The Sun began to rise over the capital city of the Fiafyr Kingdom. All seed at peace. However, in the southern outskirts of the city, Tairal. Where the Pri Minister's Manor was located, things were not so peaceful.
Duval, the Pri Minister of Fiafyr, and his wife, Isabella, were in their manor arguing about their future.
"What in the hells do you an that the Ladies of the Court side with the Dark Elf!? I ordered you to help the Duchess turn them against her, Isabella! You promised that—"
"I win the Court in Leandra's favor!? You asked for the impossible, Duval! She secretly stole jewelry from most of the Major Noble Ladies, gave us elven wine that turned out to be a gift from our kingdom's enemy in the north, and she poisoned the Queen over two decades ago! I tried, and my standing in the Court has dropped dramatically. I can't be seen talking to the Duchess anymore, or they will think that I will conspire against the Royal Family! So, don't you DARE accuse of not doing my best!"
Duval never had his wife snap at him like that, and it made him uneasy. He glanced around the study, where a few people were standing awkwardly in different corners of the large room. One was Count Sebastian Ingham, another was his butler, Dreth, and the last person sitting at a table was the Pri Minister's head aide, Clinton. They were there working all night with Marquess Duval Wrightwood, trying to find a way to stop the Vote of No Confidence from going through by the end of next week.
Duval is fighting to keep his position and his influence. If he lost the vote, then it was guaranteed that war would break out between the Holy Alliance of the Divine Three and the Kingdom of Fiafyr. And worst of all, Duval's fears about his Kingdom becoming an Empire will co into fruition.
For most of Tertius's history, empires were common among the High Elves, Angels, and Demons, but among the other races they were very rare. And if one of these other races did achieve empire, they always seed to run into a series of unfortunate events that sohow fractured them and destroyed the empire from within.
The Legends speak of multiple Dwarven and Human Empires failing to remain united and eventually being destroyed by one of many things. Whether it be drought, disease, civil war, or a united front from the other races, all human empires seed to crumble within 50 to 100 years. The old High Elven texts warn about this, and Duval has read them a few tis to remind him that Human Empires are dood.
And now with the ergence of this Dark Elf, with the rare ability to heal, it can give a fool hope. Because a powerful Dark Elf could possibly be the key to conquering the continent and beyond.
This is why Duval worked so hard to bring peace to their neighbors to the south. This is why he sacrificed his ti, his money, and even his reputation in order to secure a peace treaty with the Holy Alliance of his kingdom. To stop the possibility of one of these two nations from rising to the top and becoming the next great Human Empire. And by becoming allies, they will be able to defend against the Kingdom of Marn's ambitions.
If the Fiafyr Kingdom hadn't beco the next human empire, then they would have lived in prosperity. In the likes of no other human nation had. They would have been able to live freely and without the threat of war or oppression.
And now, because of this foreign dark elven woman, who's stolen the heart of the Crown Prince, turned his forr allies of the House of Lords to the King's side, and has gotten the support of the Ladies of the Court, the Pri Minister's plans are in jeopardy. And no one seems to care that Rya is going to bring ruin to everything that these morons hold dear.
Duval clenched his fists and regained his composure. He had to think. How can he get back the support of his allies and show them the error of their ways?
'M-Maybe once all the kingdoms on the continent decide to declare war on us, will be the ti for them to see reason. But can I negotiate a ceasefire after I get control of the House of Lords?... No! I will save us! Even if that conniving bastard doesn't co through!' the Marquess thought as his anger towards Alaric's failures continued to grow.
But Duval wasn't going to give up. He had one more plan in mind.
"Isabella! This is do or die for us! What good are you if you can't control the Ladies of the—oh no..."
Duval saw his wife's face twist into sothing dark. And he felt the hair on his arms stand on end.
"You dare imply that I'm not doing my best, husband? You know as well as I do that my efforts have been hindered by Leandra's own rotten behavior! And you have the gall to tell that I'm not useful to you?! After all these years of service, this is the thanks I get?! But I guess everything is my fault, right?! Like how you lost your closest supporters, or how you are losing the Pri Ministership, or how I'm getting blad for all the stupid things you and Alaric have done! Well, curse you, Duval! Curse your plan, and curse your ambition! If you can't see the bigger picture, then I'm going to take my son and leave this damn Kingdom and be done with it!"
Duval's bravado wilted away. His shoulders slumped, and he was at a loss for words.
"My Lady... Please don't be hasty," Duval begged.
"I am going south to my mother's estate with our son, and you will be damned if you try and stop !" Isabella said, with finality.
"H-Honey, please—"
"Dreth, prepare the carriage," Isabella commanded.
The old butler didn't know what to do, but seeing his master looking defeated made him stiffen up and bow politely to Isabella. "As you wish, my Lady."
Isabella then turned to Clinton and Sebastian. "Gentlen, you'd best think about why you wish to keep helping my miserable excuse of a husband. Is this really worth trying to save a failed peace treaty with a country that wants to replace our goddesses with their Three Gods? If they can't respect our ways and our beliefs, then what is the point?"
Clinton and Sebastian didn't respond. They had heard all this before and didn't really have an answer for her.
Isabella scoffed and walked out the door, slamming it shut.
Everyone just stood there quietly, not knowing what to say. Even the ever stoic Count Sebastian didn't know how to process what just happened.
"Sir, what are your orders?" Clinton asked, breaking the silence.
Duval was silent for a mont before he sighed and put his face in his hands.
"We need to talk to Octavius and Caldorian. If we can get them back to my side, then we can have them talk sense into Thaddeus and Eamon—why are you giving that look, Clinton!?"
Duval's top aide was sweating as he looked through his papers. He found the ones that he was looking for.
"Baron Thaddeus and Baron Eamon's profits have increased by 75% since they accepted the trade deal that Princess Rya—I an, the dark elf has set up. I doubt they will turn their backs on the deal after seeing how much gold and silver have poured into their coffers," Clinton inford the Pri Minister.
"The trade deal has only been going for two months!? And she's already given them so much coin?! There must be sothing we are missing! They have to be doing sothing legal!" Duval exclaid.
"I-I just got these reports in yesterday, and I finally got around to looking them over, and they are on the level—"
"Then we focus on Octavius! He has to listen to reason!" Duval shouted as he started pacing around the room. "Maybe I can promise him that we will look into the Duke's finances after we deal with—"
*Knock! Knock!*
Duval's head snapped towards the door. Clinton felt uneasy, while Count Sebastian glanced at the door with a raised brow. Dreth was the one to open the door.
In walked the young foreign Prince of the Holy Alliance, Zane Stoneworthh, with a ferociously angry look written all over and his Paladin, Sir Darius, a big, burly man wearing his holy armor, which seed to emit a golden light.
Duval's eye was twitching as he knew that if Zane interrupted him, then the outco was not going to be good.
'W-What is it now!' the Pri Minister scread in his head, as he was having trouble keeping up his regal facade in front of his guest, who had been staying in his estate for over two months.
Zane marched up to the Pri Minister and didn't bother hiding his anger.
"What is the aning of this!?" The Holy Prince asked as he glared down at Duval.
Duval looked at Zane with a mixture of annoyance and genuine perplexity at the vague question. "I-I'm sorry, my Lord, b-but could you explain what you an?"
Zane sneered and moved in closer until his nose was almost touching the Pri Minister's. "My disobedient half-sister has been praying to these..." He checked himself before he said a word that would cause offense, "goddesses of yours! For weeks now, my priest has felt her faith in the TRUE Three, beginning to fade! And you REFUSE to let discipline her!"
The veins on Duval's forehead were starting to show as his anger rose. He couldn't hold back anymore. He tried to do everything in his power to get Zane into the good graces of the Royal Family, but he's done nothing but squander every chance the Pri Minister's given him! And now he's barging in here like so spoiled brat!
'I've had enough!' the Marquess thought as his hands were shaking.
"Your Highness, I have been a good host and have bent over backward to make sure your stay has been as pleasant as possible! However, if you continue to demand that I let you discipline your sister—"
"Half-sister!—"
"SHUT UP! I SWEAR TO THE NEW THREE GODDESS, IF YOU DO NOT SHOW RESPECT, I WILL HAVE YOU THROWN OUT OF THIS MANOR! NOW CALM DOWN AND LISTEN TO !" Duval bellowed.
Zane took a step back, but his displeasure was still clearly evident, and he held up his hand to stop Sir Darius from unsheathing his sword.
Duval was seething; he was getting tired of Sir Darius's posturing. "My Lord, this is a very delicate situation that requires subtlety and tact. And you need to stop trying to discipline Princess Hilda every ti Father Gil has a premonition that she might lose her faith! Because she isn't losing her faith, she's been gaining a newfound understanding about—"
"Your three fake goddesses!?" Zane interrupted.
"No, that's not—"
"Or am I mistaken!? Because I hear your Goddess's worshipers calling Iyolka, the La Goddess! And they still are able to breathe... No, a true deity would tolerate such disrespect! Which makes realize how weak and pathetic this country's divine powers truly are!"
'That's it!' Duval thought, as his face turned red and his hands shook with rage.
"THIS IS THE LAST TI YOU WILL BOTHER WITH YOUR COMPLAINTS, MY LORD! GET THE HELL OUT OF MY OFFICE, AND STAY IN YOUR ROOM UNTIL I TELL YOU OTHERWISE!'
The room was silent as everyone waited to see what the foreign Prince would do. Instead of lashing out, Zane simply smirked at the Pri Minister.
"Your threats are as empty as your promises. You've already failed to stop this Dark Elf from corrupting your nobility, and now you're losing your position because you can't get your own House of Lords under control. And yet, you still dare to raise your voice at !?"
'This ungrateful little shit! He thinks he can get away with anything! And he dares to question my authority?' Duval's mind was going wild as his anger reached new heights. He was about to tell him off when Zane dropped one piece of information that made his blood turn cold.
"The Prophet has raised an army. Prince Terenthiel has inford his Eminence about the Dark Elf... And the Gods say that the rot that has taken root needs to be purged," Zane stated.
Everyone froze. No one dared to move.
"What are you saying?" the Pri Minister asked with a quivering voice.
"I only say this as a courtesy. War is coming to those who oppose the true path," Zane stated matter-of-factly.
Duval couldn't believe his ears. 'T-They are declaring war?!'
The Pri Minister looked shell-shocked as the realization sank in. "W-What about the peace treaty? We still have—"
"Ti? That is sothing that you are running in short supply of," Zane said, with a slight shrug.
Duval's body began to tremble, and he had to lean against his desk for support. "Y-You are not serious... Surely, the Prophet has—"
"The Divine Order will not allow any more heathen influences to infect our lands! The Divine Ones have spoken, and the will of the Gods will not be denied!" Zane exclaid, proudly.
Duval was looking around, trying to co up with sothing. "What if we get rid of the Dark Elf? Will the Prophet still raise his armies?"
Zane snorted and shook his head. "That is for the Prophet and the Divine Ones to decide. All we can do is obey."
Duval looked like he was about to faint, and he felt dizzy. He wanted to say sothing, but his mouth didn't seem to be working.
'How did things co to this?' the Pri Minister thought, as the weight of the world ca crashing down upon his shoulders.
Zane saw a defeated man struggling to understand his reality. The Holy Prince smirked, and with his mission accomplished, he and Sir Darius turned and left the Pri Minister's office.
"I don't know if marrying my half-sister will save the peace treaty due to her newfound heathenism. But it might not hurt to give it a try," Zane said as he and his Paladin walked out the door.
Clinton had a troubled look on his face. "W-What do we do now?"
Sebastian looked like a statue, his eyes glazed over. It wasn't until Duval spoke up that his old friend returned to his senses.
"Sebastian, you go to Octavius and Caldorian. I want you to remind them about their loyalty and their oaths. Clinton! Inform my guards to look into the Holy Alliance. I need to know if what Prince Zane said is true."
"Yes, sir!" Clinton and Sebastian said at the sa ti.
"And one more thing, if war is truly upon us, then we can use this to keep my position as Pri Minister," Duval stated, as his mind was working overti.
"Sir?" Clinton questioned.
"I will use the threat of the Alliance as the reason for the House of Lords and Ladies to support my reforms and give more authority. It's a long shot, but I'm not giving up just yet. This is the Dark Elf's fault. She's the one who needs to pay."
Duval was still in disbelief and shock, but he knew he had to keep moving forward. He would not be the one to bring his kingdom to its knees.
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