Von Genf Family/Pierre/Meeting In Alley Of Swords
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| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Alice approached the small manor with her escort, descending foothill after foothill towards it. "It's beautiful here!" Melanie exclaimed to Alice, "Imagine a valley between the tallest mountains you have ever seen, riddled with foothills and forests. Imagine the greenest grasses, the bluest skies, and the whitest mountain peaks." Alice smiled, the picture vivid before her. "We arrive at sunrise, your Majesty." the captain chimed in. "Very well," Alice replied, "Send a messenger ahead and inform the Prime Minister." | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| With her duties in the capital city more or less handled for the moment, Eviera had quickly made herself scarce from the city's great walls now mounted on her mare with but one individual riding beside her. It would surely be foolish for a new ruler, and a female at that, to leave the land in which she governed with no protection at all. The man at her side was a little off at times, but a loyal and great warrior.
As the two rode south from Muspelheim en route to the more harsh lands to the south, Eviera's mind began to wonder. Would she be able to broker some kind of peace between her two neighbors to the south? Would peace prove to be impossible and result in undesired bloodshed? Would the Morek Empire be forced to intervene? She found herself quite silent along the way which didn't bother her companion Kumaryu any. The wordy captain carried on as if he weren't the only one actually part of the conversation. "It never ceases to amaze me how beautiful the lands to the south are, Grandmistress..." "Oh, look over there! It seems the farmlands of South Morek are expanding in this region. That is a good thing indeed, food has proven to be scarce as of late." "Look at that, Grandmistress!" exclaimed the excitable man as he pointed off to the west whilst riding beside the Grandmistress, " I do believe that to be a rare Silver Wren! I didn't know they migrated this far north at this time of year." Eviera could barely hear her talkative companion for her mind was of course elsewhere as they slowly drew closer to the south border. | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Alice sat in the meeting room where her peers were soon to join her. She remained thoughtful, watching memories of old flash before her vividly like they usually did. Melanie entered the room, the sound of parchment rustling between her arms, and approached Alice. "I have the estimates you wanted." Melanie said, distributing handmade copies to the two empty chairs, "I triple checked the numbers just in case, and found no flaw in your estimates." Alice replied with a simple yes, and continued on with her thoughts. | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Pierre von Genf | |
| Pierre enters the meeting room, and immediately take a pause seeing the pile of paper on the desk. He had brought nothing to the table, expecting to chat.
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| Pierre von Genf | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| Now in the vicinity of Elntorak, Eviera and her companion Kumaryu would find themselves in a situation where they'd need to decide the best route to Balance's Retreat, either take the east over the bridge and come in from the south over rugged terrain, or head west instead along an also lengthy route, or to go right over the mountain straight for the fortress.
"Grandmistress, what would you prefer we do in this situation?" Kumaryu had asked, still not the least bit tired from flapping his jaw. Eviera pondered the decision for a moment before she came to a firm realization. "I say we travel right over the mountain pass, if we have any chance of brokering some kind of peace we best be there on time and with the confidence to support our intent in this summit." "A prudent suggestion, m'lady!" Kumaryu had announced before giving his horse a prod in the sides, charging right for the mountain's base. Eviera could not help but to shake her head slightly, though a smile did take hold upon her face. Always in a hurry. She didn't even get to telling him that they might need to leave the horses behind in order to traverse the mountain. | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| "We wait for the Grandmistress, Prime Minister." Alice said sternly. As she did so, she nudged Melanie to grab her attention. "Inquire upon the Grandmistress' location. Inform her that we meet in the Alley of Swords, and not Balances Retreat." Alice ordered. Melanie transcribed the message unto parchment, and offered it to the nearest messenger. | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Half a dozen messengers scoured the Northern part of Swordfell searching for Eviera and her companion. They swept Tranquil, Turbul, Fatexna, Elntorak, and Shyussei, yet no one could find her. Regrouping at the base of the Northern Divide to share their failures, the messengers collectively observed the mountains next to them, sighing in harmony as they came to their own conclusion: she took the mountain pass. Three would go on through, while the others made their way back to the Alley of Swords. | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| The contents of the paper describe a collection of sums and dates, presumably showing owed gold.
The Lurian-D'Haran Compensation Treaty Article I The amounts below have been calculated in Lurian currency. D'Haran currency has been adjusted appropriately. Luria Nova hereby demands that D'Hara pay compensation for its heinous behavior during the mutually agreed return of the Duchy of the Western Marches. Whereby the entire duchy (in the good condition D'Hara illegally received it) was expected to be returned, only Thar Gortauth made it back, and in starving condition (causing it to rebel the very next day.) Since all of Luria Vesperi's former holdings had to be reconquered by Luria Nova, and a war fought on the Madinan Isle, consolidation of the Western Marches was rendered impossible for approximately 15-16 weeks. As such, Luria Nova finds D'Hara fully responsible for the duchy's lost gold over the time it was made rogue. Thar Gortauth's weekly gold income: 325 gold. Aveston's weekly income: 703 gold. Moon Bay's weekly income: 429 gold. Grand Total of 1,457 gold weekly. Amount of gold owed to Luria Nova as a result of D'Hara's failure to return the above regions, which breached an addition made to the white peace signed between Queen Alice Arundel and Prime Minister Rynn JeVondair (10th day of Spring, 21st year since the Reckoning): 21,855 gold, accumulated over 15 weeks (5 seasons). Sallowwild's weekly income: 225 gold. Sallowtown's weekly income: 858 gold. Desert of Silhouettes' weekly income: 55 gold. Grand Total of 1,138 gold weekly. To match the owed 21,855 gold, Luria Nova would need to hold the above three regions for 19 weeks (just over 6 seasons.) With the above figures in mind, Luria Nova demands one of the following two forms of compensation from D'Hara: I. Defacto ownership of Sallowtown, Sallowwild, and the Desert of Silhouettes by Luria Nova, for the period of 19 weeks. Conditions: In light of past grievances, Luria Nova agrees to return these regions to D'Hara in the same condition they are given, once 19 weeks of Luria Novan ownership has passed. Luria Nova expects the demanded regions be handed over immediately after this treaty is signed. II. A weekly payment of 1,457 gold, paid with an added interest rate of 25 percent by the Prime Minister of D'Hara to the Queen of Luria Nova, for the duration of 15 weeks. A regulatory guild, created by the Queen of Luria Nova, will oversee the transactions. Conditions: If a week's payment is missed, D'Hara will owe said week's missed payment the following week, with an added interest rate of 50 percent. If another week's payment is missed, D'Hara will owe the past two weeks' payments the following week, still with an added interest of 50 percent. Should a third consecutive week's payment be missed, the Queen of Luria Nova gains dejure claims on Sallowtown, Sallowild, and the Desert of Silhouettes. This will be considered payment for the three weeks missed. Should a fourth consecutive week's payment be missed, Luria Nova and the Morek Empire - the ensurer of this treaty - will declare war against D'Hara and seize the aforementioned territories in Luria Nova's name. Article II Luria Nova requests the following from the former Prime Minister of D'Hara, Lord Rynn JeVondair: - To the rulers of Dwilight, a polite and well written apology for his heinous behavior - worded that way - towards Luria Nova. - To the rulers of Dwilight, a polite and well written statement in support of Luria Nova's right to sovereignty. - To Queen Alice Arundel, a polite and well written apology for all the insults he extended to her. If given, Queen Alice Arundel will return the same to him. Luria Nova requests the following from the incumbent Prime Minister of D'Hara, his Excellency Pierre von Genf: - To the rulers of Dwilight, a written statement acknowledging Luria Nova's right to sovereignty. Signature from the Prime Minister of D'Hara: Signature from the Queen of Luria Nova: Alice Arundel, Queen of Luria Nova and Luria Vesperi Signature from the Grandmistress of Morek: | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Pierre von Genf | |
| I read the document, seeming at ease at first, then shocked towards the middle of it. I put it back on the table. "Indeed we should be waiting for the Grandmistress' arrival." | |
| Pierre von Genf | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| After a lengthy trek over the mountains and arriving in Balance's Retreat, Eviera and her companion Kumaryu had gotten word that the meeting was to take place in the Alley of Swords instead.
Eviera turned to Kumaryu with a quirked brow. "Are you sure you read the original invitation correctly?" "Oh yes, Grandmistress, most sure! Though, it is possible some of the penmanship was a little smudged by the time I did get to reading it..." Eviera shook her head slightly, otherwise unphased. They would soon arrive in the Alley of Swords regardless, and the summit could take place. | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Alice kept calm and relaxed, awaiting response from her peers as they peeled over the treaty. Hearing Pierre's continuous shock under his breath brought smiles to her face. She figured he was more inclined to declare war on Rynn then on Luria Nova, if Rynn were there. What beautiful satisfaction, the plight of an enemy. All that remained were Eviera's reactions, and discussion could finally begin in tumultuous fashion. | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Pierre von Genf | |
| "I believe you should start by explaining the meaning of these, Queen Alice. I came here to secure the peace we had, not to see a new set of demands imposed upon us as if we had just lost a war. Is Luria Nova not better off since it is at peace?" | |
| Pierre von Genf | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| Eviera cleared her throat. Though she did not wish to interrupt Pierre von Genf, she did have to bring herself to speak her mind quickly on one element of the treaty in particular.
"Queen Alice. I would like to make you fully aware that the Morek Empire has no intention of ever declaring war on D'Hara if D'Hara fails to come up with the money necessary to pay for the tribute that Luria Nova is demanding upon D'Hara. This is of course assuming that D'Hara would accept the terms as they are. My point is, this document has no chance of gaining my signature so long as there is a requirement for the Morek Empire to attack D'Hara because of such a trivial issue as defaulting on any kind of payment." Eviera lifted her hands and placed her palms together, her fingers intertwining some as she gazed across the table at the queen, awaiting her response. Captain Kumaryu could barely contain the slightest of chuckles while standing behind the Grandmistress a few paces back. He always liked seeing her get ever so firm, while maintaining the diplomatic status quo. | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Alice let her ears ring with the mildly outraged tones of her peers, reveling every second of it. Eventually, she let out a sigh of hopelessness for the situation, before speaking up. "I came here to resolve a situation." Alice said plainly, wasting little time to get to her point. "D'Hara has committed the wrongs written down before you, without reasonable cause. I want compensation for said wrongs inflicted upon my realm, and the written terms are more than fair in this regard." She took a drink of water from her favorite lead cup, and then continued, "Grandmistress Eviera, if Morek wants to be the ensurer of this treaty, then it should assume the role. If you do not want to enforce the proposals made, then you are free to return to Morek." | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| Eviera quirked a brow ever so slightly at Queen Alice's suggestion.
"I don't believe that is in Luria Nova's best interests." she spoke plainly before taking a bit of a breath and sitting up a little more straightly in her chair. "The way I understand it, D'Hara claims Luria Nova has made transgressions against D'Hara as well. Are we going to ignore these issues? Or are we merely going to listen to one side of the issue as fact? I came here to get the whole story so that the Morek Empire could possibly broker a peace, not to act as the police state for your two realms." Eviera sat back slightly and also lifted a cup of water to her lips. When she finished, her eyes went right back to Alice's. "It seems to me the problem is that Luria Nova wishes to make demands of both D'Hara and the Morek Empire. If your intent is to bend the Morek Empire to your will, Queen Alice, I would submit to you that it isn't I who should remove herself from this chamber and make way for her homeland." | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| Alice scoffed at the idea of 'transgressions,' shaking her head in disbelief. "And what transgressions are those, Prime Minister?" | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Pierre von Genf | |
| "This", I say, brandishing the papers in my hands, "is certainly the worst transgressions of them all. D'Hara wishes for peace with Luria Nova. We have come to an accord, only to see you create more and more outrageous demands as time goes on. We have allowed you to take the Vesperian lands without bloodshed, to which you have held onto since then. Should I count how much gold you have made since from these lands? Should I claim my part of this gold? You would not give it a thought if I did, but I have not come here with threats, but in friendship." | |
| Pierre von Genf | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Alice was completely dumbfounded, sitting there with her jaw wide open as she collected her thoughts again. "What in the stars are you talking about? You were fighting for the Vesperians! We defeated your armies, and demanded your withdrawal from their war! You did not allow us to do anything! Those lands were Luria's to begin with, and not a single silver belonged to D'Hara!" Alice chastised, stressing the odd word for dramatic effect, "Your Prime Minister promised me the duchy so that we could remain at peace, and then he failed: he breached our treaty. He would go on to do many things, among them being his declaration that Luria Nova had no right to sovereignty." She shifted in her seat, uncomfortable with the old position. "Luria Nova has committed no such wrongs against D'Hara, and this behavior of yours is exactly why we despise your people. Either right D'Hara's actual wrongs, and solidify a true peace, or quit wasting my time!" | |
| Alice Arundel | |
| Roleplay from Pierre von Genf | |
| My predecessor said many grandiose things for effect, Your Majesty, I admit not all of them were conducive to a long term peace. D'Hara does recognize Luria Nova's sovereignty . This is something I am ready to enshrine if it makes you feel better. However, for all his rethorical flourishes, my predecessor was a man of his word. The Vesperian Duchy was returned to you, and the war ended, resulting in two full years of peace. | |
| Pierre von Genf | |
| Roleplay from Eviera Lanze | |
| Eviera sat straight in her chair, quietly for the moment as she listened to the words of Pierre as well as Alice. The back and forth painted a pretty clear picture to the Grandmistress, that being that the truth of what really happened was perhaps lost to history and now both parties, both realms, both peoples, only knew what 'really' happened as a corrupted, twisted, half-truth of what actually did transpire.
After a moment, she cleared her throat to speak again. "Queen Alice, it is quite clear that this is a topic that is pretty sensitive to Luria Nova and her crown. However, if we can't come to an agreement on what transpired to bring us to the situation we now all three find ourselves in, it doesn't bode terribly well for a treaty being signed either..." The thought bothered Eviera greatly and she had no issue with displaying her emotions clearly on her face for both of her peers to see. "I worry that if we don't come to some sort of agreement here, if we don't speak to one another as equals, D'hara and Luria Nova will end up in an endless struggle resulting in many wasted lives. This is something I aim to avoid at all cost. I don't wish for my reign as Grandmistress to be stained by acting as a policing force for your two realms. Is there any way we can leave the emotions off of the table and try to discuss this as equals?" She spoke calmly, however, her eyes once again on Alice. Though her words did seem to be directed at the fiery Queen more than Prime Minister Pierre, they were clearly meant for all three parties. | |
| Eviera Lanze | |
| Roleplay from Alice Arundel | |
| Alice stood up from her chair, having had just about enough. "Are you blind, or did you forgo reading the treaty? I have the dates, the details, and - you know, forget it. You D'harans have this pestering inability to own up to your own mistakes, and I knew it would shine on through this day. I have clearly wasted my time here!" Alice declared sternly, extending her arm in the air. As if on queue, Melanie wrapped it around her own, and escorted Alice out the door. "I suppose will see you on the battlefield, Prime Minister!" Alice shot back at Pierre as she faded slowly down the hallway. | |
| Alice Arundel | |
