1 x 1 VOK Roleplay with MySpoons

[MySpoons]

It was one of the easiest treaty agreements Dylan ever had done. Perfect. Even though King Chikondi's pride had not seemed to be impressive in any particular fashion, Dylan's opinion of the king grew more favored because of the ease in diplomacy. It's nice to have quick and easy meetings. They're few and far between.

Dylan also agreed to the terms of pride membership changes, marriages, and the return of criminals to their original prides. Satisfied, Dylan had his advisor draw up the documents in black paint, the terms scored lightly into the vellum with controlled claw marks. One copy was presented to King Chikondi.

"If you agree to the terms, you may sign my copy." Dylan offers before nicking his own wrist with a tooth. The Champion King waits for a thin trickle of blood to start to drip before pressing his other paw pads into the blood. Just enough to get a print. He reaches out and leaves his paw print on the copy to go to King Chikondi.


Divine looks Nthanda over, tail-tip twitching in excitement. "No need for formalities between us, my dear. We're going to get to know each other quite well-- and I certainly don't care for titles among equally ranking lions, yes?" She looks over Nthanda's shoulder, curious. "Is an attendant going to accompany you?"

It is not uncommon for political unions to have an additional member of the pride join the traveling princess. Divine has a keen mind and noticed Nthanda's perfect manners. Poor thing must be so nervous to be going to a new pride!

[-Isabella-]

Chikondi was glad the other leader didn't question his easy acceptance of those terms and hoped his daughter would please the lions she was with, as well as the Champion King.

Basir was to take on the task of watching after their copy of the treaty and Chikondi agreed to sign the other king's copy, saying, "That is wise." Though he didn't take over long he did make sure to read the copy as well, as was his habit whenever completing such a transaction.

Nthanda was relieved really to find that the other princess didn't seem to care for formalities any more than she did. In response to her question she said, "Yes." With a gesture of her tail she signaled a rosetted lioness out of the crowd. She wasn't especially striking in appearance but had a gentle manner about her.

Turning back to Divine she said, "I care no more for titles among equals than you do so I'd be pleased if you'd just call me by name."

[MySpoons]

As King Dylan walked back with King Chikondi to join the two prides, Dylan gestured for his lions to exchange the gifts. Patton nodded to Basir and rolled up the signed copy for his King. He dated the traveling case-- once home, it will be sealed with wax and stamped with the Champion King seal.

If King Chikondi wanted to chat, Dylan was distracted watching the Princess. She seemed demure when interacting with Divine. Dylan thought well of his cousin. She was older than him but was pleased with her station and had little ambition. When her mate had suddenly passed during one night, Divine had moved to join Dylan's pride.

"Anything I should know about the princess?" Dylan asks, voice soft and low. "Just between us, in confidence." The chance of King Chikondi saying something unflattering will likely be slim. Perhaps after some time, Princess Nthanda will have something to say about her father's pride.

It is always a game of politics, unfortunately.


Divine inclines her head slightly to the attendant. She would have picked a young lioness to be Nthanda's attendant if one hadn't come with her, but for now Divine will be the informal hostess to the princess. Even though she is a princess in title, royal duties are not left to her except for hospitality ones.

"Of course, Nthanda. Divine is fine with me, too. Have you many things to travel with you?"

[-Isabella-]

Basir took King Chikondi's copy before joining his own pridemates.

The last thing the King wanted was to make his daughter appear undesirable in any way so he said, "Oh she's a clever lioness. Good head on her shoulders. Not prone to..hysterics or anything. She's had suitors already, turned down obviously and not likely to cause trouble. But it could be awkward should they ever visit your pride." He spoke calmly, seeming unworried about how his daughter might do in her new home. "Oh, and she does have a personal Guard, that if you are not opposed will help her get settled. Of course if you prefer it I'm sure she can manage without."

The Attendant stood by quietly to await any orders but didn't seem uneasy in Nthanda's presence. Nthanda was just relieved Divine seemed friendly. She'd still be cautious, not knowing her too well, but was glad she didn't seem immediately hostile or resentful in any way. She knew all to well how tricky family and hierarchy could be in a pride.

"No not many." As she was speaking one of her father's Guards approached. "I was instructed to help you settle in, if necessary," he told her. He was not an old lion, perhaps just a little older than Nthanda but it seemed he was respected among his fellow Guard members. "And if the Champion King and Princess wish it," he added, having bowed respectfully in Divine's direction.

[MySpoons]

Dylan raises an eyebrow at the mention of suitors. "Any particular reason they were denied?"

He was not concerned about uppity young males coming to his pride to start trouble. The Champion King prides were well known in the area. It was not considered wise to start anything with one, lest you end up with all seven brothers involved on the same side of the conflict.

"Any lions who accompany Princess Nthanda are welcome. We will have room for them, yes." Dylan wondered how many would follow the princess. For security? For surveillance? Or just out of a desire to help the princess transition smoothly to her new home. King Chikondi's pride seemed to be of a decent size. Clearly, the King is not pressed for members if he is willing to marry off his daughter and send her with her own guard.


"Of course, that will be fine," Divine told the guard. "If you need anything, members of our own guard are available to help."
Divine was curious that none of the lions from Nthanda's pride seemed to be close with her. Was it just formality out of respect for Divine's status? Hopefully. The older lioness was quite concerned with making sure guests and other high-ranking visitors are welcomed and comfortable.

"The journey to King Dylan's lands is about two days of easy travel, dear. A well-traveled lion could make it in less than a day, but we're in no rush. Besides, small bones like mine don't like moving that fast." Divine teases with a smile. She's not elderly but her build is slight and has the hallmark Champion lineage mark of having an unusually straight back with her shoulders and hips perfectly square and even with one another.

[-Isabella-]

"Well, one was young and rather nice looking but unfortunately had little to call his own. The other two were simply too demanding and one did not meet with her approval."

King Chikondi wouldn't think they would be foolish enough to start trouble but thought it wise to warn him, in case such a lion was ever a guest with his pride.

"Excellent," The King replied. "I'm sure some may return home once they are sure she is settled. Though I suspect at least one may desire to remain."

Nthanda of course wouldn't tell her that she seldom interacted too closely with anyone in front of her father, not wanting to allow him too much of a window into her relationships where she could help it. She was glad to see that Divine didn't speal condescendingly to them, not that she had expected she would. But she never knew what to expect in foreign places.

"I enjoy traveling so the pace will be perfectly fine with me." She smiled a little, finding she liked the other lioness's humor.

[MySpoons]

Hmm, that is a fair reason. Having a male with no title and trying to marry into one in another pride would be... problematic if it was only for a power grab. Romantic marriages happened, of course, and such events have happened before. But it would have been careless of King Chikondi to marry off his only daughter to a nobody.

Dylan was not concerned about burned suitors. If they had any sense, they would know better than to start trouble with the Champion King brothers. All seven of them.

"Whatever they wish, assuming it is alright with Princess Nthanda." Dylan replies. He is not blind to the fact that this sudden life change may be hard on the princess. Speaking of, now that their prides are allied...

"What would you think of meeting again in two weeks' time? For trading, some relaxation time for the two prides. Not a formal celebration or anything, but to give our prides a chance to further get to know one another? We could have a hunt and a feast." Dylan offers, thinking that it would be a good opportunity to get a better read on King Chikondi and his pride's customs. Princess Nthanda may be quite shy for a while-- it is not Dylan's first arranged marriage.

But that is private information that doesn't need to be shared.


Divine smiles. "I'm sure we'll get along quite well by the time we arrive home, Nthanda." The lioness is genuine in her friendliness, none of her good nature hampered by the manners of her title. She balances both extremely well. Divine gestures for Nthanda to join her under a shaded canopy erected for the Champion Royals. Only Divine's attendance, Felicity, is underneath, standing off to the edge with a waterskin and a carved platter of delicate strips of seared meat for consumption.

Felicity is a cream lioness with a white tail-tip and white sock markings on three of her four legs. She is of Champion lineage on her aunt's side, not close enough to be a ranking noble but enough to have gotten in with a favor of Dylan's family to be a Royal attendant.

"Is there anything you'd like to do before we leave? It seems the treaty went very well-- look, they're already done!" Divine makes sure to incline her head to her cousin.

[-Isabella-]

"I'm sure she will appreciate the consideration and make her wishes known to them," he responded. He knew his daughter might find it easier to adjust with someone she knew around, and if it helped her make a good impression he would allow it. He would hope it might help endear Dylan to her as well.

"That would be a wise idea, I believe. I'm sure some of my pride would enjoy even the trip itself, and of course the chance to meet your pride and mingle." Already he was mentally thinking over who ought to come and how he'd handle his pride before and during the visit. He would only hope things would go smoothly with Nthanda during that two week period. He doubted she'd do anything foolish, but of course he was always thinking ahead and of all the possibilities.

The king knew his daughter had held the interest of some lions, but didn't know if any had caught her interest in return. And even if they had he wouldn't likely share such information, not wanting the Champion King to get the wrong idea.


"I'll enjoy the company," Nthanda said truthfully, joining Divine beneath the canopy with her own attendant lingering nearby in case she needed anything. Her attendant glanced only briefly at Felicity, knowing better than to become distracted while she was working, though it was King Chikondi's reprimand she feared and not that of the Princess.

"Well, so they are." She looked that way, seeing that her father seemed pleased enough so guessing things had gone in a way he deemed favorable. Now she could only hope what was favorable to him was favorable for her and the pride too.

[MySpoons]

"Good. Two weeks it is, then." Dylan was pleased. His opinion of King Chikondi was growing quite favorably. The King wasn't fawning or groveling but so far any agreements made between the two kings had been remarkably easy. Dylan appreciated allies who could manage themselves with little oversight.

The Champion King looked over to the canopy, taking a moment to see Divine settling in Princess Nthanda. Perfect. Dylan appreciated his cousin quite a bit. She was his confidant, his support behind the throne when the duties of being king became complicated. Having a queen would help him a lot-- Dylan hoped this marriage would go through. It is why he is willing to take things slow, ensure Princess Nthanda is a lioness he can rely on to turn into a good queen.

Managing not only one pride, but the politics of the six other Champion Kings' prides is tiring. Family is tiring, at times. As much as Dylan loves his brothers.

Dylan decides to not yet intrude on Princess Nthanda's space, trusting Divine to handle the Princess' needs. He doesn't plan on talking to her until they've arrived at home and gotten her settled in. Dylan does not want to appear overbearing or demanding. Besides, he wants to see who she really is before she gets all formal in front of a king.


Divine watches King Dylan take a moment to look their way before turning to inspect the gifts and other items brought. After, she turns and smiles at Nthanda. "Thank the gods, truly! It looks like it went very smoothly-- I've been to more than a few of these, and Dylan has never been done this quickly-- and not looking this content, either." There have been shorter treaty meetings, Divine is... exaggerating a little bit. Except those meetings ended in war and not peace.

A subtle flick of Divine's tail has a servant come and pour water for the two of them. The servant is a young thin lion with a shaved mane and a metal collar around his neck. Many servants in the Champion King's pride are lions from successful campaigns. It is part of the victor's treaty to have some lions from the conquered pride serve the Champion King if they wish to become a member after their work is completed.

"It won't be long before we'll be ready to travel, then, since they're finished so early. Why don't you relax, dear, until then? If you've not anything else to do. Of course your father is welcome to come and talk-- and King Dylan won't leave unless he knows your father is willing to part ways." Divine says between a few sips of water. The water is crisp and cold, having been insulated against the morning sun.

[-Isabella-]

"We will look forward to it," he said with a slight dip of his head.

King Chikondi knew she was capable of it, by his standards and those of some others, so hoped she'd prove herself to the Champion KIng as well. She had been raised for this really and her father only hoped she would manage as he thought she would, knowing if she failed to please them it might be all the harder to find another match for her in the future.

Nthanda would likely appreciate that really as she was tired from her trip and everything leading up to it and could use some rest and time to just get used to being in a new place. In truth, this might be easier on her once her father left.

"I've been to a few of these and some have taken much longer than I think either party would have wished for certain," she responded. This was in part due to the kinds of prides her father sometimes associated with, but this of course she would keep to herself. Maybe only a pawful ended in a way her father deemed favorable anyway.

Nthanda's gaze slid that way a moment on reflex, though she still seemed calm, not startled by the servant's presence. She could feel the gaze of her body guard on her and knew he was still looking out for her, just in case.

"I could use the rest," she admitted. "It's been a busy few weeks. And I'm sure my father will not take long to decide what he wants to do." Nthanda took a sip of water as well, thinking to herself that her father would likely leave without much more than an obligatory goodbye, if even that.