Princess Liliandra listened and observed both the swordsman and the elementalist's point of view with an open mind. Some of which she already knew about Willow but perhaps his time away from Northaven had made him a wiser person but there was something else. "Well I thank you for your thoughts on how both of you view and know Willow."

"Your welcome, your Highness," The Swordsman smiled to The Princess before he gave The Elementalist another round of dagger eyes.

The kurori inhaled a bunch of blueberries until she bit into a sour unripe berry and gave the shield maiden a funny look.

Serna did her best to stifle a laugh.

Prince Willow finally came to the dining room though and yawned, "Good morningtide to you all! How is everyone doing this day?"

Caliaphy got up out of her seat blushing and approached the ranger, "Gosh! You're really, really cute, teeheehee!"

"Handsome!" Serna rose from her chair and approached the Ranger as well, "You look very handsome today, Willow."

"Thank you both," The Ranger smiled at The Shield Maiden and The Fairy.

The elementalist looked over and waved to Willow, "Good Morning."

The bronze man also turned in Willow's direction and with a nod acknowledged him, "Good morning, Prince Willow."

"Good morning, Willow," The Swordsman added, "I was just about to tell Alyson how much of a cheap, petty and pathetic little girl she is for not getting over the fact that you failed her test of trust. But in retrospect I think she did you a favor by dumping you. You're way too good to be hooked up with a High Maintenance Hottie like this one."

"Preach! Reverend! Preach!" War Scribe cried out in between bites of her food.

The Prince began to wonder just exactly what in the hell he had just walked into.

Lazheros sighed heavily as he knew where this heated argument was going.

"What is a High Maintenance Hottie?" Serna asked Irzen.

"A woman who is so petty and so cheap and has so much emotional baggage that she simply can't let any of it go long enough to enjoy a meaningful relationship with anyone," The Swordsman surmised quickly, "That is all you are, Alyson, and if you're not careful, that is all you are ever going to be!"

"Oh-kay!" Serna took a step back at that one.

"Are you done?" Alyson drank all of her juice in one gulp. "Shall I repeat what I told you back in Asylum at the lighthouse, for everyone to hear because its clearly obvious to me that you have a lot of pent up rage issues since you're the one taking a back seat in a body that's not your own, human!"

In the blink of an eye, Irzen's demeanor became calm almost to the point of being scary, "Tell everyone what you will, Elementalist, but in answer to your question: I am not done yet. I have one more thing to say. And what I have to say is a warning but it is a warning not mean't for you."

"YYYYYEEESSSS!!!" The Drowling crowed, "And the truth shall set you free!"

The bronze man face palmed and really wished Madeous was here. The platinum knight could defuse any argument on a whim, he was that good and he often put Celestra in her place when she got pushy.

The Swordsman turned towards The Cleric, "Lazheros, as a Cleric of Bahamut, your serve a god who loves justice, shows compassion and embraces mercy. Before I knew Willow as a Wood Elven Prince, I knew him as a Wood Elven Ranger who was in the same position as you are now--a lover of Alyson."

Now the bronze man stood up with a serious look of concern not for Alyson but for the swordsman as the temperature began to drop instead of rising. He turned to the elementalist, her skin began to pale and the shadows started to grow. ~Alysiane...don't give in to the darkness.~

"Irzen, please don't," The Prince knew where this was headed.

The Swordsman pointed towards Alyson without looking away from Lazheros, "Willow loved Alyson as much as you do now. He fought by her side, killed her enemies for her when she needed it, clothed her when she was naked, fed her when she was hungry, comforted her when she wept, sheltered her when she was lonely, healed her when she was wounded and suffered her when no one else could or would put up with her crap."

"Okay! That's just mean!" Caliaphy got up from her seat pointing at the Irzen, "Blah! Blah! Blah! Well excuse us for NOT being YOU!"

"HAH GLORY!!!" War Scribe screeched as she raised her hand skyward.

The Swordsman lowered his hand, "And in spite of showing a near infinite amount of compassion, mercy, forgiveness, kindness, respect and love over and over and over again; when it was his turn to feel these things from the woman who allegedly loved him--after he screwed up in a crisis of conscience--what did she do? Did she show him compassion? Did she show him any love? Did she forgive him? Did she even listen to him as he tried to apologize? What did she do?"

"She dumped him," Irzen deadpanned, "Without a second thought, without a single ounce of regret and without a single shred of remorse. Beware this woman, Cleric of Bahamut, like all men you will err. You will make a mistake. Sooner or later, you know you will. And when you do, she will do no less to you than she did to the prince. Heed my warning. In time, you too will suffer the same fate as Willow and become just another ex-lover in a long line of ex-lovers of Alyson, the High Maintenance Hottie."

"A human flaw, Lord Irzen," Lazheros said quietly hoping to defuse the tense situation.

The Swordsman promptly returned to his seat and resumed eating without another word.

"CAN I GET AN AMEN?" The Drowling crowed once more.

"I really hope Gruumasht beats you within an inch of your life and you have to beg me to save it!" Alyson replied devoid of emotion as she looked directly at him with solid black eyes.

"ENOUGH!" Liliandra was clearly annoyed at War Scribe's banter, "You have out stayed your welcome here, Chronicler. Guards escort her out of the palace!"

Liliandra glanced back to the elementalist but did not look her directly in the eye, "Please calm yourself, Alyson. I understand a lot for I have had a similar experience long before I married Prince Yew, however, Lord Irzen is right, you need to let it go."

She then addressed the swordsman firmly, "There are two sides of the story and I have heard both of them. You've made your point quite clear, and just so we're all on the same page, you need to drop it on whatever grudge you're harboring for the orc at the moment. We will discuss a strategy after we've all had something to eat."

"I will do as you request, your Highness," Irzen responded with a formal nod before he continued eating.

The elementalist took her food and drink and walked to the far end of the table away from Irzen. Being near him wasn't a good idea at the moment.

"Wait! Wait! I was just getting warmed up!" The Chronicler complained as the Guards lifted War Scribe out of her seat and half-dragged, half-carried the Drowling out of the dining hall.

Prince Willow sadly shook his head as he took his seat across from Princess Lilliandra.