Sophia, your Grace.

"You speak of enemies, and it seems certain that you have them, but understand that we do not know of them. What can you tell us, Vladimir son of Sviatoslav?"

Vladimir steps forward and motions for Loukas to stand..."My greatest enemies are my two brothers, Yaropolk and Oleg. Both are older than me and both resent that my father chose me over them to succeed. They were working with Vikhor and the monk Gregor who thought he slew me. They have been actively searching me out as well, just as you have but without the benefit of the balls."

"Why did I not just send for you instead of using the system of the balls? This was the idea of Baba Yaga, she wanted me to test you, to make sure you were worthy of my service. Sending the ball to Vikhor had been her idea as well. I had not known he was in the plot against me until you and your group dealt with him."

"Now I ask that you escort me to Kiev along with my aunt Sophia and her Boyarina. Surely both Oleg and Yaropolk have the Boyars in an uproar by now. I will need all the protection you can muster. Kiev has been int eh hands of Yaropolk for some time now but my fahters memory should hold the others back for enough time to seize the crown."

Standing, Loukas listens to the High Prince, "Does this mean that your father has died? Sad news, indeed."

Glancing to the party and Miroslav, "Well, my Captain, I must say that this is all much different than I thought... Indeed, as difficult as this is it is a much better situation than it might have been. It seems it is time for us to see Kiev."

Balthazar awakens from his stupor ...

"Vladimir, I must know your feelings on this.  Yaropolk and Oleg are your brothers.  If it comes to it, would you see them killed, or should we do our best to keep them alive and instead perhaps deport them?"

Balthazar whispers to Jean, "Is that the same Oleg who accompanied us earlier?"

In reply to Balthazar the Hedonite (msg #7):

Sir Jean's whispered reply to Balthazar, "I fear that it may be though the name is common enough amongst the Rus."

"Plots ever intertwine, yet this may be where our skills may be at their most useful," says Dyanna to Balthazar.  To the Prince she continues, "We should be able to get you into the city with few problems and unknown to your brothers...if this is a course of action you should choose."

.

Miroslav overhears Balthazar's question to Jean and replies quietly...Nay, Oleg the Varangian, I have known him for years. He is not highborn like the sons of Sviatoslav, a good man but a common one. The name is common enough though."

Vladimir first addresses Loukas..."I am assuming my father is dead. I do not know this for a fact and I dearly hope I am wrong."

He then turns to Balthazar..."My brothers have long plotted both my death and the death of my father. I however am not a murderer but I will tell you that even though I would prefer my brothers not to be harmed, I understand that it is there way to for confrontations and they may well pay for that with their lives someday."

He looks Dyanna up and down with the eyes of a 13 year old..."Yes, if I could get into Kiev unnoticed it would be for the best. My brother Yaropolk holds the city but only loosely. Once in front of the collected Boyars it will be hard for him to deny my fathers wishes."

Jean rides close, leans in, and cuffs the heir apparent of the Rus roughly behind the ear.

"Mind your eyes boy she is worthy of your respect."

Continuing a bit more calmly (and possibly facing the bows of the Boyarinas at this point), "You will be faced with a great many beautiful women as King your Highness. Some of them may even be as dangerous as Dyanna. ALL of them will require that you maintain your discipline and treat them as etiquette demands."

"Ogling does not befit a man of your status."

Jean's movement took Loukas by surprise and when the Frankish warrior struck the High Prince of the Rus it was shocking and infuriating. It had been a long, long time since he had been angered by what he could not help but often consider the man's barbarism, but this was too much. Of course, Sophia's own barbarism might be given voice and the result could mean one less Frank in their party, Volos, give me patience when dealing with aristocrats!

Loukas moved forward as quick as only a brother of Volos could, putting himself between the boy and the Knight's horse, speaking to Jean with a calm that he had never had in their earlier confrontations, "You step out of line, Sir Jean. This is your Knyaz. You dare approach him mounted and from an advantageous position strike? Actual ignobility can not teach perceived ignobility.

"You may feel anger, but your actions were unworthy. A man of honor and wisdom would take this opportunity to dismount and apologize, before whatever message he had hoped to convey is forever lost."

"He is not my King yet and if he cannot show even basic respect for one who risked her life for his he will never be."

"Now stand away mother and let the Prince speak for himself."

Loukas crosses his arms and shrugs, "Your insults only reflect the ignobility of your actions, Jean, and as long as you hold lands in Rus, he will be your Knyaz.

"And, yes, I shall continue to stand here as, I suppose, a mother would, because I will not permit you to strike him again particularly while you remain mounted."
This message was last edited by the player at 16:43, Sun 20 Feb 2011.

A'kos watches the Frank and as the knight backhands the boy he bellows with rich laughter.

"Such is how discipline is handled by my folk, the horselords!  Even the princes among my folk bow to those wiser than they!"

To the young man he grins, "I hope, young Prince, you've learned a sharp lesson this day!  Youth does not excuse ignorance...even if the object of your attention is as lovely as the woman you just mentally undressed!"

Sitting with relaxed posture, he continues, "Leave off, Loukas!  His chivalry demanded redress by one of us, even if for your loyalty to your Lord it could not be you.  Jean merely took matters into his own hands."

Cuivi speaks quietly and wearily but his words are heard by all,"the Frank speaks with anger true but there is much to cause anger here and Jean shows ample grace and restraint given circumstances."
He allows his gaze to turn to Loukas, "Now do not presume to lecture me Monk on my duty here, once I was an owned man but now I am free. I owe no fealty by oath or station to any mortal on this earth, Rus, Slav or Greek. I shall have my say and commit no crime or dishonour in the doing."

He fixes the young Prince with one ice cold eye, "A Prince commands respect and gains men's hearts not by mystical right but by the true expression of his own Princely soul. Deceit, the reckless endangerment of true retainers and willing friends, collaborating with Evil spirits. These are not the actions of a noble heart, those oath sworn to your Father deserve better. I know the line of your family and there is good grace in your blood, show it and I shall aid you in all your good endeavours." 

Loukas ignores A'kos and nods his head when Cuivi steps forward and speaks.

When the old man is done he glances at Dyanna awaiting her response (Vladimir and Sophia are behind him or he would have certainly glanced at them as well). Perhaps all of this was a result of the frustration they all felt at the Baba Yaga's misuse of Yaro, though, it seems that neither the holy man or the holy warrior, or anyone else took seriously that their friend had been misused. Perhaps that a male could be sexually misused was too foreign to their barbarian minds.

Regardless, the Frank's actions had been imperious and inappropriate even if they were vaguely tinged in correctness. He had treated a High Prince as if he were a serf. Baba Yaga had shown her power was not a mere myth... Had Vladimir not been in such a precarious political position and not been begging their aid, he wondered. Given his own republican sentiments (Alas, Pericles!), as anachronistic as they were, Loukas couldn't help but smirk at himself here demanding that one aristocrat treat another aristocrat with appropriate regard. His father would have been amused.

He had taken his own actions and said his piece. Vladimir's words, and perhaps more importantly Sophia's and Dyanna's, would finish this matter. Hopefully soon.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Sun 20 Feb 2011.

The young man stands silent for a moment looking at his feet, clearly unsure of how he should handle this. He looks at his Aunt Sophia but her face show that she is waiting for him and offers no solution.

He looks straight in the Frankish knights eyes...well up into the Frankish knights eyes steels himself and says..."How long would you have lived had you blindsided the King of the Franks?

He then looks at A'kos and says..."Does the Magyar king allow soldiers to smite him?"

He looks at the shaman and says..."If you truly know my family then tell me...would my father have accepted such a blow?"

He steps forward and sets his hand on Loukas's shoulder and looks to Jean once again. "This man speaks well. You have offered me an unjust blow when a word could have sufficed. I may not yet be the ruler of this land but I will be soon enough. I will neither forget or forgive but I will accept your apology."

Jean dismounts calmly, "The answer to all of your questions is the same your Highness."

"None of those worthy men would have offered such offense in the first place to one who had faced such danger in their name."

Removing his helmet the Knight calmly looks into the boy's eyes.

"Act as a boy and you will find that Jean D'Arzillieres will do as he sees fit and that he has no fear of any creature or man that walks the Earth be he King or Efreet or demonspawn. Only before Almighty God will I cower."

"Act as a King and you will find that Jean D'Arzillieres will face any foe in your defense. Go anywhere to uphold your cause. Stand with you 'gainst anything...I would give my life in a moment for a Great King to follow."

"I will not apologize for an action I feel was just but I will offer you something your honored Father did not have."

"Show me that you are worthy of my respect and I will kneel before your throne and give my oath of fealty to you and your house forever."



'And if he can convince me', jean thought to himself. 'The Rus nobles should be a small thing'.

Balthazar completely loses it.  "I have heard enough Jean!  Vladimir did not offend you!  I'm shocked at you!  We've all ogled Dyanna from time to time!  She's hot!  Deal with it.  Vladimir didn't say anything about it.  How about we ask Dyanna if she feels that she was offended first?"  Balthazar turns to Dyanna to let her speak for herself.

Vladimir begins to speak but is cut short by the Hedonite. He does not continue but waits to hear what the woman has to say about whether his roving eyes offended her.

Young Yaro backs away. This is all just too much for him. He was awestruck by the fact that standing before him was the son of Sviatoslav, the greatest ruler the Rus had ever known. Then the Frank cuffs the boy. Yaro quickly put arrow to string but was unsure of where his loyalties were pointing him. He lets the bow lower but keeps his arrow knocked.

he looks between the son of his liege and the Frank who was among those who rescued him.

For her part, Dyanna frowns silently as the men of the group flex their muscles for each others' benefit.  Even the boy has to show his steel, though she is touched by the fact that he looked first toward his Aunt before answering the blow; she noted closely as well her Aunt's wisdom in not standing as his guardian, rather allowing the boy to stand on his own.

When the men finish their speeches she looks at the Prince and asks simply, "If one looked at your sister, or your mother, or your Aunt in the way you looked at me, Highness, what would you have done?"

Turning to the Frank she adds, "Thank you, Sir Jean, for such chivalry.  Though not necessary, it was appreciated."

Turning to Balthazar, "Though such has been the case such stares have not always been welcomed, Sir Mage.  Have I not also been an integral member of this party, my magic and my bow critical to our stand at the gates, my magicks critical to the defeat of the mongrels as they left the town?"

Calling to all, she adds a bit haughtily, "No chattel for any man am I!  If you are worthy of my loyalty, Highness, you shall have it.  But I am a free woman and will not take ill treatment lightly."

"Now, if you're done posing, may we talk about what we're to do when we reach Kiev?"

When Jean dismounts Loukas steps aside.

Vladimir's response to the Frank is impressive. In some of his actions he may obviously be 13 years old, but in others... In others he displays maturity beyond his years. He is certainly the son of his father.

Balthazar's words ring with a certain truth, as surprising as his explosion is, that his accusation of hypocrisy is similar to Loukas's own thinking on this particular matter is not a surprise.

Dyanna's words have the most value here. Loukas considers Vladimir's actions to fall rather short the "ill-treatment" of which she accuses him and finds it troubling that she thanks Jean for his actions, because whatever his intent, to Loukas's mind it was quite wrong and could lead to rather greater problems in the future. If he does something like this in Kiev before the lad has gained the throne it will play right into Yaropolk's hand. If he does something like it after, it will result in a quick death -- the Boyars will not permit such disrespect to be shown to their Knyaz.

Vladimir approaches Dyanna..."Admiring your beauty does not equal ill treatment but that is just my opinion."

He drops down to one knee and says..."I apologize for my behavior. Trapped here in the wilderness for months with only my aunt and her gaggle of old maids (he points to the rather matronly group of warrior women who have been his guard) has caused me to forget my manners. I have heard reports of your deeds and you are truly to be respected."

Without waiting for a response, he stands and walks over to face Sir Jean. Although he is a full head shorter than the Frankish knight he stands tall and proud before him.

Cuivi raises his eyes to the sky father, "these people do not see the herd for the reindeer!" He shakes his head and clearly resolves to follow at least for the while.

In reply to Vladimir (msg #26):

"That was well spoken your Highness." Sir Jean describes a short bow.

"When we have seen you, God willing, to your rightful place as Knyaz, and if you are willing to accept it, you shall have my Oath."

"Until that time you shall have my protection unto Death. I swear it."