Duke Zimarin the VIII was happy. Even though the war with Raskehavan was at a stalemate, he knew he held the advantage. Unlike Raskehavan and their craftsmen and traders that relied on ships and import, Zimarin was a lush territory that mostly lived off farming. They could sustain a war for much longer, so any long winded conflict was to his advantage. He had to remember to thank the monsters for not even straying into their territory. If Raskehavan's army wasn't wounded and tired this would not be going as well as it was. It was so convenient, it almost seemed like it was on purpose, but who could control monsters? Nobody, that's who. A massive coincidence, for sure, but nothing else. Only thing he regretted was losing all the marriage offers for her daughter, as the duchy was seen as a warmongering nation now. Trading the possibility of power for actual territory was a worthy trade-off though.
Lady D'Mejeri, the subject of his thoughts, softly prodded him with her finger.
She was a short, black haired and black eyed lady, with a kind of otherworldly white skin. She was beautiful, and her green dress accented it even further. She carried an aura of undeniable purity that could almost be felt when approaching her.
"Father, do we really have so much to gain prolonging this war?" she said, softly but firmly "Our soldiers suffer, so many will never see their families again, for what?
"I know that you feel for our people, daughter, and that's your best trait" said Zimarin, in a practiced, conciliatory tone "but this is worth it. With our borders expanded, our trade will boom, and everyone will be better off!"
"Except for all the dead soldiers and their families…" she said "and the ones our soldiers will kill. We were doing well enough, father. There was peace and prosperity, for a time, until the monsters came."
"You'll understand when you have to lead, D'Mejeri. Prosperity is fragile and opportunities are rare. We just took one." Zimarin said, dismissive "Now, let's not ruin our family time with this prattle. Tell me, how did today go for you?"
D'Mejeri felt she could push no further, and like the soldiers in the duchy, she followed her father's orders. Yet it still felt wrong, and she knew she could do something about it.