Christopher Black engages in naval reconnaissance along the eastern coast of the Elven lands. While no real skirmishes or engagements are had, he does discover that his measly fleet of 10 ships will not be able to compete with the Elven war fleets that are further in port, especially considering Elven warships are considerably larger than Songaskian ships that were easier to destroy. Due to the risk of losing his fleet, Admiral Black chooses not to map the coast itself, only taking in a very rough understanding of the landscape. Elsewhere, Leonard Reindewic springs an elaborate plan to finish off the remains of the Hvitskag Army. Hvitskag is, however, a useless rock of stone and ice. At some point, the Nordskag King and the Regalian Marshalry recommend Leonard simply declare the victory for what it is, and stop wasting more Regalian lives on checkpoints and army positions in the snow. The Nordskag Army already pulled away its troops, not waiting for Reindewic to change his orders. For all intents and purposes, Hvitskag as a nation ceases to exist from this point onwards, if it could even be considered a nation at all before that. Regardless of what Reindewic decides to do, the Imperial Court estimates Hvitskag will no longer pose a threat for at least ten years to come, so a victory in the war is declared nontheless. Alvaro de Santigo strode through the city, his cause firm; his pride, firmer. The Admiral was flanked by two veteran sailors whose muscles were almost as chiseled as the stone statues decorating the Imperial Palace. Their tattoos were plenty; their scars, even moreso. Women swooned as Alvaro walked by, while men stared in envy. Starving children looked up at him from the shadows and filth, while courtesans stared down from the balconies, eager to fill their coin-purses. All watched Alvaro in his glory as he stepped down the steps into the grand Imperial Harbor. Today, he would stand among Christopher Black, Virathus Krupp, and other famous admirals, and would be admired throughout the Empire as the one man who led a fleet to victory in Precaelle. He passed one merchant vessel, and then a shored military ship. Alvaro’s heart raced with anticipation, waiting to see the flagship of his fleet. It would be draped in de Santigo colors, with brand-new sails and gold plating on the rails. Finally, as Alvaro walked, he approached the spot where he would board his wondrous flagship. Its view was blocked by a large and protrusive fish barge, but this mattered not; Alvaro was to command the best fleet of Regalia, and a smelly fisherman’s ship wouldn’t matter in a few hours. Except it did. As he rounded the unpleasant barge, Alvaro saw perhaps the most disappointing and pitiful sight in his life; a single elderly man sat in a rowboat in the spot where his flagship was to be. As he approached to question the man, the old man intently listened to him wonder about where his fleet would be. The old man then furrowed his brows and replied: “These docks have been empty for months. If the Government had allotted any ships to you, they would be here by now”, and it was in that moment that Alvaro realized that the Logistical Minister hadn’t assigned any ships to him, so his commands fell on deaf ears. Elsewhere in Regalia, Finance Minister Sigurna Wodenstaff attempts to coerce the businesses to pay more in taxes with a so called “Victory Tax”, a second optional Tenpenny with long term incentive rewards. The plan however flops as most businesses already run at a two Tenpenny profit, of which half is already taxed. Most businesses would either have to declare bankrupt if another 10% profit was tossed down the drain, or run at a zero profit margin due to the global economic downturn following the Bone Horror Crisis. Eventually the Bureaucracy simple stops issuing the offer due to lack of interest. State Minister Carolyne Typhonus experiences similar issues, but of a more finesse nature. Her attempts to send diplomatic envoys to both Lusits and Ithania have mixed responses, but generally negative. The Grand Ithanian Sovereign refuses to even meet the dignitaries, citing she “Refuses to touch the waste of a crude woman who has subjected herself to the tyrannical rule from Calemberg”. Certainly, the state minister being of the family that is generally considered the arch-rival of the ruling elite of Ithania poses a problem. Additionally, her attempts to confirm the dedication of the Lusits Kingdom is interpreted as an insult by the Mad Queen of Lusits. The Mad Queen goes on a two day rave about how a little girl from Regalia dared to insinuate she would not owe up to her contract. Later it would be pretty obviously stated by the Queen’s Steward that the Queen also considers House Typhonus the worst blemish on the history of Aloria, as they are chiefly responsible for her husband’s abdication from the throne, and her “demotion” from Empress to Queen.
"Truly.." Carolyne put aside the reports from the empty-handed envoys that returned to the archipelago, not needing to read them many times to understand why the attempt was unsuccessful. She hadn't considered that predicament, though, for a Mad Queen and an Ithanian, it was only the loss of troops and finances that bothered her the most, as much as being insulted by two foreign monarchs for simply being in a certain family dug a little under the skin. "..at least Hvitskag is out of the way."
Glared daggers at the newspaper, sighing out in light disappointment before spinning on his heel and striding out of the room towards his chambers to pin a letter. "Poor Alvaro.. Reminds me of a scene from that play, Game of kingdoms." He blurted out casually to a passing servant, who nodded in somber agreement.
