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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[ it's smart of Talulah to keep those misgivings contained, because if she let Yelena know her first thought was about how she needed anyone's protection, it would quickly spiral into another argument. she still clocks the brief look of displeasure on Talulah's face, but attributes it to the general situation of a mysterious enemy appearing at the last minute to try and refute her claim. ]

All right. I want to catch whoever's behind this, but if I'm moving too quickly, say something.

[ she fishes out a small clip-on light from one her pockets and attaches it to her jacket, flicking it on before she begins their descent down the stairs, moving at a clipped pace. ]

[Talulah would have preferred they're both in the same lead position, but that would be asking for problems in such a cramped and dark space.

She keeps pace as they go down the hallway, checking behind her every once in a while that the other two are still following. She uses her own arts flickering at her fingertips to both add more light and to have a weapon at the ready. Her sword isn't the most elegant solution if there's a fight in a narrow hallway.

Yelena's not entirely wrong, though. Talulah is frustrated about this new and sudden obstacle, especially since their opponent seems to have such an upper hand and now a head start. They likely know the layout of the tunnel better, too.

Which brings something to mind, and Talulah lowers her voice so it doesn't carry further down the passage.]

Sometimes these things have false forks. If we want to catch this person, we'll likely have to split up or choose, and maybe guess wrong.

[And better to decide on a plan before they run into one.]

[ FrostNova slows her pace when she hears Talulah begin to speak, ears swiveling as she considers their options. while she'd like to end this whole ordeal here and now, she knows they don't have the luxury of playing reckless. ]

I think we have to choose and make peace with the gamble. We're both too valuable as hostages to take risks right now, and splitting up will make us easier to pick off.

[ she doesn't say it outright, but Yelena's thought process is almost childishly straightforward. as long and she and Talulah stay together, she knows they'll be able to fight their way out of whatever the mystery caster could throw at them. more than that, something in her gut tells her this late addition to the battle for Victoria wants Talulah alone, angling for a chance to isolate her and shake her convictions. ]

I agree.

[The straightforward way of thinking does seem to be the only option when it's so obvious that whoever this is seems intent on Talulah. That show back in the throne room couldn't be for anyone else. Splitting up would mean they fall right into their opponent's hands.

Of course, when Talulah spots something bright white zip just out of sight at the end of the hall, she thinks that perhaps it's an inescapable situation.]

...or this is a trap we have to spring.

[ Yelena steels herself as she sees a flutter of white just beyond them, knowing with certainty that they're walking onto a stage the culprit's prepared for a show. ]

Stay close, we don't want to get separated.

[ she calls back to the companions bringing up the rear, pressing forward once she hears an affirmative. they reach the turn and start descending down again, the incline steep, leading them deep under the foundation of the palace. ]

[Talulah's not very happy about it, but they don't really have another choice besides playing along. The only other option is to turn around and go back up, leaving this unknown to do whatever they want in the bowels of the palace.

She tenses when she feels the descent even out into a landing, knowing there's likely a room where their mysterious opponent lies. What she does not expect to see when they do enter the chamber at the end of the shorter corridor is a...young girl? She's dressed all in white, and her race is not one Talulah is immediately familiar with.

Ah, it's you. She speaks as though she's not concerned at all that the group she's facing could do her harm. Talulah's free hand touches the hilt of her sword instinctively; she has room to wield it here. You're rather determined for a pretender...and for someone who ultimately didn't really need to be concerned with all of this.]

Who are you?

[ Yelena keeps her position in front of Talulah as they reach their target, sizing up the girl who clearly isn't what she seems. ]

I'm not here to argue about who's got the best claim right now. Are you with the dukes? Attacking us after a surrender means you've forfeited your right to pass through here freely.

[ every solider in Ursus knows disobeying the rules of warfare means surrendering your fate to your commander. exceptions can be made for civilians, but this girl didn't waste any time coming out and making it obvious that she's connected to the morbid display in the throne room. ]

[No. The dukes knew of the body, but they don't know of me, in truth. The most accurate way to put it is that I am with Victoria.]

That didn't answer my question. Who are you? And what do you want with all of this?

[Talulah tenses lightly when the other's attention shifts back to her.

I go by many names. This nation's "Sentinel", a fairy...you can refer to me as Clovisia, though. As for what I want, it has been as it ever was: to fulfill the desires of the people on this land. Including denying the Dracos the throne.

Her hand tightens further on the hilt of her sword, posture shifting as she readies for a fight that the words seem a prelude to, but the young girl keeps speaking.

However...it can be said that the people of this place no longer desire that outcome. So, daughter of the Red Dragon, would you like to make a deal as those before you have done?]

[ the name gives Yelena pause, rousing one of her jumbled memories from the last few days. she thinks she may have heard it mentioned in Alexandrina's camp, or possibly by the factory workers, speaking of a comrade who seemed to be missing. the rest of what Clovisia says turns her immediately back on the defensive, hackles rising as ice dusts her fingertips. ]

We're not here to bargain. You can come with us peacefully, or I can freeze your legs together and drag you back.

[ talking like she's some kind of wish granting fairy from and old tale sets Yelena on edge. summoning specters of Victoria's past glories already requires an extraordinarily skilled caster, and far more experience than a girl of Clovisia's apparent age could possess. she regrets letting Talulah come with her for this— she's clearly the one Clovisia is after, and they've served her target right up. ]

[Perhaps my choice of words was poor. It's not a bargain. I don't ask for anything in return--

At that, Talulah audibly scoffs. There is always a price for these kinds of "deals," and it's even more suspicious when someone claims they don't want anything out of it. But Clovisia continues as if nothing has happened.

--to grant your desires. It just depends on what you want. Let me think...freedom? I can make it so you have the ability to truly exercise your will, even with the weight of the crown. Choose what to do, how to do it, and even your...companions.

Talulah will blame her hesitation on how startled she is that someone she does not know managed to see into her heart so quickly. Or perhaps this is the same thing many people before her had also longed for? But it cannot be temptation. That would be admitting to several things she can't bring herself to look at.]

What the hell are you talking about?

[ she really is acting like a wish-granting goddess that appears at the end of a heroes journey, offering them their hearts desire job well done. it's absurd, and the calm way Clovisia states it like fact only adds to Yelena's suspicion that the girl is out of her mind, or worse— telling the truth.

but what really unnerves Yelena is the sudden silence at her back. it's enough to make her take her eyes off the enemy, glancing over her shoulder to confirm that Talulah's still there, despite being clearly dumbstruck. ]

Talulah?

[ Yelena's voice comes out reedier than she intends. why is Talulah hesitating? what could Clovisia even mean by giving Talulah the freedom to act how she wants? the throne is what she asked Yelena for all those months ago, and that's waiting to be claimed just above their heads. ]

[The throne, yes, and everything that came with it. Talulah knew about what she had to sacrifice to get there, she just never really expected when she started all this that along the way, she'd gain something else to inevitably lose.

Although. The idea of all this being unexpected brings something to the forefront of her mind. Clovisia did not think Talulah would be here. She said as much. This is an...exception. A boon granted for doing what everyone believed had not been possible. What Clovisia did not think was possible, because she had made it so.]

Ah. Sorry, I was just thinking. Just so I'm clear on this, Clovisia. You say you granted the wish of another to make it so my family could never take the throne?

[...yes. Although truthfully, it was to ensure Victoria doesn't fall apart due to your line's machinations. It seems now it will collapse without them, hence why I'm speaking to you. Clovisia seems a little surprised that Talulah would even ask for clarification on such a thing. But at the confirmation, the air around Talulah starts to grow sizzling hot.]

I see. That solves a long-standing mystery for me. Wei Yenwu killed my father with his inaction and self-interest. But he didn't set that conspiracy in motion. That was Kashchey...and you. Wasn't it?

[ Yelena relaxes once Talulah comes back to herself, though her lingering worry over what she saw in Clovisia's offer doesn't entirely fade away. she'll have to ask her about it later. right now, she's more interested in what Talulah rebukes her with.

Buldrokkas'tee had given her a truncated version of the story behind Edward Artorius and his demise in Lungmen, but the accusation Talulah hurls in response to Clovisia makes something click in Yelena's mind. she called Talulah someone who didn't need to be concerned with Victoria at all. the display in the throne room, while compelling propaganda for anyone who wanted fuel against Talulah's right to the crown, was underwhelming in terms of the personal impact it would have on her. Alistair II was no more than a cautionary tale at best, an enemy at worst, and the way Clovisia refers to Talulah as a pretender— ]

You were expecting Alexandrina to be the one retaking the throne room, weren't you?

[Yes, on both accounts. With everything in place, it should have been Alexandrina taking over the throne from her father. And Edward had to be removed as the third point of that triumvirate in Lungmen, so his progeny could never consolidate power and...well, do what you have just done.

Something about the way she speaks reminds Talulah of Kashchey, like all of people and history are some B-movie from Wrankwood, and it sets her on edge.]

Well, none of that matters now, does it? If I say no deal, what will you do?

[Call you a fool. But I'm not going to force your hand or retaliate, if that's what you're asking.]

It's not. I'm wondering what the chances are that if I let you live, you plot against me like you did my father.

[ Clovisia's way of stating things hasn't inspired much trust in Yelena either. while she talks about the wishes of the people, like she's will of Victoria itself, Yelena doesn't buy that a large percentage of the common folk wanted Edward Artorius in the grave a few decades ago. people care about putting food on the table and keeping the fire stoked in their homes, not the dealings of a disposed royal half a world away.

killing Clovisia outright might be rash, but before she can weigh in on Talulah's options, the sound of approaching feet from the rear corridor draw her attention away. at the same time, her previously silent communicator springs to life, a half-garbled message coming through;

Sestra where— ... reached the Pal ... underground? We're spreading out to find you and Talu— ]

[Talulah's also distracted by the comms coming to life and the sudden arrival of their reinforcements, but the moment she lets her attention lapse, she realizes her mistake.]

Shit.

[Talulah sends a streak of her arts roughly in the same spot Clovisia had stood moments before in an effort to cut off any escape route, but the other obviously took the chance to slip away when it was given.]

[ Yelena realizes her blunder after Talulah swears, and with newly arrived rebels and soldiers beginning to pour into the room, it's hard to shift gears and address them as quickly she needs to. ]

There's a hostile caster in the palace. She doesn't look older than sixteen, dark hair, calls herself Clovisia—

[ Clovisia? A rebel she doesn't recognize remarks. You found her? We thought we lost her in a tunnel collapse when the siege started, is she all right?

Yelena's brow knits in incredulity, barking back at him sharply. ]

What do you mean is she all right? She attacked our group when we opened the throne room.

[ What? Are you mad?! Clovisia's the leader the Londinium resistance! Why the hell would she do something like that? ]

[Talulah bites back another curse and the urge to rub her temples from the pounding headache that's building from arts exhaustion and now this exceedingly more complex situation.

The dukes had been the biggest issue, she thought. Them and their armies and weapons and airships. Not...whatever this is now. She has to be careful about how much she reveals right now and how she phrases it, unless she wants a scism to start in the middle of this dark basement.]

...for her own ends, I'd imagine. It's true she was the caster that attacked us, and she revealed she'd been puppeting a lot behind the scenes. She didn't say anything about the Londinium resistance, but it's possible the resistance was something else at the end of those strings.

[But that's only one of the issues. Talulah takes another breath and straighens her shoulders.]

I need a report on what it's like in the city right now and a status on everyone we sent the scouts to search for.

[ Yelena feels a strong urge to smack her own head against a wall. of course that name she'd heard in passing was attached to the Londinium underground resistance's damn leader. more people are continuing to filter into the room, an entire platoon apparently sent down to retrieve them, and all she really wants is a few seconds alone with Talulah to try and sort out everything they just learned.

that will have to wait. for how long, she doesn't really know. while Talulah gets her report, Yelena picks out the two who came down with them and witnessed their conversation with Clovisia. ]

Both of you, over here. [ she jerks her hand forward and leads the understandably stunned pair to a far corner of the room. they need a crash course on what it means to suddenly be in possession of some very privileged information. ]

[Talulah also wants to get some time to talk about all of that, not least of which is figuring out what to do now that someone who confessed to plotting against Talulah's family is who knows where in Londinium right now. She has a half-formed plan of how to do that, but it ultimately all depends on what the scouts and messengers tell her.

The good news is that the dukes are staying put and don't seem to be either acting on or plotting plans to wriggle their way out of the current surrender. Mixed news is that the damage to the Ursus troops seems to be considerable, but the commanders are all fine, which Yelena will likely be happy to hear. And they're close to getting more widespread comms up and running.

Talulah can work with that.]

I need a few people to start mapping this place. These tunnels were unknown until now, so we need to be aware of the entry points. And I need someone to get me an encrypted channel in a room somewhere. There's information the other commanders need to know sooner rather than later. Everyone else, establish patrol shifts and take a break when you're not on one.

[Once everyone moves to obey and she gets a nod from one of the engineers that they could set something up somewhere more private, she adds on]

Yelena? With me when you're done.

Coming.

[ Yelena keeps her expression schooled as the several Ursus soldiers that have made their way into the gathering crowd visibly react to Talulah addressing her by her given name. she can't add worrying about propriety to her plate right now. after directing a few people she recognizes to stay with the pair, she moves to rejoin Talulah, dropping her voice to just above a whisper when she reaches her side. ]

I know fucked that up. I'm sorry.

[Talulah shakes her head, and lowers her voice to the same register.]

No, don't apologize. I don't think anything about that went well, including my own actions.

[And really, how could any of them have anticipated that? Talulah had certainly thought the hard part had already been taken care of. Now this is a lesson in letting one's guard down, she supposes.]

Let's wait until the comms are set up and we're actually somewhere private to get into it, though.

Yeah.

[ Yelena nods, movements subdued now that the immediate danger has passed. she looks back around the room, and seeing even more people gradually filtering in, turns back to address the group. ]

We're not setting up our base of operations here, one squad to start mapping the tunnels is enough.

[ voice returning to her normal volume, she addresses Talulah again. ]

We should go back upstairs. That's where they'll put the communication center anyway.

Sure.

[Talulah speaks briefly to one of the engineers before following her back up to the main floor of the palace. The rest who have the requisite skills have already set up the equipment in a spare room they managed to find. It just takes a little while longer for them to set up a way to make an encrypted channel before Talulah has everything she'd asked for.

She waits until it's just her and Yelena left in the room and the door is firmly shut before she sinks tiredly into the nearest chair.]

Where to even start with all of that?

[ Yelena remains silent as they move through the palace, tension strung tight across her body for the long walk to an old office that's not in total disrepair. it's only when the door finally closes and the sound of footsteps fade into the distances that she lets herself relax, dragging a chair over to Talulah's and dropping into it artlessly. ]

Anything that's too risky to ignore? I think ... Alexandrina was telling the truth when she said she plans to renounce her claim. But it's obvious this plan to put her on the throne has been in the works for a while.

[ crossing her arms, she leans back until her head is angled toward the ceiling, staring forward dully as she picks at the conspiracy they stumbled onto. ]

A few of the noble houses who went against the dukes have to be in on it. I don't know how else the Aslan heir stayed alive for this long.

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