**Kitsune Vulpine's Log, Supplemental**
**Albion – Grand Council Hall**
**May 15th, 2126**
**Old games and new voices.**
**The doors open.**
**The King approaches.**
Golden afternoon light poured through the tall windows of the outer corridor, painting long stripes across the ancient stone. Kitsune leaned against one of the thick pillars, one shoulder resting against the cool masonry. Her nine tails moved in a slow, languid rhythm behind her, the golden-orange tips glowing softly in the light. Her rose-gold hand comm rested lightly against her ear, and her voice had dropped into something low and intimate.
"…You're supposed to be resting, Sergeant," she murmured, a teasing warmth threading through her tone. "Not thinking about me while you're cleaning your weapons." Elias's voice came through, rough and quiet. "Hard not to when you keep calling me at the worst possible times." Kitsune's lips curved into a soft, genuine smile — the kind she rarely allowed anyone else to see. "Poor thing. Should I stop calling then?"
"Don't you dare," he replied, and she could hear the smile in his voice. "These calls are the only part of my day that doesn't involve orders or blood." There was a brief, comfortable silence between them. "I miss the way you look at me when no one else is around," Kitsune said quietly. "Like I'm not a weapon or a title. Just… me." Elias's voice softened. "You are more than that, Kitsune. You always have been."
She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the warmth of his words settle over her. Her tails swayed gently behind her, relaxed in a way they never were in public. Then the heavy double doors at the end of the corridor began to open. The low murmur of voices spilled out into the hallway. Four monarchs emerged beneath their banners, their expressions grave. Kitsune's entire demeanor changed in an instant.
Her soft smile vanished. Her posture straightened into something regal and commanding. The warmth in her eyes cooled into something sharper, more dangerous. When she spoke again, her voice was smooth, confident, and laced with quiet seduction. "I have to go," she said, her tone now cool and elegant. "The King is coming."
"Be careful," Elias replied, all business once more. "Always," she answered, then ended the call without another word. She slipped the hand comm into a hidden fold of her robes just as King Aldric dismissed his advisors and began walking toward her. Her expression settled into something confident and slightly amused — the perfect mask of the Grand Mage of Albion.
Kitsune didn't bow. Instead, she pushed off the pillar with a graceful roll of her shoulders and offered him a slow, knowing smile as he approached. "Aldric," she greeted, her voice smooth as silk. "You look like a man who just agreed to dance with wolves." King Aldric stopped a short distance away, studying her with sharp, tired eyes. The crown weighed heavily on him today, though his posture remained straight. "Grand Mage Vulpine," he replied. "I see you were waiting outside."
"I grew tired of watching old men argue over how best to appear strong," she said lightly, one eyebrow arching. "It was becoming tedious. So. You've made your decision." King Aldric glanced back at the now-empty doorway before turning his gaze down the long corridor. "I'm going to Shire Valley myself." Kitsune's ears flicked once, but her expression remained elegantly composed, save for the slight lift of one brow. "Personally?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of genuine surprise beneath the smooth tone. "That is quite the statement."
"It needs to be," he said. "The Imperia's main forces in southern Albion are breaking as we speak. Their lines are collapsing under the Americans and their Guardians. While we debate here, the enemy that burned Rothvale is being driven back by weapons we do not possess. I will not insult the only force that has actually hurt the Imperia by sending someone else in my place." They began walking together without him needing to ask. Kitsune fell into step beside him, her movements fluid and unhurried. Her tails swayed behind her with deliberate grace. "You trust their effectiveness," she said. "But not their intentions."
"Exactly." King Aldric's voice was low. "I want to look this Captain Nolan in the eye when he speaks of alliances and recognition. I want to see what kind of man leads a force capable of erasing fleets from the sky." He glanced at her. "You've spent more time among them than any of us. Speak plainly."
Kitsune considered her words as they walked, her golden eyes thoughtful. "They are disciplined. Dangerous. And surprisingly sincere in their desire to build something lasting here. Captain Nolan does not strike me as a man who hungers for power for its own sake. He protects what is his. Right now, that includes the people sheltering in his valley."
King Aldric was quiet for several steps. "And the one they call Ali?" Kitsune's smile returned, shorter this time, touched with something almost fond. "She is… complicated. Loyal. And far more than she first appears." They turned into a wider corridor lined with tall windows. Afternoon light poured across the floor in long golden stripes, illuminating the dust in the air like drifting embers.
King Aldric finally spoke again, his voice quieter. "Prepare yourself, Kitsune. If I am walking into their territory, I will need someone who understands both sides of this equation. Someone they already know." Kitsune glanced at him sideways, her golden eyes glinting with quiet amusement. "You're asking me to play diplomat again?"
"I'm asking you to be useful," he replied. "And honest." She gave a soft, low laugh, the sound rich and slightly dangerous. "How rare. Most kings prefer their mages beautiful and obedient." "I'm not most kings," Aldric said simply. Kitsune's smile lingered as they continued down the sunlit corridor. "No," she agreed, her voice smooth and confident. "You are not."
They walked on together, the weight of the coming journey settling between them. Outside the tall windows, the banners of Albion stirred in the wind — proud, but no longer certain they still ruled the future alone.