During the car ride Richard found himself smiling, firstly at the Ducal Palace and then at the mischievous streak the Lead Sword seemed to have in her.
"I concur that Paul is one of the links between our nations that needs to be built on." he said "But if I may suggest if you want an archaeologist who thinks a little differently and has a habit of finding things you might consider talking to Melanie Bell, after all just because nothing has been found doesn't mean it won't be it just means it hasn't turned up yet."
When they were sat down at the table and Anna asked about the Pasternak situation Richard took a moment to think, it had naturally been a topic of discussion in advance of the trip and likely in many corridors of power across Mundus, with undoubtedly many different interpretations.
"I think what concerns me most is the lack of a ransom demand, kidnappings are usually a means to extortion but there have been enough political motivated ones in recent Mundus history whether it's the Borland Separatists kidnapping Crown Princess Serenity or Crown Princess Adrianna being kidnapped by King's Blood. However they all had a very quick list of demands delivered, there's not been anything this time which makes me think that there's a larger plan at play and that's troubling the worse thing is the possibility that we're not going to know what that is until it's either too late or quite far advanced. Though I will say that your country has a point about the potential Water Nomad involvement, it does make sense that if you weren't from around here that you'd seek assistance from the locals, even more so considering how much planning something of this nature would take." he said before pausing "I only wish I could give you something more useful sadly the one vessel we have in the Alucard at the moment was down south so all we can really do is verify what's already known, but I am authorised to offer the services of that vessel in the search if it would be useful to you."
Rosa brushed at her hair while Aiden spoke and was smart enough to take a mouthful of the fish on her plate while considering what to say to him.
"Iced tea please." Rosa said "It's been an interesting three years of study and I've learned a lot. I finished my exams before coming out on the trip, I'm just hoping the results are good because I'm not exactly the best in exams, I get exam stress quite badly I'm the perfectionist in the family. I guess you could say I'm fascinated by history but I like the mysteries of language more to understand a language is to understand a lot more than just what is said it's to understand those who speak, their traditions, their culture as a whole perhaps. I got into it thanks to a friend of mine who works for the CETO she's a specialist in so called 'dead languages' I found out I had a knack for picking the spoken word up and I've gone from there."
Temari was somewhat taken aback by the question it wasn't often she was asked about her life as a Maiden Sister, that was a good seven years ago that she'd moved forwards from that stage of her faith journey.
"Life as a Maiden Sister is perhaps one of the most rewarding experiences I've had in my life. It's not an easy life by any means it's a very ritualistic way of living involving study, missionary work and pilgrimage. This way of life stems from one of the core beliefs of the faith that all life is connected to each other and the world around it. Within the faith there are what we refer to as nine sacred beasts each is associated with an element so for example the nine tailed fox Evna is associated with light, the great white stag Kovrien is associated with ice and so on. The Maiden Sisters in their way seek to master these elements, what we call the Rhythm of Life, through what most would consider an odd medium that of swordplay, we say that to become a thing is to know a thing. In my time as a Maiden Sister I mastered three of the nine but that's just about above the average. Perhaps the most interesting thing is that no one has ever mastered all nine yet there's a prophecy written by an old sage of the ancient kingdom of Rosemoor that spoke of a Maiden who would give her heart to a faithless man from a foreign land and train him in the way of life's rhythm. A lot of people though that might have been Anezaki Ayanami the second wife of Paul the Explorer but she according to records fell short in mastering seven out of nine. These days I have the lovely responsibility of studying these prophecies in detail, it does sadly mean I don't get to do a lot of things like preach as often as I used to do or do missionary work. I'm sorry I may be rambling a little but I hope that's helpful though my father could probably clear up the details."
At the head of the table Peter had smiled when Hugo had mentioned familiarity with the ritual.
"I've sat through many a prayer of that sort, but I always find it helps set the tone. My late wife always said that the heart of a home was the dinner table though I privately always suspected that was because I was a half decent cook, but the more I think about the more I think she had a point nothing brings people together quite like a good meal." Peter said as he plated up for himself before listening to Hugo explain the tradition, which was a rather interesting moment, Peter stood and smiled "Thank you Grand Duke for your hospitality, I would like this opportunity to present the gift from Achkaerin to Bakkermaya but before we do so I would like to offer to you a song from home."
Peter took a breath and then began
"O flower of Aelmoor
When will we see
Your like again
That fought and died for
Your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him
Proud Pharoah's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
The hills are bare now
And autumn leaves lie thick and still
O'er land that is lost now
Which those so dearly held
That stood against him
Proud Pharoah's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again
Those days are passed now
And in the past they must remain
But we can still rise now
And be the nation again
That stood against him
Proud Pharoah's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again"Peter was enjoying himself, he hadn't had the chance to sing for a while and with his latest round of problems he could just feel like the burdens that troubled him were falling away and it seemed to be contagious as the rest of the Achkaerinese joined in the last verse.
"O flower of Aelmoor
When will we see
Your like again
That fought and died for
Your wee bit hill and glen
And stood against him
Proud Pharoah's army
And sent him homeward
Tae think again!"[1]It was an old song, it went back centuries back to the days when Achkaerin and Abydos had vied for supremacy over the Northern Ocean, the province of Aelmoor was the seat of the Ayanami family and had been back then as well, there were a great many people who thought the song was about a woman called Erin Ayanami and her deeds in the 1220's, others disagreed but that was the nature of scholarly debate.
As the singsong finished Jin and Temari got up from their seats and approached Hugo and Peter, Jin was carrying the long thin wooden box from earlier, as Jin held it level the Emperor opened the box to reveal the contents it was a katana style sword marked with a name written in Achkaerinese engraved onto the blade - Rosa Saith in the common tongue it translated to Rose of Tranquility. Now Peter removed the blade from the box and held it while Temari took from her pocket a small bottle of water from Luna Isle, some might call this holy water, and poured some of it over the blade. This was the important bit, by the traditions of the Maiden Sisters when a sword was forged in accordance with their customs it was at the moment of presentation blessed with the name inscribed on the blade which was why Temari had been brought along for the trip.
"In the name of the Trinity the blade is blessed with the name Rose of Tranquillity." Temari said, it was a rather cut down version of what actually happened at the Maiden Sister ceremony but without the actual Maiden Sister they could only do the cut down version.
"Grand Duke Lascelles may I present you with this gift, the Rose of Tranquility." Peter said handing Hugo the sword "It's a replica of the sword that was forged by Paul the Explorer during his stay on Luna Isle and we believe carried with him during his travels. It's been forged the same way as he would have done it from the same materials."