The Nowhere War
LETTERS FROM THE PEACOCK KING, VOLUME II More fragments recovered from the sealed glass vaults beneath the Spire of Blue Flame, written during the later years of King Ardes Talmoor (known now as the peacock king)'s reign over Old Virelda.Letter XXIII – To the Court That Pretends Not to Hear You smile when I enter. You kneel when I pass. And yet, you whisper like the wind won’t carry it to me. You plot with the elegance of rodents in brocade. This is not a rebellion. It is a one-sided war. I fight alone. I bleed alone. But remember this: you do not win when I fall. You only inherit the flames. Letter XXV – To the Mirror Behind the Throne You know, don’t you? You’ve seen them passing notes behind goblets. You’ve watched them blink to each other across the ballroom like thieves with manners. I trust only you. You do not blink. You do not gossip. You reflect truth, even when I am too tired to wear it. Letter XXVIII – To the Architect of Secrets I require birds. No—messengers. Not men. Men have voices, and voices can be bought. Not paper—it burns too quickly in the hands of liars. I want something that sings only for me. That bleeds only for me. I want wings that obey. That love. Find me a creature that does not love gold more than loyalty. Create one, if the gods were too cowardly to. Letter XXIX – Commandment for the Creation of the Skyflicks (Royal Seal Intact) By decree of Ardes Talmoor, Sovereign of Old Virelda and First Bloom of the Sapphire Throne: Let them take the bones of the fast-winged, the nectar-hearted, the silent. Let them weave rune into feather, glyph into instinct. Let them birth birds that do not falter mid-flight when carrying truth. If they must die upon interception, so be it. Truth is not meant to be captured. Letter XXXIII – To the Heir I Never Named If you find these words, know this: I saw them coming. I watched the courtiers sharpen smiles into knives. I laid traps in the wallpaper. I left riddles in the floorboards. You are not king unless you are alone. And if you are alone, you must speak with wings.
Addendum: It is now believed the Peacock King personally oversaw the earliest stages of skyflick creation, using public funds funneled through "botanical improvement" programs. Some say he spoke to the first successful flicks by name, treating them as members of his inner circle long after his council stopped attending meetings.
The Conflict
Prelude
Letter XIX – To No One, Sealed in Lapis Envelope Written three days before the Velvet Schism officially beganI watched them tonight. They laughed too easily. Their glasses stayed full. Their smiles didn’t reach their eyes. It felt like they were acting out a scene where I was already gone. The Minister of Salt stood by the fire too long. I saw him hide something in his sleeve. The Duchess of Orlen asked how I was feeling, twice. My health, of all things. As if dying quietly would be more convenient for them. The throne room smells like lavender. It makes me sick now. They think I’m not paying attention. That I’m tired. That I don’t see the way they avoid my gaze. Maybe they haven’t turned on me yet. But they will. That’s enough for me. So I’ll move first.
This letter was found sealed, never sent, inside a lapis-inlaid writing box beneath the king’s bed. The back of the page is stained with wine and violet pigment. Some believe he wept while writing it.
Deployment
Letter XXI – To Mother, Who Still Watches Written the night Old Virelda’s couriers were grounded and the court gates sealedIt’s started, Mother. I tried to wait. I really did. I gave them chances. I smiled at them. I let them speak. But I’ve seen the way they look at each other now when I leave a room. They think I won’t notice how they move their meetings, how they lean in closer when I pass. They are going to take it from me. They will say it’s for the good of the realm. They’ll dress it up in reason and silk but I know what it is. They want me gone. So I closed the gates. Sent the falconers home. I’ve locked down the tower where the scrolls are kept. I told the archivists to destroy anything that speaks of weakness. This is the part you always warned me about. The part where even your friends stop being friends. I should have listened sooner. I am not giving them what they want. I will not be replaced. I will not be erased. I will be louder than their silence. I hope wherever you are you can see me now. I’m still your son. I’m still fighting.
This letter was found stitched into the lining of Ardes Talmoor’s ceremonial cloak, alongside a lock of silver hair believed to be his mother’s. The cloak is preserved in the Royal Memory Vault beneath Adrea’s Hall of Echoes.
Battlefield
Letter XXXVIII – Dictated, Not Written Transcribed by an unknown servant. Ink is splattered, several lines scratched out violently. The final paragraph appears to be spoken aloud while pacing the throne dais.They call it a court. A place of order. Of balance. But I see it for what it is. My battlefield. Do you know how many knives are hidden in that room? Not one drawn. Not one glinting. But every word, every curtsy, every quiet “Your Grace” is just another sharpened edge pressed against my neck. Let them smile. Let them bow. I’ll bleed them anyway. If they want to play soldier then I will make them march. Right across the marble. Let the hem of their robes drag through what’s left when I’m done. The columns will be red. The tapestries will soak. And still they’ll pretend it’s all part of the ceremony. I was not born to keep peace. I was born to keep the throne. I am not here to reign. I am here to win. Let them call me tyrant. Let them call me mad. But let them do it on their knees. In silence. Covered in the blood of my patience.
Portions of this letter were quoted during the war tribunals held after the fall of Old Virelda. The original document remains missing. Some believe it was burned along with the throne itself.
Start Date
357 AC
Ending Date
361 AC
Conflict Result
The Kingdom was poisoned from the well, and fell in 401 AC.
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