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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[ Yelena slides into her seat and places her order the same quick efficiency she applies to everything else in her life. after the waitress leaves them, her attention wanders to the views around them. picture perfect blue skies dotted by fluffy white clouds, ocean waves rolling in the distance, colorful buildings crowded together like party-goers in a packed festival— you can't get more idyllic than this. ]

Can't say I've ever seen anything like this. Not outside of a movie.

[ the wind picks up again, reminding Yelena of her earlier plans. she takes her hat off and pulls a hair tie from her pocket, fingers going to brush back the long strands into a ponytail. ]

Have you been stuck inside a lot? Diplomatic meetings can drag on for hours.

Yes. Practically since I got here.

[It had been exhausting not only to listen to everyone chat about nothing much at length but also field the subtle and not-so-subtle attempts at sussing out where Victoria's new queen stood on certain matters. And if Talulah could be easily swayed to another side. The price of being the ruler of a world superpower, she supposes.

The memory of being cooped up in conference rooms and offices is becoming less of an issue the more time she spends in the sun and sea breeze, thankfully.]

But things seem to be going well enough, so far. I hope you haven't been as busy as I have.

No. I've had a lot of down time recently.

[ with the bulk of Ursus' forces withdrawn from Victoria, Yelena's role as a commander had come to an end. the official word is that she's being granted a well deserved rest, and that's not untrue, but everyone closer to the royal family of Ursus knows it's more about the losses Ursus suffered during the final push.

several of the Yetis Yelena had left behind perished during the march into Londinium. the presence of her father on the field had sent several Victorian generals into a spiral, issuing suicide orders to their men to destroy as much of the city as possible before the invading forces could take it. the resulting chaos claimed the lives of soldiers on both sides, many of whom defied orders trying to prevent the destruction and save lives. her friends, born with her on a squalid little spot of land in the far tundra, had died heroes. in a way, all of the Yetis who hailed from that pit were living on borrowed time. they were supposed to die as children, and instead found themselves living the kinds of lives their families wouldn't dare imagine.

the dream simply ended. that doesn't make it hurt any less. ]

But ... I think it's fine if I tell you, since they would've sent the message to your people by now. [ she pulls her hat back on, movements a little more subdued than before. ]

I'm being put forward as the primary candidate for our Victorian diplomat. If your office approves it, I'm moving to Londinium after my trip here ends.

[After the dust had started to settle, Talulah had been thoroughly briefed on the losses from all sides. It didn't take much for her to tally who had taken the biggest hits, and the implications.

Dreams and ambitions like Talulah's don't come without sacrifices. This she knows, and it isn't something she can afford to regret when she's sitting on the throne now. But she can't forget, either the lives snuffed out in the name of her ideals or the debt she feels she can't ever truly repay.

Speaking of such a debt, there are certain members in the Victorian government who hate nothing more than Talulah's connection to Ursus. It's nothing that's outright stymying her current efforts, but if she wants to keep having an amicable relationship with those who believed in her when no one else did, she can't ignore them either.

Of course, what Yelena mentions is enough to kick all other thoughts of politics from her mind.]

What? They could have told me before I came here.

[She smiles, brightly. It is for work and very important government goings-on, but she also couldn't stop herself from being happy at the prospect of Yelena being closer to her, no matter how hard she tries.]

I can't see why they wouldn't. [Even with the naysayers.] But I hope you know what you're getting into with the weather.

[ a strong emotion swells inside Yelena when she sees Talulah's reaction to her news. she hadn't known what to expect, but a small, irrational part of her had hoped for something similar to what's playing out in front of her.

it's a good moment for the waitress to return with their drinks, giving Yelena a few moments to recover before she blurts out an answer she'd regret later. ]

There's always some kind of review for this stuff, even if it's just for show.

[ she stirs her iced coffee with her straw, forcing herself not to go too fast and reveal how her nerves have started inexplicably fraying beneath the surface. ]

And that's why I'm here, isn't it? I'm getting one last chance to experience sunlight before they ship me off to your wet, gray city.

Don't forget about all the fog.

[Talulah drops the wedge of lime into her drink, something with coconut and citrus that she heard is popular, before taking a sip. She'd had her fill of coffee and tea from the morning meetings.]

But I'm glad to hear it. I hadn't even realized you were an option for that.

[In fact, Talulah had already assumed it would be someone older and already used to diplomacy in Victoria. Not to mention, she knows Yelena has her own responsibilities in Ursus.]

They considered a few senior diplomats first.

[ any of which would've been fine. in the end, they'd offered the position to Yelena, telling her bluntly why she'd been placed above the veterans in the administration— her strong rapport with the Victorian queen. their experienced ambassadors would have an edge in navigating the delicate political environment of modern Victoria, but none of them would have Talulah's ear like Yelena does.

she's very fond of you. they'd told her during the initial meetings. there was a look in a few of their eyes that made their message clear; if Yelena's the one asking for it, they believe Talulah will let her have her way. ]

I guess I made a good first impression on resistance factions in Londinium. And there's the situation with Tara— they thought I'd be the best one to help with that.

Well, that, and I value your opinion.

[While she doesn't know the word choice had been "fond" instead of something less...charged, she does read into the reason Yelena put forth. They worked together closely during the rebellion. She just didn't think that had so much more weight than someone who is used to walking the tightrope that is current Victorian politics.]

"Situation" is a mild way of putting that, though. It will probably help that you're up to speed on that front.

[ from what Yelena can tell, Ursus' biggest concern at the moment is ensuring they see returns on their investment. Talulah's rebel forces were nothing to sneeze at, but everyone knows having the greatest army in the world at her back is what delivered the draco queen her title. Victoria wasn't reduced to a client state like they would've been in the old empire, and for Buldrokkas'tee's endless generosity, the rest of the administration expects Talulah to think of Ursus first when it comes to any and all matters regarding foreign allies.

she's not exactly enthused about acting as a living reminder of that debt. given the circumstances, she should resent being thrust into the position, especially when it takes her so far from home. Yelena could've turned them down, and they would've had to listen— but she didn't, and she won't, for reasons she's afraid some highest political operators have already found out. ]

Seems like it. I'm guessing you haven't heard anything new since that last message I sent your way?

[ Yelena had received another ... interesting correspondence from the now self-proclaimed queen of Tara, following Talulah's coronation. there's absolutely no excuse for Eblana Dublinn to keep up her pen-pal act now, though something tells her she's not been writing much to Talulah. ]

[The debt is something Talulah had been willing to shoulder the moment she decided to entreaty Ursus for help. That's how these things went. But she doesn't see Yelena as a reminder of it. Maybe that's a mistake, but she doesn't think she'd be able to live with herself if she didn't put faith in the trust they built over their time together, either. And besides that, she simply doesn't want to look at Yelena like she's just another political player.

If only the same could be said for others.]

No. At least not from the older sister.

[Loughshinny has been as helpful as she's able to. But Talulah's own advisors and administration members are furious at the snub from the actual leader of Dublinn and Tara. It's a delicate situation that could be more easily navigated if Eblana stopped being...however she's being.]

I haven't heard anything from her either ... you've been in contact with the younger one?

[ that's a good thing, if their goal is to keep tensions low. Loughshinny has, according to all reporting, come into her own since their encounter in Hillock. it's the outcome most were hoping for, though Yelena maintains she has the right to hold a little grudge against the other woman, for the whole 'trying to take her captive while her poorly disciplined soldiers ransacked a civilian town' incident.

that, and the fact that how she'd dealt with Loughshinny is what put her in Eblana's sights in the first place. ]

She's been pretty interested in cooperation, unlike her sister. She also seems to have a better relationship with the majority of the people.

[It's an interesting dynamic in the current Tara. A part of her feels real sympathy for Loughshinny. She's familiar with...complex family dynamics and has a sense of what the other might be feeling as of late.

And even if Talulah had been intent on holding a grudge from County Hillock, she couldn't do anything about it. She has to have some line of communication with Tara, and Eblana seems intent on stonewalling her.]

Not much of a choice in the matter if I can't talk to anyone else, though.

It makes sense. The things coming out of the capital don't sound good.

[ which isn't much, but what little their spies and intelligence teams have managed to tease out seems like the stuff of a grim fairy tale.

Yelena sidesteps the lump in her throat that forms when Talulah speaks of Loughshinny. when her thoughts drift back to a conversation they had in the Saint Grypherberg palace about forming alliances, the lump turns to a mass of thorns, and she has to consciously stop herself from turning the iced coffee in her hand to a frozen slab.

she's unspeakably grateful when the waitress chooses that moment to return with their food, setting their plates down with the same bouncy enthusiasm as before. ]

Can I get some hot sauce too, please? Thank you.

Edited 2026-01-29 00:10 (UTC)

They're not. But at least things in other spheres are doing well.

[Tara is in a terribly delicate and tangled situation, which makes things like logistics for repairs and other diplomatic ventures seem so much better in comparison. At least other countries are merely underhanded and out for their own self-interests, not an enigma.

And the fact that there are many, many, many more important things to worry about means no one is hounding her about making alliances the old-fashioned way. Yet. Talulah's aware of it, like some ghost from a horror film getting a little closer every time she looks away. It's inevitable, and she should have already steeled herself, but...things like Yelena coming to live in the capital don't help.

It really would be awful if she let the gloom of her own thoughts ruin the sunny atmosphere, so she sweeps them aside, thanks the sever, and turns back to Yelena with a small smile.]

So you do just like spicy things in general?

It'd be hard to eat those candies all the time if I didn't. And I got tacos— you're supposed to put sauce on those, aren't you?

[ she douses the taco fillings with a generous amount of sauce when the waitress returns, with a hand just light enough to stay within what most people would consider acceptable bounds. ]

Besides Tara ... how have you been doing in Londinium? It's been a while since you lived there, right?

[ from what she remembers, she think Talulah spent some time there at the military academy. Kaschey likely had property in the city too, though gossip said his main residence was a manor in the country that looked like something out of a horror movie. ]

It could have just been the candy. But you're right that tacos go better with hot sauce.

[Talulah shrugs a little, and picks out the meat from one of the shellfin shells in her pasta.

Kashchey's manor near Londinium had been old and stately and downright awful. She hated spending any time there, and the Academy dorms, as crowded and bare-bones as they are, had always been more comfortable.]

The city's changed a lot from what I remember, but the temporary quarters I'm at while they're prettying up the Palace of Westhaleg are nice. It'll take a bit longer before I can stay there, especially since other repairs are more important.

The palace still isn't habitable? Did the grand dukes really just let something like that rot in the middle of the capital?

[ that does match their reports, though it underscores the haphazard nature of the duke's time ruling the nation. symbols of the royal family weren't destroyed to avoid backlash from the citizenship, but they couldn't be used unless all of the dukes could be tied to it, maintaining their precarious alliance so no one duke would seem more powerful than the others.

Yelena eats with her hands, the gloves she perpetually wears in her field and dress uniforms missing. Talulah likely hasn't seen her without them since their time in Hillock, and the spiderweb of delicately-thin scars are significantly more noticeable in the Siesta afternoon light. ]

They did. When we did a full evaluation, it was pretty bad. But I also wanted to change that throne room as much as I could. It's now or never.

[The fewer reminders of what went on in there, the better.

Talulah does remember noticing the scars in Hillock, and is reminded of them now that they're reflected strongly in the bright sunshine. She is a little curious about their origin, if it comes from Yelena's past before she'd been adopted that some of the Yetis and other Ursus officers mentioned vaguely, or if it's from weapons training.

She doesn't really want to mention it out of the blue, so she decides to wait until the next time...they hold hands? She blinks, wondering why she thinks that's inevitable, before brushing that bizarre thought to the side.]

There were also several arguments about what to do with those tunnels.

[ Yelena never considered Talulah might want to redecorate that room, both because she's generally uninterested in that sort of thing and because she didn't realize how much their encounter in front of the throne had effected her. in her mind, it was a macabre puppet show orchestrated by an covert enemy. no one worth mentioning would actually believe that called Talulah's claim into question, not without having their own cynical ambitions at play. ]

Yeah? I think I mentioned it then, but it's normal to have escape routes built into old palaces. Did you find something weird about them?

[ she hasn't been up completely up to speed on that part of the reconstruction. having the palace's hidden passageways connected to the extensive tunnel system under the city could create a few problems. ]

Well, some of my advisors don't like them because now they're a known entity, and don't lead just outside the palace. They want the tunnels entirely destroyed and some new escape route built. As you can guess, the opposition thinks that's a waste of time and resources.

[There is a small group that is absolutely beside themselves that there's no place suitable for hosting large-scale diplomatic events, and is also neutral with respect to the dukes. They want the palace finished faster than anything else because of that.

As for the throne room, the question of her claim didn't unnerve her quite as much as the idea of sitting in the same place that corpse had for all those years, a dreadful secret the dukes could neither erase nor abide. However meaninglessly symbolic it may be, she much prefers getting rid of that tall dias and putting in something new instead.]

I managed to convince them of a compromise to seal up only the ones that lead elsewhere for now. Although...you might already know if Fremont has been in touch, there hasn't been much movement regarding the other incident that happened down there.

That's kind of a shame. Having your own secret passages under the city sounds convenient.

[ they're not entirely secret, though. the Londinium resistance knows about them, along with any civilians they sheltered or evacuated through the underground, which is probably why Talulah's cabinet wants them blocked off. ]

I figured he hadn't found anything since I never got a reply to my first message. He's not the type to waste time writing letters until he has something to say.

[ having the unknown element of Clovisia still at large has been a point of frustration. at least moving to Londinium will keep Yelena close to Talulah's side should the "fairy" ever show herself again— not that Talulah's people can't look after her. Yelena just ... wants to see it through herself. ]

It is, but only if a few other people know about them. The current ones are too much of an open secret.

[Which is the whole problem. Talulah can't say she entirely disagrees with the ones who are upset at the weakness in their defenses, but she also found their solution a tad overzealous.]

The only thing he told me is that apparently, some people can just be...like that. Live as long as certain Sarkaz, if not more. So they gain a sort of mythos around themselves. But that's all he knows.

[So maybe Clovisia is a liar and a madwoman, or maybe she's not. Talulah simply doesn't like that there's not a neat end to this whole affair yet, but it is a little comforting that Yelena will be around. And not just because she's one of the few people who knows everything that occurred in the palace and tunnels.]

There's a chance he'll turn something up later, if he decides it's important enough to look into.

[ the lich king has his own set of priorities, and it's hard to say how high assisting the new queen of Victoria ranks among them.

idly licking a bit of stray sauce off her fingers, Yelena shakes her head, suddenly feeling like poor company for leading the conversation in this direction. this was supposed to be a vacation, not a strategy meeting with nicer views. ]

Besides that ... you said you've been mostly been working so far, right? Was there anything you wanted to do in Siesta?

[Despite how gloomy or serious the topics are, Talulah doesn't really mind. She thought it had been inevitable that they arrive at this kind of conversation at least once or twice.

At Yelena's question, she pauses, rolling her straw between her fingers in her glass as she thinks.]

Fin catching? [She's mostly teasing with that suggestion. It's boring for anyone who doesn't already think it's a fun time.] Just kidding. Besides the usual stuff, I hear there's a stretch of the beach nearer to the volcano that attracts bioluminescent fins and things. It's supposed to be pretty at night.

[ Yelena silently mouths the words "fin catching?" before she realizes Talulah's teasing, mouth twisting into a pout as she responds to her more serious answer. ]

I don't think I heard about that one. It might be cool to see.

[ possibly because going out to a secluded beach after dark was what most people would place squarely in the places to take a date category. but it does sound interesting, and it's not like there are actual rules about where you're allowed to go with friends.

she probably needs to secure some actual beach clothes before she starts considering any of that too intensely. ]

Did you still want to come shopping after this? We could meet up somewhere later if you changed your mind.

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