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

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena does have some premium Yanese tea— in her outer sitting room, where she's supposedly meant to entertain visitors of import. the stuff she shakes out of the tin into a strainer is a blend of various black Yanese teas that's been popular in Ursus for centuries, the same brand old Gopnik would give her when she sat in on military meetings as a child. ]

I can get you the rest of the way there with anyone in Ursus who's seemed sympathetic. You'd be better on your own negotiating with the Victorians.

[ their military calls her a craven witch for the tactics she employees guarding the border, and the grand dukes joke that her status as heir is proof of her father's declining mental faculties. for the time being, Talulah has little to gain with her countrymen from tying herself too closely to Yelena in public. ]

[reunionize]

[Talulah had gotten used to the black tea of the kind Victorians preferred, but it just hadn't been the same. And there's certainly none of the green or jasmine teas she remembers from childhood.]

How much better is really the question.

[Talulah suspects at least a good half of the number of Victorian nobles who aren't publically decrying the rebellion or who hated Kaschey's influence have much to say about her behind closed doors, and none of it good. They all have their own ideas about who should or shouldn't be on the throne, and she's upended all their plans in an instant.]

Here. Feel free to point out if I've misjudged any of those.

[She puts the notebook and pen back on the coffee table, open to the page where she's scribbled the names Frostnova wanted.]

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena makes an agreeable noise once Talulah finishes, moving to put mug and saucer filled with steaming tea in front of her before sitting down on the opposite couch with her own.

she picks up the pen and notepad and goes down the list. perhaps unsurprisingly, Talulah's assessments aren't far off from FrostNova's own. she wonders if the draco is aware that the individuals she's named are more than enough to make the alliance she's hoping for dangerously close to reality. ]

I don't disagree.

[ speaking placidly, she scribbles down a few additional names beneath Talulah's. ]

You want a few more civil servants to round out the numbers.

[reunionize]

[She murmurs a word of thanks when Frostnova gives her the tea, and she picks up the mug delicately from the saucer.

Talulah is aware she's made a lot of progress forming the alliance, but the final move, or the final stone that tips the scales in her favor, is still a little murky. After the sparring match, she's convinced Frostnova, at least. That's a boon she's not taking for granted.

She glances over the names that have been added and makes a thoughtful sound.]

I see. Thanks for the advice. If you'd offer me a bit more...in your opinion, is this enough?

[hypothermy]

It's hard to say.

[ Yelena sets the notepad back down, sliding it across the table to Talulah. she picks up her cup a moment later, holding it close to let the steam warm her and enjoy the fleeting heat it gives off before her touch inevitably cools it. ]

Victoria needs to be dealt with sooner or later. Anyone who's been watching knows that, but it's not a problem we can fix overnight.

[ when she takes a sip, her breath fogs on the exhale— she really overdid it earlier. it's probably going to take all day to get her internal temperature back to something manageable. ]

Now that they've seen you, though ... you're powerless, compared to us, and half of what comes out of your mouth is idealistic nonsense. But there's a path forward with you that doesn't involve dealing with butchers or tearing down another empire. That's worth something.

[reunionize]

No, it's not an easy fix.

[Talulah takes a sip of her own drink, watching the frozen puff of the other's breath with vague curiosity. After experiencing the strength of Frostnova's arts firsthand, the fact they tend to manifest in other ways outside of a fight makes sense. Power that vast has to be hard to rein in.]

Is that why you changed your mind?

[Talulah won the bet set forth, but she knows that can't be the whole reason behind why Frostnova is helping her now.]

You saw the path forward?

[hypothermy]

I don't know about that.

[ there are still too many unknowns for FrostNova's liking. putting down Victoria's military is one thing, but there's so much more that comes after that. getting Talulah on the throne, making sure she can govern, establishing a partnership that benefits Ursus but allows for the renewed Artorius monarchy to eventually stand on its own—

hell, she hasn't even brought up the other rebellion being led by a draco claimant in the territory. ]

Ursus has only been at peace during my lifetime. The last emperor's final war lead to the end of his line, and waited until he was on his deathbed to dump his mess onto my father.

[ she takes another swig of her tea, the cup still clasped in both her hands, flying in the face of proper noble etiquette. ]

I just figure ... there's nothing to gain from repeating that. I don't want to be making these decisions when the knife's already pressed to my throat.

[reunionize]

[Talulah most certainly knows about that other faction. One of the sisters can be reasoned with. The other is a madwoman. Her only redeeming quality may be that she does not seem to care if her sibling sits on the throne in her stead, but that leaves too much room for puppetry for Talulah’s personal liking.]

I see. Victoria is certainly sharpening their weapons in anticipation of menacing you and others with them.

[She takes a sip of her own tea, with flawless etiquette. Not that she minds or even notices Frostnova’s lapse. Some habits are simply too difficult to break.]

I’m guessing, though, that the list of names isn’t the only thing you need from me.

[hypothermy]

Yeah. There's two more things.

[ any trace of hard-edged humor vanishes from her face, voice going flat as she levels Talulah with a penetrating stare. ]

I'm putting my credibility, along with the safety of my country, my soldiers, and my family on the line for you. If there's anything that could compromise you, politically or physically, I need to know right now. After I declare my support for you, if you go down, so do I. There can't be any secrets between us.

[reunionize]

[Slowly, Talulah puts her cup down on the saucer and leans back on the couch. She's not quite sure how to bring this up, but Frostnova is right that there can't be any surprises down the line.]

You've been raised by a Sarkaz, so I don't have to explain the reality of curses to you. When I was young, that so-called guardian of one cast one on me. That at the moment I understood him, he could break down my mental defenses and do what he wills.

[Which would usually mean she's nothing but a ticking time bomb, but...]

I've since had help sealing it, however. And if you have qualms about the strength of that, you can take it up with the Lich King.

[hypothermy]

—wait.

[ while at this point, Talulah's seen nearly every possible icy or aloof expression Yelena's capable of making. dismissive annoyance falls under that category as well, but the face she's making now, a shift in mood that fell over her the moment Talaluh dropped the words "lich king", is downright sour. ]

What does Fremont have to do with this?

[reunionize]

He's the one who helped me.

[Talulah's surprised both by Frostnova's expression and which part she's choosing to focus on.]

We met by chance, and he said he couldn't abide the existence of this curse. I'm still not entirely sure what he meant by that, but he did manage to contain it. You know him too?

[hypothermy]

[ in hindsight, focusing in on the involvement of the lich king after Talulah revealed something deeply personal about herself wasn't one of Yelena's best moments. ]

I just told you I had an Leithanian arts tutor.

[ not that he personally taught FrostNova on a consistent basis— he sent along one of his colleagues from Ludwigs-Universität to do the brunt of the work after his initial evaluation.

she sets her cup on the table, reaching up to scrub a hand over her face and through her hair. ]

He didn't put a seal on me, but my father brought him in when it became obvious my abilities were too much for a kid to handle.

[ this isn't public knowledge, along with most details of Yelena's life before she was officially debuted to the public a few years after her adoption. she did just say there couldn't be any secrets between the two of them, though. might as well start there. ]

[reunionize]

I hadn't assumed Fremont would have been your teacher.

[Most people wouldn't automatically assume that when one gets a Leithanian tutor, it would be the Lich King himself. Maybe Frostnova's father had something to do with it, but still...

But now that the details are slightly cleared up, there's still one thing Talulah has questions about.]

You don't seem to like him much.

[hypothermy]

No, I guess that's pretty big jump to make.

[ she grabs a candy from the bowl on the table, beginning to peel the wrapper back to free the confection inside. it isn't a variety Talulah's seen before, and has a handmade look to it— nobility having certain bespoke food items in their homes is fairly common. maybe even the northern princess isn't immune to certain indulgences. ]

I don't know what kind of impression he made on you, but he's not great with kids. He frightened me the first time we met, and I don't think he was happy to report that he made a little girl cry and run to a Wendigo for comfort after ten minutes alone with him.

[ from what Yelena understands, Buldrokkas'tee had put his initial inquiry out to the Leithanian regents, but once Fremont caught wind of a request from another Sarkaz king, his curiosity got the better of him. given how isolationist Ursus had become after the Gaulish war, the Empresses had seen it as a vital opportunity to try and strengthen ties between the countries again, and would've preferred to send someone who wouldn't immediately upset a small, traumatized child. ]

It's not like I hate him— I owe a lot to his teaching. Our personalities just aren't that compatible.

[reunionize]

I know what you mean about his personality.

[Brusque and uncompromising and if Talulah hadn’t met other liches besides Fremont, she would have assumed they all sustain their phylacteries by snide insults.

I’d Talulah’s being honest, she would have thought Frostnova would have no problem weathering that sort of attitude. She’s quite straightforward and appreciated the same in kind, but if her first impression had been made when she’d been younger…that explains a lot.]

But that means you know his capabilities. He advised me I should seek a complete cure for the curse, but it won’t be a problem anytime soon, thanks to his interference.

[It’s a long time in the future, and a bit like counting fowlbeasts before they hatch, but after all is said and done perhaps another trip to Leithanien is in order.]

[hypothermy]

[ it's not like their relationship is entirely antagonistic. Fremont has been known to refer to the Ursine princess as his "third least favorite" out of his current batch of personal students— a title she feels some guilt taking over that intensely devoted Maeyer boy, honestly. ]

I do. If he let you go, then you should be stable enough for now.

[ popping the candy into her mouth, she ruminates for a moment before tucking it inside her cheek to speak again. her old governesses probably started gnashing their teeth on instinct somewhere. ]

"The moment you understood him" ... that's pretty vague, but I'm guessing that was on purpose.

[reunionize]

It was.

[She pauses, tilting her teacup back and forth in a contemplative gesture that's probably equally as horrifying to the tutors Talulah had when she'd been younger. Neither she nor Frostnova are really standing on ceremony, though, despite the weight of the conversation.]

Kashchey tried very hard to mold me into what he desired, but he especially wanted me to think the same way he did. No matter the lengths of my defiance, he treated it like an inevitability. I'm sure the requisite for the curse has something to do with that.

[hypothermy]

[ Yelena goes quiet for a moment as she mulls over the information. the candy's still melting in her mouth when she speaks again, but it's obvious based on how clearly she's able to speak around it that talking with her mouth full is old habit. ]

Sounds like he thought it was inevitable because he put the curse on you. If you've got faith in something, you don't add in a fail-safe to make sure it happens.

[ it's a comfort to FrostNova, in a way. if Kaschey had to use ageless witchcraft on Talulah to try to bend her to his will, it means part of him knew she wouldn't submit to him so easily. ]

I'll follow up with the Lich King when I get the chance. I probably don't need to tell you this, but for now, don't repeat what you've told me to anyone else here. Kaschey's crimes in Ursus haven't been forgotten. Some of the old timers would want you arrested if they found out you're carrying something from him.

[reunionize]

It's something I've considered.

[She smiles, faintly and a little wry. Long has Talulah contemplated if it is as Frostnova says, or the opposite is true, that Kashchey is certain Talulah will break and his curse will take root, no matter what.

That Frostnova goes with the former option immediately is heartening, honestly.]

But no, you don't have to remind me. I'm well aware of what others would think, say, and do if they knew this. I'd be searching for a way to break it entirely more, but that kind of free time is a luxury under the circumstances.

[hypothermy]

[ despite the horror she was born into and the stoic face she shows to the world, FrostNova hasn't lost her faith in the rest of humanity quite yet. it's why she made her bet on Talulah in the first place. ]

Yeah, it is.

[ the "circumstances" they have to operate under remind FrostNova of the other question she needs to put to rebellion leader. ]

As for the second thing— we'll be backing you as the rightful heir to the throne. Only problem is, you've got competition for that title. The leader of Dublinn says she won't make a claim, but you'd have to be stupid to believe she isn't considering it. Then you've got the rumors about a survivor of the Aslan house hidden away in the capital.

[ at least three would-be queens, all with a different set of backers behind them. this fact alone has been enough to dissuade some people from supporting Talulah, foreseeing a nation plunged into one civil war once the current powers are uprooted. ]

Our intelligence officers are going to tell you the simplest way out of a crisis of succession is to kill off your competition. Have you considered that before?

[reunionize]

I'm aware.

[Talulah sets her teacup back down and sinks a little more into the backrest of her seat. It's not the first time she's been asked a similar question.]

And I have. I don't know a thing about the Aslan heir, but I had the misfortune to run into the Dublinn sisters and learned quickly that their current leader needs to be eliminated. As soon as it's politically or logistically feasible. In fact, I'd liken her to Kashchey, down to the way she tried to sway me to her mad worldview. The other one is...at least reasonable. But I have no idea what she'd do if her sister were killed.

[Especially by another party vying for the throne. Nothing like revenge to spur on someone's own desire to claim it.]

On that note, how much do you know about their leader's arts?

[hypothermy]

[ so she's not against using force to solve that problem. good to know. what Yelena's still curious about is what she thinks of more conciliatory methods— a renewal of the joint royal lines, or even a political marriage to combine them.

Talulah's own question distracts from pursuing that topic. at least she's made it patently clear what she thinks needs to be done with one of her rivals. ]

The older one, Eblana? There's a lot of rumor, but our intelligence networks aren't what they used to be. I've heard things that sound straight out of the folktales grannies tell to scare children.

[ still, she gives a slight shrug of her shoulders. ]

But I know my father, and the Lich King. I know what arts can do. Are the stories about dead men marching true?

[reunionize]

[Talulah would always consider conciliatory methods first, but Frostnova did ask her about her willingness to consider other options, if it came down to it.]

They're true. A Draco's arts aren't exactly fire. They're more akin to energy manipulation. You've just had a sparring match with me, so you know I don't need an ignition medium.

[She'd run into similar arts, ones that keep dead or dying people on their feet as shells, but Eblana's are wholly unique.]

And Eblana uses hers to reanimate the dead. The worse a battle is, the more slaughter that piles up...the stronger she becomes.

[hypothermy]

[ FrostNova is silent after Talulah finishes her explanation. she bites down on the remaining sliver of candy in her mouth, cracking it into bits, and mutters under breath. ]

Unbelievable.

[ to her, the very idea of the Taran rebellion leader's arts is sickening. as even-tempered as she is, the one thing Yelena cannot tolerate is cruelty. leading a force of desperate fighters with the promise of a better life in store, then using their bodies like puppets to continue on with the battle— Talulah called the younger one reasonable. FrostNova can't understand how any person could watch something like that happen and reasonably not want to strangle the perpetrator with their own hands. ]

If it comes down to open warfare, our army has ways of dealing with her. Most of our generals aren't thinking that far ahead yet, but after we finalize the alliance, I'll bring it to their attention.