(Castle Cidaris, County of Cidaris, Duchy of Cidaris, Kingdom of Cidaris, Northern Realms, The Witcher-Verse)
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(March 3rd, 1265)
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(King Aethan I Jaenerys of Cidaris POV)
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The rest of the invited Northern Monarchs had arrived, Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia, King Esterad of Kovir and Poviss, King Demavend of Aedirn, King Venslav of Brugge, and King Niedamir of Hengfors. Each had arrived with their heirs and a few relevant courtiers and advisors, which meant that finally the funeral could begin.
Aethan stood in fine sapphire tunics with Silver and Golden embroidery, his sister's stood behind him in gowns of similar colors. Assembled before them were the nobles and common folk of Cidaris.
''We gather here today to lay my father, King Ethain, to rest. My father was killed by Assassin's in the employ of Nilfgaard. It might not be today, it might not be tomorrow, it might be a few years from now, but we will avenge him someday. But for now, today, we lay him to rest.'' Aethan told those assembled. ''The Kings and Queens, and Princes and Princesses of the North come here today to help us honor my father. My father was a Patron of the Arts, Cidaris has a richer culture thanks in large part to him. Let us show his fellows a true Cidarian celebration!'' The crowd cheered as the Royal Guards led escorted the body of his father out to the harbor, Aethan followed and when his father was placed on the boat, he took the offered bow.
Aethan lit the arrowhead, nocked his arrow, turned to observe the banner fluttering in the wind. As the Boat his father rested upon entered rougher seas, the banners stilled and as he exhaled he released the flamming arrow. The arrow soared through the air, they flame on the arrow didn't die, and when it finally stuck the boat carrying his father's body the boat was engulfed in flames. Aethan said not a single word, watching his father's cremation and sea burial.
With his sisters beside him, they laid King Ethain to rest, with the traditional Cidarian Cremation and sea burial. The crackling of the funeral pyre echoed across the choppy waves, a somber symphony to the final rites of King Ethain. Aethan watched the flames consume the vessel, a mirror of the rage that had been stoked within him since the news of his father's assassination. The other Northern monarchs offered condolences, their hushed voices a stark contrast to the roaring inferno. Queen Meve, her face etched with a familiar weariness, placed a hand on his arm. "King Aethan," she said, her voice like a whisper of wind, "your father was a great man. His legacy will not be forgotten." King Demavend of Aedirn, ever the pragmatist and opportunist, added jis own comments
''The North remembers its own, Your Majesty. And it remembers its enemies."
As the last embers of the pyre winked out, Aethan turned from the sea, his gaze sweeping over the assembled dignitaries. The weight of the crown, a formerly a circlet of Silver with Opals and Lapis Lazuli that had rested lightly on his brow as Prince, now replaced by a ring of Gold with Sapphires, Opals, Amethysts, and Rubies pressed down with the full force of a king's responsibility. The funeral feast was a grim affair, the air thick with unspoken anxieties. Whispers of Nilfgaardian treachery and the growing threat of their southern empire snaked through the halls of Castle Cidaris. The solidarity of the North, a fragile alliance forged in shared fear and a common enemy, felt more crucial now than ever.
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Later that evening, under a sky dusted with stars, Aethan found himself on the battlements of Castle Cidaris. His sisters, Elianna, Margaery, and Aldis, joined him, their presence a silent comfort. "He would have been proud of your speech, brother," Elianna murmured, her voice barely audible above the distant roar of the sea. Aethan nodded, his eyes fixed on the dark expanse of the Northern Realms.
''He would have been proud of the fight to come," he replied, the promise of vengeance hardening his resolve. The Jaenerys family and indeed the Kingdom of Cidaris, had lost its king, but in his place, a new king had been forged. The Witcher-Verse was a world of monsters and men, and Aethan I Jaenerys was now ready to face both.
Kerack had bowed to him, soon Verden would follow as would Brugge. When Foltest died, Temeria would fold to him, and within a generation or two, the King of Cidaris would come to hold the titles of the Kingdoms of Kerack, Verden, Brugge, and Temeria.
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As the rays of the morning sun rose upon the Cidarian coastline, King Aethan was in the Council chamber with Duke Agloval and Lady Lucia. They were discussing the merits of marrying Aethan's sisters off.
In the Council chambers of the Kingdom, King Aethan, clad in the blue velvets of his station, sat at a polished oak table, his gaze fixed on the flickering flames. Beside him, the Lady Lucia, her silks a deep emerald, observed the duke with a steady, unwavering presence. Across from them, Duke Agloval, his weathered face etched with the lines of many seasons, fidgeted with a heavy signet ring. "Prince Villem of Lyria and Rivia," Aethan began, his voice clear and measured, "is a prize worth pursuing. An alliance with Lyria and Rivia secures us a strong ally to Temeria's eastern flank. Should Foltest's reign falter before a clear successor emerges, a strong neighbor to our East, aligned through marriage, would be… invaluable." He paused, his eyes not leaving the fire. "Aldis, as my twin sister, is the most suitable for such an undertaking. Her marriage to Prince Villem would cement a pact of mutual defense, should the need arise." Duke Agloval cleared his throat. "Aethan, the notion of marrying our princesses to foreign houses is not inherently flawed. However, the matter of Aldis, Elianna, and Margaery is… delicate. Many of your vassals, those who have long served Cidaris, may see this as a slight. To bypass them, to offer their daughters and sisters to distant thrones… it risks alienating a significant portion of your support." He gestured with his ring hand. "They have anticipated positions within Cidaris, alliances forged through these marriages within our own lands. This… changes the landscape considerably." Lady Lucia's voice was a quiet counterpoint to Agloval's concerns. "Duke Agloval, remember the events in Ebeltoft. Count Obland's… dissent was met with swift and decisive action. While some may grumble privately, few will dare to voice their objections openly to the Duke. The strength of your position is not solely reliant on the outward approval of every minor lord. Loyalty, when tested, often reveals its true depth." She met Agloval's gaze, her own devoid of any discernible emotion. "Pragmatism dictates that such unions serve the greater good, and the greater good, in this instance, is a Cidaris strengthened by external alliances." Aethan turned from the fire, his gaze now directed at Agloval. "Then we shall proceed. Formulate an offer to Queen Meve of Lyria and Rivia. Let it mirror the terms presented to King Foltest. A non-aggression pact, the promise of military aid in times of conflict, and trade considerations to be negotiated at a later date. The framework is established. It is now a matter of presentation." He rose from his seat, his shadow lengthening across the chamber. "Aldis will be the cornerstone of this new accord. Ensure the terms reflect the significance of her position, and the alliance we seek."
The weight of the decision settled on Aethan's shoulders, a tangible pressure that mirrored the heavy gold of his newly acquired crown. He understood Duke Agloval's concerns; the nobility of Cidaris, accustomed to the intricacies of their own feudal tapestry, might chafe at seeing their daughters and sisters offered to foreign powers, especially when they had envisioned such unions weaving through the very fabric of their own duchies and counties. Yet, the cold calculus of survival in the Witcher-Verse demanded more than insular alliances. The specter of Nilfgaard loomed, a darkness that threatened to engulf all of the Northern Realms, and Cidaris, with its burgeoning influence, needed to be a bulwark, not an isolated island.
"My Lord Agloval," Aethan stated, his voice resonating with a newfound authority, "the threat from the South is not a matter for domestic appeasement. Our own lords will benefit immensely from a Cidaris that stands strong, united with powerful allies. The marriage of Aldis to Prince Villem is a strategic imperative. It is not a slight, but a declaration of our intent to forge a formidable defense. Should there be dissent, it will be managed, just as the matter of Count Obland was. Though perhaps not as severely.'' He met the Duke's gaze, his own reflecting the unyielding resolve that was rapidly becoming his hallmark.
The negotiations with Lyria and Rivia would be delicate, but Aethan was prepared. He envisioned the tapestry of the North being rewoven, with Cidaris at its center, not as a conqueror, but as a linchpin. The royal seal was affixed to the offer, a testament to the decisive shift in Cidarian foreign policy. The Princess Aldis, once a mere player in the intricate dance of noble courtship, was now a vital instrument in the grand strategy of her brother. The potential of her union poised to become the bedrock of a North far more cohesive than it had been in generations, assuming a lot of things went right.
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(POV Shift: King Demavend III Baldwin of Aedirn)
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Demavend was observing the events of Cidaris with a keen eye. King Aethan had forged alliances with Kerack and Temeria, absorbing the former without bloodshed. Cidaris greatest strength was it's Navy. And judging by the fact that Kerack's best assets was it's Infantry, though Reavers was perhaps a better term. Being former pirates, the Kerackian Army was extremely good at attacking after boarding and disembarking, only Skellige could boast to be better and believed.
Demavend knew the reason why King Aethan negotiated the merger, What the Cidarian Military Forces lacked in sheer numbers of troops they compensated for in the sheer skill of their sailors. And that ship being built in the harbour, to call it a behemoth was understating it. The absorption of Kerack was for its Military forces to enhance the land forces of Cidaris and also increase the forces on their Military vessels. As it stood, Cidaris could call upon somewhere between fifteen to twenty five thousand trained troops. With God's knows how many levies.
Kerack could call upon maybe ten thousand men. Verden was able to call on around fifteen thousand give or take. But the Nations of the Dragon's Coast each had their Military strengths, and Verden's was it's Siege engines. Proximity to Brugge and Cintra had led to the former Cintran Vassal State of Verden having a strong tradition of Cavalry and Siege Engines. Unlike Redania, who specialized in Cavalry, Verden's Cavalry was Mounted Archers. He suspected that Aethan wanted Verden.
And with Nilfgaard still an ever present threat...
He needed to find some way to keep an eye on this King, and benefit from his ambition. As well as ensure that the alliance with Foltest isn't used against them. Judging from what he's seeing the boy was trying to strike additional alliances.
With Lyria and Rivia and Hengfors Judging by the runners. He couldn't afford not to get involved. Lyria and Rivia to his southern border, and Temeria to his northernmost western border. He had to either present a better alliance or he needed to ensure that the alliances did not weaken or target him.
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(POV Shift: Queen Meve Lyrani of Lyria and Rivia)
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Queen Meve sat at the polished oak table, the low glow of the candelabra casting long shadows across the room. Across from her, Count Reynard Odo, his face etched with the lines of many seasons, steepled his fingers. The parchment detailing King Aethan's proposal lay between them, a silent arbiter. "The King of Cidaris's offer is generous, Count," Meve began, her voice even. "The alliance through Prince Villem's marriage to Princess Aldis and Aethan's own marriage to Princess Adda would secure our borders, and the trade concessions are substantial." She gestured towards the document. "His Majesty has even outlined the terms for increased passage of our goods through Temerian territories to Cidarian ships and foreign territories.''
Odo cleared his throat, a dry sound in the quiet chamber. "Generous, Your Majesty, is a subjective term. King Aethan is a talented negotiator. The benefits he outlines are indeed present, but the price, while not immediately apparent in coin, is equally significant." Meve nodded slowly, her gaze fixed on the flickering flame of a candle.
''I understand your reservations. The joining of our houses is a matter of great import. Yet, consider the advantages. Princess Aldis is known for her keen mind, a valuable asset should she one day hold influence in Lyria. And Villem, my son, will gain an ally in a powerful kingdom."
"Indeed," Odo conceded, picking up a quill and turning it over in his fingers. "But we must also consider the ramifications for our existing trade. King Aethan's proposal makes no mention of our dealings with Temeria. In fact, it could be interpreted as a strategic move to isolate us from that market."
Meve leaned back, her posture relaxed but her eyes sharp. "That is precisely where I believe the true advantage lies. King Aethan's recent agreement to marry Princess Adda of Temeria is no secret. If we were to accept this offer, and solidify our ties with Cidaris, it would place us in a unique position. We could leverage Aethan's marital connection to his father-in-law, King Foltest. Imagine the increased trade opportunities, the access to Temerian markets through Cidarian channels snd vice-versa. Foltest has always been amenable to expanding his trade routes, and a direct link for an allied Lyria and Rivia would be most beneficial."
Reynard's brow furrowed. He tapped the quill against the table. "A bold interpretation, Your Majesty. It assumes King Foltest would readily agree to such a tripartite arrangement, and that Aethan would be willing to facilitate it, rather than use his Temerian connection for Cidarian advantage alone."
''King Foltest values stability and predictable trade," Meve countered, her tone calm. "He also respects strength. An alliance between our two kingdoms, bolstered by a Cidarian-Temerian connection, presents a formidable bloc. Aethan, for all his ambition, would not wish to alienate such a potent force by hindering our access. It would be a delicate balance, of course, but one I believe Villem, with Aldis by his side, could manage effectively."
Odo was silent for a moment, his gaze drifting towards the window where the faint outline of the moon was visible. "The strategic play is indeed present, Your Majesty. To use Aethan's marriage as a bridge to Temeria, rather than seeing it as a threat. It is… an innovative perspective." He paused, then continued, "However, the risks remain. A failed alliance with Cidaris would leave us exposed. And the potential for Foltest to see us as merely a pawn in Aethan's games is also a possibility."
"Every alliance carries risk, Count," Meve stated, her gaze unwavering. "But inaction carries its own set of dangers. King Aethan's offer is an opening. How we choose to step through it will determine our future. And besides, King Aethan wants this marriage, that gives us an advantage in the negotiations.''
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(POV Shift: King Aethan I Jaenerys of Cidaris)
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So far, things had gone smoothly. Kerack had submitted, Temeria would unite with Cidaris once again, and the negotiations with Lyria and Rivia and the Hengfors League were going well. Meve wanted him to leverage his marriage to Adda to increase the flow of Lyrian and Rivian goods through Temerian territories to Cidarian ships and foreign markets. The Cidarian stop on the Koviri-Ofir Trade Route was especially profitable. If he was able to do that, then he should be able to convince Foltest, because it would make the Temerian Guild of Merchants happy with their King.
King Niedamir did need further convincing however, which brought him to King Demavend.
The Aedirn monarch came to him.
Enhancing Aethan's position, while weakening his own in the process...
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