The Grand Nicholia-Abiottis War (IC, MT-PMT, Semi-Open)

[Azi Altul]

"A horde of two million men can not stay concealed, my friend, but we leave now."
Azan summoned Ravvis, who sat grooming his wolf, Cathel. Azan spoke, in modern Altan, for Ravvis did not speak english.
"Ravvis, the oceans of our allies are under siege, and I must ride to support them. I will take two third of our men, and you will stay here and keep peace with the rest. I trust you will watch them, and will do what needs to be done."
Ravvis nodded, and remained silent for a second. He looked as though the silence physically pained him, but he obliged to his superior's instruction.
"Now then, cavara. I will return to my tent first, so my wife may patch up my wound." He laughed warmly. "You almost had me, cavara. It was well fought, and I hope one day we may have a rematch, on friendlier conditions."
He snapped his fingers at Raull, who howled loudly. The warriors knew this was a sign demanding their full attention. Azan yelled in Altan, a language every child learned early on.
"Our allies, bound in honor by the great Rider, request our aid in the defense of his great lands. My warriors, ride with me. Those of you under Ravvis' dominion will remain here, and the rest will come with me. Prepare immediately, we ride within the hour."

[Claanyad]

"A horde of two million men can not stay concealed, my friend. We leave now."
Azan summoned Ravvis, who sat grooming his wolf, Cathel. Azan spoke, in modern Altan, for Ravvis did not speak english.
"Ravvis, the oceans of our allies are under siege, and I must ride to support them. I will take two third of our men, and you will stay here and keep peace with the rest. I trust you will watch them, and will do what needs to be done."
Ravvis nodded, and remained silent for a second. He looked as though the silence physically pained him, but he obliged to his superior's instruction.
"Now then, cavara. I will return to my tent first, so my wife may patch up my wound." He laughed warmly. "You almost had me, cavara. It was well fought, and I hope one day we may have a rematch, on friendlier conditions."
He snapped his fingers at Raull, who howled loudly. The warriors knew this was a sign demanding their full attention. Azan yelled in Altan, a language every child learned early on.
"Our allies, bound in honor by the great Rider, request our aid in the defense of his great lands. My warriors, ride with me. Those of you under Ravvis' dominion will remain here, and the rest will come with me. Prepare immediately, we ride within the hour."

Getúmen saw his point. He was understanding of the predicament - 2 million soldiers was far too many to keep concealed for long. Erhas snapped to attention.
"Excellent. I shall prepare my men." Erhas shouted out some orders in Clányan, before running towards where the guards were already moving crates and preparing for an imminent departure.
Getúmen laughed warmly at Azan's show of courage, "I am sure we shall, R†hul. Hopefully not under the banner of Rhol, however."
As Azan spoke in a language he could not understand to his people, he knew how they looked up to him. It was hard not to. Hours before, he would have been called 'chall' in their language. He knew he had gone up in his ally's interpretation - he hoped it would stay this way. He would seek to do everything a friend and ally would do. He would assist this King in his ruling and his military leadership, should the need arise. Whatever he needed, he was ready.

[Sperland]

Napoleon received message from Labhrás about what happened.

Code: Select all

G'day shortie! I have discovered that these Nicholians are't nice people. So I thought wouldn't it be nice to commence operation blue snakes at night.

"Well.... I suppose we should be expanding after the economy collapsed" Napoleon said to his commanders. We must declare war on Grand Nicholia.

Code: Select all

To: Grand Nicholia
From: Sperland
I'm sorry about this. We declare war. Surrender now to our forces and you will not be harmed.

In GN the Sperlish forces prepared to attack the Grand Nicholian forces. They took parts of North GN and set up camps.

[Grand Nicholia]

The King was sitting in his study near the fireplace and drinking some very nice Burgundian Wine while reading a book of poems, he just finished reading Lolita and was now reading the Poem book. He then came upon a book that reminded him of his childhood:

"O Captain! My Captain!"
By Walt Whifman

O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather'd every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:
But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
O Captain! My Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Here captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

147

This touched him as he remembered his Father, Ferdinand VI, King of Grand Nicholia, loved the sea and always went by the Ocean. He remembered how his Father used to sing him this poem as they took walks on the beach. The King smiled at that memory. But, the King quickly started to cry as he remembered his father. He remembered the day his father died. The King was only ten years old at the time. (The King is currently 40) He had been assassinated via sniper rifle when he was riding in his roofless limousine. The culprit turned out to be hired a hitman, hired by the Liberty and Justice Party(Liberal) and The Golden Dawn Party(Communist) who wanted to overthrow the Monarchy. The assassination led to a 3 month civil war. Though the Government won, it left millions shattered, including then, Crown Prince Nicholas. Linda Cruchet(Chairman of The Liberty and Justice Party) and Penillo Krowinski (Chairman of The Golden Dawn Party) were captured and executed by firing squad, and their parties banned. He remembered when he was crowned King when he was 10 years old.
The King mid thought was awakened from his daydream and was awakened by the sound of his son, Crown Prince Philippe, knocking at the door, who was knocking at the door for 5 minutes. He remembered that he asked for his son to pay him a visit. He opened the door and hugged his son and then told his son to sit down. "Why did you call me here?" asked the Annoyed Prince Philippe who waiting for 5 minutes outside the door. "I wanted to let you know that I am handing over power to you, and I want you to be my regent." replied a very depressed King. "So, you're no longer going to be King?!" said a shocked Philippe.
"I will continue to be King, just that really you would be in charge." He calmly replied. "Ok, I gue...gue....sss...geuss." replied a morbidly confused Prince. The Prince knew he would have to go through a special ceremony to be officially pronounced Regent of the Kingdom, but for now he was the "de facto" regent.
The Prince as his first order as Regent was that he would send a letter to Claanyad that said this:

To,
The Emperor of Claanyad

Hello, this is the Crown Prince of Grand Nicholia speaking. I would like to inform you of my new position as Regent. As my first act I would like to make peace with your nation. I offer you, your beloved daughter, Corhana in exchange for peace. But, if any offence is found in your reply letter I shall ask for a ransom. I would say, that this is not a surrender, this is a white peace.

Sincerely,
Philippe, Crown Prince of Grand Nicholia, Regent of the Kingdom

Later That Night
The Regent later that night visited a jewelry smith, asking him to make a Gold Ring covered in gems, with a centerpiece of a finely cut diamond. He wanted it done in a 3 days. What he would use this ring for is unknown. Not even himself knew.....

[Lexicot]

The minister of foreign relations, a man by the name of Jacob Cook, looked over his current situation. The Grand Nicholian forces were of little concern, at this point, for all of their allies had abandoned them, under reasons of what seemed to be mostly moral based. Although, the Manticulons appeared to be in it for ulterior motives, but that was just a speculation of his. The Altan people left the alliance for reasons unknown to Jacob, Balashov because of their old alliance with Claanyad, and Sperland had simply seen it was a hopeless fight. There was probably nothing to worry on that front.
The true problem was Abiottis. There had been little action from then, as of late, and so had the rest of their alliance, but they simply couldn't afford to let their guard down, when dealing with such a possibly devastating force. He had heard what the robotic men had done to prisoners, and in battle. The minister of defense was preparing the air force, the navy, and the people's defense to be sent to the Nicholian fronts, and the people's defense was getting permission from the prime minister to declare war. It was an infuriating process, but it had to be done. The minister took his pen, and his paper, and wrote a letter

Addressed to:
Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad
We have decided to join your plights against the enemy forces of the Abiottis federation and the Coalition of Grand Nicholia. Due to the legislative process of our great nation, though, we are not legally allowed to impose our troops onto your soil. We hope that you will not become disheartened at our inability to assist, at this moment. Our troops will be able to join your cause within the fortnight, hopefully receiving the go within the next few days.

Sincerely,
The people's minister of Lexicot,
Jacob Cook.

[Claanyad]

To,
The Emperor of Claanyad

Hello, this is the Crown Prince of Grand Nicholia speaking. I would like to inform you of my new position as Regent. As my first act I would like to make peace with your nation. I offer you, your beloved daughter, Corhana in exchange for peace. But, if any offence is found in your reply letter I shall ask for a ransom. I would say, that this is not a surrender, this is a white peace.

Sincerely,
Philippe, Crown Prince of Grand Nicholia, Regent of the Kingdom

The Emperor read the message. He was glad that the King had passed down power to his son - he had always seemed much more level-headed than the King himself, and from what Corhána had told him, he was very nice. At least it seemed the 'gifts' would stop now. But, as much as the Emperor wanted both peace and his daughter's safe return, he couldn't accept it for nothing. He had caused too much death - too much suffering, to be allowed free, even if he was not in charge of Grand Nicholia any longer. He had take blood from Corhána, he had caused the near-death of both Corhána and 'Áya', and this other girl he suddenly found out about, 'Travvy'. The Emperor sighed. What he was about to do was not going to be easy for him, but morally and honourably for both sides it was the right decision.
Still, as he took up the paper, he found it weighty, as if his body were telling his mind to think. Grand Nicholia was offering his daughter back free. She could live and be free in Clányad with him. They could live together happily, and he would never force her to marry again. But, as he kept thinking, he realised that Nicholia had to pay. For nearly making him lose his beśáfad, whom he found was alive, thanks in part due to the declaration of war. They had caused the sons and daughters of many nations to die. He had caused his own daughter to be locked up in chains in the first place, and sent him letters trying to mentally torture him. He wished he could have seen his face when he received the book and letter the Emperor had sent last. But slowly, he put the paper into the machine.

Addressed to Prince Philippe of Grand Nicholia,
From Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Greetings.

We are indeed glad for your father's change of heart. I am sure you shall make a wise leader and regent, my Crown Prince. From days gone by I had heard about your character. You do seem to be more agreeable, I will say as much. I am grateful that you have offered peace to us.
However, I cannot accept that your father is let off scot-free. Please understand, I am doing this out of no disrespect or dishonour, but a price has been earned, and so a price must be paid. I would request that Grand Nicholia pays war reparation costs to every one of our allied nations - Balashov, Lexicot, Manticulon, Azi Altul, Sperland and Clányad. I would ask that your father is handed over to allied forces to face trial for his crimes - again, meaning no disrespect, but it's better than he deserves. We are an honour-bound people, and though we are willing to forgive, a great affront has been caused to all of our nations.
We also ask that your nation pays our nations regular reparations - the equivalent of every year for the next five decades. This may sound unreasonable, but I promise you that once he has paid the Clányan price, he will be set free of his debt. And it is a debt, I hope you can understand.
Please do not take this the wrong way. We only wish for peace. But war is what your father gave his allies, as well as deception, lies and treachery, and our price is what he must pay to be released of that.
Please consider my offer.

Sincerely,
Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

The Emperor took the letter. He sighed, and took an envelope, stamped it with his green wax seal, and ordered for a servant to send it. He sat at his desk. He almost knew that the Nicholians wouldn't accept. He was nearly sure of it. If they did, then the entire alliance would be free of their war. He wished for an end to it. But, he still believed that the only end would come by the tacal or the féiraś.

[Claanyad]

The minister of foreign relations, a man by the name of Jacob Cook, looked over his current situation. The Grand Nicholian forces were of little concern, at this point, for all of their allies had abandoned them, under reasons of what seemed to be mostly moral based. Although, the Manticulons appeared to be in it for ulterior motives, but that was just a speculation of his. The Altan people left the alliance for reasons unknown to Jacob, Balashov because of their old alliance with Claanyad, and Sperland had simply seen it was a hopeless fight. There was probably nothing to worry on that front.
The true problem was Abiottis. There had been little action from then, as of late, and so had the rest of their alliance, but they simply couldn't afford to let their guard down, when dealing with such a possibly devastating force. He had heard what the robotic men had done to prisoners, and in battle. The minister of defense was preparing the air force, the navy, and the people's defense to be sent to the Nicholian fronts, and the people's defense was getting permission from the prime minister to declare war. It was an infuriating process, but it had to be done. The minister took his pen, and his paper, and wrote a letter

Addressed to:
Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad
We have decided to join your plights against the enemy forces of the Abiottis federation and the Coalition of Grand Nicholia. Due to the legislative process of our great nation, though, we are not legally allowed to impose our troops onto your soil. We hope that you will not become disheartened at our inability to assist, at this moment. Our troops will be able to join your cause within the fortnight, hopefully receiving the go within the next few days.

Sincerely,
The people's minister of Lexicot,
Jacob Cook.

The Emperor then looked over Lexicot's letter. He was still wary of Grand Nicholia - whether they would accept peace or not. He knew that he had to keep his allies close by him, and this was a way he would do that. Lexicot, of course, had come in rather late by the Emperor's estimation. Regardless of whether Prince Philippe gracefully accepted defeat, the forces of Grand Nicholia were spread out and not forming an efficient defence. However, as he Mr Cook pointed out, Abiottis is still an unseen problem. He drafted a letter.

Addressed to Jacob Cook, People's Minister of Lexicot,
From Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Greetings.

We wholeheartedly accept your offer as help. These are dark times, but I do not think that anyone will plague our borders. We are, of course, happy that no matter how long it takes, we may stand as allies. We are very grateful for this.

Sincerely,
Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

[Grand Nicholia]

"My Lord, we have gotten a letter from Claanyad! It may not be good......" said the young Page to the Regent. "It can be that bad, they must be applauding me for my peace actions!" boasted the Prince, he then picked up the letter and read it.

Image
Addressed to Prince Philippe of Grand Nicholia,
From Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Greetings.

We are indeed glad for your father's change of heart. I am sure you shall make a wise leader and regent, my Crown Prince. From days gone by I had heard about your character. You do seem to be more agreeable, I will say as much. I am grateful that you have offered peace to us.
However, I cannot accept that your father is let off scot-free. Please understand, I am doing this out of no disrespect or dishonour, but a price has been earned, and so a price must be paid. I would request that Grand Nicholia pays war reparation costs to every one of our allied nations - Balashov, Lexicot, Manticulon, Azi Altul, Sperland and Clányad. I would ask that your father is handed over to allied forces to face trial for his crimes - again, meaning no disrespect, but it's better than he deserves. We are an honour-bound people, and though we are willing to forgive, a great affront has been caused to all of our nations.
We also ask that your nation pays our nations regular reparations - the equivalent of every year for the next five decades. This may sound unreasonable, but I promise you that once he has paid the Clányan price, he will be set free of his debt. And it is a debt, I hope you can understand.
Please do not take this the wrong way. We only wish for peace. But war is what your father gave his allies, as well as deception, lies and treachery, and our price is what he must pay to be released of that.
Please consider my offer.

Sincerely,
Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

"They are very undiplomatic! Who do they think I am! I'll give them a response all right!" yelled an angry Prince. Anger was an unfamiliar emotion to the Prince as he was a forgiving person, but not in this instance. His letter wrote this:

To,
The Undiplomatic Emperor, Cacsus VII

So, you believe that you can get away with demanding unnecessary reparations! You can shove your honour based system up you arse! You think I would surrender my father?! You think I would pay your heathen barbaric nation reparations! Count me wrong. I ask for a simple peace and this is what garbage I get! You must know that I have the power to send "gifts" again and worsen your daughter's conditions and could even have her executed! If you want your daughter to been seen alive or at least part alive, pay me a ransom and a white peace!

From,
His Majesty, Philippe, Regent of the Kingdom

"Disrespect me, no they wont!" yelled the crown prince as he told a servant to send the letter.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The Minister of the Military had told leading captains of all branches to prepare for Abiottis and Claanyad's pathetic army. Men were mobilised on the mountains and the coast and the Country was re-militarized. The Navy was now heavily protecting the Coast. And the air force began patrols of the airspace. The Military was waiting.

[Claanyad]

To,
The Undiplomatic Emperor, Cacsus VII

So, you believe that you can get away with demanding unnecessary reparations! You can shove your honour based system up you arse! You think I would surrender my father?! You think I would pay your heathen barbaric nation reparations! Count me wrong. I ask for a simple peace and this is what garbage I get! You must know that I have the power to send "gifts" again and worsen your daughter's conditions and could even have her executed! If you want your daughter to been seen alive or at least part alive, pay me a ransom and a white peace!

From,
His Majesty, Philippe, Regent of the Kingdom

(Image)

The Emperor read over this letter from the Crown Prince of Grand Nicholia. Evidently he did not understand what Clányan people would do for honour. That was his weakness - it was all of their weaknesses. The Anglo-Saxons could never hope to understand Clányad. He did not know if the Crown Prince planned actually to kill Corhána or not, but he hoped that he did not mean what he said. Naturally, though, the Emperor found offence by the statement that he was 'undiplomatic'. He sincerely hoped that the Prince, who was now threatening violence against his daughter and his people, understood the irony of that statement.
He had to think long and hard over what he was to say to this Crown Prince, who evidently valued respect to his own nation, even at the expense of his once allies. Nevertheless, he has yet again threatened Clányad after he asked for peace. He should be taken down. One is not fit to rule if they rule by fear and torture, and then defend their actions. By the tacal and the féiraś, by the grace of Yúrh and Rhol, Grand Nicholia would not see another summer if it did not accept these terms.

Addressed to Prince Philippe, Regent of Grand Nicholia
From Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,

We are sad that you have yourself so firmly engrained in your father's footsteps that you will defend his actions. From what I know of your God, he would not be pleased that your nation is misusing his name in order to get away with torture and killing.
There is an old Clányan proverb - "Prádená cona mabessítan géigeféisa cona gyecan tán." It means, 'He who oppresses a friend is killing them in their heart.' When we allied with your nation, it was for your interests. You sent us on wild goose chases through the seas of your nation, disrespected our customs at every turn, and angered our Generals enough to dislike you anyway. Then, when I ask you why your father has imprisoned my daughter, I receive a declaration of war. For the next few weeks, I receive little pieces of my daughter's soul (as well as forgeries to try and further emotionally put me off the trail) and now this. If this were what was done to one of your kin, to your sister, mother, father or one whom you love, would you accept a white peace offer without asking for something in return?
According to the laws of Rhas, the god to whom your father has caused me to pray upon every night, you have no right to unconditional peace. I know, however, that you do not follow the laws of Rhas. Ironically, Rhas tells us that you must forgive people for that affront to him. And I do forgive you, Anglo-Saxon Prince from far away. But I do not accept that your father, who started this whole mess, be allowed to walk free without so much as a fair trial.
As for my daughter, Corhána, tane mona yad - give her back to her home - in Clányad. I have had enough of your father's endless pining about how he wanted to give me 'gifts'. Don't you start too. I don't want to make this war all about her - too many people have died on both sides. But if you do not return her, then I promise that your forces shall die. And I keep to my word.
My terms stand.
1: Your father be delivered into our hands for a free and fair trial. All will be represented there. The outcome of this shall decide his punishment.
2: You shall pay war reparations for each belligerent on our side of this war.
3: A regular payment to each member of our alliance is also required.
4: You shall return Corhána without asking for payment or fuss.
If these conditions are not met, then your entire family is condemned by your actions.

Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

[Lexicot]

The minister of foreign relations, a man by the name of Jacob Cook, looked over his current situation. The Grand Nicholian forces were of little concern, at this point, for all of their allies had abandoned them, under reasons of what seemed to be mostly moral based. Although, the Manticulons appeared to be in it for ulterior motives, but that was just a speculation of his. The Altan people left the alliance for reasons unknown to Jacob, Balashov because of their old alliance with Claanyad, and Sperland had simply seen it was a hopeless fight. There was probably nothing to worry on that front.
The true problem was Abiottis. There had been little action from then, as of late, and so had the rest of their alliance, but they simply couldn't afford to let their guard down, when dealing with such a possibly devastating force. He had heard what the robotic men had done to prisoners, and in battle. The minister of defense was preparing the air force, the navy, and the people's defense to be sent to the Nicholian fronts, and the people's defense was getting permission from the prime minister to declare war. It was an infuriating process, but it had to be done. The minister took his pen, and his paper, and wrote a letter

Addressed to:
Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad
We have decided to join your plights against the enemy forces of the Abiottis federation and the Coalition of Grand Nicholia. Due to the legislative process of our great nation, though, we are not legally allowed to impose our troops onto your soil. We hope that you will not become disheartened at our inability to assist, at this moment. Our troops will be able to join your cause within the fortnight, hopefully receiving the go within the next few days.

Sincerely,
The people's minister of Lexicot,
Jacob Cook.

The Emperor then looked over Lexicot's letter. He was still wary of Grand Nicholia - whether they would accept peace or not. He knew that he had to keep his allies close by him, and this was a way he would do that. Lexicot, of course, had come in rather late by the Emperor's estimation. Regardless of whether Prince Philippe gracefully accepted defeat, the forces of Grand Nicholia were spread out and not forming an efficient defence. However, as he Mr Cook pointed out, Abiottis is still an unseen problem. He drafted a letter.

Addressed to Jacob Cook, People's Minister of Lexicot,
From Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Greetings.

We wholeheartedly accept your offer as help. These are dark times, but I do not think that anyone will plague our borders. We are, of course, happy that no matter how long it takes, we may stand as allies. We are very grateful for this.

Sincerely,
Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

Jacob frowned at the foreign emperor's letter, for he was not sure what the man meant. Did he not think the drones would strike his people? Perhaps he was right, but Jacob didn't think it wise to take such possibly damning risks. The minister of military had not yet receive the go from the prime minister, but had at least caused him to announce publicly that the situation was being considered extensively.
The people's defense, the smallest branch of the Lexican military, had already been gathered. Their generals, known as the Palli knights, had boarded the submarine destroyers that were accumulated at the edge of Lexicot's sea border, and would be deployed the minute war was declared. The infantry, the largest branch, which consisted of basic soldiers, cloned and trained by the thousands through basic embryo acceleration, had already gathered in the coastal war hall of Toth. Things were prepared and ready for an invasion, all Lexicot needed was that damned approval.
The Palli knigths, dedicated to peace and freedom, were the fiercest warriors in all the land, and went through extensive training from a young age. It was said that a single knight could take out an entire battalion of lesser men. Once, long ago, Lexicot had, through the hands of the Palli knights, had raised a mighty empire that stretched all throughout the lands. Alas, those days were over now, as the Palli had fallen to the forces of corruption, many a year ago. Generations had since passed, and the Palli were much smaller in numbers.
Jacob received a letter from the prime minister. The war was a go.

[Grand Nicholia]

Addressed to Prince Philippe, Regent of Grand Nicholia
From Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,

We are sad that you have yourself so firmly engrained in your father's footsteps that you will defend his actions. From what I know of your God, he would not be pleased that your nation is misusing his name in order to get away with torture and killing.
There is an old Clányan proverb - "Prádená cona mabessítan géigeféisa cona gyecan tán." It means, 'He who oppresses a friend is killing them in their heart.' When we allied with your nation, it was for your interests. You sent us on wild goose chases through the seas of your nation, disrespected our customs at every turn, and angered our Generals enough to dislike you anyway. Then, when I ask you why your father has imprisoned my daughter, I receive a declaration of war. For the next few weeks, I receive little pieces of my daughter's soul (as well as forgeries to try and further emotionally put me off the trail) and now this. If this were what was done to one of your kin, to your sister, mother, father or one whom you love, would you accept a white peace offer without asking for something in return?
According to the laws of Rhas, the god to whom your father has caused me to pray upon every night, you have no right to unconditional peace. I know, however, that you do not follow the laws of Rhas. Ironically, Rhas tells us that you must forgive people for that affront to him. And I do forgive you, Anglo-Saxon Prince from far away. But I do not accept that your father, who started this whole mess, be allowed to walk free without so much as a fair trial.
As for my daughter, Corhána, tane mona yad - give her back to her home - in Clányad. I have had enough of your father's endless pining about how he wanted to give me 'gifts'. Don't you start too. I don't want to make this war all about her - too many people have died on both sides. But if you do not return her, then I promise that your forces shall die. And I keep to my word.
My terms stand.
1: Your father be delivered into our hands for a free and fair trial. All will be represented there. The outcome of this shall decide his punishment.
2: You shall pay war reparations for each belligerent on our side of this war.
3: A regular payment to each member of our alliance is also required.
4: You shall return Corhána without asking for payment or fuss.
If these conditions are not met, then your entire family is condemned by your actions.

Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

"They are so persistent, they know I know I mean no harm to Corhána, and they ask for unlawful reparations!" Yelled the Prince into the Mirror. He then wrote a reply:

Dear Emperor of Claanyad, Cacsus VII

I know your desperate for peace and your daughter. But it must be one cold day in Hell before I accept anything. If you wish peace, drop the reparations and the trial of my father. But for now, I shall leave you with this message: We have been dumbstruck by you and your alliance, we have been shocked by answers and questions, we refuse to cooperate until more agreeable terms are met, until then we will fight, we will fight on the beaches, we will fight in our homes, we will fight in the sky, in the sea, in the country, we will fight till there is nothing worth fighting for, we will fight till the bitter end! Don't you get it by now? We will never surrender!

From His Grace, The Regent of Grand Nicholia

[Balashov]

Edge of Claanyan Airspace

General Abdulov looked out the window of the luxury charter jet, with the Royal Flag of Balashov printed onto it's tail. Out the window, empty sky soared past. There were few clouds in sight, so the sea was visible. His dark brown eyes scanned over the vast expanse of sea. Our boys are out there somewhere... Preparing to take down a hostile regime. he began to think, his eyes staring blankly now. How will these Claanyans leaders be? I know their culture is so similar to ours, however, everyone is different.. He then turned his eyes to the dossier in front of him. For the duration of the long flight, Abdulov had studied the traditions of Claanyad, their military and government leaders. He learned the basics of their gods and their religion, and their whole code of conduct. This wasn't Abdulov's first rodeo. However, this was one of the most important - the whole fate of the alliance depended on it.

He smiled at the papers in front of him - he was excited. General Abdulov loved to travel and experience new things around the world. He had enlisted for that very reason and was now living out his dream while doing the job he loved. As he glanced out the window, he noticed the blue of the sea began to become the beautiful green of the land. Claanyad's majestic coastlines protruded into the water, filled with trees, shrubbery, and many flowers. Tiny dots on the ground below moved about - they were most likely just the local fisherman ending the day's work. General Abdulov leaned against the wall, his face pressed into the window - this was one of the most exciting parts. In the cockpit, the pilot radioed the Claanyan National Aviation Tower "Claanyan Tower, this is Rodger-Beta, of Balashov. We are now in Claanyan airspace and awaiting directions."

---

HRS Rollo I

"Yes commander," Admiral Burgiak responded. He directed one of his officers to bring forth a short wavelength radio. It had an old look to it, as if it had not been used in many years. A microphone sat upright on the metal box, with several wires dangling down. There was lots of dust on it. The officer placed it on the desk and began to configure the wiring. Meanwhile. the Admiral wiped some dust of with his fingers, "As you can see commander, we have not used this machine in years. Our whole military has finally upgraded to satellite communications technology, but we keep these backup systems in case that fails, or the situation requires these radios. I assume the fight will have been finished with as of now - hopefully it turned out positively for both sides.." The Admiral's voice trailed off as he began to realize this fight was one to the death. It could not be possible for it to work out for both sides.

Meanwhile, the 1st Royal Fleet in all it's entirety had connected with the Royal Northern Fleet. Admiral Malkovik ordered defensive positions and all units on board to began preparing for the eventual invasion. The machines of war began to get ready, as the tanks, helicopters, humvees, and other vehicles began to fuel up and undergo any last minute fixes. Soldiers cleaned their weapons and began to run on the decks to maintain the shape they had before departure. As well, off the deck of the HRS Zuri the Great, several reconnaissance fighter jets were sent into Grand Nicholian airspace to figure out where the heaviest opposition lie.

[Claanyad]

Dear Emperor of Claanyad, Cacsus VII

I know your desperate for peace and your daughter. But it must be one cold day in Hell before I accept anything. If you wish peace, drop the reparations and the trial of my father. But for now, I shall leave you with this message: We have been dumbstruck by you and your alliance, we have been shocked by answers and questions, we refuse to cooperate until more agreeable terms are met, until then we will fight, we will fight on the beaches, we will fight in our homes, we will fight in the sky, in the sea, in the country, we will fight till there is nothing worth fighting for, we will fight till the bitter end! Don't you get it by now? We will never surrender!

From His Grace, The Regent of Grand Nicholia

The Emperor once again shook his head. Did the Crown Prince really think that the reparations and the trial was unnecessary? Look at all the suffering and pain they had caused. And how had they been dumbstruck at our alliance? The Emperor was pretty dumbstruck by everything which Grand Nicholia has ever done towards Clányad - forgetting important information, sending his commanders to chase wild geese, disrespecting our culture, and declaring war with no provocation other than a righteously angry letter - they had just tranquillised the Emperor's daughter! And afterwards, sending 'gifts', emotional torture, and all manner of other things had sealed the deal in Rhas' eyes. Even more so, their constant rejection of peace could mean only one thing - war.

Addressed to Prince Philippe of Grand Nicholia.

I had thought better of you, boy. Evidently, you have taken far too much of your father's attitude towards us. Those were our terms, and now they are not our terms. Now, we shall only be content with the full surrender of Grand Nicholia. You have proven yourself and your entire family unworthy to rule, and until you understand why that is and why you must surrender completely, we will not allow for peace.

Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

---

Edge of Claanyan Airspace

General Abdulov looked out the window of the luxury charter jet, with the Royal Flag of Balashov printed onto it's tail. Out the window, empty sky soared past. There were few clouds in sight, so the sea was visible. His dark brown eyes scanned over the vast expanse of sea. Our boys are out there somewhere... Preparing to take down a hostile regime. he began to think, his eyes staring blankly now. How will these Claanyans leaders be? I know their culture is so similar to ours, however, everyone is different.. He then turned his eyes to the dossier in front of him. For the duration of the long flight, Abdulov had studied the traditions of Claanyad, their military and government leaders. He learned the basics of their gods and their religion, and their whole code of conduct. This wasn't Abdulov's first rodeo. However, this was one of the most important - the whole fate of the alliance depended on it.

He smiled at the papers in front of him - he was excited. General Abdulov loved to travel and experience new things around the world. He had enlisted for that very reason and was now living out his dream while doing the job he loved. As he glanced out the window, he noticed the blue of the sea began to become the beautiful green of the land. Claanyad's majestic coastlines protruded into the water, filled with trees, shrubbery, and many flowers. Tiny dots on the ground below moved about - they were most likely just the local fisherman ending the day's work. General Abdulov leaned against the wall, his face pressed into the window - this was one of the most exciting parts. In the cockpit, the pilot radioed the Claanyan National Aviation Tower "Claanyan Tower, this is Rodger-Beta, of Balashov. We are now in Claanyan airspace and awaiting directions."

Céorceron Military Air Traffic Control Tower, Céorceron, Western Coast, Clányad
One of the soldiers stationed at the radar screen heard the message through his headpiece. He smiled as he realised that it was the Balashovian plane he was expected to receive.
"Rodger-Delta this is Céorceron MATC. Lay in course for 40⁰ North/East and proceed to Lánscus MATC. They shall direct you from there."
The military controller relayed the information through to Lánscus. He knew it would be around 15 minutes before they would contact the plane, but he wanted to get them the info as soon as possible.

---

HRS Rollo I

"Yes commander," Admiral Burgiak responded. He directed one of his officers to bring forth a short wavelength radio. It had an old look to it, as if it had not been used in many years. A microphone sat upright on the metal box, with several wires dangling down. There was lots of dust on it. The officer placed it on the desk and began to configure the wiring. Meanwhile. the Admiral wiped some dust of with his fingers, "As you can see commander, we have not used this machine in years. Our whole military has finally upgraded to satellite communications technology, but we keep these backup systems in case that fails, or the situation requires these radios. I assume the fight will have been finished with as of now - hopefully it turned out positively for both sides.." The Admiral's voice trailed off as he began to realize this fight was one to the death. It could not be possible for it to work out for both sides.

Meanwhile, the 1st Royal Fleet in all it's entirety had connected with the Royal Northern Fleet. Admiral Malkovik ordered defensive positions and all units on board to began preparing for the eventual invasion. The machines of war began to get ready, as the tanks, helicopters, humvees, and other vehicles began to fuel up and undergo any last minute fixes. Soldiers cleaned their weapons and began to run on the decks to maintain the shape they had before departure. As well, off the deck of the HRS Zuri the Great, several reconnaissance fighter jets were sent into Grand Nicholian airspace to figure out where the heaviest opposition lie.

The Lord High Commander agreed with the Admiral's quiet sentiments - the situation seemed dire. One side would have been killed, and if he knew anything of that Altan war chief, then he was going to be hard for even Getúmen to defeat. He picked up the radio transmitter and adjusted to the frequency which he knew that the Clányan Imperial Guard used in emergency situations or situations of secrecy. But this was long after the time of secrecy. He began to speak - in Clányan so it could not easily be translated.
"Imperial Guard, this is Lord High Commander Cáðéit Cecáðéit Cascus. Do you read?"
He waited for a response, but none seemed forthcoming. He tried again.
"Imperial Guard; Lord High Commander Cascus. Do you read?"
Amidst the white noise which was now being emitted by the box on the table, there was some remnant of human speech. He could hear it slightly.
"Repeat?"
The sound suddenly became clearer.
"YES, WE READ. THIS IS THE ALTAN-BASED IMPERIAL GUARD DIVISION. WHAT DO YOU NEED COMMANDER, OVER?"
"Do you know if the Altans will allow us access to their lands, so that we can begin an invasion of Grand Nicholia, over?"
A bit of static, followed by a click told the Lord High Commander that he had received the message.
"PLEASE REPEAT - INVASION OF GRAND NICHOLIA, OVER?"
"Yes. Relations have soured. Will the Altans allow us military access?"
More static, then, "HOLD."
The Lord High Commander looked towards the Admiral, "It appears they haven't heard of this war effort until now. They're probably asking the barbarian."
After what seemed like ten minutes of waiting with static, the familiar click was heard.
"YES, AZAN WILL ALLOW YOU ACCESS. RELATIONS HAVE TURNED OUT FAVOURABLY... SOMEHOW... OVER."
"Status of Getúmen, over?"
"SOMEHOW ALIVE. IT LOOKED LIKE AZAN WAS GOING TO CUT RIGHT TROUGH HIM FOR A WHILE. THEY BOTH AGREED TO STOP FIGHTING SOMEHOW... WE SHALL MEET YOU SOON, OVER.
The Lord High Commander smiled, "Understood. We accept the information, Imperial Guard. Over and out."
Yet again turning to the Admiral, he smiled and told him of what had transpired, "Somehow, they are beginning diplomatic relations. It appears both survived."

---

On the other Clányan ships, notably the CŚM Nefen, preparations were being made to assault the coastal positions of the Nicholians. They would shell the coast for a while, then land in specially-built landing craft. The Lord High Admiral was ready for this. He would command the attack unless the Lord High Commander returned. Soon, he thought, Nicholia shall fall.

[Azi Altul]

His men gathered and his wound patched, Azan mounted Raull and ran to the front of his soldier's lines, Getúmen short behind. Nigh on two million soldiers, mounted on their own vaethis or in worst cases, walking, were gathered outside of the Altan camps, and were starting to defend the grand Nicholian coast. The sun was high in the sky, as was best for marches and battles. His cavara was riding a young vaethis pup, given to him as a sign of respect by one of the breeders. An outsider being given a pup had only happened once before in all of recorded Altan history, and was the ultimate gift of respect a non-Altan could receive.
The pup's name was Too, and was one of Raull's spawns. At only a year old, the squirley creature had no training, so the foreign man was barely managing to keep the beast still, and was having even more difficulty staying on his back. Too was an orange-haired vaethis, and was a lot smaller than Raull, but mildly larger than the average vaethis.
"You having troubles there, cavara?" Azan said with a chuckle. "If you stick with this beast, it will become your best friend. Both your sword, your shield, and your cavara. It will follow you to the death, if you so ask it, provided that you will do the same. You simply need to train him, love him, and protect him. Now then, my friend. What is the plan? Will my men be attacking the Nicholian naval forces, or pillaging their lands? We are at your service."

[Claanyad]

His men gathered and his wound patched, Azan mounted Raull and ran to the front of his soldier's lines, Getúmen short behind. Nigh on two million soldiers, mounted on their own vaethis or in worst cases, walking, were gathered outside of the Altan camps, and were starting to defend the grand Nicholian coast. The sun was high in the sky, as was best for marches and battles. His cavara was riding a young vaethis pup, given to him as a sign of respect by one of the breeders. An outsider being given a pup had only happened once before in all of recorded Altan history, and was the ultimate gift of respect a non-Altan could receive.
The pup's name was Too, and was one of Raull's spawns. At only a year old, the squirley creature had no training, so the foreign man was barely managing to keep the beast still, and was having even more difficulty staying on his back. Too was an orange-haired vaethis, and was a lot smaller than Raull, but mildly larger than the average vaethis.
"You having troubles there, cavara?" Azan said with a chuckle. "If you stick with this beast, it will become your best friend. Both your sword, your shield, and your cavara. It will follow you to the death, if you so ask it, provided that you will do the same. You simply need to train him, love him, and protect him. Now then, my friend. What is the plan? Will my men be attacking the Nicholian naval forces, or pillaging their lands? We are at your service."

"Grateful... I should be... Getting the hang... of this!" Getúmen said, being thrust around by the pup which he had been given. He was having a good deal of trouble with the beast - he was usually a respectable rider, but this day, he was being both scoffed at and jested towards thanks to his awkwardness on the vaethis. He held his wood and tetrían tacal close to his body, hoping not to hurt the beast below him as he rode (or rather was carried violently) towards their end destination. He was understanding less and less how the Altans were able to keep their mounts so stable. But, as Azan said, with time, all would come into place.
"As for strategy," he said in between short moments of silence as he was thrust about again, "We should be attacking their naval defences... Make sure that our forces are able to land smoothly and without trouble... The Nicholians shouldn't be too much of a problem on land... I'd imagine most of their force is aiming out to sea to defend against our invasion fleets..."
In all honesty, he did feel very safe in the knowledge that, with firm air support from the Balashovian and Clányan fleets, as well as covering fire on the coastlines and defences, there shouldn't be a problem with taking the coastline. The Nicholians were outnumbered, out-gunned and fighting at an overall disadvantage. If the fleets could land their troops, then surely Nicholia would fall within a very short amount of time, and from then on, it should only be a matter of deciding what to do with their leadership. No doubt the Emperor was already threatening them - typical move, but a decent one. The Nicholians need to learn honour and respect, and to be put in their place by a greater Lord was all they deserved. Nevertheless, for Corhána's sake, he hoped that he wasn't too threatening - Yúrh only knows what would happen in that circumstance.
As the vaethis pup lurched again, evidently wary of the foreigner on his back who could neither speak Ancient Altan nor had any training in how to actually ride him.
"Gánageŧ co Húð," he swore, "this is more difficult than one might expect."

[Grand Nicholia]

Addressed to Prince Philippe of Grand Nicholia.

I had thought better of you, boy. Evidently, you have taken far too much of your father's attitude towards us. Those were our terms, and now they are not our terms. Now, we shall only be content with the full surrender of Grand Nicholia. You have proven yourself and your entire family unworthy to rule, and until you understand why that is and why you must surrender completely, we will not allow for peace.

Emperor Cacsus VII Cecerv Cívereś,
Emperor of Clányad,

"They have the power of a declawed kitten and yet they want me to surrender!? Let me write a letter!" Muttered the Prince to a servant. his letter wrote this:

Dear The Ungrateful Emperor of Claanyad,

You have decided to poke the Bull, now you get the horns! You do also realise you may be gambling the safety of your daughter, right? Well, I wouldn't hurt your daughter, my cabinet may want to. Also, I would say that you and your pagan family is much more incompetent. You are very bad at handling foreign affairs, may I suggest that I send my more educated men to help you?

Sincerely,
Crown Prince Philippe, Regent and Heir to the Kingdom

The Prince later decided to move the Princess Corhána from the dungeon to the Chateau of San Blax, but first she must visit the Prince's Office as he had a question for her. He also made the controversial decision to move the family and the entire government. The Government would move to the interior city of Grand Nicholia Ciudad and would meet in the "Palacio de la Apolestes de Christo". The Military headq"arters would be "Fortezala Sanquin". The Family Royale would move to the "Palace of Cerynex" (The Chateau of San Blax" is on the Palace Grounds). The Prince was waiting for Corhána in his Office in the Mountain Palace as guards were sent to retrieve her.

[Azi Altul]

His men gathered and his wound patched, Azan mounted Raull and ran to the front of his soldier's lines, Getúmen short behind. Nigh on two million soldiers, mounted on their own vaethis or in worst cases, walking, were gathered outside of the Altan camps, and were starting to defend the grand Nicholian coast. The sun was high in the sky, as was best for marches and battles. His cavara was riding a young vaethis pup, given to him as a sign of respect by one of the breeders. An outsider being given a pup had only happened once before in all of recorded Altan history, and was the ultimate gift of respect a non-Altan could receive.
The pup's name was Too, and was one of Raull's spawns. At only a year old, the squirley creature had no training, so the foreign man was barely managing to keep the beast still, and was having even more difficulty staying on his back. Too was an orange-haired vaethis, and was a lot smaller than Raull, but mildly larger than the average vaethis.
"You having troubles there, cavara?" Azan said with a chuckle. "If you stick with this beast, it will become your best friend. Both your sword, your shield, and your cavara. It will follow you to the death, if you so ask it, provided that you will do the same. You simply need to train him, love him, and protect him. Now then, my friend. What is the plan? Will my men be attacking the Nicholian naval forces, or pillaging their lands? We are at your service."

"Grateful... I should be... Getting the hang... of this!" Getúmen said, being thrust around by the pup which he had been given. He was having a good deal of trouble with the beast - he was usually a respectable rider, but this day, he was being both scoffed at and jested towards thanks to his awkwardness on the vaethis. He held his wood and tetrían tacal close to his body, hoping not to hurt the beast below him as he rode (or rather was carried violently) towards their end destination. He was understanding less and less how the Altans were able to keep their mounts so stable. But, as Azan said, with time, all would come into place.
"As for strategy," he said in between short moments of silence as he was thrust about again, "We should be attacking their naval defences... Make sure that our forces are able to land smoothly and without trouble... The Nicholians shouldn't be too much of a problem on land... I'd imagine most of their force is aiming out to sea to defend against our invasion fleets..."
In all honesty, he did feel very safe in the knowledge that, with firm air support from the Balashovian and Clányan fleets, as well as covering fire on the coastlines and defences, there shouldn't be a problem with taking the coastline. The Nicholians were outnumbered, out-gunned and fighting at an overall disadvantage. If the fleets could land their troops, then surely Nicholia would fall within a very short amount of time, and from then on, it should only be a matter of deciding what to do with their leadership. No doubt the Emperor was already threatening them - typical move, but a decent one. The Nicholians need to learn honour and respect, and to be put in their place by a greater Lord was all they deserved. Nevertheless, for Corhána's sake, he hoped that he wasn't too threatening - Yúrh only knows what would happen in that circumstance.
As the vaethis pup lurched again, evidently wary of the foreigner on his back who could neither speak Ancient Altan nor had any training in how to actually ride him.
"Gánageŧ co Húð," he swore, "this is more difficult than one might expect."

"My men and I will ride against the Nicholian boats, drawing their ship's fire, doing what damage we can with our crossbolts. How forested are the areas around the coast? I've yet to see most of the Nicholian countrysides. You and your men may sneak up upon them and neutralize their boats. Does this plan please you, cavara?"
Azan was thoroughly amused with the foreign man's inability to ride the young pup. He remembered when Raull and he were younglings. Although Raull was older than Too is now, at seven years, he had still caused a young Azan to nearly drown, by bucking him off of his powerful back. Only when the two became thirteen, once they had mastered each other's techniques and personalities.
"Dogs better understand the ancient authoritative languages, such as Altan. The word for stay is táv, and walk is vell. Sadly, we do not have time to train the little beast, but he has spent enough time with the breeders to know the commands. You must be consistent with your discipline, but not harsh. Too is a great hound, larger than your average vaethis, with powerful jaws. The command for attack is cho, and retrieve is simply git, a word gathered from the english language. Now then, cavara, how far away is our destination?"

[Grand Nicholia]

"M'lord, they have an strong fleet outside our Coasts, we must forget our attempt to break their ships by boat. And instead use our air superioty to bomb their ships, do you agree?" Asked the Minister of the Military to the Prince Regent. "Very well, also give orders to station anti aircraft guns outside the main cities, and perhaps put heavy pressure to force the botics and Claanyad out of this war by mobilising the country." Responded Philippe. Minister Charles acted as he was told.

[Claanyad]

Dear The Ungrateful Emperor of Claanyad,

You have decided to poke the Bull, now you get the horns! You do also realise you may be gambling the safety of your daughter, right? Well, I wouldn't hurt your daughter, my cabinet may want to. Also, I would say that you and your pagan family is much more incompetent. You are very bad at handling foreign affairs, may I suggest that I send my more educated men to help you?

Sincerely,
Crown Prince Philippe, Regent and Heir to the Kingdom

The Emperor shook his head. This prince knew nothing. He was the one who did not understand international relations. He could not see how far into blindness he was pushing himself. It was interesting, though, to see his choice of words. He remembered back to when he received the declaration of war message - he believed that such a metaphor as 'poke the bull' could have been brought into play then. He shook his head once more, putting his head in his hands as he did it. He was disappointed that he ever thought these Anglo-Saxons were good news. They were uneducated, then hypocritical, rude, dishonourable and most of all, treacherous. He would not gratify this Philippe character with any more letters - he was done with diplomacy. He picked up a book and began to read - he was not in the mood for the endless bickering they were suffering. He wanted to see how they would react to nothingness for a while. Maybe it would lighten their mood? Or maybe it would make them cocky. He both wanted for and hated the idea of the latter. But a cocky enemy is easier to defeat.

---

"My men and I will ride against the Nicholian boats, drawing their ship's fire, doing what damage we can with our crossbolts. How forested are the areas around the coast? I've yet to see most of the Nicholian countrysides. You and your men may sneak up upon them and neutralize their boats. Does this plan please you, cavara?"
Azan was thoroughly amused with the foreign man's inability to ride the young pup. He remembered when Raull and he were younglings. Although Raull was older than Too is now, at seven years, he had still caused a young Azan to nearly drown, by bucking him off of his powerful back. Only when the two became thirteen, once they had mastered each other's techniques and personalities.
"Dogs better understand the ancient authoritative languages, such as Altan. The word for stay is táv, and walk is vell. Sadly, we do not have time to train the little beast, but he has spent enough time with the breeders to know the commands. You must be consistent with your discipline, but not harsh. Too is a great hound, larger than your average vaethis, with powerful jaws. The command for attack is cho, and retrieve is simply git, a word gathered from the english language. Now then, cavara, how far away is our destination?"

"The coast is a mix - both forested and unforested. The areas around the cities, probably less forested. But there is a good deal of long grass. That could be used as cover if you keep low enough. We can neutralise any significant water-borne threats."
Getúmen could see the amusement playing upon Azan's features. He began to frown playfully, before being lurched forward by Too, "Táv, táv..." he said softly, trying to comfort Too. It worked well enough, and Too soon stopped in his tracks. Getúmen tried to avoid looking too proud, but turned to his ally on his larger Vaethis, "We shouldn't be too long. Should I send a scout up ahead to check for enemy forces?"

---

The Prince later decided to move the Princess Corhána from the dungeon to the Chateau of San Blax, but first she must visit the Prince's Office as he had a question for her. He also made the controversial decision to move the family and the entire government. The Government would move to the interior city of Grand Nicholia Ciudad and would meet in the "Palacio de la Apolestes de Christo". The Military headq"arters would be "Fortezala Sanquin". The Family Royale would move to the "Palace of Cerynex" (The Chateau of San Blax" is on the Palace Grounds). The Prince was waiting for Corhána in his Office in the Mountain Palace as guards were sent to retrieve her.

As Corhána walked through the halls towards the Prince's office, she wondered why he would want to see her. Perhaps to boast on some victory, or maybe to further demoralise her, or perhaps even to harm her, as his father had done many times before. She should keep calm; she did not want to give a bad impression should it be something good. But she did still hate the Nicholians for all they had done. For declaring war on her father, for causing death and despair... It was all futile and horrible, and she disliked every passing moment she had to spend in Grand Nicholia. She wished that she were able to just go back to Clányad, where she was amongst people she knew - Cáðéit, the Foreign Minister, Getúmen, her father's beśáfad, even that old man, Arhas Cecarhas Lánec, the Imperial Minister Prime, who seemed old and senile to most. She missed them all, and especially her family. Who was she kidding, being all naïve like that? Naïveté would get her nowhere. She would be a strong, independent Clányan woman.
She had started to get the colour back into her face as she recovered from her infection. She knew that much more torture, though, and she might break. She was not as strong as she liked to make out, and though she could never tell the Crown Prince about it, she felt it every night in that cell. She must be prepared to fight harder should she need to.

[Azi Altul]

The coast is a mix - both forested and unforested. The areas around the cities, probably less forested. But there is a good deal of long grass. That could be used as cover if you keep low enough. We can neutralise any significant water-borne threats."
Getúmen could see the amusement playing upon Azan's features. He began to frown playfully, before being lurched forward by Too, "Táv, táv..." he said softly, trying to comfort Too. It worked well enough, and Too soon stopped in his tracks. Getúmen tried to avoid looking too proud, but turned to his ally on his larger Vaethis, "We shouldn't be too long. Should I send a scout up ahead to check for enemy forces?"

"As you wish, cavara."
As they rode, a metal bird flew over them. It had four, long wings, with two fire-stick turrets on each. It spun around strangely, unnaturally, with blinking eyes all along the ends. It flew overhead, and disappeared in a swirling mix of silvery liquid looking energy. The metal men had arrived, finally making themselves present in the war.
"Things just got interesting, cavara. I do not like those metal men. Raull's teeth barely penetrates their hide. They are not natural. I hope you bear me no ill will for siding with them, my friend." The vaethis did not trust the metal birds, and a chorus of howls let loose as it flew overhead, causing Azan's speak to become almost inaudible.
The great R†hul was nervous, possibly irrationally. The metal man had cut down six of his best warriors, and three younglings. They knew no mercy. The cross-bolts were their best offense against them, even though they were considered cowardly weapons by Altan standards. Azan yelled the silence command, causing vaethis near him to become silent. Once the noise began shrinking, Azan continued the command until things were quiet again. There was no room for disorder, at this times. It would prove too great of a detriment.

[Claanyad]

"As you wish, cavara."
As they rode, a metal bird flew over them. It had four, long wings, with two fire-stick turrets on each. It spun around strangely, unnaturally, with blinking eyes all along the ends. It flew overhead, and disappeared in a swirling mix of silvery liquid looking energy. The metal men had arrived, finally making themselves present in the war.
"Things just got interesting, cavara. I do not like those metal men. Raull's teeth barely penetrates their hide. They are not natural. I hope you bear me no ill will for siding with them, my friend." The vaethis did not trust the metal birds, and a chorus of howls let loose as it flew overhead, causing Azan's speak to become almost inaudible.
The great R†hul was nervous, possibly irrationally. The metal man had cut down six of his best warriors, and three younglings. They knew no mercy. The cross-bolts were their best offense against them, even though they were considered cowardly weapons by Altan standards. Azan yelled the silence command, causing vaethis near him to become silent. Once the noise began shrinking, Azan continued the command until things were quiet again. There was no room for disorder, at this times. It would prove too great of a detriment.

Just as Getúmen was about to send one of his guards ahead of them to scout, the deafening roar of the drone stopped him and his vaethis in their tracks. Getúmen did not like them either. It appeared they were sandwiched between two enemies, and whichever one was the lesser of two evils, Getúmen did not know. Once the drone flew over and the noise subsided, Getúmen looked back towards his ally. "I'll send my scout," he said, a dour dread in his voice. He called over one of his guards, a man named Sírhtas, to tell him to run ahead and see if there were more enemies nearby. There was a ridge, and Getúmen wanted a look at the other side of it. But as Azan had noted - things have suddenly become interesting.

[Grand Nicholia]

Dear The Ungrateful Emperor of Claanyad,

You have decided to poke the Bull, now you get the horns! You do also realise you may be gambling the safety of your daughter, right? Well, I wouldn't hurt your daughter, my cabinet may want to. Also, I would say that you and your pagan family is much more incompetent. You are very bad at handling foreign affairs, may I suggest that I send my more educated men to help you?

Sincerely,
Crown Prince Philippe, Regent and Heir to the Kingdom

The Emperor shook his head. This prince knew nothing. He was the one who did not understand international relations. He could not see how far into blindness he was pushing himself. It was interesting, though, to see his choice of words. He remembered back to when he received the declaration of war message - he believed that such a metaphor as 'poke the bull' could have been brought into play then. He shook his head once more, putting his head in his hands as he did it. He was disappointed that he ever thought these Anglo-Saxons were good news. They were uneducated, then hypocritical, rude, dishonourable and most of all, treacherous. He would not gratify this Philippe character with any more letters - he was done with diplomacy. He picked up a book and began to read - he was not in the mood for the endless bickering they were suffering. He wanted to see how they would react to nothingness for a while. Maybe it would lighten their mood? Or maybe it would make them cocky. He both wanted for and hated the idea of the latter. But a cocky enemy is easier to defeat.

---

"My men and I will ride against the Nicholian boats, drawing their ship's fire, doing what damage we can with our crossbolts. How forested are the areas around the coast? I've yet to see most of the Nicholian countrysides. You and your men may sneak up upon them and neutralize their boats. Does this plan please you, cavara?"
Azan was thoroughly amused with the foreign man's inability to ride the young pup. He remembered when Raull and he were younglings. Although Raull was older than Too is now, at seven years, he had still caused a young Azan to nearly drown, by bucking him off of his powerful back. Only when the two became thirteen, once they had mastered each other's techniques and personalities.
"Dogs better understand the ancient authoritative languages, such as Altan. The word for stay is táv, and walk is vell. Sadly, we do not have time to train the little beast, but he has spent enough time with the breeders to know the commands. You must be consistent with your discipline, but not harsh. Too is a great hound, larger than your average vaethis, with powerful jaws. The command for attack is cho, and retrieve is simply git, a word gathered from the english language. Now then, cavara, how far away is our destination?"

"The coast is a mix - both forested and unforested. The areas around the cities, probably less forested. But there is a good deal of long grass. That could be used as cover if you keep low enough. We can neutralise any significant water-borne threats."
Getúmen could see the amusement playing upon Azan's features. He began to frown playfully, before being lurched forward by Too, "Táv, táv..." he said softly, trying to comfort Too. It worked well enough, and Too soon stopped in his tracks. Getúmen tried to avoid looking too proud, but turned to his ally on his larger Vaethis, "We shouldn't be too long. Should I send a scout up ahead to check for enemy forces?"

---

The Prince later decided to move the Princess Corhána from the dungeon to the Chateau of San Blax, but first she must visit the Prince's Office as he had a question for her. He also made the controversial decision to move the family and the entire government. The Government would move to the interior city of Grand Nicholia Ciudad and would meet in the "Palacio de la Apolestes de Christo". The Military headq"arters would be "Fortezala Sanquin". The Family Royale would move to the "Palace of Cerynex" (The Chateau of San Blax" is on the Palace Grounds). The Prince was waiting for Corhána in his Office in the Mountain Palace as guards were sent to retrieve her.

As Corhána walked through the halls towards the Prince's office, she wondered why he would want to see her. Perhaps to boast on some victory, or maybe to further demoralise her, or perhaps even to harm her, as his father had done many times before. She should keep calm; she did not want to give a bad impression should it be something good. But she did still hate the Nicholians for all they had done. For declaring war on her father, for causing death and despair... It was all futile and horrible, and she disliked every passing moment she had to spend in Grand Nicholia. She wished that she were able to just go back to Clányad, where she was amongst people she knew - Cáðéit, the Foreign Minister, Getúmen, her father's beśáfad, even that old man, Arhas Cecarhas Lánec, the Imperial Minister Prime, who seemed old and senile to most. She missed them all, and especially her family. Who was she kidding, being all naïve like that? Naïveté would get her nowhere. She would be a strong, independent Clányan woman.
She had started to get the colour back into her face as she recovered from her infection. She knew that much more torture, though, and she might break. She was not as strong as she liked to make out, and though she could never tell the Crown Prince about it, she felt it every night in that cell. She must be prepared to fight harder should she need to.

"You have arrived! I would like to inform you about the fact that you will no be in the dungeon, you will instead be relocated to the very nice Chateau de San-Bax and about something else..." Said the Prince as Corhána walked in. He quickly grabbed her hand and took out of his pocket what appeared to be a small box. He quickly said "I know that I have found love for you, I wish to ask one thing: Would you be my beloved or also known as my wife?" He knew he had 1% chance of it working but he wanted to try and to be able to say that he could have or is married to a foreigner by his own will. He knew this was a bad time, but he still waited for her answer.

[Claanyad]

"You have arrived! I would like to inform you about the fact that you will no be in the dungeon, you will instead be relocated to the very nice Chateau de San-Bax and about something else..." Said the Prince as Corhána walked in. He quickly grabbed her hand and took out of his pocket what appeared to be a small box. He quickly said "I know that I have found love for you, I wish to ask one thing: Would you be my beloved or also known as my wife?" He knew he had 1% chance of it working but he wanted to try and to be able to say that he could have or is married to a foreigner by his own will. He knew this was a bad time, but he still waited for her answer.

Corhána was indeed happy that she would no longer be in a dungeon, but the fact that the Prince proposed to her was no surprise. That was one of the things which ran through her head, but she didn't think it'd be on such good terms. She wanted to tell him to apologise to her father, or to surrender completely. However, that would not be fair on either of them, and Rhas would look down upon her for it. She could not do that to him - this was a lovestruck man, or at least, so she hoped. And to do that could only be cruel. She would let him down the nicest, but also the most honest way she new possible.
"I'm sorry," she said, her face still hard as stone, and not relenting, "But I cannot marry you. My father would never forgive me. I love my father dearly, and I loved you too. But now, I cannot."
She finished by putting her hands together and resting them in front of her. She hoped that he would accept that she could never do something like that to her father.

[Grand Nicholia]

"You have arrived! I would like to inform you about the fact that you will no be in the dungeon, you will instead be relocated to the very nice Chateau de San-Bax and about something else..." Said the Prince as Corhána walked in. He quickly grabbed her hand and took out of his pocket what appeared to be a small box. He quickly said "I know that I have found love for you, I wish to ask one thing: Would you be my beloved or also known as my wife?" He knew he had 1% chance of it working but he wanted to try and to be able to say that he could have or is married to a foreigner by his own will. He knew this was a bad time, but he still waited for her answer.

Corhána was indeed happy that she would no longer be in a dungeon, but the fact that the Prince proposed to her was no surprise. That was one of the things which ran through her head, but she didn't think it'd be on such good terms. She wanted to tell him to apologise to her father, or to surrender completely. However, that would not be fair on either of them, and Rhas would look down upon her for it. She could not do that to him - this was a lovestruck man, or at least, so she hoped. And to do that could only be cruel. She would let him down the nicest, but also the most honest way she new possible.
"I'm sorry," she said, her face still hard as stone, and not relenting, "But I cannot marry you. My father would never forgive me. I love my father dearly, and I loved you too. But now, I cannot."
She finished by putting her hands together and resting them in front of her. She hoped that he would accept that she could never do something like that to her father.

The Prince in a not surprised yet disappointed tone asked " May you at least grant me the grace of kissing your hand? And if ye so kind, your lips?" The Prince was ready to leave but was hopeful Corhána may allow him to kiss her. Yet, not so discreetly the Minister of a Education and the Minister of Intelligence were overhearing their conversations through the door.

[Claanyad]

The Prince in a not surprised yet disappointed tone asked " May you at least grant me the grace of kissing your hand? And if ye so kind, your lips?" The Prince was ready to leave but was hopeful Corhána may allow him to kiss her. Yet, not so discreetly the Minister of a Education and the Minister of Intelligence were overhearing their conversations through the door.

Corhána thought for a second. She had not been expecting this. But she thought for a moment - he was still holding the ring. For all she knew, he was trying to trick her, and force her to marry him. She shivered at the thought; not of him necessarily, but of him trying to force her to do something like that. She still considered. To reject the request could be considered rude. But to accept it might mean that she was a prisoner here for longer. She was at a crossroads. But then, she decided. She tucked her hands under her arms, as if to shiver, and replied, speaking her mind.
"Philippe... When we met, our fathers were forcing us into something. And then, that grew into admiration and love. But then, the world intervened. If it had not, I would share the same love for you. But now, too much has been done. Our love would be forbidden, and I no longer feel it. You must go and find someone else to love, Philippe. And you must let go of your love for me."
She shook her head with sadness.
"Believe me, this is a hard decision to make. But I will stay with it."