Summary: Daein, during part I; no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't kill the spirit of Daein.
Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken
Daein had been strong, but no longer.
The men were in work camps, laboring under back- and spirit-breaking labor. The women and children struggled and scrounged to survive. The kingdom that had once prized strength could no longer defend itself.
Daein had been a sovereign kingdom, but no longer.
The Daein citizenry had no say in their lives. The Begnion rulers decided everything without a seeming thought for those who lived in the country. The old government was dead, arrested, hiding. The Begnion Occupation Army was interested only in having a free reign without having to answer to anyone. The Begnion "governor" was interested only in lining his own pockets. The chains weren't visible, but they were there.
Daein had been free, but no longer.
Daein was conquered, but it had hope.
A silver-haired maiden calls light down on unchecked bandits. A whisper of green and a flash of a knife blade downs a corrupt soldier. An arrow flies straight and true. A smile is hidden by a sword. A gentle man defends his country.
Daein was hurt, but it would heal.
Calloused hands pass timbers that will rebuild ruined cities. A group of people return at last to the place they had once called home, determined to make it theirs again. Children laugh and play tag in the streets without fear. The country is reborn once again.
Daein was bent, but not broken.