With that and after @Void Stalker's contribution we're up to 5/10 votes, we have a pretty clear winning vote in the end.
[X] Undermine the idea that the Arsenal and the ships it produces are Etelan only
- [X] All of Sartier contributes to the RN, the Arsenal, and the Royals
[X] Discuss whether building Royals actually increases Etelan security
- [X] Suggest that it, instead, decreases Etelan security and weakens Sartier as a whole
[X] Circle back to the necessity of a strong, apolitical RN that works alongside all Houses for the safety and prosperity of Sartier against those who would bring us down (Teuv, Tranquility)
I for one do not want Royals to be in House Navy, that way lies an arms race. Also with Sonissimo control of the RN and thus the Arsenal what do you think the likelihood is that they would charge Tellar and Capo inflated rates for construction? Plus I don't think we could afford a naval arms race.
Unfortunately, there is, apparently, only the Arsenal, which means every Royal produced for a House is one less produced for the Royal Navy. This is a pretty big opportunity cost.
That's assuming that the Arsenal is producing as many ships as possible 24/7 year-round, which is... probably not correct? Especially in times of nominal peace, wartime production facilities aren't running at maximum output. I'd obviously have no problem with saying that the Royal Navy has priority if they want to build Royals for themselves, but I doubt they're utilizing their docks 100% of the time. Besides, at this point, they are only producing what Sonissimmo can afford to commission. If there are more sources ordering them, then they can either make more ships or afford to expand their production facilities.
Does Capo send their Royals to help fend off a pirate attack in the Dale-Vincennes area - which is closer to them than it is to, say, Tellar, who would be the nominal buyers of Royals for the Harper block - or do they wave as the pirate sails by to to hit Vincennes? Decentralized national defense is crap for a reason, which is why the RN and RA were created in the first place. Decentralized national defense with low national unity is even more crap.
House Royals would only be used in defense of the House that owns them unless a national mobilization was called for. So they wouldn't be forced to respond to pirate activity on the part of their neighbors. They certainly could, as any fleet could, but it would not be required. But if there's say, an invasion fleet from Teuv on the horizon, they all fall back under the Royal Navy's purview. Essentially, they are a more active version of the National Guard, acting in defense of their home House unless called to mobilize to deal with a national threat.
While decentralized national defense is "crap", that's what we have now, if you hadn't noticed. The Royal Army and the Royal Navy are not the only forces we will use in the event of an invasion. They'll form the core of our response, as that's what they're dedicated to, but they will be supplemented by forces pulled from all the Houses. So adding Royals to those "supplemental forces" won't significantly change... anything. Except then we'll have more magic-boosting ships.
It also plays back into all the analysis I did earlier re: Veekie's vote (weakens Sartier unity, weakens treaty stability, starts a naval arms race). I don't see any of that analysis answered in @Aegir's vote either so I don't find my concerns answered by his vote.
I honestly don't find myself agreeing with any of your analysis, really. It's easy enough to head off a naval arms race, especially since Royals are really bloody expensive, and we can set the same type of limit that we already have on professional troops.
Treaty stability has already been shot in the foot. We can use the opportunity presented to give ourselves a new advantage. Having Elite Naval Songweavers onboard Royals would be even more broken, and if we had Royals for all of our Veteran Songweavers as well, we'd gain decisive advantages in naval confrontations from now on.
I'm not sure how allowing Houses to see a traditional symbol of Sartierian unity such as the Royal out in their harbor flying their colors weakens Sartierian unity...
That's assuming that the Arsenal is producing as many ships as possible 24/7 year-round, which is... probably not correct? Especially in times of nominal peace, wartime production facilities aren't running at maximum output.
Neutral Factual Interjection: They're not running full-steam. The expansion to the docks is so that the number of slipways finally equal the size of a Task Force so that if things hit the fan in a big way a whole new Task Force can be pumped out in a year. Life-span, generally speaking, on your ships is 25 years. Can be pushed further to make up shortfalls by around five-ten years. By and large, though, there is 1-2 slipways in action unless losses/write-offs have been incurred during battle.
This is a background, abstracted process, however.
Didn't win the vote, but I felt like writing this up anyway. How I would write Evelyn's speech, I guess.
***
You set your hands on the arms of your chair and pushed yourself to your feet. Even as you stepped out towards the center of the room, you reflected on how much practice you've gotten in speaking over the last few years. As the first sets of eyes turned towards you, you felt no trepidation. Quite a far cry from the hothead that Hana had first met. Now it was time to prove it. "Perhaps another voice would help to enrich this particular discussion?"
The conversation halted abruptly, though you had a feeling that it was almost more of a habit rather than an actual sign of respect or surprise. The glare that Blake was sending you supported that particular idea.
Still, you were the center of attention now, so it was time to make the most of it. "Ladies and gentlemen, I must confess that when I received news of the construction of these four beautiful ships, I was struck by two contrasting emotions. The first, perhaps to your surprise, was elation. Yes, joy. Joy at the fact that Sartier was more strongly protected. Royals are the pride and joy of our fleets, and news of four more of them on the waves gave me reassurance that Sartier's power at sea was even more secured. Increasing the strength of Sartier always provokes such a reaction within me. It is perhaps a failing of mine, of the Tellar, that we constantly view the world militarily. We always face our challenges and enemies head-on, and having stronger allies is a reassuring thought.
"But this was counterbalanced by another, more regrettable feeling. It was not anger or wrath, but sadness. It truly brought home to me how deep the divide between Tellar and Sonissimmo has become. To not only consider, but follow through, on violating one of the treaties that has been a part of the Sarterian order for decades, how worried must the Sonissimmo be? What fear do they live in, that they would go against what they have always held sacred? These thoughts are what drew me here, what troubles my heart even as I look upon radiant Etela once again. This is what must be rectified, for this distrust, this disunity in the grand chorus of Sartier, cannot be allowed to continue.
"I know that many of you blame Tellar for the events of naught but two years ago. In truth, every recollection of those days still pricks my heart. I faced my dear friends and was forced to accept that I may have irrevocably torn our bonds. But it was something that I followed through with because I loved Sartier, even if it should cost me my life and happiness. That has always been the calling of the Tellar, to place themselves on the line in the defense of Sartier. We wish for nothing more than a safe and prosperous Sartier, troubled not by threats such as piracy or even the mighty powers of Teuv. Such is the burden that rests upon our shoulders every day when we greet the sun, and the worries that trouble our sleep at night.
"In this way, these four ships cut doubly deep for us, for something that should bring Sartier greater security has instead weakened it, like rot eating away at the keel in the deep darkness of the hold. What should be symbols of unity and safety have instead been fashioned as instruments of fear and mistrust. Any nation so plagued by division will crumble before long, and more than anything else, such is what what the Tellar, what any true Sartierian, should reject with every inch of their hearts.
"Maybe some of you still fear the Tellar, fear what the future holds, fear for your place in it. I tell you here, today, that you should not fear. You should not fear your fellow Sartierians, your brothers and sisters. There are real threats out there that would use that division to their advantage, threats that we are dedicated to destroying for the good of Sartier. The Tellar should be a shield against fear, not the source of it.
"We have worked tirelessly to prove this over the last two years. Most recently we struck out at those who would prey upon Sartier upon Nune's Reef. We sailed forth, as we have always done, and shattered their fleet and fortress by strength of arm and might of Song. And we did not go forth because they threatened Tellar, or threatened Capo. No, we set sail because they threatened Sartier. In doing so, we proclaimed our strength to the world, proclaimed that Sartier was strong, not fractured and ripe for the picking.
"So perhaps you will understand how my heart fell when I returned from protecting the interests of Sartier to find proof that there was indeed weakness in my beloved island. And such feelings were compounded by the very form that such a statement took. I have always admired the Royals from the very first time I glimpsed them in the harbor of Etela. Powerful and graceful, they are some of the greatest ships afloat, and even more than that, they are a statement of Sartierian unity. Carved from Tellar lumber, crowned with a Capo ram, shaped by Sonissimmo hands. Each and every Royal is a floating reminder that no matter what lies between the Great Houses, they are dedicated to protecting all of Sartier. Until now, every Royal has been fashioned as a weapon against those who would strike against Sartier. Never were they built in the interests of any single House, not even for their safety. The Royals were a symbol of something greater than any one House, of a united Sartier.
"Maybe such romanticism is obsolete. Maybe it is time that things changed, that the threats facing Sartier have grown so that we must lay more Royals to save our people. But a part of me will always regret that we have abandoned such a symbol, that the Royals will become nothing more than another warship. But if such is what it takes to defend Sartier, then it is a pain that I will bear. Such is the duty of the Tellar.
"Even if this does work to the benefit of Sartier, it is regrettable that it came from such distrust and weakness. I wish I had words to set your hearts truly at ease, to wipe away this stain upon our unity. But I do not. Instead, I can only let our actions these past two years speak for themselves. I can only ask you to look at what we have done and decide whether any of your fears have been realized. Have the Tellar become tyrants who have taken advantage of the position they seized, or have they struggled to be the stewards and protectors of all Sartier? Have they worked to draw all of the Houses together or tear them apart? Have they ever carried any ill will against the Sonissimmo?
"In the end, it is up to each of you decide the answer to those questions, but if there were one thing I would ask of you, it would be this: Do not allow division to break us apart. The defense and welfare of Sartier is only possible if we stand together, and that, more than anything else, is what the Tellar desire."
With that, you spun on your heel and marched out, your bodyguards falling into place easily. A cheap tactic, perhaps, but still a useful one. You can only hope that you sowed the seeds of something in there.
***
Definitely not perfect, probably a bit too much grandstanding, but more or less how I would prefer to spin the situation. We took up the job to "defend Sartier", so that should be our byline in sticking our nose into situations.
Also, alternate ending because I may be shipping Evelyn and Ethan:
***
...
With that, you spun on your heel and marched out, your bodyguards falling into place easily. A cheap tactic, perhaps, but still a useful one.
A few blocks further down the road, Ethan caught up to you, falling into step next to you with a cheeky grin. "Aw... you didn't want to stay for the furor you caused?"
You gave him a glance out of the corner of your eye. You aimed for demure, but you're not quite sure how well you pulled it off. "I do have a delicate constitution, after all." Ethan threw his head back and laughed easily. Once he had finally had his run of merriment, you took advantage of the opportunity to ask, "What did you think?"
The young man bowed his head in feigned consideration before he glanced up at you. "I think you've come a long way since our first meeting."
You rolled your eyes. "Your sister had just tripped me down a well. Not particularly difficult to go up from there."
He winked in response. "Exactly."
The two of you continued on your way through the crowded streets of Etela.
Don't feel bad. I abstained because I didn't like any of the votes presented as a whole, but I did technically prefer Katreus' to Aegir's and would have voted if it was getting close. Tellar wants no part of a naval arms race at all.
We in fact did still get defense contributions from the RN to respond to pirates, so anything that would give someone a chance to play political games (you don't need them ready to respond because you have your own now) should be viewed with concern.
@Katreus, @Spectrum, you keep bringing up this idea of a "naval arms race". And for the life of me, I can't wrap my head around why this is some concept that is singularly driving your decision-making process when it makes no sense. A naval arms race with who? The Sonissimmo? The Capo? The Carlisle?
With our allies?
Seriously, this idea that somehow we're in competition with Sonissimmo and should make sure that they can't build up their fleet boggles my mind. It's like someone in the United States being worried about the British building more battleships during World War II. "Oh no, our allies are better able to defend themselves! That makes us vulnerable!"
You two, more than anyone else (or at least more vocally), seem to have convinced yourselves that Sonissimmo is an enemy. Someone who must be smashed underfoot and brought to heel by the great might of Tellar. They are not. You seem to be taking internal political maneuvering as the actions of a foreign nation that is hungrily waiting to pounce upon us. This isn't Russia vs the US during the Cold War, and the longer you act like it is, the worse things are going to get.
If you keep treating Sonissimmo like they are the enemy, they're going to keep pushing back, and one day that's going to come at a bad time that we'll all regret.
Let me ask you, both of you, how exactly do you plan to stop this from happening in the future? Because I can guarantee that your current plan won't actually change anything. You're so focused on treating the symptoms that you're ignoring the disease. The real problem here is that the Sonissimmo don't feel safe and fears the Tellar and Capo. This is simply the latest expression of that problem. Taking the Royals and putting them into the Royal Navy, even demanding that Blake step down, will not actually address the underlying issue, and it's just going to find a new way to express itself.
While Blake may have been the instigator, there's enough general support for his position amongst the Sonissimmo that this actually came about. And you two are taking absolutely zero steps to address that. You're just going to keep yanking them back any time they step out of line and the resentment is going to keep building.
The Sonissimmo are not our enemy. They are a political pain in the ass, but honestly, who isn't? The Capo decided to drop a major revolt on our hands and let us deal with it. The Sonissimmo, at the very least, are open with why they're annoying.
You're being really salty here, @Aegir, and conflating different arguments. Sonissimo is not the enemy, and we don't have to crush them, and in fact, looking back on it, we haven't done anything to them in the time since the takeover. That Sonissimo freaked out and built Royals in response to Tellar's Nune Reef performance is understandable - and simultaneously, still an overblown freakout that's prompted a diplomatic crisis.
They are, however, a rival, and Sartier is a nation where people apparently border raid each other on the drop of a hat, and this is considered ok. I find it telling that the RN has a specific rule where they're not allowed to raid or intervene in border skirmishes, which indicates to me that sea raids are a thing. I don't want sea raids with Royals. In a world where Blake pushed the limits and succeeded, I don't trust that treaties will be strong enough or accorded enough respect that people will abide by them, which means all those nice little limitations on how Houses should use Royals is pretty much a load of hot air. There is a reason why Dale got nailed for using their Spellknights out of ambush instead of us just tacitly accepting such, and doing so reinforced these commonly accepted rule in Sartier.
The other part of this balance is still every Royal for a House fleet is one less Royal produced for the RN. The RN will probably continue to split evenly among the coasts if it wants to maintain its apparent neutrality (or somewhat evenly - in practice, they're always more on the Capo and Sonissimo coasts because that's where their two fleet bases are). The more the RN weakens, the more it means national defense is decentralized and subordinated to each Great House's naval fleet. That is, each Great House will be expected to field and fund a greater portion of their naval defense (Royals) relative to the RN. And the more the other Great Houses buy Royals, the more Tellar will be expected to do so as well for their side of the coast (both for external and internal Sartier defense).
Tellar is already at several disadvantages:
- There's no RN fleet base on our side of the island so the RN has to go out of their way to make it here
- We have a crap economy so the more we have to pay for Royals and upkeep for our own fleet, the less we can spend elsewhere (also our economy is even crappier)
- We have a rocky relationship with the one province that's already a naval House (Carlisle) - and we don't want them to get more (if any) Royals than us
- Our own naval fleet is small and just starting to grow
Even disregarding all the other arguments (efficiency, effectiveness), this is an untenable position for Tellar. Do we beg the RN to come to our side more and look weak (and also, they would be doing more for us than the other Sartierian blocks)? Do we just keep buying Royals to provide defense for our block in accordance with the other two Great Houses (rather than just our province as it is now)? Do we tank our economy even more? Do we not buy them at all and now our side of the coast (the most vulnerable side) is less well defended? Do we let Carlisle buy them and now we're staring at each other, eyeing each other's relative military strength as to top dog in the Harper block? When there is a wave of pirate attacks, do we send them up from Tellar to help Vincennes (travel time!) or keep them for closer attacks and take the relationship hit?
Tithes can be renegotiated when it's supposed to be an equal contribution to the RN / Sartier defense. House fleets cannot for obvious reasons. And this is an albatross around Tellar's neck that won't go away even when Tellar is not the ruling Symphony.
We cannot afford a naval arms race because our economy is shit as has been mentioned multiple times. We'd pay more for a worse naval defense, and we can probably hand the ruling Symphony position back to Sonissimo because having to build and upkeep both Royals for the Harper block and the Royal Navy probably induces a heart attack in our Exchequer and a nose dive in our already shaky finances. Redundancy of Royals across Sartier is less beneficial than a stronger, more efficient / effective Royal Navy that forces Sartier houses to work together.
You're being really salty here, @Aegir, and conflating different arguments. Sonissimo is not the enemy, and we don't have to crush them, and in fact, looking back on it, we haven't done anything to them in the time since the takeover. That Sonissimo freaked out and built Royals in response to Tellar's Nune Reef performance is understandable - and simultaneously, still an overblown freakout that's prompted a diplomatic crisis.
I'm really not trying to be salty, but when I see approaches that are heavy handed and clearly not actually handling the real problem, I have trouble phrasing things politely.
And point of order, they didn't make the Royals in response to what happened on Nune Reef. As I pointed out, you can't build a ship that fast. It would require at least a year of lead time, so it wasn't a reaction to anything specific that we did. Beyond the coup, of course. This isn't Sonissimmo freaking out over a single Tellar action, it's Sonissimmo feeling threatened by Tellar's entire presence. Nowhere do you provide a solution to this, beyond trying to hold on to the status quo in the hopes that Sonissimmo will eventually give up and roll over. Guess what? We broke the status quo two years ago. As @Macchiato has pointed out, they don't know whether they can trust treaties because we grabbed the table and flipped it.
We know that we have no intention of going against the treaties, but the Sonissimmo don't. That's the problem we have here, and the problem that not only are you not addressing, but you are acting in ways that are likely to make it worse.
Neutral Factual Interjection: They're not running full-steam. The expansion to the docks is so that the number of slipways finally equal the size of a Task Force so that if things hit the fan in a big way a whole new Task Force can be pumped out in a year. Life-span, generally speaking, on your ships is 25 years. Can be pushed further to make up shortfalls by around five-ten years. By and large, though, there is 1-2 slipways in action unless losses/write-offs have been incurred during battle.
Again, you're using this conjecture when we know it's blatantly not accurate. It would be true if the Royal Navy were building out of every construction yard they have at all times, but they are not. Where, then, is the opportunity cost of using the idle yards to produce additional ships? The barrier to that is cost, both of construction and maintenance, which House Royals solve by placing those burdens on the Houses who commission them. The rest of this particular line of argument from you doesn't hold water when the basic premise is flawed.
Even disregarding all the other arguments (efficiency, effectiveness), this is an untenable position for Tellar. Do we beg the RN to come to our side more and look weak (and also, they would be doing more for us than the other Sartierian blocks)? Do we just keep buying Royals to provide defense for our block in accordance with the other two Great Houses (rather than just our province as it is now)? Do we tank our economy even more? Do we not buy them at all and now our side of the coast (the most vulnerable side) is less well defended? Do we let Carlisle buy them and now we're staring at each other, eyeing each other's relative military strength as to top dog in the Harper block? When there is a wave of pirate attacks, do we send them up from Tellar to help Vincennes (travel time!) or keep them for closer attacks and take the relationship hit?
We keep building our own fleet and add Royals when we can afford them. The Royals are a bonus, not a replacement. We weren't begging the RN before, so why would we start now?
When we can afford it, sure. Unless you would turn down having Royals in our fleet for some reason.
If we can't afford them, then we don't buy them. This is about putting the option on the table, not forcing ourselves to grab it immediately.
"Less well defended" is a relative term. It's not like we're weakened by other Houses getting Royals. It leads to an overall rise in the difficulty of hitting Sartier. Us being "more vulnerable" is relative to the idea that hitting anywhere else has become suicidal. This is not a zero-sum game we're talking about.
Let Carlisle buy them, but put limits on how many Vassal Houses can have at any one time. They'll be protecting trade for us, and you're assuming they want to overthrow us, while they haven't shown serious inclination to do so.
We have the same problem with our current fleets, so I don't see how adding Royals to the mix makes that situation worse.
Tithes can be renegotiated when it's supposed to be an equal contribution to the RN / Sartier defense. House fleets cannot for obvious reasons. And this is an albatross around Tellar's neck that won't go away even when Tellar is not the ruling Symphony.
We cannot afford a naval arms race because our economy is shit as has been mentioned multiple times. We'd pay more for a worse naval defense, and we can probably hand the ruling Symphony position back to Sonissimo because having to build and upkeep both Royals for the Harper block and the Royal Navy probably induces a heart attack in our Exchequer and a nose dive in our already shaky finances. Redundancy of Royals across Sartier is less beneficial than a stronger, more efficient / effective Royal Navy that forces Sartier houses to work together.
I'm well aware that our economy isn't well-off. I have, in fact, noticed that. That's why part of the proposal is that Sonissimmo takes up a serious burden of the cost. And we're not paying for the Royal Navy to build ships for themselves as it is, so I'm not sure why you're trying to drop that argument out of the blue. You seem to be assuming that I'm talking about taking over the RN when we can't afford it, when I haven't said anything of the sort.
"Redundancy of Royals" is not the objective of the proposal. The objective is to create more Royals than would exist otherwise. And honestly, the Royal Navy is rather blatantly failing to be stronger, more efficient, and forcing the Sartierian Houses to work together. You haven't actually laid out a proposal for how that is supposed to happen either.
Look, I can understand if you don't think that the House Royals are the way to go, even if I believe you're making extremely shaky assumptions to support that conclusion. However, you still haven't addressed the underlying issue. What do you intend to do about the fact that Sonissimmo is afraid of Tellar? Because until that is dealt with, Sonissimmo is going to keep trying things like this, and the more we get distracted in dealing with those crises, the less we will be able to focus on the real threat of Teuv.
The real concern is with others buying up production before any theoretical orders of ours go in. (Or real orders of whoever is funding the RN to do so rather than not doing so because they don't want to buy ships at someone else's disposal.)
We keep building our own fleet and add Royals when we can afford them. The Royals are a bonus, not a replacement. We weren't begging the RN before, so why would we start now?
When we can afford it, sure. Unless you would turn down having Royals in our fleet for some reason.
If we can't afford them, then we don't buy them. This is about putting the option on the table, not forcing ourselves to grab it immediately.
We weren't begging the RN because Sonissimmo, Capo, and the others didn't have private Royals. Which we can't afford, honestly. Just putting out discounted Oboes is straining our budget, let alone Royals.
That is the whole central tenet of why we don't want Royals available for House purchase, because it opens up an arms race where other people can afford them and we can't. It would be the equivalent of expanding the Professional cap and then not doing so ourselves.
"Less well defended" is a relative term. It's not like we're weakened by other Houses getting Royals. It leads to an overall rise in the difficulty of hitting Sartier. Us being "more vulnerable" is relative to the idea that hitting anywhere else has become suicidal. This is not a zero-sum game we're talking about.
Yes, we are, to an extent. It's not a zero-sum game but those other houses don't have Tellar's security and prosperity as their foremost goal, either. Wasn't part of this whole discussion literally just us getting educated how there really isn't any Sartieran unity?
Let Carlisle buy them, but put limits on how many Vassal Houses can have at any one time. They'll be protecting trade for us, and you're assuming they want to overthrow us, while they haven't shown serious inclination to do so.
We're literally already in a naval arms race with Carlisle. And they're not the most loyal of Vassals, have a fair amount of leverage on our economy, we've fought a war against them in recent memory, and their whole shtick is that they still bitter about not being a Great House.
At the risk of being flippant, because too many conciliatory moves are down that route. This is not in and of itself a Game Over but is still an undesired state.
"Redundancy of Royals" is not the objective of the proposal. The objective is to create more Royals than would exist otherwise. And honestly, the Royal Navy is rather blatantly failing to be stronger, more efficient, and forcing the Sartierian Houses to work together. You haven't actually laid out a proposal for how that is supposed to happen either.
Look, I can understand if you don't think that the House Royals are the way to go, even if I believe you're making extremely shaky assumptions to support that conclusion. However, you still haven't addressed the underlying issue. What do you intend to do about the fact that Sonissimmo is afraid of Tellar? Because until that is dealt with, Sonissimmo is going to keep trying things like this, and the more we get distracted in dealing with those crises, the less we will be able to focus on the real threat of Teuv.
The main crux of the differences is that you seem to be taking the position that more power across Sartier is a universal good and Teuv is the only enemy here. And while Teuv is the main enemy, as noted by how Sonissimmo feels, they're not the -only- enemy, the other Sartieran houses are, if not enemies, still rivals. And as established, force is strictly on the table for dealing with anyone getting uppity within Sartier. Because of this, losing vague military parity (to at least make this sort of thing unattractive) is also something we need to avoid if we actually care about being leading Symphony, which I think we do. (Now, if you want to argue that you don't care about that title and strictly want to protect Sartier, that's another debate entirely, but I will not put words in your mouth.)
I have been trying to argue the need to find a balance between mollifying Sonissimmo and not giving up or promising so much that there's either no point in being leading Symphony or that Tellar will lose the position shortly before or shortly after the war against Teuv -however that turns out-.
[X] Speak to Sartieran unity, urge people to consider the threats of Teuv and Tranquility before they consider that of their compatriots.
[X] Suggest that maybe removing the exclusivity of Royals is a good idea, but not one that can be done unilaterally.
- [X] Royals have always been and always should be used in defense of Sartier. Even if they belong to an individual House, that should be their primary purpose. If the time comes, they should defend all of Sartier, not just the House that commissioned them.
I know it's closed, but eh, I was stuck offline.
And wouldn't have mattered anyway.
[X] Undermine the idea that the Arsenal and the ships it produces are Etelan only
- [X] All of Sartier contributes to the RN, the Arsenal, and the Royals
[X] Discuss whether building Royals actually increases Etelan security
- [X] Suggest that it, instead, decreases Etelan security and weakens Sartier as a whole
[X] Circle back to the necessity of a strong, apolitical RN that works alongside all Houses for the safety and prosperity of Sartier against those who would bring us down (Teuv, Tranquility)
"I believe the shipwrights of the Arsenal are the finest in all Sartier," you begin, projecting your voice clear as a bell through the room. Those who know your voice freeze like children caught around the biscuit jar. "Yet from whom did the Arsenal get that enchanted timber? Whose craftsmen fashioned the rams on their prows?" You lean forward in your seat and grin. "Speak up, don't be churlish."
"Aye, indeed!" exclaims Rhys Yael, his sunkissed face splitting into a smile. The Commodore, a Royal Navy man to his marrow, points in your direction. "Tellar timbers, Capo rams!"
"And Sonissimmo gold," snaps Penelope sourly.
"I hear people claim, 'it's an Etelan Arsenal, so Royals themselves are Etelan'," you continue, ignoring old Penelope. You carefully wait out a beat for impact, lips curled back in a dangerous smile, before you add like the clamping of trap jaws, "Rubbish! They are Sartieran."
"Well said, my lady!" you hear Ethan declare. You catch his eye across the room as it sparkles with mirth. "Blake, we mentioned Evelyn was in town, didn't we?"
"I'd heard the news; we're honoured to host you," replies Blake, slow and deliberate. His words bore all deference. But his voice, oh his voice! It rolls over your ears like lava coming down the slope, molten and inexorable. For several beats his eyes are on his brother, though, rather than you.
Finally Blake turns towards you. "Welcome to our little oasis, Concerto Evelyn of Great House Tellar," he declares. "Who conquered Nune Reef for her House."
Sure, he means it as a barb, but you see the opportunity and jump on it. "I didn't conquer Nune Reef for for my House! I cut down enemies of all Sartier. There were many banners in our host: the orange and tricolour of the Royal Navy proud among them." You wave cheerily at Ai Ritter, the Commodore who had fought with you that day, as if making an idle gesture. Most of those watching are savvy enough diplomats to know it is anything but an idle gesture as Ai waves back.
"Good to see the Royal Navy showing that they are, as ever, the sword and shield of Sartier," says Blake, setting into his words with a huff. "As they will continue to be." He grins nastily at you. It's rather frustrating really; you were never fast friends, but you always got along in earlier days.
A hush settles over the group and watchers hitch back in their chairs. You cross your legs and calmly fold your hands above your knee, looking through the audience at the twins. Cold steel weighs down on your shoulder from where your longsword hangs; it gives you confidence before the eyes of these mighty men and women. You let the tableau stand, a crystal moment of churning cogs in the crowd, until just before anyone might think to act.
"Tell me, Blake," you say, pitching your voice to only just carry. "Tell me. Do you think the new Royals bring security to Etela?"
"Of course I do," replies Blake with a broad grin. "Has a House Fleet ever been so strong?"
"Not for many long years," you reply truthfully. "But I'm not asking about whether it made your fleet strong. I'm asking, does it make you more secure?"
That question hangs in the air for a several heartbeats before you hear Penelope harumph loudly. "Peddling threats is an unbecoming business, Concerto Evelyn."
"You can't silence me with cheap misdirection, dear Penelope," you snap back. The old lady narrows her eyes as she sees the fire in your own. "Does owning Royals make you more secure?"
You hear an amused, "aha", out of the Minor House Executive from Sarba as she, hopefully anyway, catches your meaning.
"Stronger versus more secure, you ask?" muses Ethan.
Blake snorts and crosses his arms. "I don't see how you can divide them."
"Does the strength of four Royals give you more security than staying faithful to the treaties that glue this island together?" you ask aloud. Slowly you turn to take in each face in attendance. "Say what you like, Royal triremes and the Royal Navy are akin to violin and violin strings. As fine as those strings are, they are not meant for a piano."
"And what trust can I give to our treaties while Capo and Tellar are united against us?" retorts Blake. "It is easy to lecture us on trust when the weight of steel is on your side!"
"We unite against the enemies of Sartier, not against Sonissimmo," you explain. "Against Tranquility. Against Teuv. You heard the Scholar-Lord before I spoke up; Teuv stirs. All of us should know this is true. I have seen it: the Mists are thick in many places in Sartier." You lean forward and shake your head at the younger man. "Come on, Blake, you can't try to blur the lines between the Royal Navy and House Sonissimmo like this and not expect it to create upheaval."
"Upheaval is not security," you hear the Sarbine Minor House Executive say in the wake of your words.
"We have an Etelan shipyard, it made ships for Sonissimmo," replies Blake, shifting tacks. "I'm not even sure why this is a concern for other-"
Whatever is in your eyes must echo the ferocity of the heat you feel bubbling in your blood, because Blake hesitates and you take over. "Don't insult this body, Blake. And don't insult me. Etelan shipwrights; Harper lumber; Carentan rams." A voice cuts you off before you can say more.
"A Royal is a product of all Sartier, to be a shield for all Sartier."
You blink and lose some of your fire; the words come from Ai Ritter, the Royal Navy officer you fought alongside. She watches you steadily, meeting your gaze evenly as you turn to her. You give her a nod. That Ai would voice that not in private but openly before multiple people with Sonissimmo as a surname is very encouraging to you. "Just so. A product of all Sartier being reduced to a weapon of one House leads to distrust and competition, not security. A Royal Navy that stands apart gives you more security than any number of blue-clad Royals."
"If Teuv is running, then building up more Royals is the way to go," argues Penelope.
"Then add them to the Royal Navy!" a voice calls out.
"Now that's the rallying cry of a budgetary battle if ever I heard one," snorts the old woman in reply.
"If more Royals for Sonissimmo is the way to go," says Ethan, "Then surely Royals for Capo makes just as much sense. After all, they seem to be fighting Teuv the hardest right now!"
"What is so wrong with just trusting in the treaties as they stand?" asks the Minor House Executive.
"They don't fit anymore!" exclaims Blake. "Even among those who think favour resting on a treaty rather than resting on wood and steel think the treaties will need to be renegotiated with the change of rulers."
"Ah, perhaps so," you hear the Memphrabian Scholar-Lord begin. "As the robes you wear in summer will not comfort you in winter, so an old treaty may not fit a new season. But the question is if you need a treaty fit for the new weather, or something else entirely?"
Around the room people are nodding and conversing, but most of all Blake's stances are being challenged more and more. You know you've made an impact. If you haven't changed minds then at least you've given them some food for thought. Not bad for a chance visit. But you don't want to get bogged down into a knock-down drag-out debate with Blake now that will just leave both of you covered in mud, it's time to quit while you're ahead. After all, much like a good general knows how to win a battle, but an elite general knows how to not have to fight one, a good diplomat can win a duel of word and wit, but an elite diplomat knows when it is better not to fight it! It's time to leave them to it before Blake can draw blood.
You stand up and straighten out your dress before slipping quietly out of the room while the discussion builds up again behind you.
To your lack of surprise, shortly after your exit, Ethan emerges from the salon to join you. He comes over whistling jauntily with hands in pockets, sidling up through your anxious looking bodyguards. He looks up at the surrounding rooftops, a pleasant smile on his face and amiably says, "Well that was a surprise."
Snickers escape you before you school your features and turn to the young man. "I thought so, too. How did Blake take it?" you ask.
"He's sulking," says Ethan. "Wait, did I say sulking? I mean 'silently plotting'. He'd been hoping to win some people over today."
You flash Ethan a grin. "I guess I made a mess of that plan."
"So did someone tell you about our little debating circle?" he asks.
"Ethan, I've been all over the city, listening in to opinions great and small," you reply. "I think my odds of spoiling the party were pretty good, actually."
"So Alana didn't prod you along?" he asks.
You freeze. "Is she in town?" That puts a wrinkle in the situation.
"We built Royals, you bet she's in town," snorts Ethan. "So you haven't met up yet? Well, word of warning, Alouette Mistlehaim is here as well."
"The Bonekeeper of Carentan," you name through a heartfelt wince. The spymistress of Capo was probably the second-most feared person in all the land, bowing only to her Executive. "So how has that helped the mood in the palace?"
"We're all just thrilled to have them," he says, voice drier than a Carentan summer. "Just. Thrilled." He shakes his head. "So tell me, Lynnie; what next today?"
A tiny little smile tugs at one side of your lips. "Dinner, and then something to help me ... unwind."
Ethan rolls his eyes. "Of course."
"Yeah, I'm definitely done for the day," you say while letting out a deep breath and stretching, arms up above your head. Through lidded eyes you notice Ethan's gaze take a moment to dip before returning to your face. "But a day well-spent, for all I thought I'd be more relaxed by now."
"Oh, right," says Ethan, straightening up as if something just clicked. "Hana wanted me to suggest a place to you, said it would be up your alley..."
***
Say what you will about Sonissimmo spying shortcomings, Hana knows your number when it comes to the seedier side of town. The warm waters of the private baths at the discrete little club are refreshing and soothing to muscles that have been busy all day. You're alone in the large chamber with your thoughts. All of your Lifeguards are mixed between guarding the door or quietly patrolling the grounds of the club.
But no matter how relaxed your body is, your mind won't switch off. Politics and intrigue are a torrent rushing through you. Dozens upon dozens of conversations, a hundred voices, fact and anecdote, all of them percolate away. You dwell on the concerns of the Sonissimmo, trying to pick the genuine article from the bluff. As fireflies alighting into the night sky are your thoughts. All Houses have a red-line, a threshold, beyond which will see violence, and all Houses have a grey zone which concerns are flexible. What is Sonissimmo's? Worse, there are different factions, not all whom you know yet. Plus the Royal Navy, whose fault lines you are only beginning to pick up on.
Ruling House or no, no mere bluster will let you slap down a Great House. Sure, you can use coercive force. You can sail up and take the Inner Guard and Tellar Spearmen, and raid Etelan lands to send a signal. You could even mention to the Capo that negotiations are going nowhere and wait for a wave of sinister acts to sweep across the city, your own hands nice and clean, though there is no telling what lasting harm to Sartier such a move would cause. In the uttermost end there is even all out war, even as the inky curtain of Teuv threatens to draw shut across much of the north.
What will it take to put Blake's faction at ease? What does Hana's faction need to keep popular sentiment in the city tearing things apart? What can you get from them in exchange for these things? And where will Capo stand while this happens? If Alana and the spymistress are here, then the eyes of Lucas and Theresa Capo are turned to Etela as surely as they are on Arbalen. Snatches of words and clauses dance behind your eyes, possible treaties to mend the open wounds of the change of rule. All the tools at your disposal, the assets Sonissimmo aid could provide; agents, funds, armies. The tantalising prospect of crushing a Teuvian revolt beneath an army flying green, red, and blue.
Your hamstrings twinge and derail your thoughts. A quick massage sets ripples across the still waters. You sigh, and realise you've been soaking for a while. Slipping out of the pool, you dry off and dress yourself. The last article you don is the longsword, tired muscles twinging as its weight settles on your back. With that in place, you are just about to open the exit to rejoin your bodyguards when a gleam catches your eye. Something metal glints where you had been resting in the pool. You press your lips and wonder if you have accidentally worn something valuable to the water and then dropped it. You turn and pad back to the spot, but when you arrive you see no sign of any gleaming metal, only the bevelled emerald-green tiles.
"Huh, I could have sworn...," you mutter to yourself.
When you look back up you blink. The steam in the room is twice as thick, and getting thicker. You glance down for the signs of fresh hot water flowing in, but the water is still as glass. Then the bubbles start. Slowly at first, but quickly the pool bubbles as if the water is boiling, yet you feel no heat.
Mist streams in from the thin venting windows, flooding the room with a pea-soup fog, such that within seconds you can no longer see your hand in front of your face. Your instincts tell you the way to the exit, and you move that way but find only a solid wall when you get there. You're completely turned around, suddenly everything in the room is unfamiliar and strange. Normally you have a good sense of direction but you can't remember where the exit is anymore.
You shout out, but no one answers. No sound of door latch, no alarmed bodyguard. Only the bubbling of the waters. And then that dies down too and you are by yourself in a world of only mist and a silence so crushing that it makes the rapid thud of your heart sound like a drum roll.
A moment later the comforting weight of your weapon is in your hand. Legs and arms settle into a defensive stance with practiced ease. Slowly your heartbeat comes back under control as you turn around slowly, looking for any discolouration in the depths of the mist.
A voice rings out from behind you.
"It is good to meet you at last, Concerto Evelyn."
You twist on a heel and set your sword across the line between you and the voice. "Who are you!?" you demand.
A shadow takes shape in the mist, drawing near, until it resolves into the figure of a man. A burst of wind blows the mist back from between the two of you, ruffling your damp hair, and revealing a figure coloured a dark bronze, with eyes of green in green and long, black hair.
"I am ... well, I guess I am something of a rogue, but I can promise you that I am not unfriendly," the man says. A pale linen tunic hangs from his torso loosely, while his legs are bare but for the straps of the sandals on his feet. No weapon can be seen, but you certainly don't lower your own despite it.
Songweaver as you are rather than spellsword, your voice works best with room to act, and with this man now no more than five paces distant, most of them are now of little use. And even then, your own sense of chivalry stays your hand; you can't cut down an unarmed man like this, for all your palms itch with the violence you withhold.
"Do not be afraid, Concerto. I understand your hostility," says the man. "In fairer days this should happen with more forewarning, but these are..." The man pauses to find the right word. A broad smile splits his face. "Trying times, are they not?" You say nothing, just sliding one foot back for a backwards glide when he adds, "Young Antonia had already tried to take my head off at this point of our meeting, so I suppose this is actually perfectly amicable given the circumstances."
You nearly stumble at your aunt's name, and your ears burn when you hear him laugh. The man gestures to your left, and you see a simple round table and two chairs coalesce in the mists. "Please, sit with me for a moment. I have only a certain time to be here, and there is something important for us to discuss."
You don't make a move even as the man takes a seat himself. His hands stay in plain sight on the tabletop. "Ah, still nervous?" he asks. "Well, I can't say that I truly blame you. Please, ask me something. How can I set your mind at ease?"
So at work but reaction on the first part is I am glad we did not keep the island for yourself as it undermines Blake's charge against us. Also very good that we had a royal navy unit with us. Nice to see we made some in roads. Also we IC know Capo is in town and Ethan can relay that we did not know that.
I am thinking another Hana, Alana and Evelyn meetup is in order.
"I believe the shipwrights of the Arsenal are the finest in all Sartier," you begin, projecting your voice clear as a bell through the room. Those who know your voice freeze like children caught around the biscuit jar.
Heh. More embarrassing when the subject is there to hear your chatter, right? And harder too with an opposition.
"Aye, indeed!" exclaims Rhys Yael, his sunkissed face splitting into a smile. The Commodore, a Royal Navy man to his marrow, points in your direction. "Tellar timbers, Capo rams!"
... Huh. This is ... much more enthusiastic support than I expected from the Commodores. Given the info on the Arsenal vs. Royal Navy, it looks like the actual currently serving officers value the neutrality / Sartier defender status of the RN much more. And given that this is the first songweaver they'd send to be taught, I'm inclined to take that option next turn. We should help improve the influence / promotion chances of these types of officers.
Well, we should do so anyway for a reason I'll discuss later on.
"I'd heard the news; we're honoured to host you," replies Blake, slow and deliberate. His words bore all deference. But his voice, oh his voice! It rolls over your ears like lava coming down the slope, molten and inexorable. For several beats his eyes are on his brother, though, rather than you.
I love that description of Blake's voice. Very evocative, both of his voice and his character.
... Also, it's already pretty ironic that Blake's attempt to deter or derail Hana's push for Ethan and Evelyn to get married has instead lead to exactly the opposite result. I'm pretty sure Evelyn would be off doing her own thing and ignoring Hana's option to meet / consider Ethan were it not for this crisis. Instead, they've met and seem to be getting along pretty well.
Blake's probably going to be grinding his teeth in frustration when he figures out that Evelyn will be attending that ball with Ethan.
Finally Blake turns towards you. "Welcome to our little oasis, Concerto Evelyn of Great House Tellar," he declares. "Who conquered Nune Reef for her House."
Sure, he means it as a barb, but you see the opportunity and jump on it. "I didn't do conquer Nune Reef for for my House! I cut down enemies of all Sartier. There were many banners in our host: the orange and tricolour of the Royal Navy proud among them." You wave cheerily at Ai Ritter, the Commodore who had fought with you that day, as if making an idle gesture. Most of those watching are savvy enough diplomats to know it is anything but an idle gesture as Ai waves back.
I was a bit worried about how Nune Reef would be perceived, but that was a deft reframing by Evelyn there. And I guess our choice of what to do with Nune Reef ended up playing out pretty well.
I didn't realize we made such a good first impression on Commodore Ritter though. I wonder if making sure that one of the pirate flagships was sent to the Navy for study improved our standing in their eyes.
"Good to see the Royal Navy showing that they are, as ever, the sword and shield of Sartier," says Blake, setting into his words with a huff. "As they will continue to be."
"Not for many long years," you reply truthfully. "But I'm not asking about whether it made your fleet strong. I'm asking, does it make you more secure?"
Heh. I actually like this statement out of Blake because it's so him. I think it's a good indication of his character and thought process.
"We unite against the enemies of Sartier, not against Sonissimmo," you explain. "Against Tranquility. Against Teuv. You heard the Scholar-Lord before I spoke up; Teuv stirs. All of us should know this is true. I have seen it: the Mists are thick in many places in Sartier." You lean forward and shake your head at the younger man. "Come on, Blake, you can't try to blur the lines between the Royal Navy and House Sonissimmo like this and not expect it to create upheaval."
"Upheaval is not security," you hear the Sarbine Minor House Executive say in the wake of your words.
"We have an Etelan shipyard, it made ships for Sonissimmo," replies Blake, shifting tacks. "I'm not even sure why this is a concern for other-"
Whatever is in your eyes must echo the ferocity of the heat you feel bubbling in your blood, because Blake hesitates and you take over. "Don't insult this body, Blake. And don't insult me. Etelan shipwrights; Harper lumber; Carentan rams." A voice cuts you off before you can say more.
"A Royal is a product of all Sartier, to be a shield for all Sartier."
Going into this, my reading of the situation was that Blake was the extreme side, and if he were allowed to continue, his version - through sheer repetition if nothing else - was going to become subconsciously embedded / assumed as given in conversations such that the Sartier equivalent of the Overton window would be tilting more toward his side. It's one of the reasons I pushed so strongly to take on his assumptions straight up, both because I thought it would play well with what we know of Sonissimo discussions (that they appreciated blunt discussion) and that it would provide more space for reasonableness in the middle.
One of the things I was somewhat bemused by was that while there were clearly detractors, they were ... sliding around the subject rather than challenging Blake head up. I wasn't sure whether it was just Blake's status, Blake being Blake, inexorable and repetitive, or even just not wanting to be the first to seriously challenge Blake's arguments. It worked out rather fortuitously that each section of the argument had a natural supporter (Sartieran RN => RN commodores; Security vs. Strength => Sarba Minor House Lord; Teuv / Tranquility => Memphrabi Scholar Lord); they just needed a little push back against Blake to take up the position.
Also, I think it was clear that we had to address all of his arguments because by leaving one of the avenues free, he would just fall back to it with no response from us. I grinned when he fell back to the Etelan shipyard argument when we had already answered and primed it earlier.
I was, however, very pleasantly surprised at Ritter being so forthright in support though.
"If more Royals for Sonissimmo is the way to go," says Ethan, "Then surely Royals for Capo makes just as much sense. After all, they seem to be fighting Teuv the hardest right now!"
"Yeah, I'm definitely done for the day," you say while letting out a deep breath and stretching, arms up above your head. Through lidded eyes you notice Ethan's gaze take a moment to dip before returning to your face. "But a day well-spent, for all I thought I'd be more relaxed by now."
"Oh, right," says Ethan, straightening up as if something just clicked. "Hana wanted me to suggest a place to you, said it would be up your alley..."
Hubba hubba. "Something just clicked" = oh shit, stop ogling Evelyn. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing how attending the ball with Ethan goes. It's certainly shaping up to be quite interesting.
Anyway, so my speculation as to why we don't have a fleet base on our side of the coast is probably due to a combination of it's really (politically) awkward for the RN to build a base in Gambier given how fraught the relationship is between Carlisle and Tellar and Tellar, until recently, could not into boats. But I was thinking - most fleet bases sort of have that extra something, right? The Etelan fleet base has the Arsenal ... the... ok, I'm not sure what the Dale fleet base has. Maybe interaction with Sartier trade / merchant ship concerns or merchant marines?
So, for us - one word: ANNAPOLIS. Or two words, if you've read the Honor Harrington series: SAGANAMI ISLAND. We can be that! No, seriously, I think Evelyn is partially becoming a big deal in the naval world because she's probably one of (and may be recognized as such once we choose that personal action) the best naval tacticians in Sartier. And it's not very clear where the training and theory crafting for the higher up naval officers is coming from other than on the job training.
Look at those turn options we've been getting and that we're the magic and martial house. We're going to need naval songweavers and officers anyway for our own House fleet. We can professionalize this. Start with songweaving since that's our strength. Open up a naval songweaver section for our Songweaver Halls, help create some RN ENS. But from there, we can expand into training junior officers (Ensigns / Lts) and later, into senior officers with an Advanced Tactical Warfare school (for people making the jump from Captain to Commodore). I think it'd be good for both RN and Tellar for obvious reasons.
A shadow takes shape in the mist, drawing near, until it resolves into the figure of a man. A burst of wind blows the mist back from between the two of you, ruffling your damp hair, and revealing a figure coloured a dark bronze, with eyes of green in green and long, black hair.
"I am ... well, I guess I am something of a rogue, but I can promise you that I am not unfriendly," the man says. A pale linen tunic hangs from his torso loosely, while his legs are bare but for the straps of the sandals on his feet. No weapon can be seen, but you certainly don't lower your own despite it.
So - the whole mist thing and Evelyn getting turned around on direction makes me think of Teuvian gods and their spells. On the other hand, the description of this (probable) god... He reminds me of Kyprioth, the Trickster God of the Copper Isles, from Tamora Pierce's Trickster series.
"Do not be afraid, Concerto. I understand your hostility," says the man. "In fairer days this should happen with more forewarning, but these are..." The man pauses to find the right word. A broad smile splits his face. "Trying times, are they not?" You say nothing, just sliding one foot back for a backwards glide when he adds, "Young Antonia had already tried to take my head off at this point of our meeting, so I suppose this is actually perfectly amicable given the circumstances."
I always did wonder how Antonia picked up that Maestro of the Hunt trait... Hrm. So I guess we should figure out if he's a Teuvian god or if nations other than Teuv also have patron gods.
"Ah, still nervous?" he asks. "Well, I can't say that I truly blame you. Please, ask me something. How can I set your mind at ease?"
Well, I think we want a name and title(s) for sure, whether he is or is not a god (as gods are commonly thought of), whether he identifies with Teuv, and why he wants to talk to Evelyn in particular and Tellars in general.
Also, not sure I want to ask this, but seriously, what's with the mist.
I may just be failing to understand the description, but 'eyes of green in green' seems... weird? Maybe just 'is supernatural weird', maybe 'is a mistake weird'.
You don't make a move even as the man takes a seat himself. His hands stay in plain sight on the tabletop. "Ah, still nervous?" he asks. "Well, I can't say that I truly blame you. Please, ask me something. How can I set your mind at ease?"
[X] "Nothing may ever set my mind at ease, for such a thing would mean that I would have stopped considering the situation. Still, your identity will do for a start, since you have me at a disadvantage."
[X] "Nothing may ever set my mind at ease, for such a thing would mean that I would have stopped considering the situation. Still, your identity will do for a start, since you have me at a disadvantage."
I may just be failing to understand the description, but 'eyes of green in green' seems... weird? Maybe just 'is supernatural weird', maybe 'is a mistake weird'.
Memphrabi's rulers are closer to representatives of heaven, than gods. And anyway, that's just how they're regarded by the population. Sort of like how Japanese emperors were the embodiments of their gods (I think?) although factually, unless you're a believer, the reality is no. Kabilee is horses, no pantheon. Khironex is sailing, ocean etc. Superstitious, as sailors tend to be, but no gods. Renmi... well, if they ever had any, they've long since been subsumed by the various conquering nations that have come and gone over the centuries. Tranquility's a bit of everyone in population, so there's no uniting mythology there.
In the spacious common dressing room of House Sonissimmo, the brothers converged. The Sonissimmo men had always prepared for formal occasions together for as long as they remembered, and it didn't get more formal or glorious than the ball to open the Vittorioso. The tension in the room that day was less normal, though.
"I'm just saying, I would have appreciated a bit more backup than you gave!"
First to arrive, the twins were arguing. Not rare, exactly, although the heat in the exchange had begun to build to alarming degrees.
"No, you're not just saying, Blake. We're twins but that doesn't mean we have to agree all the time. Something you know damned well and have used against me when it suits you. But when it doesn't work in your favour and it looks like you're losing a fight, all of a sudden I'm supposed to support you even though you know I disagree with you? Don't be a flaming moron!"
Avery shut the door with a pronounced click.
"What in all the scales is going on? I could hear the two of you shouting from down the hall." He took in Blake's clenched fists and Ethan's flushed features and crossed his arms. "Okay, who's going to spill?"
"Don't! We're not children anymore so don't pull the concerned older brother act, Avery! We wouldn't be in this situation at all if you had shown a little more spine!"
"Get your pointed finger out of my face, Blake," Avery growled, hackles raised immediately.
Ethan, voice more level than it had been half a minute ago, stepped in, "Evelyn showed up at our salon and heard some of the rhetoric Blake's been spouting of late."
Avery's interested, "Oh?" started Blake spluttering indignantly at the characterisation of his thoughts.
Ignoring his twin, Ethan continued, "Yes. She made valid points, similar to what we've been saying privately to Blake for awhile actually, but managed to do it in front of several Royal Navy personnel, a small handful of foreigners, and others." He smiled, not bothering to hide his admiration, "It was quite impressive, really. And it prompted a fascinating discussion."
"She was snooping and trying to sow dissension!"
"Don't be an idiot," Ethan snapped. "You're just angry your attempt to plant ideas in some important heads went awry."
"Frankly," Avery raised his voice to speak over the beginnings of his brother's renewed objections, "it's time for you to let this business go, Blake. We've publicly stood by you because you're our brother and a Sonissimmo, but you clearly haven't been taking what we've been saying to you seriously. This has to stop."
"Or what?" Blake said through gritted teeth.
"Little brother, I will only say this once. Toe our line or we will stop worrying about what's public. We allowed you leeway these past two years because we were all taken aback by what had happened at first. But it's time to move on. In truth, it's been time to move on for some time now. Since our gentle reminders to you fell on deaf ears, I'm stating it plainly. We are still a part of Sartier and protecting it remains our duty. Both of you have seen the same reports Hana and I have seen. Teuv remains a threat, perhaps now more than ever. Standing up for your House is understandable, but do not put Sonissimman or Etelan interests over Sartieran interests. We must be unified. Ethan possibly marrying Evelyn is one piece of that. I had been hoping to speak with you about another piece this evening before the ball."
Taken aback, and helplessly intrigued, Blake could only flick a careless wrist, "What?"
Avery glanced at Ethan, clearly mentally debating something, then looked back at Blake and continued with a small shake of his head, "We'd like you to consider a betrothal with Alana of House Capo."
Ethan coughed to cover the laugh tickling his throat. Blake's dumbfounded expression was ridiculously hilarious.
Avery allowed a small smile before elaborating, "Having ties stronger than fosterage with both of the other Great Houses would obviously benefit us. But more importantly, it's a clear statement of our views on being a united nation. Besides," he added with a wry grin, "you'll fit right in. Maybe you can even learn a thing or two."
"I-" Blake sat down hard in a chair. He liked Alana well enough, better than most, truth be told. And the opportunity to one day be part of Symphony Capo was not unappealing. But-
"What about you, Avery?" he asked, mind still racing from the new possibilities on the table and trying to track them through to their possible endpoints.
"What about me?"
"Why not you and…oh." He realised the answer as soon as he had begun to voice his question, "Because you're Symphonius and she's Capo's Concerto."
"And because he's got the lovely Theodosia waiting with bated breath for him to follow through on his childhood promise," Ethan winked at Blake.
Blake's lips curled into a grin, "Ooooh right, I forgot about Theodosia. How is Theodosia?"
Avery and Theodosia had met when they were quite young, when the previous Symphony had taken him along for a visit to Memphrabi. Being of similar age, and still young, they had been introduced and allowed to play together. Theodosia, serious but joyful even at that age, had declared that she had never had such fun, and that the only way to assure the continuance of such things was for them to marry. She also happened to be the youngest sister of the incumbent Sage of Heaven at the time. Ignorant of politics, however, Avery had promised to do so with the gravity that characterised him in adulthood and so often annoyed his more light-hearted siblings.
Avery's eyebrow quirked at his brothers' reversion to their troublesome twosome act, "She's fine. Very sorry to miss the Vittorioso but hopeful that her brother will agree to everything and that she'll be here to celebrate with us next year."
"Now let's get ready or Hana will have all of our heads for being late to the ball."
At first, I was about to say poor Alana, but on second thought... Huh. Blake's a Dread and hothead, which is completely normal for Capo. This would seem to get rid of a somewhat loose warhead / headache element for Sonissimo and neatly cut Blake off as to his plans (like what, is he really going to get Ethan to stay in Etela with him ... if Blake is leaving for Capo anyway?). And hey, apparently, he likes her.
For Alana, Blake's probably rocking the martial, some intrigue, and his stewardship and diplomacy is probably good (for a Marshall-type given he's a Sonissimo), which would be a nice fit with Alana's Executive training. She'd have two potential options for her Marshall choice, which is probably for the better for her. And given Alana's temperament, it feels like she can either sit on Blake if necessary or play good cop to his bad cop as needed (when she's probably the scariest out of the two of them).
But wow, if Sonissimo pulls this off, they've definitely made out like bandits from this crisis. And Avery's apparent marriage option is quite good too... I'm impressed. But I think this means Hana needs to pick up a Horse Lord or younger sibling of the Kabilean King to match the caliber of potential marriages Sonissimo has going on here.
This should be considered in terms of the fact they fell from top dog, so it's less about gaining and more about clawing back. But like Avery says, they're trying to move on. Well, at least some of them are; there are various factions at play.
And given Alana's temperament, it feels like she can either sit on Blake if necessary or play good cop to his bad cop as needed (when she's probably the scariest out of the two of them).
But I think this means Hana needs to pick up a Horse Lord or younger sibling of the Kabilean King to match the caliber of potential marriages Sonissimo has going on here.
"Something just clicked" = oh shit, stop ogling Evelyn. Well, I'm looking forward to seeing how attending the ball with Ethan goes. It's certainly shaping up to be quite interesting.
