Makai is a country far, far away from Corona, far, far to the east. The countries of the far east are already surrounded by much myth and mystery to the western world from the few who have traveled to and from the region, as much fiction as fact from sensationalism, exaggeration, exotification, poor memory, and even the corruption of word of mouth. But Makai is on a completely different level. There's almost nothing *but* legends and myth about the place, almost entirely because most people avoid it like the plague.

They say it's a country inhabited entirely by monsters- demons. That it's a country entirely of diaspora, of malevolent creatures driven from their lands of their origin, gathering in this place of exile. They're called many things by the surrounding countries- yaoguai and yaojing, goemul or dokkaebi, and especially youkai. Demons, to the west.

They say the demons there are all violent and evil. It's said that Makai is split into three territories, each ruled by a cruel, monstrous king, and all three hate each other, the country in constant civil war in the power struggles between the territories- Gandara, Alaric, and Tourin. They say that the territories do not extend to the full borders of Makai, the spaces between lawless lands of monsters and bandits outside the concerns of the three kings.

But that isn't to say no news or glimmer of truth ever comes from that place. There are travelers that must pass nearby, and warriors who go there seeking glory and returning with trophies of monstrous teeth and bones and even heads- if they come back at all. But as of two decades ago, the rumors of Makai shifted- some began to say the eternal civil war had finally, paradoxically ended. That a new king had risen in one of the territories (most commonly said to be Tourin, though sources differed) and found some agreement with the other two kings. That peace had come to a country thought to be made of pure violence and evil.

The stories of violence surrounding Makai had even started to dwindle, though older stories still circulated, sometimes with a new coat of paint, perpetuating the land's reputation. But it remained difficult to discern fact from fiction about the mythical country of demons.

At least, of course, until the royal family of Tourin arrived unexpectedly in Corona.


They were three young men of increasingly average-to-incredibly short stature, wearing strange clothes even by the broad standards of the Seven Kingdoms, and two of them bearing odd tattoo-like markings all over their bodies. They were strange enough to draw attention when they arrived, seeking audience with the royal family of Corona, but *strange* wasn't *inhuman*. Imagine the surprise of the court when, finally introduced to the king, queen, and princess, the tallest of the three casually announced they were not only from Makai, but that he was the king of Tourin, and they'd come seeking diplomatic relations with Corona.

Imagine the further surprise when, after being given the welcome they were due, allowed to settle in a bit, and talking over lunch, they'd proposed they were specifically seeking to arrange a marriage for the crown prince. But that's a conversation to be held in a more private chamber, the two royal families moving to discuss this properly. As it turns out, a lot of rumors about Makai are true- namely, that the people there are inhuman, and that the three territories were previously in an endless war, and that the king of Tourin- Yusuke- had found a way to end that war when his predecessor, Raizen, died and passed his title to him, an heir previously not known to exist. It's a long story, and that's not important- what's important, is that Makai is now seeking legitimacy. Most other places don't recognize Makai as a true country, merely a named chunk of land full of demons. But obviously, the people that lived there felt differently.

They wanted their borders, their people, their rights, respected as much as any other country's. They wanted alliance, they wanted positive relations. Corona, they felt, was not only a country with influence- despite its small size, it was a prominent member of the Seven Kingdoms, and the reach of Corona's influence extended far- but also a land of people most likely to show compassion and generosity to Makai's needs. And they had come to the conclusion that, specifically, the bond of a marriage between the crown prince of Tourin and a prominent member of the Coronan court could cement a lasting alliance between them, bring legitimacy to Makai's claim as a true country of its own, and spread the possibility of further friendly relations with the rest of the Seven Kingdoms and beyond.

That, and Corona is a country in recovery- much of it had been destroyed in its private war between the forces of the Sun and the Moon. Though a prominent member of the Seven Kingdoms, that did not leave Corona immune to outside danger, from those who may wait to strike while Corona still rebuilds its lost strength. After all, where were the other Seven Kingdoms when Corona was in trouble? Makai offered strength and goods- what Makai lacked in influence and riches, they had in spades in numbers, power, and exotic goods the likes of which the Seven Kingdoms haven't seen. Though their lands were far apart, an opened route of amicable trade between them could create a ripple effect of opportunity in the spaces between. It really is a deal far too good for both of them to pass up, isn't it?

The only problem is... The royal family of Corona only has one heir, and she's already very much spoken for- and a bit out of the prince's age range. It turns out Kei, the crown prince, is only fifteen. And waiting for Rapunzel and Eugene to create the next heir would just leave Kei as the one far too old. But Corona is, again, a small kingdom, with a small court. And even among those that would be considered nobility in Corona outside the royal family- those with the largest homes, the most money, the most political ties with the royalty- the choices of eligible candidates among them were slim.

And that's where they stood now, two royal families in the map room, both ready to make this connection between them, but stuck on the actual how. One the one side, King Frederic, Queen Arianna, their daughter Princess Rapunzel, and the advisor, Nigel. On the other, King Yusuke, his son Prince Kei, and the mysterious Hiei, the shortest of the three and the one who has so far had absolutely nothing to say, remaining dead silent and only glowering at everyone. Rapunzel figured perhaps he was a second prince? Kei's younger brother, maybe? They did look an awful lot alike.

"So," she starts, trying not to pick at the little trees on the model of the kingdom of Corona that stood between the two families and failing, "the problem is, I can't think of a single young woman from a family of high enough standing that's eligible right now. Any daughters of high standing in Corona are either too young, too old, or too spoken for."

And that's the first time Hiei finally says something, giving Rapunzel a sharp look as he speaks up in a surprisingly deep, adult voice, "we never said we were specifically looking for a girl."

The fact that she's completely thrown for a loop by Hiei's voice aside, that just leaves Rapunzel (and her father, mother, and Nigel) completely confused. "Wait, what?"

No seriously, wait, what?? Yusuke, explain??