Sol seemed to have it all on paper. He was given power, wealth, wit and charm. However, his role in the play was the greatest burden; as a result, he was the puppet master pulling his own strings, along with others'. Each yank at the limbs of the wooden dolls carved the strings deeper into his own hands as his blood dripped onto the stage. The audience and the puppets snapped at him, and he performed nonetheless. He was aware of how the play ended, how he ended, and it was beautiful.

  The cruellest angel walked the streets of Cairnreach with no guise; he wanted to make his presence known to the king.

  Madarame is sitting at a fire with Seraphiel opposite him. Tobacco infused the air, and no words were spoken for a prolonged period. The silence was neither awkward nor loud. He takes a puff of the cigarette. "Three days. Three days until you reveal yourself to the political world. I wonder how the king will react and justify his usurpation to the realm. Rea, Seriol, Cairnreach, Verez, Lyeer, Zod. All the major kingdoms will be present, and his case must be strong."

  "The crown did not reject him", Seraphiel responded. "Is that not a right to it stronger than blood and order?"

  Madarame took another puff. "Correct. That will be his reasoning and excuse: you weren't worthy. He will twist the conversation and ask why the hell are you even here?" Seraphiel's wounded rib ached. It was one of the wounds, along with his torn wing, that he kept.

  The wounded rib. The night his first act closed.

  "What do you expect, Madarame? What will the course of action be?"

  "This council is a front to make the King seem civilised. There will be wars. Seriol will be invaded, and Rea will have to join in. Verez will side with him as these kingdoms are born from the same blood. As for Lyeer and Zod".

  He leans back and scratches the spider emblem on his eyepatch.

  "We must pray that God has written for Zod to side with us. Lyeer minds its own business usually. Zod is filled with monsters, and that guy Sura would be a nameless soldier in that land".

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  Zod. Seraphiel meditates on that name

  I wonder, how would he fare in that land? Would he fight in this war?

  "The invasion of Seriol will be severe; we would most certainly lose against the crown. Sura and others like him would be in Verez, with no Appellations on their side; that's a small convenience." Madarame strokes his lip. "Yumi." He says while sighing and grunting.

  He recalls in an instant. That man, at the door, the book of the eye, an Appellation, clearly from Seriol. "Wait, that man. Is he some rogue? Why have I never heard of the eye Appellation? The interception appellation of Seriol has been murdered during an attempted assassination. Was he replaced that quickly? He was interested in you."

  "Yes, he is Seriol's stray Appellation, he is a wildcard they can't control him, whether he fights or not, I don't know"

  Madarame calculates. Seriol and Rea, three grimoires, potentially the eye, the mind, and the ear. But against the crown? Possibly Zod, too.

  "Let's presume there are a dozen or so pact users who are at my level in Seriol and Rea" He stops and thinks. "No"

  "The Crown, Zod's Appellation, and Sura. We need Lyeer on our side. We must have them. Our gambit is to obtain the assistance of the eye appellation and to persuade Lyeer in the council. Perhaps Yumi can help."

  Madarame shoots up. He writes a brief letter. "Hi sis, long time no see. Do me a favour and send 300,000 Realia to Lyeer and coddle them for me :P"

  "The eye. Seriol has no one to represent them at the moment, and the eye appellation is intrigued with you clearly". Madarame raises his index finger. "I predict he will show at the council. Please, King, swoon him to our side", Madarame says in an irritatingly childish voice.

  "I shall indeed", Seraphiel says adamantly.

  "Great, now we wait".

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  A letter is slid under Yumi's door. She reads it. Rolling her eyes she sits at her desk drafting a cheque for 300,000 Realia addressed to Lyeer citing their Beautiful architecture as the reasoning in hopes to start a business relationship with them. She pours wax and stamps the Raven seal. She steps outside, Ryo is leaning against a wall down the steps picking his teeth. "Ryo" she runs down towards him. He flusters. Please can you send this letter for me as soon as possible its essential. "Y-Yes madam" He spits out turning tomato red. She leans in giving him a peck on the cheek.

  He runs away.

  Lyeer receives the letter the same hour.