I saw rise in the heat settle soft and as pure as snow

[reunionize]

[This, honestly, took a lot of work. More work than some of the battleplans, but admittedly the machinations of the Victorian nobles are predictable. The only thing Talulah knows about the northern territories is what she's gleaned from her father's journals.

Edward Artorius apparently had a decent enough relationship with the ruler when he'd been alive, and since the wendigo race of Sarkaz live for a very, very long time, perhaps any goodwill towards her parent might be extended to her.

She has also gleaned the northerners are not unreasonable; they've crossed paths during various skirmishes at the border, and they ignore all rebel forces once their own task is complete. Talulah has made it very clear no one from her side is to engage with any other party that isn't either obviously Victorian, or strikes first, and it seems the courtesy is returned.

That said, isolationist policy is hard to overcome, and what she's asking isn't a mere favor. To be embroiled in civil war in another country is an idea most people would scoff at, but...the north has undoubtedly seen the writing on the wall for what will transpire after the dust settles. Victoria's appetite is ever unsatiable.

The Gaulish castle she walks through is a testament to that. It's nothing but ruins now, good for little else besides neutral territory. She's brought two members of the rebels with her, two with a calm rationality suited to negotiations. She'd be fine going in alone, but, well...if Talulah saw another group's leader sitting all alone during a meeting that was meant to be a peaceful talk, she'd think there was an ambush waiting.

Still, no matter how rational one is, curiosity tends to win out, and she can hear her escort party gossiping even behind their masks. They're wondering if the northern princess is as beautiful and strong as the rumors say. If she's half as strong as that Cautus she'd seen once during a border skirmish, then her alliance would be more than a boon.

By her estimation, the meeting time is near, so she supposes she'll find out soon enough.]

Comments

[reunionize]

They're worryingly unconcerned about retaliation.

[Which isn't a good sign. For a while, Talulah's wondered if they have something in their back pocket they've just been dying for an excuse to test or use.]

I can provide a list of nobles who likely funded the research. They would have been given reports of the findings.

[hypothermy]

We already have a list of suspected contributors, but taking a look at a second source could help.

[ Yelena reaches into one of the pockets of her coat, feeling for something as she continues their conversation, her focus still respectfully directed to Talulah. ]

I was surprised you didn't know anything when I brought it up in Gaul. Your guardian was one of the main backers, before you killed him.

[reunionize]

I don't think any records I found digging around in his things mentioned exactly what the research was—just the name of the institution.

[And, at the time, it hadn't really been what Talulah was looking for when she had been going through Kashchey's records and correspondences.]

I'd been focused on finding more detail on his plans in Victoria as a whole.

[hypothermy]

[ she meant it more in the sense of how Talulah might've been involved in Kaschey's plans while he was still alive. the duke had presented her as his heir, at least in public, and many had assumed she was included in his governing and machinations as such.

it's a good and bad thing, if that's not the case. good in the sense that Talulah hasn't been stained by the snake's poisoned intent so deeply, and bad in the sense that there are likely many secrets pertinent to Ursus' that she has no knowledge of. ]

I don't think he had a lot of direct involvement in it. He might've not had much to find in his personal records.

[reunionize]

[She had been, unwittingly and without another recourse. He often shared lofty ideals when she'd been younger, but she had to uncover the truth and depth of things as she'd grown.

Whether he had sensed her resistance or he had some kind of hidden plan to reveal everything later is unclear to her even now. All she does know is he fed her half-facts and wrapped his actions as mere politics until confronted.]

No...money to fund things that would help reach his ends if they came to fruition sounds like the extent of it. He liked working behind the scenes whenever he could and manipulated a lot via proxy. I was one such piece on the board.

[hypothermy]

[ that aligns with what Yelena's heard of Kaschey from those who had direct interaction with him. Talulah gets a small hum of acknowledgment, but other than that, it seems like Frostnova's reached the end of her current questioning.

she draws something out in her pocket— either a candy or lozenge of some sort, twist up in a shiny wrapper than she begins to peel away. ]

If there anything else you want to know about what you should expect in Ursus, just ask. I'll be awake until we cross the border, if you want to get some rest.

[reunionize]

[Talulah glances at the candy, mostly because the foil-lined wrapper catches the light, and wonders if Frostnova has a sweet tooth.]

You imply things will be rather straightforward, but if there's a protocol or tradition that's observed, I'd like to know about it. Or anything else that will help me from stepping on anyone's toes unintentionally.

[She can get single-minded, so keeping pitfalls in mind ahead of time would probably be better than her attempting to nagivate it in the middle of negotiations.]

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena stills her hands, holding off on popping the candy into her mouth while Talulah still has questions. ]

You'll have to field questions from our generals during the negotiations. The least experienced ones speak first, then the veterans last. If my father has anything to say, he'll only speak after everyone else has said their piece.

[ he won't, in all likelihood, unless Talulah gives an especially impactful showing.

giving too much away will negate Talulah's responsibility to forge her desired alliance on her own merits, and Yelena almost leaves it at that. after a pause, however, she adds one more thing. ]

No matter how things turn out, we'll have a dinner for you before you leave, to honor you as a guest. You need drink, but don't get drunk. Have you had vodka before?

[reunionize]

I see.

[The hospitality is in stark contrast to most people's image of Ursus. The lines of questioning from the generals are not.

She smiles a little, wryly, at the other's question.]

Yes. I've also had experience drinking while avoiding getting drunk. Not that I expect this from you, but a lesson I learned quickly from whatever parties Kaschey expected me to attend was that nobles love to ply those they see as easy targets with expensive and exotic alcohol.

[hypothermy]

Good, then you're familiar. It will be the Ursus version of that.

[ if anyone of high rank were around to hear the empire's princess compare their time honored traditions of sussing out the constitution of prospective allies to the spineless games the Victorians inflicted on their peers, they'd surely have a conniption.

Yelena's yetis just have to stifle their laughter as they pretend to not be eavesdropping on her conversation with the draco rebel. ]

The veterans put a lot of stock into how well you hold your drink. You'll be offered more than you can handle, and once you hit your limit, you'll need to be smart about how you turn them down.

[reunionize]

[Talulah's escort, on the other hand, are staring at her with an intensity she can feel through their masks that says without saying are you sure this is a good idea? She ignores them for now.]

I can be...creative, although maybe some of the tricks I've learned here and there won't work in this case.

[Like burning off some of the alcohol with her arts. It took a few tries before she got good enough not to scorch the glass.]

I guess I'll have to think on my feet to make a good impression, then.

[hypothermy]

If you're used to dealing with the Victorian court, you should be fine.

[ Yelena notices those looks from the rebels, but makes no comment on their clear trepidation. if they think Ursus' rituals are too dangerous for their leader, she'd like to see how they handle Talulah courting the leadership of Leithanien or Kazimierz for support. ]

It's six hours to the border, give or take. We'll be flown the rest of the way to capital once we cross it, and you and your men will have a day to recover before we start any talks.

[ she shrugs a shoulder in the direction of her yetis before continuing on. ] We're taking turns keeping watch the comms until we're out of Victoria. If you want to do the same with yours, you should discuss it soon.

[reunionize]

[They're likely questioning the point of it all, rather than the actual danger, but Talulah knows just as well that other countries would be worse to negotiate with. Unlike Kazimeriz, Ursus is not likely to ask her to sign away her soul as a commodity. Leithanien...well, if the rumors are even half true, that would just be asking to get tangled up in something else.]

All right. We'll take care of our end of things.

[It had been getting close to the time when they should get a signal from the larger rebel group over the communication channels.]

Let me know when we're close to the transfer point.

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena gives a curt nod, finally popping the candy into her mouth once Talulah turns her attention to her rebels.

the trip to the border is thankfully uneventful, a welcome few hours of calm before they meet up with the air forces in Ursus who escort them the rest of the way to the capital.

Yelena doesn't sit in on every meeting the draco heir has once the negotiations begin in earnest. her position is already known by the other heads of state, and they're all perfectly willing to give the princess a play-by-play recount of talks she chooses to skip. from what she hears it seems to be going well for the Victorian rebels— save for the one major sticking point.

Buldrokkas'tee's schedule has barely changed since Talulah's arrival. he makes his rounds through the training yards, does his trips to the orphanages and foster homes, and takes his meals with his daughter as often as time permits, and does not mention the would-be queen of Victoria throughout any of this.

it's enough to make Yelena roll her eyes. the old man always gets especially stubborn when he knows his opinion is in the minority.

she knows they've put the rebellion members somewhere in old palace for their stay, but she never bothered to ask exactly where. they have a good number of rooms reserved for guests, but many of the finer suites have gone untouched for years now. Yelena doesn't think to knock as she opens the door to the sitting room with wide windows and an especially pretty view, but freezes on the threshold when realizes it's already occupied. ]

—sorry. I didn't know you were here.

[reunionize]

[The negotiations are somewhat what Talulah expected. There are those who question her experience, those who wonder if this is tenable and not a grand suicide mission, and those who think she's not a megalomaniac in a pleasant skin like Kashchey.

The latter are the ones who take the most convincing that she's cleaning up that snake's messes and preventing further ones, and the claim to the throne is simply a means to an end. If there's an easier way to fix everything that doesn't involve a crown, she'll take it, but her heritage is leverage in Victoria right now.

They are all slowly coming around, she can tell. They start treating her slightly more like a comrade rather than a guest they show enough respect so as not to be rude, but not a piece more. All except Buldrokkas'tee himself. And that's...a problem.

The worst part is, she can't figure out exactly what fault he finds with her. She's not looking to say what he wants to hear if it's not true, but at the very least she could convince him of something if she had a better idea about it. He very obviously cares for his daughter and those under his command immensely, so maybe it had to do with dragging the country into danger when they're perfectly happy isolated in the north, but no manner of talking about what could happen if Kashchey's plans came to fruition seems to convince him.

If only she had a better idea of what the Victorians are scurrying around about, what they're trying to accomplish under the radar, maybe that could be persuasive enough. But she's hesitant to dispense orders to look for clues. If something goes wrong while she's absent, it could cascade into a disaster.

And it's this she's thinking about while she watches the snow fall from the windows in the sitting room near the rooms where they've been staying, before her contemplation is cut short.]

Oh--no, that's fine. I didn't know anyone else would come by here, either. Did you need the room for something?

[hypothermy]

This is one of your rooms, isn't it?

[ or one of the rooms they've designated for Talulah's use, to be more specific. it's meant to go with the grand bedroom nearby that has the matching agate stonework, she recalls from her childhood lessons about the history and architecture of Ursus' royal palace. ]

I'm just come here when I want a change of scenery while I do paperwork. I'm not going to kick you out for that.

[reunionize]

It's in the same wing, yes.

[There are other sitting rooms and offices, ones not nearly so large or with the same view, that she'd found in the same area.]

And I was only thinking. I don't mind sharing, if that's fine with you.

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena hesitates, lips pursing as she considers the offer. working on state affairs in front of someone who is, at this point, still considered a visiting foreign-power is generally frowned upon. on the other hand, the stack of paperwork she has tucked under one arm can hardly be called confidential, and she hasn't spoken one-on-one with Talulah in a while. she should probably check in, given how many of the generals and ministers are looking to her while considering their own positions on the alliance. ]

Sure.

[ she steps in, closing the door behind her before making her way to couch across from Talulah, sitting on the side nearest the window. she sets her paper work down on the coffee table— a set of binders, to be precise. when she takes on from the stop and opens it, Talulah can catch a carefully designed front page with several drawings attached; some kind of presentation. ]

Do you have any more meetings today?

[reunionize]

That's...unclear.

[Besides the initial glance when Frostnova sets the folios and paper on the table, Talulah isn't interested in peering at her work. All information is valuable, but it would be incomprehensible to risk any goodwill from a potential ally just to sneak a peek at whatever intel they may or may not have.

If things go well, there won't be a need for that, and Talulah is still trying to be somewhat optimistic, if only for the other rebels.

She hesitates slightly before she speaks up again, wondering if she'll come off as fishing for something. But, if anyone knows how to give her a hint about her current problem, it's Frostnova.]

Your father's hard to read.

[hypothermy]

The mask will do that.

[ Yelena's tone is bone dry, but the statement itself is hard to read as anything other than a joke. ]

Diplomats focus on his opinion too much. They get distracted by his reputation and it makes them think his vote overrules the generals and councils.

[ she frowns a little as she flips the page on her hands to a brightly colored illustration, clearly meant to be a mascot character to appeal to children. ]

That's not untrue. But my father doesn't have it in him to be a tyrant.

[reunionize]

I can tell that much.

[Even with the mask, it's obvious Buldrokkas'tee isn't interested in browbeating anyone else into following his opinion. That hadn't ever really been the issue, or why Talulah is interested in getting him somewhat more on her side.

She's about to speak again when she pauses, taken slightly off guard by what she sees Frostnova holding in her periphery. A mascot character?]

...it would help to know what exactly he finds fault with, is all.

[hypothermy]

[ Frostnvoa fishes out a pen from her pocket to scribble a note on the illustration in Ursan before flipping to the next page. it seems for a moment like she's switched her attention entirely to the proposal, but she glances up at Talulah after her eyes have scanned the first paragraph. ]

The logistics and strategies you've presented are good, and the only objections I've been hearing are the ones I expected to.

[ impressive she'd heard touted around more than once, but she's not hear to soothe Talulah's ego like a fussy maid. ]

Knowing him, though, it's probably not too different from the issue I still have with you.

[reunionize]

Oh?

[Talulah doesn't need her ego coddled--Frostnova should have gotten the impression by now that she prefers straightforwardness to any kind of flattery.

She's a little surprised, and intrigued, to hear that Frostnova still has some misgivings. Not ones that are bad enough she had felt bringing Talulah before the generals and her father would be a waste of time, obviously, which is good information on its own.]

Which is...?

[hypothermy]

You're too lucky.

[ Yelena doesn't look away as she says it. she'd brought Talulah to the capital because she'd upheld her part of the bargain, delivering a boon to Ursus that Frostnova had only half-hoped to receive.

joining in Talulah's campaign would be the most obviously beneficial military venture Ursus has undertaken in decades. the logistics and numbers always look good before the actual fighting starts, however, and once their alliance with the rebel becomes public knowledge, there's no turning back from that. ]

You've won more skirmishes than you've lost, and the ones where you were routed have had minimal casualties. That's the sort of record you want, if you're trying to get us to lend you our army, but right now we only know how you lead when things are going well. When you finally step into hell, how hard is it going to be for me to drag you and your people out of it?

[reunionize]

I see.

[So it had been out of concern for the army and the Ursus people, but not in the way Talulah had thought. She doesn't flinch under Frostnova's stare, or words, or even under the implication of how much luck instead of skill has played a part. She had been lucky, in many ways, and she's not going to shy away from that. The ideal is to lessen the times she has to be, but that's also not a guarantee.

Frostnova's concerns, and by extension her father's, are now clear. But the problem remains.]

I do owe some of that to luck...and the talent and fortitude of my fellow rebels. So I understand your concerns, but it's a bit of a conundrum, isn't it? I can tell you all I'd like about the struggles when we first started, but without seeing, I doubt you'll be convinced. The only solution is another trial run, so to speak. And I might have an answer to that, but it's not something as simple as recovery or recon.