Tenuous Peace

Shuri tightened her grasp on the faintly lustrous pendant caressing her neck. When one's life teeters precariously at the edge of a blade on a regular basis, even a sudden shift in wind direction can set off a plethora of mental alarms. It's much worse when the only person she can somewhat rely on proclaims that certain misfortune will befall her.

"It's best if you take a seat for this, Your Highness," Eunuch Bang said as a caring reminder.

"I prefer to stand," because if someone were to attack her, she would need maximum mobility to escape or worse, retaliate.

"It's regarding the Peace Agreement with the Blackstar Kingdom," Eunuch Bang continued. "After thorough deliberation, His Majesty has decided to follow through with it."

"It was his idea in the first place," Shuri reminded. "An alliance through marriage. Isn't that how he's been keeping the Empire under his thumb this entire time?"