What indeed. "Nothing I say -- or Niou says for me -- is going to matter if Princess Azura just stands up and contradicts it immediately after," he said, thinking out loud. He reached a hand out to Sanada and Niou both, with a rueful smile.

"Trust in me a little longer," he said, too proud to beg but too beaten down to command. He pulled the magic to him, around the three of them, and found Yanagi and the princess in one of their conference rooms with a teleport spell.

Yukimura turns his head when he hears the tome fall to the ground behind him, disappointed because he'd hoped to have left it behind, and staggers, both with the effort of using so much magic and the surprise of Princess Azura pointing a Blessed (and sharpened) Lance directly at his throat.

"She would not come with me unless I allowed her to be armed," Yanagi said mildly, and Yukimura supposed he'd earned that, and made sure that he lost his balance in Sanada's direction-- if Sanada had to catch him, he couldn't wonder if he was supposed to be pointing a sword at the princess in retaliation.