-- Early Autumn of 1454 --
-Aftermath of the Fall of Renaiss-
---Summerwyn Capital, Sienna---
a blue coach is passing by in a peaceful afternoon in the streets of the Maximus District, in Sienna. The Maximus District is the political center of the Kingdom of Summerwyn's political and cultural affairs.
The Maximus District is home to the Aristocracy of the Kingdom of Summerwyn, elaborate villas and estates decorated with gardens. The Maximus district is also home to the Kingdom's cultural movement. The flourishing of arts began in Sienna roughly 50 years ago after the Summerwyn defeat against the 1st Summerwyn-Imperial war. The current king at that time decided to spend the Kingdom's resources on the arts instead. Spurring an cultural movement all throughout the continent. The Reńe Palace, which is the residence of the Royal Family. Is one of the foremost cultural landmarks of the movement.
The Reńe Palace is a huge palace surrounded by beautiful gardens, with numerous entertainment rooms inside the Palace. The Palace had hosted the Century's most famous balls. All throughout the continent, the Nobility of the entire Roseby continent would attend any balls hosted by the Reńe Palace. The Reńe Palace is adorned with paintings from all throughout the continent, marble arch pillars are erected on the halls of the Palace. Numerous luxuriously decorated bedrooms and guest rooms occupies the Palace, a Theater that could support 500 people at once can also be found. While a huge ballroom with huge windows overlooking the gardens and the Maximus District can hold 200 guests at once. And famously, a hall full of mirrors is located between the entrances of the ballroom and the theater. There is also a room filled with high-quality mirrors in the Palace.
The Reńe Palace is the symbol of the crowns of Roseby to gather in one place and show their nearly-divine power to those who are inferior to them.
Those of Royal blood believed themselves to be of divine status and superior to the people around them, as such their subjects ought to bow to them or they'll face the divine.
Everyone in the continent knows that, the most divine monarch would be the Holy Emperor Dudendorf. He had reigned for 20 years now, but all he had is the domination of the entire continent.
a hundred years ago, the continent had been experiencing an all-time high prosperity. Thanks to advancements to mainly magic and science.
Water mages used to provide each home with safe and clean water, they also had the responsibility to stop fires from spreading in the cities.
Universities we're a center of magic learning and supported the prosperity the continent had achieved, from Sienna to Italica. People are well-fed and had decent jobs.
Goods from the east which was brought by the Italican merchants, spread throughout the continent from Italica.
Spices from the east we're well distributed by the Italican merchants in the continent. All of this resulted into the "Golden Ages", which began from the years 1190-1379 S.G Calendar.
1379 S.G, or Sergian Calendar,
The last king of the Hohenstauffen Dynasty of the Holy Estermage Kingdom had died childless, the Holy Council of the Esterloch Theocracy had given the Throne to the Duke of Leońe. Which was a duchy under the vassalage of the Kingdom.
However, the Duke of Leońe was also the King of Summerwyn at the same time.
So, when the Duke's officials had arrived in the Rose Palace, which is currently the Imperial Palace. His officials we're kicked out from the windows of the palace by the angry mobs who had entered the palace and the officials died from the fall.
After the officials and representatives of the duke had been expelled from the Palace, the mob had grew in numbers and the situation in Ostshore became unbearable. Ostshore had revolted and declared the young illlegitimate child of the previous king, Dudorf the new king of Estermage.
This would sparked a major war in the continent, drawing almost all countries in the war.
The Estermage Kingdom would fight against the coalition it formed against them, despite being outnumbered. The young king had gathered enough supporters and expelled the coalition forces from the Duchy of Leońe. The Kingdom would then proceed to invade Summerwyn and the Confederacy.
Their efficient use of magic warfare had been decisive in helping them in their military victories, however; this had resulted into the major damage it inflicted unto many civilian cities. Cities had become ruins after they we're bombarded by wyverns from the skies and the newly-arrived bombards.
The war resulted into Imperial Victory, Dudorf proclaimed the founding of the Holy Estermage Empire. The Empire would also vassalize the duchies of Leońe, Ophiel and Ostburg. The crown of the Duchy of Leońe was given to the the Duke's daughter, and this would prove to stop any Summerwyn invasion into the Empire.
After the 1st Imperial-Summerwyn War, the continent had lost their pre-war prosperity. The destruction of the countryside and major cities proved to be devastating to the continent's economy.
The Republic of Italica had managed to survived the war's chaos and their citizens lived a care-free life. But, the aftermath of the war had a huge impact to their economy as their exports to the continent fell due to the major population loss.
Sienna became the cultural capital, while Italica being the consumerist paradise, and the Empire the continent's worst fear and foremost military power in their time.
As part of the treaty, the King of Summerwyn has to renounce his ducal and his King of the Estermage Kingdom's titles'. And was forced to let his daughter to marry the Emperor, the daughter would become Holy Empress Ayrene and the first Duchess of Leońe.
-- 1421 S.G --
-- 2nd Summerwyn-Imperial War/
War of the Siennese Throne --
The previous king of Summerwyn had died mysteriously, thousands had mourned in the Summerwyn Capital. But, to the newly ascended Emperor. It only means one thing, War.
The Emperor had laid claim to the Throne of Summerwyn. The Emperor traced his ancestry to the former-Holy Empress Ayrene. In which he had used as his justification to take the Throne of Summerwyn.
Sienna has been never invaded yet, Sienna was protected by the Great Mountain Ranges of Gardenia, and you'll have first to pass the Fortress Reńaiss and go through south of the Mountain Ranges to avoid the steep terrain of the Mountain Ranges.
The Summerwyn's had used this advantage to control the surrounding states in their range, but when the duchies of Ophiel and Ostburg had changed their allegiance to the Emperor. The Kingdom had lost its frontier duchies. Therefore, leaving the Kingdom vulnerable to any possible Imperial Invasion.
The newly-ascended Holy Emperor Dudendorf, had planned to see his coronation on Sienna. But, the Summerwyn's had hold the Imperial Army and halted their advance in the Battle of Sommen Pass.
The nobles had pledged their loyalty to the new king, King Edward de Bretagne as their king. King Edward had valiantly fought the Imperial Army in the Battle of Sommen Pass.
The King's army had swiftly liberated the occupied territories until they reached the Imperial border, upon knowing that the Imperial Army is currently recovering from their defeat. The Summerwyn Army invaded and had captured Ostburg and was besieging Ophielburg when, the Duke of Ophiel, Gustav decisively defeated them and pushed them back into their border.
Gustav was heavily inspired by his grandfather's military victories against the Summerwyn's, therefore it was a great honor to him to defeat the Summerwyn Army in the name of the House of Ophiel.
This allowed the House of Ophiel to climb the ranks of the Noble Houses and became influential in the State's Affairs.
Duke Gustav became the hero of the City of Ophelburg, he was well remembered and admired by the inhabitants of the city, to them he was a savior when the enemy was just about to come to the gates of the city.
After then, thousands of villages and settlements we're razed, looted by both sides. The Imperial Army was the first to do this on the Kingdom of Summerwyn, prompting the Summerwyn Army to do the same and looted a lot of settlements in the Imperial side. Notably, Ostburg. In which, the city was plundered and looted by the Summerwyn Army.
The massive devastation in caused to the two states, had been influential to the crisis in the continent. The Kingdom of Summerwyn had to suffer financial crisis and food shortages, the Empire meanwhile had lost a lot of young men and was therefore met with a manpower shortage.
After several years of more small skirmishes, the two crowns had finally agreed to settle in the peace table.
There, the Kingdom of Summerwyn had to cede territories in the south-east of the Fort Reńaiss and Mountain Ranges of Gardenia.
This had infuriated the nobles and caused a political crisis with the nobility.
The beginning of the Reign of King Edward de Bretagne had become disastrous. But, in the middle of his reign. A beacon of hope had appeared across the seas of the continent. With its flag being the symbol of the unity of its people, the savior of the continent had appeared.
-- Reńe Palace --
the blue coach that had appeared earlier, appeared in front of the Palace. The coach opened the door, revealing to a woman with great fashion tastes.
There, she stood upright wearing a pink dress. She was blonde with blue eyes, a beautiful woman. The servants had came to ask who might be this important person is,
"Hello Ma'am, may i know you name?" the servant humbly asked,
"Oh! I am none other than the Duchess Ayrene II of the Duchy of Leońe!" The young woman exclaimed,
the servant's we're shocked by the Duchess' presence, firstly they are at war with the Emperor. Which is the overlord of the Duchess.
"Oh don't worry, I'm not here to cause trouble. I am here to talk with his highness the King." The Duchess added,
The servants we're suspicious of the Duchess' actions, so they decided to report it to the king immediately.
The Duchess was waiting in a small pavilion in the middle of the gardens of the Palace, she was relaxed in the beautiful scenery in which she was witnessing.
"I wish i lived here, i could see the beauty of man's work with nature here"
while relaxing in the garden, she had a flashback in the past events detailing her sudden visit
-- Lily Palace, Duchy of Leońe --
-- Holy Empress-Dowager Ayrene I's bedroom --
In the bedroom, is the dying Empress-Dowager and the Duchess,
The young woman touched the Empress-Dowager's hands firmly, whilst trying to hold back her tears. But she eventually gave in and cried.
"Ay-re..ne" Hey grandmother had said,
"Yes grandmother? please... don't make me cry this hard.." whilst falling into tears,
The Empress-Dowager has been in failing health, and a major disease has struck her. She ought to have medications but her body can't hold it anymore.
The Empress Dowager being aged 95 this year, she is known to been the oldest monarch the continent had seen throughout its history.
"Ayrene.. save Ekaterina.. an..d Kar..l" her grandmother added,
"But why? aren't they safe at the Emperor's side?" Ayrene replied to her grandmother,
Ayrene can't help to think that the Emperor himself is not present in his grandmother's deathbed.
"They... are..nt ..safe" the Empress-Dowager added,
and finally, the Empress-Dowager had lost her breath and Ayrene closed her eyes.
Ayrene can't stop crying in the room alone, she was the only one in the Imperial Family to witness her grandmother's last moments.
the city had went into a deep mourning for 3 days, in which Ayrene spent by spending her time alone in her bedroom not going outside. Her servants would just bring her food in her door, and she would mourn herself for weeks in her room.
Until, a bad message arrived from the capital.
knock knock*
"Leave me alone" Ayrene replied,
its been weeks now and she still lock herself in the room.
"Your Highness, we have bad news..."
"Bad news?, isn't everything happening right now bad isn't it?" she replied,
"Your highness, this is of urgency. Your uncle, Duke Gustav von Ophiel had been beheaded through the guillotine by the orders of Emperor. The Empress and Crown-Prince Karl had left in exile from the Capital. The Empress had revolted in her domain, what should we do?"
Ayrene was suddenly alarmed by this turn of events, she took her courage and immediately went out of the room.