The Vis family ascended to the title of Prince in the wake of fragmentation of the Ylvathi Empire. The three former princes, each desirous of the highest position under Heaven, raked the land with fire in their coup. The Vis, Aer and Elis families manoeuvred their assassins well, the timing perfect. With loyalties of all the dukes and marches behind them the three archduchies formed the current Alerian Confederation, with Visalia, Aerie, and Elianis, the three resulting principalities. The triumvirate form the basis of international legitimacy, while the marches protect our borders. Of the three, Vis is interesting in their choice of succession ceremony, with one main family whose head serves as Prince, and many insular branches that operate as small landed nobility bereft of court rank. They determine the next head through skill in magic and administration as a game amongst the younger generation.

- Treaties on the Political Landscape of Aleria

The journey home passed quickly as the trio entered the walled inner district of Aemor Keep’s castle town. The late afternoon streets were beginning to fill with people returning home from their daily obligations, and the noise of street vendors calling out to attract potential customers with their assorted foods. May took in the sights she had been ignoring in her grief. Her last year spent in the forest with grammy, had her twitch at the sight and smell of unwashed bodies and dumped insides of chamber pots, the smoke of coal fires cloying at her breath. Her discomfort worsened when they entered the quarter filled with smithies. She rushed towards the familiar door of her home, hoping for respite, but fully aware that she’d be out sooner rather than later, taking care of administrative matters.

Upon entering the foyer she recoiled, bumping her back in Dean.

”Aaron, haven’t seen you in a while… What are you doing in Dean’s house?” She attempted cordially. Aaron, with all the patience of a saint smiled, “Dean asked me to arrange for dinner, knowing that you’d be home late. And it is good to finally see you back in civilization again. The forest must have been a tough experience for you.”

“May, can you let us through?” Dean tried. She obliged and moved through the foyer and into the living/kitchen area. The air smelled of some sort of meat and butter. A pie most likely. She didn’t know Arron could cook. Though, it was far more likely to be the work of his mother. “Your mother’s cooking? I haven’t had any in ages.” She asked. “No, no, this is my work, I’ve been learning some home management skills this past year. After all, how can you manage your merchants and artisans, if your home is in disarray.” He leaned towards her, hopeful for some praise. May swore she could see a tail wagging behind him, dog ears perked up from his golden locks… Stop, stop, no matter how good he looked, this is never going to happen. Never.

“You sound like a lost puppy.” Anna snickered, giving him a quick hug. “Let’s settle down for dinner and some drinks. There’s no proper way to mourn, but some wine ought to do the trick.” May gave her attempt at dissolving the awkward atmosphere a solid nod of appreciation, but, allas there were places she must be.

“As nice as that sounds, I don’t have much appetite.” A lie, she was famished. “And I need to take care of some matters outside. In lieu of that I’m going to get changed.” She strolled upstairs to her room.

Anna eyed her brother, who lost his mien as soon as May went out of sight. “You don’t stand a chance. She’s a member of the nobility now. A Vis.”

Aaron scowled “Even if she is a Vis, what can she do alone in that forest of hers. No income, no political power, no nothing. I know full well, she doesn’t see me as a romantic interest, but surely she can see the benefit in tying the knot?”

“Even were she to tie the knot, she doesn’t need to emulate her grandmother in marrying a commoner. As a matter of fact, she might, but it would be a marriage out of love, not convenience. And at this moment in time the only one getting anything ‘convenient’ out of father’s arrangement is you. Whether Dean and I marry or not, father can’t control, and marriage by contract was outlawed fifty years ago. Neither father nor Dean can sign in her name. Now that she has accepted a new surname, even less so. In other words what you, dad and Dean cooked up was nothing more than a passing flight of fancy. She still acted like the cute lass we knew toward Dean, but switched to this stiff formal tone when he started pushing for marriage.” Dean sighed and patted his friend on the shoulder. “The pie smells delicious, so, good job on that!” “What’s the point when the one it was made for won’t partake.” Aaron answered, and went to serve the pie with hunched shoulders.

May entered her childhood room and looked at the slightly messy interior, locating her trunk. She pulled out her formal attire. Dark grey slim fitted pants, a white blouse with puffy sleeves and a long black coat that would end at her knees, imitating a short skirt. Completing the outfit were black leather boots that went halfway up her thighs. She listened to the conversation happening downstairs and wondered if she wasn’t being a little unfair to her brother with her formal speech. Grammy taught her the way of speaking with intent to be presentable on formal occasions, not to push away her family.

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She changed into formal attire with all the swiftness she could muster, and pulled from her trunk the last three additions. A belt, an estoc and small bonet. Turning around she then faced the two folders on her table with some trepidation. Opening the thick one first she peered inside to find her grammy’s ring. A silver loop with a finely cut emerald sitting on top, the family’s emblem engraved such that light would bounce and show the same image no matter the angle one was looking. The precision and artistry level required for such a work of art beguiled her, and no matter how much she asked, grammy wouldn’t say anything about it either. She suspected it was some form of magic, a suspicion that was confirmed when she slipped it on her finger.

She felt the mana inside her roil with heat and push out of her skin. Her sweat and odour of travel evaporated, replaced with the comforting smell of pine and flowering moss. She felt her heated skin cool like she applied a cooling mint cream all over her body, all at once, coming with a tinge of pain and eye watering sting. She took a deep breath and refocused on the task at hand, pulling out the next object contributing to the folder’s thickness. She recognized the item immediately. A whistle carved from black opal, fashioned in the shape of a feather, glimmering with red, green and blue opal fire, attached to a silver chain. A familiar calling whistle. When she used it, her bound familiar would appear before her, no matter the distance between the two. It would also simplify the familiar binding ritual to a simple action of blowing. For all the artistry of her new ring, this simple looking whistle of pure opulence was astonishing. How had no one been greedy enough to check the folders and abscond with it. The ring was a giveaway, so cannot be taken, but this, this was worth a fortune!

She felt giddy as she pulled out the last of the folder’s contents. A Mage’s Guild acceptance letter, signed by her grammy, redeemable at any Guild office. Tearing off the seal of the second folder, she found the contents incomparably mundane. A sheet of paper with the land deed, a grant of Ladyship and… a letter?

Dear grandniece May, I hope this letter finds you well.

My name is Archibald Vis, and I serve as the current head of the main branch family. It brings me no joy that I could not take some respite from my duties to mourn my sister with you. Though I imagine such a first meeting would be rather awkward. As you are now formally recognized as part of the family, know that the responsibility you have undertaken, brings with it a certain amount of danger. The forest is much larger and deeper than a cursory glance at a map may bring to one’s attention. Not to mention filled with monsters and various assorted horrors. As a young sorceress, you lack the power to fend off these beasts, though I have it in good conscience that the problem has been alleviated for the next few years. Grow quickly and study well, to ensure the barriers that trap the monsters do not falter and protect the people of our principality from incursions from the Wilds. Unlike other insular branches of the family, your duty binds you to the forest and the Wilds beyond. As such, you are not eligible for the ceremonial rites and competition for next head of house. Not that I intend to die quite yet, three hundred and fifty years is barely enough time to study a single type of magic, not to mention the time ruling and administration takes away from my studies, hah. Goes to show in hindsight that we shouldn’t have set the position as Prince a lifetime responsibility. Well, statecraft aside, all branches gather once every year for a meeting in the capital. You too are cordially invited to this event next year, at the palace on the tenth day of the second month.

Yours truly, Archibald Vis, Prince of Visaria

Shit, why didn’t grammy tell her their family were big shots! Admittedly, the surname should have clued her in, what with the name of the country she lived in named after them! Also, 350?! Was grammy that old? Mages? Sorcerers? What is the difference anyway and, and. ‘Deep breaths May, deep breaths’ she calmed herself, shivering at the absolute massive slap in the face that the information entailed. Her isolation was desired and self imposed, she had no clue it carried such meaning. Though if she were to know before, she probably wouldn’t be so quick in promising grammy to take up her mantle. Keeping her family ignorant of the true dangers was likely a form of mercy on her late mother, who always worried for Eliza, as if she were a twig that would snap in her old age. Not to mention the ignorance of her actual age… Mind still reeling she stuffed the two official documents and acceptance letter in her inner breast pocket and made her way downstairs.

The conversation ceased as she entered the living room. The black haired, noble in dark attire made a rather striking entrance. From the bonnet pinned to her head with a silken red rose, to the thin sword hanging strapped to her belt, her figure was striking. Aaron started coughing as he choked on his bite of pie.

“Aaron, would you be so kind as to wrap me a piece of pie in some paper after you are finished choking? I must run some errands before the offices close for the day.” She said in a much kinder, slightly teasing tone. “And brother Dean, thanks for everything this week. I’ve been a bit of a spoiled brat lately.” She smiled at the stunned trio. Dean managed to get his next words out “W- where did you get these clothes? I don’t remember having them being made?”

“Tailored them myself actually! Thank you Aaron. I need to look presentable at court and other public functions after all. The fact these double as good attire for riding and walking through rough terrain is just efficient. Well then I am off to the Mage Guild and then to the keep. I’ll be back before sundown. See you later!” She waved her hand and left.