garentoft 8353 Share Posted December 6, 2021 Spoiler STAND OUT Lichtestadt after its expansion, circa 402 E.S. “Did Ruslan ever give you any advice?”“Never.” Eirik ground to a halt as he arrived by a patch of roses, growing elegantly whilst illuminated by the eastern sunset of Haense. He knelt down by the patch, and thought back to his talk with Kaustantin those months ago, before the announcement was made to the Kingdom. It had been inevitable for a while now, he thought, ever since Kaustantin had named him as the Deputy Palatine. Yet, the thought had always been so foreign to him, he had never realised that Kaustantin would come to retire eventually. But here he was, knelt by a patch of roses, not only were he the Duke of Valwyck, but also the Lord Palatine of Haense. It was no longer just his duty to oversee his own demesne, but to oversee the entire Kingdom and be the King’s right hand. “Your tenure won’t be hard. Haense is the most dominant power in the world. Stable and calm.” “But that is why I am afraid.” Haense existed in a state of prosperity, it had for many years now. Eirik could not recall a time where the Kingdom had not prospered. During Henrik II’s reign, the Kingdom had become the dominant power in foreign affairs, despite some internal struggles here and there. And now during Sigismund’s reign those internal struggles had ceased, and the Kingdom had kept itself rooted in that spot of dominant prosperity. That was Eirik’s concern, though. He thought it unlikely that prosperity could last forever, such was the way of the world. All Kingdoms had their periods of prosperity, and those periods would often cease when you least expected them to. And while he knew ultimately that perhaps such would be no fault of his own, there was that little spark inside of him that refused to become the Lord Palatine that had ended Haeseni prosperity. “Instead of saying heavy is the head which wears the Crown, I say rotten is the person wiping the King's arse.” He had known the rot within Kaustantin for a while. He had been witness to it for years now, a man who first proclaimed himself devoted to his work, now struggling with his wife and stillbirths. Kaustantin had become a broken man, yet Eirik could not help but disagree with his sentiment. It was not his service as Lord Palatine that had broken Kaustantin. His curse did not come from God, nor did it come from his work. It emanated from himself and had no other source but in his own actions; and this was true of every man and of every punishment. Yet Eirik was determined to prove Kaustantin’s words wrong, the Lord Palatine would not become inherently rotten, Eirik would see to that. There was no rot within him, and whatever curses he may have put onto himself he had long since relinquished himself, embracing the matters of his life instead. He had broken his curse of isolation, of despair, and of misery, and instead turned them into blessings of contact, hope, and love. Or so he believed. The pillars rose around Valwyck. Grand pillars of smooth marble, standing tall, imprisoning the Duke within them. The sky darkened above, and streams of blood began to pour from each pillar, ruining their fine colour, and soaking the land. The Bear stood, and the Golden Crow landed upon his shoulder. From the depths of the bloody ocean, they began to rise. First came the Sword of God, then the Scyfling, the Great, the Dutiful… Their mangled and rotten corpses climbed each of their pillars. The ground rumbled, and the Bear was elevated, face to face with the past. “Will… ...You… ...Join… Us…?” The judges spoke in a monotonous drone, and at their conclusion the ground rumbled again, and the Bear fell into the darkness. Judgement would not yet be cast… not yet. He woke up. The sweat was streaming down his face, he pushed himself out of the bed, casting a brief glance back at Anastasya, hoping he had not disturbed her. He quickly opened away, allowing a night breeze to cool him down. They’re just dreams, he thought. But he knew well enough what that dream meant. That night, he took a walk around the premises of Lichtestadt, whilst the snow began to gently fall, slowly but surely covering all the ground around him. He made his way down to the dock, dipping his feet in the water. It felt awfully relaxed, with everything that was going on around in the world. The fall and rise of the Empire to his south, but the Duke remained calm. After all, the Sixth Duke of Valwyck was fuelled by ambition, and the thirty-second Lord Palatine of Haense would be unyielding in his goals. He would not just join them, no... He would stand out. 19 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Herod 802 Share Posted December 6, 2021 Kaustantin had been tending to his cabbages the whole day, he stood beside a large pile of them. He muttered a small prayer before his eyes opened to the large castle of Lichtestadt, after wiping his brow from sweat he smiled widely at the Keep's direction, awaiting to hear of his cousin's accomplishments as Lord Palatine of the Kingdom. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazedpudding 2120 Share Posted December 7, 2021 Eleanora knelt before the alter at the chapel in Aurveldt, her hands clasped and her head bowed as she thought back to her brother. "Exalted Horen and Saint Julia," she murmured softly. "Behold us prostrate at vyr feet, learning by vyr most noble example." The woman paused in her prayers to cough, a hand coming to rest at her collar as she regained her breath. "Through Godan our Lord, grant us peace and harmony, and, through the abundant graces Godan hath given to vy, bless us in times of need and plenty alike." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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