Brought Before the Jed

You and Gur Rathka are taken to an immense palace and led to an audience chamber within its depths. The guards force you and the green man to kneel before a raised dais upon which an ornate throne stands. A few moments later a tall, handsome man wearing a jewel-encrusted harness enters, trailed by a shorter, rather weasely-looking young man whose garb is only slightly less impressive.

"Let me be the first to welcome you back, Your Highness," intones the taller man, whom you guess to be the Jed of Xodar. "Did you think that you could avoid marrying my son simply by running away?" The weasel beside him grins lecherously; his son, no doubt.

"You can't force me to marry that...that...slimy little snake!" you cry; you aren't quite sure why (aside from general principles), but the thought of marrying the Jed's son fills you with rage and disgust.

"Oh, but I can," the Jed assures you. "You were captured in just battle by a Xodarian noble, and he sold you to me. You are therefore my property, to do with as I see fit."

"He lies!" Gur Rathka suddenly cries out at your side. "The attack on Iskandr was not just; Xodar struck while the Iskandrian forces were far away, engaged in the war with Ptoth. It was a cowardly act, carried out by men without honor!"

A guard steps up to Gur Rathka and clouts him on the head several times, until the green man falls to the floor only semi-conscious. The Jed resumes speaking as if there had been no interruption. "You will wed my son, Princess, and then, one day, Xodar and Iskandr will be united under my rule. If you refuse, you will be put to death, and I will have no choice but to take Iskandr by force. Are you willing to throw away the lives of the thousands of your people who will perish in the war that results?"

You consider his words. If the Jed really had the might required to defeat Iskandr, he would have done so already, rather than carrying out a cowardly sneak-attack as he did. On the other hand, you do not doubt that many thousands of people would die on both sides should the two cities go to war. From what you have seen so far, your father has taken great pains to avoid starting a war; do you have any right to provoke one for your own sake, just to avoid marrying the Jed's son?

Just then, a warrior rushes in, breathless. "My Jed," he cries, clearly agitated. "Our picket ships report that Iskandr has mobilized its entire navy; it is on its way here even as we speak!"

"Alert my fleet commanders to make ready to meet them," the Jed orders. As the warrior hurries off to obey, the Jed turns to you with a cold smile. "When the two navies finally meet, it will be too late to avoid a war, Your Highness. This is your last chance to save countless lives, starting with your own. Will you consent to marry my son?"

1. You refuse, and the Jed instructs the guards to throw you into the dungeon; you will be dealt with once the battle is over.
2. You agree, hoping to buy some time at the very least; maybe you can talk your way out of this once the war has been averted.

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