A/N: Back to this series.
Concerto of Two World-Changers, Part VIII
Prelude to the Storm
Tolcariath met with Tzar Schedrin Romanov of Kislev, introducing his daughter Avycael to him in the hopes of a political marriage to secure a lasting alliance with the northern nation. Kislev had long been looked down upon as a backward and savage nation, and people often conveniently forgot they were the first line of defense against Chaos when they invaded from the north.
Their situation had barely improved before the Prussian Empire came, and almost as immediately as they forged the alliance, a badly-needed influx of talent and resources poured into Kislev in one long snaking baggage train, escorted by a massive army of a hundred thousand men.
Following that baggage train was thousands of bureaucrats, generals, architects and even religious advisors that paled in comparison to the number of Schedrin's courtiers, all evenly distributed across all towns, cities and villages in need of urgent renovations.
Schedrin was busy binging on a bottle of vodka, his eyes staring into space.
"Suka blyat, I didn't expect this kind of generosity…" He drunkedly muttered, "What's next, plans to help us conquer all of Norsca!?"
Schedrin was too drunk to notice his own wife Avycael snatch the bottle out of his hands, looking terribly cross.
"What do you think you're doing?" She questioned.
"I… er…"
Unused to dealing with such a cross wife, Schedrin was certainly not expecting her to carry and manhandle him like a ragdoll, drawing him out of his stupor.
"Wha-Put me down, woman! By the Widow, please put me down!" He screamed.
"No, we've got mountains of paperwork to handle, and you're doing your job!" Avycael countered, running at full speed towards the office.
"Someone please, rescue me from this madwoman!" Schedrin squealed, "Please, anyone!"
Alas, the fierce-looking face on Avycael's face was enough to scare everyone who caught sight of them, and every onlooker did their best to be the transient air.
IIOII
It was in the Graf's Palace of Middenheim that Agatha Lormoy approached the Prussian monarchs, and immediately she felt herself straining to maintain her posture at the sheer air of dignity the two radiated.
It was all she could do to not tremble.
"My humblest greetings to His and Her Imperial Majesties of Prussia," Said Agatha, "I am here on behalf of Emperor Dracul of Wallachia to strengthen bonds between our nations."
"At ease," Said Tolcariath, "I have to admit, I did not expect a visit from Wallachia so soon after its unification under Dracul's rule."
"Is it not precisely because of such circumstances that diplomacy takes great importance, Eure Majestät?" Said Agatha.
Gunthilde softly smiled, saying, "You do have a good point."
"Regardless, I come to seek alliance with the Empire of Prussia, and with the hopes you can officially recognise our country as a sovereign state," Said Agatha.
"Easily granted," Said Tolcariath, "Even then, I have to question why you'd seek an alliance with Prussia – the very nation that crushed the Von Carsteins of Sylvania and the Lahmians of Silver Pinnacle."
"Neither faction is aligned with us, and truthfully, we've had severe issues with the latter for a while now," Said Agatha, her voice betraying nothing, "And the Lahmians were more distant, though neither do we care for them."
"I see," Said Tolcariath, "And might I ask what do you hope to gain from an alliance with us? From what I know, your armies number in the tens of millions and your dragons in the hundreds of thousands, and you're certainly not lacking in magical might or the talent for innovation."
"Whilst you are right about that, I must state that the consequences of your actions in Karak Ghumzul reverberate in the deepest depths of the Warp," Said Agatha, "My Master is extremely sensitive to changes in the Warp, and he believes that sooner or later, both of us will have a massive invasion of our lands."
"…I must admit, I do not expect the remaining three Chaos Gods to remain idle," Tolcariath said frowningly, "And it won't be only the Great Three as well; others like the Horned Rat and the Gods of Law will want a piece of the action."
"Indeed, you are correct, Eure Majestät," Said Agatha, "We are willing to agree to an alliance of mutual benefit in exchange for official recognition of sovereignty, among other things."
"Then let us begin the talks, yes?" Said Tolcariath.
The negotiations would take the better part of the day, and at the end, the terms of what would be known as the Phoenix-Dragon Concordant were signed.
The terms were as follows:
- Both Wallachia and Prussia recognise each other as sovereign states of significant strength and size, and neither shall invade the other without due cause or reason.
- Both Empires are in an alliance of mutual benefit, and shall march to the other's aid in times of war when needed.
- Trade rights are granted to their merchants of all denominations, their goods exempt from tariffs and taxes and imported at discounted prices.
- All their borders are recognised at their current boundaries and shall not be renegotiated or changed for any reason.
- No religious cults of either side shall instigate any conflict, the consequences of which shall see them dealt with accordingly.
- Technology sharing between either country requires approval from both parties, unless existential circumstances mandate it.
And then, as the terms were negotiated, the time came for the monarchs of the two nations to meet.
IIOII
The guardsmen stood nervously as they received a massive entourage of Vampires, Necromancers and Undead warriors, the air palpable with thick tension.
Stepping off his horse, the black-clad form of Dracul was awe-inspiring and terrifying to all who watched. His crimson eyes beheld the architecture of the Graf's Palace with great interest – mighty, imposing and majestic, yet all but impenetrable to the strongest of assaults or the cleverest of schemes.
"Gods, the Emperor of Wallachia in the flesh…"
"I feel like my stomach's churning…"
To their credit, the Ula-Endumiel – Tolcariath's army of Grail-Knight-quality Knights – stood unflinchingly before the Emperor of Midnight as he strolled forth, their posture betraying nothing, their stances unmoving.
And so, the World-Changers would meet for the very first time.
"Allow me to give my greetings," Said Dracul as he stood before Tolcariath, "Dracul, First Emperor of Wallachia, Father of the Night."
Lesser men would flinch and tremble at his massive presence, as if they would be swallowed whole by this alone.
"Tolcariath Toddbringer, The Blazing Dragon, Emperor-Consort of Prussia."
"Gunthilde Toddbringer, The Motherly Wolf, Empress of Prussia."
A scalding air emanated from the Prussian monarchs, shocking the others present.
"Oh? Despite your appearance, you are quite the ferocious-looking leaders," Said Dracul, "Not bad."
"We could say the same of you, Dracul," Said Tolcariath smilingly.
"I wish to talk more with you, but might we take this elsewhere?" Asked Dracul, "I fear some topic I plan to discuss would upset more than a few officials present."
"Easily arranged," Said Gunthilde, "Come, let us withdraw for now."
"Before that, might I ask that Phantom Lord Trarcan and Agatha accompany us?" Asked Dracul, "I must insist on their accompaniment, so you know."
Tolcariath stared at him for the briefest of moments, and after exchanging a nod with Gunthilde, he said, "Very well, they may come."
"Good," Said Dracul, "Lead the way."
They made their way to one of the private guest rooms of the Palace, where maids and butlers uneasily served them food and drink – the finest grown in the Empire. Roast meats, stir-fried vegetables, fruit tea and wine, no expense was spared.
"Mm, delicious," Said Dracul, "Not half bad at all."
"Of course," Said Gunthilde, "These are our best chefs' specialties."
"I dare say our chefs at Mousilion can give them a run for their money," Agatha commented.
"Then I'll look forward to a competition between them," Said Tolcariath, "But enough of that; let's get onto business."
Leaning forward, Tolcariath asked, "What is your true purpose for coming here?"
"Hmph, nothing escapes you, does it?" Said Dracul, "Very well, I'll start with this question: What are your plans for this world?"
Tolcariath smiled, saying, "To remake the world anew, according to my design."
"Your design?" Asked Dracul, "And you dare say it to me, a man who comes to make alliance with you?"
"Would you rather I lie about it instead?" Tolcariath countered, "And I could say the same of you; why have you come now of all times to seek an alliance when you could have done so earlier?"
"I had my own wars to fight, my own issues to handle – is it not the same with you?" Dracul said, "And if you say to remake the world in your design…"
The Father of Night's voice became dangerously low, cold enough to encase all in its icy touch.
"Do you mean to say, perhaps, that I am an enemy that you would have to inevitably grind into dust?"
Tolcariath met his gaze evenly and unflinchingly.
"If I have no other option."
The others looked at him with no small amount of shock and fear, barely controlling themselves from intervening due to Dracul's complete lack of action.
And slowly, he devolved into a hearty chuckle, saying, "A blunt and direct answer… I'm surprised. Not that I've met other Elves outside of Prussia, but I hear they often have a reputation for being… deceitful."
Tolcariath scoffed at that, saying, "I'm not those Elves."
"No, you're not," Said Dracul, "You're something more."
"Elaborate," Said Tolcariath, glancing to see Trarcan nervously looking at Dracul.
"You're a kind of ruler who, for better or worse, engulfs everything in a wave of fiery ambition that indiscriminately burns anything and everything that opposes it," Said Dracul, "And possibly those that support it as well. You clearly desire change more than anyone, and now that the Great Deceiver is gone, you are by far its greatest proponent."
"I could also say the same of you," Said Tolcariath, "You clearly desire change as well, and went as far as to butcher the old nobility of Bretonnia."
"Not as much as you," Said Dracul, "And judging by what you said, you plan to end this eternal war against Chaos and bring true lasting peace to this world?"
"Yes," Said Tolcariath, "For far too long, Chaos has hurt this world and its inhabitants more times than I've cared to count, and Tzeencth is merely the first. No one can stop this change to the next age. Nothing can."
"Then if you truly wish to do just that, surely you have an answer as to why I must eventually be removed as a potential enemy, O Emperor of Prussia?" Asked Dracul, "And I warn you, if I find that you are spouting nothing but crude vulgarities of conquest… then I shall be forced to raise an army and put Prussia to the torch first."
"W-Wait, Your Majesty," Said Trarcan, "Surely-"
"Trarcan," Said Tolcariath, beckoning him to sit down.
"Agatha, you as well," Said Dracul.
Reluctantly, they both sat down, and throughout the whole discussion thus far, Gunthilde remained eerily silent.
"If you need an answer, I have it," Said Tolcariath.
"Oh? Do tell," Said Dracul.
"To truly remake the world into my design, I must have the Empire expand its lands, and as you can guess, that will mean the absorption of smaller, weaker countries," Said Tolcariath, "And to conquer them means to make them feel an abject sense of terror and loss."
"That, to me, sounds like depravity," Said Dracul, "After all, you said yourself that you will inevitably make them feel such terror at your rule."
"Yes, that is true. Even so, to focus on that alone is a failure on my part as Emperor. As such, we must convince the people that conquering their land is not for the sake of conquest, but building a new age," Said Tolcariath, "We must integrate them as our own citizens, never treat them as slaves, and from there, begin their slow road to adaptation as citizens of Prussia. Whether it be through frequent contact by trade, education or common enlistment in the army, such small steps are necessary to-"
"That is nothing more than a naïve fantasy!" Dracul shouted, surprising the others, "Yes, I know that to integrate foreigners into citizens is a necessary step, but we're talking entire countries here! Within those countries lie a multitude of languages, cultures, customs and religions that will prove alien and unfamiliar to your bureaucrats, making integration that much harder! You cannot possibly hope to unite them without superimposing your will upon them all."
"…I admit that you are right," Said Tolcariath.
"Can I ask you, then, why do you want so much to annex other nations under Prussia's banner?" Asked Dracul, "Do you not have an alliance with the Dawi of the Karaz Ankor? Do you not have the Asrai of Laurelorn under your banner? Do you not have an alliance with Kislev to the north? Do you not have a beneficial trade agreement with Ulthuan? What for, then, do you need to grow your Empire ever larger at the cost of others, when you could easily turn Prussia into a world power with what you have?"
Tolcariath took a deep breath, heavy and forlorn.
"Because I've seen how disparate nations will always follow their own interests and agendas," He said, "In my time as a mercenary, I've thought of one thing: Living beings are foolish and short-sighted. And… as the leader of a nation, I cannot be dependent on others to reach my goals – I must use and expand my own power for this."
"Living beings? Not Humans or Dwarves?" Asked Dracul.
"We Elves can be selfish – we are selfish, just as every other living being," Said Tolcariath, "You think the Elves of Ulthuan are not selfish?"
"That is true," Said Dracul, "So what gives you the right to judge them?"
"The fact that rather than truly help the world become a better place, they manipulate and judge as they please with no real concern for others," Said Tolcariath, "I know of a few good souls from there, but the truth is that the majority of Asur in general are completely apathetic to the rest of the world, and consider alliances as fleeting things. Why do you think the Dwarves have such longstanding grudges with them?"
"Alas, I have also felt the same when meeting their diplomats," Dracul admitted, "Then again, they have so much confidence in Ulthuan's defences that they are quite detached from the world's affairs."
"And so much of the world is bitterly divided as well," Said Tolcariath, "Which is why to truly make the world a better place, it must be united under our banner, their laws assimilated into a unified code, and their loyalty towards one monarchy and one alone: Ours."
Dracul nodded and said, "So tell me then, what would you use to unify them all?"
"The path to unification involves great military might against resistors," Said Tolcariath, "But to unify them, Man must never be allowed to rule over them."
Agatha and Trarcan looked with great confusion at Tolcariath.
"Oh? If not Man, then what?" Asked Dracul.
"Law," Said Tolcariath.
"Law?" Asked Dracul.
"Yes, Law. It is the one and only thing that shall rule all these disparate provinces as one singular nation," Said Tolcariath, "And so it will be given the absolute highest power to rule over and integrate all as citizens of my Empire – my world. A world where everyone must answer to the law regardless of social status."
"…And you're saying that not even the royalty or nobility are above it?" Asked Dracul, "Such a thing can hardly be considered an Empire, yes?"
"A trifling matter," Said Tolcariath.
Dracul leaned back in his seat, a smile slowly forming on his face.
"Not the cleanest of answers… but certainly not a bad one," Said Dracul, "It seems it could be made possible under your rule, after all."
"Dracul, you mean…?"
"Hold on, I'm not saying I automatically accept your reasoning," Said Dracul, "I'm just saying it could be made possible under you, that's all."
Tolcariath nodded silently at this.
"Beg your pardon, Eure Majestät, but… what is your opinion regarding your alliance with the Dwarves?" Asked Agatha.
Tolcariath sighed once again, then said, "I'd really not want to think badly about them, but… the Conservatives are a huge obstacle. High King Thogrim Grudgebearer is a good man and genuinely wants change in the Karaz Ankor through the Radicals, but the Conservatives resist change tooth and nail, and he does not have absolute authority over every single Hold. If anything, they will pose the greatest challenge to truly unifying the Karaz Ankor – their political games are ancient and ruthless."
"I've only seen a facsimile of it in Karak Norn, but I get your point," Said Agatha.
"And I hear you've been making great strides in researching new firearms and machines, yes?" Asked Dracul.
"Indeed, and that is where I've received many complaints from the Conservative Engineers," Said Tolcariath, "Some have even threatened to declare a grudge on me."
"I see," Said Dracul, "If worse comes to worst, you may face a war with the Dwarves in the future."
"Again, being staunch allies, I really do not want to have to deal with such a thing," Said Tolcariath, "But the world hardly cares for them or their ideas on innovation."
"Including you?" Asked Dracul.
"…Yes," Said Tolcariath.
"Very well, I can accept that," Said Dracul, "I admit, this has been a very fruitful and enjoyable talk. There's great value in discerning what kind of man you are," Said Dracul, "But I must ask: Why has Gunthilde remained silent this whole time?"
"I figured this was a talk between the two of you," Said Gunthilde, "And… I wanted to hear for myself what my husband has to say."
Dracul smiled, then said, "I'm afraid I have to take my leave for now, so take this piece of advice from me: Never lose sight of what you're fighting for. The moment you do, and your eyes become clouded by impurity, Wallachia shall fight to the last man to protect our home."
"Y-Your Majesty Dracul…!" Trarcan cried in alarm.
"Until then, we shall be content to be your allies and help where possible," Said Dracul, "Or observe on the sidelines. And furthermore, if you cannot make your vision a reality, they shall be nothing more than the foolish ramblings of a naïve child. Tell me, who is the greatest threat to your ambition?"
"The Chaos Gods, the Horned Rat, and especially the Gods of Law," Said Tolcariath.
"None other," Said Dracul, "I've been observing them for quite some time, and though you've managed to kill one of the Chaos Gods, they do not feel pressured, as if they have something up their sleeves. Chaos is a far greater monster than you give them credit for, Tolcariath."
And then, Dracul said one more thing.
"Wallachia shall also be expanding its power and reach," Said Dracul, "After all, it's hardly fair if allies are not equals in terms of power, yes?"
And so, Dracul and Agatha stood up and took their leave.
"My husband, is what you said really true?" Asked Gunthilde.
"All of it," Said Tolcariath.
And Gunthilde hugged him, saying, "I don't know what's going on in your mind, I don't know what's going to happen next. But… I trust you. You've never led us astray before, and you won't now."
"As do I trust you, My Lord," Said Trarcan.
"…Thank you, both of you," Said Tolcariath smilingly.
IIOII
"Votre Majesté, about l'empereur Tolcariath…"
"He is a man that appears only once every thousand years – a very unique existence," Said Dracul, "He is, perhaps a man the world desires the most."
"Votre Majesté, I don't understand…" Said Agatha.
"These lands… this entire world, desires peace from the constant wars wrought by Chaos and other things," Said Dracul, "And I suspect Tolcariath was born to make it a reality. Even then, his realm is still an infant in comparison, and he will sorely need allies."
"Hence why you agreed to having this alliance with Prussia?" Asked Agatha.
"That, and more," Said Dracul, "Men like him – like me – have a demon inside that needs to be tamed by a close confidant, and Tolcariath needs them to ensure he never loses sight of his goals."
"And if he loses sight of his goals?" Said Agatha.
"Well, there's more than just me who will be ready to take him down if he does," Said Dracul, "And it was worth journeying here to see him. Now there's only the matter of seeing where he goes from here."
"I see…" Said Agatha, "So where shall we expand?"
"We'll focus on areas closer to home," Said Dracul, "Have our missionaries arrived in Tilea and Estalia?"
"They have, Votre Majesté," Said Agatha, "Though the Tileans are resisting every effort to be unified under a singular banner."
"They are fanatically independent like the Estalians, but no matter," Said Dracul, "Tell them to continue as planned, and prepare to box in Skavenblight – ensure no Skaven escape the city."
"As you command," Said Agatha.
