uiLone Moon 18/u

To Lorenz,

I'm sorry for the late response! My brother and I were thrilled to see you over the holidays and your dad and my brother hunting was apparently a great deal of fun, though, I admit I am a bit sorry I walked off to the marketplace instead of staying with you at the manor the whole time. I've already worn the necklace to a dinner, and my third cousin, who runs a boutique in Derdriu, commented that it was a "timeless piece", which I think is quite the compliment.

More to the point, I actually have a huge favor to ask for from you. Would you mind getting into contact with Leonie, Ignatz, and Raphael and having them check on and reinforce Fodlan's Locket? I know that the Gonerils are supposed to be the most militarily fortified house, but with the Empire busting down the doors, we can't really keep all of our troops in one place, and I think if some of, say, a certain mutual friend of ours's classmates were there, things might be defused a little. And, I told Holst this might work, and he told me if it didn't he was going to do whatever he wanted. I really don't want to have to write Claude a letter about my older brother invading a country he has family in, so right now this would be lovely. I don't think it all has anything to do with Claude, but whatever it is, maybe some more understanding and aware people stationed there instead of, say, my brother– would do us all some good!

Thank you in advance!

Hilda /i

She signed off her letters with little hearts.

How very Hilda, thought Lorenz, creasing it and laying it in his desk. He would have to get to that eventually. She only wrote him for favors. He had, of course, filed this letter away as completed business now– out of his hands, a month later, after asking Leonie with every ounce of politeness he could muster, to at least do it for Claude if not him– and she had agreed in feigned reluctance. Leonie was a very genuine person, but dragging her feet was not below her. Ignatz and Raphael would be there within the season, and Leonie was already there. Marianne had very politely written Lorenz to ensure that the fighting would not be too bad, and that her friends would not be in any great danger– and Lorenz had assured her that in spite of all things, he believed the danger was going to be encroaching from Faerghus.

This was consistently true. Ambrose sent word that the Holy Kingdom seemed to see the Alliance as a further threat, and without solid leadership, the paranoia was stoked among Faerghan leaders. The reality was that the Alliance was barely strained to hold out against the Empire themselves. He didn't know what Hilda was thinking, trying to reinforce the Locket, unless something was terribly wrong. It was the sort of short-sighted move he really only thought she could propose– and yet he didn't say no. Probably because if he had, then Hilda would have, well, pried Friekugel from the wall and gone after him, but moreso, that he thought that if Almyra ever chose a time to swoop and reclaim Derdriu, then it would be now– and though he never would have thought it was the sort of thing Claude would do, if there was a power struggle, then it wasn't as if the Alliance had not done the same thing its fair share of times. Both countries had been at nearly open war for many years. It would be foolish of Almyra not to take the opportunity.

His father seemed anxious on matters pertaining to the Empire, and was growing withdrawn, spending a great deal of time in his studies again like he once had in Lorenz's childhood.

Lorenz had returned at the beginning of Great Tree Moon from working with Leonie, to his father taking supper with Duke Aegir. Lorenz had not seen the man since he was a small child, and even as an adult, he realized that there was nothing he dreaded more than the sight of him.

He was one of them.

One of the people who had been there, when the Ordelias had died, when he had received his second crest. One of the recollections came flooding back when he had walked into the dining room of his own home, even– he had been held back forcefully, he had screamed for help as the needle came closer, and von Aegir had hit him– hard, across the jaw.

Lorenz had then chosen to take his dinner alone in his room afterwards, and had wept for hours. His father said nothing of it.

center~~/center

iMy dear Marianne,

Spirits remain high here in Gloucester as spring arrives, chasing out the distemper in my affliction that winter brought. I have been taking on my father's duties in the surveying position; I now go and monitor farmland productivity. This once seemed quite far below me, considering all things– yet I am learning regardless. Do not expect this to change my disposition, however. No matter how much I have learned on matters of soil and water and shoots, I am still very much a nobleman. Humbling work is an important part of maintaining that.

My father has seemingly withdrawn to some degree, outside of the necessities of maintaining his position in the Alliance. I worry about this. I also worry that your father may have changing involvement and allegiance, considering the position I am sure that he is in. The Alliance, I fear, may be beginning to fracture without Claude, as much as it pains me to admit that he is, in fact, the de facto leader of our motley brigade. Without him there is a power vacuum. Someone must either soon take the mantle upon themself, or we must accept that we will fall as a nation divided.

This is a roundabout way of asking, politely: should I choose to formally make advances to the rest of the Round Table with attempts towards unity under my leadership, would you be in my corner? This may not be a temporary arrangement. In fact, it may well be permanent.

I hope that you are well, regardless of the question I propose. You will remain my friend, and I will be understanding regardless.

Lorenz Helman Gloucester/i

Andrea had returned to her and Ambrose's small estate by the end of Ethereal Moon, so the sour spirits continued to cling to the estate without Marva to chase them away. His father had a particular soft spot for Deiter, and Lorenz had been forced to endure his father cooing over a baby, bouncing him and telling his sister what a strong little boy he was. Deiter had replied by reaching out a chubby baby hand and smearing Matthias's glasses, which made Andrea shriek with laughter, and Matthias had laughed and tossed Deiter in the air. His mother was right, unfortunately. Matthias may have had no clue how to raise a child after things got complicated with maturity, but he was great with small children. Marva was spoiled rotten by her uncle, who bought her any treat she wanted on the rare occasion that they walked to town together, and Deiter barely had a moment that, when Andrea wasn't holding him, Matthias wasn't.

Of course, this was all to say that things had returned to a walking pace for him instead of the standstill to sprint that he had been operating under for a year and a half.

Gloucester was an agricultural county. It was easy for Lorenz to forget, holed up in his library and study all winter, but when spring came and he felt a little less terrible, his father urged him to make the rounds to local farms. Unarmored. Unarmed. Wearing naught but one of his rougher jackets and shirts, and riding pants, his bag of potential necessities and surveying supplies, and on his horse, he took on that portion of his father's obligations. And to his surprise, he actually found that he rather liked it. The spring sun felt good against his skin. The wind in his hair, which was beginning to grow out again, was new and refreshing. And the Gloucester countryside was beautiful in the rainy season. Wildflowers raised their weary heads in the meadows, trees hung heavy with new leaves, and the grass was as plush as carpet and as green as emeralds, jeweled with dew. It was perfect, those mornings.

He watched a cow get born one time, too, and that made him seriously question how any species managed to continue their survival on this planet, when the stages of procreation were so grotesque.

iLorenz,

I am glad to hear you are doing better with regard to your health. I have always believed that in many ways, spending time outdoors and delighting in nature and its beauty is good for the spirit and body alike. Dorte is well, and I believe she misses the company of the other horses at Garreg Mach. Leonie's beloved Peachpit and your Edgar were dear companions of hers and she surely misses them. I am glad you have been keeping busy with duties around Gloucester, but I do feel some concern for your reflection that your father has grown withdrawn.

I wish you would stop using such elaborate seals on your letters to me. My father is half convinced there is a marriage proposal around the corner. I do not have the heart to tell him the truth of both of our situations, let alone that Leonie is a commoner. Do not question my father's allegiance to Leicester; I believe he is well aware that if Edmund is ceded to Faerghus, he will lose nearly all of his respective political power that he exercises at present. However, he is currently at sea the majority of the time and I will not complain about this.

Your observation about Claude's absence seems sensible, but I do not know if I would propose you for leadership. It is not that I doubt your talent and capacity, but rather that I doubt that the four standing members of the Round Table would listen to you. It simply seems like a far stretch, considering that your father is still living, and on the Round Table, and that Judith von Daphnel has informally begun control of military operations. I would personally leave such matters to someone else. Your ambition is admirable, but at times, I think you make great haste for that which requires patience.

With goodwill,

Marianne von Edmund/i

Marianne's letters were kept in a fine blue envelope. He liked to sort things at times, but his letters from Marianne were of special importance. She was a well-trusted friend, and not only that, but Marianne had a certain understanding of him that was not readily grasped by others. Their conversation long ago, at Remire Village, still resided in his memories– that both of them had their prayers unanswered, that there was consolation in their friendship. Marianne was special. But certainly not what her father implied. Certainly not.

center~~/center

That summer, Lorenz spent the majority of his time outside. Marianne was right, it did a person good. He briefly met with Ignatz, who was painting beautiful landscapes in between and during his journey to Fodlan's locket.

"Perhaps I'll commission a portrait of me from you one day," Lorenz had joked, and Ignatz had gotten out paints, leading to a frantic rejection on Lorenz's behalf. "I apologize, I was merely kidding. Besides, immortalizing on canvas this hair?" It tousled in the wind as Ignatz laughed.

Summer also brought word of bloodshed.

Cordelia had killed Dimitri, and all of the Faerghan lords now bent the knee to the Empire. This meant that all there was between Leicester, and the Empire, was House Fraldarius, and their border with the Edmund lands. He wrote Marianne in very sincere concern, and she reflected that for now it seemed stable, and that she was more concerned about the situation along the Gloucester border to the Empire.

That summer his father told him he would handle military matters. He knew well that his father was not that sort of man; the axe he had once carried in his youth was now little more than a decorative piece in a cabinet and without Thyrsus, he was not likely to continue magecraft. But he was handling it, so he said, and Lorenz was in no position to question him. He led troops where his father asked. And his father wanted him camped out at Myrddin.

The heat of summer hung heavy, thick, and sticky over the river and marshes. Frogs croaked below the bridge and in all the gullies and tributary creeks, minnows and fish spawn scattered about. Trees were as still as statues, and in their armor, Lorenz and his men sweltered. Nothing ever seemed to truly dry in the air so thick it was like swimming. Even a few of the Imperial men on the other side came over and offered them all a great bag of oranges and a half crate of Adrestian wine. The Gloucester men had offered them three blocks of hard goat cheese and some fine white bread and fresh cucumbers. And the Imperials, since they were, apparently really only there to make sure Leicester didn't make any moves first– had relished in new things for their picnic, out on the post at the other side, so near that their whoops could be heard as a few of the men jumped into the river. Lorenz, who let his men walk about without armor when they weren't on guard after that, remembered fondly from that summer, peeling back the skin of the orange, zest in between his nails and skin, as juice trickled down his arm and onto his white linen sleeves, since even he couldn't bear jackets and armor in such burning heat.

Ferdinand von Aegir was apparently in charge of the men at the Imperial post at the other side. Lorenz had a fine tea from his very own personal stash, and a jar of honey sent by courier to him, and wrote:

iLet not that which lies between us, come between us. Enjoy a decent tea courtesy of a schooltime friend./i

Ferdinand had replied with a very verbose letter, less than a day later.

iMy Dear Commander Gloucester,

Your gesture of kindness is most magnanimously appreciated! In fact, it has brought me such great joy that I have already written of your commendations and courtesy, even as an adversary, to all of our old companions. What a gentleman! To send a foe, the man who is approaching the territory of your very home, a gift, in respect of your former bond? Well, I can imagine nothing more kind and courteous. Truly, you are a credit to your nation, house, and family.

I do not expect things shall grow too fierce between you and I, if any fighting erupts. It is not meant to; I have heard word of negotiations between the Empire and Leicester that are heartening even now. I hope that the wine and oranges are appreciated; my men would not have had such a treat go unshared with their comrades on the other side of the bridge. I hope that the heat is not too strenuous on you! And, should you wish to speak, you need only walk across the bridge and speak!

Commander Ferdinand von Aegir/i

Lorenz was glad that at least in most respects, Ferdinand had not at all changed, but was sincerely concerned about the notion of negotiations, considering that Ferdinand's father had, only a matter of weeks past, been at the Gloucester estate. Brokering peace, thought Lorenz, was likely not on the menu. He had a feeling his father was making plans for the live dismemberment of the Alliance lands. He returned home, in any event, after a few days of illness that lessened in the cooler stone structures of the Gloucester estate.

center~~/center

iTo the Lady Lysithea Ordelia,

I hope the summer has treated you well. I am sure you've delighted in the plenty of spring's fruits and flowers, for most of the sweetest fruit grow in this time of year. I was made aware that Ordelia is now officially occupied by the Empire, and have heard rumors of dark mages traveling through your lands. I am sorry, sincerely, for the lamentation I am sure this brings in your heart, for it has brought some to mine.

The Bridge of Myrddin is fortified by Ferdinand. I cannot help but think about our time during the school year, where you made him a crown of daisies and stole his sweets, and I had to cross the creek with you.

Do you remember anything about Duke Aegir? I hate to ask, for I know how bad these memories are. Inescapable, immutable, and painful, yes, but I must know. I have been in the field, and I apologize for my poor communication.

Commander Lorenz Hellman Gloucester/i

Lysithea didn't write him back.

He supposed, fumblingly as he practiced his dark magic skills, that she had no interest in speaking of these matters, and the letter may have been intercepted by Imperial authorities, but if he could not speak honestly and candidly, with his beloved friend, he saw little purpose in speaking at all. It was possible, also, that Lysithea was unwell, which would have made sense.

Ferdinand remained at the Bridge, though rotating through the weeks, apparently spending time reinforcing other areas and rotating back and forth from Edelgard's side. He advised her. And Lorenz wondered if Edelgard truly knew about Duke Aegir and if his son even knew. Would Ferdinand, if he was aware of his father's past, be so close to Lorenz? He wondered about it at times, if Ferdinand was ignorant of his father as much as nearly everyone else seemed to be.

When that summer, Edelgard assumed the throne fully, however, word came to Gloucester that his father's old tormentor, ally, and business partner, was under house arrest. Ferdinand was now the Duke of Aegir territories in his stead. This told Lorenz something very clearly and loudly.

Edelgard knew. Edelgard remembered. And Edelgard had no intent of showing mercy.

"It's bad for business," his father observed, but there was some relief in his eyes when he had told Lorenz the news.

"I find that business is not all that matters in this world," Lorenz had retorted, before drafting a letter to Lysithea about the matter, then realizing she likely had not only already heard, but that this was also likely painful news for her. Lysithea loved her parents. If the Empire was arresting all of those who had corroborated with the dark mages, how long would it be before their parents were on the roster?

Or, would Edelgard know how impossible it was for the Gloucesters and Ordelias to have resisted, then? Would mercy extend to them? After all, Duke Aegir never harmed his own son. The very state of the both of them would be enough to convince Edelgard that for all of Lorenz's resentment of his father, he had never really done anything, legally, wrong, and had been dealt a hand that he could do precious little to play with. He had just been very, very good at bluffing.

In the late summer, after the formal recognition of Emperor of Adrestia, Edelgard von Hresvelg, by all territories of the Adrestian Empire, including the Faerghan territories, Lorenz was rather alarmed that the Gloucester estate received not one, but two letters.

The first was for his father, stamped with the Imperial crest, on very fine parchment, and in beautiful ink. Lorenz only caught a glimpse of it while his father opened it, and he was as white as the very parchment of the letter while he skimmed it, before returning to his office.

Lorenz's, he didn't even realize was from the Imperial crown until he opened it. It had been sealed with plain red wax and an unassuming seal that, though he knew was associated with Edelgard (a hawk), could have been nearly anyone. She had not even signed it or addressed it with full formalities.

iTo Lorenz Hellman Gloucester,

I apologize for the lack of pomp and circumstance in this letter, but I feel that it is more appropriate to take a personal tone in this. Circumstances abiding, I wish that things were different between you and I, and there is still opportunity for this to change. Things in Adrestia are changing, and there is now, for us, a greater chance at justice and meaningful, profound difference. Lysithea and yourself, I assume, shall remain and have remained in confidence with one another, but I ask that you consider collaboration with me. I feel that my actions have shown, thus far, my intent: the systematic dismantling of the crest system and those that uphold it, and the end of the order of dark mages that have puppeteered Fodlan's governments for centuries for this very purpose. Von Aegir, who I believe you remember, is only the beginning. And rest assured, given fealty to me, there will be some mercy for those in the Alliance that involved themselves with him.

Your father has formally agreed to head the Imperial faction in Leicester, and Ordelia has already sworn fealty. I know that this will not likely change your allegiances, since you are a man of noble and personal allegiance, not political allegiance, and I find that very admirable. You remind me of some of my companions in that regard; I believe they are the finest people and dearest friends I've ever had the chance of meeting. I would not want to watch them give their lives for me on the field of battle, just as I know you would not wish the same for your own. For both of their sakes, I would like to suggest an alliance between the two of us, just as I had once proposed, but I would suggest once more. I hope that you are well and I hope that you are at least receptive to my suggestion, even if it is declined.

Edelgard von Hresvelg/i

Lorenz was aghast at the idea that Edelgard was partially blackmailing his father and suggested that him and his friends would die, should they meet her on the battlefield, and though it did occur to him that she was probably right and he had nearly died at the hands of Bernadetta von Varley, he did not care to hear it. He thought of many biting things he could say to her but realized quite quickly that whatever he said would be vetted by both Ferdinand and Hubert, and he did not wish to deal with the latter especially. He was not just set on edge by Hubert; he also had a feeling that von Vestra would not hesitate to kill him.

In the end, Lorenz never wrote her a response. It didn't seem right. They were never close, and she was right. His personal allegiances, and the honor he had bound them to, were more important than Edelgard's political priorities to him. He would willingly sacrifice his father to those hounds. If the Count Gloucester was under house arrest, then Lorenz would take on the mantle of Count, which he truly believed he would be more effective at than his father, and then he could properly defend the Great Bridge of Myrddin and all of Gloucester's land and wealth, with no concern about whether or not his father would be calling him back and surrendering to the Empire.

But it never came, and by September, his father had met again with the Round Table and formally announced that Gloucester would be allowing and providing for Imperial troops. Lorenz, at the orders of his father, was to remain at the estate, and was stripped of the title of commander. His aunt wrote him reflecting that it may be a shame, but it was better this way and afforded him more freedom politically. He was now allowed to openly oppose the Empire without worrying about the soldiers in his charge. Lorenz, however, did not see that as a win.

In early September, when the weather started to grow cooler, he had settled and realized there was only so much he could handle by himself. He was going to do his best to support Gloucester as best as he could, and if that meant he was consigned to surveying and monitoring their land instead of leading soldiers, that was what he had to do. He would likely inherit whether or not the Empire was in charge; he doubted Edelgard would revoke noble titles for no reason. Lorenz's duty was to hold up the Alliance's leadership, and he managed this by writing to Judith von Daphnel about the going-ons of his father as he managed Imperial troops. Tents were pitched along the green, tents full of Adrestian men– hundreds and possibly thousands of them. None, not even commanders, were quartered in the manor, but Lorenz could not even walk to town without a few of them nodding to him. The girls in the villages near the estate now walked about in finer dresses and a few carried fans, which ordinarily would have been funny, but in circumstances such as these, Lorenz couldn't help but feel himself wilt at the notion. The autumn was usually a season he rejoiced in to some degree; it was a time when harvests came, when plenty abounded, when cool winds kept the heat at bay and rivers ran clear and cool. The trees of Gloucester oft turned a beautiful red, and the few plum trees around the estate were always at their very sweetest with fruit. Yet this one autumn, ultimately one of defeat– was bitter.

That was, until he received one letter.

iLorenz,

I'm back from Almyra. I'm a little disappointed about how thin my heap of letters from you was, but I'm relieved to know that you're still around. Meet me in Derdriu?

strikePrince Kha/strike

Duke Riegan/i

He hadn't realized what a relief this would be.