Imperial Year 1185 ➳ Flayn

[deerdriu]

(Derdriu fell and the burgeoning league of nobles known as the Leicester Alliance was disbanded. Annexation by the Empire had gone... surprisingly smooth, almost as if it was meant to happen. Of course, it didn't go without some problems. People are complicated, especially when morals and loyalties are involved.

Ordelia and Gloucester were the first to give in and together, the two houses led much of the transition. House Riegan was no more and Edmund easily conceded once they realized there was no point in fighting. All that remained was Goneril which had long been the strength of the Alliance. Holst Goneril was no fool. Even he could see that he was against all odds and he would have to give in. They knew this at their last Roundtable meeting, when Claude had gathered them all together for their final meeting and explained their options.

This isn't the Alliance's war. If Derdriu falls, they give in to the Empire. Resisting would destroy their lands, lead to suffering, and despair. They'd done well for five years, protecting their neutrality. They'd held their own for so long that their territories had become sanctuaries for those fleeing the war's destruction. He'd thanked Goneril for protecting their borders and Edmund for helping with the financial burden of taking in so many refugees. He'd thanked Ordelia for helping them save as many people as they could and he'd even thanked Gloucester for all of his support balancing these extra responsibilities.

Wouldn't it be a shame if all of their efforts went to waste because of something like pride? As nobles, their duties were to the people. Protect them. Evacuate Derdriu, prepare for battle, lure the Empire in deeply to avoid widespread casualty and destruction and if that isn't enough... If Derdriu falls... protect the people. Surrender. As the Alliance's leader, he would either die in battle or step down and in turn, the duty would fall on Gloucester to lead the others through what happened next.

But the empire had killed his sister. They'd killed Hilda. And Holst wasn't going to let that go easily. Gloucester and the other nobles had tried to reason with him and little by little, he'd begun to relent.

This was fine. The Empire didn't have to worry about Goneril who would inevitably give in. Edelgard wasn't a cruel Emperor nor was Byleth Eisner. They would led the Duke grieve. His lands were the furthest from the Empire and would take time to assimilate anyway. In the meantime, they would move on to crushing the Church and the Kingdom.)

Comments

[bowfaire]

(It's a story about a camel. The camel is different from all of the other camels in its herd because of its beautiful white coat. The camel's herd loves him and often praises him for his beautiful coat. One day, a group of nomads come and take the white camel to present it to the king. The camel cries at night for his family and the dune cat answers, cutting the rope with its claws. The camel travels across the plains. The birds recognize the white camel and tell him the way to the desert. In the desert, the sandy fox plays a trick on the camel but the king falcon arrives and tells the camel to not lose hope. Eventually, the White Camel is reunited with his friends and family who have always loved him.

It's easy enough to follow along and he simplifies some of the more dramatic parts so they're easier to understand. It's definitely a fairytale with a lesson to it, a reminder to always be proud of who you are.

When he finishes the story, his eyes widen slightly at Flayn,)

It was one of my favorites.

(He speaks fondly, like he's remembering something warm,)

You've been studying. (He gives her a wink,) I think you're ready to go out and have some real conversations with people.

[fishingforcompliments]

Really?

[Flayn perks up at that, and smiles brightly at his wink.

It's not that she hasn't been talking to people - she has! But it's mainly been the servants here in the palace who don't mind talking to someone from Fódlan. It's a little strange; the people sent by Tiana and Claude are kind enough to her, but they treat her with a certain amount of deference since she's a prince's guest. The people who just work in the palace and general or work directly with Claude's relatives, on the other hand...

Well, she hasn't spoken much with them, and that's probably a good thing.

Either way, while she has been socializing as best she can, there's only a limited amount of socializing she can do this way. So the thought of going out into the city to talk with people is exciting! Even if that might not be exactly what he means.]

I have been studying very hard, it is true! I would truly enjoy the chance to go out and meet more people, though...

[She wants to see more of Almyra - more of its cities, and more of its people. She likes what she's seen so far. Getting to know them with firsthand experience is much, much better than learning about it out of books.]