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Baticul is burning. Night hangs heavy over the city, dark plumes of smoke rising into the air as Malkuthian soldiers roam the streets freely, drunk from their victory. The capital city of their greatest enemy had fallen; the war is won.
Even the palace had been breached, its heavy doors blasted apart by a fonic arte. Small groups of soldiers move through the halls, swiftly dispatching the last few pockets of resistance, leaving a trail of crimson in their wake. But the servants and guards of the palace don't interest them: they are after a greater prize. Methodically, they search through every room of the once-grand palace, frustrations mounting as their quarry continues to elude them.
"That damn prince, where is he hiding?" One of them growls, after yet another room yields nothing. Anger crackles in the air as the group of soldiers moves as a pack, heading to the next door, the last one on this particular hallway.
"Locked," someone reports after trying the door.
The fonist of the group scowls, readying an arte. "Explosion!"
The door crumples apart in a burst of flame. The soldiers spill into the room, weapons at the ready.
Even the palace had been breached, its heavy doors blasted apart by a fonic arte. Small groups of soldiers move through the halls, swiftly dispatching the last few pockets of resistance, leaving a trail of crimson in their wake. But the servants and guards of the palace don't interest them: they are after a greater prize. Methodically, they search through every room of the once-grand palace, frustrations mounting as their quarry continues to elude them.
"That damn prince, where is he hiding?" One of them growls, after yet another room yields nothing. Anger crackles in the air as the group of soldiers moves as a pack, heading to the next door, the last one on this particular hallway.
"Locked," someone reports after trying the door.
The fonist of the group scowls, readying an arte. "Explosion!"
The door crumples apart in a burst of flame. The soldiers spill into the room, weapons at the ready.
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It's how he doesn't miss the significance of Jade's mild, pleasant smile. He knows plenty of people that dismiss easy smiles as a sign of a fool, but he isn't one of them. Anyone that can smile such a calm, placid smile in the face of such tension isn't someone he's going to take lightly. Still, his own expression doesn't falter as he answers, filling the silence that the other commander doesn't.
"It came as quite a shock to me as well." He falls silent and listens closely after that, keeping his expression in place but inwardly worrying when 'good faith' is brought up. What the hell is that supposed to mean? He knows a fair amount about Malkuth - more than the average Kimlascan - but the minutiae it's assorted military laws and unspoken rules isn't counted among his knowledge. He'll have to figure it out later.
For now, however, he simply has to play along. Jade's question is met with a gracious nod (Yuzuru has to catch himself before he lets the gesture fall into a proper bow) and the same, unwavering smile.
"Lead the way, Colonel." He doesn't risk trying to order Jade around, but he does make it sound more like they're going on a pleasant stroll, rather than Yuzuru being lead to relative safety with his clothing in tatters.
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(It could be troublesome later on, seeing as he's now surrounded on all sides by an enemy that wants to see him broken and humiliated.)
His men close ranks behind him as he leads the way out of the room, back through the halls of the palace. It's eerily quiet; the last of the fighting had died down. There are more signs of life as they leave the deeper recesses of the palace back towards the more populated halls, where Malkuthian soldiers move back and forth in disciplined ranks, busy converting the palace to a temporary base of operations.
Although Jade is not particularly fond of explanations, he'll inform the captured prince of the situation as they walk. After all, the prince is a valuable captive, and the conventions of war dictate that he be treated with dignity as befits one of his rank.
Conventions that his compatriots seem eager to flout, but Jade had always conducted himself using the law as his guide.
"I'm afraid we'll have to keep you in solitary confinement for the time being, Your Highness. I'll have to confer with my Emperor about your fate, but it's likely that I'll be given custody over you." More military rules, this time concerning prisoners and the spoils of war - finders keepers, to use the colloquial term.
"I hope that is acceptable to you." Not that he has a choice.