Ride out to the camps of the foreign lords

You exit the castle by the back gate, riding upon Steelheart, and recall that from your balcony this morning you saw the tents of the Sultan of Al-Mansoura in the fields beyond the wall. It was he who presented you with the magnificent horse, the finest example of his noble breed, and in the ten years you have been King you have never received a finer gift.

Duncan rides to your right and slightly behind, and trailing both of you are two of your Kingsguard. One is Magnus, who you frequently choose to accompany you on meetings with foreign emissaries due to the impression he makes; he stands well over seven feet tall, and is as broad at the shoulder as any two men. The other is Trina, the only woman among your guard. Although she is as formidable a fighter as any of your knights, you have brought her largely because her presence tends to keep the peace; those who might cause trouble will generally hold back rather than be compelled to fight a woman.

The breeze and the fresh air feel invigorating, and you can tell that Steelheart, disciplined as he is, grows impatient at your pace. Why not give him what he wants? You lean forward, tap gently with the spurs, and Steelheart joyfully springs into a gallop across the sloping meadow. The people cheer you on as you ride past the tournament grounds, where the banners wave in the breeze and the knights and archers practice for the upcoming games. Just past the stables is the road which leads down to the ancient Roman temple foundations, where many of the older buildings have been repaired and space has been cleared to accommodate the visiting nobility.

Perhaps a quarter of the encampment is made up of the tents and pavilions of the Subhi el-Zamani, the Sultan of Al-Mansoura, certainly your wealthiest and most powerful guest; he dined with you in the palace last night, and was as boisterous and quick to humor as you remember. At the time, he said that he intended to present you with a gift: "Two radiant jewels, of greater beauty than any King has ever worn in his crown!" Since his last gift to you was Steelheart, you know his reputation for generosity is well-earned.

The banner of Sir Reginald of Cottingham flaps over a crumbling tower, one which your engineers had no time to properly repair before the festivities. You smile at the sight; typical of Reginald to claim the tallest tower, even though any of the smaller buildings would have been much more comfortable. You wonder if his cousin Rosaline is with him; she certainly made an impression on you during his last visit!

A small collection of unusual tents by the river catch your eye. This must be the encampment of Kuronuma Kuma, a man from the East - so far to the East that his kingdom is called "The Land of the Rising Sun." Although your own people are diverse and many are well-travelled, it took over a week to find someone who could understand his emissary's language. Apparently, Kuronuma Kuma's title is "Samurai," and he has come on a mission from his Lord, who he calls "Shogun" to explore the lands of the West and the people who live there. It was a happy coincidence which brought him to Elyssia on its anniversary. You can see the women among his small party fetching the water from the river, and although you have seen women from the far east before, you are still struck by their exotic features, raven-black hair, and golden skin.

Speaking of exotic visitors, the tribe of Bwana M'Kubwa has made their encampment some distance from the rest, closest to the trees. Some of the people who live in Elyssia are kin to his tribe; they were taken from their own lands by Lord Velimir Reznik, a vicious warlord who showed them off as spoils of his battles. When he brought them to Elyssia, to boast of his conquests, you commanded your knights to set them free - which earned you the wrath of Lord Velimir, but you could not bear to see men and women kept as trophies and slaves. Some of the freed prisoners settled here in Elyssia, while a few returned home to tell what had become of them. In gratitude, Bwana M'Kubwa has pledged eternal friendship and alliance with you and your kingdom, and though it is a long and difficult journey from his homeland, you would have been surprised indeed not to see him here this day. It DOES surprise you that he has brought a party of at least forty along with him, including some who look to be of other tribes, judging by the variations in their dress. Also surprising is that more than half appear to be women of marriageable age... though perhaps you should not be too surprised at that, after all!

There is an interesting tradition which emerged during the settlement of Elyssia, word of which has undoubtedly spread far and wide due to its very nature. When an eligible bachelor is searching for a potential wife, women who are interested will often seek his attention by offering themselves with much more freedom than they ordinarily might. As King, you’ve tried to avoid those kinds of indulgences and temptations... but if you’re “officially” looking for a wife, then you can certainly expect the interest of many of your unwed female visitors, and for you to respond to their advances would simply be following tradition!

Other encampments are scattered about which you do not immediately recognize; some familiar, some exotic, a few like nothing you have ever seen. But, that is why you have brought Duncan; he is very learned about the world beyond Elyssia, and you are sure he could tell you the origin of any of the flags and banners which you do not know.