Cassius Actaeon
Noble
*Voted Best Foreign Character and Member of Best Overall Thread 2010*
Posts: 66
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Post by Cassius Actaeon on Sept 20, 2011 12:23:58 GMT -5
It was so easy to march on the City that I was almost disappointed. My plan had worked perfectly, and while the Skaldics and the D'angelines were at each other's throats, I was burning a path to the City of Elua, and now I stood before its shining walls, my army dwarfing the pittance that they had left behind for defense.
The City was beautiful, I'd grant that and I had a mind not to damage the walls overmuch in taking it, because this would be the seat of my power. I'd already claimed several more D'angeline women for my own, passing them out among my men as gifts or favors, and I relished the idea of having at their royalty. A pity the Queen wasn't here, I would have loved to have her dance attendance on me and it would surely break this nation's people to see such a thing. Well, there was still time, I may yet get my hands on her.
For now though, we ringed the City and set up camp while I sent ahead a letter for the Prince. I wondered who would have been here if he hadn't been allowed ot wake, but it did not matter, I would deal with this man as well as any other.
I would give them once chance to surrender without bloodshed, because I was magnanimous in victory, which I knew was assured. If they declined, then there would be blood, but in the end the City would be mine either way.
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Post by Prince Christien de la Courcel on Sept 20, 2011 13:30:56 GMT -5
Ruling the City in my sister's absence only confirmed one thing: that I was rather glad to leave it to her. It was tedious, for the most part, and I quickly tired of hearing the petty gripes of nobles. Thank Elua for Parliament, who themselves were petty nobles at least some of the time, but who were also ingratiating and perfectly willing to do things that I had no head for. Not everything, of course, but enough.
Still some things weighed on me, most especially those concerning... no, I didn't want to think about that now. Not with this man in front of me, a messenger from the army that was camped out in front of the City walls. I'd read it three times and still it did not make any sense to me. Who the hell was Cassius Actaeon and what did he want with Terre d'Ange?
What any conqueror wanted, I supposed. Glory and riches and who knew what else. Of course I had no intention on surrendering and I had half a mind to send that message back with his messenger's head, but that was not my way, not even now.
I sent him back instead with a message of my own: leave now and survive, stay and fight, either way, Terre d'Ange would not surrender to some madman from across the sea. I couldn't dispatch a message to my sister, not while surrounded, but I could only hope that she would sense my need and come.
Whatever bravado I displayed, the truth was that the City could not withstand this man and his army for very long.
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Elliot L'Envers
Noble
His Grace the Duc L'Envers, Sovereign Duc of Namarre
Posts: 2,923
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Post by Elliot L'Envers on Sept 22, 2011 19:49:08 GMT -5
Word of an army sitting outside the gates of the City didn't take long to reach the people- but then, how could you keep something like that quiet for long? It was an army, no small thing indeed, and the sheer movement of them through Siovale had made some small ripples, though not the larger ones that could have come from having any sort of soldiers there. They were at war on the Skaldi front though, not defending their lands, and all of this had a distinctly sour feel to it. History told us Benedicte's plan from La Serenissima had differed only in the fact he had more allies within our nation to attack us, but at least this army would be spread more thinly being so far from their base.
That didn't make them any less of a threat though. Oh no, I knew the stories about how my relative Barquiel had held the City for Ysandre's return, and the difficulties that had caused. Now we had almost no armies at all. We had to hold what we could though.
I hadn't held a sword in years, but hopefully I could still manage if it was needed, and some of my servants and reserves could too, what ones weren't currently in Camlach, and I sent them to help hold the walls. A small thing, but sometimes those could make the difference.
Now there was only listening, and waiting, and hoping that the worst wouldn't come to pass.
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