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

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

[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.]

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I think I've read about that.

[ she didn't pay especially close attention in her foreign history lessons, but she remembers the broad strokes.

with Talulah's rebels returning to their task, Yelena briefly motions to the ones who arrived with her to follow the others. ]

You can help us look around, or go help with the comms, or take a breather if you need it.

[ for her part, she falls naturally into step with Talulah. she didn't specifically ask for Yelena's company, but electronics aren't her strong suit, and something about the place still unsettles her. Yelena's instincts tell her it isn't a good idea to leave Talulah alone here. ]

It was once very grand. Or so I've been told.

[Maybe the stories about the rubies and gold had been fanciful stereotypes about Draco, in the end. Talulah doesn't really see the need for all that, since the bones of the palace are imposing and stately enough, in her view.

She also would never say no to Yelena's company, but she does notice the other looking a little tense as they continue their way down the halls.]

Is something the matter?

Huh? I'm fine.

[ Yelena's immediately on the defensive, her mind returning to the scene they'd made a few minutes ago. she had been excited to see her friend, that's all there was to it.

that spark of panics fades quickly when she manages to look Talulah in the eye and remember that she'd never needle her about something like that. an awkward feeling hands over her, making her tongue heavy and reticent when she responds to Talulah's real question. ]

This place just gives me the creeps. It's probably nothing.

Well, it is pretty old. Maybe there are ghosts?

[Talulah's tone is obviously teasing, and Yelena is right that she wouldn't harp on their earlier embrace, even if that had been at the forefront of her mind. Or...it is, but she's mostly thinking about how it's unfortunate it had to end so soon. Which is ridiculous, because this isn't the time to be clinging to Yelena.]

It might be lingering arts from devices or traps as well. The air does feel a little charged to me, too.

Of course. That's really what we should be worried about here.

[ Yelena snorts, rolling her eyes at Talulah's little joke. she can't blame her for trying to lighten the mood, so she'll play along for now.

their footsteps echo for what seems like an eternity as they move over marble floors, the high ceilings and low lighting making it feel more like a cavern than a home for kings. the whole place strikes Yelena as terribly lonely, and she can't help but wonder what it will take from Talulah to bring a kinder atmosphere to the palace. ]

Would they bother to put traps here? From what I remember this place has been out of use since the coup. I'm surprised they bothered to maintain it at all.

Remnants from when it was still used, or people breaking in, I'd imagine.

[It would take a lot of effort to get it back up to functional, much less as splendid as it must have been at the peak of the Draco's power in Victoria. Although now that she's thinking about it, it doesn't have to be like that at all, does it? She can shape things how she wants them, but then it begs the question of what that looks like.

There's a murmur of excitement from the rest of the rebels as, in the near distance, a rather imposing doorway comes into view at the end of the corridor. If that didn't lead to the throne room, Talulah didn't know what would.]

That sounds like a hassle for anyone who had to work here.

[ Ursus' government buildings get along just fine with guards and security measures. then again, the aftermath of the war with Gaul had starkly different effects on the Aslans compared to her father. Buldrokkas'tee's mourning had brought forth a sympathetic fervor from his people, while the Victorian's great windfall only served to whet the appetites of its nobility for more of the same.

the looming outline of the entrance to the Victorian throne renews the unease Yelena's failed to shake off. it's not so different from the doors to the throne room of the St. Grypherburg palace, she tries to reason with herself. there's nothing threatening about a big room with an empty chair. ]

Are we going in?

[Reigning in the nobles' voracious appetite for expansion is one of the things Talulah is well aware she has to do once the dust has settled. It's part of why things had gotten this bad to begin with.

She looks up at the imposing entryway, contemplative. The rebels had been quite excited about this, and a part of her understands why. It's symbolic of their victory and her legitimacy. This is, by all accounts, her birthright. Even if it is just a big room with a chair inside.]

It would be a shame not to, right?

[The others are already opening the doors, leaving an opening for Talulah to slowly make her way inside. For a moment, it is nothing more than a huge, cavernous room, in the same state as the rest of the palace, but a few steps inside and she realizes that the throne...isn't empty?

A chill runs through her, and instinctively, her hand reaches for the hilt of her sword.]

Is that a body?

[ Yelena slips in right behind Talulah, following her like a shadow. the first thing she notices about the room is how dark it is, her eyes struggling to adjust in order to see anything beyond the dusty carpet directly under her feet. it's the stark opposite of her father's throne room in every way— the intimidating flight of stairs placed to keep the ruler above all others, dirty curtains drawn over the tall windows blocking any light trying to peak through, white marble appearing grey and dull in the suffocating gloom.

she doesn't even look toward the throne until Talulah says something, eyes moving to the top of the steps before she fully processes what it is Talulah's spotted. the throne should be empty. as far as their intelligence goes, the interior of the palace wasn't even patrolled on a regular basis. despite this, the silhouette seated on the throne looms tall in the dark. ]

What the hell is this?

[ as if on cue, the door shuts with a thunderous clap behind them. ]

Some sort of arts trick? Or...a real ghost?

[The other rebels flinched, moving back towards the now-closed exit, although when they see Talulah hasn't flinched a step or two is as far as they retreat. Her arts flare out, illuminating the room as they burn in a protective half-circle around their party.

There's a sensation like someone's glaring at her, even though the corpse? on the throne hasn't moved. And a singular impression inside of her mind, loud and reverberating like a voice has shouted in the large throne room, even if Talulah's sure she's the only one who can hear it.

Pretender.]

Ha. Those Dukes are really more vile and self-serving than even I imagined. That [She points her sword, now unsheathed, at the throne.] is the previous king. Or what's left of him. Either way, I don't think he likes that I'm here.

[ it seems like a the kind perverse scheme the dukes would hatch, but doubt gathers in the corners of Yelena's mind. the grand dukes are as ruthless as they are prideful, and it's no secret that the last Aslan king's execution was little more than a political murder. proof of their animosity toward the royal family is evident in the palace itself, the symbol of Aslan dynasty's power left abandoned, falling into disrepair while the nobles held court elsewhere.

and beyond that, it strikes FrostNova that an apparition of Alistair II seems like an odd choice, if it's meant to be a deterrent for Talulah. she has a feeling, however improbable, that this display was intended for another claimant to the throne. ]

It could be both. [ while the rebels tense and murmur with disbelief, she steps forward to stand at Talulah's side, staring down the dead man in front of them. she drops her voice lower when she speaks again, her next words meant for Talulah's ears alone. ]

The old man at the Universität has seen it done a few ways. If I'm remembering him right, there has to be someone pulling its strings nearby.

[At Yelena's words, Talulah's posture changes, becoming more alert. Her eyes narrow and her gaze roams around the room, at the flickering shadows cast by her arts.

A vengeful old king, resentful that the Red Dragons are about to take the Victorian crown? Fine. To be expected, in some respects.

But if it's arts...]

Unfortunately, there's one person we know who can do something like that, don't we?

[ Yelena blinks dully, not immediately picking up on what Talulah's suggesting. she's been focused on the adversaries they've faced over the last few days and unconcerned with the wider cast of enemies they have to worry about.

when it clicks, her expression turns sour, as if she's found something rotten where she wasn't expecting it. ]

Are you serious? She's out over the wall in her landship right now. I was able to confirm that much.

[ besides, weren't Eblana's arts followed by her distinctive flames? it would be obvious if she was the culprit. it's a massive stretch, at best. ]

Then that's good to know for certain.

[As far as Talulah's concerned, there's no telling where some other players had ended up in the chaos, and it's hard not to associate the living dead with the older Dublinn sister.

Her stance relaxes, just a fraction, but she's still looking around the more shadowed sections of the room.]

That still means someone else is orchestrating this, though.

I don't think they're going to come out if we ask nicely.

[ her hand moves to her weapon, grimly sizing up the throne room with a tactical eye. if this ghost is similar to Eblana Dublinn's arts, there's a chance it's here to do more than give them a scare. ]

Do you want to advance? Attacking it outright could be a trigger for a trap, but if it can hurt us, it's better to make the first move.

If there's a trap, we have to spring it. And end this quickly.

[Even if they don't know who this is, what faction they belong to, or their goals, it's obvious they don't want Talulah here or on the throne at all. That's reason enough.]

Watch my back.

[The fire that she'd encircled around them to act as a shield moves outwards in a flash, sweeping across the other half of the room like a wave. If their opponent had been in the room while puppeting the king, they'd be flushed out.]

Keep your guard up!

[ Yelena barks at the rebels who followed them in as soon as Talulah's arts move, her voice knocking them out of various stages of shock. it's a good and bad thing that only a few managed to follow them in before the closed— Talulah outright attacking an image of the former king, who was popular with the commoners if no one else, isn't something they want a large audience for.

she feels something in the air change before she sees it manifest, a golden tinge to the disturbed motes of dust swirling through the room. a wall of ice goes up just in time to intercept what looks like a golden, sword-bearing lion charging at the rebels. ]

[Well, it's either that or possibly die, because it doesn't look like whatever the king is or is being influenced by wants her to walk outside of this room alive.

With that in mind, Talulah thinks all of this should end as decisively as possible. So while Yelena's playing defense, she takes the opportunity to charge right at the throne. But before her sword or arts can make contact with the real corpse or the illusion of one, there's an ominous hissing sound and the sharp clang of metal on metal as her sword finds resistance against an enormous arm.

She steps back, putting distance between herself and...well. At first, she thinks it's a Steam Knight, but the armor is a little different than the tales tell. Regardless, this is possibly even more of an issue, both physically and otherwise, than the old king.]

[ while Yelena's focused on intercepting a blast of arts the lion shoots at her, hurling a chunk of ice to trigger the impact a safe distance away, the bombastic clang of metal is impossible to ignore. a gilded image of the towering knights she's seen in old photos from the war, Yelena finds herself at a momentary loss. to any layman, it would look like the very soul of Victoria was rejecting Talulah.

if the dukes had a trick like this up their sleeve, they would've used it sooner. she needs to flush out the caster, but with the rebels behind her, Yelena can't fight at full strength. ]

Form up and protect each other!

[ the new enemy on the field has at least given her a hint toward the linchpin of this fantasy. a hail of ice explodes toward the throne, aiming for the Aslan king waiting there. ]

[Talulah almost pitches forward when the Knight stops resisting her and moves to intercept Yelena's arts instead. For such an enormous thing made out of armor, it moves with shocking speed.

Cursing under her breath, Talulah sends another blast of arts towards the king's corpse on the throne, but that too is deflected. Maybe as an arts construct or whatever it is, it doesn't need to actually move the same way something of its stature normally would, but Talulah doesn't have much more time to think when she has to send another burst of arts at the golden lion leaping at her.]

Shit--is there a way to slow that thing down?

I'm trying!

[ no one here was expecting a fight when they walked through the door, and Yelena's not sure how long they can hold out against a surprise attack. she channels a staggering amount of force into her next cast, a wave of ice shaped like a crescent moon sweeping out from where she stands in front of the rebels. except for the safe spot just behind Yelena, the enter floor of the throne room is frozen, theoretically pinning anyone in the blast zone where they stand.

given the situation, she can't really aim around Talulah, but she should be able to free herself quickly with her arts. ]

[Talulah can't escape the sudden wave of cold, and also doesn't have a cocoon of heat to stave it off as she usually does when she's expecting to fight against or with Yelena.

She does manage to escape, melting the ice in a surge of swirling fire after being briefly enveloped, but her breath still comes out in a cloud even with her arts. She definitely wants to snap that more of a warning would be nice next time, but letting the opportunity Yelena attempted to give her go would be a total waste.

From the beginning, she's noticed that the Steam Knight and that ethereal lion seem more interested in protecting the corpse than they do in outright attacking. That gives her an idea, but it's not exactly a safe one.]

...I'm going to try something. If it doesn't work, be ready.

[ Yelena's attack had its desired effect. the phantoms react to her ice as if they were real, stuck in place when their feet are frozen to the ground, but it also draws their attention toward her. the engines on the hulking knight roar as its legs begin to crack the ice restraining it, one of its arm rising up to point a giant rocket squarely where Yelena's positioned. ]

Just do it! I can bring the roof down if it comes to that.

[ if the ghosts insist on taking their precious throne with them, Yelena will gladly forfeit a symbolic victory for the lives of Talulah and their companions. ]

[Well, the crux of Talulah's plan isn't something that's risk-free, and the casualty won't necessarily be the throne. Which Yelena can probably pick up on as Talulah finally acts.

She wreathes her sword in flames, a concentrated inferno that grows so large the burnig crackle of it is audible, and it's melting the ice beneath her feet. All that power focused in one single spot...before she tosses the blade towards the throne, where it sticks in the ground nearby. It's inelegant, but it doesn't have to be pretty, or even accurate. It just has to be enough of a beacon, enough of a threat, that the Knight and the lion turn their attention to it, leaving an opportunity for Talulah to slip behind them.

The window is narrow. She already has her arts gathering on her hands as she darts up the dias while the other two are occupied, aiming her real attack at near point-blank range at the corpse. She hopes that if the body or the arts connection to it are destroyed, the other two will vanish as well. If not, she's left wide open for a counterattack.

Not really the ideal tactical maneuver for a fresh royal, but when Talulah is running on instinct, that's not really at the forefront of her mind.]

[ Yelena had expected risky, not Talulah literally disarming herself for a distraction. the sword cracks the floor, buried deep enough to prevent Talulah from retrieving it easily, but it distracts the kings guard like they need it to.

she doesn't see what happens to the corpse, or illusion, or whatever it is up there on Victoria's throne. the light of Talulah's flames reflects off marble, glowing like a miniature sun trapped inside the palace, bright enough to burn FrostNova's eyes as she rushes forward on the offensive.

a sword of ice explodes into her empty hand, poised to bury itself between the great lion's ribs if it doesn't manage to dodge her in time. Yelena's arm thrusts out, and her strike would've hit true, but her ice never connects. gold shimmers through the air where the imposing figure once stood, the steam knight gone with it, while the empty throne of Victoria burns like a pyre beneath Talulah's arts. ]

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