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Post by Evelyn Crownguard on Oct 5, 2020 20:09:53 GMT
Beliefs:
"I will secure the best possible treaty to setup the trade for my country with the Elves as well as a new ally." "I will only agree to a honorable agreement which benefits all!" "I will not bow to any sorts of threats or blackmail!"
Evelyn Crownguard have set out finally to make the agreement with the Elves of Bernicia. Through the last couple of months envoys have been send back and forth between the two provinces, and finally the an agreement have been found. To seal the deal Evelyn was invited by the Elven King to been written down and shake hands on the new starting of an alliance between the two people in person. Obliging to the Kings wishes Evelyn and her large retinue have departed Far Haven and set out for the Elven capital. During the travel Arthur (her husband) been multiple times been asking Evelyn if an Alliance with the Elves is wise, or if they even could be trusted, and each time she have just replied; "More than you can imagine my love." with a warm smile and a gentle kiss on his cheek. Shortly after she would turn towards the road as she would think to herself ".. if not the North is in an even worse state that anyone could dream of. This has to work!"
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Post by Lidhuin on Oct 16, 2020 7:46:35 GMT
The journey to Bernicia was thankfully uneventful. No undeads or brigands at the very least, just a few broken wagon wheels that had to be fixed. Evelyn and Arthur made it to the elven lands and the elf king's halls before too long. The next few days, Evelyn (and her husband) would have to participate in the elven court to convince them of the wisdom of closer ties to the human realm. There was once upon a time that Evelyn's people had been closely attuned to the elves, but that was a long time ago. Generations of humans had grown old and died. Elves had watched the world and the humans change and perhaps become embittered by it all. Still, there was a time in which they were friends - allies even - so there was a good chance of perhaps rejuvenating old friendships.
The first of many events was a meeting with the elven king and presenting him with suitable gifts as a show of good faith. The retinue stopped a short distance from the elven palace to make final preparations.
Evelyn's seneschal approached with her with some unfortunate news as they were going over the final preparations. In their hurry to leave for the elven lands, the seneschal had either left behind or misplaced the gift they had intended to present to the elven king and had not realized this until now.
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Post by Evelyn Crownguard on Oct 23, 2020 10:31:08 GMT
Evelyn's normally gentle and kind face for a second turned dark, but quickly turned back to her normal pleasent self, as she turned to the seneschal; "Well, then I guess we might as well spit the Elven King in the face, unless you have a good idea to how we get out of this predicament. If we don't present the king something suitable we might as well just leave just this instance. So let me hear, what do you think we should do?"
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Post by Lidhuin on Nov 2, 2020 4:45:36 GMT
"Uhm, well, I..." The seneschal seemed nervous, "...they who surrender before a battle will never know if they could have won?" he tried.
"What I mean, Your Grace, is that the elven king is expecting us and will surely know that we've arrived. I cannot speak for the elves, but what assumptions would be made of a guest to Your illustrious court if they were to depart when they were at its doorstep?" The seneschal advised.
"However Your Grace commands," The seneschal finally offered, "We shall comply."
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Post by Evelyn Crownguard on Nov 2, 2020 12:15:48 GMT
"Well, my dear Rowan, I have absolutely no intention of backing off not that we've come this far. We're are gonna push forward. Gift or not, and should he really be offended and really want a gift then he can always have you!" Evelyn says with a wink and a smirk. "Jokes aside, im convinced that I can talk my way out of this one. Tell the people to pack up, we're moving out!"
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Post by Lidhuin on Nov 9, 2020 6:42:57 GMT
The Seneschal laughed nervously, not really sure if Evelyn was really joking or not (and even less sure if the elven king wouldn't take her up on the offer). They made their preparations, sans gift, and got the horses ready to move again.
The retinue proceeded towards the palace where they welcomed by druids. The palace was quite unlike human architecture. It did not resemble the fortifications or the mansions built by humans whether north or south, regardless of what time. It did not even bear a resemblance to those residences designed by skillful dwarven architects (typically regarded as excellent by human standards, albeit supposedly awful by dwarven standards). Instead, for fortifications, Evelyn had learned that skirmishers patrolled the woods they had traveled through. In theory, these could then give warning to the more organized elven guard that awaited them at the palace, although in practice this did not turn out so well - the conflict between the Sidhe kingdom of Umbria and the human kingdom of Bayard came to mind. More effectively, Sidhe magic was powerful stuff and was usually quite effective at keeping outsiders out, while having the side-effect of isolating anyone in the kingdom from being able to leave. Based on Evelyn's presence, it seemed the Sidhe king wasn't quite ready to isolate himself from the rest of the world. Perhaps the vision of an elven kingdom in an even worse state than the north had been since its own isolation from the rest of the world gave him pause?
So the elven guard in their pompous clothing and beautiful music greeted the human queen in a luscious glen, where the magnificent oak trees had been shaped by the magical powers of the elves into something resembling both at once a prestigious palace and yet also a simple, fertile forest. Take away all the elves and hide a few entrances here and there, and all that would be left would be a stream running through a glen, with abnormally amazing oak trees.
An elven herald announced the queen's arrival in the "courtyard" of the Glen at the main entrance to the palace.
"Her Grace, Queen Evelyn Crownguard, and His Grace, Lord Arthur Crownguard."
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