A Yule in Cynebury

[Tretrid]

Witenapalent
Cynebury, Tretrid
December 20, 2023

Eoforwine Æthelstansunu let out a sigh as he opened the folder full of documents in front of him. It was that time of year again. Not only would it be Yule in a few days, with that came the annual gala held by the Falcon’s Throne the day before Yule, on the 23rd.

The monarchy and all its staff were very busy working around the clock to prepare for it, but some of the work still fell on the government. Hence why Eoforwine was here in a conference room instead of in his office.

He flipped through the documents in the folder and gave them a cursory scan. He knew what they said already, of course. He did his job.

The door opened, and in walked two people. One was a member of the Cyneweard, the royal guard, wearing its distinct dress uniform. The other was a man thirty-four years Eoforwine’s junior, the Crown Prince Æthelwulf Ælfricsunu, here on behalf of the Falcon’s Throne.

Eoforwine gave a deferent nod. “Your Highness. Please, be seated.”

Æthelwulf obliged. “You’ve always preferred getting right to business, so let’s do exactly that. I take it the invites have been set out?”

“Naturally. I couldn’t help but notice that a few people were invited that may be an issue, but it is ultimately the King’s prerogative, not mine.”

“You’re talking about the LN Foreign Chair, aren’t you?”

“That’s besides the point. What matters is that the invitations have been issued. We’ve received a few replies already, but we’re expecting most of them to arrive within the next day or so. Given how regularly this gala occurs, I suspect a lot of the regular attendees drafted responses well in advance.”

“The banquet would not be as important as it is if it weren’t for how regularly it occurs.”

The Yule gala was an annual tradition of the monarchy that had gone back for more than a century. It was ultimately an event held by the royal family, but the highest-ranking members of government had always been invited, as well as dignitaries abroad. So, over the years, the gala had become a prominent part of the global diplomatic calendar, and a good place to conduct informal diplomacy. Especially with Tretrid.

Eoforwine pulled out a few pages from his folder and handed it to the prince. “Some reports pertaining to the event. They’ll give you a good summary of the work the government’s been doing for it this year.”

Æthelwulf quickly skimmed over the documents. “Good work, as always.” He paused. “The King would also like you to know that you are welcome to visit the Royal Palace to see the progress of the current preparations.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Well, I think that’s everything.” The Crown Prince stood up. “I’ll have to take my leave of you for now, I’m afraid. Contact the Royal Palace if any developments happen.”

“See you in a few days,” Eoforwine said. And with that, Æthelwulf left.

[Tretrid]

Witenapalent
Cynebury, Tretrid
December 20, 2023

Phone calls with other government officials could be a hassle to schedule sometimes. This one had been planned a while in advance, though. At the other end of the line from Eoforwine was the director of the Royal Intelligence Service, Bada Eadburgsunu.

“Rest assured that the King has agreed to the usual arrangements,” Bada said. “The ears of Tretrid will not be deaf to the happenings at the banquet.”

Eoforwine nodded. “Perfect. I take it that, as usual, the agents will be using the cover of the servants of the Royal Palace. And, of course, listening devices installed throughout the space.”

“Yes. If anyone tries to use this forum for diplomacy against those who host it, we’ll be the first ones to know.”

“Great work. What about other potentially useful intelligence?”

“We’ll be screening conversations first and foremost for things that may directly affect Tretrid. Information that doesn’t directly pertain to us will take longer for us to sift through, but we will analyze it nonetheless. Really, since this is supposed to be an open event, there shouldn’t be much said that would really be a secret, but the information has proved and will prove potentially useful.”

“Well, ‘loose lips sink ships,’ so the saying goes, so if any of our guests reveals classified information, that’s their fault, not ours. That’s all about the banquet I wanted to discuss.”

“Alright then. I believe next we were to discuss our assessment of various current geopolitical situations of interest to Tretrid.”

And so the call continued, though it left behind the matter of the impending banquet. There were other things Tretrid did other than run a gala every Yule, after all.

[Cryria]

Cryrian Embassy - Cynebury
December 23, 2023

Arvid Tegnér drew in a breath. Smoke coiled down his throat, and filled his lungs with blackness. He held it there a moment, cigar dropping to his side as he looked blearily up at the starless night sky. With a puff, the Cryrian Ambassador released the cloud of particulates, like some great dragon of old.

Talveri mythology is one of the few to never develop any stories of dragons or dragon-like creatures…

A half-remembered fragment of a thought echoed back at him from some old college class on the topic. History of Talveri Art, perhaps? With that one fellow… Professor Hjertsson. Ored Hjertsson. Credit where it was due, the man knew how to intersperse his topic with interesting snippets that even a bored undergraduate trying to fulfill some requirement might remember.

It was cold here in December - Cold by any reasonable man’s standards. But Tegnér was Karlin-born and Karlin-raised. His father had worked the oil rigs there, vanishing into the stormy gray seas for weeks at a time while his mother worriedly kept the weather channel playing all day at home. Twenty-four Seven, just the dry tones of the Hydrometeorological Centre rattling over the handheld radio she carried around the kitchen. It had almost been a relief when she’d returned to work herself - Back at the logging camps. One of the most dangerous jobs in the country, even for an overseer. The irony had never been lost on Tegnér, and his father had laughed about it till the day she passed.

“Fuck,” Tegnér muttered, looking down at the stub of his cigar. Leave it to the holidays to bring back memories. The sweet and the bitter both. And he was going to have plenty of holidays too. Tonight, the Tretridians and their Yule gala. Tomorrow, the embassy would be celebrating the eve of Ademar’s Mass. And then the New Year, just a week later. Much of the non-essential staff had flown home to spend the occasions with their families. Those who remained had done their best to recreate a festive atmosphere in the emptied corridors of the embassy. The SPS team had even dug up some lights from a half-forgotten storage room to deck out the roof. A multicolored constellation glimmered down from the edifice of the big building, glinting off the marble columns that decorated its Celanoran-style edifice and just barely illuminating the blue-white flag fluttering above.

Engines rumbled as a black vehicle came rolling across the courtyard, and the Ambassador raised one arm to shield his eyes from the searing headlights. The diplomatic license plates marked it as coming from the embassy’s motor pool. Through the bulletproof windows of the entrance security building, Tegnér could just barely SPS guards preparing to slide open the crash gates and lower the wedge barrier at this odd hour.

Tegnér sighed, and tossed his cigar onto the ashtray of a nearby trashcan. His driver stepped out of the vehicle and swung open the passenger-side door as an invitation. The Ambassador thrust his hands into his suit pockets and stepped off the curb.

It was high time for this year to end.

[Tretrid]

Kalmington International Airport
Cynebury, Tretrid
December 22, 2023

Æthelwine Heardsunu had always found it quite amusing how the namesake of the chief airport of the Tretridian capital was a name heavily associated with Morstaybishlian politics. There was the history behind that, with how Lord Kalmington was more immediately influential for the development of constitutionalism in Tretrid, but Æthelwine suspected that most travelers weren’t aware. For all they knew, the airport of the Tretridian capital was just named for some Morstaybishlian.

As he watched the skyline of Cynebury grow closer as his plane lowered and touched down to the ground, he couldn’t help but wonder when the last time he had been in Cynebury was. He supposed it was in summer of 2021, with that summit between the League of Novaris and Tretrid, back when he was Secretary-General. To say that the meeting had been somewhat awkward due to Æthelwine’s then-recent denunciation of Tretridian foreign policy was awkward may have been putting it lightly.

The time before that, was the last Yule gala he had attended, in December of 2020, back when things had seemed much simpler on the surface, though much of what was to come was already brewing. It had been a grand time, though he had fonder memories of flying back to Lucroza overnight, and having his family gather in the Celanoran capital (along with a couple of his colleagues at the League) for Yule. It had felt more genuine, somehow. Maybe it was because Æthelwine knew much of the inner workings of the banquet from back when he had been in the Tretridian cabinet.

Æthelwine supposed he couldn’t have predicted coming back to Cynebury for another Yule gala in the year 2023. He was no longer Secretary-General, just one of the two Deputy Secretary-Generals, though he also still helmed much of the background work behind the LN’s foreign affairs in his position as the Chair of the Foreign Office. He probably wouldn’t even have gone at all, if there wasn’t some inner feeling that urged him to do so. Perhaps it was that he needed to see whether his onetime friend yet continued on his destructive path.

Once the plane had touched down and rolled to a stop, he was escorted by a pair of LSS guards onto the tarmac, who led him to a trio of figures. Accompanied by two more LSS guards was none other than his son, Eadwine Æthelwinesunu.

The two quickly embraced.

“How have you been holding?” Æthelwine asked.

“Quite well, despite the constant exposure to Witan politics. No wonder why you left.” Eadwine sighed slightly. “Elected officials can be a lot to work with, sometimes.”

“Well, you have something you believe in, so you already have something over a good chunk of the Witan.”

“I personally like having the right to exist,” Eadwine said. “Well, someone has to hold politicians accountable, I suppose.” The two walked for a while in silence before Eadwine started talking again. “But enough about what I’ve been doing. How’s, uh, being Deputy Secretary-General?”

“Nothing of interest, really. The Novaran Council’s been fairly quiet. Just the day-to-day business of diplomacy.”

“Right. Oh, my partner wanted to send his regards. He couldn’t be here, since the hospital wants him to work longer in the couple of days before Yule. You know, people do stupid things during the holidays and end up needing medical attention.”

“Tell him I said hi, then.”

Æthelwine still sometimes found it hard to believe that Eadwine was 30 already. It seemed like merely a few months ago that Eadwine was a young boy, but he had long since grown up.

“Oh, since the banquet is tomorrow evening, Ceolswið wanted to know if we could meet up again sometime tomorrow. Have more of a proper reunion, you know? I think she could probably use a response soon, train speeds being what they are.”

Perhaps this should have been arranged further ahead of time, so Ceolswið would have been able to fly to Cynebury instead, since Sigested was pretty far. Though, given that she was a civil engineer, it was possible that she would have decided to take the train anyway,

“That’d be great.”

“I’ll text her, then. Oh, where’s Mom, by the way?”

“She decided not to go.”

Eadwine looked disappointed. “Well, I guess we could always set up a Nyoom meeting with her.”

As the two talked, Æthelwine couldn’t help but feel like, in the moment, that everything that had driven a wedge between him and Tretrid over the last few years had never happened, and it had all just been a bad dream.

Yet he reminded himself that this was in fact the reality that he had been given, and that he had burned all the bridges that he had. Perhaps he could never think of his homeland in the way that he once had only four years ago.

[Norgsveldet]

(Joint post with Cowlass)

23rd December, 2023
Norgsveltian Embassy, Cynebury, Tretrid

Estrid took a sip from her wine glass as she looked through some pictures on her phone. Smiling to herself as she looked through the time she had spent in Lapiliszna with Esta. Finally having been able to meet her brothers, and get to know her better. Her girlfriend was rather… peculiar. Her girlfriend was a beauty in the eyes, and she certainly was willing to show it off. The two had a lot in common and she genuinely enjoyed her time with Esta.

Yet Esta was clearly not the most normal person she has been with. Especially with how her subjects treated the Jarlynja. Less like a leader and more a goddess. Though that’s just exciting, right? With a small giggle she finished her glass, she should likely make some final preparations for the ball, but a small call to her darling girlfriend wouldn’t hurt right? Putting the phone on her shoulder she gave a call to her favorite Enshrined Spirit.

“Living Goddess Esta the Protector, how can I help you, my favorite gothy.” Esta spoke with a tease. Sounds of metal dropping in the background.

“Thought I’d give you a call before I go and have such a wonderful time at this Yule Ball.” Estrid spoke in a bit of a sarcastic tone. Not that she thought she’d have a boring time persay, but rather missed the entertainment her girlfriend brought.

“Oh how dreadful Yule… Don’t flirt with any cute girls while your there now~” Esta gave a teasing tone. “Or else I would have to smite them from the Urth~” It still sounded like a tease but damn if it didn’t almost sound like a threat.

“I don’t know… I like it when you get jealous and clingy~” Estrid teased as she poured herself another glass of wine, letting out a small giggle. “Like there are any girls as beautiful as you, darling. I hardly could keep my eyes off you when I visited Lapiliszna~”

“Oh~ You should see when I get really jealous~ I’m basically a cold blooded killer~” Estrid could hear Esta put away something into a shelf. “Of course, no girls are as beautiful as me. I’m a basically divinely crafted~”

“With that knife collection of yours you’d make for a ridiculously good one.” She joked, chuckling at her girlfriend’s comments. Taking a sip of her wine glass. “You certainly are divinely crafted, If I was drinking more you’d have me make the oh so most vulgar comments my dear~” She said in a teasing and posh tone.

“I would never dare say something sinful, only the most highest of praise escapes my lips~” Estrid heard a brief scream far off in the background followed by a door slamming shut. “Spirits, it is cold down there. Are you keeping warm?”

“Hey is everything going okay over there? I heard a scream?” Estrid asked with a slight concerned tone in her voice. “Did you tease Ny’Jon too much again?”

“What scream Estrid?” Esta questioned back in a gentle tone, steps can be heard as she goes up a flight of stairs. “Is everything alright with you?” She gave a more concerned, if not scared voice towards her girlfriend.

“What? Yeah, of course I’m okay. I said I heard a scream on your end… Like in the background, did someone fall down or something?” Estrid asked, a bit confused by Esta’s comment, putting down her wine glass.

“No? There was no scream honey. Finally! My sofa, we had a lot of fun here~” Esta returns to her teasing. “So how boring are the Tretrid people?”

“I… Well they are not as fun as you.” Estrid couldn’t help but scratch her arm, being rather confused from Esta’s comments but didn’t want to linger on it. “The ball hasn’t started yet, so I’m just in the room given to me by the embassy here. Drinking wine as I wait for the ambassador to call for me, she isn’t exactly humorous either. She’s part of Nyveldet’s nobility.”

“Ewww Nyveldtians, always so boring and formal.” Estrid could hear the eyeroll. “Well just remember, always be stiff upper lip and whatever. How’s the room or are you not there yet?”

“I did already say I’m in the room, got some nice red wine with me.” Estrid said, taking another sip of her glass. “Are you busy with something? You seem a little absent minded. I can leave you be, if you need to focus on something.” She had a weak, concerned tone. “Just called because I missed you wonderful voice, sweetie.”

“Oh I was just thinking about you and you stole my thoughts away from me.” Esta gave a giggle, “I missed you so much too honey. I think I will get myself some red wine too, then we can pretend to be right next together again.”

“We could video call, I could show you my new dress.” Estrid said in an excited tone. “My ambassador has been rather dull, so please keep me entertained while I wait for her to give me the signal that the ball will start.”

“Oh! Yes, please! I love you yes!” She was extremely excited about having a video call. Akuanists always love video calls, “I wanted to ask first but I didn’t know what you was doing.”

Estrid started the video call, keeping her phone held high so Esta could see her wearing a tight fitting black dress that showed off her long legs and black lipstick. Playing with her raven hair as she posed for her girlfriend. “I look good right?” She said with a warm smile as she held her wine glass up.

Esta was wearing her sleepwear, it being an all purple and black long dress. She had a bit of wine on her cheek, and she clapped her hands together. Resulting in her phone dropping onto the floor. “Ay- Oh shit I dropped my phone.” For a brief moment the camera was facing the floor, until the Enshrined Spirit picked it back up.

Estrid giggled at her girlfriend’s clumsiness, taking a sip from her wine glass. “You are absolutely adorable.” She gave Esta a teasing smile.

“Sorry, I was a little happy seeing your face again.” Esta gave a warm smile, taking a piece of cloth to wipe her cheek. “Ny’Jon, can you hold my phone for me?” Few moments later, the video was moved slightly, so one could fully see Esta in her outfit.

“As always you look wonderful sweetie~ As tasteful as the wine~” Estrid teased. “How is Ny’Jon doing? You haven’t given him too much work, right?”

“No no, of course not. I just make him carry me around.” She gave a joking tone. “Oh, you are just ravishing Estrid~” Politely speaking to a nearby servant to bring her wine bottle and a glass in Nys’tat’en.

“Thank you~” She couldn’t help but let out a giggle. “But genuinely, how’s Lapiliszna doing? I know I was there not that long ago but well. East Borea seems almost on the verge of conflict each day.” Estrid gave her girlfriend a concerning look. “Did you watch Ingrid’s speech from a few days ago? Ending it off with proclaiming her harsh opposition to Blåskog.”

“Oh it’s almost always on the verge of conflict, that’s just our little neighborhood.” Esta rolls her eyes, “Yeah I saw her speech, dad was screaming for hours about it or whatever. Oh! So Union Square pulled out of Blaskog and Lapliszana right? So now we got get his Union Triangle just completely unoriginal.”

“Your father doesn’t exactly do his best to beat the Anti-Akuanist allegations.” Estrid said in a rather negative tone as she took a sip from her wine glass once more. “I heard your brother, Wilan, has been going on diplomatic tours of his own, trying to better Blåskog’s reputation and now openly critiquing your father?”

“Yeah, he never was going on too. Tall stick is doing his thing around, pretty sure he is trying to be a king or whatever. Spirits this wine is grand, oh oh! I got new generals now too, a bunch of weirdos though but they’re Tall stick friends. I fired the old ones and got the ones he wanted.” Esta snapped her fingers, “Umm! Ny’Jon wait your doing stuff. Ah never mind who cares about their names.”

“Is that so? How is Torster and Velina doing?” Estrid asked leaning in as she took interest in the topic, taking a sip from her wine glass. “Can’t see for me Torster staying on the sidelines in this.”

“Oh killjoy is running around talking to the old boring people, and stuff. Hosting parties and getting people on his and Wilan’s side for whatever.” Esta sipped her wine again. “Lot of boring people are traveling to meet here, and then go back home. I don’t know, but at least I get to see my niece more often now! Ny’Jon got really good at changing diapers.”

“Oh yeah did you get to babysit her? I remember Torster mentioning that idea so he and Velina could spend more time together.” Estrid said, keeping her warm sweet smile. “Or well he said it was because he was busy with work and parliamentary meetings, but I think he just wants to spoil his wife.”

“Yeah! She so cute, but really noisy and cries a lot but Ny’Jon really good at calming her back down.” Esta gave a warm smile. “She is so cute, I sent Peacock a bunch of photos, you know how much he loves children, even more when they’re babies.”

Estrid had to giggle from how much Esta was gushing about her niece. “Good thing you had Ny’Jon there then. You can do all the positive things about having children, such as taking pictures of them, playing with them and all that. While stuff like feeding them, changing them and the like. Well that you put on as Ny’Jon’s responsibility.” She said in a teasing tone towards Esta, taking a small sip of her wine glass.

“Yes.” Esta replied sharply, refilling her wine glass. “Ny’Jon you are not allowed to retire until the kids are adults and ready to leave the house… Maybe.”

Estrid could hear a sigh from behind the camera but the butler kept himself quiet otherwise. “Poor, poor man. Not only does he have to baby you, but now also your niece?” She shook her in mock disappointment.

“Also yes, now Ny’Jon hand me the phone and go get me another bottle~” Esta jokingly teases back. Taking back the phone, “He is well paid for this you know, plus I think he kinda likes it. Oh spirits about my niece right? This little gremlin was crying, so I was looking for Ny’Jon and you wouldn’t believe who I ran into at my very own palace!”

“Well I think he likes babying you more than he likes to baby your niece.” Estrid said, rolling her eyes as she took a sip of her wine glass. “What was it, your motherly instinct? Your work spirit?” She teased her girlfriend more.

“Shush before I smite you. No it was umm.” Esta snaps her fingers, “What’s that man called who the government the one people vote for?”

“You mean the prime minister? One who took over after Mrs. Stenberg resigned?” Estrid asked, taking another sip of her glass. “What about him?”

“Yeah that old woman, yeah so she is in my palace. I had no idea! She was meeting Torster and Wilan for something. I don’t know, I guess they told me beforehand but I was busy being a Goddess and hosting a festival to pay attention.” Esta is handed another bottle off screen, and Ny’Jon takes the phone again.

“I. What? So, they’re talking with the old prime minister, and not the current one?” Estrid was confused trying to make sense of Esta’s ramblings.

“Uhh, old one yeah! Her! That woman, I didn’t stay long because I was looking for Ny’Jon but that reminded me to tell you that Torster and Wilan give you their best wishes.” Esta says proudly in her complete ignorance of what is going on behind the curtain.

Estrid just had to let out a sigh, though she had a smile on her face. “You’re very oblivious, you know that?” She said in a joking tone. “How’s Torster’s wife doing? Have you and Velina been on good terms?”

“Yes we have, I been really good at speaking my mind around her and she remembers not to be in the room when I first enter so she is not required to kotow.” Esta gave a smile. “Though I think she is cheating on Torster, she gave Ny’Jon her phone number for ‘emergencies’ or whatever.” She gives air quotes.

“I will make it clear, I don’t have any such relationship with her or anybody else for that matter.” Ny’Jon said behind the camera, sounding genuinely annoyed at Esta’s comments.

“Esta stop thinking with your mind in the gutter.” Estrid said, rolling her eyes, taking another sip from her glass finishing it. “She isn’t some ‘lady of the night’ alright?”

“Hey! I’m just looking out for him. No one ever dated him before her okay? He doesn’t know what to do. So I have to look out for him.” Esta crossed her arms in a serious look.

“Esta. They’re literally married. With a child.” Estrid said, pouring herself another glass, her third one already. Opening her mouth to say something again.

Esta interrupted before her girlfriend could speak. “So was my dad, but he still had Ny’Kuil in his office all the time.” She was confused, why being married with children would exclude cheating somehow.

“First. I did not need that image in my head. Second. I was arguing that your brother likely knows what he is doing.” Estrid said as she shuddered at Esta’s comments. “Surprised your brother didn’t have a partner before Velina however. He seems like the type who’d have many girls and guys after him.”

“Nah, he was a complete mama’s boy. Never went outside that much, always reading or doing something boring. I don’t think he even looked at people until he went to college.” Esta pours herself another glass, not sure how much she has drunk already. “Plus Trudi scared away anyone that tried to date him anyway so he would focus on his studies in Boringology.”

“You’d think a mother would be happy that their son had a successful love life.” Estrid said, shaking her head taking a sip from her wine glass. “Perhaps she didn’t want her mama’s boy to grow up.”

“I guess.” Esta shrugs her shoulders, “Either way they make a really cute baby! Right Ny’Jon? Right!” She didn’t wait for him to respond.

“What she said.”

Estrid giggles at Ny’Jon’s tired reply. Being about to make a comment about it to tease the poor butler before she heard a knock on her door. “Ah, that must be the ambassador. I’ll call you up again later!” Estrid said in an excited tone. “Don’t get yourself in trouble!”

“Not allowed too! I have Goddess stuff to do!” Esta gives a laugh, matching Estrid’s tone. “Love you gothy!” She gave a wave bye.

“Love you too little crazy! I’ll call you back when I can! Bye!” She said giving a quick wave before ending the call. Clearing her throat she walked up to the door revealing a blond female elf dressed in a dark blue bunad with eagle symbology on it.

“Your highness, are you ready?” The elf said with a clear authoritative voice, making way for the Royal to pass.

“As ready as I can be, lead the way Mrs. Anettedatur.” Estrid said following the ambassador out, with lack of pockets she put her phone into her dark purple handbag.

[Tretrid]

Royal Palace
Cynebury, Tretrid
December 23, 2023

Ceolswið managed to make it to Cynebury in time for an impromptu reunion of sorts. She appeared a bit tired, but Æthelwine suspected that that was from how she had had to take an early-morning train to get to Cynebury by around 9 AM.

It was nice getting to catch up with her and Eadwine in person. There was something about being face-to-face that the family group chat never quite could capture.

Regardless, there was the matter of the banquet to attend to, so the LSS people took him to the Royal Palace in the late afternoon.

As was tradition, the event would be opened with short speeches from the King and Prime Minister. A room had been set aside, with chairs for all the guests and a podium emblazoned with the royal coat of arms of Tretrid.

Ælfric III Cyning stood at the podium.

“Good evening, everyone,” the King said. “Yule has once again arrived to herald the end of the year, and with it comes this annual gala to celebrate it. I’m glad all of you could be here today, from not just from across Tretrid, but from across the world. Yule is a holiday where we should remember that we are much more alike than we are different, and to extend the same charity and understanding to others that we ourselves all need and deserve. People here may disagree, vehemently, but we should always retain the ability to rise above those differences when there is a need for it. Thank you, and I hope all of you enjoy this gala.”

Next up was none other than Eoforwine Æthelstansunu himself. Æthelwine hadn’t seen him in person since… well, since Æthelwine was Secretary-General.

“Good evening. This is the eighth time I’ve come before you on this special occasion. I would firstly like to thank everybody who has helped this gala happen, from the Falcon’s Throne and everyone who has helped it in planning this, to the people in security ensuring that this event unfurls smoothly, to the ushers, servants, and chefs without whom this event would simply be impossible. I would also like to thank everyone who has helped me in my endeavor to steer the ship of state, without whom I would not be standing here right now. I would be remiss, of course, not to mention you, the distinguished guests.

“One of the most important reasons why we continue to host this event is to bring us together to discuss matters in a festive, friendly atmosphere. While at other times we may attack each other, here we come together to make connections and to see what we all have in common. Even in times when it seems like politics seems to get more tense by the day, we must remember that we all are sapients with all the dignity that entails. In that spirit, I hope you all enjoy your time here.”

And with that, the speeches were over, and the guests moved over to the dining hall to eat the dinner that was prepared for them.

[Norgsveldet]

Estrid sat down at the table sitting next to Anettedatur, the two starting to dig into their own meals. Which Estrid couldn’t help but have her mind be… occupied about the conversation she had with Esta earlier. ‘Why would her brothers be in contact with Stenberg?’ She thought to herself taking a sip from her wine glass, a nice white wine that she doesn’t remember having tasted before. Not that white wine was her favorite to begin with. She and Esta often drank Blåskovian made vodka when they were together. Almost as if all her Norgsveltian Royal upbringing went away when the two of them drank together. By the gods, the amount of mischief they did in Sayyed, Jørgen had to yell at the two of them for the actions they did. It has been well over a year by now.

“You seem lost in thought, your highness.” Anettedatur spoke up suddenly, shaking Estrid out of her thoughts. With the ambassador taking a small sip of red wine from her wine glass. The elven woman kept a calm stoic tone.

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Anettedatur. I’m just thinking about my girlfriend Esta.” Estrid said in a polite tone even if she felt a bit embarrassed by the fact she was zoning out. She took a bite of the Yule sausage that was on her plate.

“Ah, young love. Then it’s understandable.” Anettedatur said, having a tiny yet still uncharacteristic smile. “You have chosen a good partner. The Jarlynja is well respected in Nyveldet. My grandchildren love her.”

Estrid wasn’t surprised by the grandchildren comment, though she didn’t know the ambassador enough to know her age, she did know that most elven diplomats serving under Norgsveldet are often quite old by human standards. Both out their just the amount of experience many of them had by now and that it is a way for Norgsveltian monarchs to ensure they were part of diplomatic discussions. Elves in Norgsveldet having a large tendency to be very pro-monarchy, serving her uncle well during the Diplomatic Crisis. “Esta does have a large following among the conservative youth, doesn’t she?”

“Quite so, Unge Konservative talks about her a lot. I know my grandson was jealous when it was revealed to the public the two of you started dating.” Anettedatur shook her head at the stupidity of her grandson’s delusions.

“Say how’s the wine?” Estrid asked, smiling politely as she switched the topic rather quickly.

“Quite good, while the wine sourced from Nalpia isn’t bad it’s not the same as Dvalian wine.” Anettedatur said in a low tone not wanting the Tretridians to hear it before taking another sip from her glass.

“Well, as biased as we are. I’ll toast to that.” Estrid gave a polite amused smile as the two clinked their glasses together.

[Tretrid]

Æthelwine was eating his meal and making small talk to those around him when he was approached by one of the royal servants.

“Mr. Heardesunu?”

Æthelwine turned to get a better look at the man. He recognized him. He remembered why after a few seconds—as Tretridian Foreign Minister, he had once overseen the workings of the RIS, including with arrangements at past Yule banquets. This man was one such undercover agent.

It was uncharacteristically sloppy of the RIS to have this person, whom Æthelwine knew to be an agent, talk to him. Or perhaps the RIS wanted him to know that.

This could be important.

“Yes?” The Deputy Secretary-General asked.

“There’s someone who wants to speak with you in private, sir. If you would follow me.”

Æthelwine stood up and followed the ‘servant.’ He was led out of the room to one of those richly decorated hallways of the Royal Palace before being led to one of the rooms.

The room was set up as a conference room, with two chairs. One had apparently been set up for Æthelwine on the same side as the door. Seated across from the table was none other than…

“Please take a seat,” Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu, Prime Minister of Tretrid, said.

Æthelwine obliged his oncetime friend.

“Please leave the two of us,” Eoforwine told the agent.

The agent nodded and closed the door behind him, leaving the two sitting in silence.

Æthelwine got to see the Prime Minister up close for the first time in more than a year. He looked somehow ever more tired, his hair ever more gray, his bearing ever more weary. The passage of time and the duties of state were rarely kind to people.

“It’s been a while,” Eoforwine said succinctly.

It had indeed.

“I thought you were trying to avoid me,” Æthelwine said. “Why talk to me, here and now? I’m no longer Secretary-General.”

“Is it too much to want to catch up with an old friend?”

“That’s unlike you.”

“Perhaps.” He paused briefly before speaking again. “I take it your loyalties have not changed?”

“I work for the League, and so I have a duty to act in strictly its interest.”

Eoforwine looked unsurprised. “Let’s just get straight to business.”

That was a return to form for him. Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu was not a big fan of small talk.

“You no doubt know that the next elections in Tretrid will be held next year,” the Prime Minister said. He paused for a while. “After careful consideration, I’ve decided against serving for another term and will not be seeking reelection to the Witenagemot. I thought you should be the first to know outside of the Social Democratic leadership.”

The silence was so thick that you could cut it with a knife.

“…I see,” Æthelwine said after a while. It was curious that Eoforwine wanted to tell him of all people first. Perhaps it was in remembrance of simpler times.

“Of course, I will be making an official speech on the matter soon enough for all the Tretridian people to know,” Eoforwine said. “But that will come in due time.”

“What will you do afterwards?”

“I don’t know quite yet. I was thinking, though, that I could devote my time to furthering the sapient development work that I pushed while in office. Out of all the things my government has done abroad, it is that which I believe is most worth continuing.”

“You could be free from the obligations of the premiership then.”

“Perhaps.” For a brief moment, the Prime Minister almost looked hopeful. Yet that moment quickly passed. “Yet who is fit to assume the reins of state, if not me?”

“That decision lies in the hands of the people, just as it always has.”

“So it does.”

Silence, once again.

So this was how things were going to end, all those things that had been in motion for the two for more than twenty years.

Æthelwine was at a loss for words. He managed some, after a while.

“Do you remember what you told me all that time ago, when the accident happened? When you said that gaining power meant that you had to sacrifice what was dear to you and hope that everything would be worth it in the end?”

“I remember that well,” Eoforwine said. “How would I not?”

“I don’t think I ever thought about how that applied to you as well, wrapped up in my problems as I was, until it was too late.” He paused. This was certainly a painful conversation to have. “But I’ll ask you now. Was it all worth it?”

“‘History will see such actions justified,’ Æthelwine. Seccera and Cavellan stand free. The future of Northeast Novaris looks brighter than it ever has in living memory. The world is safer and better for all those who love freedom. What price is one man’s conscience for a better world?”

“You have bought that with more than just your conscience, Eoforwine.”

“If the path to a better future is soaked in the blood of those who would commit crimes against sapientkind, then so be it.”

In what had now seemed like a lifetime ago, Æthelwine had wrote in a memorandum as Foreign Minister that the greatest good that Tretridian foreign policy aimed to accomplish was that of Tretrid itself. A powerful Tretrid meant a Tretrid more capable of effecting change, which it could use to further the cause of sapient rights and democracy. Yet Tretrid would not have the chance to pursue any of these aims if it didn’t have the hard and soft power to do so.

Yet Eoforwine was not altogether that different from Æthelwine, and he had almost unleashed the madness of full-scale war onto Novaris, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the Great War. It was that that scared Æthelwine the most about his former friend. He really wasn’t that different, and he easily could have done the exact same questionable deeds.

“I believe we have no more to say, then,” Æthelwine said, after a while. He wished there was something more that could be done, but that opportunity had lapsed long before this moment. The last twenty years had gone the way they had, and that could not simply be undone.

Eoforwine stood up. “I hope you enjoy the remainder of the banquet, then. Goodbye, Æthelwine. Maybe we will meet once again someday, once all is said and done, though when that may happen I know not. It has been good meeting with you, even if just this one last time.”

[Tretrid]

Æthelwine Heardesunu had returned to the banquet, but his mind was not truly present in the festivities. Not after that.

So it might have taken longer than it usually would have to realize that someone else was trying to get his attention.

This time it was Eahlstan Colasunu, a former colleague of his. Colasunu had been a junior minister back in the Cynricesunu government, when Æthelwine had been Foreign Minister. The two had been acquainted but never knew each other particularly well.

It had now been more than 10 years since Cynricesunu was Prime Minister, and even longer since Æthelwine had been in the Cabinet. Colasunu was now the Leader of the ÞUD, and consequently also Leader of the Opposition.

It was an open secret that Colasunu had his eyes on the premiership. Some of Eoforwine’s foreign policy… escapades had become high-profile enough that they became subjects of domestic political debate and things like the Lyftwæpn’s conduct in Balistria had shaken what had been previously very solid public confidence in the ÞSD.

The ÞSD was by no means out of the race, though. Many of their policies under the Æthelstanesunu government had been popular, especially the ones targeting what had been revealed to be wide-ranging corruption within the government and civil service. And of course they had Eoforwine himself, who, despite having a reputation for reclusiveness, was charismatic in his own way.

But now Æthelwine knew that Eoforwine would leaving politics. The ÞUD now had even more significant chance to get itself into government in the upcoming election. Mr. Colasunu perhaps knew that he had a real shot to become PM, but Æthelwine knew that this chance was even more likely.

“May I speak to you?” Colasunu said. “Preferably in private.”

Æthelwine nodded.

Colasunu led him to a mostly empty room in the Royal Palace. There were a few other dignitaries there, of course, and the RIS bugs that were no doubt everywhere for this occasion.

“What did you want to talk about?” Æthelwine said.

“It’s about the election next year.”

Oh boy. Not again.

“You’ve built up a reputation for standing up to the current government regarding foreign affairs, and emphasizing the importance of peace and regional stability,” Colasunu said. “Your speech at the start of your second term as Secretary-General helped force the current government to be more accountable for its dealings abroad.”

Æthelwine had been somewhat aware of the splash his break with Eoforwine made back in 2021. It hadn’t been at the forefront of his mind at the time, since he also was actively doing his job as LN Secretary-General, but he even knew at the time that it would have had some sort of long-term political consequences. After all, Æthelwine himself was fairly well known there.

“I’m hoping to make some changes after the election, in the case that I end up as Prime Minister,” Colasunu continued. “I’ve thought about it for a while, and I think the best way to signal a change in the way we will be conducting our foreign affairs is by having you be in charge of it again. If you’re willing to run for the Witan in 2024—you could even do so as an independent, not as part of the ÞUD, if you’ve drifted away from us since the last time you were in the Witan—I want to make you Foreign Minister again. You’re well-known and have previous experience in the legislature, so you’ll definitely get elected if you run.”

Æthelwine should not have been shocked as he was. He knew that he had become sort of a rallying point around criticisms of Tretridian foreign policy under Eoforwine. This had been at least somewhat intentional on his part.

Yet to sit in the office of Foreign Minister, like he once had all those years ago?

He remembered why he stopped being Foreign Minister. Yet he didn’t have those obligations that he had all that time ago. Ceolswið and Eadwine had grown up and were living their own lives.

But he also remembered what being in the Witan was like, and he didn’t particularly want to be in the middle of all that daily political push and pull again. Not to mention that his work in the League of Novaris had given him a new set of responsibilities. The League was almost sort of a third child of sorts.

“I don’t think I can take you up on your offer, but thank you nonetheless,” Æthelwine said. “I don’t have any particular plans to reenter Tretridian politics anytime soon.”

“If you don’t want to be in the Witan or have a Cabinet seat, you could always rejoin the Diplomatic Service,” Colasunu said. “You could be the Novaran Ambassador-at-Large again.”

Æthelwine was pretty sure Beorhtsige Wulfricesunu, his onetime protégé, wanted to keep his job. Plus, could he even really represent Tretrid before the League once again, after his own actions? That was a wedge Æthelwine did not think could easily be removed.

“I must attend to the League, and I don’t think after everything I can do that as the Tretridian representative to that like I once could.” The time to turn back had long since passed. He still had his duty to the League to carry out. “Best of luck to you in the upcoming elections. If you win, then I will look forward to working with you, but I will be doing so with my primary allegiance to the League.”

Colasunu seemed somewhat disappointed, but not greatly surprised. “Alright, then. I wish you well on your own endeavors. Hopefully we will both be able to contribute to a more peaceful and prosperous Novaris in our own ways.”

“I think only time will tell.”