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rainbowfic2016-03-19 05:34 pm
shadowsong26) wrote in rainbowfic2016-03-19 05:34 pm
Plant Party #47, Fluorite #4, Crimson #4
Name: shadowsong26
Story: King Malue's Promise
'Verse: Untitled Intrigues Story
Colors: Plant Party #47. King's Holly, Fluorite #4. Calm/Discontent, Crimson #4. It's just a difference of opinion that got out of hand.
Supplies and Materials: stain, novelty beads ("Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done." - Elizabeth Barrett Browning), glue ("Instead of stressing over an impossible situation, explain your limited availability as objectively as you can.")
Word Count: 2245
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Ahnrel, Kamer, Malue
Warnings: Don't think so.
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always.
Dear Sir,
I am meeting with Malue this afternoon. I must admit, as prepared as I am, given where things stood last night, this meeting is coming just slightly sooner than I expected. I am, however, confident that I will not prove your trust in me has been misplaced. I am also, I think, making a better impression on the court itself, if only because the King has taken an interest in me...
Ahnrel adjusted the collar on his coat nervously. He'd made some concessions to the fashions of the court for this meeting--he'd chosen a plainer one, with subtler rank-embroidery, and picked a shirt with lace trim on the sleeves and collar.
He needed to make a good impression. He needed Malue to hold steady and not start the war everyone was worried about. Of course, Larien, over the border, might start it first, but that was Sef's problem, not Ahnrel's. He couldn't afford to worry about it. He had to look after his own mission instead.
Maybe he'd write to Sef, though, try to get his take on where things stood in Elanhe. Father hadn't said one way or another whether they were supposed to confer with each other, and probably he wanted them to keep their focuses relatively narrow. And, to be fair, there were some slightly unsavory implications for that. And, if he was caught exchanging messages with someone in Elanhe, it might ruin any credibility he had.
But if he knew where things stood there, he could tailor his message here a little better, and...well, surely King Malue and his advisors had to know about Sefalin's mission, too. The Church was neutral, in all things, or it was supposed to be. And he and Sef were brothers, for Heaven's sake.
It would be easier if they could have an intermediary. If only Neiali were available to serve as one, this whole thing would become so much easier.
Of course, Neiali was off on some sort of voyage of self-discovery; though why Father had sent him off with the continental political climate so unstable, Ahnrel couldn't begin to understand. Neiali was barely of age, with no political or military experience. He hadn't even chosen his order yet.
But Father usually knew best about this sort of thing, he supposed. If Ahnrel had had his way, he wouldn't have even sent Sefalin into the proverbial line of fire, but at least Sefalin had some low-level diplomatic experience. And had been an adult and a full priest for years.
He sighed, fiddled with his cuffs one more time, then went to the door.
To his surprise, Kamer was waiting for him outside. "I thought you said you had the evening shift?" It was barely two in the afternoon.
The guard bowed slightly. "My colleage requested that we switch. His little girl is celebrating her birthday today, and he wanted to be there."
Ahnrel nodded. "Of course, I understand."
Kamer inclined his head. "Thank you, Excellency."
The address still felt strange on his shoulders, but Ahnrel couldn't exactly argue with it. He smiled at the guard, then started off towards the official, working part of the palace.
Where King Malue waited for him.
Ahnrel still had no idea quite what he was going to say to the man. Obviously, whatever he did end up saying had to charm and persuade him enough to remain peaceful, but...well, he'd expected a few more public encounters, to better get the man's measure, before he had to break out the heavy diplomacy.
But, no, the King had commanded this meeting and, like it or not, Ahnrel had to go.
Hopefully Crown Prince Enairi wouldn't be there, at least. Ahnrel was fairly certain he wasn't going to be able to juggle both of them at once, not without a great deal more time and experience.
"I want to ask you something, Kamer," he said, when they were about halfway there, by his guess.
"Of course, Excellency."
"You probably have a better grasp on...on what is appropriate behavior than I could possibly learn just by reading guides."
"I am flattered, Excellency."
"Is there anything I should know, before I speak to the king?"
Kamer blinked once, then considered for a moment before answering. "I would advise, Excellency, that you keep your eyes lowered unless he requests you to do otherwise. Bow, of course, but do not kneel. Between your rank, Excellency, and the relative informality of the meeting as the king has requested it, that would be excessive."
And the court of Nandere did not approve of excess.
"Of course," he said. "I'll bear that in mind."
"In addition, it is advisable to keep silent unless invited to speak," the guard continued. "And if there are...others present, do not address them until and unless the king has first acknowledged them and granted them permission to speak, as well."
Interesting to note. And very interesting, that brief hesitation before 'others.' Because who else might be there, other than Crown Prince Enairi?
Kamer wasn't easy to read--no more so than any other person in this rigid, icy court--but Ahnrel would guess that the working members of the court didn't hold the Crown Prince in any higher regard than he himself did.
"Thank you for the advice, Kamer," he said.
The guard inclined his head. "I am at your service, Excellency."
Ahnrel and Kamer reached the king's study after about ten minutes of walking through the palace. Unlike his father's, in the Holy City, the palace in Nandere's capital city of Mahnteri was designed on a very rigid plan. Hallways were perfectly straight, and perfectly perpindicular--all went in perfect east-west or noth-south directions. It had struch Ahnrel, initially, as a rather unsecure way to lay out such an important building. Without the mazelike twists and turns and dead ends of a more complex layout, it would be all too easy to reach someone of importance and do some very real harm.
Of course, the longer he stayed here, and the more he saw of the place, the better he understood the reasoning for it. True, it was very hard to get lost here--if you knew exactly where you were going, and if you could keep exact hallway counts in your head. The hallways might all be straight and clearly visible, but they were all also identical, or so nearly so as to be indistinguishable to someone not very familiar with them. It might not be the same type of maze as the High Priest's palace, but it was just as effective.
One of the guards on the study door eyed him for a brief moment, then tapped on the door and announced him.
"Enter," Malue's voice called from inside.
Ahnrel took a deep breath and went through the open door, bowing low, and, as Kamer had advised, keeping his mouth shut and his eyes down.
"Please," the king said, with what almost sounded like a faint trace of amusement. "Join me, Excellency."
He guessed that was as clear an invitation as he was going to get, and he rose cautiously.
King Malue was dressed more informally than he had been on their first meeting, in a cool grey nearly the color of the moon god's order. He had left his circlet off, replacing it with a much more discreet pin at his collar. He was seated at his desk, and indicated by gesture that Ahnrel should sit in a chair across from him that had been provided.
Enairi was, thank the gods, not in evidence.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, and sat carefully.
"We both, of course, know why you're here," Malue said, getting directly to the point. It was a refreshing thing about this court, that they had that habit. They didn't dance around the truth, the way some of the high-ranked priests at home did.
"Yes, Majesty," Ahnrel said. "My father sent me in the hopes that I could help negotiate some sort of settlement to maintain the peace."
"Hm," Malue said. "Do you know, Excellency, why Nandere and Elanhe make war? Or, rather, why the first wars started, centuries ago?"
Dangerous territory, this. Ahnrel had, before he left, of course gone through all the reports and dispatches and analyses he could of that first conflict, and each country had its own official stance. The Holy City had another, and many of the lesser nations bordering the two great ones had their own, as well.
He could just parrot back the official Nanderese version, of course. That might be what Malue expected. Or he could give the Holy City's version--that would at least gain him points for honesty. If he wanted to be contrary, he could give any of the others, even, but that was a door he didn't want to open.
"I've read many theories on that, Majesty," he finally said, carefully. "I think all of them have some element of truth. But, in all honesty, I think the initial spark is...I think what is more important is why you continue to fight, not why you started."
He caught a faint flicker of a smile on the king's very controlled face. "A diplomatic answer, and yet an honest one. And, I will admit, possibly the correct one." He leaned back, considering again. "I will tell you this, for now. As of this moment, I have no concrete plans to open hostilities with my cousin. But I do not exclude the possibility, and I do not believe war can be avoided in the long run. It may have been a generation of peace, but our memories run long. There are too many cemeteries with too many of my people buried, lost to wars with Elanhe. Too many of my people think that my father made a poor choice in backing down."
Ahnrel winced a little. He'd expected that. "And there is no way to convince them that another war will just mean more cemeteries?"
"Oh, this is something that they know. But the fact of the matter is, we have no long-term assurances from Elanhe. And we cannot trust any they try to offer. And we will not be caught unaware." The king sighed. "You can report to your father that I am not yet readying my armies, but I have yet to see a reason why I shouldn't."
Of course, if Nandere started to re-arm, then Elanhe would take that as a direct threat, which Nandere would take as justification and...
The cycle would go on and on until someone, somewhere made a poor choice in a moment of stress and the war would begin again.
But surely there were interests at court who had benefited from the peace who had made that very same point to Malue. And he would be even less receptive to it if Ahnrel--as an outsider--attempted to repeat it.
So, instead, he said, "If I can find a reason, would you take it?"
"I don't relish war, Excellency," the king said slowly. "Few men of sense and good will do. But I will not sacrifice the interests of my people by binding myself to a fool's peace."
Which wasn't an answer, exactly, but it was the best Ahnrel could hope for right now. "I understand, Majesty."
"I don't know that you do," he said. "My cousin is not...I have no doubt he is a man of sense, but he is hardly one of good will. I do not trust him, and I do not believe we can keep the peace with him on the throne. By the most charitable interpretation, he is myopic, with the best interests of his own people at heart, which are not the best interests of mine. He has internal problems with his succession that he may need a war with Nandere to stabilize. But I don't believe that is the case. I have every reason to believe he simply wants the war, and is just waiting for an excuse. I will bring him down if I have to."
That wasn't the impression Sef had gotten, according to Father, but Ahnrel couldn't exactly bring that up here. At least, not in those specific terms. "I'm sure you're aware my father has also sent an envoy to Elanhe," he said, carefully.
"Of course. I would expect nothing less. But my cousin and his court are deceptive." Malue shrugged. "I don't know how much your colleague will be able to achieve."
Ahnrel bowed his head in silent acknowledgement, hoping the king didn't take it for agreement.
"Stay at court for a while," Malue said. "Do not consider your mission a failure. Not yet. But be aware that I will act, if I have to, as I see fit. I will promise you this much, however: I will take the Holy Father's advice--and yours--under consideration. Provided I have the time."
He didn't need expertise in Nanderese culture to know that was a dismissal. He rose from his seat and bowed again. "That's all we can ask, Majesty," he said.
"Indeed." The king smiled faintly. "I look forward to seeing you again, Excellency."
Ahnrel bowed again and backed out the door.
It wasn't a promise of peace, but it was a promise of rationality, at least. Provided he could figure out where the other interests in this court lay, he could work with that.
He just had to hope that what little he'd been promised would be enough.
Story: King Malue's Promise
'Verse: Untitled Intrigues Story
Colors: Plant Party #47. King's Holly, Fluorite #4. Calm/Discontent, Crimson #4. It's just a difference of opinion that got out of hand.
Supplies and Materials: stain, novelty beads ("Measure not the work until the day's out and the labor done." - Elizabeth Barrett Browning), glue ("Instead of stressing over an impossible situation, explain your limited availability as objectively as you can.")
Word Count: 2245
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Ahnrel, Kamer, Malue
Warnings: Don't think so.
Notes: Constructive criticism welcome, as always.
Dear Sir,
I am meeting with Malue this afternoon. I must admit, as prepared as I am, given where things stood last night, this meeting is coming just slightly sooner than I expected. I am, however, confident that I will not prove your trust in me has been misplaced. I am also, I think, making a better impression on the court itself, if only because the King has taken an interest in me...
Ahnrel adjusted the collar on his coat nervously. He'd made some concessions to the fashions of the court for this meeting--he'd chosen a plainer one, with subtler rank-embroidery, and picked a shirt with lace trim on the sleeves and collar.
He needed to make a good impression. He needed Malue to hold steady and not start the war everyone was worried about. Of course, Larien, over the border, might start it first, but that was Sef's problem, not Ahnrel's. He couldn't afford to worry about it. He had to look after his own mission instead.
Maybe he'd write to Sef, though, try to get his take on where things stood in Elanhe. Father hadn't said one way or another whether they were supposed to confer with each other, and probably he wanted them to keep their focuses relatively narrow. And, to be fair, there were some slightly unsavory implications for that. And, if he was caught exchanging messages with someone in Elanhe, it might ruin any credibility he had.
But if he knew where things stood there, he could tailor his message here a little better, and...well, surely King Malue and his advisors had to know about Sefalin's mission, too. The Church was neutral, in all things, or it was supposed to be. And he and Sef were brothers, for Heaven's sake.
It would be easier if they could have an intermediary. If only Neiali were available to serve as one, this whole thing would become so much easier.
Of course, Neiali was off on some sort of voyage of self-discovery; though why Father had sent him off with the continental political climate so unstable, Ahnrel couldn't begin to understand. Neiali was barely of age, with no political or military experience. He hadn't even chosen his order yet.
But Father usually knew best about this sort of thing, he supposed. If Ahnrel had had his way, he wouldn't have even sent Sefalin into the proverbial line of fire, but at least Sefalin had some low-level diplomatic experience. And had been an adult and a full priest for years.
He sighed, fiddled with his cuffs one more time, then went to the door.
To his surprise, Kamer was waiting for him outside. "I thought you said you had the evening shift?" It was barely two in the afternoon.
The guard bowed slightly. "My colleage requested that we switch. His little girl is celebrating her birthday today, and he wanted to be there."
Ahnrel nodded. "Of course, I understand."
Kamer inclined his head. "Thank you, Excellency."
The address still felt strange on his shoulders, but Ahnrel couldn't exactly argue with it. He smiled at the guard, then started off towards the official, working part of the palace.
Where King Malue waited for him.
Ahnrel still had no idea quite what he was going to say to the man. Obviously, whatever he did end up saying had to charm and persuade him enough to remain peaceful, but...well, he'd expected a few more public encounters, to better get the man's measure, before he had to break out the heavy diplomacy.
But, no, the King had commanded this meeting and, like it or not, Ahnrel had to go.
Hopefully Crown Prince Enairi wouldn't be there, at least. Ahnrel was fairly certain he wasn't going to be able to juggle both of them at once, not without a great deal more time and experience.
"I want to ask you something, Kamer," he said, when they were about halfway there, by his guess.
"Of course, Excellency."
"You probably have a better grasp on...on what is appropriate behavior than I could possibly learn just by reading guides."
"I am flattered, Excellency."
"Is there anything I should know, before I speak to the king?"
Kamer blinked once, then considered for a moment before answering. "I would advise, Excellency, that you keep your eyes lowered unless he requests you to do otherwise. Bow, of course, but do not kneel. Between your rank, Excellency, and the relative informality of the meeting as the king has requested it, that would be excessive."
And the court of Nandere did not approve of excess.
"Of course," he said. "I'll bear that in mind."
"In addition, it is advisable to keep silent unless invited to speak," the guard continued. "And if there are...others present, do not address them until and unless the king has first acknowledged them and granted them permission to speak, as well."
Interesting to note. And very interesting, that brief hesitation before 'others.' Because who else might be there, other than Crown Prince Enairi?
Kamer wasn't easy to read--no more so than any other person in this rigid, icy court--but Ahnrel would guess that the working members of the court didn't hold the Crown Prince in any higher regard than he himself did.
"Thank you for the advice, Kamer," he said.
The guard inclined his head. "I am at your service, Excellency."
Ahnrel and Kamer reached the king's study after about ten minutes of walking through the palace. Unlike his father's, in the Holy City, the palace in Nandere's capital city of Mahnteri was designed on a very rigid plan. Hallways were perfectly straight, and perfectly perpindicular--all went in perfect east-west or noth-south directions. It had struch Ahnrel, initially, as a rather unsecure way to lay out such an important building. Without the mazelike twists and turns and dead ends of a more complex layout, it would be all too easy to reach someone of importance and do some very real harm.
Of course, the longer he stayed here, and the more he saw of the place, the better he understood the reasoning for it. True, it was very hard to get lost here--if you knew exactly where you were going, and if you could keep exact hallway counts in your head. The hallways might all be straight and clearly visible, but they were all also identical, or so nearly so as to be indistinguishable to someone not very familiar with them. It might not be the same type of maze as the High Priest's palace, but it was just as effective.
One of the guards on the study door eyed him for a brief moment, then tapped on the door and announced him.
"Enter," Malue's voice called from inside.
Ahnrel took a deep breath and went through the open door, bowing low, and, as Kamer had advised, keeping his mouth shut and his eyes down.
"Please," the king said, with what almost sounded like a faint trace of amusement. "Join me, Excellency."
He guessed that was as clear an invitation as he was going to get, and he rose cautiously.
King Malue was dressed more informally than he had been on their first meeting, in a cool grey nearly the color of the moon god's order. He had left his circlet off, replacing it with a much more discreet pin at his collar. He was seated at his desk, and indicated by gesture that Ahnrel should sit in a chair across from him that had been provided.
Enairi was, thank the gods, not in evidence.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," he said, and sat carefully.
"We both, of course, know why you're here," Malue said, getting directly to the point. It was a refreshing thing about this court, that they had that habit. They didn't dance around the truth, the way some of the high-ranked priests at home did.
"Yes, Majesty," Ahnrel said. "My father sent me in the hopes that I could help negotiate some sort of settlement to maintain the peace."
"Hm," Malue said. "Do you know, Excellency, why Nandere and Elanhe make war? Or, rather, why the first wars started, centuries ago?"
Dangerous territory, this. Ahnrel had, before he left, of course gone through all the reports and dispatches and analyses he could of that first conflict, and each country had its own official stance. The Holy City had another, and many of the lesser nations bordering the two great ones had their own, as well.
He could just parrot back the official Nanderese version, of course. That might be what Malue expected. Or he could give the Holy City's version--that would at least gain him points for honesty. If he wanted to be contrary, he could give any of the others, even, but that was a door he didn't want to open.
"I've read many theories on that, Majesty," he finally said, carefully. "I think all of them have some element of truth. But, in all honesty, I think the initial spark is...I think what is more important is why you continue to fight, not why you started."
He caught a faint flicker of a smile on the king's very controlled face. "A diplomatic answer, and yet an honest one. And, I will admit, possibly the correct one." He leaned back, considering again. "I will tell you this, for now. As of this moment, I have no concrete plans to open hostilities with my cousin. But I do not exclude the possibility, and I do not believe war can be avoided in the long run. It may have been a generation of peace, but our memories run long. There are too many cemeteries with too many of my people buried, lost to wars with Elanhe. Too many of my people think that my father made a poor choice in backing down."
Ahnrel winced a little. He'd expected that. "And there is no way to convince them that another war will just mean more cemeteries?"
"Oh, this is something that they know. But the fact of the matter is, we have no long-term assurances from Elanhe. And we cannot trust any they try to offer. And we will not be caught unaware." The king sighed. "You can report to your father that I am not yet readying my armies, but I have yet to see a reason why I shouldn't."
Of course, if Nandere started to re-arm, then Elanhe would take that as a direct threat, which Nandere would take as justification and...
The cycle would go on and on until someone, somewhere made a poor choice in a moment of stress and the war would begin again.
But surely there were interests at court who had benefited from the peace who had made that very same point to Malue. And he would be even less receptive to it if Ahnrel--as an outsider--attempted to repeat it.
So, instead, he said, "If I can find a reason, would you take it?"
"I don't relish war, Excellency," the king said slowly. "Few men of sense and good will do. But I will not sacrifice the interests of my people by binding myself to a fool's peace."
Which wasn't an answer, exactly, but it was the best Ahnrel could hope for right now. "I understand, Majesty."
"I don't know that you do," he said. "My cousin is not...I have no doubt he is a man of sense, but he is hardly one of good will. I do not trust him, and I do not believe we can keep the peace with him on the throne. By the most charitable interpretation, he is myopic, with the best interests of his own people at heart, which are not the best interests of mine. He has internal problems with his succession that he may need a war with Nandere to stabilize. But I don't believe that is the case. I have every reason to believe he simply wants the war, and is just waiting for an excuse. I will bring him down if I have to."
That wasn't the impression Sef had gotten, according to Father, but Ahnrel couldn't exactly bring that up here. At least, not in those specific terms. "I'm sure you're aware my father has also sent an envoy to Elanhe," he said, carefully.
"Of course. I would expect nothing less. But my cousin and his court are deceptive." Malue shrugged. "I don't know how much your colleague will be able to achieve."
Ahnrel bowed his head in silent acknowledgement, hoping the king didn't take it for agreement.
"Stay at court for a while," Malue said. "Do not consider your mission a failure. Not yet. But be aware that I will act, if I have to, as I see fit. I will promise you this much, however: I will take the Holy Father's advice--and yours--under consideration. Provided I have the time."
He didn't need expertise in Nanderese culture to know that was a dismissal. He rose from his seat and bowed again. "That's all we can ask, Majesty," he said.
"Indeed." The king smiled faintly. "I look forward to seeing you again, Excellency."
Ahnrel bowed again and backed out the door.
It wasn't a promise of peace, but it was a promise of rationality, at least. Provided he could figure out where the other interests in this court lay, he could work with that.
He just had to hope that what little he'd been promised would be enough.
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Yep, preeeeeeetty much.
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Malue is pretty firmly in the Reasonable Authority Figure camp. I'm glad you like him!
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Goddamn, I could read your courtly business stories all night. Hell yes, you intrigue!
Thank you so much for bringing this story here to share with us!
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