Power Overwhelming

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The Grand Marshall looked down on the courtyard through a large and ornate window, getting a good look at his guest. That same guest had noticed him as well, though only showed it with a quick glance up towards him. He was a dozen floors above the ground floor, but for someone like her, even a glance would be enough to gather the necessary information. The same held true for him, and his job dictated that he be good at making quick evaluations, but he liked to get a good look at someone to truly get their measure.

He'd seen Princess Ynnead, or Wrath as she had named herself, before, but the girl had changed quite a bit since then. She was still gorgeous even by divine standards which was saying something, and the blood of her mother was strong in her. She had also always carried herself with grace, confidence, and a silent sense of danger and authority, but now it was more obvious to see where it came from. She had more than proven her power and mettle since the Grand Assembly began, yet that wasn’t the obvious change. No, the obvious change came from the fact that she was now a god, and from what he could sense, a rather powerful one. Her Divinity suited her well and was a powerful one.

She’d not been a full god before he’d invited her. His invitation had been made with the idea that she didn’t have to attend immediately since he’d heard she was still convalescing, but she'd really taken her time. Few people dared to keep him waiting for weeks. It seemed however, that the time had been spent well. For all intents and purposes, they were meeting on a much more equal footing now. He also wasn't a True God, as he'd instead chosen to lead the Host. Strictly speaking, he was her superior in the Host, but her recently revealed parentage placed her above him in House Titannica, where once she'd had almost no foothold in, and she was the 'woman of the hour' so to speak. In some respects, you could even argue that he was coming to this meeting from an inferior position since he wanted to make requests of her.

Despite the distance that needed to be traveled, she arrived at his door almost immediately after entering his castle in the clouds. Despite not being a True God, he was strong enough as a god that he too had a divine realm he controlled, and travel inside took as long as he wanted it to take. And he certainly didn't want to start the meeting on the wrong foot by forcing her to trek through countless hallways. He was curious though. Despite ostensibly being a rather powerful god, the girl had reached her godhood very recently. Did she have a divine realm yet? And if she did, what kind?

The door opened by itself to allow his visitor inside. This meeting was private, and not even his servants were within the castle at the moment. The servants weren’t really necessary anyway, since anything they did, he could just will to happen. Seemingly not surprised in the least by her swift arrival, the girl stepped inside and took a quick look around his relatively spartan office. While the castle itself was made entirely of magical stone, most of the rooms had hardwood floors, and the walls were covered in warm tapestries and drapes to soften the milieu. The walls were lined with bookcases filled with information and reports that he might need on a moment’s notice, mostly pertaining to the operation of the Host, while all the interesting and more fun reading could be found in his private library.

The girl had chosen to not wear the armor of the Host, a very slight power play showing that he couldn’t just command her as her superior officer. Instead, he saw her wearing an elegant but relatively simple dress seemingly woven of hopes and wishes. It was one of those almost living creations that everyone saw differently. Those looking upon it saw what they wanted, within the limits that she had set. Those that wanted to see her naked would likely see the dress as immodest as she was willing to go, while those that wanted to see something elegant and more modest would see that instead. Such ensembles were rare but not too much so in the Divine Planes, while still requiring a tremendous amount of skill from the creator.

Her only concession to more military matters was a sheathed sword at her hip. He couldn’t sense anything of the weapon, but he’d read enough reports to know not to trust that feeling. She had a way of hiding her artifacts. It made him curious, but not enough to ask. They all had their secrets.

Another change was immediately obvious when they were face to face. All gods were larger than non-gods. Everything about them was larger in proportion, but the end result was that they were on average at least a meter taller and glowed the golden light of their divinity. They could hide the change of course, but she'd chosen not to. This close he could also tell that his earlier estimation of her strength had likely been an underestimation. Most divinities made their holder stronger, but the ways in which that happened varied, as did the exact amount. Now that she was closer, if she hadn’t gotten at least a blanket 50% increase in pretty much all relevant ways, then he’d eat his shoes. Likely the effect was more, especially in the areas it focused on.

“Grand Marshall.” She broke the brief silence, a small concession of position as the weaker party usually spoke first. In this case, it could also be simply considered politeness and not an admission of inferior position.

“I’m tempted to call you Princess Ynnead simply because I’m a member of the Host and thus beholden to abide by the emperor’s decree. Still, it’s only fair I ask what you prefer yourself?” He returned her politeness with his own and gestured for her to take a seat on the other side of her office desk.

“I’ve fought against it, but that is how most refer to me as due to the decree you mentioned. So, I decided to embrace the moniker instead. Some refer to me as Wrath, as that is my Name, but officially Ynnead is fine. The previous holder of the name was the God of Death, and it still carries some meaning.” She gracefully sat down on the soft chair that he’d offered, crossing her legs and re-arranging her dress in that way women sometimes did, teasing a little without actually showing anything important except a nice view of a very fine leg.

“So, a Divinity of Death then?” He asked, taking his own seat behind the desk.

“Not exactly. Souls and Karma. It would seem I’m heavily leaning towards being a sort of judge of souls, taking their measure before sending them on to whatever awaits.” It seemed the idea amused her for some reason he couldn’t quite figure out, but some things he didn’t need to know.

“Powerful. And it seems to suit you from what I can sense. The domain is somewhat contested though, in case you want to take a position as a True God. There’s no direct equivalent that combines the ideas you’ve mentioned, but we do have a God of Death that collects the souls of the dead, as well as several gods in charge of the afterlife. They might not take it well if you suddenly claim to have judgement over who gets in. In some ways, it even conflicts with your mother's divinity as she gathers brave warriors into…well, I've never actually visited her realm." He advised.

“I’m not certain I should be competing for believers at this point, as the fight for the throne is ongoing, but as we both know, I may not have much choice in the matter.” She said, surprising him a little. He hadn’t expected her to be aware.

The universe itself handled the appointment of True Gods. When a god took over the domain of another god by whatever means, the major temples all over the universe were informed, and the statues and shrines changed to reflect the new god or goddess. The same happened when a god claimed a new domain. New statues and shrines would simply appear in the major temples, and from there the news would trickle to the other temples which would either choose to take up worshipping the new god and then create shrines, statues, holy symbols, and the like to match. Poorer temples were more likely to just stick to the major gods, while temples that leaned towards certain types of gods would be more likely to pick up any new gods in their field. Once a god gained followers, they would then start to perform the function they served among their faithful, and in turn gained the power of faith. They could grant blessings and share some of their power with the faithful as well.

How a god became a True God was more complicated. If no one occupied an obvious concept, the universe picked someone with an applicable divinity. A god with an applicable divinity could also try to claim a concept if there was no competition. Sometimes, like in the case of the Sacred Lady, the faithful kept worshipping a dead goddess and claiming the mantle became too difficult. If there was competition for a concept, then the competitors would keep competing until one of them gained a clear enough advantage that the other competitors either gave in or the universe itself picked the winner.

"That does bring us to the reason why I invited you here. Or at least one of the reasons. Your position as the new heir to the leadership of House Titannica has complicated matters. Not necessarily in a bad way, but complicated nonetheless. I need to know if you have any intention of vying for the position. As you said, you might not have time for such things, but Kronus will fight for the position no matter what. He has to. There's going to be some division in the House, and I'm not sure we can afford it. So, while I'll try to avoid rushing you, I encourage you to decide quickly." He leaned forward to emphasize his words and leaned on his powerful arms which were crossed in front of his mouth to hide his expression.

She didn't seem too fazed, not reacting to his words visibly. "What's your opinion on the matter? I'm confident you have a strong opinion, as you were the first to approach me. You want me to go a certain way, and I'd like to hear your reasoning." She was smart too. Good. He’d known that beforehand, but it was always nice to get more confirmation.

"On one hand, it's going to be difficult for a half-blood to lead the House, but on the other, you somehow have the most potent blood of Titans I've seen in a long time. That's going to assuage many naysayers. You're young, but you're already rapidly raking in achievements and more importantly, you're quickly growing in power and influence. Your recent achievements have earned you many allies in your little crusade and even more outside of it. Your loyalty to the House has already been questioned, but if you were leading it, that would somewhat solve the problem. We're already trusting you by supporting you on the throne, so I believe that ship has sailed." He slowly worked through his thoughts.

"You might not know this, but Kronus was the most vocal opponent of supporting both you and your mother. He has his reasons. Some of them are good ones. This whole thing is a risk. He is a voice of the status quo and taking this safely. If you don't compete for the position, his voice will be strengthened, and you might find that the House will no longer be supporting you except in name only. Granted, we haven’t yet been the best of supports anyway aside from the attack you led. In the end, it comes down to this. Which of the two of you I think is more suitable? If I’ve learned anything as an officer, it’s that those that take initiative and risk win. Stagnation and standing still is death when everyone around you is working towards a goal and are improving their odds. And truth be told, I don’t like Kronus very much. I don’t dislike him enough to allow that to sway my choice, but yes, I want you to fight for the position. And I’m prepared to support you. If you make the bid quickly enough.” He worked his way to his decision.

"And I believe you made a good case as to why I should do just that. Assuming my father doesn't immediately disinherit me when we meet of course." She smiled at her own joke a bit.

“Well, if that should happen then this discussion becomes moot of course.” He allowed a smile on his own face as well. “As to the specifics, I think we should start with the other reason why I called for you. Your recent…” His words were interrupted by a knock at the door, causing him to frown. He had left instructions not to be disturbed. It had to be important for his servants to ignore those instructions. “Enter.”

A titan servant stepped through the door and gave a deep and apologetic bow. “I’m so sorry master, but the Seneschal is here to meet with your guest.”

“The Harpy is here?” The girl used the more commonly used and less official term for the Seneschal.

The Harpy was a complicated position on the Divine Planes. The Harpy wasn't appointed. They became holders of the title through their activities and their charisma. They were opinion leaders and trend-setters, to whom many from True Gods to mortals looked for when it came to matters of taste, style, politics, gossip, or favors. The Harpy’s words and actions influenced attitudes and they could be supporters of the current status quo, or they could be forces of change. The Harpy was always on the cutting edge of the popular forces of the Divine Planes. They could tell, in exact detail, which way the winds were blowing, and which way you should lean to benefit the most. They usually weren’t leaders in name, but they could move the masses with their word and example.

There was also another reason and qualification to become the Harpy that caused them to be both feared and trusted. They were the official recordkeeper when it came to feuds, alliances made, debts and blood debts owed and they were usually aware of most of the dirty little secrets hidden, crimes committed, and plots hatched. They didn't share the information without reason. Their ability to gather such intelligence was vital for their position and ability to retain their position. They were always charming, and adept at social manipulation, and pissing them off was generally a bad idea.

The Harpy was obviously flexing and showing their intelligence-gathering skills just by showing up to this place, looking for Ynnead at this time. It was safe to presume he’d also know why she was here. He turned towards the servant. “Lead them in.” He gestured apologetically towards Ynnead. “We’ll need to discuss the rest of it at a later time.” The girl nodded gracefully in agreement.

The servant returned a few moments later, leading in a man that he was quite familiar with, though tended to avoid when possible. Politics and the Host didn’t mix well, and unlike the Harpy who jumped into the mire of politics and social cliques, he tried to stay away from anything that might implicate him in any sort of a scandal. The two of them were not on unfriendly terms though. The Harpy knew his position and could appreciate it, while he knew the Harpy served an important purpose in the often-byzantine divine politics.

The man looked to be somewhere between him and Ynnead in age appearance-wise, though such appearances could be very deceiving. He had medium-length wavy dark-brown hair that was combed back and impeccably groomed, just like his thin moustache and beard. He was wearing a black suit that seemed like someone had ripped out a piece of the night sky and formed it into clothing. The suit itself was not too extravagant aside from the materials, which were just as hard to work with as those in Ynnead's dress, though his lapels and buttons were intricately carved, just like the thin cane he was carrying as an accessory. No doubt all the latest fashion.

“Grand Marshal. Your Highness.” The man greeted first, giving a polite nod.

Neither he nor Ynnead got up to greet him, a slight social snub showing their displeasure at being interrupted. “Seneschal.” He nodded.

Ynnead inclined her head in greeting as well before speaking, her words forcing him to hide his smile. “I am curious what brings the Harpy here, now of all times.”

The Harpy smiled as well, clearly not finding the use of the less-official term offensive. “I’m here to meet you actually. You’re a hard woman to reach sometimes, and there have been countless matters that have been brought to my attention that necessitated this meeting. For instance, were you aware that quite literally every House, major or minor, has approached me since they can’t approach you, in order to arrange a marriage between you and their House?”

"I was not aware they had approached you, but I'm not surprised by the offers." She replied neutrally.

"Yes, I would imagine so. I'm not expecting you to accept any of them of course, but I do have to pass the offers on to you, or I wouldn't be doing my duty as the Harpy. And the topic of both your potential, or eventual, romantic interest has become a big deal in the social circles, which you have not spent enough time with. As the Harpy, it is my duty to be on top of such movements, and a hundred other topics, meaning we really need to talk." The Harpy stated, and he seemed rather genuine. Of course, he always did, even when slipping a dagger into your back, as such was his charm.