Taijitu World Building > Pre-Modern Era Fiction

The Empire of New Letonna

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Letonna:
   It was the typical rainy day in New Letonnasburg. However, walking the back streets you never hear anyone complain. The Letonnese people have never been a stranger to the dampness. Ever since the great migration to new lands many years prior. Though the rain came naturally, other challenges arose for the Letonese people. After the fall of the Neustrian government after the great war, the Letonese government and its followers, in exile due to an uprising, were welcomed by various splinter groups. However, much like the Letonese Government(in exile), and it's heavy handed leader Emperor Titus, began influencing local politics in the capital of Neusburg. They had their hands in with the church, the underworld, and prominent members of the fragile reformed government.

   On April 16th, 1923, what remained of the Letonese military(in exile) and the military of the frail puppet government of Neustria over threw the leadership. Instating a replica of the government of The Empire of Letonna, with its Emperor, as head of state, and renaming the capitol New Letonnasburg. Many of the former citizens of Neustria welcomed a change, although cautious of these outsiders. Their caution would soon turn to discontent and suspicion.
   In an attempt to satisfy the demands of the natives, the Letonese government made an effort to register all citizens to vote, welcomed the parties of the natives(although poorly represented in upper government) and extent education and social services to people, regardless of decent. It was not enough however, that protest became more and more frequent as disgruntled Neustrians Lost faith in this foreign Government.

   On the 11th of December, 1941, Emperor Titus died. Official media reports claim he had a heart attack in his sleep. Unofficial reports claimed he was poisoned while eating his evening meal. His only son, now Emperor Ulfrum, assumed the throne. He was 9. His ministers ruled the state while he was in his youth. In their ignorance, they thought that moving Neustrians into the country side and dispersing them, away from New Letonnasburg, would quell the cultural rivalries.

   The Ministers made them a deal: Accept 4.4 acres of land 30 km from the city, or be forced from it with nowhere to go. Many accepted it, many refused it, and many adopted Letonese accents and lived in the shadows and in the underground. Although it did quiet the streets of the capitol, it would only spell trouble for the future...

Letonna:
September 9th, 1963

   Ulfrum sipped his earl grey tea while reading the city paper. It was his one way of keeping in touch with the people without going through his biased ministers and advisors. Although his Empire could be considered a more controlling one, the press were granted many freedoms as long as they didn't directly oppose the leadership in upper government.

   Most of today's stories were the same ol' same old. The elementary school in the Bannett district was holding a fundraiser for cancer, a petrol station was robbed, some mayor in a suburb town is caught in a sex scandal. One story did catch his eye: 'Neustrian resistance cell ousted in Letonnasburg.' It had been a while since he had heard of any organized resistance in the city. He paused on it and though for a minute.
   Placing his paper down, swigging down the last of the tea, he got up. A servant quickly moved to remove the saucer and paper. Leaving the room through a set of large gilded doors, one of his advisors stood perfectly still waiting to meet him.

   "Good Morning sir, was the tea I sent over satisfactory?"

   "It was average, nice aromatic after taste."

   "Excellent, I acquired it from a contact of mine in western Myroria. They claim it to have medic-."

   "Cut the bull shit Temford. What's this about a rebel cell in Letonnasburg?"

The advisor was caught aback, but quickly gathered himself. The Emperor was usually soft spoken, but could be cold when something worried him.

   "Uhh, well, we're investigating it. So far, the LIB(Letonna Investigation Bureau) thinks it might be organized Neustrians under the influence of a foreign nation."

   The two walked down gilded halls for a good 5 minutes in complete silence until they reached another impressive doorway with Imperial Guards on either side.

   Ulfrum pushed open one of the doors with force, causing a loud bang. His ministers sat around a large oval table with the crest of the Letonnese Royal Family on it. His ministers all stared at him with cold gazes until he took his seat at the head of the table. Ulfrum thought they acted like this because they secretly wanted to take over, or they didn't like his style of leadership, or because he didn't send a birthday card to their daughter, he didn't know.

   His ministers briefed him on typical happenings and developments. Increased trade with Myroria to the west, crop harvests were lower than expected due to heavy summer rain, the spread of the flu is expected to be lower due to advances in sanitation. The meeting ended with the Minister of Internal Security, Albaum Krik, saying in a slightly nervous voice:
   "It appears the rebel cell did indeed have connections abroad, although mostly through funding and advising. When the raid occurred, log books, notes on bomb making, 2 way radios, and small fire arms were apprehended. We have captured some of the suspects alive, but they are badly injured and may not survive."

   Ulfrum tapped his index fingers together as he though. He had nothing personal against the Neustrians, it was his power crazy father and his gang of advisors that did. But he can't just let them back in the city and give them back their lands. His people would never have it; caught in their racial ideals that they are somehow better than them.

   "Let the LIB handle this, tell them to follow all leads. But remind them they are paid to investigate, not start race wars. They are given guns to defend themselves, not burst into private basements without a warrant."

   "yes, my lord."

And with that, the ministers gathered their papers and left Ulfrum alone in the large echoic conference hall. His brow wrinkled as he worried about that might be brewing in his own city that he didn't know about.

Myroria:
A large, boxy black car - probably Novmiri-produced - was rolling down a long-disused logging road in southwest Myroria towards a river making up part of the border between County Traval and Letonna. The car, containing two agents of the Myrorian Intelligence Agency, as well as a backseat and trunk full of firearms, had been driving off of any paved road for a little over two hours before finally the road dipped and a blue river with wide banks came into view.

The car rolled to a stop by the banks of the river and two men got out. Both were tall and slim, as most field agents of the MIA were, and were wearing gray flannel business suits, probably too hot for work in the middle of a forest on a September day.

"Do you see anything, Galyn?" asked the man in the drivers seat.

"Nothing. They were supposed to be here, Dalvus." The names, fake of course, were one of two ways to tell the men apart - in all other respects they were so unremarkable and similar looking they might as well have been brothers. The other way was by their ties: Galyn, a House Quarrovth man, wore a deep reddish-brown tie, the color of which could either be described as "burnt umber" or "a rusty nail covered in dried blood". Dalvus, a House Moomintroth man, wore a black tie with gold diagonal stripes - a formal, tired pattern for a formal, tired family. The color-coded ties were hardly necessary to their work, but so many MIA agents did intelligence for Great Houses on the side it helped to know who might stab you in the back as soon as you finished your work for the royals.

"They'll show up." Dalvus replied. Opening his car door to step outside, he was immediately assaulted by a flurry of mosquitoes, black flies, and gnats that made the forest their home. Giving the door a nice slam, he put his sunglasses on and stood, staring at the wide river with his hands on his hips.

"There." Galyn said, turning to face a raft with six men buzzing its way across the river.

"one... two... six men?" Dalvus said with a mixture of confusion and anger. "They didn't tell us they'd be sending six guys." Galyn sighed and shook his head. As the raft beached itself on the bank and the men climbed out, the two MIA agents moved a hand towards their sidearms. The men coming towards them looked disheveled, hungry, and in desperate need of a shave. Dalvus held out his hand as the gang approached.

"Agent Dalvus of the Myrorian Intelligence Agency. This is my partner, Agent Galyn."

"Fernand Decoteaux," replied the man at the front of the pack, looking the least disheveled and the most recently fed. "We represent the Neustrian resistance." Decoteaux looked at Dalvus' outstretched hand for a moment before ignoring it and continuing. "My grandfather fought yours here 60 years ago. The resistance back in Letonnasburg might trust you, but you'll have to earn it here." Dalvus used the hand he was planning to greet Decoteaux with to slap a black fly that landed on his neck.

"Alliances change. We can assure you that the highest reaches of the Myrorian government are sympathetic to your plight." Galyn interjected.

"Pah! Your foreigner king might have sympathies for us but we know your populace feels the same way as we do."

"Gentlemen," Dalvus said, wiping the fly carcass off his fingers, "Allow me to show you how far His Majesty's government is willing to go to ensure your victory." Leading the group of men around to the back of the car, he fumbled with the keys in his pocket for a minute before opening the trunk. Inside, carefully stacked, must have been at least twenty-five assault rifles and ten more bolt-action guns, as well as two tripod-mounted machine guns on top like a cherry on a milkshake. Fending away murmered excitement from Decoteaux's men, he walked around to the left-hand back passenger door and opened it, showing off three rocket-propelled grenade launchers laid down lengthwise across the bench seat.

"His Majesty's government is very keen on having a Neustrian state as an ally," Dalvus said to Decoteaux, who could hardly take his eyes off the arsenal. "In fact, he's willing to give you these free-of-charge in exchange for a promise that you'll... shop with us again in the future." The men behind Decoteaux chuckled and he wordlessly nodded affirmation.

Letonna:
It was a rare sunny September day in the city. You could hear the loud pops of a tennis ball being smacked back and forth. Ulfrum and the Minister of Internal Affairs were playing a game of singles while discussing recent developments with the Neustrians. Ulfrum wasn't very good at tennis, but his ministers and advisors always let him win, which he was fine with.

   "We suspect...*smack*...The Royals in Myroria *smack*...are somehow propping up resistance*smack*. How much *smack* and to what extent*smack*...we aren't entirely sure." The Minister spoke while running and hitting the ball.

Ulfrum remained silent while he smashed the ball right between the ministers legs. Game, set, match. A palace servant quickly ran up to Ulfrum to give him a towel.

   "Do you have any definitive proof? Any confessions? Spottings?"

   "Our contacts in Neustrian country have reported unusual movements to and from the boarder. We've ruled out fishing because this isn't the season the salmon and other fish run, and we've also consulted with the Ministry of Development and found out no new settlements are being formed there. Most movements have also been through farming communities near the border."

   "These aren't just seasonal workers going in to help with the harvest?"

   "Unlikely. The Ministry of Agriculture monitors all workers in the event suspicious shortages and poisoning. Especially since a lot of the migrant workers are Neustrian."

Ulfrum laughed inside his own head at the fact that bloated bureaucracy came in useful for a change.

   "What do they have to gain? Why would the Royals support instability so close to their boarders?"

   "We hypothesize, though this is unconfirmed, they may be selling the arms, or may be investing in a puppet ally. "

Ulfrum's eyes squinted. Although the two governments never became 'friends', they kept differences and grievances aside to allow trade. He knew they Myrorians well enough to know there's likely much more to this than appears. They were very good at weaving webs. This may even be a House acting on its own. Right from the beginning he really hoped it wasn't them, but always suspected.

   "Minister, contact General Vess, tell him to deploy scouts to the boarder. Make it clear to him I was him to WATCH, not fight. Remind him of the incident in 1954 if you have to. If his scouts see anything, I want to be the first to know."

   "Yes my lor-"

   "And Minister. Contact our embassy in Myroria. Tell them to..put their ear to the ground."

   "Yes my Lord."

Ulfrum Grinned a sinister grin. If the Myrorians wanted to play with him, he would join in. Just because they made the first serve doesn't mean he's at a disadvantage. His ambassadors and him often had secret code phrases they used incase their messages were being intercepted. For example, "Keep an eye on your check book" would be interpreted as: I give you permission to bribe. "Invite guests over" would be kidnap someone. "Put their ear to the ground" is code for make contacts in the underworld/unsavory tiers of society/look for friends in government or power. He knew not all Houses in Myroria agreed with one another, and although the Royalty there is likely behind this, there's always someone who's quick to take an opportunity to get ahead, especially in Myroria.

As Ulfrum walked back into the palace, he heard something faint in the background, like a soft boom. He turned around to find a pillar of black smoke rising from the other side of the city...

Myroria:
The "Q" Club in Traval City, about fifty miles from the border with Letonna, was like many other "Q" Clubs throughout the nation: Dark both outside and inside, covered in wood paneling, and filled with cigar smoke and Quarrovth men. Agent Galyn entered the old boy's club immediately after parting ways with Dalvus upon entering the city; nodding his head towards a doorman-cum-bouncer standing by the entrance, he walked up to the bar - barely visible through the thick smoke - and stood between two stools.

"Sidecar, please. With Armagnac." As the bartender silently nodded and turned around, a man approached him from behind.

"Agent Galyn," the man said. Galyn knew before he even began to turn that it was Aldos Quarrovth, head of the Traval Meetinghouse and the queen's first cousin once removed, which he made sure to remind anyone who would listen of.

"Sera," Galyn said straight-faced. Hearing the bartender shake Galyn's cocktail, Aldos spoke up.

"There's a gentleman in the lounge who was asking for the two of us. I figured you'd be in tonight," he said. Galyn sighed and scratched his head.

"Just let me get my drink and I'll be right in."

"He came all the way from Pelagis."

"Did I stutter, Aldos? I said just let me get my drink." Aldos, holding up his hands sarcastically, pushed himself off the bar and walked towards the back of the club.

"Sera," the bartender said, handing him his drink. Galyn put a ten guilden note on the bar and took his glass. Winking at a cocktail waitress as he passed, Galyn half walked, half swaggered to the door at the back of the club that led into a private lounge.

The air inside the lounge was much less smoky than the air in the club, and Galyn breathed fully for the first time in at least fifteen minutes. Giving a quick scan of the place - just as wood-panelled and darkly furnished as the rest of the club - he saw Aldos and a man in a cream blazer sitting at a booth in the back. Aldos beckoned him over with his hand.

"Ralmyn," Aldos said. Galyn, taken aback by the first use of his actual name all day, stuttered for a second. "This is, uh," Aldos continued, forgetting the name of the man seated opposite him.

"Gothren Quarrith," the man said, extending a hand.

"Uh, Ralmyn Prolrovth." Galyn - well, Ralmyn replied. "Serjo Quarrith... you used to work in the Imperial Residence, right?"

"Uh, I was Imperial Chamberlain for some length of time... " Gothren said, pausing as if the following words still hurt him, "But His Majesty saw uses for me... elsewhere."

"Ah," Ralmyn said, taking a seat beside Aldos.

"I understand you wanted to speak with us, Mr. Quarrith?" Aldos said in the way an old woman might ask for the latest gossip.

"Well, actually," Gothren began, "I'd just like to speak to Mr. Prolrovth. Or is it Agent Galyn?" he asked.

"Oh," Aldos said, obviously hurt. "Well I won't keep you." Ralmyn stood to let Aldos out and watched as he hurried away back to the front of the club.

"He doesn't take exclusion well, I take it?" Gothren said with a chuckle.

"Something like that," came Ralmyn's reply.

"So, do you prefer Ralmyn or Galyn?"

"Depends on the job, I suppose. If that's why you drove all the way from Pelagis to speak to me."

"Well, to be honest I think I would probably prefer your Quarrovth name rather than your Imperial name." Ralmyn chuckled.

"Whatever works for you, guy." Gothren looked behind his shoulder before continuing.

"There aren't many more agents House Quarrovth can trust," he began. "We understand you've done work for us before and so that puts you closer to the top of our shortlist for this job. I'm not sure how much you know about my departure from the Residence."

"I don't follow Pelagis politics. I just follow orders."

"Good. We can use someone like that. I've been the eyes and ears for... certain high-ranking nobles of House Quarrovth since His Majesty let me go. We've gotten some very concerning intelligence regarding MIA movements near the border with Letonna, and just recently we've heard reports that Neustrian rebels are moving around those parts as well. Now, Ralmyn,"

"I don't know what you're asking me to do, sera."

"Well, Ralmyn, I don't know what you know or what you've done with the MIA, but we're willing to offer you a significant cash reward if you'll be our eyes and ears out here in County Traval. House Quarrovth has little interest in seeing our trade partner fall to a bunch of Neustrian rebels who would probably restart the Great War the first chance they get."

"I've never been a double agent, Mr. Quarrith. At least not for the length of time you're asking for. Who knows how long these clashes will go on for? I don't. Ulfrum or the Neustrians don't even know that."

"I can assure you," Gothren said, reaching for a satchel next to him, "The rewards of your work for House Quarrovth will be in proportion to the effort." Ralmyn, unsure until he saw the volume of cash sitting next to Gothren, smiled.

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