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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 4, 2007 12:31:56 GMT -5
I sighed, and looked at the snow prince differently. The only word I could think of, was man to man.
"Oh, I could tell you of many women I could have wed. But the Sultan sees this as an opportunity, and so has made his bidding clear: I am to wed one of royal blood, and so I have set to travelling," I explained in all earnest.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 4, 2007 18:46:29 GMT -5
His manner changed and I felt for the first time as if I was talking to him, not to a diplomat.
"And where else have you traveled?" I asked curiously.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 5, 2007 7:28:49 GMT -5
"Tyre, Menekhet, Jebe-Barkal, Ephesus..." I paused, "Kebbel-im-Akkad," and there I had a moment where distaste likely showed. "I have been travelling for over a year, already," I added, letting some weariness peek out of my voice.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 5, 2007 16:04:06 GMT -5
"With all those places in one year, it hardly seems as if you are giving time to the women you might be presented with," I observed. "Or have you just been turned away?"
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 6, 2007 1:31:13 GMT -5
"Poor timing, mostly," I replied, counting on my fingers, "Too old, too young, betrothed, unpleasant..." I sighed. "I won't even begin to tell you the worst." I suppressed residual anger - that Akkadian experience had been very hard to swallow.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 6, 2007 14:43:50 GMT -5
"And what particularly brought you to Ruskovia?" I asked.
The servant arrived with tea and set it on the table between us, pouring us each a cup of the strong, spicy blend I preferred before leaving us alone again.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 6, 2007 16:04:13 GMT -5
"Opportunity," I replied. "I was to leave Ephesus, and had found that there was a trader's ship that made the route, all the way to Rus. I wasn't sure the opportunity would come my way again, and with the added rumor of a rising Kingdom... and curiosity... it all came together along the way, as I heard of the Princesses of Rus, beautiful and wise. I had to come," I concluded quietly.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 7, 2007 16:00:11 GMT -5
"And what is it that would make one of my sisters worthy in your eyes that you have not found in any of the other women?" I asked, then took a sip of my tea.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 9, 2007 8:35:00 GMT -5
“Well, I would have to meet your sisters, to be able to tell you that, would I not?” I asked with a wry smile. “Or would you have me say that all women are the same, and aggravate the whole female population this way?”
The man was great at his job – I had to grand him that… and that conjured a smile that was reserved for people who were winning over my admiration – not a lot of them did.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 9, 2007 22:23:58 GMT -5
I chuckled and then another sip of tea before setting the cup down.
"Alright, fair enough," I said, smiling. "Show me what you brought to win me over."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 10, 2007 11:29:58 GMT -5
"But of course," I replied obligingly. "If you would have your Marshall call in my men, they will bring in the coffers."
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 10, 2007 19:22:47 GMT -5
I nodded to the man standing by the door and he went to retrieve Walid's men while we waited.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 12, 2007 15:15:33 GMT -5
The coffers were brought in, one by one, ceremoniously, and each of my men knelt, ready to unveil the marvels they contained.
“Presents, from the Sultan,” I said. A first coffer was brought forward, and presented, opened to present the necklace. It was gold, precious – but it was crafted in a manner that was even more sublime, for the smiths did do exquisitely intricate work. “A sample of Ummaiyyatti craftsmanship, and of that which is acquired through trade, in Ry’ad,” I explained, waiting for the Snow Prince to assess, before I moved on to the next coffer.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 12, 2007 23:26:41 GMT -5
Reaching into the coffer, I fingered the necklace, feeling the weight and strength of the gold.
"Very pretty," I said, nodding slightly. "What else?"
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 13, 2007 10:51:26 GMT -5
The coffer was open in a fashion much like that of the other one. It was a richly decorated, and in the center sat an a round recipient of chiseled iron with embedded cloisonne. It was set with multiple holes, and next to it, were incense sticks, a variety of different things, jasmine, patchouli, lemon grass amongst others.
“This is incense, and its burner” I said, introducing the item. “It is scented, and has many virtues.”
Humbly, I asked, “Is this a known practice, to burn incense, in Ruskovia?”
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 13, 2007 12:16:49 GMT -5
"It is, though more in ceremonial settings than in everyday life," I replied, letting my finger trace over the censer. "That really is lovely." I was more impressed by the detail work on this than the necklace.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 13, 2007 14:08:46 GMT -5
"The artisans of Ry'ad thank you, Knazj," I said deferrently.
I nodded, "We use it as well, but both in casual and ritual moments," I said. "This one," I pointed to the lemon grass, "does wonders against the mosquitoes." I chuckled, "Not that it would be any use in this weather."
I waited patiently for the snow prince to be done, that I may introduce the last two coffers.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 14, 2007 22:03:52 GMT -5
I nodded slightly and then sat back again, waiting for the next offering. Even as I did, I was making plans for where the incense and burner would sit in my room.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 16, 2007 6:52:30 GMT -5
The next coffer was opened in the same fashion, and I explained its contents.
It was myrrh, precious to us beyond knowledge, more valuable than gold in many of the lands in my region. I had no idea if it were known in Ruskovia, though. It rested on a cushion of red silk and woven worked, though it seemed something rather modest. The resin stayed in a pot, and it was also beautiful and worked, something somewhat pleasant and simple, for what mattered was the contents of it.
“This is Myrrh, the stuff of perfumes,” I explained. “Burn it, and it will bloom to bitter-sweet scents. In battle, it may be used to prevent wounds from festering, and it will have curative virtues at the hands of the midwives. Mixed to cinnamon spices, it helps with muscular pains.” I opened the jar, inviting him to verify my words. “You can judge the quality of it by the darkness of the product, and the clarity of the resin.”
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 16, 2007 19:22:33 GMT -5
As soon as he had named the product, I sat forward slightly, unable to help myself. This was the most precious gift so far.
"Ah yes," I said, nodding. "I know of myrrh. This is very generous of you."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 17, 2007 2:24:17 GMT -5
It took all my ability to hide the grin of amusement at Romanov’s visible eagerness – it was all comprehensible, though. After all, in certain regions of the world, myrrh was more precious than gold.
I motioned him over, “Please, do smell the resin, have no hesitation,” I said with a smile. “It is a wonderful product, is it not?”
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 17, 2007 22:16:44 GMT -5
"It is a very nice, and a gracious gift," I said, smiling as I leaned back in my chair.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 18, 2007 4:35:43 GMT -5
“We are honored to let it rest here,” I replied with an inclining movement of my head. I waved at the last coffer-bearer, and he opened the recipient with an elegant gesture. “From the mines of Ummaiyyatt,” I said, “merely an example of the work our cutters make.”
It was a diamond, exquisitely cut, large as a nutshell, yet precious enough to adorn a king’s headdress. It lay on a velvet cushion of sober blue, to only let the precious stone shine its radiance. “Please,” I said with an inviting gesture. After all, one could only judge the quality of a stone by examining it through a lamp…
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 18, 2007 23:22:20 GMT -5
Plucking the diamond from its nest of fabric, I stood and moved to the window. I held the stone up to the light, examining the clarity and color of the gem. It was nice, though not as nice as the stones we were pulling from the mines in the area we had recently conquered.
"Very pretty," I said, my back to him as I continued to examine the diamond. "Do your mines produce many other types of jewels?"
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 19, 2007 2:18:43 GMT -5
“Lapis-Lazuli, Malachite, Amber,” I noted. “Though the Diamond is usually more prized, and thus has been selected for the traveling.” I removed a ring from my finger, and handed it to him. “An example of those semi-precious stones…” It was a large stone of lapis, embedded in silver.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 19, 2007 15:57:35 GMT -5
I examined the lapis, noting the depth of color the stone had.
Handing Walid back his ring, I smiled as I returned the diamond to its nesting place.
"These are very nice gifts," I told him. "Your petition is becoming more convincing."
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 19, 2007 17:24:14 GMT -5
“Wonderful words to hear,” I replied as the petition was complete. The men were still there, and I waved mine away, that his own take the coffers away on his own terms.
Patiently, I waited, toying with the ring in my hand. There is a time, where one must let the other ponder an offer - this was such a time.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 19, 2007 18:07:48 GMT -5
I motioned for my men to take the coffers and wait outside, leaving the foreign prince and I alone.
Moving to the front of my desk, I leaned back against it and studied him intently for a moment.
"How old are you?" I asked.
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Post by Walid bin Kasseem(D) on Sept 20, 2007 2:21:45 GMT -5
He was looking at me, studying me, and I let my body relax for his examination - I had nothing to hide. A long moment passed, where all I did was smile calmly and patiently, until he asked a question.
I paused, calculating - I had been travelling for a little over three years, and had been cast out on my thirtieth birthday, it seemed. Wallah! I had been gone a while already - that made me feel rather weary.
"Thirty-three," I replied, non-plussed. I was still in my prime.
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Alexei Romanov
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His Royal Highness the Prince of Ruskovia; House Romanov
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Post by Alexei Romanov on Sept 20, 2007 12:43:19 GMT -5
"My sisters are much younger than you," I told him. "Even Olga, the oldest of them is a decade your junior. Was it your intent to marry a woman so much younger than yourself?"
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