His Nephew, His Nephew's Wife, And Thier Four Bodyguards / Advisers / Companions...

Back in the audience hall King Roger I of the house of Arabghym found himself confronted by a very familiar face. The new band of "heroes" was headed by his sister Queen Katie of Dornoch's second son Duke Renault Alonso Francis Philip ye Bretaña of the house of Alvescot and his half-elf wife Solarina La Votonz ye Bretaña. He had not met the boy, (:no, MAN now...: The King thought,) in about twelve years, but had copies of the family portrait sent each year at the winter solstice. The time had been telling, he hardly bothered to look at the family portraits, just enough to note the changes in thier faces, but now that he saw his nephew standing before him he realized that it was time and past time to make a state visit to Sarthica, Dornoch' southern neighbor.

Katie had been King Roger's eldest sister, his parents' firstborn. In some other nations it would have been she, not him, who took the throne, but fortunately Dornoch had salic-decent laws. Therefore, King Roger I had been crowned. However that was long after 'Princess Katie Elizabeth Bodacia Anne of the house of Arabghym' was married off into the Sarthican royal family to seal the alliance between the two nations against the Jolhine Empire. In due course this made her Queen Katie, by which time she already had three brats of her own, including the new heir apparent, Prince Hernan Julian Philip Alberto de la Vanuatu. Less than a year later She bore fraternal twins, her third daughter, Princess Marie Isabela Guinevere Coleta de Holandés of the house of Alvescot, and the 'spare' for the Sarthican throne, Duke Renault.

The Duke had caused quite a scandal when he married his wife on a diplomatic trip to The Clouded Isles, the Sarthican culture was very much against "mixing" the bloodlines of different races. There even had been talk of cutting him out of the succession. The whole country breathed a sigh of relief however when it was revealed that not only was the marriage morganatic but Solarina La Votonz was barren. In the event that Duke Renault ascended the throne he would take a concubine to ensure the succession, it would not be the first time that had been done in Sarthica...

Now, the question became, what were they doing HERE...?