Within the quiet night, a voice broke the song of serene silence which surrounded her. Yet it was not a harsh interruption in the slightest — rather, it seemed to blend in with the blissful serenity quite nicely. Gentle and feminine. As if the moon itself spoke to her in hushed whispers; with her own tongue, no less. Though it was no voice that belonged to one of her own people, as the cranebird did not recognize this lith at all.

Izumi turned to face the stranger who’d approached her and seemed to already know of her status. It was a woman of similar stature — adorned in moonlit silvers and greys that appeared to glow within the sky’s light. Eyes of frosted lilac met those of a similar hue, and she carried herself with a high-borne elegance that made Izumi assume her status — and she was correct. あなたは私の故郷の言葉を話しますが、その名はあの土地の響きを持っていませんね。その発音は見事なものです、女帝よ。 (You speak my hearth’s tongue, yet your name isn’t of it’s cadence. I praise you for your pronunciation, Empress.) Izumi says, lowering her crown to dip her head in the similar respect she had shown her.

Empress Yue — so this was one of Tianlong’s rulers…

Gekirin had told the cranebird of their home within the southern parts of Mythiris. Admittedly, she was not expecting a group who she assumed lived quite a distance away to be within the heart of the woodlands, but this would do, too. The Empress had been curious of the southern dynasty for quite some time ever since her grand councilor had made mention of them. 私は藤原王朝の女帝、藤原泉――もっとも、あなたにはすでにその見当がついていたようですが。 (I am Izumi Fujiwara — Empress of the Fujiwara Dynasty, though something tells me you already had an idea of that.) She quips, offering a gentle smile within the woman’s direction. こちらこそ、喜びです、月（ユエ）女帝。 (The pleasure is returned, Empress Yué.)

Izumi smelled something off of the woman’s fur, too. A strong surge of hormones — though she could be wrong. For now, she does not address it. Instead, turning to cast her gaze back towards the moon.

ローナン卿の催しを、これまでは楽しんでいらっしゃいますか？遠路はるばる、よくぞお越しくださいました……。 (Are you enjoying sir Ronan’s festivities thus far? Surely you have come a long way…)