Honor Among Thieves [Holly/Cynan]
May 7, 2018 5:40:34 GMT -6
Post by Holly on May 7, 2018 5:40:34 GMT -6
Crazy how fast the world changed. It didn't seem that long since she had last been in Santaruz, couldn't have been more than nine or ten months if she remembered right, but it felt like ten years had passed. Sure, she had known that relations with Laus were bad, but it wasn't until now, walking through the streets of Albacete in western Santaruz, less than twenty miles from the Lausian border, that it struck her just how bad things had been. People on the streets discussing the possibility of an invasion as if it were something that could actually happen in their lifetimes. Groups of knights parading the streets, on patrol or simply passing through. Talk of forward outposts and, whispers said, of border skirmishes - though Holly privately doubted it was THAT bad, at least not yet. Laus and Santaruz certainly didn't like each other much, but neither wanted to be the one to start a war, not with the eyes of the rest of Lycia on them.
And in the end, that was all it really was - a political game, played for the longer term. With Lycia's stability in shambles and its power dissipating, with Ostia gone forever, each of the larger marches thought they were fit to rule Lycia in its wake. Each with different strengths and weaknesses - she thought they were inferior to Ostia, personally, but it was hard to talk big about a dead country, and in her travels she had realized that with Lycia was fucked as it was, maybe it really did just need one of them to take control.
But who? Laus suffered from endemic corruption, and their brand of ruthless realpolitik could be effective, but morally questionable at best. Araphen had the military strength, and POSSIBLY the vision, but was so stuck in their desire to beast Ostia at their own game, and historically had been quite politically blunt, such that she questioned if they would do much better ruling. Santaruz's vaunted chivalry could contend even with even-handed Pherae's, but pride and the supercilious supremacy of nobility and knights alike made her question their motives. Pherae, what woul have been her first choice, run to the ground by an incompetent fool of a leader and a fractured court. If not them, who? Etruria? Bern? Trading sovereignty for safety? Liberty or life - and who would make that decision for all Lycia?
Wrapped up in her thoughts, Holly found herself rudely awakened from her reverie by a coarse voice, starting paying attention again a little late as a rather tough looking cookie continued speaking. "Ey, this part of town aint a good spot for no little lady."
"That's a double negative," she absentmindedly shot back, before her brain turned fully back on. Oh. "Is this a mugging?"
He looked positively appalled, as if she had ust accused him of eating his own mother in a ritualistic murder-suicide. "'Course not. This is a free country, there's no law 'bout coming round these parts."
...
Huh. She had expected that to go much worse. Or at least for the guy to demand a toll to be there. Half smiling, Holly turned to leave, when two more stepped out of connecting alleyways facing her.
"Of course, there's a... toll to leave."
God dammit.
And in the end, that was all it really was - a political game, played for the longer term. With Lycia's stability in shambles and its power dissipating, with Ostia gone forever, each of the larger marches thought they were fit to rule Lycia in its wake. Each with different strengths and weaknesses - she thought they were inferior to Ostia, personally, but it was hard to talk big about a dead country, and in her travels she had realized that with Lycia was fucked as it was, maybe it really did just need one of them to take control.
But who? Laus suffered from endemic corruption, and their brand of ruthless realpolitik could be effective, but morally questionable at best. Araphen had the military strength, and POSSIBLY the vision, but was so stuck in their desire to beast Ostia at their own game, and historically had been quite politically blunt, such that she questioned if they would do much better ruling. Santaruz's vaunted chivalry could contend even with even-handed Pherae's, but pride and the supercilious supremacy of nobility and knights alike made her question their motives. Pherae, what woul have been her first choice, run to the ground by an incompetent fool of a leader and a fractured court. If not them, who? Etruria? Bern? Trading sovereignty for safety? Liberty or life - and who would make that decision for all Lycia?
Wrapped up in her thoughts, Holly found herself rudely awakened from her reverie by a coarse voice, starting paying attention again a little late as a rather tough looking cookie continued speaking. "Ey, this part of town aint a good spot for no little lady."
"That's a double negative," she absentmindedly shot back, before her brain turned fully back on. Oh. "Is this a mugging?"
He looked positively appalled, as if she had ust accused him of eating his own mother in a ritualistic murder-suicide. "'Course not. This is a free country, there's no law 'bout coming round these parts."
...
Huh. She had expected that to go much worse. Or at least for the guy to demand a toll to be there. Half smiling, Holly turned to leave, when two more stepped out of connecting alleyways facing her.
"Of course, there's a... toll to leave."
God dammit.