"'Bledavik is now closed territory. All reconnaisance efforts will be disabled by 0600 on August 25th.'" Esari crumbled the message and tossed it to the floor beyond her desk, snorting in disgust - delicately, of course. "What garbage. She's a hypocrite."

Levine's eyebrows climbed. "I don't think I would go that far, my lady... I do agree that it would be unwise to send our agents into a Solarian-occupied city."

"Even to save the Kislevian officials? What good is our so-called alliance with that country, if she will not do anything to earn their trust?" She reached for her glass and took a long sip; it was a decent vintage, but she wished right now that she had chosen something stronger. "I voted against the alliance for a reason, Levine. It's worthless - they're /Lambs/. I think someone needs to straighten our dear queen's thinking."

"You're lucky people have began to share your sentiments, Esari." The Minister rose, offering a shallow, courteous bow. "That sort of thinking used to be grounds for execution. I barely escaped the fate, myself."

Her lips curved into a smile. "That's because you don't know when to change your allegiences, Minister. It's all part of learning how to take advantage of current events, instead of trying to fight them."

He turned to leave. "Remind me not to trust your oaths then, my lady," he replied over his shoulder, reaching the door. "Meanwhile... please try to keep your opinions to yourself. We won't get anywhere with Cyrene if she /knows/ you intend to oppose her."

The door had been closed for less than a second when a sharp, bitter breeze swept across Esari's study from the open balcony door. A few stray pieces of paper rose into the air, carried along the gentle currents of the breeze before it died away.

In its wake there stood a dark figure in the balcony doorway, its shadow intruding into the bright room like a malignant tumor, horribly out of place in the sterile beauty of Esari's quarters. Nail studded boots stuck harsh tones across the floor as Kyouran stepped fully into the room, the burning gaze under his mask locked on where Esari was sitting behind her desk.

"You play a dangerous game, woman. And lest you forget... the 'Lambs' that you so casually insult can kill you as easily as any pureblooded Solarian or Shevite." The dark figure walked over to stand in front of her desk, one gloved hand reaching out to take the bottle of wine from the table.

"I will know when you are intending to set your little 'plan' in motion, woman. There are many factors that must be balanced at this time, and while your idea is... attractive... I will not permit your foolishness to interfere with my work." Kyouran slowly turn the bottle over, the sharpened finger of his glove removing a very thin trail of glass as he slid it across the surface.

Long before the figure had started speaking, Esari's normal petulant expression had darkened to a frown, and her eyes narrowed. "And what business is it of yours? You have no right to involve yourself in plans that are no concern of yours." She wanted very much to throw her glass at him, or alert her guards, but something told her that she would never be able to complete the gesture, whatever it was. Danger radiated from the cloaked shadow in front of her like heat from a bonfire. And she knew better than to interfere with /that/.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong, woman. All of the affairs of Shevat are my... 'concern', as you so aptly put it," Kyouran purred softly, still turning the wine bottle over in his hands. The sound was nearly enough to make Esari's hair stand on end. "And any plans that might be directed against the Queen are even more of my concern. And interest as well."

The black figure turned and delicately set the bottle down on the desk in front of Esari, his expression obscured by the demonic mask that he wore. The only thing that could show any sign of his expression were his eyes, burning orbs that regarded her with something that stood between hatred and contempt.

"So perhaps you should share these 'plans', and we shall see if they are worthy of remaining intact. While I doubt a worthless piece of noble trash like yourself could truly contribute something, I have learned over the years to never rule out abject stupidity as a source of inspiration."

What /right/ did this man - if he could be called that - think he had? Did he believe she would put up with this ridiculous babble just because he was intimidating? No one had the right to speak to her this way - certainly not some pretentious fool who had managed to scrape up the audacity to climb through her window.

Rather than gracing his comments with a reply, she reached over to the intercom, fully intending to involve security after all. It was bad enough that she'd had to listen to this kind of drivel during her childhood; she sure as hell wasn't going to tolerate it now. "Get out," she snapped, voice cooler than an arctic glacier. "Now."

Before she could move another inch towards the button that would flood the room Kyouran lashed out with one gloved hand. A whip of ether energy knocked Esari's hand away with enough force to almost knock her out of the chair. A moment later a second band wrapped itself around her chest and neck, pulling her up out of the chair and across the desk.

The entire time the burning light in Kyouran's eyes did not flicker at all, even as he turned and walked towards the balcony door. As he did so he tightened the band of ether around the struggling noble's neck, effectively silencing her annoying squeals.

"The nobles of Shevat are little changed from five hundred years ago... you all remain self absorbed, petty, and treacherous." The black figure slowly shook his head, as if this were an inescapable fact of life. "You believe that the world moves around you, as if your very words and actions could shape the course of history. And never do you realize that you are powerless."

Kyouran turned around, his cloak swirling about his feet as he rose into the air until he was eye level with Esari. "Power, woman, is the true meaning of this wretched existence. True power that can be used to crush your enemies beneath your heel, to exact retribution for the sins of your enemies.

"You believed that you possessed some measure of power... but as you can see, it does you little good now." The bands of Ether loosened slightly, allowing Esari to breath and speak for a moment.

Esari's fingers scraped at her neck, passing through the bonds as though they were insubstantial - though she kenw from their humming pressure that they were quite solid and powerful. Ether, and more than she had ever seen used in her life.

"What does it matter?" her voice wavered out, betraying her fear. She did her best to keep her expression neutral, but she knew beyond a doubt that she was failing miserably. If he wanted to scare her - not that that was in question - he was doing a very, very good job of it. She coudln't stop shaking. IF she had been standing, she would have fallen to the floor. "The game I play is politics... I'm not trying to play god."

A tidbit from his earlier monologue drifted up to her memory, and she drew a deep, labored berath. "Why do you defend her?" she rasped out, knowing she might be about to push her luck. "Are you one of Cyrene's watchdogs?"

"Politics are the hell in which this world lives. It is because of people like you that all hope for this world was lost so long ago." The black figure scoffed for a moment before he turned away from her, continuing his leasurly walk around the room. "I have no more love for that trecherous bitch of a queen than I have for you, woman. Speak to me of such a thing again and tales of your death will be whispered across Shevat for the next five hundred years.

"Now, will you tell me of your plans? Or will I be required to take more... drastic action to extract them?" Kyouran turned and gently traced the line of her jaw with one gloved finger, its sharpened point leaving a faint welt of blood in its wake. "Having a cats paw may be amusing... perhaps almost as amusing as opening your pretty little skull and removing what I want with my fingers."

"Cyrene's removal," Esari finally replied, straining to sound calm. Holding out would do her no good; she felt deep down that this man was not speaking to hear his own voice - he meant every word. And she was not so concerned with keeping her plans a secreat that she'd sacrifice her life for it. What good would that do?

But 'calm' was a long way away, unfortunately, and she doubted she looked like anything more than a frightened schoolgirl. That was certainly how she felt. "Her actions are in error. Once we gain more support, Levine and I will use her records to discredit her, and remove her from the throne."

Kyouran paused for a moment, rolling the idea around in his mind for a few moments. This had... potential. Great potential, and perhaps something more. Mordon would most certainly be interested in information about a possible coup against Cyrene... "And how did you intend to remove the Queen from her office then? With your 'political power'?" He scoffed, but lowered her a half inch towards the ground.

She hated this. Gods, she hated this. But at least he wasn't one of /her/ flunkies; she doubted anyone with such obvious power would ever help the child-queen. She really didn't understand why he cared at all. "Levine is a member of the Parliament's Ministry. Assuming his claim to have lived for so long is true, he has access to files and security channels beyond any but Synclair's. With the right information, he could easily forge orders in her name, or the name of the Ministry, and sabotage her position. It's only a matter of time."

There was a moment of silence, a pause as Kyouran ran the possibilities of what could be done over in his head. His burning eyes brightened after a moment, and the ether bonds that had held Esari above the floor suddenly dissolved. The black cloaked man did not even turn to regard her as she fell to the floor.

"You will wait, and not begin your little coup attempt until a time that I shall designate for you. In return, you shall be allowed to live, and perhaps taste something beyond the insignificant power with which you have been so desperately attempting to quench your thirst." Kyouran turned to face her for a moment, his eyes boring into hers. "For although you have been playing 'politics', it is a god that you so desperately desire to be, woman.

"Do not think that you can escape... you will find that there is no place where you can flee that I can not reach. Your Queen shall also discover this very shortly indeed..." There seemed to be a harsh buzz in the room, and suddenly it was as if all the light in the world vanished for one long moment... and when it returned, Kyouran was gone.

(Summary: Esari and Levine discuss their plans to weaken Cyrene's position, and Kyouran decides to take a hand in things.)