The King of Verfall

[Roxilicious]

high noon on imbrium 8th, 1594
his highness' throne, the main hall of the main castle at acerbus umbra, pertinax

King Falkor sat upon his throne, scratching his hand as he thought madly. He looked around. In his opposite hand, he had three scrolls.

"Tsavi, my sweet steward," he beckoned, waving his arm at the charming ailour. She was quick to obey, approaching her king at a respectable pace.

"Yes, your grace, what is it you ask of me?" Her raspy voice and foreign accent were unique to her people, though they caused her to stick out like a sore thumb.

"I need you to organize and send three messengers for me," King Falkor stated. He handed Tsavi the three scrolls. The unbroken seals reflected where the letters were destined to go: the royal gold-outlined, purple circle with the silver and black-outlined phoenix to the capital; the dark grey circle with a crimson-colored face of a red fox and two crossing daggers to Scelestus; and the black and grey canine body of a coyote against a white circle to Naktis.

Tsavi knew better than to ask about the letters' contents, but she didn't even need to.

King Falkor stood up and announced to the semi-busy castle in a loud, commanding voice: "Attention, castle residents. Verfall is removing itself from the Empire. From this day forth, we shall be known as an independent nation with our own laws, freedoms, military, and traditions. Emperor Remiel will no longer control the children of the night!"

His sister, Roxanna, was not far away, tending to a wolf bitch who had just given birth to a litter of five pups. Did her ears deceive her? This was just too good to be true. Surely, her brother had gone mad, but this was his best idea yet.

"Now, as I know you're all a bunch of gossiping drunken whores and bastards, go tell everyone you know. The official announcement will be at sundown tonight in the square. Tell everyone you know that this is their last chance to join me and the true kingdom of the night, or to leave eternally and have their loyalties pressed close to the Emperor."

Without another word, Falkor left his throne and retreated to his private quarters. The main hall was quiet as he walked, and he received many stares, but the instant the doors to his hall had closed, the castle became a bustling entity of whispers, shock, rumors, and varying emotions.

Tsavi didn't move.

[Holly]

Holly trudged into the castle with a pain in her side. No, really, there was a real pain walking next to her and everytime he wanted her to hear something 'funny', he would jab her ribs with his elbow. "No, Hale, not in the mood," Would be her response to him, but the Count of Naktis really just did not seem to get that through his thick skull or really could not care less.

Either way, she was about ready to throw him out of Acerbus Umbra.

The Mystic weaved and ducked through the crowd to make her way to Roxanna or to Falkor, depending who she got to first for a report. And, of course, as he had said multiple times, Hale needed to ask a question. She had almost gotten up to the front when the King stood up. Her eyes narrowed in curiousity.

"Oh, well, now that was quite the interesting statement," Hale whistled and laughed. "It's about time Verfall did something smart like this. The Empire's gonna miss us, that's for sure."

Holly gaped at him in disbelief, her ocean eyes stretched wide. "Are you right in the head? This is insane! Not only does the Empire need us, but we need them as well. It's a method of balance!" She shook her head and attempted to follow after the King to question him. Unfortunately, a slammed door was all she got.

Hale pushed his way to the front after Holly where the servant was. "Message for Naktis? I'd be willing to take that--"

"Tsavi! What in the world was that all about?" Holly broke into the conversation and gestured at where Falkor had disappeared to. "He's obviously just making a joke, right? Or a bluff? He wants something from the Emperor, so he's just making a threat, right?" She drilled question after question, wanting and hoping so very much that that had not just happened the way she saw it did.

[Roxilicious]

Tsavi, jaw hanging open in absolute disbelief, stared at the doors that were slammed shut with wide eyes. After a brief moment of disconnection with reality, the ailour snapped back and looked at Holly.

"My lady, I'm so sorry, I... –" She was stuttering and ultimately baffled, not even remotely sure of how to react or what to say. Her green eyes were moving frantically around the castle's main hall, but they always found their focus on the mystic. A deep-rooted look of horror was present in her gaze. She blinked and turned to the countess, halving the distance between Roxanna and Holly.

"Lady Nightingale, if I may ask, are you already familiar with this announcement?"

Roxanna stood after placing the runt of the litter nicely in the bitch's belly. She turned and led Tsavi back to Holly and Hale to recollect what had just happened.

"I was uneducated to the King's plans," she admitted. "It seems a rather rash decision caused by boredom, if anything; however, I do see this as a fit choice and potentially healthy idea for Verfall. I fully support the King."

It was always the King. Not her brother, never her brother, but the King.

[Holly]

Rash was quite the word for it in Holly's mind. Though, it coming from boredom made her narrow her eyes in slight annoyance. No idea coming from boredom could ever be a good thing, could it? No, not at all. But she also knew that those ideas seemed to die off fairly quickly. Falkor could see that it was horrible idea and take it back in no time! That thought nearly made her feel better.

However, when Roxanna agreed with what King Falkor had said, she resisted the urge to pinch herself. A dream, right? This was more like a nightmare, but still! Or maybe it was a joke? A dream seemed more likely. She would wake up any minute and it would be back to normal.

...Wouldn't it?

"I don't. Whatever he's thinking, it's not good. Not in my opinion. We rely on the empire. Aria would have said so too," Holly replied, biting her lip as soon as it left her mouth. She hoped Roxanna wouldn't have a problem with her voicing the opinion. "Plus, what is there to gain except trying to become independent?"

Hale stared at Holly for a good few moments before laughing outright at her comment. "Oh, come on, Holly! Have you not looked around at a good majority of the population of Verfall? Thieves, muderers, black magic users, probably a lot of people from the dark guilds too. The empire's all hung up about them, why not give them a safe haven here away from their rule? New, probably powerful, citizens," He explained, leaning down to get himself at eyelevel with the shorter female.

Pausing, he added with a chuckle, "Oh, but I suppose an egg-head and goody-two-shoes like yourself would have a problem with that, huh?" The count flicked her nose lightly and stood up straight once more.

"I-I'm not an egg-head! There's nothing wrong with reading and learning! And I'm not a goody-two-shoes either. I'm merely stating things that Aria or my parents would have said," Holly nodded her head matter-of-factly, crossing her arms under her chest and frowning at the man and his ridiculous statements. Oh, so Verfall just wanted to make their already bad reputation worse, huh? Because that's sure what it sounded like!

Hale hummed a moment, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Ahh, but as I remember, Aria isn't here. And as many times as you repeat her name, she's still not coming back," Placing a hand on Holly's head, he tilted it up and down as if she were agreeing. "No, her position is yours now, sooo how about embracing that and be your own person instead of just copy-catting everyone else in your life?" He made her head nod again.

His smirk, for the slightest of moments, turned dark as he gazed solely at her. And then in the next second, he was chuckling like the normal Hale that annoyed Acerbus Umbra so well, releasing Holly from his grip.

"I still don't think this a good idea in the slightest," Holly muttered and looked back at the door that Falkor had disappeared from.

[Roxilicious]

Tsavi trembled with unease. Her jaw hung slightly open as she looked back and forth between Holly and Hale, and after Holly's final statement, she turned her attention back to Roxanna.

"What... W–What do you propose we do now, my lady?" she asked, feeling very apprehensive about the forthcoming moons.

Roxanna smiled, though this soon turned into a straight face with her thin lips pressed firmly together. "Well, first, it's absolutely necessary that we increase the number of patrols around our northern border with Asteria as well as our western border with the Dasaen Forest. More watch towers will be needed around our coasts should the other nations attack us from the oceans, and we'll need patrol ships in the Reonite Sea keeping close eyes on Kiesan and the Lasair Sea due to Celestial City's close proximity to the Vesperian Badlands. Brevis Village will need a new base for our military to stay, for it is likely to be attacked due to its weak fortification and nearness to Resmir. Obvious defensive strategies."

She shifted her weight, holding her stomach with one arm and resting her opposite elbow on said arm while grabbing her face in a pondering posture. "As far as new laws and freedoms... Well, the King will decide that. I expect more leniency with certain crimes while legalizing guilds dedicated to assassination or thievery, attracting more people to Verfall while increasing our population and support as an independent nation."

"Sakura! Renji!" Roxanna yelled, "Gather your men and send double patrols to the usual locations and increase the security on our border with the Dasaen Forest. Send double the ships to patrol our coasts, and use whatever men you have left to construct two new coastal watchtowers between each one we already have, evenly spaced. Any funds you need for materials, weapons, armor, or ships will be supplied. Do not hesitate! Sweep through your needs and meet with me tonight so we can discuss them and give you the gold."

The Countess smiled again, very pleased with how this could work out. A new, independent nation on the continent of Osoa, bordering the Empire which once ruled over the entire land.

Not anymore, Roxanna thought, wondering just how far this shift of allegiance could be taken.