THE DRAGON'S FLIGHT | IMPERIAL DUEL

[trinn 5128]

 

Spoiler

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“You cannot make that move! Johannes, tell Hadrian he cannot!” 

The Imperial Princess’ hands had curled around Johannes’ own, dragging her twin downwards towards herself at her insistence. The girl sat adjacent to her brother amidst a game of chess, Hadrian having spent the afternoon teaching her its way. In Johannes’ idle scrutiny, he had witnessed a damning move at his elder brother’s hand – a short game in truth, but the longest the girl had lasted yet. An ivory knight, pinning the king still. Her twin’s laugh to it was warm. 

 

“You will not get better if I go easy on you, sister.” 

Hadrian’s chastising came quickly, but she suspected the taunting gloat in his voice – even if he had not meant it as so. Her frustrations only boiled, a young girl barely past her seventh winter at this point, and she sank into her seat with a wail. Joan’s head dipped upon her hands in her petulance, a crown of brown hair pooling into her lap when she drooped further downwards in her disappointment.

 

“Shall I move your pawn here, Joan? T’is not so much over, yet.” 

 Johannes bade, a calmer voice amidst her indignant huffings – and she was quick to nod her head in insistence to his help. So she peeked then between her fingers, witnessing a move of her bishop to capture the dreaded ivory knight. Her glee was immeasurable at that moment, the chance of victory which deluded her into a lull of comfort. Her hands raised, revealing a face now beaming in her joy.

 

“Checkmate.”  

Hadrian moved his pawn.

“.....”  

 

She peered upwards to her twin.

 

“Johannes?”

 

A cheeky whistle, and a turn of his heel; she watched her twin depart. 

 

“A lesson, sister, that Johannes cannot resolve all your problems.” 

Hadrian drawled, and this time – this time, she was sure the gloat was deliberate. 

 

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“When was the last time we played a game, Johannes?”

 

The Emperor’s retinue gathered at the bridge of Rittersburg in a stampede of beasts, its riders cloaked in burgundy and blackened steel. The man who sat at the head of this helm had long discarded his youth; his hair has greyed like his father’s, and his mother’s eyes are halved in use. Joan did not join them that day; she had recused herself to a tower instead, peering downwards while keeping the company of her twin, Johannes. They were a younger mirror to this Emperor, with all still the impertinence and laxity he had outgrown. 

 

“Alone, or between the two of us? You make a game of life, Sister – recently, for you, I’d wager.”  The Silver-haired templar spoke in reply, cloaked in a cape of golden dragons. 

 

“The Siege granted me an epiphany, you see. Life is so short, are we not due more entertainment?” 

 

“And?” 

 

“Knights and Princesses. We played those games once, do you recall? – that chivalrous knight who protected the Princess from harm against a mighty, evil drake?” 

 

She narrated quietly, and the silks of her dress did drag for every pacing she did across that room. A thin, simple dagger toyed between her hands. Johannes looked to her in endless patience. 

 

“So you shall desire me to play the role of Knight in this game?” He questioned, eventually, when he saw that his sister had fallen to a festering silence; enraptured by her own thoughts, captured by the midday sun through the window beside. 

 

“... – No, not this time, brother. No. I think you will play the role of the precarious dragon, taking flight against a Princess and her tower.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AS ADDRESSED TO 

PHILIPPA OF THE HOUSE ALSTION

( @Kholibrii)

 

I bade time. Patience is a virtuous thing, my tutors lectured; I am often without it, but should I not better myself and try? So, indeed, I wasted my time on patience. The first apology came at my feet by the hand of my nephew, that sweet boy. But the voice of apology was not the one which wailed ‘pon my ear in ill-mannered defiance, questioning those Imperial decrees. I thank you, Lady Susanna, for your wisdom to apologise. But it is not yours that I seek. Indeed; I told myself  – the one which most demands it will come later. But it was a misinformed assumption.    To PHILIPPA of the House ALSTION; summon forthwith your champion. You have shown aptitude to raising your voice against our House of Horen, but lacking I fear in the foresight to reckon the consequence to this bravado. We are no knights, but as ladies of noble bearing, we remain privileged to resolve issues by way of sword and shield;    I name my champion, JOHANNES MARIUS, the Duke of Hollyhold, Prince-Justiciar of the Middelan and the bearer of the Argentate Banner. With my favor, he shall represent me and our house with the skill and dignity he has inhabited all of his life. Although dwarf and orc alike sing fearful whispers of his blade's stroke on the field of battle, he is a gentleman of high repute, fit to stand in my name. I pray that you have such a person to stand in your stead, My Lady, that the flower of Alban knighthood has not yet wilted, and the high honors of the duel for justice may be kept.   Let us meet upon Godfrey's Triumph. You may send notice of surrender by Owyn's light, or respond in silence if cowardice has taken root.

 

 

FRIDAY 9:00 PM GMT

 

 

 

 

 

HER IMPERIAL HIGHNESS, Joan Mariana Horen, Imperial Princess of Man, Duchess of Helena,

Princess-Justiciar of Man and Deputy Emissary of the Provinces.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[KBR 2046]

Sir Lothar d'Amaury spoke to the newest Equyer of the Golden Oak. "See my boy, this is how things ought to be settled." 
@Croangutan

[Malta 2811]

Sir Misha the Watcher sits idly on a haybale, somewhere in the imperial countryside. Passing a tree, he notices a paper jammed to it's trunk. "A notice of duel? Johhanes! Joan? What a show!"

[nunlover 579]

"Goofy, there is a war going and royals play funny games with themselves. . ." Spoke a warrior.

[Cheese 8876]

Spoiler

Is this why you said you needed a witness testimony

 

[kuerbis 3802]

Valentiná received the challenge with a furrowed brow, her jaw clenching tightly, but a briefly amused smile lingered upon the Princesses features. To her husband, she said, "She leaves no open ends, our Joan." @pkdon

[pkdon 1977]

"A shame my uncle is a lazy pig." The Crown Prince returned to his wife then, frustrated by his uncle's absence in battle. @kuerbis

[Mattiii 1663]

From Saint Edmond’s Hospital in Godwinsburg, Edward tended to the wounded Albans, though few they were, his dearest sole daughter Philippa numbered amongst the unlucky. "In an age demanding unity, this Joan doth unravel Our labours." He imparted unto the Alstion after reading the missive aloud. @Kholibrii

[Rig 17580]

29 minutes ago, Malta said:

Sir Misha the Watcher sits idly on a haybale, somewhere in the imperial countryside. Passing a tree, he notices a paper jammed to it's trunk. "A notice of duel? Johhanes! Joan? What a show!"

"Jolly good show!" spoke Orion Mareno. He wrote to Philippa. @Kholibrii

 

To the Woman,

 

It is very clear now that you have erred if Prince Johannes is to be the Princess' champion. I cannot promise an assured victory, but I can promise a good show. Let me know if you'd like me to fight for you. Do not think that any other fighter will be able to make a difference. That being said, you might as well swallow your defeat with pride, and I will bear that burden too just to have the bards pen the tale of my failed bout against the storied Prince of the Empire. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Orion Mareno

[MunaZaldrizoti 8037]

The Lady Mayor of Saint Godwinsburg sat at the bedside of her ailing husband, more out of an itching annoyance with his caretakers than out of concern for the Baron himself. She had ordered them to fetch a freshened and wetted cloth for his forehead, but the maid instead had returned with that missive stamped in purple wax.

 

Upon inspection of its contents, Susanna could only sigh and lean back into her chair. Again, the Princess Joan seemed intent upon the terrorizing of Albans, even after such a crushing victory laid against their foes of Urugan the saint's day previous. All for protesting the apprehending of a young maiden...

 

From the kennels outside, a cry rang out - "Someone hath let the bitch off her leash! GOD damn it!" With a pursing of her lips and a glance paid to the weary Lord of Helvets, his diligent wife rose to continue about the duties of managing that mismanaged estate.

[Suxals 529]

"Ah, phenomenal!"  Would say William of Curon

[Werew0lf 24179]

“. . .” The Emperor read the parchment, and slid it to the side of the table. He withdrew another letter, and continued to idle on his work.

[FireAGN 1207]

"This is... not surprising." Commented one Ezra de Senna as he read the missive, intent on finding Joan later to ask about it. 

[Lortime 1153]

"Is there a single sane person left in Rittersburg?"  Parzival mumbled, utterly beguiled by the pure madness of this missive.