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For the past millennium, the Kingdoms of Thanasi and Kotas had been bitter rivals and sworn enemies. Ever since they had split into two, they adamantly refused to cooperate in even the most basic of ways. It seemed an impossibility for a citizen of one kingdom to hold up the simplest of conversations with one from the other, and any kind of trade deal was naturally completely impossible to broker as a result. For many years, there had been no solution, and most had merely come to accept this as the way things would always be. No Thanasi could ever care for a Kotas, and vice versa.
But, only fifty years back, a new agreement had been made. The ruling families of either kingdom had come together, and a peace treaty had been negotiated. Once a decade, the families would come together again to discuss the settlement and consider new plans for their future.
Today, the 5th of November, 1693, would be the fifth of those meetings. This year, they would be convening within the palace of the Kotas Kingdom, as the Thanasis had had their turn the year before. It was the first meeting that would be presided over by the new monarch, King Dysius of Thanasi, though many called him nothing more than a puppet under the control of his eldest sister. It was no surprise, then, that Nethis too was attending the proceedings, as was the King's younger brother, Mihail, who, as Master of Spies and current heir to the throne, was deemed a necessary presence at all diplomatic events.
Mihail might have been an essential attendee at each of these meetings, but he would not deny he found them excruciatingly dull. He had considered them less interesting still when he had been younger, and it had been his father who had run things - he had been fourteen at the last meeting and only second in line to the throne, forced to attend solely because the meeting had been held in his home - but now that he had an actual role to play in the grand scheme of things, his interest levels had merely waned further. Still, he had little choice, and on that Thursday morning, the young royal found himself seated in a carriage opposite the two siblings who would also be attending, one leg crossed over the other. Dysius and Nethis were discussing something or other which failed to capture Mihail's attention. It was, he was confident, related to the summit, and, having never truly believed that they should be playing nice with the Kotas Kingdom nor that this treaty was of any use at all, he had neglected to comment or pay them any heed, instead glancing out of the window at the landscapes they passed.
One would be hard-pressed to say anything negative about the look of the place: even he had to attest to its beauty. Perhaps the brightness of the day and the warmth of the weather, so unseasonable for November, was affecting his views, as it improved the scenery tenfold: the grass seemed greener somehow, and the sky had taken on a more cerulean hue. There was a certain jolliness to the place which felt faked somehow, almost staged for the occasion. Whether or not that was the case Mihail would never know - this was not a place he ever planned to visit himself - but if it was, then he appreciated the sentiment. Those who knew how to fake their way to the top, they deserved the praise. It was in the Thanasi words, after all. Forging victory meant carving your way to triumph by any means necessary.
A word from his sister caused him to turn his head, raising an eyebrow at her suggestion. "You shall be prepared for this afternoon, won't you, Mihail?"
"I am fully prepared. As you need me, I shall be available," he responded, waving the comment away. Perhaps he was not entirely interested in the matters at hand, but that did not mean he did not take pride in his role, nor did it mean Mihail was never prepared. He may have had a mild habit of slacking when subjects failed to capture his awareness, but it was only human. The intelligence he provided his brother was second to none, and he had no doubts that, if war were ever to surface between themselves and their rivals again, they would be able to destroy them on rumour alone. "Do not underestimate me, Nethis."
She seemed pleased by this answer, though said nothing, the rest of the journey continuing in silence before they finally came to a stop in the stone courtyard of the Kotas palace. Dysius exited first and, out of some consideration for the volume of her dark dress, Mihail allowed his sister to go before him, following the group as the natural courtesies were exchanged. He wore a jaded expression, bowing and shaking hands at all the appropriate moments, unbothered by how his siblings might react to his current behaviour. He did not wish to be here. He would make that clear as necessary.
* * *
The summit was taking forever.
Fortunately, a recess had been called for rest and refreshment with plans to reconvene in a few hours. It was a relief to Mihail, for sure, as he had not exactly been required just yet, and he had been passing the hours drumming his fingers on the tabletop until Dysius had shot him a glare. What they had requested a Master of Spies for during a meeting such as this was a mystery to Mihail, especially given that he had provided all desired information before they had even left home. The break was welcome.
While the others were distracted, he had disappeared into the depths of the palace. It was the ideal situation to find cause for a rumour, and with the majority of people of import in one room, guards were barely monitoring the rest of the palace as intently. Perhaps Mihail looked a little out of place in his unmistakably Thanasi garb - the black of his clothes paired with the deep sanguine red of his cravat left his home nation up to no debate - but those that mattered would have been well aware of the peace treaty being discussed that day, and his presence in the palace would be less disputed than on any other occasion. It had been all too easy to slip out.
He had escaped the public areas of the building quickly, making his way up the impressive stairwell in the grand entrance hall with a level of discreetness that even his own spies might have been envious of, and it wasn't long before the man was walking the corridors of the private family quarters armed with intentions to find some dirt on them and an excuse that he was so dearly sorry but he must have gotten lost were he discovered. They may have been negotiating the terms of their peace, but Mihail refused to allow them any potential advantage, and any secrets would be uncovered.
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For the past millennium, the Kingdoms of Thanasi and Kotas had been bitter rivals and sworn enemies. Ever since they had split into two, they adamantly refused to cooperate in even the most basic of ways. It seemed an impossibility for a citizen of one kingdom to hold up the simplest of conversations with one from the other, and any kind of trade deal was naturally completely impossible to broker as a result. For many years, there had been no solution, and most had merely come to accept this as the way things would always be. No Thanasi could ever care for a Kotas, and vice versa.
But, only fifty years back, a new agreement had been made. The ruling families of either kingdom had come together, and a peace treaty had been negotiated. Once a decade, the families would come together again to discuss the settlement and consider new plans for their future.
Today, the 5th of November, 1693, would be the fifth of those meetings. This year, they would be convening within the palace of the Kotas Kingdom, as the Thanasis had had their turn the year before. It was the first meeting that would be presided over by the new monarch, King Dysius of Thanasi, though many called him nothing more than a puppet under the control of his eldest sister. It was no surprise, then, that Nethis too was attending the proceedings, as was the King's younger brother, Mihail, who, as Master of Spies and current heir to the throne, was deemed a necessary presence at all diplomatic events.
Mihail might have been an essential attendee at each of these meetings, but he would not deny he found them excruciatingly dull. He had considered them less interesting still when he had been younger, and it had been his father who had run things - he had been fourteen at the last meeting and only second in line to the throne, forced to attend solely because the meeting had been held in his home - but now that he had an actual role to play in the grand scheme of things, his interest levels had merely waned further. Still, he had little choice, and on that Thursday morning, the young royal found himself seated in a carriage opposite the two siblings who would also be attending, one leg crossed over the other. Dysius and Nethis were discussing something or other which failed to capture Mihail's attention. It was, he was confident, related to the summit, and, having never truly believed that they should be playing nice with the Kotas Kingdom nor that this treaty was of any use at all, he had neglected to comment or pay them any heed, instead glancing out of the window at the landscapes they passed.
One would be hard-pressed to say anything negative about the look of the place: even he had to attest to its beauty. Perhaps the brightness of the day and the warmth of the weather, so unseasonable for November, was affecting his views, as it improved the scenery tenfold: the grass seemed greener somehow, and the sky had taken on a more cerulean hue. There was a certain jolliness to the place which felt faked somehow, almost staged for the occasion. Whether or not that was the case Mihail would never know - this was not a place he ever planned to visit himself - but if it was, then he appreciated the sentiment. Those who knew how to fake their way to the top, they deserved the praise. It was in the Thanasi words, after all. Forging victory meant carving your way to triumph by any means necessary.
A word from his sister caused him to turn his head, raising an eyebrow at her suggestion. "You shall be prepared for this afternoon, won't you, Mihail?"
"I am fully prepared. As you need me, I shall be available," he responded, waving the comment away. Perhaps he was not entirely interested in the matters at hand, but that did not mean he did not take pride in his role, nor did it mean Mihail was never prepared. He may have had a mild habit of slacking when subjects failed to capture his awareness, but it was only human. The intelligence he provided his brother was second to none, and he had no doubts that, if war were ever to surface between themselves and their rivals again, they would be able to destroy them on rumour alone. "Do not underestimate me, Nethis."
She seemed pleased by this answer, though said nothing, the rest of the journey continuing in silence before they finally came to a stop in the stone courtyard of the Kotas palace. Dysius exited first and, out of some consideration for the volume of her dark dress, Mihail allowed his sister to go before him, following the group as the natural courtesies were exchanged. He wore a jaded expression, bowing and shaking hands at all the appropriate moments, unbothered by how his siblings might react to his current behaviour. He did not wish to be here. He would make that clear as necessary.
* * *
The summit was taking forever.
Fortunately, a recess had been called for rest and refreshment with plans to reconvene in a few hours. It was a relief to Mihail, for sure, as he had not exactly been required just yet, and he had been passing the hours drumming his fingers on the tabletop until Dysius had shot him a glare. What they had requested a Master of Spies for during a meeting such as this was a mystery to Mihail, especially given that he had provided all desired information before they had even left home. The break was welcome.
While the others were distracted, he had disappeared into the depths of the palace. It was the ideal situation to find cause for a rumour, and with the majority of people of import in one room, guards were barely monitoring the rest of the palace as intently. Perhaps Mihail looked a little out of place in his unmistakably Thanasi garb - the black of his clothes paired with the deep sanguine red of his cravat left his home nation up to no debate - but those that mattered would have been well aware of the peace treaty being discussed that day, and his presence in the palace would be less disputed than on any other occasion. It had been all too easy to slip out.
He had escaped the public areas of the building quickly, making his way up the impressive stairwell in the grand entrance hall with a level of discreetness that even his own spies might have been envious of, and it wasn't long before the man was walking the corridors of the private family quarters armed with intentions to find some dirt on them and an excuse that he was so dearly sorry but he must have gotten lost were he discovered. They may have been negotiating the terms of their peace, but Mihail refused to allow them any potential advantage, and any secrets would be uncovered.
For the past millennium, the Kingdoms of Thanasi and Kotas had been bitter rivals and sworn enemies. Ever since they had split into two, they adamantly refused to cooperate in even the most basic of ways. It seemed an impossibility for a citizen of one kingdom to hold up the simplest of conversations with one from the other, and any kind of trade deal was naturally completely impossible to broker as a result. For many years, there had been no solution, and most had merely come to accept this as the way things would always be. No Thanasi could ever care for a Kotas, and vice versa.
But, only fifty years back, a new agreement had been made. The ruling families of either kingdom had come together, and a peace treaty had been negotiated. Once a decade, the families would come together again to discuss the settlement and consider new plans for their future.
Today, the 5th of November, 1693, would be the fifth of those meetings. This year, they would be convening within the palace of the Kotas Kingdom, as the Thanasis had had their turn the year before. It was the first meeting that would be presided over by the new monarch, King Dysius of Thanasi, though many called him nothing more than a puppet under the control of his eldest sister. It was no surprise, then, that Nethis too was attending the proceedings, as was the King's younger brother, Mihail, who, as Master of Spies and current heir to the throne, was deemed a necessary presence at all diplomatic events.
Mihail might have been an essential attendee at each of these meetings, but he would not deny he found them excruciatingly dull. He had considered them less interesting still when he had been younger, and it had been his father who had run things - he had been fourteen at the last meeting and only second in line to the throne, forced to attend solely because the meeting had been held in his home - but now that he had an actual role to play in the grand scheme of things, his interest levels had merely waned further. Still, he had little choice, and on that Thursday morning, the young royal found himself seated in a carriage opposite the two siblings who would also be attending, one leg crossed over the other. Dysius and Nethis were discussing something or other which failed to capture Mihail's attention. It was, he was confident, related to the summit, and, having never truly believed that they should be playing nice with the Kotas Kingdom nor that this treaty was of any use at all, he had neglected to comment or pay them any heed, instead glancing out of the window at the landscapes they passed.
One would be hard-pressed to say anything negative about the look of the place: even he had to attest to its beauty. Perhaps the brightness of the day and the warmth of the weather, so unseasonable for November, was affecting his views, as it improved the scenery tenfold: the grass seemed greener somehow, and the sky had taken on a more cerulean hue. There was a certain jolliness to the place which felt faked somehow, almost staged for the occasion. Whether or not that was the case Mihail would never know - this was not a place he ever planned to visit himself - but if it was, then he appreciated the sentiment. Those who knew how to fake their way to the top, they deserved the praise. It was in the Thanasi words, after all. Forging victory meant carving your way to triumph by any means necessary.
A word from his sister caused him to turn his head, raising an eyebrow at her suggestion. "You shall be prepared for this afternoon, won't you, Mihail?"
"I am fully prepared. As you need me, I shall be available," he responded, waving the comment away. Perhaps he was not entirely interested in the matters at hand, but that did not mean he did not take pride in his role, nor did it mean Mihail was never prepared. He may have had a mild habit of slacking when subjects failed to capture his awareness, but it was only human. The intelligence he provided his brother was second to none, and he had no doubts that, if war were ever to surface between themselves and their rivals again, they would be able to destroy them on rumour alone. "Do not underestimate me, Nethis."
She seemed pleased by this answer, though said nothing, the rest of the journey continuing in silence before they finally came to a stop in the stone courtyard of the Kotas palace. Dysius exited first and, out of some consideration for the volume of her dark dress, Mihail allowed his sister to go before him, following the group as the natural courtesies were exchanged. He wore a jaded expression, bowing and shaking hands at all the appropriate moments, unbothered by how his siblings might react to his current behaviour. He did not wish to be here. He would make that clear as necessary.
* * *
The summit was taking forever.
Fortunately, a recess had been called for rest and refreshment with plans to reconvene in a few hours. It was a relief to Mihail, for sure, as he had not exactly been required just yet, and he had been passing the hours drumming his fingers on the tabletop until Dysius had shot him a glare. What they had requested a Master of Spies for during a meeting such as this was a mystery to Mihail, especially given that he had provided all desired information before they had even left home. The break was welcome.
While the others were distracted, he had disappeared into the depths of the palace. It was the ideal situation to find cause for a rumour, and with the majority of people of import in one room, guards were barely monitoring the rest of the palace as intently. Perhaps Mihail looked a little out of place in his unmistakably Thanasi garb - the black of his clothes paired with the deep sanguine red of his cravat left his home nation up to no debate - but those that mattered would have been well aware of the peace treaty being discussed that day, and his presence in the palace would be less disputed than on any other occasion. It had been all too easy to slip out.
He had escaped the public areas of the building quickly, making his way up the impressive stairwell in the grand entrance hall with a level of discreetness that even his own spies might have been envious of, and it wasn't long before the man was walking the corridors of the private family quarters armed with intentions to find some dirt on them and an excuse that he was so dearly sorry but he must have gotten lost were he discovered. They may have been negotiating the terms of their peace, but Mihail refused to allow them any potential advantage, and any secrets would be uncovered.