King Alan smiled at their guests. "Welcome to the latest kings' convergence meeting for the Joined Kingdoms, Knights." They nodded back. He looked around. "Do you know everyone here?"
"Barely," Knight Widow said.
"I'm King Alan. I'm in charge of the meetings because I've been in my seat the longest. This is King Horatio, King Mac and his wife Queen Stella, that is Consort Genjo and his spouse is somewhere?" he asked dryly.
"Someone found a new dragon," he said dryly. "The new military person panicked so Xander went to find it and send it off or shoot it if he must. The generals wanted to talk to him anyway about the losses due to the demons. Plus the lack of higher beings like diplomats." He looked over. "Xander has changed the military in useful ways so they're more peaceful but they're still scared of his temper."
Prince Thor smiled but nodded. "He seems to have one."
Alan nodded. "Sometimes but usually only when he has to or someone screws with him. That's how he took out his stepfather." He pointed. "This is King Pelgar. This is Princess Reid, standing in for King Aaron since he was already here. This is Princess Anna of King Paul's kingdom because they're in disarray thanks to the demons. This is ...I don't remember which Sanzo you are," he told them.
"I'm Priest Toren," he said with a nod for everyone. "Our king and queen are both very busy making sure the demons did not bother us overly well." He looked at the consort at the other end of the table. "I have letters for you."
"Thank you. It saves the messengers a lot of work." Alan smirked. "We have a lot of mail coming from my people to others since they do like to write." The priest smothered a smirk at him. They all heard screaming and he sighed, getting up and going to the door. "I know the king's handling a dragon but why is there screaming *this* time?" he demanded quietly.
"There's a beast in the gardens!" a maid shrieked.
Genjo sighed but went to look then looked at her. "She's a human, not a beast, and if you consider people who are different that wrong we can replace you when we replace those that had been possessed." She stomped off crying. He looked at the young woman. "She's stupid," he said.
She smiled. "It figures. I did have the huge feathered thing up to look through it." She pointed.
Genjo looked at it then at her. "I don't want to know what his stepfather thought that was for. Do you or the engineers need any help?"
"No, Consort Sanzo. Thank you for the offer. Do you need Charlie back?"
"If he wishes. Is my stepdaughter out there?"
"In the barn the last we knew."
"She is mad over her horse." He walked off shaking his head. He went back into the meeting room. He let Buffy in as well. "She had a feathered telescope looking thing." He sat down with a huff of irritation. "Amellisame's in the barn and they offered to send up Charlie if you wanted, Alan."
"I'm shocked she's not with him," he admitted. "Huh." He smiled. "Feeling better, Buffy?"
"Much. Thank you for letting me rest." She settled into a seat, smiling at the knights. "Welcome to our meetings to complain about things and figure out what Xander, Dean, Sam, or John are fighting this time." Stella burst out laughing but nodded.
"Sometimes we meet to hear the end of that issue," Alan said. He looked at the others. "Dean, did your request go all right? Any complications?"
"We ran into a few possessed guards," Sam said. "But Dean banished them with his banishing gun. The house the hole was in is a bit of a problem."
Dean nodded. "The house had a ton of ghosts. Including our mother. She said she had been sent to do the same thing right after Sammy was born." Alan looked horrified. "I haven't been able to ask Dad yet, but she didn't say it was the exact same reason."
"Oh, dear," Alan said. "So it could've been just a specific demon or it could've been more?"
"The demon menace in our kingdom has been there forever," Sam said. "We figured on the ride here that it had to be a specific demon instead of a general problem. We have no idea if Dad would know or not. It's said she disappeared right after putting me down for the night. We were told she died in a fire."
Alan nodded once. "All right. That's interesting to note. Have you three talked to Xander yet?"
Genjo looked at Dean. "We saw Michael," he said quietly. "And Uriel."
"So did we," Sam agreed with a nod.
Dean nodded too. "Is that what Xander wanted to talk to Cas about?" Genjo nodded. "Yeah, we saw him too."
"I don't know why," Sam admitted. "We didn't get much from them outside the fact they wanted Dean to join them."
"They thought I'd be a great host to fight the demons," Dean said. "I don't know *why*. I thought I was pretty damn good at it already."
"Maybe they thought you could carry some sort of gift from their line since you're mated to Cas," Horatio said, looking thoughtful. "The one that possessed me had ideas about taking out Xander but nothing else."
Dean nodded. "He's a roadblock that could become complicated," he agreed.
"Would you want to go against Xander?" Mac asked him.
"No," Horatio agreed, smiling at his friend. "Not really. I'm very glad Xander didn't turn out like his stepfather. He would've managed what Tony didn't. We'd all be his higher level nobles."
"He could use some," Genjo said. "And diplomats." Someone else screamed. "Do not make me come out there!" he yelled. The screaming stopped and babbling started. He tipped his head to listen. "Hakkai has it." He rolled his eyes. "This palace is much more lively than ours," he told the staring priest from his people.
"I can see that. Plus less decorated."
"His stepfather destroyed all the decorations," Jethro said. "Supposedly there were hidden assassins behind them all."
"He was drunk," Genjo said. "Xander told me he had food poisoning on top of his usual drinking habit."
Stella shook her head. "I'm happy he never did more than leer at me so I didn't have to beat his ass for him." Mac scowled at her. "The one time he had me hostage, he wasn't local for more than a day."
"I know. That's why we got there then. Or else you would've been a hostage for another week."
She smiled, kissing him on the cheek. "Thank you, Mac."
"Welcome, Stella."
Alan and Horatio went 'awww' with Dean. She smirked at them. "Dean, you and Cas can be that cute too."
"He hates to even hold hands in public," he shot back with a grin. "We're only that cute at home in private."
At the new screaming Genjo sighed and got up, stomping out there. "What the fuck, people!" he shouted. "We are trying to have a meeting." That same maid broke out crying and ran from the room. He looked the guards. "Well?"
"The crown prince tried to bring her horse inside," one of the guards said. "She wanted to get him something special from the kitchen."
"Horses are only allowed in the castle if there's an attack," he told Amellisame. "And the kitchen has an outer door in the gardens." She smirked and waved. "Go get Charlie and come to the meeting. That way you're bored as punishment." She laughed but ran off. He looked at the guard. "I can tell you're possessed."
"Not that kind," he said dryly with a smirk.
"If you touch her, Xander's going to find you."
"We don't want to touch her. We're hoping she keeps things steady. We're just watching what's going on." Genjo pulled his banishing gun and shot him.
Amellisame walked in with Charlie. "That's why I made the maid scream, because he had those same gross looking eyes."
"Good idea, tell us next time." He pointed. "We're holding a meeting, Charlie. They don't even have calling stations."
"That's interesting. Maybe they have ideas we don't." He walked in there with her. "Genjo found another black eyed demon and banished it," he announced. She had the maid scream to draw him out." He sat down and she curled into his lap. "You're being very good."
"Thank you." She smiled. "My boy Cougar is very happy that he got carrots and things. He's been a good boy just like Uncle Ian said he could be."
"He has been, yeah," Dean agreed. "Impala's probably really happy with how good of a boy he is, Ami." She smiled. "Your dad back yet?"
"Nope."
Alan looked at her. "We're among other people, including visitors," he said quietly. "Use more formal language."
"Yes, Uncle Alan."
"Thank you, dear." He smiled at the others. "I'm fostering her because it's too dangerous for her to be with her father all the time."
"We get that fully," Knight Hawkeye said. "Any kid around us stays with their other parent." He pointed at Scott.
Buffy smiled at them. "Some day my kids will run up to Alan to teach them things like manners too. I didn't learn enough from my mother. I realized that yesterday." She frowned but let it clear up. "Alan, maybe you should set up a real prince and princess academy to teach them how to rule things. I liked ours for all the dancing lessons and it not being too hard to learn things at but you do it so much better. You proved it with Don and Amellisame. We consider Charlie special like a healer or a doctor so we let him be in his own special category."
"I'm a healer too," Amellisame said dryly. "I'm still going to be a good queen, Queen Buffy. Though, you're right, he's very good at teaching me how to do that."
"Maybe when I retire and let Don handle things, dear," Alan said, patting her on the head.
"Better not be for years yet," Don said dryly. "I don't want your seat yet, Dad."
"I'll retire in five years unless I have grandkids to show the right way, boys." He smirked at his elder son. "I'll let Charlie slide on that because Ian hasn't found a nice surrogate yet. You...." He smirked.
"Damn it," Don muttered.
Jethro looked down at him. "If you still want Tony as a spouse, we'll send a few surrogate candidates. Abby's doing the same bouncing in waiting for grandchildren."
"Cas and I both said we'd train any kids in how to protect themselves and fight," Dean said with a smile for him.
"I'd help Charlie teach them things academically and Xander would teach them a lot too," Sam quipped.
Don looked at him. Then he shook his head with a sigh, looking at Charlie. "When is your husband finding you a surrogate?"
"When I'm out of school," he said smugly. "You're older, Don."
Don muttered something under his breath. "Gee, thanks, Chuck."
"Welcome." He hugged the little prince. "Buffy, any luck since we're on dating things?"
"Not a bit. My last one was dangerous and nice to me but I was told repeatedly he was not consort material and some of my nobles ran him off."
"You were dating a guy named Spike," Stella said. "Of course they did, Buffy."
"No one has any cute, nice, good enough cousins to introduce me to." She shrugged. "He was there. Sam's too brainy for me, and so is Jethro's other son Timmy. Alan doesn't have any more kids."
"We have a half-brother," Dean said. "We can introduce you."
"He was involved and taken over," Genjo said then coughed. "Someone reported they're still trying to get him free. He's tied up in a temple up country in yours."
Dean nodded with a sigh. "That figures. Something about this family does draw them. We don't even have the same reason as Xander and they still come."
"Well, a lot of his people did breed into your kingdom," Horatio quipped with an evil smirk for them. "It could be back somewhere in the lines."
"Probably," Sam agreed. "We'll figure it out some year." Dean nodded at that. Castiel and Xander walked in together. "You guys okay?"
"Dragon got sent back," Xander reported. "Before she did more than start to build a nest." Alan winced. "She's heading toward Buffy's kingdom and I paused to fire call them that she was nesting so probably wouldn't bother much. She just couldn't nest in the city center around the statue." He sat down, looking at his mate. "Everything okay?"
"Bit of screaming but otherwise only one demon and he said he was watching things because he didn't want to face you down."
"Good. I'd like a vacation from beating demons." He looked at Castiel. They had talked on the ride to the dragon. Then waved at his little girl. "Want to come sit with me?"
"Nope. You're dirty, Dad. You need to bathe and change clothes. There's visitors you know."
"They saw me the first time stomping in to capture their idiot alchemist, dear. They know I'm not the polite sort I hope you turn into." She grinned.
Alan nodded. "She does a good job, Xander. She's a great little girl." Xander smiled at him for it. "She suggested I set up a way to train any future prince and princesses from any of us."
"We'll have some with a surrogate soon," Xander quipped. "But she'll have custody with the nanny because I'd ruin a kid. They'd turn into Dean."
"I'd be teaching them meditation and things that may ruin their fun years," Genjo agreed. "I don't understand children anyway. Goku might become attached to them and not give them up."
Amellisame looked up and shook her head with a sigh. "Goddess save me from drama," she muttered then looked at her stepparent. "Stepmommy, you do okay with me." She smiled. "Goku's neat but he'd never understand teenage girls so you'd be safe then. Just have another one for him to play with." She stared at him.
He gave her a slightly evil look. "I thought I told you to call me step*father*, Amilisame."
"You did." She smiled. "But you're being a big old girl like Auntie Stella's cousin is."
Stella snickered, nodding. "She's married to a Sanzo." Mac groaned but nodded the kid was right.
"At least she didn't say you were like the one we hosted the wedding for, dear," Xander quipped, trying not to smile. He had to duck the fan but Genjo hit him anyway. "Ow! Mean!"
"Good. You deserve it." He sighed, looking at Alan, then at Stella. "I know the one she speaks of. It's nice her husband tempered her dramatic tendencies before he presented her at our court. My father would never understand and my mother may faint from the drama." She burst out laughing but nodded harder.
"People," Pelgar complained.
"Sorry," Xander quipped. "We needed some levity after the last few months. It's this or a good old fashioned pagan celebration in the woods." Pelgar blushed, shaking his head.
Stella smiled at her spouse, who smirked back. "We have one of those coming up."
"If we leave tomorrow we can get back there in time for it, barely."
"That's nice." She looked at the others. "Okay. Any new revelations?"
"Two things," Xander said. "Yes, the pleas worked. They have to hold off for three generations." Dean looked up and said a silent 'thank you'. "Castiel and I talked. It is not the same thing that got your mother, Dean. That was about wanting Sam as a sacrifice." Sam leaned closer, staring at him. "Apparently there's a prophecy of you being the perfect sacrifice to start off a major demonic coming back event. We found this out when Elizabeth showed up in semi-ghostly form on the road. So your mom was saving you from the demon coming for you. That related back to wanting that she mentioned this time."
"Oh, that's nice," he said, staring at Castiel, who nodded. "Can they still come?"
"We're not sure," Castiel admitted. "She wasn't sure. We do know that they'd have to take you and physically sacrifice you."
"So, hey, if you're snatched you'll be saved really fast," Buffy quipped.
"The house with the hole up by us burned," Dean said. "After we made our plea it released most of the ghosts and they burned the house with them in it."
"That demon is high but not as high as that third one that showed up for both of ours," Xander told him. "That one was guy in charge demon."
"Okay," Dean agreed. "Is he after my little brother?"
"No. He's got ideas but they hinge on us not being there to stop him."
"Ah! Good." He smiled a bit and nodded. "Can we beat him?"
"If someone can forge a new demon killing weapon," Xander said. "Like the trio's weapons only more our style." Dean stared, licking his lips. "We had one. It's empty. Your father had it hidden around here somewhere."
"Shit."
"It was a banishing gun with special bullets."
"Super shit," Dean muttered.
"If we can make a new one somehow, we can help. Genjo's guards weapons will be passed on once they're too old and trained someone." Genjo nodded at that. "His scroll passes on to the next anointed one. So we just have to get our kids some."
Dean nodded at that, looking at his brother then at Castiel. "You guys have a lot of really good craftsmen."
"We do," he agreed. "Some of ours worked with some of the ones in Sanzo's kingdom to make those three's weapons."
Genjo sat up. "All we knew is they were given them from a special temple. Not anything on their making."
"I wrote to them to see if they knew anything about them," Xander said. "They sent a book." Passing books for information was a habit that the Sanzo kingdom had that many thought was annoying but Xander had all them copied anyway just in case someone in the future needed them.
"I have the book right now," Castiel told Dean.
"So, future need, somewhat needed soon, is a special weapon being made," he decided. Xander held up two fingers. "Two. Yeah. Your future grandchildren will probably need one."
"When she's old enough to need them, she's getting my guns," Xander said. "That way she can shoot any boys that want to bother her."
Alan coughed, staring at him. "She's already learning with the guards, Xander."
"Yeah but there are slimy assholes in the Ascelpian kingdom who would want to practice their anatomy lessons on her. I don't want her to find herself with one and not be able to ruin their chances as a great doctor, Alan."
"Which is why I have her training with the guards, Xander." He stared at him. "She'll be fine. You can teach her how to shoot if you want but she won't need a huge weapons cache over there. They're used to princes and princesses with gifts showing up."
"Fine." He pouted a bit at his little girl.
"Of course I'll learn how to shoot but I'm only bringing a trunk with me to their academy. Princess Gregory said that's all you could bring. I won't need many formal clothes though so that'll save room in the trunk. Ballgowns take up *way* too much space."
"Yes they do," Buffy agreed with a nod. "I have a few that Mom never got to wear in my closet and it takes up half of it." She looked at Stella. "We're having a founding anniversary coming up."
"Your mother threw a ball for that every decade," she said.
"Oh. How do I do that?" she asked.
"We'll go over it," Stella promised. "Half of it your people would have to do for you." She smiled. "That way you don't have to hand write invitations. I learned that lesson after my wedding."
Mac nodded. "I couldn't feel my hand for a week after my few. I'm very happy my majordomo does mine."
"I need a new one," Xander said. "But we only throw the three balls a year." He frowned, looking at his consort.
"Sixteen weeks," he said without having to see the confused look. "They've already got them done."
"Thanks, dear."
"Welcome." He looked at Sam. "Are you my assistant and his diplomat again?"
"I can be if Dean doesn't need me."
"You're one we send out for that," Stella said. "We send out Xander for anything harder than diplomatic. We send you, Abby, or Castiel on other diplomatic things depending on who they are."
"We do support each other's kingdoms very well," Pelgar said. "Who is that little kingdom in the sea that we have trade arrangements with?"
"King Steve," Xander said. "He's very nice, a warrior, their kingdom doesn't have the prince curse, and our surrogate came from there."
He nodded once. "That's nice. His spouse?"
"Consort Danny and he's from Mac's kingdom," Genjo said. "Very nice man most of the time. Has sense, unlike Xander and Steve. Has a daughter that Amilisame writes to."
"Ah. Good."
"I have a trade deal with him for some flowers that are hugely stinky but pretty," Buffy said with a smile for him. "They keep bugs out of the house when you plant them under windows."
"Interesting. Don't you have glass windows?"
"Yes but we open them for breeze during hot times and the flowers keep the bugs out."
"Reasonable. Princess Charlie, when are your sort going to create something to cool rooms?"
"We have fans but they need turned like the older fire spits," he said. "We're trying to update them so they don't need turned."
"Good. Let us know please."
"Of course."
"Thank you." He smiled at Alan. "It's good that your son is such a credit to your kingdom."
"He is. I'm really proud of Charlie and his mind." He smiled at his son then at Pelgar again. "He's helped Amilisame learn a lot as well. She'll be very smart when she goes to her healing training."
"Do we allow healers to be queens?" he asked.
"King Aaron never had it stop him," Princess Reid said dryly. "Nor do the rest of us."
"Yes, but she's a healer, not a doctor," he said. He looked at Xander.
"That's up to her. We have plans on about three other heirs," he said. "If she desires to stay a healer instead, that's her choice to make when she's old enough and if the crown hits her head."
"Would the healing duties get in the way?"
"Princess Gregory only sees people maybe two days a week," Genjo said. "I doubt she'll be doing more than that as our country's healer."
"Excellent then. I hope she'll be a credit to your real lineage, Xander."
"Me too. There weren't many healers in the family but her mom's had a few." He shrugged. "I'm just happy she's not a sorcerer."
"Me too," Amilisame said dryly. "That'd suck." The visiting knights all cracked up at that.
"If so, maybe some of our kingdom's lesser nobles would be nice to you," Dean said.
"Uncle Dean, I'm not ready for boys yet or babies. I won't be ready for them until well after I'm out of my training. Even then I might not be ready for babies. That'd be a problem for them so ask me when I'm old enough for them?"
"I can do that," he promised. He grinned at her. "Are you coming to us next summer?"
"Don't know. Am I supposed to?" she asked, looking at Alan.
"If you want. We're doing a diplomatic visit them over the usual trade treaties we renew every five years. It usually takes a month."
"Okay, I can go on that. I can train with you guys then."
"That'll be cool and I'll teach you how to shoot so your dad doesn't have to."
"Okay." She smiled at him then at her dad. "Right?"
"Yeah, that's fine, dear. If you want Dean to teach you stuff, I'm with that. He's good at it."
"Cool." She smiled, getting off Charlie to hug Dean then her father. "I'm still learning stuff from you." She hurried back to Charlie's lap to cuddle him. "You need cuddles since Ian's not here."
"He's guarding the academy," he agreed.
"Did the demons bother you?" Xander asked.
"No. They were probably scared of what they'd do since we were having exams then. We were all tired and cranky for the last few weeks." Alan winced.
"I wouldn't want to invade then either," Sam agreed. "All the giant thinkers would get mean."
Charlie nodded with a grin. "Speaking of, they wanted to know what your stepfather was thinking, Xander."
"I have no idea but I'll try."
"Thanks. There's some weird things out there, like the metal centaur female."
"He was probably trying to lure one to torture," Dean said dryly.
"Probably," Xander agreed. "Or trying to capture seed. He was demon tainted."
"Maybe," Dean agreed.
"Actually, with some rites, that is possible," Castiel said. "I'd have to see his journal to make sure."
"He was barely literate," Xander said. "He burned half the library one night when he decided he was cold." Castiel and Genjo both moaned and Charlie whimpered. "We saved a lot of them but they're in the damaged room," he told them.
"I know someone who'd adore to come restore some," Charlie said. "I'll send for him tonight. He won't even need more than a helper, room, food, and someone to make sure he eats occasionally."
Xander looked at Genjo, who nodded. "We can probably do that," Genjo agreed. Charlie smiled and nodded, getting up to go call them after looking in the damaged area of the library. It was a huge room. That guy was going to go nuts.
"Thank you for giving so many of his classmates projects. They've been looking for some," Alan said.
Don groaned. "They'll never give up now."
"They fixed the siege engine carriage," Xander said with a grin. "It got stuck when they looked at it."
Don nodded, looking at him. "How many failed projects do you have stored?"
"He had ideas. I had a few ideas but mine are handy usually."
"That large, gray barn?" Genjo told him. "It's full of his stepfather's former ideas. Xander's are in a small corner room of it." Don groaned again but nodded. Alan was trying not to smile.
"We wanted to look at some of the demon hunting gear," Castiel said. He looked at Dean.
"We can do that after the meeting."
Alan nodded, bringing it back to the point at hand. Princess Reid had a note about the bards in his kingdom but Xander told him how to give the bards information the easiest way. They had someone here who could do that for them. Aaron was giving the bards funny looks again.
***
Xander smiled as the visiting knights walked into his office. "Give me two minutes. It's a request from someone." He went back to reading the scroll, grimacing. "That's not a great idea but we can change it." He made his notes on the bottom and rang a bell. "For the waiting guy who owns the inn," he told the page, handing it over. "If he can't read my handwriting yet again he can ask me tomorrow after petitions." The page nodded and left. Xander waved a hand. "Sit, people. I'm not the formal, stuffy king like Pelgar is."
"Are all the meetings that way?" Scott asked.
"No," Xander said. "Some are a lot more tense. That was mostly stress relief. We all needed some considering how many of them got possessed."
"I can see why that happens," Widow said. She looked around the room then at him. "You do good for not being a warlord."
"My relatives weren't warlords until my stepfather. Way back at the beginning of the line there were mages. Then we took over an area and protected it, and gradually built up a kingdom. Then it shrank a lot as others decided they wanted to be their own people and our lines got too big. Right now our borders are about where they were in my great-grandfather's time. I looked it up and adjusted it to put it on some rivers for ease of the border."
"After you killed your stepfather?" Knight Widow asked.
"Before. I went behind his back to start peace treaties with everyone once I was a teenager and had the skills to do that. They all agreed, my stepfather had to go first, but my older half-brother was the same sort of imbecile his father was. Thankfully he died before the stepfather was overthrown." He smiled. "I made sure he suffered as he did to others. Then we found out he played with demons."
"What happened to the rulers in the area where that gateway is?" Thor asked.
Xander grimaced. "Their princess. She was lured into magical abuse by my stepfather. We found that out after we went to take out the sorceress that had taken out her family and replaced them with zombies." Thor grimaced. "She had me repoisoned with something at the suggestion of an alchemist. She had caused other problems. She sent some demons after her arranged mate, we're still not sure why since it was a succuba."
Thor nodded. "So she caused harm."
"She caused a lot of harm. We in the kings' convergence decided she had caused too much harm. We went down there to capture her for trial. And to save her girlfriend of the moment. She's with the coven in King Aaron's land because she wasn't involved in any of that. That's when we found out her parents were zombies and half the castle was infected with demons. That led us to finding out my stepfather played with them." Xander looked at him. "Seriously bad story over all but that's the highlights."
Thor nodded. "That is a good reason," he said. "Who takes care of it now?"
"We split up the former kingdom to the ones around it. We used the former castle as the center point of the split. It was a crossroads anyway. She only had a few cousins and they were either not suitable due to problems, because she had one nutty aunt that was talking to her plants like they could be her lovers, and a cousin who was a nun in a temple but she took a vow of not talking to get away from us telling her about her cousin."
"So your group broke it up fairly," Hawkeye said. Xander nodded. "Did you know her before then?"
"A long semester at a princess academy. She and Buffy were closer friends. Willow said she had some care for her people and she was proving it somewhat but her spells gave Buffy's mother brain cancer." They all winced. Thor shook his head with a sigh as well. "So, no. This was after the huge demon battle my consort was preordained to handle. That really most of us jumped into as well."
Widow nodded. "I have heard minor things about it but it was a well fought battle."
Xander nodded. "I snuck over with a lot of the military. Four guys with special weapons can't take on thousands of demons. John was there, me and Sam traveled together. Castiel showed up to be with Dean about halfway through. Buffy was there. Don was there."
"Do you often have to deal with demons?" Scott asked.
"Not really. Now and then they make a move. Dean deals with a lot more than we do but in this kingdom we have a few extra thanks to King John cursing my stepfather." He smirked a tiny bit. "That was his way of paying my stepfather back for being a drunken ass. We had to take one out of the crown the day of my coronation."
Scott laughed. "That's gotta suck."
"Yes it does. Thankfully Sam, Dean, and John were all there that day," he finished dryly. "John and I aren't friends but we're friendly. Frankly, since John got me poisoned the first time, I'm not real happy with him. That and he's kind of an ass when he wants to be, especially to his sons. I like his sons a lot more than I do John."
"You do lead a much more hectic life than we do," Hawkeye said.
Xander smiled. "It's all the wacky that happens up here in the Joined Kingdoms. Genjo's family has time to meditate each day for hours on end. I don't know how unless they don't deal with a lot of real people petitions. Alan only has to deal with a few things a week. Horatio and Mac have a few problems with illegals and criminals showing up from other countries and the head family does hunt them down to find them with their guards. John mostly stomps around his castle grumping and missing his former wife. Me, I still take self defense practice with my guards and work on the horses for the military."
"That's wise," Widow agreed. "Because people could attack you for your stepfather."
"Which is why my daughter sometimes calls Alan daddy. It's safer for her and to be honest, she's doing better up there than she would down here. He's used to really smart kids. I'm used to really smart assed kids. She's about halfway in between sometimes."
Thor smiled. "She's delightful."
"Thank you but I can't claim most of that. She's been with Alan since she was about four and I overthrew my stepfather. She had been in a cell downstairs. He didn't realize who she was, but her stepmother was my tutor and her actual mother was my tutor."
Thor nodded. "Things can happen when a bad ruler appears."
"Yes they can. Including hangover flags to warn people," Xander agreed with a grimace. "I still have to have someone go pack up his enclosure out there." He made a note to send out. He looked at them. "Sorry."
"It happens," Hawkeye said. "Is it really safe up here?"
"Most of the time, yes. We haven't had a lot of problems, even from the demons. Abby had some that showed up to dance with her. Buffy killed a few in her castle. John's kingdom has half of them it seems. We've had some incursions but otherwise not really a lot of problems. We had a problem with people wanting my stepfather back. We had a problem with people wanting the power from me. They lost of course. We haven't had too many problems. We had a boring year until the demons popped up."
They nodded. "We would like to set up friendly relations," Thor said.
"Sure, we're all for treaties and trade agreements." He smiled. "Sam handles a lot of those for everyone. He's got the mind for it." He leaned on his elbows on the desk. "What sort of treaty?"
"Just a peace one for now," Hawkeye said. "Though we've heard you offered to take in refugees?"
"I have. Not only because it's the humane thing to do but because a lot of the people this far north could really use learning about others and maybe even learning to like them so there's new blood in the kingdom. We've started a farmer switch with a few areas but if more people wanted to come join us we're not against that. Even if we didn't need the new blood, I still would've offered. I've seen how wars affect areas. I hate seeing how normal people are affected by horrifying things. It's one reason why I never wanted to be a warlord."
Widow smiled but nodded. "That's a humane thing and a reasonable thing." She shifted to cross her feet. "We may not mind a switch. Though your people do rely more on magic than machines as we do."
"We have machines. That varies by area. Genjo's people don't hardly have any machines to do anything outside of time pieces. We have a lot more. Alan has a lot, mostly thanks to Charlie. Dean's...not as much but they have a lot to run things that you never see."
"We can understand how Alan's kingdom does," Scott said. "We have Stark for that."
Xander smiled. "I heard from his former instructors."
"We have to deal with them now and then," Widow admitted. She looked at the others then at him. "Our...arguments are not fully done with yet."
Xander nodded. "Civil wars never are. There's always people who get stuck in the past." She nodded. "We still welcome anyone who wants to move this way. Land's cheap. Villages are nice. Mac's kingdom has some in the mountains. Stella's family has a lot of fishing ones. We have a lot of farms around here but we barely have some hills. Pelgar..." He winced. "We're not friends. Or really more than polite. Or with the Roshmathen family."
"We saw that," she agreed. "Is it going to a war?"
"No. I won't let it come to a war or if they try, I'll stomp it. One of those two tried to claim things that my stepfather took as ransom for certain family members of the others in the meeting. Even though we had proof they belonged to others. She got all huffy about that and about who I am. We corrected her on who I am. Her diplomat demanded we dig up my grandfather to do another paternity test." She winced. "We trade with them."
"Understood," Thor agreed. "We are not against our people coming up here to get out of the strife."
"Some of our cities are a bit crowded," Scott said. "Especially with some buildings being destroyed during a battle."
"We'd love to host people, temporarily or permanently. We give bards half priced rooms in this kingdom. King Aaron just hosted their bi-yearly bards convention. Buffy likes the bards because ours spreads news and concerns." They nodded. "Our main cities aren't as large as yours was. Outside Mac's main city or possibly Horatio's. He's had some growth recently due to one of Stella's family's islands having a natural wave disaster that took out half the island. They were closer to his country than Mac's. We'd all pretty well welcome new people. Yours aren't that far off what ours are like so they shouldn't have a lot of shock. We can easily work out agreements while everyone's here. I can summon Alan if you want."
"Please," she said. "For the morning?" He nodded, ringing the same bell to get a page. He handed over both notes. "Thank you."
Xander smiled, writing the names on the folded over papers. "For them tonight please."
"Yes, Sire." He hurried off with them, going to King Alan first since he was planning on leaving in the morning. "Sire," he said while knocking. "Message from King Xander." Alan's son Charlie took it with a smile, giving him a tip. The page smiled and ran off to the other one.
Charlie looked at it. "They're wanting to make a refugee agreement."
"We have everyone here but Horatio," he said, considering it. "Go tell the others and we'll let Mac decide for Horatio. He's allowed that before and he's had a lot of refugees recently." Charlie went to do that. Alan smiled, relaxing in his chair again. Amellisame was in her own bed again. Hopefully it'd be a peaceful night.
***
The knights made it home a few days later. They had borrowed a carriage to the docks in King Mac's lands and had rested the whole way back. They walked into their ruling room and nodded at the two generals glaring at each other from ends of the table. Thor put down his hammer extra hard on the table, looking at them. "We had an eventful meeting after the excellent battle."
General Rogers looked at him. "We got the message saying you were doing diplomatic things. Did it go well?" He sat down.
Stark glared at them. "What took you so long?"
"After the battle, we had to travel back for their kings' convergence," Knight Hawkeye said. "Plus stay for a royal funeral." Stark grimaced but nodded. "But it was good seeing how they worked."
"They do have agreements in place, they are mostly friendly," Knight Widow said. "And they're actually very nice people to work with." She took her seat at the table. Thor took his seat then Scott and Hawkeye since they had to walk halfway around it to sit. "The Joined Kingdoms, which is not all of them on that continent but a great many up to the upper mountain range, all have a convergence of kings. They meet routinely to work out any problems, work on treaties, bring up problems, and to nag Xander about demons." Steve grimaced. "They're not native to his kingdom but he is one of the kings they rely on to be more militant if necessary."
Scott nodded. "He's stepped back from his stepfather's former ways to a less military oriented country but they keep in battle readiness if anyone needs their help. Xander's treaties with the others promise military help if they need it."
"As we saw when the nearest kingdom asked," Stark agreed.
"That would be King Mac. His wife, Queen Stella, is from those fisher folk with those islands," Scott said. "She's a pisser. Seriously smart, funny, kind, and hot."
Knight Widow smiled and nodded. "She is and a good role model for the only young prince we know about being in existence." She looked at the two generals again. "Most of the other children were older."
General Rogers considered it. "So like our ruling council only theirs are multiple kingdoms and they make joint decisions about problems." She nodded. "Are they settled?"
"Very. The convergence has been going on for over two hundred years. It even lasted while Xander's stepfather was rampaging around as a warlord. Thankfully Xander had sense as a younger teen and made treaties for when he overthrew his stepfather."
"Great," General Stark agreed. "Anything good that we can use in case we need it?"
"We're not that dumb," Knight Hawkeye said. "Because if we attack one of them, then they all show up to help. Just like with that one battle in the west we heard about? It was Consort Genjo's ordained battle and everyone showed up. Including King Xander from a sick bed where he had just healed somewhat from a coma." Stark winced. "Though the little prince was cute."
"She was," Scott agreed, grinning at him. "Really adorable. I'm going to let Cassie start to write her." He looked at Stark then at Rogers. "They have differences. A few of them hate a few others. They're socially sniping at each other during meetings. They'll still defend each other. Even without a treaty."
General Rogers nodded. "That sounds healthy of them. Did we work on any agreements?"
"Yes," Knight Widow said.
"As many of ours need new blood, so do they," Thor said. "We worked out a refugee treaty and relocation plan if some want to travel that way instead to get away from the damage and battles. Almost all of the kingdoms would welcome them and we have information on what each kingdom is like. The Sanzo kingdom is fairly...uptight."
"A little less sour than the Angelican kingdom," Hawkeye agreed. "They're the ones that used to be worshiped as angels in the far distant past. They're why the demons caused problems up there."
"The Sanzo kingdom is the temple out by the far docks's people," Scott said with a point in that direction. "They also don't like to call each other, they just write. Which is why Amilisame writes so well, she was writing her stepfather."
"They know a lot about other kingdoms," Knight Widow said. "Including that island country off to the south west, King Steve's lands. They have treaties with him for fruit and flower products. Plus the flowers Queen Buffy likes because it keeps bugs out of the house. When he was captured by a sorceress, someone asked Queen Stella to send help so she sent King Xander."
General Stark grimaced. "All that way?"
"Yes," Thor said. "A bit of a ride and a ship but they freed him and worked out multiple treaties so others wouldn't have to travel. Then Princess Sam handled the rest with King Steve's consort."
"He's one of their joined diplomats," Hawkeye said. "He's nice, about the same age as Xander. Educated. Knows how to protect himself. His father, King John, was the one who died after the battle we attended and his brother took over with his consort."
"So they do have real same sex marriages," Steve said. "That's nice."
"Very nice," Scott agreed. "Some of them are more...robust than others. Xander and Genjo are pretty much like nagging brothers at times with each other but Dean and Castiel got caught in the kitchen pantry. Twice." Steve tried not to laugh. Widow did laugh.
"King Alan's younger son, Princess Charles, had his husband show up and they ended up in the barn full of old inventions," Hawkeye said. "None of the engineers even blinked. They just nodded, smiled a bit, and went to work on something out of sight."
"That shows familiarity with that couple," Stark agreed dryly. "He's an engineer?"
"He's a math person and he helps the engineers," Thor said. "He's well liked by all of them. Plus the young prince."
"Is that weird for them? With the named positions?" Steve asked.
"No more so than it is for us," Widow said. "That's been going on for over a thousand years."
"That makes sense then," Steve agreed. "Are the princes strong?"
"Very," Hawkeye said. "Prince Don, King Alan's oldest, was in the battle we went to help with, helping Queen Buffy and King John."
"She's the newest on the throne but we underestimated her," Widow admitted. "She's not helpless or as dumb as she pretends to be."
"Tactical of her," Stark said. "Do we have a map?" Thor pulled one out of his pack to put on the table. It was labeled with each country. "That's nice."
"Prince Amellisame helped," Thor quipped. "It was teaching her the various areas." He stood up to report on each one, their rulers, and their uptightness level.
Stark leaned back in his seat. "Very interesting. So if we wanted to weed out some of our overpopulation, we can easily send them up there to an area they'd like."
Rogers nodded. "That is good to know. The nearest ones?"
"King Horatio's had some influx from Queen Stella's people thanks to a tidal wave hitting one of their islands," Hawkeye said.
"Those two families help their guards hunt down any bigger problems to their kingdoms," Scott said. "Including murderers. The ruling family is expected to help with that."
"They also have a lot of unmarried higher nobles who are looking for suitable spouses," Thor said. "Queen Buffy needs one to carry on her line. Some of the others need some for their prince and princesses."
"King Xander needs fewer relatives," Hawkeye quipped. "His dad fathered over three hundred children over his life." Both generals winced. "And they're mostly spoiled in his kingdom. Almost all his nobles are wanting more power again. The one we saw show up to ask Xander for an official position he vowed he was going to drown him in the moat Queen Stella suggested he put in around the palace."
"He was rather whiny," Widow agreed. She pushed back her hair. "I sparred with King Dean. He was...not bad. Very suitable."
Scott nodded. "I couldn't beat him when I tried."
Thor nodded. "I found him most suitable. King Xander as well. Plus some of Consort Genjo's guard. One's rather young but has temper problems."
"We also met one of the coven that's above his kingdom," Widow said with a nod at their magic oriented knight. "They're bitches."
She smiled. "He said that."
"There's one other coven that sounds nice," Widow told her. "They're in King Aaron's kingdom. Also, that king is a mind healer," she said, looking at Steve. "His whole adopted family is."
"Not natural?" Stark asked.
"He has a son from a former wife," Hawkeye said. "The others were adopted into his family in the Ascelpian kingdom while he trained."
"Divorced?"
"No. He's the sort of mind healer who puts the most horribly maimed away," Widow told him. "One of those sort took out his wife."
"Damn," Steve said. She nodded. "Is he tense?"
"He's new to the crown, he's a distant cousin to the old line, who were horrid rulers. He was in his education and teaching while that went on. He came back to handle it and took in the remaining royal child that had been left there. He instituted education and training for the other former royal and noble children in his kingdom so they learned to do better. He'll judge them once they're adults."
"That's reasonable," Stark decided.
"Sometimes new lines will take out the old ones," Steve said. "That's good to see."
"They are mostly fair," Widow told him. "Not easy, but fair." He nodded. "King Xander had to replace a number of people due to demonic possession. It's been settled for three generations."
"So their grandkids can be taught," Stark said sarcastically. "Why is that happening?"
"They're going against King Paul's people," she said. "They want to take them out and rule in their older pantheon instead. Thankfully we know they're not angels any longer."
"Did they lose any nobles beyond that one king?" Steve asked.
"No. He died from an injury during that battle," Scott said. "He had healers but they could only handle it for a few days."
"Could our sort of doctors help?"
"They had both sorts," Hawkeye said. "Including a few who could touch heal." Their witch gasped, leaning forward. "It's not unknown. Hakkai has that gift. The one that showed up as a guard? Him."
"Also, the little prince has that gift. They were talking about her future training," Thor said. "No one had any qualms about her gifts and ruling later once it was pointed out she could work a few days a week as a healer."
"She's fostering?" their witch said.
"Yes. It's safer," Widow told her. "She was about three when he overthrew his stepfather. It was safer if they didn't come after her to get him back for taking power. She's with King Alan and he is excellent in training her. She's smart, a bit mouthy, but caring. She loves her horse, which is an elemental spirit, more than anything but that family. Some day she'll make an excellent queen."
"I still like Queen Abby," Hawkeye said. "She's fun."
"She is," Widow agreed. "Very lively. Jethro's last wife," she told Steve. "A bit pale, dark hair, slightly weird clothes. She adores Jethro and is a good mentor with Queen Stella."
Stark nodded once. "Strong rulers are good in most cases as long as they're fair."
"The engineering college and the bard's college have both been made their own little city states so no one can pressure them," Widow told him. "It let them tell some kings to go away."
"Though quite a few were in Xander's kingdom looking over his stepfather's weird idea barn," Hawkeye quipped.
"His stepfather wanted someone to make a mini catapult to throw bombs. They made one but it's not very useful. King Xander's idea of using a wrist mounted crossbow to throw grenades, much more useful."
Steve blinked a few times. Stark sat up. "He has one?"
"He used it here," Scott said.
"Huh. I didn't see that." He looked at Steve. Who shrugged back. "So if we want to make treaties?"
"We can contact them. Or we can announce a visit. Or we can wait on Queen Stella to come visiting in four months," Scott said. "She said their yearly vacation is coming here this year to meet us all."
"She'll be bringing any treaty attempts to work on them," Widow said. "She's like a nicer version of me without the warrior skills."
"We saw her knock down and apprehend a spy," Thor said with a smile. "She was very good at it." The others who had went nodded.
"So the queen helps chase down higher level criminals," Stark said. "That's... interesting. Unusual but interesting."
"Horatio's male spouse and his whole family do the same," Hawkeye said. "His spouse got injured so he had to leave sooner. Mac covered for him." He snapped. "We saw that fire calling system. Very handy."
Thor nodded. "It was indeed. A bit of a potion, some preset locations and others you can call in an emergency."
"I'd like to hear more about that."
"If *you* write," Scott told Steve. "The engineering school will send a catalog. Not if Stark writes, but if *you* write...." He smiled at him. "They remember him. The instructor that came up to help the ones in the barn remembered him because he used to room with General Stark and he was not fond of him."
"Putting it mildly," Widow said dryly. "Something about psychotic drunk assholes with ideas." Stark glared at her.
Steve considered it. "Do they have many things we can use?"
"They have new systems to spread hot water through a castle that's a bit different from ours," Hawkeye said. "They also have grenades we don't. Siege engines we don't."
"Some guns we don't," Widow said. "I tried King Dean's weapons. They were handy and useful. Banishing guns aim a bit weird but they're useful in their own ways."
"So maybe it would be useful," Steve decided. "I'll write a letter later."
"Or I can," T'Challa said from his seat in the corner. "I could probably use the same sort of things." He leaned forward. "Are they looking for real treaties?"
"Yes," Scott said. "They've got trades worked out for food things that they can't grow in their own areas with each other, treaties about switching farmers around so they could get new blood and ideas, and ones for mutual aid if they need it. They seem pretty fair for the most part."
Steve grinned. "Bucky said King Xander was really nice to him. Made sure he was safe. Princess Gregory nagged a bit and was a bit sarcastic."
Widow looked at him. "When did he start using understatements? Princess Gregory is more than a bit sarcastic. It seems to be his native language." Hawkeye laughed. "At least he didn't hit on you."
"He did," he said with a grin. "But he took the 'I have a woman' answer nicely enough."
"Princess Gregory and a few others asked Xander for sanctuary so they tend to hang out there," Hawkeye said. "He even has a couch in his throne room for them to hang out on so he has someone to talk to."
"King Xander has been the defacto ruler for years because he was handling things when no one else was," Scott said. "He started orphanages. He keeps track of farm lands. He set up a wedding place so everyone would quit borrowing his castle."
"It's nice," Hawkeye said. "I went on that tour with his consort. It was his way of punishing him for being an annoying ass while drunk one night. King Xander does not taken drunks well."
"No he doesn't," Widow agreed. "Though that's reasonable with his stepfather being one."
"So they're good, they're decent rulers, and they're mostly nice people," Steve decided. They all nodded. "It sounds like we could easily send refugees up there and maybe even farmer exchange candidates too." He looked at Stark. "We could use the same new blood they could."
"How would one man father over three hundred spawn?" Stark asked.
"For men it only takes a few minutes," Widow said dryly. "He was over sixty when he died."
"Probably something like what got King Xander. Which was Gentrus," Hawkeye said. He pulled out a report at the groan, tossing it to Knight Bruce. "How their healers and doctors treat it. Including the possible uses of a succuba or incubus if no spouse or lover is around. All the way through how to treat the coma that King Xander had been in from a second poisoning."
"He survived?" Knight Bruce said. He picked up the notes to look over, skimming it for now. "Huh. I didn't know that about the build up."
"I was told his got so bad no one could touch his bare skin. The succuba they have trapped helped," Hawkeye said. "I found her by accident while wandering one night."
Knight Bruce nodded. "Not that weird I guess." He went over it in more depth. "Hmm. Notes from the Ascelpian kingdom's methods and other methods." Thor pulled out a book to toss to him. "Oh, nice, on various poisons." He took it to look over. "That's very handy. Thank you, Thor, and you, Clint."
"Welcome."
"You're most welcome," Thor said.
"If we have a major problem, would King Mac show up?" Steve asked Widow.
"If he could. He has some excellently trained military for his mountain kingdom. Xander has allowed cross training with his people whenever someone wanted. While they waited on us, they did some. Mac praised them to Xander while watching the units at the convergence work out together."
"They brought guard units?" Stark asked, leaning forward. "That could mean they don't trust each other."
"That was more about the demon issue," Hawkeye said. "They all had guards to protect them on the way to Xander's protections."
"Oh. So they're good together?"
"Yes. Apparently the warlord thing let his father take over some of their militaries to train them too," Widow said. "He wasn't a good warlord, had many stupid plans, and was a drunkard on top of it. They had a hangover flag for his castle."
Steve nodded once then sighed and pointedly did not look at the other general, who drank more than anyone thought. He looked at her instead. "So it's possible we can ask for aid if we need it?"
"It's a clause in the treaty we already have. Xander insisted. They have the same sort of 'if you ask, we'll do what we can' clause with King Steve as well."
"Interesting." He opened it to look it over. "Someone has very nice penmanship."
"Consort Genjo," Scott quipped with a grin. "They all agreed he had the nicest and tiniest script."
"To some it's an artform," Bruce said. "I've met a few Sanzo priests. They do things like calligraphy."
Steve smiled. "That's a neat hobby at least." He went over it, handing it to T'Challa, who read it and nodded before handing it on. Stark took it last to look over, not looking displeased. "They seem to have made themselves look like allies."
"They have," Stark agreed. "Strong ones." He looked at the map. It was most of that continent. "What about the ones not in their little group?"
"A few of them are backwards and indignant," Widow told him. "They would not want to join. A few have open invitations for when they're ready." She pointed at small kingdom that wasn't colored in. "That one wanted to be by itself. They have an open invitation. These ones above King Alan are smaller duchies almost instead of kingdoms but they're self ruled and happy about it. Warrior mountain people as he said. He has peace and aid treaties with them, plus trade ones so they can trade freely without extra fees. They insisted from what he told me.
"This larger one up top has not really made overtures but they have sent a few supposed bards to check things over. They've heard stories of aliens, technology, and ice dragons. They haven't wanted to send anyone up to talk to them since they didn't want to appear pushy. The Sanzo kingdom is the closest and that was their choice." Stark grimaced but nodded once. "These ones down here, they're on friendly terms with.
"King Reginald's kingdom is nice and friendly but not part of the convergence. He doesn't seem to care much about things, very insular, but their last king was killed by a poisoning. They have things we could easily trade for and King Mac told me about them. He has contracts with them about food trading." Both generals nodded. "These two ..." She tapped them.
"You've seen those kingdoms that're totally cut off and people are starting to look funny?" Hawkeye asked. "That's them."
"They're the reason they didn't want trade agreements," Widow agreed. "They like being by themselves and being locked into their kingdoms with only one pass for entry or exit. They've refused everything but medical aid in the past."
Steve grimaced. "That's not sound tactically."
"Or genetically," Bruce agreed.
"One of them has people who're slightly blue," Hawkeye said. "Mac went on a mission to see if they needed anything. They go about once a decade. Not even King Reginald's people trade with them."
"That's really uptight," Stark said.
"They like the arts. Mac said that they liked music and arts."
"Huh," Stark said. "That's interesting. What about these ones on the edges?"
"They have treaties and they're peaceful. They're not part of the convergence but Xander said he had peace and mutual aid treaties with as far away as these people," she said with a point at one country. About two over from the edges of their group. "His stepfather had tried to conquer there and lost. When he went to apologize for the old man, sent by him, he told them about how his stepfather was someday going to die a gruesome death. He said they told him to send artwork of it. They're not aggressive with each other and if they asked, Xander would probably send help to them. He said the ruler there was like a good version of what a good warlord could be. His stepfather hated being shitty by comparison."
"King Elinius isn't a pushover but he is fair," Steve said. "I met him once. He's very firm and his people treat him like he's a minor god."
She nodded. "I remember meeting him. He didn't even stare at my chest and he praised me for being a warrior. His wife won his hand by combat she said."
"That's harsh," Scott said. "The toughest warrior woman wins his bed and the rest..."
"Lead his armies," Steve said. "He has a high level of female warriors." He smiled. "I wouldn't put it past King Elinius to have people in King Xander's kingdom to see how he turned out." He looked at them. "How do surrogates work for them?"
"The standard way probably," Stark said dryly.
"Not all men who like men can bed women," Hawkeye said firmly, glaring at him. "I trained with one who couldn't." He looked at his general. "When I asked a maid she giggled and said they shoot into a dish, use some sort of sucking tube, and squeeze it into her. Though Xander's not against sleeping with women."
"If he got poisoned with Gentrus, he's probably not against sleeping with much outside a dragon," Stark said.
"No, he's got a concubine and she's squealy," Widow said. "Sanzo has his team in his house with him."
"Sanzo priests are almost all celibate," Bruce agreed. "Sometimes to the point of horrified about being touched on the hand."
"He's not quite that bad but he is mostly celibate. It was arranged after Xander's coronation. There's rumors of Sam helping him but the same rumors state King John sent that son, who he poisoned with it first, to infect Xander."
"That's harsh," Stark said, shaking his head. "Not even my father was that harsh."
"Kings Xander and Dean, Princess Samuel, and Consort Castiel took their planned day off hunting in the woods. They all came back pouting that Castiel had killed the bigger prey, then they gave it to the local orphanage," Hawkeye said with a grin. "Hunters aren't trained as formal warriors or military people, just to get it done."
"Xander and Dean's sparring match was very fun to watch," Widow said with a smirk. "Both of them were more playing and bragging about things while they traded blows. Dean got to win because Xander got distracted by his daughter, who gave him this mean kitty smirk and told her daddy Dean had to win sometimes. It'd make him feel better and Castiel was looking forward to treating his booboos." Scott burst out laughing, shaking his head. "Then she went to fuss over her horse again."
"She sounds neat," Steve said with a grin.
Widow nodded. "Very much so." The doors were shoved open and someone stomped in. "Did we summon you?" she asked dryly.
Sam smiled. "No. We found one of your evil things trying to make time on Stella so she cold cocked him. She sent me to bring back the pathetic mess of human." He waved and his guards dragged the man in chains in. "She had no idea who he is but he said he was one of your generals."
"He wanted to be one," Stark said. "That's Osborne. He was discredited for being an evil dick."
"Stella doesn't put up with any dicks outside Mac's." He grinned and handed over a letter. "Amilisame sent a letter introducing herself by messenger."
"I saw the sixteen messengers from Genjo's people over a day's time," he said, taking it with a smile. "Thanks."
"Welcome. Did you guys know you had a kraken nearby?"
"No," Widow said. "We hadn't. Where?" He pointed. "We can check that out. Thank you, Princess Samuel."
"Welcome." He grinned at her. "If a prince named Tobias writes, he's part of Jethro's old line that almost died out and was unsuitable until him. He's harder than Jethro but about alike in most ways. He was just too far down to take the crown and didn't really want the headache. He had his daughter just start writing the kiddo. Or if a prince named Neareth writes? He's an absurd dick that thinks he's a bard and can't rhyme much less sing. He dresses like a bard in a comedy troupe on stage, complete with bells, and he never takes a bath."
"Thank you for that warning. Was he going to?"
"I think a lot of the eligible princes might try. And a few of the princesses." He grinned. "It's nice to meet new people that you don't already despise for being stupid. That's why half of everyone is single. That and Xander's stepfather." He waved. "Let me get back to Queen Stella. She's teaching me how to make fish stew when I get back." He left, leaving them their evil dumbass.
"And that was how most of them are," Hawkeye agreed. "With each other at the very least."
"Huh," Steve said, nodding with a grin. "He does seem very nice."
"Xander's very goofy at times," Scott said. "But he's fun. He's smart and he knows what he's doing but he's very much goofy when he's not being official. He, his daughter, and their horses with Dean's horse, all played tag one night when she couldn't sleep. She ended up sleeping between the horses in the field and thought it was great the next day."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Stark asked.
"Not with two elemental spirit horses there," Scott said. "Hers is downright possessive of her. Impala, his mother and King Dean's horse now, is protective of her and others she likes. She walked up behind Castiel to lick his hair for him. He just sighed and told her he had bathed that morning, to go lick Sam. She nipped him gently then went to bathe Sam in the gardens where he was reading. He just let her until she was nudging him to come play instead of reading."
"Does being an elemental spirit give them extra skills?" Steve asked. "I know nothing about magic."
"They can travel faster if they wish," Widow said. "I asked. Impala has had normal horses and special foals. Cougar was her last foal. Dean and Xander have trained a number of her regular foals to be excellent horses for cavalry and hunting uses. I watched him training his next mount and the little guy was stubborn but doing the exercises when he was prompted. Then he'd demand treats or go walking off if he didn't get them. He said he's young but he'll do in about a year. He named him after one of Genjo's sisters."
Steve smirked. "Was he pleased with that naming?"
"The horse? I don't know. Genjo snorted and said they'd have to geld him to make him like his sister since the little one would someday get sex and his sister never would even without her vows as a nun. The foal came over to nibble on his robes and got swatted with the closed battle fan. He kept doing it anyway until Xander made him leave his poor consort alone. Goyjo joked about that horse being the most making out Genjo had in years and got beaten for it. He tried to avoid it but Genjo can fight if he wants to and he did that time. Hakkai just sighed and told him not to give him more work."
Steve burst out laughing. "So they're actually really relaxed most of the time and the warrior we saw when King Xander was here is his usual battle attitude?" They all nodded. "Good to know. We could use more allies."
"They're farther away but we could use trade partners," Stark decided. They got down to making a new trade agreement. Scott went home to see his little girl and former wife, telling her about who he had met so she could have a penpal. She liked that idea. They could all use new friends.
The End. I hope.
Overqualified, Mouthy Princesses.