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50- Xandar The Great.
🕑 Added 2024-03-20 06:00:05 +0000 UTC~~~Third person, tenth moon, 276 AC~~~
~~~Academy of Amanda, Xandar~~~
The guests were already arriving, with several important and recognized faces coming from Yi Ti, Braavos, Pentos, and even Asshai.
They all came with the same goal: to take advantage of the slightest thing coming from Xandar. Many brought daughters to throw them to Azrael; others brought gifts by the bucketload to enamor the King.
Amanda's Academy, that imposing building of white marble and blue roofs, was the cradle of administrative and lordly power in the city and the kingdom itself.
With its huge halls, gigantic gardens, and monstrous libraries with books to the brim, crystal chandeliers, lavender scent, and flowers, along with its serious and serene atmosphere, it is soothing and full of power.
That was what the Academy conveyed, just as the important guests who had attended the charity event organized by the scholars felt, which consisted of delivering food, clothes, learning books, and health potions to the thousands of poor people (slaves) from the free cities that had been arriving in the city day by day.
It was an action deserving of the ovation of the governmental organizations of the ancient world of Azrael. However, the background was deeper than that; it was a silent conquest, one in which the Academy, a great power in and out of Xandar, was taking action; these aids, these 'gifts', were nothing more than measures to entice hundreds of thousands of slaves to escape from their slave cities.
The thought of a place free of slavery, with safety and shelter, was a dream for many, considering the number of slaves Azrael had had to bring under the control of enchantments since returning from the End. The measures taken by the Academy were paying off.
And these guests knew it; they were all too well versed in politics and high-world issues not to realize the role the Academy had in this, which is why when they heard that the Academy was organizing an event that the King would be attending, they didn't hesitate and traveled the long miles of travel to get to the event.
The place where the event would be held would be in one of the large gardens of the Academy, a beautiful place with multiple fruit trees, chairs, and tables to enjoy the birds singing, along with being able to appreciate the view of the fjord from the place, since the garden was on the sixtieth floor, almost eight hundred meters from the ground.
The guests were arriving, taking a place to themselves, and from time to time they went to chat with the other guests of the place.
One of these, the distinguished Sea Lord of Braavos, Ferrego Antaryon, an overweight man with long brown hair and a large entrance, along with a beard and a well-groomed mustache, drew attention immediately, not because of his clothes, but because, those in charge of the event, the Xandarian pampered scholars, wore garments cooked in gold, silver and diamond.
If not that, it drew attention because the Sea Lord had not left Braavos for fifteen years. Then, to be in a city on the other side of the world, and one composed of Dothraki, people who were once dedicated to slavery throughout Essos, was a surprising thing to see.
Stranger still, it was to see the prince of Pentos, Vadirio Narratys. That important position in Pentos, albeit nominally. And while it was not peculiar to see him at an event organized by Xandar, since the connection Pentos had with the Dothraki of Vaes Dothrak was strong, something that had been maintained until now, Pentos being the main city with which Xandar traded.
What was strange was seeing him in the same room as the Sea Lord of Braavos, a product of the conflicts both cities men represented had had, in the case of Braavos' clamor to see slavery eradicated in Essos, coming to war with many free cities because of it.
The atmosphere felt tense because of that. However, both men were smart enough not to stir up trouble in the heart of Xandar, since as important as their positions seemed, they were now in Xandar, a place that didn't care if you were king, prince, or god; if you broke their rules, you would end up in the mines or as Wyvern food.
They were all waiting for the King to arrive while conversing among themselves ominously. Telling jokes to each other and handing out gifts to the scholars of the Academy as a send-off to charity.
Isabella, for her part, was always watching from the balconies of the garden in the city, amazed by its enormous size and beauty, since even though they were in Essos, and a position very close to the Red Desert, the weather was still pleasant, cold even, along with the beautiful view offered by the balconies, being able to see the huge ships in the fjord, the pink trees of the River, along with the Central Park brimming with green and life.
At some point, the thought of staying in Xandar and not returning to her homeland again crossed her mind, only to be erased and buried far away. She had come to this place seeking foreign aid for her people and would not abandon them. Not today.
However, her thoughts were put on hold when a tall, muscular man with a serious countenance, pale white skin, and brown eyes, along with black hair, dressed in fine garments, his hair long and hanging several silver bells from it, addressed them all.
'A Dothraki' she thought, observing the strange man, "Rejoice before His Majesty Azrael Jaesyrian, Khal of the Imperishable Horde, King of Xandar and its surrounding lands, Yuk breaker, Father of the Newcomers, Stallion Who Rides the World, Supreme Khal of the Sea of Grass, and Conqueror of the Yellow Cities!"
Immediately, a line of six soldiers in Valyrian steel armor entered through the large garden gates, walking in complete synchronicity and arriving at a place where there was a raised podium, as well as an ornate, gold, red-cushioned couch.
Following the soldiers, six huge wolves soon entered, their black eyes focused on those present as they made their way behind the golden couch, and then sat around it.
Soon, Azrael entered, dressed in black pants, a white shirt, and a black trench coat-like garment over his body, along with a gold and diamond crown on his head, with his black hair flowing and his bells ringing every time he walked.
Azrael was coming and chatting with Zirqo and Cakoqqo, who were walking beside him, with Essino, Gezro, Kakho, Qrano, Mottaekho, and Onno behind him. Immediately, all the guests started waving, nodding, or bowing to Azrael, who was only nodding by way of greeting.
As for Isabella and Kinvara, they were both going through an internal shock, either because of the energy Azrael was giving off or because of the four women walking slowly behind Azrael's blood riders.
This was the first time the witches had shown themselves to the public. And of course, many already knew the witches of Xandar; seeing them from time to time, they visited the Arcane Center, but they only saw their silhouettes, since these were never seen without their black garments, revealing no hint of skin.
But now, four witches were finally revealing their faces.
The four witches wore dark pants and a black tunic with long sleeves, and over it, they wore black armor, with gold decorations, with their extremely long hair sticking out of their helmets. While it was possible to see their faces, pale and lifeless skin, withered black lips, and a shadow over their eyes, not letting them be seen.
Kinvara was keeping the moment in her mind, not taking her eyes off them, even as the witches looked at her, reasoning that the red priestess presented a danger to Azrael.
"Hello! The Xandarian Crown welcomes you!" Azrael, having climbed onto the small dais near his large couch, addressed everyone. "I know the journey was long, and you will have time to rest in homes provided by the Crown in the High Zone. For now, let us enjoy the evening and the entertainment plans that the scholars here have in store."
Azrael then proceeded to step down from the podium, then sat in his armchair as he waited for the presentations to begin.
Soon enough, a group of people arrived at a part of the garden, consisting of six women and five men.
What was remarkable about this was that their skin colors were dark, most likely from the Summer Isles or Naath. Judging by their brightly colored feathered cloaks, they were Stiveños. Xandar, being the product of the union of hundreds of thousands of former slaves from Yunkai, Astapor, Meereen, and Vaes Dothrak, made Xandar a very multi-ethnic city, with people from Yi Ti, the Summer Isles, Naath, Pentos, and even Westerosis.
This made the culture of Xandar very diverse, a product of the thousands of customs of people from various parts of the world, making Xandar a place very rich in arts and celebrations, which came together, to give shelter to the various celebrations held in the city. The greatest exhibition of this was the Carnival of Joy, the one that occurred when Azrael arrived after finishing with Yunkai, Meereen, and Vaes Dothrak.
So once one of the women and the man began to sing a song in a strange language to the guests, which caused strange looks, but once the rhythm of the instruments began to play the remaining five women began to dance dances native to their land, the atmosphere became convivial, the song is very similar to the African song 'mobali na ngai wana'. Even Azrael was encouraged to dance with some of the daughters of the guests.
