Two years after Prince Heiko witnessed the death of his father during the 91st Battle of Tyton, and subsequently, the defeat of his kingdom, he was sent to the gates of the victor, armed with nothing but empty words and a command from his elder brother to form a treaty of peace. 

Two years after General Celestino Adesso released the arrow that felled the great king of Simo, he is presented with the youngest of his sons. Though barely a man at seventeen summers, the prince was far from wet behind the ears. In fact, his tactful yet brazen form of statecraft vaulted him far beyond his years. Coupled with his draconian mannerisms, and a knack for callous pleasure, it was only a matter of time before Celestino caught a whiff of something sinister. 

But Prince Heiko was no fool. He was betting heavily on that sharp nose. He wanted a sense of dubiety to gnaw at the general. He needed to create mistrust in his elder brother in order to build credence in himself. Because he knew of Celestino Adesso, and of the illustrious king he served. He knew they wouldn't trust him over his elder brother any more than they would trust a raincloud to bring sun. He knew that to those men, he wasn't honorable, and because of that, he was forced to play the games he was known for. The ones that conspired in the dead of night, the ones that spoke no words but shifted kingdoms. The ones that could obtain the allegiance of General Celestino. Little did the young prince know, however, allegiance was not all he would obtain. But no matter how much Heiko wanted to offer the man what he desired, he could not - not while bound to the gods. 

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Hallowed Be

The wooded area behind the hunting lodge was small – not thick enough to be the home of boar, but that was a blessing as they were wildly underprepared for that. 


“Snowbirds love these woods,” Heiko warned softly, eyes scanning the tree branches above them. “But I needn’t remind either of you of the consequence of killing one.” 


Rudolf made a gesture to ward off ill luck and it took all of Batt's power not to laugh. He always had been a superstitious man. Every Friday, at the break of dawn, he could be found bowing before the statue of Ozik in the palace temple. At the first of every month, before speaking even to his prince, he would pour cherry mead near the base of a tree for Vingi. There was even one time that he forgot to toast the gods at a feast, and, in recompense, he abstained from alcohol for an entire fortnight. 


The Lull Before - Part 18