Queen Cehlana nods, and glances over at Sephrenia. "That's why you called the power dangerous."

"There were at least four reasons that Arkady mentioned, your Highness," points out Seprenia. "I meant all of them."

The Queen nods. "So, for the sake of safety, should the three of them be split up and hidden?"

"In most circumstances," says Sephrenia, "I would agree. However, in this particular case - the Blue Rose is one of very, very few weapons that can be used to kill a god. Specifically, Azash."

Arkady sighs. "I knew somebody was going to say that." He simply looks at Sir Vanire.

Oh, and is Piper still somehow behind him?

"I can see that I'm going to have to organise an expedition into Zemoch to do this," nods Vanire. He is standing right next to the Queen; Arkady barely needs to turn his head to look at Vanire, which means that there is absolutely nothing odd about the idea that Piper is, indeed, still behind him.

Arkady closes himself off again and glances over his shoulder. "Piper?"

Oh, and what happened to the swords of the dead knights?

Piper looks up at Arkady with an air of cherubic innocence. "Yes?"

Arkady didn't notice it at the time, due to being somewhat distracted by the Queen, but when he looks at the various knights round the Queen he will see that four of them are holding two swords each. One presumes that the dead knights passed their swords over to their living brethren before vanishing.

He asks her: "Would you be helping to get rid of a statue that happens to be in Zemoch?"

Piper sighs, and frowns. "I might have to," she concedes, in the same tone of voice as a small child admitting that she might have to do her chores.

Arkady nods. "I know the feeling." He looks at the other Terrans, then turns back to the crowd around the Queen. "I am thinking the Terrans will help; but since our instructions include not overthrowing governments or involving our people in any wars, we will need to return home and discuss the matter." He shrugs and half grins: "Of course, returning home with our new lease won't hurt our credibility. But it isn't our decision to make."

"Something to discuss," Felix says. Felix is pretty sure the original terms of the agreement included a call to arms stipulation.

"Indeed," nods the Queen. "Once I've been bought up to date on the details of the current agreement, we can discuss how and whether it should be modified." She gives the hand she shook with Platime a rueful look. "...given the assassination risk, and the power that they guard, I would like to propose that each of the rings be currently held by a different Pandion Knight; Sparhawk for one, and Vanire the other. The rest of the details can be worked out once I've had a chance to catch up. And wash my hands."

Arkady offers the rings to those two knights, then picks up the case with the Rose. "Of course, your highness. You've had a long...day. Should we wait nearby?"

Felix is more than fine with waiting nearby.

"You're welcome to work with the Pandions and my new head of security to secure the Palace, if you'd like. Or you could just sit about and wait... in the meantime. Sir Sparhawk. As my protector and champion, and under the circumstances that my palace is not as secure as it should be, you are required not to let me out of your sight at all, for any reason, is that right?"

"Indeed, your Majesty," says Sir Sparhawk, with a slight bow.

"Excellent," smiles the Queen. "Accompany me, then. I'm going to have a bath."

...well. No prizes for guessing who the Queen had been planning to kiss when she awoke from her imprisonment on the Diamond Throne.

After they go, Arkady comments: "I think that was the last time I will be mistaken for Sir Sparhawk." He shakes his head, then looks at Platime: "Where we come from, Barratry is when the ships officers rebel against the captain. Would that change the list of what you just got pardoned for?"

Platime considers it, then shakes his head. "I don't think so. If I want to have a Captain killed, I'll generally do it on shore when he's drunk and hasn't recovered his land legs yet, not at sea when he's in his element."