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ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Shoot, I thought I had until tomorrow lol.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

And my last collab is up-- I'll get to my regular post soon as well.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Collab with @Irradiant

---

Altina began to write.

Dear Duchess Agustria,

A worried conscience is what prompts this letter that I am sending to you. I will cut to the chase: I cannot help but be filled with gnawing dread at the news that the Wizard Queen intends to pursue Athius. Those waters are largely unexplored, for good reason — and yet, at this juncture, Evelyn Koeve shows an uncharacteristic willingness to poke at its depths. One can only hazard a guess as to why, but all the same, I am not foolish enough to simply wave it away.

I am sure you see the cracks. They are starting to show. More than that, I reckon the illusion of calm will soon rupture, if it has not already. The people have wizened up, the nobles peeling the scales from their eyes. They are aware of what has been taken from them in broad daylight. The parties, the galas, the merry-making: these follies will soothe their ache no longer.

You are a learned woman, Duchess — more learned than I in matters of finance. I assume you are not blind to what has been happening. The Wizard Queen has set her machinations in place since her coronation. The taxation, her growing military, the takeover of the Glasic Fields: all moves to eat away at the integrity of Arrowfell, and by extension, its very cities. The Wizard Queen gets to stuff her stomach, while the rest of us slowly languish.

With word of Duke Rhinecliff’s rebellion having already reached her ears, she is no doubt set on snuffing it out. Should the duke fall, so do our hopes of freeing ourselves from the manacles of despotism. I cannot allow that. And so, I plan to aid Duke Rhinecliff in his cause.

…Which is also why I seek an audience with you, Duchess. I know of your friendship with Duke Rhinecliff. Moreover, the Duke of Rockhold has informed me of a secret meeting between you and the Wizard Queen. I wish to know the details of your discussion with her.

Her thoughts now completely laid out on paper, she contemplated briefly to crumple the parchment up, to start over, to resort to her usual tactics. But she would remind herself this: I must be transparent with people I will soon call allies. Thus, she would choose not to dilute the sincerity behind her words.

Delivered by her finest eagle, which was enchanted by wind magic, the letter would arrive at the Caelin’s duchess’ doorstep within the day.

—

Duchess Agustria briefly recalled the letter as she settled into her seat across from her fellow duchess. She had burned the document after reading, naturally. Things were moving very fast now, and normally, risking a meeting like this was too risky for her to entertain. But with the knowledge that she was furnished with by the Queen herself, and her pending arrival in the Grand Banks, keeping Altina in the loop instead of just Laurent was an acceptable risk. Sitting next to her was her ever present lady in waiting, Countess Minuette, who, as was often as of late, Mirie’s main facilitator for discrete travel through the crystal that she carried.

After the initial and typical pleasantries, the duchess got down to business. Given the timeline, there was not much time to spare, after all. “So, how may Caelin help Agrovia?”

Altina straightened herself in her seat, her tea cup dropping to the edge of the table between her and Duchess Agustria. The mere presence of the monarch was a shock to her, what with the last minute nature of her summons. Duke Dadreak's words proved correct after all: the Caelin duchess would indeed show her favor.

"Nay, ruler of the Grand Bank," Altina answered, wagging a finger in whimsical protest. "We will be scratching each other's backs. I will benefit, and so will you."

Noticing the urgency in the duchess' voice, she accented her own with a similar timbre. "The sea of Athius. I fear something lurks there that could endanger us all, in one way or another."

Her eyes would begin to travel to nowhere in particular, a sure sign she was deep in thought. "The stars have aligned, divining an inferno that can no longer be put out." The meandering lenses would eventually meet Duchess Agustria's. "That is to say, Duke Rhinecliff's rebellion."

Clearing her throat, "I will make my allegiances known here, so as to dispel any doubt: I stand by the duke."

She had made the fact obvious enough in her letter, but she also felt a need to express it in person. "The Wizard Queen must already know it, despite my posturing."

Her folded hands would land on the table, poised to once again grab at her tea. "And now she intends to gather us in one place, stranded from the safety of land. Like lambs to slaughter, no?" A slight tip of the head. "Which is why I must ask, Duchess, for your sake and mine: what does she seek to gain from Athius?"

Mirie’s reply was careful and measured. “Perhaps. The state of affairs will come to a head,” she confirmed. It was also her preference to draw out the prelude for as long as she could, but considering what had happened to the Corrin family, even she couldn’t stand idle. It was no secret that her agenda tended to favor a status quo, for many reasons that also remained private, but by merely being here, it was obvious it was time for her to make a move– as with the others, the Queen being successful here would be problematic for her.

It had also been obvious to the duchess that her counterpart had thrown in her lot with Rhinecliff, even before the letter, but she refrained from voicing it. “The Queen has been bold, but I’m not so sure her goal is to do that,” she continued, referring to her gathering of the high nobility on the high seas. “She will be there herself, as will the best of my fleet.”

She sighed. “Somehow, I’m not surprised that meeting did not remain secret. The Queen did not apprise me of the specific details. However, she made it clear that she has the means to properly reach Athius, and what she finds there would likely change the balance of power in the province –perhaps even further abroad. Did you receive a letter from our… neighbor?”

A soft chuckle, and then a sigh. "Well, you know what they say, Duchess. Even the walls themselves have ears."

Though the Caelin monarch’s answer left much to be desired, what with its ambiguity, Altina couldn't help but feel a sense of relief momentarily wash over her. Perhaps the recent events had turned her paranoid, causing her to jump to nonsensical conclusions.

…

She shook her head, her lips wrinkling into a smile.

The Wizard Queen will unveil her trump card, and I shall be there to witness it. A moment of introspection.

Was this to be an act of intimidation, flaunting a mighty weapon in front of her foes?

Regardless, even discounting any hidden schemes, Altina believed she could only stand to gain from them. Information is vital, she would reiterate to herself. And in the hands of wise men, it is a sword that rivals all others. The words lingered in her mind. A sword that the queen will find lodged in her chest, if she is not cautious.

After taking a well-needed sip of her tea, Altina would speak again, addressing the Caelin monarch’s inquiry. "You mean the spectral King of Ravenfell," she clarified. "Why yes, I did indeed receive correspondence from him." Her face would inch ever closer towards the woman, her hands framing the roguish look upon it. "You wish to hear him out as well?" She asked coyly, knowing what lay between the duchess' veil. Opportunities. One must pursue them with calculated relentlessness. She was of a similar sort, after all.

She recited the king's missive in her head, remembering his turns of phrase. "Quite the flatterer, that one."

"He seems to be keenly abreast of all matters in Arrowfell. Do you figure he shares a history with the Wizard Queen?"

“Yes,” Mirie answered simply. “I also received a similar letter,” she continued, shrugging at her counterpart’s following observations.

There were a lot of things to consider with the King of Ravenfell, and frankly, she didn’t have a high opinion of him. She hardly trusted him, for one, although she trusted his instinct for survival.
“Of course he does. I can’t guess as to what it was at this juncture, but I’m not surprised. More importantly, what the Queen did mention is this weapon she intends to retrieve–” she gestured in the air at that, “--Seems to meant to deal with him, too. Frankly, I don’t trust him either, but I would be remiss to not see what he has to say. If the Queen can take an entire king out of play, then I am truly concerned.”

Altina expressed her agreement with a nod. "We are of the same mind, Duchess Agustria."

Rising to her feet, "I shan't keep you any longer, Duchess. Time is precious, and the hour draws near."

She extended a hand. "I must thank you again, for entertaining this silly request of mine." A serious gaze. “Odonfield's flame will not fade; Arrowfell will weather the coming storm."

“Indeed,” the Duchess responded, returning the handshake. “I suspect we will be meeting again quite soon.”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

<Snipped quote by ERode>

They are technically happening at the same time, but the Ghost King is teleporting those at the meeting to wherever they want right after, so timelines should line up.

The only big thing happening next after the Ghost King Meeting is Sev's execution at the end of the day, then they set sail. Then I'm planning another timeskip to when everyone arrives in Athius. You can let me know if you want to hit the Fields then or later.

@Estylwen

Is it known that the king has teleportation skills?

Final Fantasy: Lightseekers

---

This particular excursion was going to leave a bad taste in Éliane’s mouth. She was a pragmatic person as almost everybody else in the team, but as a member of the Household Guards, one of Skael’s highest officers in both keeping the peace and protecting the Overseer, a mission that had her cavorting with criminal elements –pirates—for transport left her feeling uncomfortable. This was reinforced by the fact that the favor was predicated on some particularly nasty quid pro quo—removing rival criminal elements, no matter how pragmatic or sympathetic Captain Bikke tried to phrase the entire thing.

There were no objections from the rest of the party, though; they needed discrete passage, and taking out a criminal element was still taking out a shithead, even if some other crime lord was going to benefit from it. No doubt Esben would take no issue with it, though. That was the difference with SEED, and it was part of why Éliane had left that organization, even if she had been temporarily subordinated back into it for part of her overall mission to stop the Blight.

Standing in front of the mansion as the others discussed their plan to infiltrate the place, she shook her head. Should this have been planned before? Nonetheless, Éliane always had a tried-and-true trick. In fact, Izayoi had already suggested it, even though the flow of the conversation was away from simply blowing up the front entrance and mounting a massive frontal attack.

Because that was what Éliane would do, naturally.

“I would just like to say that I’m still in favor of a frontal assault,” she added, unhelpfully unfortunately, given that Esben was already infiltrating and opening the gate.

With a sigh, she stepped through as it opened. “Okay, fine. But don’t rely on me to keep things quiet. Everyone knows why I’m no longer in SEED, right?”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Still in one collab... but I'll be posting soon. I'll just have Mirie arrive just in time to catch everything said if that's fine.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Huh. Did nobody make a Ravenfell post yet?

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

I've got one last collab to get on, but I guess I should also make a regular post soon-- probably sometime in the next day or so.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Collab with @ERode

---

Smiling, Duke Rhinecliff watched the children leave, escorted by one of his maids. He slipped a timepiece out from the folds of his cloak, observed the present time, then clicked the ornate piece shut again, sliding it back into his inner pockets.

“Well, Mirie,” he spoke, his tone sliding into a more casual manner now that there were only equals present, “Would you believe me if I told you that I was mostly clueless during all this?”

Glancing at his pocket watch for a moment, Duchess Agustria shook her head, with a light snort. “I would believe it. Masterfully played, nonetheless. I had to put the pieces together myself.” She glanced at the wine still on the table, and then sighed.

“I see the Queen is becoming far bolder. Does this change any of your plans?”

“She has always been bold; it changes little.”

The Glasic Fields still must be obtained, and the duchies must form a united ground. The influence of exterior forces wishing to take advantage of the chaos must be managed, while measures must be taken to counter the overwhelming power that the Seeds presented. Far too many pieces to be put into place. He reciprocated the Duchess’s sigh with his own, then managed a smile once more.

“Still, your thoughts on my double? I do hope he hasn’t done anything so dramatic as fling himself towards the Queen at first sight?”

Mirie chuckled lightly. “And that would not have been the most dramatic moment of the gala. No, ‘he’ has acquitted himself well. Beyond my expectations, in fact, but there will still be questions…”
Tapping the wine glass she brought from the gala, she changed the topic. “Much has happened in the past few hours. The Court Mage has a new apprentice, Duke Willowsteel has had too much to drink and is to be executed, and the Queen intends to travel to Athius for reasons I’ve yet to discern. Still intending to swap, Laurent?”

“That stupid boy…”

He allowed himself but a moment to furrow his brow, pinching the bridge of his nose. Odonfield and Nordor had warred against each other before. The late Arthur Willowsteel had been a brilliant lord and leader, even when all he held was human strength and common steel versus the spellwork of scholars and sorcerers. His only son, degraded in times of peace, seemed only fit to make trouble.

“With news such as that, I’ve no recourse but to make the swap, it appears. As for Athius, however…” The Duke contemplated that nugget of knowledge briefly. “The build up of an invading force, and the pretext to send them elsewhere. Considering the proximity of those wicked waves to the Grand Bank, could that not be a ploy to claim the sister port as the Queen’s own?”

His eyes met Mirie’s.

“If all it takes is a drunken episode to justify the execution of a duke, what more does Evelyn need to claim the head of a duchess?”

She frowned, contemplating the scenario Laurent raised. However, the pieces didn’t fit. Caelin was infamous for holding out against King Ludwig, after all– and she could do it far better than her father ever could.

“It’s unlikely. The forces she would need to muster to challenge both my fleet and the fortifications of the Grand Bank would require preparation months in advance. It would not be discrete, and frankly, she would have little reason to take a swing at little old me rather than you,” she said in jest, although the facts remained. “No, she has other designs, but Sev’s fate is just as pressing. He deserves better, but the words he spoke were treason. I fear my hands may be tied.”

“So long as you exercise due caution when she demands you let her ships dock at your ports, Mirie, I suppose a landbound duke has no grounds to give advice to a seabound one.” He gestured towards a servant, who stepped in to present a case of cigars. Taking one, the duke motioned for Mirie to take the other. “Sev’s words were only treasonous because he failed. If not, Evelyn would be hanging herself for what she’s done, no?”

Military might mattered in the end, no matter how much soft power one could project. An arcane sigil was drawn into the air, before a candleflame floated above his index finger, igniting the cigar.

“What value do you think Nordor has, in the coming conflict?”

Mirie inclined her head, and accepted an offered cigar. It wasn’t her usual choice of vice, but Laurant did have nice cigars. “Where it matters? An entire duchy’s worth of manpower. Nordor offers little in the way of location. It is annoying to get to, its resources are lacking, and its economy is simple and agricultural, with little else besides wine and crops. All things you are aware of, no doubt.”

Broken away from the Queen’s taxes, though, she knew that even a relative backwater like Nordor could still put a decent offering into a warchest, if it was needed. And, without a doubt, the levies from Nordor could make or break the difference in a coming civil war.

“Being out of the way is its own benefit,” Laurent nodded. Battles could be won with magic, but wars were still reliant on people…so long as there wasn’t a Seed that invalidated that particular fact. Supplies were necessary then, as well as a fallback point if necessary. “It would have been good if Sev had kept his claws sheathed, but I suppose that would be too much to ask.”

A map of Arrowfell twisted and stretched in his mind, mental calculations of distances, of how quickly the word could get out, how many pieces he could move at once. To rouse and collar rebellious forces within Nordor, to have dialogue with the Tearmoon coven, to time everything in a way that would maximize the benefits…

“I don’t suppose you’d know of the Queen’s timeline for her voyage to Althius?”

The Duchess considered the Queen’s words at the gala. “In a few weeks. I’ll keep you apprised… the more I think of it, whatever she’s going to do will be of greater import than I originally thought.”

And that was already with the pieces moving on the mainland. Mirie’s influence was especially limited in the hinterlands like Nordor, but Caelin’s reputation for neutrality, feigned or not, depended on things like this. “Do you intend to make a move on Nordor, or mount a rescue?”

“That’d depend on Sev himself.”

Though he had his preferences, there was no point in being forceful at this stage.

“I reckon that there’s plenty of other things that can be done in the Queen’s absence, after all.”

That was enough of an answer for Mirie. “No doubt.” She pulled out her own pocket watch from within her pocket, briefly checking the time.

“Shall we?”

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Feeling a bit better now. Looks like a bunch has happened since I was indisposed, so time to catch up.