The Court of Flowers & Flames (IC)

by **Liegalla** » Sat Mar 23, 2024 1:52 pm

Court of Flowers & Flames

The Palace of Tvirtore in Vysla, Liegalla

“Peace and Justice” those are the words of House Ojeras, which as ruled the Kingdom of Liegalla since its inception at the command of King Vytautas the Great, who through force of arms unified a thousand disparate lords and fiefs into a singular nation. Now, over a century later, his dynasty, famed for their purple eyes and silver blond hair continue to sit the famous Dragonfire Throne. Yet it is not the family words that come to mind when one gazes upon the Ojeras— instead it is that of Flowers and Flames, for every one of that house is said to be either a lily, or a dragons the charges of their coat of arms. And some are as fierce as they are beautiful, a dangerous reality when the royal family finds itself in a surfeit of competing branches.

And it is Queens and mothers who play the dangerous game, and pull the levers of power. Beyond the borders of the realm in the Celestial Empire, in the greatest palace on the continent, Ameliehall, the exiled queen dowager, Dziuginta and her son Prince Dovydas plot the prince’s restoration to his late father, Vytautas III’s throne. Left penniless and with few friends, and possessed of a bastard child of the prince, Jane, the exiles look for those strong enough and bold enough to help them retake a kingdom.

Just outside of the capital in the dark halls of Vakaru Castle, the infamous Widow’s Cloister, the twice widowed Queen Dowager Brigita is determined to secure the throne for her son, the young Prince Juozas by her murdered first husband, the hated usurper Vytautas IV the Bastard, and fortunes for her infant twins, Leona & Leonas Wynters, by her late second husband through whatever means necessary. Adept as secrecy, subterfuge and sowing the seeds of chaos, while the beauty of his royal flower is fading, the danger she poses grows with every day.

But it is within the capital, from the soaring walls and towers of Tvirtore Palace that the greatest of power lay, here firmly in the hands of the king. King Juozas II, known as the Hammer, has proven a strong leader, destroying those who might rebel, and reforming the administration of the realm with his loyal wife, Queen Gouda and his wise mother, Queen Mother Jurgita at his side. A soldier king, there are few who would dare directly opposite this august and intimidating figure. But while the question of succession remains an ever present headache for the king.

Possessed of two beautiful daughters, the elder, Princess Julita has retired to a convent, after giving birth out of wedlock to the infant Lady Vavya; whilst the younger Princess Zieda has somehow managed to cause even more scandal. Considered of the greatest of beauties, even called the Helen of Vysla, the beauty of Zieda, and her potential inheritance, moved countless suitors, lords, dukes, princes and even kings to shower her with praise, gifts, and fortunes in their vying for her hands. Zieda however rejected with all for Princess Catherine, sparking outrage from her enemies.

Suddenly disinherited, as the realm deemed it could not handle both a female and a bisexual heir, the King attempted to push his younger brother, Prince Stanislavas into that role, arranging a strong marriage alliance with an even stronger bride would have secured the next generation of Ojeras royals… only for it to all come undone when an epidemic carried her and many others away just before the wedding. Fearing the crown and not desiring, Prince Stanislavas, now freed from the chains of engagement has fled into the countryside, leaving the king to recall his controversial daughter back as his heir.

Nor is the drama of the royal family the only issue on the plate of King Juozas II. In his attempts to modernized the previously feudal system of Liegalla, he had caused mass upset in the social order, and the recent epidemic has left many lordships and their castles vacant, with houses at their helm, and with the rural peasantry anxious of the King’s reforms. In the cities meanwhile mass internal migration has caused an ongoing refugee and overpopulation crisis in the capital city of Vysla, while the unemployment rate remains frightenly high.

Meanwhile those noble families who do remain each hold with them their own schemes, dreams and ambitions. In the north, where the king most famously— or infamously— brought the proverbial hammer down, the king is both feared and disliked. Most lordships were obliterated, with new hated royal seneschals sent to represent the king’s interests. Of three great families that survive, Lord Leskys is but a teenager— terrified of the king but also hating him, while Lord Veiverys is but a boy, his guardian and older sister Lady Marcelle no friend of the king, while Lord Petrauskas, whose house was once the greatest in the realm, rivaling the Ojeras, remains in the capital, depressed and under the watchful eye of the king.

In the south, the Four Great Loyal Families have found themselves toying with the flexibility of the world the Ambrazaites, the wealthiest family since the downfall of the Petrauskas have adopted for neutrality in their Provençal estates, while the careful Kveragaite Brothers, grandnephews wait to see which way the wind will blow. The Nervonyte, lead under the command of their matriarch, Queen Dowager Gintare, mother of Queen Gouda, remain fiercely loyal to king and Princess Zieda— if disapprovingly—with Lord Nervonyte’s religious fervor only outmatched by his skill at handling money as the Lord Treasurer.

In the Archbishopric of Voersk, Archbishop Mecislovas attempts to reform the staunchly traditionalist Catholic Church in Liegalla, making him an ally to kinsmen the king, and an enemy of many of his fellow priests. Last, and perhaps much to their annoyance, least, is House Kundreckas, lead by the bitter, unpleasant and ever scowling Lord Kundreckas, whose grasping ambition has made him the most vocal ally of Queen Dowager Brigita, and amongst the few daring enough to challenge the King— from the safety of his own castle walls of course.

Within the court itself, filled with retainers, courtiers, civil servants, and foreign diplomats however, a fascinating new culture is rapidly growing as King Juozas II opens the doors of the palace to the world, inviting diplomats to discuss trade deals, hosting parties to celebrate cultural figures, and even allowing those who, if willing and if capable to the king’s liking, to join as a permanent member of the royal court. In truth it marks a truly unprecedented time in Liegalla as intrigue, court politics, and diplomacy intersect as never before.

And you can join in it.

Rules
1- General Roleplaying Rules, no godmodding, metagaming, etc.
2- All Liegallan characters and NPCs will be controlled by me
3- This is to create a centralized thread around events regarding both the Liegallan Government (the Royal Court) as well as the broader branches of House Ojeras, in regards to both international and domestic affairs, continuing off of various other threads.
4- Try to keep Out of Character conversation to the OOC Thread
5- An application per character
6- Be kind to one another
7-Rules subject to change as needs be
8- I am OP
9- Must Sign up before posting

by **Liegalla** » Sat Mar 23, 2024 1:53 pm

Carnation House

There was a wedding occurring in the lesser of the two great Kundreckas estates. Of the seven remaining great families, those nobles who had both survived the obliteration by King Juozas II’s hammer and the epidemic that had swept the country, House Kundreckas was neither the oldest, greatest nor wealthiest. Nor of the Great Loyal Families had, like the others, Kundreckas provided a queen for Liegalla— though not for lack of trying. But House Kundreckas was, if nothing else, ambitious.

Lord Laimonas Kundreckas, the patriarch of the house, and third generation of the nobles, was determined to see his house rise. His aunt Galina had been mother of Queen Kunigunda Ojeras, who in turn had been grandmother to King Vytautas IV and thus great-grandmother to Prince Juozas, who was in turn son of Queen Dowager Brigita. It was with this admittedly distant bloodline connection in mind that Lord Kundreckas had made his alliance with the Queen dowager. An alliance he hoped to secure with a marriage of his own granddaughter to the prince— one both children were old enough of course.

Thus it was not a royal wedding being held in the garden of Carnation House, whose soil had been the genesis of the now infamous flower— so much so that it had been the second Lord Kundreckas who torn them up— though they had been returned for the event in temporary pots— albeit hidden amongst the other bouquets. Instead it was the wedding of Lord Kundreckas’s cousin’s daughter, Greta Kundreckas.

Greta Kundreckas, aged twenty-three, was the middle child, a second daughter of a cousin of a noble lord. Thus Greta was perfectly positioned to be over looked and forgotten. Her elder sister Ausrine was more beautiful, her younger brother Edvardas smarter. And yet it was not their wedding, but Greta’s for she alone of her family understood one truth. The world was changing. The events of King Juozas’ reign had in just a short time proven this much. Greta did not agree with her lord, she instead rather like Princess Zieda and Princess Catherine, sharing their leanings and outlook on life.

What Greta Kundreckas lacked however was the power and position to operate as freely as the princesses did. Having herself briefly caught the affections of the infamous Queen of Turanda, only to be just as swiftly discarded, Greta had realized that her heart alone could not be left to guide her. She required security. She required a husband. That Liegalla was decidedly patriarchal, no one could deny, particularly amongst the nobility, were daughters were to either be locked away at the direction of their fathers or brothers, or used as strategic pawns in marriages.

While Greta meant for her marriage to be strategic, she didn’t mean to be but a pawn. She had thus carefully chosen her husband— her friend, Lord Nerijus Petrauskas. Indeed she perhaps could not have found a more perfect suitor. Lord Petrauskas was the last remaining scion of the longest and once greatest house in the realm. House Petrauskas had been as rich and as powerful, if not more than the royal family throughout the previous century. Their name and their branches however had been culled by their involvement in the Rebellion of the Northern Lords, which had failed disastrously, seeing their ancient seat of Rzhev reduced to rubble.

Their greatest assets and holdings had been confiscated, or put under administration of King Juozas’ seneschals, their power greatly weakened as their lone survivor took up the mantle as head of the house at only seventeen. The new Lord Petrauskas, now nineteen (four years Greta’s junior) was handsome, of impeccable breeding, his own grandmother having been an Ojeras princess as any could tell from his silver white hair that he’d inherited from her. Not that his looks or royal blood much interested Greta.

Petrauskas was unattached, left without allies or friends save her for they got along and understood one another, and yet the Petrauskas name, despite the mud it had been dragged through still held some weight with it, particularly amongst the northerners, who recalled the days when Rzhev, not Vysla had been the realm’s greatest city. And he like she held no interest in the opposite sex. Thus there was both friendship and mutual interest in this marriage of convenience— Petrauskas gained an ally and would through tying himself with another great family partially repair his house’s reputation, while she, as wife of a great lord, however diminished would have independence and status, cleaved free of her family.

And both could leave the other to enjoy the company of others without raising suspicion. Friendship and security, rather than love was the basis of this marriage.

As was deception. For while it had been easy to convince Lord Petrauskas of this marriage, Greta had too had to sell it to Lord Kundreckas, who had had little interest in tying himself to the northern pup of a dead traitor. Or, if it was to be a Kundreckas girl who was to become a great lady, should it not be his own daughter, Zymanta? Greta had appealed to her cousin’s arrogance and his ambition. Petrauskas, unattached in the politics of the realm would secure for the cause of Queen Dowager Brigita in the north, where already Lady Marcelle Veiverys and Lord Leskys despised the king. Where Petrauskas went, the rest if the north was sure to follow. At the6 same time the lord was damaged goods, and held a somber disposition. Better to save Zymanta’s hand for greater glory, perhaps the Ambrazaite heir, Azuloas, or even Prince Stanislavas.

These words thus convinced Queen Dowager Brigita and Lord Kundreckas to allow the marriage.

In secret however, neither Greta nor Nerijus held any interest in the cause the Queen dowager. She was a firm if secret supporter of Zieda while Lord Petrauskas, having seen dabbling politics cost his parents their lives held no taste for playing the game.

This the gambit was launched as the music played and Greta Kundreckas stepped into the garden, dressed in a simple but lovely white wedding dress, her family, the Queen Dowager, Lady Marcelle and a handful of other family friends and retainers in attendance. Greta’s father, Dalius, master of Carnation House, escorted her down the aisle. Svaja Kundreckas, the twelve year old granddaughter of Lord Kundreckas was flower girl while Prince Juozas served as ring bearer. Greta was brought to the alter where Lord Petrauskas stood, dressed in icy blue and white, the colors of his house, his long silver blond hair falling just to his shoulder as he took Greta’s hand.

The ceremony itself was short, performed by Father Gvidas Bendaravicius, who before the eyes and god and man joined Lord Nerijus Petrauskas and Greta Kundreckas in holy matrimony. With a chaste kiss the union was seal and the new Lady Petrauskas smiled as the onlookers cheered in celebration at what they thought was their own political victories, but were in truth Greta’s alone.

The wedding night itself was uneventful. While the new Lord and Lady Petrauskas were ceremonially undressed down to their night clothes and brought to the wedding bed. What happened— or rather what didn’t happen—behind closed doors, well that was for the newlyweds to know. What was known was that they had no intention of staying in the lands of Lord Kundreckas. To surprise of her parents, Lady Greta and her husband woke early the next morning with their thinks packed, ready to depart for Vysla, to make their debut at the Royal Court.

by **Liegalla** » Sat Mar 23, 2024 2:28 pm

The new Lord and Lady Petrauskas

by **Lagene** » Sat Mar 23, 2024 2:38 pm

Sylvia had finally made it - Vysla! She was excited beyond words at what might await her behind the doors of the royal court. After Unpacking in her new estates, a reasonably sized apartment, she headed off to the court, to see it in action before she applied to join. Her head was spinning with possibilities, and with the excitement that she had not felt since leaving Lagene and the People's assembly. The one thing she had not expected to see was the newlywed lord and lady of Vysla.....
(ooc: sorry for the short post - I need to get a feel for this RP before I can elaborate a bunch.)

by **Liegalla** » Sat Mar 23, 2024 3:25 pm

Petrauskas House, Vysla, Liegalla

“Must we do this?” asked Lord Petrauskas as they finished unpacking their things into the small townhouse that he had called home for the last two years. That is small by the means of the nobility. Petrauskas House was square palazzo with three main levels, plus a servants quarters upstairs, with a small central courtyard. It sat at the foot of the high hill in the capital, cast in the ominous shadow of Tvirtore’s great stone walls.

The house had been given over to the young lord by King Juozas II, though not out of the kindness of his heart. Having obliterated the great palatial manor of that once great house, and executed his family members the king had left the teenage lord both homeless and an orphan— and he dare not let the boy on the cusp of manhood return to the north were he might incite rebellion anew. Instead he had given Lord Petrauskas an urban manor in the capital, where he might keep an eye on him. It was not a home. It was a glorified prison.

One he now shared with Greta. His new “wife” however did not see it as so. For her it was the epitome of freedom. Here she was mistress, and to be in charge of all the staff, of which there were only but five, yet that remained five more than she had had authority over before in Carnation House. Setting up in the bedroom next door to Petrauskas’, Greta found herself settling in quickly. This despite Nerijus’ somber attitude.

“Of course we must,” Greta said. She had called for a carriage to take them up the great hill to the palace. “The news has no doubt spread and we must see to it that it does so in our favor.”

“You know it shall not,” Petrauskas said grimly as they headed downstairs to where the carriage awaited them. The ride up the steep hill was not particularly long. While cars were slowly becoming more popular— particularly vintage 1950’s style vehicles— in the capital as roads were widen and repaved, there had been a push by the carriage drivers and some of the more conservative elements of the city to keep the city a horse driven one. Others had found that the foreign tourists who had ventured into the city of half a million people rather quite enjoyed the picturesque and gothic style of the city and thus sought to play these aesthetic aspects up.

“Perhaps not at first, but we must try to get on the good side of the King and Queen. Ours will have been the first marriage between the great families since the king’s ascension. One done without much fan fare and without the royals in attendance.”

“The Queen will be furious,” Lord Petrauskas said as the carriage came to a stop before the great gates of the palace, opened for the day’s visitors. The fortress that was the palace had a series of walls and courtyards, and the larger of these that abutted the outwall was declared by the king to be made public from sunrise to sunset so that the court might thrive and grow. It was thus here in the outer garden and arcade, a smattering of offices, even a few food and drink stands with soldiers positioned and massive ornate doors shut prevent entry into the complex of the palace that one first entered the royal court.

In many respect it resembled more a public square, though there were line of petitions, and promenading nobles, lawyers and civil officers making their way too and fro on business, the doors opening for those high enough and powerful enough.

“Then we must make her trade fury for acceptance,” Lady Petrauskas said as she stepped out of the carriage with the said of her husband. The news of their wedding and their subsequent arrival in the capital had indeed spread fast, and already there were eyes on them as they stepped into the palace grounds, dressed in magnificent icy blue. Fashion in Liegalla amongst the nobility was no simple cosmetic matter. Colors and hairstyles were indicators of allegiances and political points, particularly amongst the women. Each noble house had their own coat of arms and colors and families often dressed in them.

However recently it had become the norm that those supporters of Princess Zieda dressed in her signature red, with young women often copying her hair worn loose and long falling down over their shoulders— a style that was traditionally preferred by male Ojeras members. Those who supported her aunt and rival, Queen Dowager Brigita took to wearing her purple and wearing their hair up. Queen Gouda, who dared not adopt a mannish hairstyle, but too didn’t wish to be mistaken with her sister-in-law, had created the Liegallan hood— the wearing of one’s hair up, with a diadem with a long veil that covered most of the hair. It was this still that was the prevailing one at court amongst noble women and the one Greta adopted, a long blue veil trailing behind her as she walked with Lord Petrauskas.

Eyes were instantly on the two, and Lady Petrauskas smiled as she braved her first daring entry into the court of flowers and flames.

by **Liegalla** » Sun Mar 24, 2024 2:12 am

Tvirtore Palace, Vysla, Liegalla

Queen Guoda was furious.

“How could they have done this?” The Queen of Liegalla said, paving back and forth before the desk of her husband. Guoda was a woman who while never considered the most beautiful of Ojeras princesses, was nonetheless a regal figure with her purple eyes and silver blonde hair. Queen Guoda had a petite figure, inherited from her petite mother and which she had subsequently passsed to her daughters. She wore a pastel red dress with a gold braided belt. A red and gold Liegallan hood studded with pearls sat high on her head, her silver blonde hair braided into a bun behind it.

“Marriages happen every day my love, it is what young people do,” King Juozas II said looking up from his desk. The king, although famed for his military acumen had in fact spent much of his reign here, behind his desk, feverishly writing, signing and sealing orders, statutes and commands in his effort to modernize the country. In two years King Juozas II had issued more royal orders than his predecessors Vytautas IV and Vytautas III had in the entirety of their combined reigns of twenty years.

“Not marriages such as this,” Guoda hissed, wringing her hands together. A great lord’s marriage should not be something that I find out about from the tabloids!” The Queen of course was speaking of the news of the wedding of Lord and Lady Petrauskas, a match that had occurred entirely without her knowledge, nor her consent. “I am the queen. It is my preview to approve such things.”

“Do you intend to handle the matchmaking affairs of all the lords?” King Juozas asked. He quickly realized it was a mistake as his wife looked at him with stunned wife eyes.

“Of course. We can not simply leave them to do as they wish, however they may wish. Petrauskas had tied himself to the Kundreckas, and you know Lord Kundreckas—“

“Lord Kundreckas is a dithering old fool with delusions of grandeur. Petrauskas is a boy with no forces, no resources, no base. They are hardly intimidating foes.”

Queen Guoda was not so convinced. That Lord Kundreckas was not the fiercest or most respected of men was true— but he reminds her terribly of a honey badger, a small ugly angry creature that could prove vicious, and that even lions had learned to be weary of. And Petrauskas, the somber child was still a Petrauskas. “It does not matter the reality, it matters what people see. Two of the great houses making an alliance, an alliance made under the hospices of Brigita. Your sister continues to undermine me. She acts as if she is still queen, and people respond as such.”

The queen shook her head. “I know she is your sister my love, but you know she continues to pose a danger. She may have agreed to your commands, but her promises are winds. She means for her son to sit the throne, not be cloistered away in some monastery. She means to rule. And she is gathering support and legitimacy.”

The King sighed. How was it that managing an entire country of millions was often the easiest part of his day— particularly when pair against managing the tangled affairs of his own family? He rose from his seat and beckoned Guoda to him, lifting her chin as he kissed her deeply. No one had ever doubted the love between the king and queen. They had been arranged by their parents— Juozas’ father and Gouda’s mother had been determined to mend a past break between the branches of the royal family and thus the Union between the cousins was made to seal that.

Yet despite the political nature of their union, a deep love has blossomed between them, and even thirty years later it was just as strong. With his wife and daughters alone King Juozas— so oft described as an iron statue for his cold and unblinking manner— showed gentleness and affection.

“You are queen, my love,” King Juozas reassured her. “The one and only, all others are but by courtesy. Thus this falls under your preview, and I leave it to you, to do as you see fit.”

by **Liegalla** » Sun Mar 24, 2024 5:34 am

Political Map of Liegalla

by **Liegalla** » Sun Mar 24, 2024 9:20 am

The ladies of court made there way through the garden of the palace carrying verba, the holy newly bloomed flower and plant wreaths had were crafted in celebration of the Holy Holiday of Verba, observed in Liegallan tradition corresponding to Palm Sunday.

Chief amongst the celebrators were the members of House Nervonyte.

Lord Mecys Nervonyte was serious man with a short stature. Dressed in the black and gold of his family’s colors, Lord Nervonyte had lead his large family in a dutiful mass ceremony as they celebrated the holy day. The Lord Treasurer and nephew of Queen Dowager Gintare, and thus first cousin of Queen Guoda, was a man of zealous religiousity as he was man of avaricious, a trait simply hereditary in the Nervonyte family, who while the youngest of the great family had risen the fastest up the ranks.

The first lord Nervonyte had, most agreed, been the true ruler of Liegalla throughout the reigns of Vytautas II and King Edgaras, and had managed to lift his daughter up to the position of Queen. The current Lord Nervonyte did not quite such high ambitions, but was instead fiercely loyal to his cousin and her daughter, though admittedly he dislike Princess Zieda on moral grounds. Morality that both he and the King had set aside to appoint him as to oversee the finances of the realm.

Dutifully following behind the lord were his son Ceslovas, who walked arm in arm with his wife, Paulina. Equally son were the twins, Aloyzas and Algirdas and the youngest Celestina and Nijole, who had ornately decorated their verba, earning the admiration of other onlookers.

The Nervonyte were not the only ones showing their devotion, though they were perhaps the most apparent in it. Though as the mass ended and the day moved on, Lord Nervonyte retired to his offices, while his daughter Paulina joined her cousin, Onya Ambrazaite, as Paulina had been born an Ambrazaite before marrying into the Nervonyte family.

“Have you seen them?” Lady Onya asked her cousin as they pulled away from the black clad family members, Ceslovas leaving to check on their son. Paulina raised an eyebrow as she looked to her cousin. The two were good friends and have a penchant for gossip.

“Seen who?”

“The new Lord and Lady Petrauskas,” Onya said, steering Paulina through the milling crowds to a spot in the palatial courtyard, nodding her head in the direction of the newly weds. They were easy to spot in their blue clothing and for the fact that they stood alone, the other courtiers avoiding them like the plague, despite Lady Greta Petrauskas’s attempts to politely greet others and spark up a conversation.

“Ah,” Paulina shook her head, the veil of her Liegallan hood shifting as she clicked her tongue. “They should have known better. Rather to have spent their honeymoon far away, rather than here.”

“The poor girl looks so earnest as well,” Onya said. “But she had tied an anchor around her throat.”

“The Queen will not see her,” Paulina whispered. As a cousin-in-law to the Queen there was closeness between her and the Queen. “That such a marriage took place without so much as a question to her has truly ruffled her feathers.”

“I am not surprised.” Onya said. “Given one daughter is married to God, and the other to a woman, the Queen has had little success in arranging successful marriages. Not that any marriage to Lord Petrauskas would have been a great triumph, no matter how handsome he may be. That that Kundreckas girl would climb into a traitor’s bed…”

“Perhaps we shall need to aid Her Majesty then,” Paulina said with a chuckle, “If I recall you remain in need of a husband.”

Onya only laughed as she and her cousin walked off, their conversation shifting to other matters of the day.

by **Gualla** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 12:25 pm

Vysla, Liegalla

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 he watched the great gothic spires and gray stone walls of Tvirtore Palace rise before him as he took one of the Liegallan carriages up the hill to the famous— or infamous— Royal Court of King Juozas II.

There were many in Gualla who admired King Juozas II, particularly those most ardent of monarchists and right-wingers who appreciated his impressive ability as a leader. Of the several kings and emperors that graced the continent, Juozas II perhaps commanded the most personal power in the eyes of the Guallans— and Pae would dare say amongst the other citizens of the continent of Meillur. King Hjalmar and Emperor Hiroto were ceremonial puppets; King Frederick IV was an old man, a glided peacock. The Celestial Emperor had commanded great respect in his years and his realm was considered a great sleeping giant, but he was an even older man and more resembled an aging bull elephant, dangerous but a fading one. Even King Alesandeo, with his pose and politeness while respected did not strike quite the figure the Liegallan did.

Old enough to be well versed in politics, and young enough and fierce enough to still lead military campaigns, and graced with a personal gravitas that reportedly implored one to listen to him, to obey his commands, King Juozas II could perhaps been accurately called the most dangerous monarch in Meillur potentially.

It was thus natural that the universe, ever seeking to balance matters, had made Liegalla poor, underdeveloped and stifled in its own dynastic crisis. Thank the heavens Princess Zieda had been born a girl, least her father would have conquered the continent.

Thus Pae’s visit was two fold in seeking an audience with King Juozas, having left the Imperial Capital of the Celestial Empire on his way back to Gualla— luckily and conveniently Liegalla was on the way, nestled as it was between Derita and the sea, the later of which the Guallan archipelago was just a skip across. The first was Pae’s personal dislike of Dziuginta Ojeras. The exiled queen, although he had only met her once, had rubbed Pae the wrong way. She was the most unpleasant mixture of arrogance that only royalty could have, and grasping that the desperate perfected.

The second was more political. If Juozas was focused on trying to stabilize his own house— a venture Pae suspected would prove ultimately futile given he had enough difficulty handling one Queen dowager within his own kingdom, much less a second within the Celestial Empire— then it would further handicap any aggression he might hold in his foreign affairs. Not to mention by informing the King he would hopefully ingratiate the Head of House Ojeras to Gualla, who saw in him a potential ally for their interests on the mainland.

The carriage came to a stop before the palace and Pae Song-Gi head his head high as he stepped down, dressed in his fine pastel blue noble robes, his hand placed delicately together as he gave his announcement to arriving, along with his request for an audience with His Majesty.

by **Mediama** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 1:27 pm

Mediaman Embassy,
Vysla, Liegalla

The embassy had opened its doors to another hectic day. The Royal Marines, clad in khaki uniforms, with those stationed outside wearing shorts as they held their L1a1 SLR's at shoulder arms, stood as still sentinals as visitors, Mediaman and Liegallan, came to and from the embassy. Some were looking to get a visa to Mediama, others were looking to replace their missing passports. And certain middle-aged Mediaman women were anrgily asking for managers as those low on the totem pole dealt with the crushing bureaucracy that was MFA business.

And yet that wasn't the only thing on the docket. as a procession of people made their way to an awaiting motorcade, escourted by Royal Marines. Some were wearing suits or other formalwear, while others were dressed in dress uniforms of their respective branches. They all piled into two Rolls Royce cars, and were escorted by a total of four Land Rover Wolves, their canopies removed for easy disembarkation, each carrying a total of eight marines.

As soon as the last member of the embassy staff got on, the motorcade slowly and carefully made its way through Vysla.

Their agenda was simple: Assist in any way they can in modernizing Liegalla so they could strongly stand by Mediama's side as a partner, not a subbordinate. They weren't comfortable being seen as a superior, and were aware that such sentiments could easily be turned against them if it wasn't shown that Liegalla still had its sovreignty. Not to mention said sovreignty would not last if a more stronger power tried to force its will on Liegalla. Then there was the need to improve Liegalla's economy to the point where they became self-sufficient.

There was a lot to discuss to say the least.

As soon as they got to the front of Tvirtore Palace, the marines dismounted first, before they opened the doors of the diplomatic vehicles, letting the emissaries disembark. Ambassador Barker fixed his tie as he looked at the entourage behind him. "Right ladies and gentlemen, here we all are. You all have your assignments, and I wish you all good luck." They all nodded, before they started to make their way in.

Among them was an already familiar Lieutenant Colonel.

To say that things haven't been interesting since her assignment to Liegalla would've been an understatement. Smith's experiences had their own fair share of ups and downs since King Vytautas IV's death, first with the whole courtship affair, then with the resurgence of Queen Dowager Brigita, then with the outbreak of COVID that devestated the former isolationist nation which led to an immediate emergency response by the Mediaman Red Cross to provde innoculations and masks as well as organization for quarentine. That in particular had been a diplomatic win to the MFA regarding hearts and minds in their books. But all of that was in the past, and that wasn't currently on her mind, nor was the mission she had at hand on her mind.

What was on her mind was the twinge of blue she saw in this giant group of petitioners and nobles.

Her face lit up as she tugged on O'Bannon's sleeve. The naval commander stopped and turned to look at her, "What is it Smith?"

The cavalry officer nodded off to the couple dressed in blue. "Guess who's here?"

O'Bannon's face melted into a smirk of understanding, "the Kundreckas girl?"

"Petrauskas now, if I remember correctly. They recently married." Smith corrected her.

"Congrats to them."

"You'd think, would you?" Smith asked, "Ears on the ground suggest that the union was under the approval of Queen Dowager Brigita, much to Queen Gintare's chagrin. Add that to the fact that both families see Zieda as a threat and the betrothed was part of a family who incited rebellion, and you get a torpedoing not seen in a while."

O'Bannon frowned in sympathy for the couple, "Why do ya suppose they're here?"

"To gain audience with the queen of course." Smith replied. "The way I gathered, I suspect that Greta and Lord Petrauskas may not share the same leanings as their elders do... in more ways than one... perhaps they are trying to find a way out."

"How? They're already being seen as pariahs."

Smith turned to the naval commander, "You know what they say O'Bannon, when all the doors are closed, look for a window." And so the Lieutenant Colonel made her way to the couple, O'Bannon in tow. She tipped her cap, "Fancy seeing you here ma'am. Guess your honeymoon's been pretty uneventful?"

by **Liegalla** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:10 pm

Captain Mindaugas Marozas marched through the outer courtyard of the palace, dressed in pristine uniform of the Naujasguard, or the New Guard, tasked with the protection of the King, the royal family and the palace, The Old Palace Guard had grown corrupt, lazy and untrustworthy, with many of them holding their loyalties to Queen Dowager Brigita and her son Prince Juozas. Thus the king had dismissed them all, and created the Naujasguard, selecting the best men based not on nobility, heritage, wealth or connections, but purely on merit. The result was a highly trained elite force, comprised largely of commoners who were fiercely loyal to the king.

Captain Marozas was placed at the head of this new elite force, one of the rare aristocrats who proved himself worthy of the task. Captain Marozas was a tall, intimidating figure. Though famously the grandson of the famed Sir Audrius Marozas, the favorite lover of King Vytautas II, the captain held none of his grandfather’s famed soft beauty. Instead his handsome features were sharp, cold and stony. His blond hair was cropped short, his stormy gray eyes alert and mistrusting all. Marozas wore the white uniform of the Naujasguard, with all white jacket lined with silver thread, boots, etc save for the black trousers, a small ceremonial cape draped over his shoulder representing his position as head of the guard, with a rapier at his hip.

While the Naujasguard appeared visually ceremonial with their striking and old fashioned uniforms— in truth this was a bate and twitch, as for every stark white and black guard one at the palace saw, there were two in gear and armed ready to destroy any threats that people didn’t see. Already the Naujasguard had proven their effectiveness when they had brought the whole of the capital under the control of King Juozas when Brigita had nearly turned it against the Queen when she had served as regent.

Captain Marozas came to a stop before Pae Song-Gi, who the majordomo had bowed to before sending forward his request to meet with the king. This had been sent through the bureaucracy of the court, resulting in the king dispatching Marozas to fetch the Guallan diplomat. Marozas said only, “follow me,” before turning about face and leading Pae into the great galleries of the palace to the Throne Room.

Lady Greta Petrauskas, who had tried and failed for days now to catch the attention of the Queen— or truly anyone— couldn’t help but watch with envy as the foreigner was lead inside the palace.

The massive heavy doors opened for Captain Marozas and Mr. Pae as they stepped into the vast throne room. A long and tall space, based on its design in the gothic basilicas of ancient courtrooms, centered along the high dais and the red and gold Dragonfire Throne, which sat empty. The throne was empty save for a few of the Naujasguard… and the queen. Pae’s words on the matter of Queen Dowager Dziuginta were not a matter either Juozas nor his wife wished open to the public. The heavy doors shut with a heavy thump behind the diplomat.

Queen Guoda, in her fine red attire, did not sit on the Dragonfire Throne, as she had when she had served as regent during the first months of her husband’s reign. Instead she reclined regally on an ornate overstuffed red cushioned mahogany chair studded with rubies. She gripped the arm rest of the chair as she looked to Pae Song-Gi with anticipation.

“Tell me, my lord, of my sister.”

Lady Greta Petrauskas smiled as she caught sight of the familiar face of Lieutenant Colonel Smith. She turned to Lord Petrauskas, squeezing his arm in excitement. She had been feeling ready to give up on their endeavor, something Petrauskas was admittedly not much help in. He had little interest in gaining the approval of the Queen or King. Though that he knew it was important to Greta meant he stayed and raised no complaint. He had grown used to being alone, and had warned Greta that she was hitching herself to a sinking ship. Yet now Greta saw buckets of which she meant to pail with.

“If our own countrymen shall not speak with us, at least we may rely on the Mediamans.”

With a smile Greta matched the Lieutenant Colonel’s tip of a hat with a small bob of her head. She had to remember she needn’t curtsy as much now that she was lady of a great house, at least on paper. It was perhaps yet another stone tossed at her pride that none of the ladies at court would likely dain to recognize her as a superior, even if they weren’t avoiding her.

“Lieutenant Colonel Smith,” Lady Greta said, “Commander O’Bannon, it is lovely to see you both. I am glad that you have braved it to return to Liegalla.” Lady Greta looked to Lord Petrauskas, aiding to Smith’s comment, “Our honeymoon has been… delightful,” she said with genuine pleasure, admittedly not for the reason any eavesdropping nobles might imagine. “We have found that where most married couples prefer… lamb for dinner, we both prefer… fish.”

“Admittedly she prefers freshwater, and I saltwater,” Lord Petrauskas said with a dry tone that had just the hint of amusement at Greta’s subtle innuendo.

by **Gualla** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 2:53 pm

Throne Room, Tvirtore Palace
Vysla, Liegalla

Pae had followed Marozas, taking little note of the escort. He was nit very familiar with exactly how things worked in Liegalla, but nonetheless strode with confidence despite the large figuring serving as his guide. That confidence however faltered when he as greeted not with King Juozas but instead with the queen. If King Juozas was a figure who loomed large on the international stage, quite the opposite could be said of his wife.

“My apologies, Your Majesty,” Pae said with a bow, “though I fear there must be some mistake on my part, I had meant to seek out an audience with His Majesty, not distrub you.”

by **Liegalla** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 3:40 pm

Queen Guoda rose from her seat,pushing herself up from the ornate chair and taking a step forward, her hands coming together all in one smooth graceful motion, though there was a slight annoyance in her eyes.

“I am aware of what you sought, sir. I am queen here,” Queen Guoda said. “I tell you, you who alone in this country now has seen my sister in ten years, who I had thought dead, I tell you to speak of her. Now.”

The queen was taking a risk. She had sidestepped her husband in this, wishing to know of Dziuginta. She knew her husband, and knew that he held no particular fondness or sustain either way for Dziuginta. He would assess matters as he always did. Coldly and with a heart of stone. But while Guoda had not had the chances to be close to her older half-sister, she remained her sister.

And as Juozas held a soft spot for his younger siblings— troubling as they may be— so too did the queen. She would let Juozas make his evaluations. But she need hear of the exiled queen first.

by **Gualla** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 4:03 pm

Pae Song-Gi pursed his lips as he stayed bowed, but as he rose his face was once more a blank facade of neutrality and seriousness and slight weariness as he looked to the Queen of Liegalla.

“Of course, ma’am,” Pae said “Though…” he considered his words carefully. He had intended to lambast the Queen dowager, but faced with her sister— the twisted family tree of House Ojeras was far too complex for even Pae to try and untangle particularly when Gualla’s royal tree had but one singular name. Now however Pae had to rethink how he said things, as to both convince whilst not offending.

“I fear that the sister that you knew all though years ago may not truly exist. It is true, Your Majesty, that Queen Dowager Dziuginta lives, she is beyond Liegalla’s borders and resides in the Celestial Empire, where she no doubt plans her return. And in her eyes I saw a darkness, a darkness that she intends on casting all of your realm in.”

by **Mediama** » Tue Mar 26, 2024 5:26 pm

“Ah, and I had lasagna.” Smith said with a smirk, jokingly “Though truth be told, I like both lamb and fish occasionally.” She said with a wink. She knew what Greta had said was innuendo, she just couldn’t help but add a little move reference in there on top of that. “Regardless, I congratulate you on gaining distance and thus freedom away from your patriarch.

Commander O’Bannon and I are heading into the palace to discuss military matters either with His Majesty or with his general staff, and some of the other embassy staff are here to strengthen economic and political relations with House Ojeras. It’d probably take hours at the very least, there’d be so much to do. But we can still meet up afterwards.”

Smith sighed as she fixed her cap. “If you don’t mind, may I ask why you are here? One may think you may be taking some risk being here in plain sight of the public.”

by **Liegalla** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 4:26 am

Queen Guoda swallowed as Pae spoke. Dread filled her chest at his assessment. It was an odd feeling— for in part she was happy to known Dziuginta lived— it had been a painful experience to awake one day to find Vytautas IV on the throne and her sister and nephew gone— presumably dead. Juozas and Guoda had bowed to the new king, and had set their feelings aside, mourning the two exiled relations as having not survived. It had been easier that way.

“What do you mean sir, speak plainly,” the queen asked only then to command, uneased by the implication of Dziuginta intended to cast some darkness over Liegalla. Dziuginta had always had a hint of melancholy, something Guoda had been told had too affected their father the long dead King Edgaras— who had lost his first wife the same day Dziuginta had been born. And it had not as if Dziuginta had much reason for joy. Given all that had happened to her.

“Oh my” Lady Greta chuckled, at Smith’s joking manner on, as well as the mention of which dishes she enjoyed sampling.

Lord Petrauskas couldn’t help but agree with Smith’s questioning of why they were at court, though the young man, as usual, held his tongue.

“Of course, of course,” Lady Greta said, “we mean not to keep you from your duties. We would be happy to meet up afterwards, perhaps you may join us for dinner— of a more proper variety of course,” Greta added hastily with a slight blush as she hurried to make sure the lieutenant colonel understood she meant an actual meal— not a continuation of their wordplay. “We have yet had the change to properly entertain guests, I fear most everyone finds their social calendars quite full, while ours are… quite empty.”

“Nonetheless,” Lady Greta asserted, “I have no intention of hiding away. One might think we’d done something wrong. After all, people’s imaginations can run quiet while when their subject is cast in the dark of shadows.”

by **Gualla** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 9:31 am

Pae let out a grim sigh as he lowered his head, as if the information weighed heavy upon his shoulders.

“Of course, ma’am, it is only that… I witnessed as the Queen dowager stood before the Imperial Court and with great passion and subterfuge rested control of the great Palace of Ameliehall. While it true that she aimed even higher, to claim the whole of the Duchy of Hyrea— a kingdom onto itself— for her son, that she was able to pry Ameliehall into her grasp should be taken as a warning, twofold.”

“The Queen dowager means to take what she sees as rightfully her sons, and I fear the Imperials will let her.” He recalled how the Deritain princes had watched Dziuginta, how they had been swayed by her. Pae suspected part of it was a want of her, but more than that he suspected that they over-sympathized with her, having once been exiles themselves.

Pae shook his head grimly. “Should she had gotten all the resources of Hyrea, I have no doubt in my mind that she would not already be here at the head of an army, setting this fine city ablaze.”

by **Liegalla** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 10:46 am

Queen Gouda’s eyes went wide with shock and horror at the grim pronouncements of the Guallan diplomat. She turned away from him, swallowing hard as she thought of what such a thing would mean. Much could indeed change with a person over the course of a decade. And it was not as if Ojeras royals had not marched on the capital, determined to seize the throne. Vytautas II had done so. As had Queen Kunigunda and King Juozas I— all of whom were ancestors of the exiled Prince Dovydas.

And each time they had, death had found its way into the palace. The cost of the throne was blood more often than not. And while they may have been if the same house, they lacked the same bonds that at least hindered Brigita, with Dziuginta and her son. Guoda herself was only a half-sibling— and their father had child when she’d been a toddler. Nor was she an elder sibling— as Juozas was to Brigita, who, along with being a man coukd more easily command her.

With such things in mind, would Dziuginta truly think to bring war upon them. Pae seemed certain. All of which would only prove worse if the Celestial Empire decided to involve itself in support of the exiled. The Queen turned back to face the diplomat.

“Thank you for informing me of this. I shall relay this information to my husband the king.”

by **Gualla** » Wed Mar 27, 2024 11:05 pm

Pae bowed his head, “Of course ma’am, though I would be remised if I did not get to see His Majesty before my time here in your fine country comes to an end. I must be returning to Gualla soon I’m afraid.”

by **Liegalla** » Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:49 am

“I see,” Queen Guoda’s face softened slightly as she pulled herself out of thoughts of Dziuginta and what it mind mean for the future of the nation— and more importantly, her family. She had been so eager in her pursuit of information from the diplomat that she feared that she had forgotten traditional decorum. “I do hope that you need not go quite so soon. The King is playing to hold a dinner for the arrival of Ambassador Barker, and Gualla is expected to send your diplomatic peer, Ambassador Maeng soon enough. Surely you must stay until then.”

by **Liegalla** » Thu Mar 28, 2024 11:33 am

Tvirtore Palace, Vysla, Liegalla

As Queen Guoda spoke with Pae Song-Gi, Lord Marshal Vejas Vaira made his way through the vast gothic halls of the palace down to meet with Ambassador Barker and the accompanying military officers to go over the modernization process of the Liegallan Military. Lord Vaira, was a tall brown haired and brown eyed man in his mid thirties and a new member of the nobility, he wore his military uniform with pristine care and pride. With the epidemic having wiped out large chunks of the nobility, particularly amongst the lower houses— including Queen Guoda’s good friend Lord Gauba who had sadly perished— there had been need to replace the vacant seats.

King Juozas II had thus far proven slow to taking to replacing these lesser houses, as such a process was delicate and require much thought and consideration. While Vytautas II, the famous Reveler had granted lordships with glee, handing them out to his friends, favorites and lovers like candy, King Juozas was much more cautious. But even a man as capable as he could not rule alone. And so he had granted no less than three lordship to new men— wishing to both reward those in the military who had supported him, and to dilute the entrenched old families’ interest.

In the same breath the king had appointed these three men— Vejas Vaira who had dutifully put an end to the riots in the capital upon his return and secured the port during the chaos, Rimantas Riauba who had aided in the reorganization of the National Guard, and Marijus Lalis, an unwavering loyal man known for his balanced point of view when he had been tasked with overseeing court martials— to fill out the remains seats of his Royal Cabinet. Vaira had been made as Lord Marshall, over seeing general military matters.

by **Liegalla** » Fri Mar 29, 2024 6:01 am

Kundreckas Castle

“Thank you holy father,” Queen Dowager Brigita said as Father Aivaras Martinka, Lord Kundreckas’ castle priest finished reading a prayer, “I think I shall stay here for a moment longer.”

Father Martinka, an old kindly looking man with full wrinkled jowls and thinning hair as stark white as the Queen dowager’s, bowed respectfully. “Of course, Your Majesty,” he said as he left the small chapel, leaving the Queen dowager, kneeling before the altar, with only her two ladies, Lady Marcelle Veiverys and Aursine Kundreckas kneeling behind her.

The Queen dowager, the youngest of the three Liegallan royals who held that title was that fearsome figure of the King’s sister. Brigita had been wife of the hated King Vytautas IV, and only through her wits, charms and scheming mind managed to save both herself and her son— Prince Juozas, the rightful heir to the Dragonfire Throne as far as she and her supporters were concerned— from death.

She had first fled to Vakaru Castle in secret, from where she had planned to build up an army, and had used spies and agents to undermine her treacherous sister-in-law’s regency. However her plans had changed dramatically when she had met Sir Jayas Wynters, the only man she knew who had been her equal in ambition and machinations. Those she had been old enough to be his mother, the two had married and in a day had nearly lead the people to revolt and place her and her son on the throne.

Only the unfortunate (or fortunate) timing of her brother with his army had prevented the uprising, and yet even then Brigita had managed to bend the public opinion to her rally behind her, and had managed yet again to survive. And to survive another day was to plan for victory another day. Even as Queen dowager, Brigita held great influence and a natural charisma that had managed to sow division and factions at court, turning many, whether in public or private to her cause.

The disastrous courtship of her niece Zieda had only aided in sowing chaos that the Queen dowager thrived in. Courting the reactionaries and conservatives who balked at Zieda’s match with Catherine of Mediama, it had seemed that Brigita was destined to come out on top. Only for a younger and even cleverer woman to catch the attention of the King. Lady Eleanor Ellyarian might well have ruled all of Liegalla, usurping Zieda by pushing for Prince Stanislavas to be named as heir— Brigita’s younger brother who Eleanor intended to marry.

Brigita too had not been able to halt these schemes as she had been forced to retreat back to Vakaru, where she gave birth to twins, Leona and Leonas Wynters. But once she had recovered from her pregnancy she had quickly moved to destroy this latest opponent, and yet despite her efforts it seemed all too late. Eleanor had been triumphant— if not for the epidemic sweeping the country and carrying away nobles by the dozens. Just before the wedding could take place, death decided to make her his bride instead.

But Brigita had not been able to celebrate her foe’s fall, for amongst those carried away, so too was her own husband and partner-in-crime, her beloved Jayas. And so yet again the twice widowed dowager had retreated to Vakaru with her three young children, forced once again to regroup.

In many ways the loss of her second husband had been much harder on Brigita than that of her first. She had loved Vytautas IV. He had been her first love. He had been an escape from the banality of royalty, for he had had fire and danger. But Brigita had too known him. Known his darkness, his jealousy, his hatred, and his lusts and cruelties. She had seen how he was unfaithful, and how he lusted after her nieces— the very thing that got him killed she knew, even if the palace continued to deny that it was Zieda herself who’d slain the king.

Brigita had been hurt by Vytautas IV’s death. But she had been in too much terror, too desperate to survive, to make sure that their only child lived, that she hadn’t had time to mourn him— and when she finally was able to— her brother forbid it. Her husband, her marriage, her crown had all been snatched from her so quickly, that it been like a cord snapping, collapsing into a tight stone of coal that burned in her.

But Jayas…

Jayas Wynters had been different. They had not been meant to be. The very circumstances they had met under were not great— Brigita may have kidnapped a prince with nefarious reason and Wynters intended to getting him back. But he had been young and handsome, and more than anything, he had been intelligent. He hadn’t been royal, or even great nobility, yet he had played the game of thrones with such skill and precision that it was the first time Brigita had seen in someone else an equal. And he had been tender and attentive and intimate in manners she had never experienced before.

A part of her had always known Vytautas IV would push too far, squeeze too hard and God would punish him for it. But with Jayas it had felt as if the world was theirs for the taking. And they had been right on the cusp of having everything they wanted— only for date to step in and snatch a fit young man in his twenties away, leaving Brigita once again alone, now with a child and two infants. Brigita had been hurt by Vytautas IV’s death, but the loss of Sir Jayas Wynters had broken her heart.

She at least this time was allowed to mourn him. So the Queen dowager, who had made purple so much her color, dressed instead in all black, with a mourning veil draped over her silver hair. She had not returned to court, nor had she remained at Vakaru Castle. First she had gone to the new Wynters Castle, granted to her son, the new Lord Leonas Wynters— King Juozas II, perhaps for pity of his sister, or not wishing for a nephew of his to be landless had taken the vacany of a lordship felled by the epidemic as opportunity to grant the one year old seat of his own.

House Wynters, though only comprising of two small children and having only small holdings, now stood as the newest of the Great Families, for they had as their mother a queen. Yet Brigita dare not stay in Wynters Castle long. Formerly the home of House Lusys— a minor house that had died out without much notice otherwise, it was filled with spies from the capital sent to keep an eye on Brigita. Once again on the back foot she had gone to the refuge of her greatest ally: Lord Kundreckas.

Lord Kundreckas quite liked having a queen as a guest, and after the wedding at Carnation Hall had granted Brigita and her children the finest apartments in his family’s ancestral home. Apartments Brigita had come to learn that had once belonged to the Lord’s late wife. For Lord Kundreckas was a man of high ambitions. While Brigita had agreed to the betrothal of her son Prince Juozas (age 9) and Lord Kundreckas’s granddaughter Svaja (age 12), it seemed that Lord Kundreckas was more interested in Brigita’s marital status than that of her son’s.

Brigita was beautiful— it was said only her niece Princess Zieda was more beautiful amongst her relatives, and that the two resembled one another greatly, though Brigita was certain her daughter Leona would in time outshine her cousin (in about seventeen years or so). And though being in her early forties she had given birth to healthy twins. And more than anything she was royal— her silver blond hair and purple eyes were a testament to her Ojeras blood.

And if Brigita, a true born royal, a princess born to a king during his reign (of which there had been, including Brigita, been two of in all of Liegallan history) and a former queen could marry Jayas Wynters, a minor foreign noble nobody, then surely she would be a fitting match for a great lord. Or so Lord Kundreckas had convinced himself. The Queen dowager however was not interested in the old man. A useful ally he might be, but she did not know if she even wished to marry— her heart told her no, that none could match Jayas— but she also knew that there was strength in Liegalla for a a married woman. She still had nine months left in her mourning period for her second husband, but if she were to break this— as she had before— it would not be for Lord Kundreckas, but a better suitor.

None of which Brigita could express. She dare not outright reject Lord Kundreckas, the male ego was a fragile and dangerous thing, so instead she avoided and officiated the topic. She thus found solace in the church. Lord Kundreckas was a good Christian— but it was neither love nor fear of God that drove him. The longer she spent at the chapel, or attending mass, the less time she had to deal with him. So the Queen Dowager prayed for guidance, and for strength, and more than anything, for Justice.

When the Queen Dowager and her ladies finally did leave the chapel, she was pleased to be informed by one of the castle’s footmen that Lord Kundreckas had tried of waiting for her and left to attend to some business matters in town.

“How unfortunate,” the Queen dowager said without a hint of the sarcasm that hid beneath. “Would you be so kind as to prepare us a light brunch?”

The footman nodded and left to inform the kitchen. Servants as always bent to power, and the twice widowed Brigita radiated it. She and her ladies made their way to the manor’s parlor room. Brigita studied the two noble women who had come into her service. Ausrine Kundreckas— the older sister of the new Lady Petrauskas— was beautiful and… and well that was about it. The girl— though she was twenty seven she still acted and seem like a girl ten years younger— was not particularly bright, or clever, or talented. Spoiled and dumb. The dumb at least were loyal.

Lady Marcelle Veiverys on the other hand was quite an ally. She was only twenty two, with sunkissed tanned skin and freckles, with a head of thick brown curls. If not for the fact that the Veiverys had been amongst those in the Rebellion of the Northern Lords, she, not Kundreckas, would have been the queen dowager’s strongest ally. For while Lady Marcelle ruled the Veiverys lands, she had to contend with royal oversight and constant suspicion. Still, the Veiverys had managed to become the most powerful of the remaining noble lords, ironically by having been somewhat middling. House Petrauskas had been so powerful, that King Juozas had broken them as much as he dared. And House Leskys— well the Leskys had never been a particularly respected house and their teenage lord was more of an embarrassment than anything— had for a guardian a royal seneschal. Veiverys had thus managed to escape the worse of everything, and Lady Marcelle had kept her head just under the radar enough that many had made the mistake of underestimating her.

After all, House Veiverys was where a great deal of the food of the realm came from— only the massive holdings of House Ambrazaite produced more agricultural goods. And Lady Marcelle loathed King Juozas II— on account of him having executed her entire family save her now seven year old brother—the technical true Lord Veiverys.

“You will not be able to avoid him forever, my queen,” Lady Marcelle said softly as the footmen placed down tea and some pastries before them.

“I have no intention of doing so,” the Queen dowager said. “But for now we have other matters to focus on. The Church.”

“The church?” Ausrine asked, looking at a reflection of herself in her tea cup.

“Yes. For over a century the Church has been the second pillar of our realm. The partner of the Crown. Yet tell me, would you not say that since my brother took the throne, that it is the Crown alone that seems to hold sway?”

Lady Marcelle considered this. “I suppose. King Juozas doesn’t strike me as a particularly pious man— though his lord treasurer is a fanatic.”

“But he has the support of the Archbishop of Voersk,” Ausrine said with a tilt of her head. A rare example of good insight from her.

“You are right,” Brigita said. “Mecislovas never did like me, nor my late first husband. But he and Juozas, they are old friends.” This was no surprise. Mecislovas was a bastard born cousin of the royals who had lived at the palace with them. Juozas and Stanislavas and Mecislovas had this grown up together— though each destined for very different life paths. “He like as not has more loyalty to House Ojeras than to his holy flock.”

Lady Marcelle raised an eyebrow, looking at the Queen dowager, singing that there was something to be said of the glint in her mistress’ eyes. Brigita had a plan. Brigita always had a plan.

“Perhaps,” the Queen dowager mused, sipping from her tea, “it is time the flock a more… dutiful shepherd.”

by **Mediama** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 4:10 am

Smith caught onto Lady Greta's blush, even if she did not mean to imply anything less than wholesome. She decided to at least lighten the mood further before she got to business as she smirked, "I believe you would find that I may be too old for your tastes Lady Greta. Regardless, a meal afterwards or coffee would be splended."

She took a glance to where she would expect to find the residences of Princess Catherine and Princess Zieda, before returning her glance back to the couple, "As for your quest for an audience, I believe I may know of a way to gain one. While I may be on the way to a conferance with the heads of Liegalla's military, we should be passing on the way towards the Princesses' residencies. Commander O'Bannon and I can walk you there, and introduce you to her royal highness before making our way to our own affairs. I'm sure that may help?"

While Lieutenant Colonel Smith and Commander O'Bannon made their offer, the rest of the Defense Attache Office and the diplomatic staff were waiting at one of the many meetings rooms which hosted them. While the rest of the diplomatic staff and Ambassador Barker had other affairs, it was planned that they would introduce themselves and the DAO to Lord Marshal Vejas Vaira before they made their way to their own separate meetings.

Among the awaiting DAO staff were the Royal Marine Liason, a Lieutenant Colonel, and Wing Commander Phillippe Defense. Defense was a French Mediaman, hailing from the Milieu province. He had been briefed on Liegalla's military history, their strategic and tactical concerns, and their doctrine. Additionally, he had been given the rundown of Lidegalla's air force, or what little there was to it. And what he had found was concerning.

Being an isolationist nation meant that Liegalla had been afforded a safety that did not necesitate the expansion of air forces outside of basic defense of airspace. However, times had changed since Liegalla's founding, since then, jet aircraft had been in play, as had nuclear weapons, radar systems, and ballistic missiles. Mediama herself was part of the NORth american Air Defense Command alongside the United States as a measure to keep first Soviet then Russian and Chinese aggression in check. And while Liegalla still has yet to face such threats, having preventative measures would go a long way to ensuring Liegalla's sovreignty.

Which was why Defense was here: to introduce Liegalla to the concepts of strategic air power and air space defense, alongside infrastructure capabilities in space for comminications, navigation, and reconnaisance.

While the Wing Commander was a little concerned at Command O'Bannon and Lieutenant Colonel Smith's absence, he was certain they would arrive on time before the Liegallans arrived. And so, he opened his breifcase, and took a look at his paperwork as he checked his watch for the time.

by **Gualla** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 9:14 am

Pae Song-Gi bowed once again to Queen Guoda.

“You honor me too greatly, Your Majesty, though I am not so proud as to refuse the kindness of such a gracious Queen. I suppose that I could extend my stay a while, ma’am, at least until my fellow countrymen arrive, so that there can be a smooth transfer for when Ambassador Maeng arrives. Though if if you would excuse me, I shall need make arrangements.”

by **Liegalla** » Mon Apr 01, 2024 12:55 pm

Lady Greta’s eyes beamed with delight— or more accurately, like a downing woman who had just been tossed a life line. A line that she now clung to desperately so. Though she, remembering her newly elevated status as the Lady Petrauskas, tried her best to play it cool. She cleared her throat, saying,

“Why, that sounds positively lovely,” Lady Greta said. “I am sure that a quick pop in shall not be too much trouble.”

Queen Guoda smile and nodded to Mr. Pae, “Of course, sir, I shall not hold you longer.” The Queen gave a nod to one of the guards, who returned the nod in understand, opening the heavy doors of the throne room, escorting Pae Song-Gi out.

The Court of Flowers & Flames (IC)

The Court of Flowers & Flames (IC)

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