Ensign Jacque De Napton was assigned to his father's airship, the Wraith GNA Lark.11Please respect copyright.PENANA4cAZw7ZKJg
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The Lark was a Bird-Class Wraith - a heavy type of corsair intended for reconnaissance, stealth and long-range scanning/mapping. Vega had been told that it belonged to Group C in Grand Wing A of the Fleet. It was armed with × 4 four-inch Mk IX Light Æther Cannons mounted in two twin mounts and 2 × twenty-one-inch Aerial Torpedo tubes. It was also equipped with a Suspendium Immobilisation Beam Projector (SIPB), a cloaking device and a Mk XIX Radar Suite.11Please respect copyright.PENANAuXz9e5j8FL
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Napton took after his father - High-Commander Keyno De Napton - with his blandly handsome face, with a strong jaw and his eyes of rustic brown - like a doe`s - that seemed to judge everything about you.11Please respect copyright.PENANAv1NonchwPM
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High-Commander Keyno himself proudly stood in his plum dress uniform, complete silver epaulettes and buttons. From his chest hung his most distinguished medal: the Hero of the Earldom Award - the highest award in both branches of the Narcissian Military - with its ribbon of crimson.11Please respect copyright.PENANANrMSEJ8Jxl
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Countess Regnant Valerie Rein Ego was not present as it had been Viscount Maxwell who had rewarded him - the somewhat archaic title of Lord Lieutenant of the Xyber Lieutenancy, which included the towns Quiro-on-Xyber and Ucitasae.11Please respect copyright.PENANA2n38n0rzYB
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The recipient - who was an image of the son in his mid-forties - kneeled before Maxwell. The Viscount of Worcestershire, Luxequinox and Valerium held the golden ceremonial sword of the High-Exarch of Worcestershire (Who had sent it through the Northeastern Postal Service) to dub him before he would place 11Please respect copyright.PENANAOezyHGiZl4
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"High-Commander Keyno Asclip De Napton of the GNA Lark, I grant you the title of Lord Lieutenant for the Xyber Lieutenancy (Quiro-on-Xyber and Ucitasae) in the subregion of Luxequinox for displaying extraordinary courage in the ongoing Umbracresti rescue in ashfyre reach when you descended into the caldera of the volcano your craft to retrieve the hikers. You may rise."11Please respect copyright.PENANAlgdJrKiTm6
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"I humbly thank the Viscount Maxwell for this honour, maybe a cheeky Rectorship next time?" He joked.11Please respect copyright.PENANAmUvwicOlUm
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"I heard your wife left you for a Tumem Noyan so I sent a letter to my good friend, the Archduke of Umbracrest, asking for help and I think we will both agree that his response was most generous."11Please respect copyright.PENANATWQj7ztTM1
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Vega suddenly found herself next to Jaquce De Napton. "I wonder what the Westerners have sent. Do you have any ideas? You look unique though your sister is prettier." He whispered in her ear. Every crumb of attraction and hormonal awkwardness leached out of her, she found herself feeling disgusted at his shallowness. She brushed him away and stood near her father instead.11Please respect copyright.PENANAUNMKOYFBnw
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*What did I tell you?*11Please respect copyright.PENANAEb9EXkr1dU
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Before Vega could mentally reply to Dawn, a young woman entered. She tried to guess where she was from based on appearances."Cold" Empyreans from the Northwest, North, Northeast, and East (An area once called Empyrea Superior under the Colestis Imperii) typically have a skin tone ranging from very pale to light olive. Lighter hair and eye colours - mainly green, blue and grey - as well as high cheekbones. "Hot" Empyreans from the Southeast, South, Southwest and West (Called Empyrea Inferior under the Colestis Imperii) typically have darker completions due to exposure to more sunlight. Brown, Hazel, or even red eyes are prominent as well as being much more likely to have epicanthic folds.11Please respect copyright.PENANAs5CxJaXeel
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Vega examined the woman. She had pale skin, hazel eyes - shaped like almonds - and straight black hair that was long enough to flow down one shoulder as a wonderful waterfall of glossy black. The signs pointed to her being of mixed heritage, probably Umbracresti-Narcissian. The fact that the Archduke of the Archduchy of Umbracrest himself had sent her meant that she belonged to the House of Westerling.11Please respect copyright.PENANAuBVK4m3kYq
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*The Lady Vega grows more talented at analysis, well done. She is indeed of both western and northeastern ancestry and belongs to the House of Westerling. The question you SHOULD be asking is why she is here!* The wings praised her, the compliment only slightly embittered by the jape at the end.11Please respect copyright.PENANAVV1iS7ng1D
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Lady Vega Calliope Ego was not related to the House of Westerling at all. Despite the strong ties to each other, the two had no blood links whatsoever. It didn't help that her understanding of the Western Region was weak at best.11Please respect copyright.PENANAmWlBxbAENC
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"Keyno, I have the amazing privilege to introduce you to your legal Fiancée, Duchess Vivienne Sophia-Augusta Westerling of Météore and younger sister of the Archduchess of Umbracrest."Maxwell had a sly smile on his face, suggesting that this was planned.11Please respect copyright.PENANArQYyTln6na
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"The House of Westerling? But that-" Began Kenyo, his eyes widening in shock.11Please respect copyright.PENANAJiCQ0xwfME
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"Is the third of the three monarchical families - The Houses of Ego, Estrin and Westerling - in Empyrea? Yes, yes it is." Max said, his sly smile widening further.11Please respect copyright.PENANAYdPU0KIbEV
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"I-"11Please respect copyright.PENANAcHFx3cUKkn
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"Hey, Mr. Kenyo? We are on a tight schedule and I was told you will be honourably discharged from the Grand Fleet after your next deployment ends. I will stay in your home located in Narcester until then, okay?" She interrupted in her melodic voice, possibly classified as a dramatic mezzo-soprano.11Please respect copyright.PENANA5QvgUcKf6i
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The two left, arms linked together. Keyno seemed just as content with the match as his son was uncomfortable with it. Vega knew the feeling of lack of control as a second home. It was Château Powerlessness and she was the lady of the manor. Jaquce`s chiselled jaw clenched tight as he was forced to watch this foreign woman waltz into his father's life and roughly uproot Jacque De Napton from it like a weed. He would be nothing, the son born to nobody, while dear daddy would soon rise from a low-ranking naval officer to the dizzying heights of being the Duke of Météore in addition to being under the cloaking protection of the Archduchess' power in the West.11Please respect copyright.PENANACAQzdI7V3X
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*Her beauty only rubs salt into the wound. Her high position? Even more so. Keep a close on this one, my Lady, he is not trustworthy nor deserving of you.* The Wings told her solemnly.11Please respect copyright.PENANAI8crHO3ann
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On the other side of this smouldering argument, is the one who seemed to gain nothing, Vivienne Sophia-Augusta Westerling. And yet...the deck was stacked in her favour. The marriage would strengthen Narcissian ties to the Archduchy, lend legitimacy to her titles, break her involuntary solitude and bring the full strength of the Grand Narcissian Fleet to her faction, which was presently dominating Umbracresti talks of reunification.11Please respect copyright.PENANASRVkDoEorK
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Umbracrest, Empyrea's western region, had been established in 300 YBP along with Narciss, Aquiloria and Vorantis under a regional government led by the Commissar of the West. The House of Westerling-Ego was a cadet branch of the Narcissian House of Ego, established by the youngest son of Earl Emeric the Cruel, Lord Thallo Ego.11Please respect copyright.PENANAJ8TH2DfeGy
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Archmage Dractse entered the room, spotted Vega and marched up to her with his imposing bodyguard in tow. "My lady! We meet again!" He cried out.11Please respect copyright.PENANAHcylmB6hv7
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Vega had rapidly grown fond of the elderly Archmage, as he had of her. The two had often discussed religion in Empyrea: The faith of the Cerulean Star (Celestialism), Techno-Spiritualism and the Faith of the Æbyss.11Please respect copyright.PENANAoNomjkjVt6
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"Come! I shall teach you about the Cyclites." He boomed.11Please respect copyright.PENANAqfMF9Tlkp8
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Viscount Maxwell did not look particularly amused at this but did nothing to stop his younger daughter from leaving with Dractse.11Please respect copyright.PENANAvofW8i8iS2
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*This is excellent timing. The Triplets are my next targets.*11Please respect copyright.PENANAH4ujIc7TLv
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"Shut up Dawn, you talk an awful lot for a pair of wings." She thought.11Please respect copyright.PENANAr7kNZqVyh4
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