Aruka leads me down a long hallway that opens into a corridor of 4 doors. He stated that each of the doors leads to a separate conference room, which are all soundproofed. I follow Aruka to the furthest door, my eyes going wide with how big the room is after Aruka opens the door. The conference room for our ambassador meetings is large, but it is comfortable and homey for each of us. This room is grand and luxurious, definitely made for aesthetics versus comfort.
At the head of the long table sat, what I presume to be the Chancellor. His mane, which is a deep crystalline blue color, is long and tied back with a ribbon, his face is sharp and angular, and his ears are curved at the tips, making them seem less pointed due to the tilt. He is definitely an elf, no one can tell me otherwise. By the looks of him, he looks to either be an air or water elf, possibly both.
"You are late." the Chancellor's deep voice booms as we walk into the conference room. His voice and face are the epitome of disapproval and disgust, almost as if he sees himself above the rest of us. Raising my chin, I give my best cheshire smile, my eyes flashing in irritation. "Time is a concept that controls those who allow it. I have never seen some of your, metal beasts, before, therefore it took me a bit to figure out how to get in. Before you act haughty, keep in mind that I am more than just an ambassador for my realm." I state, the ire in my voice clear for all to hear. Walking towards the Chancellor as I speak, I take a seat, sitting right next to where he is sitting at the head of the table. I do not bother to wait for approval, as he is not higher ranking than myself, and he blatantly disrespected me. Time! Pah! What nonsense!
The Chancellor follows my movements with narrowed eyes, his nostrils flaring as he observes me. I am thankful I practiced my walk in this form before leaving Aruka's home or I probably would not have been as graceful as I was. The Great Mother knows we do not need me falling on my face right now because I forgot how to walk without a tail! As I sit next to the Chancellor, I watch as Aruka bows before approaching, waiting for the Chancellor to tell him to sit. With a slight nod of his head, the Chancellor continues to stare at me while Aruka takes his seat on the Chancellor's left.
"Tell me, Arymyr, why was it that my ambassador could not contact me for that entire year he was in your realm? We have never had an issue with lack of contact in other realms, but yours seems to be off the grid." The Chancellor asks, eyeing me closely. "Well, Chancellor, we do not need your gadgets and electronics to communicate with one another long distance or across realms. For example," with a wave of my hand, a water pocket appears with a visual of my uncle and aunt, both sitting in their own conference room. I had already sent a water pocket message informing them of our meeting and alerting them to be prepared for live conversation.
Aruka coughs, covering his smile when the Chancellor stands abruptly, his eyes wide. "What is this?" He asks without looking away from the King, my uncle. "We use nature to communicate with one another. I am of both land and sea so I can use both land and sea to communicate with others. My King, my Queen, this is the Chancellor..." I pause, allowing the Chancellor to fill in his name for me as he sits back down, intrigue written on his face. "You can interact with them through the water pocket, too, as if they were right here, Chancellor. Keep in mind, as I have already informed you, they do not like to be touched, and it is considered utmost disrespect to do so without their consent." Aruka fills in. The Chancellor's eyebrows raise in curiosity, standing with his hand outstretched, he states, "I am Chancellor Vaylen Stone, Representative of the Fae and head of all Representatives in Atlas. It is an honor to meet you both!" King and Queen RhaJheen nod their heads in acknowledgement, stating their own honorifics. "We are King and Queen RhaJheen, the monarch for Orlah here in Arizaela. It is a pleasure to meet with you as well."
"It is customary for us to shake hands upon meeting with someone new." The Chancellor states with a tight-lipped smile. "As Aruka has just stated and informed you, it is disrespectful to touch another without consent. Our folk find physical touch to be intimate, and as such is reserved for family and mates. It is especially insulting for someone to touch an unmated creature due to the fact that they must save all of their intimate gestures for their mate when they find them. Are you implying that you do not respect our customs? Aruka has informed us that as long as we are respectful in our acknowledgement, for example, a dip of the head, that it is still acceptable in place of a handshake or hug."
"Right! Of course, my apologies, your Majesties!" The Chancellor states hurriedly as he bows in apology before sitting back down. "I understand how off putting our customs may be for you, but we will not go against our culture to appease others. Now, we have much to do, so if you will excuse us, my Queen and I have other matters to attend. May the Great Mother bless you!" The King states, rising from his throne as he holds his hand out to assist his mate, the Queen. I flick my hand, making a show of making the water pocket disappear. I know I do not need to do such silly things, but I do enjoy the flair for dramatics.
"Well, Chancellor Stone, I am wanting to stay in your realm for an extended amount of time, it will take me a bit to adjust to your, living styles, but once I am adjusted, I will be working on discovering everything your realm has to offer. Once I determine if your realm has anything my realm would find of value, I will report back to you and my King and Queen. I know Aruka will be debriefing you on what he has discovered about my home today, and I will assist him with that as needed." The Chancellor nods once in acknowledgement, turning to Aruka, "and what have you discovered of her realm, Aruka? Remember, we were looking for potential militia and materialistic trades."
"Of course, Chancellor. Arizaela has extensive and elite militia, but their main powerhouses are their Assassin's Guilds. Their merchants hand craft all of their materials, increasing the durability and longevity of the items made. Garments are made this way as well. I believe Arizaela has a lot to offer us." Aruka informs the Chancellor. "Do keep in mind, Chancellor, they do have specific customs, as their King informed you as well. They do not allow touch from those whom are not their mates or family, especially those whom are unmated. They will not accept anything with metal, as there are many species who have allergens to them, but mainly because of the smell. Arymyr here only has a slight allergy to metal, but the smell alone deters her from it all. They have a heightened sense of smell and hearing, and they are attuned, mind, body and soul, to the land and sea they are apart of."
"Interesting," the Chancellor responds, his hand stroking his chin in thought as he contemplates what Aruka just said. "Well, miss Rhajheen, if you need any assistance becoming more comfortable with our way of living, do let me know. I am sure I can provide anything you may desire!" I raise my brows with intrigue, still adjusting to how my face feels in this form. "Thank you, but I believe Aruka has most everything I need taken care of! I will keep you updated on where I am with this treaty and contract and will keep you informed of my King and Queen's wishes!" I state with a broad smile.
I wonder how genuine Chancellor Stone is being now that he knows my heritage and place. I suppose we shall see later on.