The Hyrean Inheritance (Meillur)

[Kingdom of Derita]

Map of the Duchy of Hyrea

Gaosa, Celestial Empire

Succession and inheritance was, as always, at the forefront of issues when it came to political dynasties. The same was truth now, as Crown Prince Kaiko, son and heir of the Celestial Emperor alongside the other embers of the Inama of the Celestial Empire found the issue known as the Hyrean Inheritance set before them.

The Hyrean Inheritance was the name given to the fiefdom, property, estates, noble titles and assets of the late Princess Amelie, Duchess of Hyrea who had been the eldest daughter of the late Emperor Andeja II. Princess Amelie had, following her father’s death and her brother Andeja III’s ascension, carved for herself a kingdom of a million people high in the Meilluran Alps, becoming Duchess of Hyrea, ruling independently with her own realm, palace, and army. Aided in this she had married Prince Loris the Spider, the wealthiest man on the continent and heir to the claims of the House of Pearson. He with his marriage brought with him not only his vast fortune, but also the famous Jewel Collection of Charlotte of Geneva, the largest and most expensive collection of jewels on the continent. Powerful and unassailable, the Duchess of Hyrea had from inspired both awe and fear from her mountainous realm.

However even the powerful Duchess had not been able to escape death, and it had come not only for her, but her two young daughters and her husband, each in quick succession. And with their deaths, the question of who should gain all that had been built and secured has reared its ugly head. Now the three claimants of the inheritance had staked their ckaims and clamored their recognition. Eager to end the headache and solve the issue, Crown Prince Kaiko has summoned them to the Imperial Capital so that he and the Inama may decide on the matter once and for all.

From the south, Lady Louise Hollande, Regent of the Principality of Gante for the infant Andeja Hollande claims that the Hyrean Inheritance should devolve to House Hollande, as the late duchess was not only a strong ally of the Hollande, she was through her mother, Empress Amelia Hollande a relative (first cousin-once-removed).

From the east and across the waves in Gualla, representatives of King Alesandeo of Gualla claim that his toddler niece, Princess Avoise, as the natural born daughter of the late Emperor Andeja IV, and thus grandniece of the late Duchess of Hyrea is the closet relative and rightful heiress of the duchy, while he himself, as the new head of the House of Pearson is the rightful heir of the Jewels of Charlotte of Geneva (his great-grandmother) and the fortune and properties built by Prince Loris.

Lastly, and most strange, from within the walls of Ameliehall itself, that great fortified palace and royal ducal seat, Dziuginta Ojeras asserts that her son Dovydas, both unknown white haired foreigners, secretly married the Duchess of Hyrea before her death and that on her deathbed left in her will the entirety of the Hyrean Inheritance to him.

Now it is time for the three claimants to make their case before the Crown Prince, so that the matter may finally be settled.

---

Crown Prince Kaiko sat at the head of the bench of members of the Inama in one of the Imperial Court’s large staterooms that had been selected to be used for this counciling decision. The prince was joined by his younger brothers, Prince Kekoa and Prince Ameresyon— who had joined despite not having a seat on the Inama— along with the other members of the Inama, the government of the empire: Prime Minister Rohan, his nephew Colonel Rohan, General Ngonyama, General Soga along with Councilor Hamadi and Councilor Dhamiria.

The stateroom, a rectangular room with high vaulted ceilings and green walls inlaid with green marble veined with white streaks, thin tall windows had been carefully arranged. The bench, must like that of a panel of judges sat up high on a dais, a portrait of Crown Prince Kaiko’s father looking behind him, while seats had been prepared for the claimants, as well as for attendants, aides, scribes and the press. The crown prince, a stern man even in his early sixties, sharply dressed in a black suit, waiting impatiently to begin and settle things.

[Gualla]

Pae Song-Gi,

Pae Song-Gi was a man of fifty-two, with a stout body, though tall for a Guallan at 5’10. He carried with him an air of seriousness and slight weariness, as this matter of the Hyrean Inheritance was one that opened up the old wounds of the death of the King of Gualla’s beloved sister, the most beautiful Lady Adelaide. In was in the name of the young daughter, not yet quite at her second birthday, of the ‘Pink Diamond’ and ‘Empress who never Was’ that Pae was in service for, at the behest of his king.

As King Alesandeo and his ministers hoped to secure the line of succession with the plans for an alliance, and the recent agreement to an engagement with Princess Yumiko of Shimono, the king too hoped to secure the future for his niece, and had decided to press her claims to the great inheritance of her late paternal grand aunt. There were even a few who thought that the young Princess Avoise, as daughter of the previous emperor ought to sit the Celestial Throne itself— but the King of Gualla knew to tread carefully around that idea.

That was a door that of opened could lead to war and conflict, and one neither Gualla nor the little princess was prepared for. But this, the question of the rightful heiress of the duchy of Hyrea was a different matter. A door the King has no issue rapping his knuckles against or shoving. As Princess Avoise remained so young, he had selected Pae, a loyal and honestly gentleman with a dry wit and whithering disposition to travel the great distance to the Imperial Capital, to speak on behalf of the little princess and her rights.

Pae bowed his head as he stepped before the Crown Prince of Derita.

“Your Imperial Highness, it is an honor to stand before you today, though one wishes it were under happier circumstances. His Majesty the King sends his best regards, and is confident in the wisdom of Your mediation, and your council’s ability to come to the right decision.”

[Liegalla]

Dziuginta Ojeras, Queen Dowager of Liegalla

There were a surfeit of queens in the dynasty of Ojeras— so much so that Liegalla had proven not to have enough room for them all. There were five queens— the current Queen, consort and wife of King Juozas II: Guoda Ojeras; the Queen Mother: Jurgita Kveragaite; and the three queen dowagers: Gintare Nervonyte (mother of Queen Guoda and widow of King Edgaras), Brigita Ojeras (sister of King Juozas II and widow of King Vytautas IV).

But it was the fifth of these queens, perhaps most mysterious of all, and most forgotten by the rest of the world that emerged from the great mountains of Hyrea and for the first time in a decade, descended into the great population center in public— Dziuginta Ojeras— eldest daughter King Edgaras by his first wife, Vainora Ojeras, the widow of King Vytautas III and mother of Prince Dovydas— the rightful heir to the Dragonfire Throne.

Indeed, the world had last seen Dziuginta near ten years ago, when her bastard born stepson, the bloodthirsty Vytautas IV had seized the throne, and orders her own son’s throat cut. Indeed the blade had been slashed and royal blood spilled. But in the dark of the night the young Prince Dovydas and his mother had disappeared. Fleeing across the sea, they had spent the next decade in exile. Numerous misadventures and humiliations had followed as the royals had become beggars, and had searched for a patron to aid them in retaking their throne.

This had seen them land in the Swyft Household, where they enjoyed the nobleman’s comforts for a time— before Dovydas got the lord’s daughter with child and he and the bastard daughter were forced out. They had attempted to appeal to a foreign king— only for him to dismiss them as well. Finally they had climbed the high cliffs of the alps into Hyrea, to beg for the aid of perhaps the one person who had both the resources and means to take a kingdom.

And the Duchess had agreed, welcoming the small ragged party into her court, and setting plans in place to retake the Dragonfire Throne. All had been in place, they had been ready to strike, and depose King Juozas II and undo all the wrongs that Dziuginta and Dovydas had been dealt. But a twist of fate had ruined everything just before they could strike— the Duchess had died. And like sand in the wind, all had come undone.

They feared that once again they would find themselves out on the street, reduced from the fine silks and luxuries they had enjoyed as guests of the Duchess— as the court at Ameliehall was far wealthier than that in Liegalla had ever been. But the Queen dowager was nothing if not a fighter. Or more accurately, a dragon.

Determined to not lose any more, she had taken control of Ameliehall, and declared that her son and the Duchess had become not only lovers— Dovydas was a handsome young man and the Duchess was known to preferred the company of such young men— but that he and the duchess had married after the death of Loris the Spider, and that in her will, the Duchess had left everything to her young brief husband, that is the whole of the Hyrean Inheritance.

The Queen dowager had arrived in the Imperial Capital, dressed dramatically in black and with all the regality due to a former queen— exiled or not— along with two documents, the purported marriage certificate and subsequent will— for which both the queen dowager and her son’s loyal guard and best friend Vaisvydas were signed as witnesses— affixed with the signature and seal of the late Duchess. Or at least well done forgeries. Ones that might, with the aid of the Queen dowager’s own testimony, fool the Inama and secure Dovydas an inheritance.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Lady Louise Hollande was the last, though not least of the three claimants to arrive in the state room. The eldest daughter of the late Duke of Sebta, and older sister of the current Duke, Lady Louise a young noblewoman of inpeccable upbringing and station. She had been a lady-in-waiting to her cousin Empress Safia and had been amongst the only two people to survive the Caraquet Disaster— the yacht sinking that had taken the lives of much of the royalty and nobility in the empire, famously swimming to shore against the tough waves.

Lady Louise had thus far proved herself just as tough as the waves she’s fought against, stepping up as the new de facto head of the Hollande Family— long time the second family in the empire, constantly rivaling and threatening to overtake the Imperial Family itself. Though hindered by the death of its leadership, with the infant Andeja Hollande, orphaned son of the Duke of Angoulême and Princess Yonela, Duchess of Haillun, Lady Louise had stepped up as regent and overseer of the principality of Gante, the lands and properties of the Hollande Family.

Lady Louise hoped to further secure her family’s fortunes on the grounds that Andeja Hollande as the nearest legitimate relative to the late Duchess should have the inheritance devolve upon him— which Louise herself to oversee its governance and management as his guardian.

---

Crown Prince Kaiko leaned forward in his chair as he inspected the three rival representatives of the three rival claimants. The most concerning were to him that of the King of Gualla and the Hollande— for the former had Imperial blood while the latter had long held lust for the Imperial power. The white hair foreigner queen however was certain the most surprising. Prince Ameresyon found himself marveling at her. That there had been an exiled queen hidden away in the Hyrean mountains was shocking news to the Imperial Court. They had not known she or her son were alive, much less the guests of the Duchess of Hyrea.

But then the Duchess of Hyrea had enjoyed secrecy and subterfuge— which lead to credence to the idea that she might have taken the Ojeras prince for a husband, though the Crown Prince though that this seemed all rather to convenient. He gave a nod to Ambassador Pae,and then looked to the others.

“We welcome you, ambassador. As we do you, Your Majesty and my lady,” the Crown Prince said. “We have gathered you here today so that we may settle the matter of the inheritance of the estates of the late Duchess of Hyrea. Upon review— we the members of the Inama of the Celestial Empire have already settled on one of the aspects of the inheritance, the Jewel Collection of Charlotte of Geneva. As this was historically based down the generations of the members of the House of Pearson— we hereby find that we concur and reaffirm the claims of His Majesty, the King of Gualla as lawful heir and head of the House of Pearson and great-grandson of Charlotte of Geneva, that the collection is his and his heirs to possess. As for the rest…”

The Crown Prince rubbed his temple.

[Gualla]

Pae bowed his head as the crown prince read out the decision, a small smile hidden on his face as the first strike of the gavel had ruled in favor of the King of Gualla. The valuable collection would be a great boon to the prestige and wealth of the Pearson-LeCastle dynasty, and would serve the commonwealth even better ahead of the plans in regard to King Alesandeo and Princess Yumiko’s marriage.

“A wise recognition,” said Pae. “And has His Majesty is the rightful heir of the Pearson assets, that too should be extended to the Tonnere assets, which we belonged to the Princess Stephanie and were given to her son, Prince Loris, the good consort of the Duchess, and properties such as Ameliehall which were built and funded with Pearson money, while the duchy should go to Princess Avoise, who is nearest in blood to the late duchess, as her grandniece and a Volonte, a daughter of the late Emperor Andeja IV.”

[Liegalla]

Queen Dowager Dziuginta gave the Guallan diplomat a slight glare from the side of her eye as she stepped forward and presented the marriage license and will of the Duchess, carefully crafted and modeled after the other documents that she had found in the things of the Duchess once she had taken over Ameliehall, having gone through the dead duchess’ offices and desks.

“One can understand the jewel collection, Your Imperial Highness,” said the Queen dowager, “it is a Pearson heirloom, but not so the rest. The castles and properties of the Duchy were not and are not the private properties of the late prince but rather integral to the duchy’s administration— and even if they were to be considered private, they were gifted to the Duchess, who leaves them to my son, her lawful widower. The wishes of the Duchess must be respected, or the rights of inheritance as a whole would be put into a question. Nor can Princess Avoise’s claims be asserted, as she was born out of wedlock and is thus illegitimate.”

[Gualla]

Pae, though showing respect and deference to the Deritain crown prince, he showed no such respect to this, the purported ex-Queen of Liegalla, and her venomous words. Not when those words dared to smear the good name of the adored and innocent Princess Avoise.

“Her Royal Highness the Princess Avoise was legitimize by the imperial authority of the late Emperor Andeja IV, and is thus entitled to the inheritances of her grandaunt by the law of primogeniture.”

[Liegalla]

“The princess may share blood with the late Duchess,” Dziuginta said, “but it is severed by law in its being brought about out of wedlock. Nor did the Duchess truly know of this child, a bastard of her nephew who it is known they did not share familial affections with. In any case the blood of the convent of marriage is thicker than the water of the womb. The rights of a widower must be protected, and the will of the Duchess respected.”

[Gualla]

Pae scoffed.

“A will? What will? I see only a document produced by you that so conveniently benefits you and witness solely by you and your party. And this marriage you speak of? Since when is an Imperial princess known to take a husband so swiftly after the dead of the first— if that is even true. And what such match happens only on secret, with only two foreigners to witness it? I am prepared your son was a paramour of the Duchess, but let us not kid ourselves— these documents are a sham, falsified in order to seize what is not yours.”

[Liegalla]

Dziuginta straightened her back, and swallowed hard, her jaw tightening in annoyance at the words of the ambassador. He as of course right— it was all too convenient and built upon only the evidence that she herself had built. But having built this foundation, she meant for it to stand as hard as stone.

“Love has often, does and shall no doubt continue to lead the young and heart filled to do things… quickly, and without hesitation. That their marriage was swift and unorthodox I do not seek to assert, only that it was genuine. Surely Your Imperial Highnesses,” Dziuginta looked to the gathered Deritain princes, “know something of one’s heart leading you down a path that tradition may take you elsewhere.”

[Gualla]

Pae put his hands together, but said nothing, finding the words of the Queen dowager too ridiculous to dignify with his own response. Surely, Pae hoped, the Crown Prince and the Inama would see through this obvious farce and power grab.

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Enough! Enough,” Crown Prince Kaiko said, raising his hand to try and get the two, the Guallan and Liegallan representatives to end their feuding claims and dispute. Both made their points and both had their draw back. When Lady Louise, feeling herself edged out by the two others opened her mouth to speak, the Crown Prince raised his hand again to stop her.

Although the crown prince touted to be neutral, he and his brothers were admittedly biased against the Hollande. Their father, before his ascension to the throne had long been rivals with the Hollandes, particularly Amelie Hollande, mother of the Duchess of Hyrea and through whom Lady Louise was attempting to claim the inheritance through. That the Hollande had ever been so powerful to act with such impunity throughout the reigns of the Andejas, the first through the fourth was not something the emperor nor his sons were want to restore.

Hyrea was by far the largest and most independent of the duchies of the realm, with a sizable but more importantly fiercely independent and heavily armed population. Most Hyreans did not truly view themselves as even part of the Empire. And many of them still recalled the days when the Hollandes had resided there, building up the famous Hyrean Highlanders, one of the most elite fighting forces on the continent whose loyalty had only ever been to the Duchess.

This could not be a force handed back over to the Hollande, least in twenty years the boy Andeja rise has his father and grandfather had to threaten the Crown and they dance the dance they had before the Caraquet Disaster— and the empire may not prove as lucky as before. Nor could such a force be trusted to Princess Avoise— who may do the same, or worse would be but cat’s paw of her uncle, a foreign ruler. This left Dovydas— an utterly unknown figure who may not threaten the empire directly— but how might they trust what he might do?

The Crown Prince and the Inama discussed the matter with one another in quiet words, the Crown Prince conferring with his brothers before moving to address the three claimants.

“While it is true Lady Louise, that Andeja Hollande, Prince of Gante and most loyal vassal of the Crown is, in the right of proximity near to the late Duchess of Hyrea— it is through marriage as so, and succession can not be granted to travel up and through the vein of matrimony. Those unspecified assets of the late Dowager Empress may be returned to Gante, but the claims to the Hyrean Inheritance proper are hereby dismissed.”

“But—“

“You may go, Lady Louise,” boomed the deep force of Prince Ameresyon.

“Perhaps you may swim cross the falls,” Prince Kekoa said with a dark chuckle, “back to Gante.”

Kekoa’s comment earned him a scowl from both Lady Louise and the Crown Prince, who thought that too far. Lady Louise let out a huff and turned, storming out of the stateroom, her face burning red with anger.

The Crown Prince rubbed his temple again, feeling his headache returning as he pressed on.

“King Alesandeo’s claims appear strong. However, given that the Tonnere assets are comprised on the basis of financial holds in relation to the Aukusan Stock Exchange and holdings in corporations— the Crown can not in good conscience grant them to King Alesandeo— who shares no blood with the late Princess Stéphanie, and thus grants to the king three quarters of the monetary value of the holdings and takes the assets to be confiscated by the Imperial Treasury— to be opened back up to the market.”

“The claims of Princess Avoise too are there set in blood, but as she was born out of wedlock, as the hood Queen dowager mentioned, she is not and can not be entitled to inheritance of governance as that of a true born daughter. As a member of the Volonte Dynasty, we, the members of the Inama recognize only Princess Avoise’s right to the inheritance of the private property of the Duchess— those of the individual assets, clothing, vehicles, heirlooms, other jewels, and the castles of Abadan, Konso, Abaya and Dilla. The Great Vaults of Hawassa are hereby to be handed over to the Amagorha of the Empire.”

“Having reviewed these documents, produced by the Queen dowager— it is determined that their authenticity can not be verified within reasonable bounds, and thus can not be enforced. The will here produced is thus deemed inadmissible, and the claims of the Prince Dovydas dismissed. However, in respect to his station and the Inama’s belief that perhaps there existed some affection for him from the Duchess of Hyrea— we are willing while not to recognize the marriage— as it was, if conducted, nonetheless done without Imperial Assent, to grant the prince widower’s rights to reside and hold the seat of Ameliehall for the remainder of his days. This is done as a gift, and not a grant, and shall only extend for the lifetime of the prince— at the end of which point Ameliehall is to once more revert to the Crown.”

“As for the Duchy of Hyrea itself, it and its administration, policing and other governing arms as well as its title are hereby declared to follow the reversion clause of all noble holdings in the Empire. Should the legitimate line of descendant from the original holder die out, regardless of if there are collateral branches preceding that of the original holder, it’s titles and deeds of governance are to return in full to the Crown.”

[Liegalla]

Dziuginta’s shoulders sagged as the Crown Prince redmad out the decision. Yet she found herself not entirely disappointed. They had secured Ameliehall at least— and it was certainly a grand palace, and would at least mean that she and her son would not be left homeless. How were they to afford the maintenance of such a palatial estate, she did not know, but at least her son had a seat of his own, at least for his lifetime. This was fine by the Queen dowager. She fully intended to restore him to that of his rightful position as King of Liegalla.

“You are most generous and wise,” the Queen dowager said with a small curtsy to the Crown Prince.

[Kingdom of Derita]

“How gracious of you,” Prince Ameresyon said, speaking up, though the thundering tone he had taken with Lady Louise soften as he gazed upon Queen Dowager Dziuginta. “You and your should be considered welcomed guests in the Empire.”

Crown Prince Kaiko raised an eyebrow at his younger brother.

“You are permitted to remain at Ameliehall as private individuals, on the conditions we have laid forth. Your matters are to be treated privately,” the crown Prince corrected. Dziuginta and Dovydas were not guests— that had too strong of a political undertone to it, and he, at least not without the say of their father, would not open that can of worms.

[Liegalla]

Dziuginta looked to Prince Ameresyon, giving him a small smile and a curtsy.

“Many thanks, Your Imperial Highness. It is a great rarity that my son and I have been given as much kindness as the Crown Prince has granted us.” Dziuginta looked to the crown prince, “I assure you, we shall not trouble you.”

With this the Queen dowager bowed her head and retreated from the stateroom, to hurry back to her son’s new seat high in the Hyrean mountains.