Eggles the Beagles

Francisca casts her ballot, voting for Hademar!

"Keep the children safe, say no to Tosali." Francisca chants along with Coltaine, "Lock him up, lock him up!"

Huh, kinda knew I was in the middle-ish.

Francisca applauds the work as it is read aloud, shouting in her child voice with those gathered, "Ave Oren!"

Francisca happens upon the missive; the child's lips forming a frown. "If they cannot fool a twelve year old with these lies, how do they expect to fool the adults?" And with that she crumbles up the paper and uses it for something much more useful, to kick around.

Kynisnna Kovachev now lay cold and gone. In her last moments just as she closed her eyes on the new found stranger she saw the images of the past swirl before her. A life time of both pain and happiness, sickness and health. The beginning when she first met her husband Henrik which led to the birth of their children and her arrival into a new welcoming home. And within that home was a lonely boy whom mistakenly had taken to calling her mamej. Those happy times of her youth would carry her into old age despite misfortunes brought upon her and her kin. Through the lost of her husband and her son and her next son and the absence of her daughter there was little left of her happy family. But there was the lonely boy. She had made her peace in this world and when it came time for her to see her lost boy, he was no longer able to be found. Instead he left something behind that looked like him but was not. Now with her gaze looking over this stranger one last time and her fallen brother-in-law in her arms, she closed her eyes for the last time. Nothing but a sigh escaped her lips and then there was a flash of silver accompanied by silence.

Alessa's gaze falls on the door which conceals the bedridden Emperor John V with a lofted brow. "So now that the Emperor has fallen ill the pretenders come flocking. Spewing lies of the unholy undead being tied to John V; coming no less from a Horen no one knows. No thank you, I think I'll keep my vows of loyalty to an actual Horen."

Eraleth glances about the buzzing tavern with a lofted brow, "Well the boss has loads of business it seems."

The paper is placed back on the aged dark oak desk, the hand that had been holding it now showing age. The reader's eyes scanning the parchment once more, the green orbs seeming to have dulled from their once bright shine. With an exasperated sigh and lift of her bony hand, the now much older woman took up a quill and began to write in elegantly looped letters. - ( O ) - Dear Princess Sophia Alexandra Staunton, I hope that this letter finds you in good health. I just happened to receive the letter in which you wrote to the people of Axios, and I will say I admire the optimism of youth such as yourself. Many of your age would have nothing to do with such words as you have stated- I regret to inform you I count among those now who no longer have such optimism you possess. What you say about the need for peace is true, I do not disagree with you at all there. But that peace will not come the way you wish, for so long as these two sides remain there will always be bitterness and resentment just as there has always been. Recall the Riga Wars, was it not that very war in which caused your House to forever see House Kovachev as an enemy. We could've made a amends like you are suggesting then, but House Staunton saw no interest in such peace. When the time came after the downfall of Oren, your House sought war with the Kingdom of Haense not because of anything more then revenge. When the time came, your House joined forces with that of non-humans in order to destroy those of your own race. When the time came, your House allowed itself to fall prey to the influence of another race which sought not to destroy tyrants but to become tyrants. When the time came, your House did the exact same thing The Holy Orenian Empire did. At least the Empire had the courage to stand on it's own and not rely on that of half men or the Undead to save itself. So, this sue for peace will in the end mean nothing for the wrongs have been done by both. It's not greed from those who are rallying against you but in fact the greed of your House which has put you here. Oren had fallen at your hands for the very same actions you have committed. Did you truly believe no one would rise up like your House had done in a very similar situation? Did you truly believe we'd bow to this hegemony and tyranny? Your's Truly, Kynsinna Kovachev

Cassandra Staunton-Stafford stands beside Glendon with a beaming bitter-sweet smile, placing a supportive hand on his arm. "I still cannot believe my own kin have committed all these crimes, you've done the right thing dear."