"About Zhima? Certainly!", the young man replied with a grin. "I'd also be honored if I could learn more about you..." Samuel paused, originally intending to end his statement there. But he quickly added, "and your country.", in that hopes that it wouldn't make him sound too forward. He then went on to tell the Princess Claudia about his homeland.

Zhima wasn't the largest country in the world but it was rather sizeable. It's vast expanse and population made it difficult to unite under one flag and one ruler. After experiencing many years of unstable governments violently overthrown by the next aspiring leader, a solution finally came when one wise king made a deal with the main tribes of Zhima. There were six all in all, including the king's tribe, and each was given an assigned territory to run however they saw fit. In exchange, their loyalty would lie with the king and the country as a whole. It would be a few more years before any other problems were worked out but eventually all the factions consented to the new system. Over the years the territories became known as duchies led by a duke or duchess. The name of each division would always be preceded by the name Zhima, as a sign that they are unified as one country. National laws were established that all the duchies had to follow. However, each territory had their own economy and the architectural design of buildings differed from one duchy to the next. Naturally, the land of the king who unified Zhima became the capital of the country. Still, centuries of in-fighting had become a characteristic of the nation and though the government is satisfactory, it has become tradition to have at least one political meeting a month boil down to nothing more than senseless brawls.

When they got to the kitchen they were greeted by an unexpected sight. It seems there had been an accident. The floor was damp and there was a clutter of cooking pots. There were three other people in the room, all of whom Samuel recognized. There was the Duke of Mecomple at the table, while the Duke of Zeaola was standing with the Princess of Kyoku. "Hm? What happened here?", he asked, noting the eastern princess' soaked state.