It was clear that the palace was abuzz ever since her arrival. Whether it were the curious gazes send her way or the excited whispers she could overhear, there was no denying that she was standing out in this place. And who could blame them? Not only was she a foreigner by every meaning of the word, but the dragon tail swaying behind her and the wings which were resting on her back made it clear she was not a human being as well.

No, she was Dragonkin, one of the dragons and she was proud of her legacy! To hide her features might had made it easier to remain unnoticed, but she saw no reason to act like she was ashamed of showing her nature. Her stide was confident, although she had to admit that she was curious about the type of individual the prince was. Certainly, the attendant who had brought her here had plenty to say about him, but one never could truly know someone till you had met them in person. It was for that reason she had come here, guided to the palace where the prince awaited. She calmly followed behind the attendant as he escorted her to the prince, and inwardly she was already considering her next course of action. She had to gain some sort of appeal to the prince, a means that would help her gain the power she sought. It wasn't a lie to say that everything could hang on this very encounter!

Although she had been anticipating this meeting, she would had been lying if she said she wasn't feeling nervous. Or perhaps excited was a better term? So much was depending on this meeting, yet at the same time this meeting was the perfect catalyst to see how much she had grown and how far her potential could take her.

"It is a honor to finally see you, vashe Velichestvo"

Although there was a clear hint of a foreigner dialect, it was clear Ryuko was trying her utmost to understand and integrate the culture and traditions of the prince's homeland, to the point she even made a slight bow, a testimony of her acknowledgment of his power and influence.

"I presume that the frontier you speak of is the realm people call the void?"

She paused for a moment, raising back upright as she continued speaking. "Based on my time in the void I believe that unlike the propaganda that is going the rounds the void is not necessarily a realm of corruption. Rather, it is a realm of untamed magic, energies course through it that can 'alter' anything it touches. To a degree we have seen this happen in the form of the Voidal 'Blessings' that came in exchange for the tribute people made to the rift in Talaz Lagaar. Unique and otherworldly objects or powers were granted to these people."

A moment followed as she focused her gaze on the aging prince's expression. "Although I found myself changed physically during my time in the void, I also came to understand that the powers bestowed by the void are still raw and unrefined. Where others felt precaution and wariness was the best way to treat these gifts, I indulged in the powers due to an instinctive desire to see if it could be nurtured, and indeed... Although its conditions are yet to become clear enough to me, I believe that time and experience handling these powers will allow one to hone the gifts of the void."

She smiled briefly as she shook her head. "But I also think there are plenty of untapped resources and powers slumbering in the void, that with the right... encouragement could bring forth a change none has seen in Earthland before."

She stopped in front of the throne. "A change I desire, a power that could challenge even the mightiest of dragons and the oldest of gods. But for one to be able to attain it they will need time and resources, which is the reason I answered the call to Illingrad. Where others see only corruption and darkness, you show a clear interest in the void. Is it because you also understand the potential that it has? A realm full of resources and dormant powers that none in Earthland could even imagine..."

Her tail swished lightly as she bend the knee to the prince, the words that followed being possibly decisive. "That is why I came here, in the hope of finding someone likeminded, and if I am correct, then please indulge me in granting me the means to explore this frontier further. Lend me your power and I would be more than willing to conquer the frontier in your name Vashe Velichestvo Igor Illin."

For a moment Ryuko remained silent. She thought back about the time she spend trapped in the void. The vulnerability she felt back then as she was forced to prey upon the twisted shades of what had once been her own kin. It was what had accelerated her own growth while in the void, and during the time she spent there she came to understand a fragment of the realm's nature. The void by its own nature was not evil or malicious per say, it was a force of alteration, stirring change and growth in these it touched. Of course not every being was capable of remaining sane under these changes. Some succumbed to the powers bestowed onto them, but those who were strong enough to retain their own sense of identity? It were these individuals who were capable of truly wielding the power of the void.

"Although the scholars of Talaz Lagaar used the energy of the void as an energy source, I do believe its potential spans much further than that."

Ryuko stated, truly believing that it could be used for far more than merely a source of energy. When the prince continued by expressing the offer he had in mind Ryuko thought back about her earlier conversation. What was her goal again? Was it merely to gain power? Nay, gaining power as the means from which she would accomplish her ambitions. Revenge, certainly it was part of her ambitions but she had also started to see further.

"I seek to unite my people, your majesty. In order to unite the remaining dragons under one mighty Horde I will need not just resources and a title, but also power that could force these who would oppose that ideal into submission. What I seek is to become the Empress of Dragons, if you are able to grant me the power and resources to do so, I will gladly pledge my loyalty and Horde to your cause."

A unity among dragons, if the prince was able to bestow onto her the power to unite her people, then she would also have the power to challenge the gods, to free her father from his servitude to the Joyan Pantheon.

If that was something he could do, and was willing to do so then she would gladly become Illingrad's Drakon Rytsar.

Indeed, one could say that this meeting would set into motion events that would change not just the future of her species, but also of Pergrande.

"Of course, in return I will bestow a gift of my own. As the Champion of your army I will give to you that which your attendants believe you been desiring for a long time: An united Pergrande, with you as its rightful ruler."

After all, even if she desired to be the Empress of her kin, to bring a united Dragon Horde, she wouldn't mind becoming Illingrad's Drakon Rytsar, and a knight was meant to conquer in his king's name!