Estelle sat in her bedroom in the grand townhouse she had been given by the Malinese council for the duration of her stay. She was sitting at a large writing desk, with papers laid out all around her, lost in concentration as she composed a letter.
Dearest brother,
I hope you are keeping well and are taking care not to get burnt in the summer sun. I imagine it is more than a little warm on the Alasceian border even if the forest does provide some shelter. I was saddened to hear about the problems you have found down there and have written to our father encouraging him to give you the resources you need for you and Blondel to speedily rectify the disposition of our forces there. I fear they may be needed soon, but more of that later.
I have now been in Malin for nearly a season and so far I have been able to find no trace of our sister. However, I cannot escape the feeling that she is alive and possibly in this very city. Everyday I spend here I become more certain, although I know rationally I have no basis for such certainty. Yet everything in this city reminds me of Neesha. It is an unruly, chaotic mess of a place and somehow I know she would love it - it’s lack of formality, the liveliness of its populace and their rudeness. The other week I watched hundreds of Malinese hurl themselves into the river in anything that would float, and much that wouldn’t, in pursuit of gods only know what, whilst the rest of the city drank, ate and cheered and them on. I can imagine Neesha amongst those crowds shouting and making merry with the rest of them without a care in the world. Maybe it would be best if I do not find her as I’m certain if she found her way here there will be no convincing her to ever leave. Still I will persist and worry about that later.
Now to the more serious matters, I now fear war between Malin and Paras is once again inevitable. Their loathsome prince is preparing to leave as I write, along with the whole Parasian embassy. The embassy was attacked last week, officially both the Malinese and Parasians say by organised criminals but it is clear to me that it was the Malinese militia who organised the attack - whether this was a rogue element or an officially sanctioned operation I don’t know but the reaction of the council members I have become acquainted with makes it clear this was not the work of mere criminals. The Parasians must also know this, and must have been up to something they cannot admit to. Nevertheless, they, and in particular Lancel, will not forget this attack and I fear will begin preparations for war as soon as they return to the Empire, although I do not expect hostilities to break out before the campaigning season in the spring.
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I have taken steps to start removing some of our more vulnerable staff and assets back to Trieste, and a caravan will leave for Hamule in a few weeks. I am also sending mother and father all the intelligence I have been able to gather about Malin and the Parasians, and Lancel. I fear if war does break out that although it will be hard fought the Malinese are not strong enough to hold out against the Parasians this time - the empire is far more powerful now than it was when the last war was waged. Father and the other rulers of the Eastern Kingdoms must make a decision about whether they will let this city fall or not; ceding control of the Est to Paras would leave us all vulnerable, which is why it is so important you return our southern army to a fighting state as soon as possible whether in defence of Malin or own borders I fear it will soon be needed. In the meantime I will remain here, at least until the winter, continuing to hunt for Neesha and to observe how the situation develops.
May the gods keep you safe, dearest brother,
Estelle
Estelle, sat back and sealed the letter with green wax. She called for her secretary.
“Please take this to Lady Genyu and ask her to put an enchantment of secrecy on it, then arrange for it to be sent to my brother” she told the servant.
“At once your highness,” he said, bowing as he took the letter from her.
Sighing, she stood up as the man left the room and went to her wardrobe to select a dress for the evening’s ball. There was always some ball, or dinner or garden reception going on in Malin - between the Council and the Malinese nobility every evening seemed to be filled with something she had to attend. It was honestly quite tiring but attend them she must if she was going to continue to hear the titbits of information that the Malinese let slip all too easily. That was the problem with the Malinese form of government - when it involved so many people nothing was truly secret; and that fact, Estelle mused, was why if her sister was alive and in the city, eventually she would find her.