Part: 2 ~ The Introduction

After a drawn-out speech Artemis gave on the rules of the selection and thanking the kingdom for providing the selected, the head cameraman yells cut. Artemis Yells out in enthusiasm, "Finally freed from this awful imprisonment!" Artemis takes off his suit's coat and ties it around his waist. Artemis has a stern look covering his face. Artemis shouts, "I felt like I was going to be boiled alive, how many times do I have to tell you about filling the room to full capacity!" Artemis' voice travels around the grand ballroom, making everyone look towards him. Many palace workers start to look down or downwards, almost in a form of submission. Artemis, unaware that his voice would travel so far, looks towards the far end of the room with a hard to be bought apologetic face, and shouts "I humbly apologize for the way I screamed at all of you!" Many of the palace's workers quickly go towards their tasks, almost as if not hearing a word Artemis spoke. Artemis sighs deeply and walks towards the selected five; Kathleenia Lillie-Lu Roberts, Shiba Luna Peraket, Clark Jayden Vato, Mary Abigail Hunter, and Canis Inu.

Canis seems to be in fear, this is noted through his tail resting between his legs, and Canis soft shiver. As Artemis approaches, he notices Kathleenia's eyes rolling, followed by her arms crossing in front of her chest almost in aggravation. Artemis turns towards Canis, and as softly as he could muster states to Canis, "you have nothing to fear, I spoke without thinking." Canis takes a step backward in protection. Artemis sighs softly, closes his eyes for a few seconds, and opens them to face the selected. Artemis smiles a soft gentle smile, showing off his canines in the process, something normally seen as threatening. Artemis stands straight, the height difference between Artemis and most of the selected can be seen. Artemis at first glance seems intimidating from this point of view, almost like the leader of some evil organization. Artemis calmly tries to start a conversation. "Good morning, I would like to introduce myself to you all." Kathleenia rudely interrupts Artemis stating, "I would rather die." Artemis' expression shifts, his smile fades into a frown and his posture fades giving him a soft slouch. Artemis, deeply insulted by Katheenia's rude interjection, answers Kathleenia in a self-protective monologue, "I see my pure intentions have come off with a taste of malice. I never meant to act in such a way to scare you. I naturally act in a way that characterizes itself towards malice. On occasions I express the punk style and aesthetic, I find this calming in nature. Over the years, my behavior may have changed to fit the style. Ultimately, my smile was never meant as a threat, or my posture drilled into me by my royal life was meant to intimidate your presence." Kathleenia rudely interjects, "Yeah as if!! Once you pick one of us, the rest are sent to death!"

Artemis seems to grow in frustration, he takes a quick look at all of the selected and then states, "There is only one way to escape. This escape route has been blocked off for some time now. If any of you wish to leave it most ultimately will end with your return to this very palace. As I have stated, I do not wish any of you harm." Mary quickly Interjects "I read all the gossip on you. you would escape from the palace to meet a tamed piece of trash who I may add was male." Mary's tone of voice indicates hatred towards Artemis. Canis instinctively attacks her comment in a protective manner stating "so, Artemis has the right to like whoever he wants." Mary refutes Canis comment, "He's the crowned prince, future ruler of our country, whoever he loves must display the principles of this country. It would be a fall from grace to date a guy, and a call for war to date a tamed mutt." Artemis clears his throat and looks Mary in the eyes, eyes filled with anger, he subconsciously stands in between Mary and stretches out his arm to protect Canis, "I will always place my kingdom's safety as a top priority on my list, but that safety also means reform. I do not believe in this long-held hatred for a person based on their Meígma form. Nor do I support the hatred of a person based on their attractions or gender expression. Call me whatever you want, attack my beliefs as you please, but you should hold all that anger towards me and me alone. The second you target that anger and hatred towards any other individual in this palace, may it be a simple palace worker or another of the selected, I will put you in your place. This is your only warning to all of you." Artemis still angered clenches his fists and storms out of the ballroom slamming the grand oak doors behind him. The selected jump slightly at the sound of the doors slam, but everyone else in the mass ballroom fails to even react; it is almost as if they are used to Artemis' outbursts.