Early Arrival

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

The ship has landed in Triadon earlier in the morning, and Demetri was merely waiting for the right time to disembark. It would be, after all, utter foolishness to do so while it was dark out and he couldn’t see anything on the shore. While he did not intend to hide his arrival, and the sails announced the presence of Sarkoszy ship in Triadon harbor as surely as their own, the arrival during night time had its disadvantages, such as having to explain the time discrepancy and the disagreeable currents to Demerian patrols. Thankfully, they were escorted through the waters they had few knowledge on, and for that Demetri was grateful. Such as it was, he was uncertain how his arrival would be greeted by the rest of the Court, given the behavior of his older brother while here, so it looked like he would have to do some damage control on both levels – his sisters and the Court.

Speaking of sisters… Now that it was morning, the Sarkoszy prince recalled the latest missive from Anya, remembering that the Court itself was not in Triadon, but rather by one of Demeria’s lakes within a riding distance to the city, if he understood correctly. Disembarking the ship in an outfit suitable for a ride, Demetri hoped that, at the very least, he’d be able to get directions from the palace guard, if not one of his sisters, for he could never say with exact timing when a ship was going to arrive. Exchanging a few words with the Captain to stall for time, Demetri curiously glanced around, for now taking in the sights of largely unfamiliar to his eyes city, stalling due to uncertainty whether his note has reached the current location of his sisters or not. Thinking he’d give it until the city was more or less awake – that the harbor already was had been no surprise to him – the young man remained close by his ship, deciding not to take unnecessary risks by wandering off. He had no knowledge, after all, to how Sarkoszy contingent would be received, and little could be based on most recent letters, as well.


Princess Anastasia Fyodorov

[Princess Anastasia Fyodorov]

The letter informing her of Demetri's arrival reached her a mere day before his ship docked first in Demeria, then the river barge docked in Triadon. Heart heavy, Anastasia left the pavilions that created the camp by the lakeside that night in order to meet him at the docks and escort him back to the camp to discuss family affairs. She was somberly and plainly dressed, her hair cobbled back at her nape as she allowed the footman to hand her down from the carriage.

Her gaze fell on her brother with mingled relief and apprehension. Anya deliberately left Katya at the lakeside, wanting an opportunity to speak with Demetri alone and bring him up to date on affairs of the Court so that he did not enter the arena blind and unarmed, so to speak. Taking a deep breath, she started forward to greet him, pasting a small, weary smile on her face. "Demetri. How was your journey?"

Prince Demetri Fyodorov

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

The very sight of his sister let him know right away that she believed things to be worse than they were, or perhaps they were such. Slightly worried by her appearance, he excused himself from his current conversation companion and moved toward Anya, a warm, concerned smile on his face. “Anya. It was as well as can be, the wind was fair throughout the journey.” Too fair, if one took a closer look at the sails, but he wasn’t about to point it out, for the sails were put away as they were no longer needed and his sister needed not worry, since he was present for her to see. “I would ask you the same question about your stay in Demeria so far, but I can see that perchance I was right to worry. How are you doing?”

He would learn of his younger sister from both Anya’s words and meeting her himself, for being face to face with any of his siblings often allowed him more insight on either than words of another, and for now, Anastasia was the source he could see the most clear. It seemed things for at least her were harder than he anticipated, and Demetri wondered just how much trouble Nikolai had stirred with his actions. Knowing Anya, however, he was certain he’d find out in mere minutes. “Shall we walk, or would you rather fill me in on the way to Demerian Court’s current location?” He asked her gently, wanting to know which action his sister would pick. Either way he was going to be aware of the situation of Sarkoszy contingent at Court as his sister saw it, which, perhaps, was going to be for the best if he was to join anywhere.


Princess Anastasia Fyodorov

[Princess Anastasia Fyodorov]

"It's not an overly long journey to where the Court is, and I have a carriage waiting. But if you'd like to stretch your legs a little, we can walk." Anya was trying not to fidget, her anxiety all too easily read by Demetri. He knew her too well at times, but in light of the situation, surely her strained emotions weren't entirely out of place? Reaching for his arm, she opted for the walk, hoping the movement would allow her to keep herself in check. "It could be worse," she began quietly, "but it is still bad enough, Demi."

Anastasia waited until a cluster of dockworkers passed them before she continued. "Nikolai left without a word to anyone, and he attacked both Sergei and his other guard to do so. The King has been forgiving, thankfully, as has Prince Riordan, but I've yet to speak with Princess Emmaline." Troubled blue eyes met her brother's. "I won't call this a disaster, but I will be blunt - we're not in good standing with the Court or the Carlisles. The King isn't holding Katya or me responsible for Nik's actions, but the fact is, we're lucky we haven't been tossed out on our ears. The negotiations have shifted to Katya and Prince Tristan, thankfully... however," she finished with a sigh, "I doubt we'll be able to accomplish half of what we wanted now. No one knows where Nik is, and the longer he stays away, the worse it looks."

There was little good news to give him, and Anya wasn't going to pretend there was.

Prince Demetri Fyodorov

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

Taking Anya’s hand with his own, Demetri gave his sister’s hand a comforting squeeze as they started walking, nodding to show he was listening. He was aware, up to a point, of Nikolai’s actions and suspected how they would reflect on the royals of Sarkozsy to those of Demeria, which was not good. “We can walk, if you’re certain we can handle the journey, but have your carriage follow us along,” he suggested, making certain she could hear the suggestion rather than the possible order it could be taken in. He did, in fact, need to stretch his legs after being at sea for the time it took him to reach Demeria, and it was an adjustment and a half for someone not used to long sea journeys.

Listening with a slight tilt of his head toward his sister, Demetri hummed as he considered things as they stood. “Let us not court trouble by imagining how worse things could be, Anya love, but consider how they are now and what we can do about it,” he said once she finished speaking. “As we still have a chance of alliance – and how is Katya taking this unexpected change perhaps remains to be seen – the half that we might be able to accomplish is better than nothing that would be done if no alliance could have been worked out.” A frown creased his forehead at the next words from his sister, however. If Nikolai chose to return, or was forced to, of which he had a thought to attempt, they would have words on conduct of a Crown Prince, though he supposed it could be a bit too harsh, given the choices Nik had been facing. Still, his brother’s leave-taking as he had done it had caused more harm than good, and in turn, it reflected on their sisters, delivering an unexpected burden of leading negotiations on behalf of Sarkoszy to Anastasia.

“Tis good to know that there’s no blame at others for action of one,” he said slowly and at length. “I hope we can get to Nik before anything else happens, and get through his thick skull…” Trailing off, he quirked an eyebrow up, as he fully caught up the conversation. “Tell me more about this new alliance, please? It can’t have been entirely out of nowhere, and perhaps we’ll be able to gain rather than lose ground with this one.” The letters informed him of the shift in alliances, as well as the others, but he still wanted to hear from his sister what she thought of such possibility. She had been present when it developed, so surely it was possible they may glean something from things as they were.

[Princess Anastasia Fyodorov]

Her fingers curled around her brother's, taking comfort indeed from the texture of his skin against hers and the undeniable strength she found there. Demetri was their rock, their steady constant and all too often, their voice of reason. The extremes were left to Nikolai, Anya and Katya, but Demetri was calm as a lake in the heart of summer. It was just one of the many aspects in her brother that she respected and admired.

Walking beside him, she nodded quietly, "In some ways, Katya is pleased. She has come to care for Prince Tristan and feared there could be no future for them with Nikolai's betrothal to the Princess. On the other hand, she is embarrassed, hurt and disappointed in his behavior, I believe. He has lost a good measure of her respect." Anya spoke carefully, reluctant to voice too much of their sister's opinion when Katya could and should speak for herself. "Fortunately, she has matured quite a bit since coming here. I think you will be very proud of her as I am." That soft smile bloomed, thinking of how Katya conducted herself. A true Princess of Sarkozsy indeed.

When he spoke of finding Nikolai, Anastasia shook her head. "I would not count on it, Demi. Chances are beyond good he will lose far more than he knows in this." Glad for a chance to speak on the new topic, she seized on it. "The negotiations for this new alliance haven't begun as yet, but I have been going through what is wanted versus what we can afford to relinquish. I believe we may be able to gain a good portion of what we need, though it will mean Katya remains here, instead of Emmaline coming to us."

Prince Demetri Fyodorov

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

Matching his pace to that of his sister’s, as it was obvious that she was taking comfort from his presence more so than rushing ahead to their destination, Demetri considered the new development. “Is that so? I believe I shall see the changes you speak of myself soon enough,” he hummed, pleased for his sister’s sake but disappointed for his brother. “I must say that Nik lost a good deal of respect with me as well, for this was the last course of action I expected him to take,” he confessed, giving Anya a sidelong look. “Tis not unexpected, but I would expect that knowing about his arrangement as long as he had, he would consider things more carefully and take into account that Princess Emmaline was the only one not in the know until too late to change things.”

Lightly biting his lower lip, he continued. “Perhaps, had Father known that such turn of events would happen, he would’ve sent me to bargain on Nikolai’s behalf, but I’m glad he did not, for it let our brother a chance to meet the lady for himself and show if he could handle it from his end.” Pausing there and allowing Anya to finish, Demetri tilted his head to the side, a small smile on his face. “Should Katya wish for it, I am not going to stay in her way of such, though I would like to meet them myself. I’m glad that I seem to have made it in time for these negotiations, though I doubt my presence would be beneficial to either party. What think you on the matter?” He had taken note of the words, as was his habit, and thoughtfully tapped his fingers on his leg, considering. Gaining a large majority of what they needed was, of course, a plus in his eyes, for after a blunder such as this, he couldn’t be certain which was a possibility.

“As for Nikolai, he’ll show up when he’s ready to do so, unless things change and the Demerians would try searching for them in our stead,” he continued humorously, imagining the very picture with mild amusement, though he was uncertain whether such a scene would be good or bad for the image of Sarkoszy contingent. Whichever it would be, however, Nik could use a lesson on disappearances without leaving word, and if Demerians indeed chose such a road to teach him, Demetri would give them leave to do so. At the very least, it should be interesting to see how such events would turn out. Shelving the thought for later, Demetri slightly turned his head toward Anastasia, waiting to hear what she would have to say on the matter further.


Princess Anastasia Fyodorov

[Princess Anastasia Fyodorov]

It was good to know Demetri was there, a strong and steady buffer against the winds of gossip, chaos and change that whipped around her. She had been standing alone for a while, trying to protect Katya and Nikolai as well as their parents' interests, yet Anya had never felt so ill-prepared, inept and inexperienced. Doing her best had not been enough; she felt that failure keenly, but said nothing of it to Demi. He had enough to deal with on his arrival without taking on her problems.

Listening as he spoke, she nodded. "This was explained to him, but at that point, I fear much of the damage was done. Sergei said Nikolai was never able to relax around her, and instead presented that cold, haughty face that left her questioning herself. As for his departure..." Anya rubbed at her forehead for a moment. "Demi, I have to wonder if he's gone mad. The Nikolai we know would never have behaved this way, and now Sergei is gone as well." That betrayal hurt every bit as much as Nikolai's, if she was honest with herself. The man tells her of his heart, yet abandoned her so eagerly? So be it. It was no less than she deserved for losing her heart so foolishly anyways.

"Thank you for not objecting to the possibility of Katya's future." That relieved her mind, though she glanced up at him. "As far as I am concerned, I would rather you took over the negotiations. I'm an abysmal failure in the arts of diplomacy and politics, that much has been amply proven. Now you're here, I was thinking it might be best if I too returned to Sarkoszy. This is as much my disgrace as Nikolai's. A fresh mind and face on the matter is best, I think."

Averting her face, Anastasia merely shrugged when he spoke of Nikolai. "I imagine they will, but with less kindness or forgiveness in their hearts. If they do, I have neither the will nor the desire to stop them, not that I have the first idea of where he's gone. Let him go to perdition, if that's his choice. He's ruined so much, it may be best that he never returns."


Prince Demetri Fyodorov

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

Demetri slapped his forehead once he heard just how their brother was conducting himself. “God, of all the times…She must’ve felt ill at ease.” He knew well the façade that his sister spoke about, the habit of their brother to retreat if something wasn’t going how he’d have liked to, at least such it seemed to Demetri. Of course that was more damaging than it was diplomatic. “Well, I’d say saying he went mad is a bit early, Anya love, he had been under pressure as well. What I know upon observing such people is they often react not how we expect them to, and sometimes do not make the wisest decisions. We shall see if he’s gone mad once he’s back, whether to our parents or to us,” he suggested, releasing his sister’s hand momentarily to place his upon her shoulder. He had to say he shared her opinion of their brother’s latest actions, but being older of the two, believed the topic would have to rest for now, if they could. Other matters, none the less important ones, could be discussed in place of lamenting about their erstwhile sibling. Their parents and the Demerians would likely deal with him in fairness, or so he believed. Time would only tell, however, and they both will learn in due time what such dealing had been.

“It will all work out, tis all I can say on the matter right now,” he continued, once she stopped talking, lightly squeezing her shoulder in comfort. “Sergei is, first, Nikolai’s man, or so it always seemed to me, and the leave must’ve hit him hard as it had everyone else, not to mention the injury added to insult coming from someone he is used to be close to. Did you not say Nik had struck him? I know not if anything else transpired to make the man feel he would be better off back home or wherever Nik is…” Raising an eyebrow at his sister, he wondered whether ought was amiss in the matters he sometimes was not a keen observer of, such as people’s emotions among others.

“And from my viewpoint, you’ve been handling the matters as well as one could, especially unprepared as you were. I’m proud of you being able to do so, Anya, and I fear I shall need you by my side at least until I know those I’m to lead the negotiations with if a substitution is allowed. An old face aware of the possible troubles is sometimes as important as a fresh one looking at the old perspective.” Pausing to allow his sister to take these words in, he quirked up an eyebrow in question. “May I count on you a little while longer?” A somewhat united front that he had in mind would perhaps restore some of their standing with Demerians, and he hoped Anya would catch on. Lacking in diplomacy or no, he could still use the support of both his sisters, and especially so Anya’s ability to judge the people’s character, which he noted numerous times.


Princess Anastasia Fyodorov

[Princess Anastasia Fyodorov]

Reminding herself that Demetri was always more understanding, forgiving, and thankfully patient than she was, Anastasia didn't argue with the point. He was correct in saying that Nikolai had been under a fair amount of pressure, and that he had not handled it well. For the sake of the peace, she held her tongue on her opinion, merely nodding quietly to his ending of the topic. There was little point to haranguing him about it when Nikolai was nowhere to be found and unlikely to return under his own power.

Glancing to him, she mustered a faint smile in thanks for the comfort he offered. "I cannot say. All I know is that he declared himself free of his duties despite my asking him to stay, and a reminder that Nikolai had given him over to me. So be it, there's nothing more to be done, except to let it go, I suppose." She shrugged again, but the truth was, Sergei's abandonment hurt nearly as much as Nikolai's though Anya strove not to let Demetri see how much it affected her. Some secrets were meant to be kept, as they said.

A quiet scoff, however, greeted his avowal that he needed her. "Demetri, you need no one, and I'll be all too glad to defer to you in the matter of the negotiations. I'll be candid - I want nothing more than to go home, but if you have need of me, then of course I will stay. Where do you wish to begin? Katya's decided to enter the archery tournament later today."

Prince Demetri Fyodorov

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

Unable to resist a look toward his sister, Demetri merely shook his head but desisted saying anything that might not be appreciated right now. “Despite whatever you may think, I am merely human, as are all of us, prone to mistakes and needing people,” he grinned, but gave a nod in agreement to the tournament. “We do have ground to make up, vast one, if I understood your letters and the current conversation aright. Perhaps the tournament will give us some insight on which noble would be the friendlier to approach.”

Pausing there, his eyes lingered on the people passing them as they walked. The lake couldn’t be much further yet, and he got curious once he remembered mention of others. “Treinata and Linten would both be present, would they not? Unless they decided to stay out of Sarkoszy-Demeria politics, we might be able to secure an ally there, as well, though if they are more cautious with whom to side, it will be entirely understandable.” He thought he saw a pair of Linten ships in the harbour but could not be too certain, and a change in conversation seemed like a prudent step – at least until they had a chance at discussing their goals and Katya was present. Discussing anything without the one involved was not something Demetri was fond of doing, if that could be helped, and new alliance, at least the one that would be in works come the end of the Tournament, was among the things to be discussed. If they could gain any ground with the other two countries, Demetri would consider it a success, despite whichever hardship they encountered to date.


Princess Anastasia Fyodorov

[Princess Anastasia Fyodorov]

For his sake, she mustered a small smile. "You've never denied your humanity. If anything, Demi, you're too humble at times. The question we now face is - can you set some of that humility to become the man I believe our father is going to ask you to be?" Anya was nothing if not a realist; there was little to no chance now that Nikolai would become Tsar. That meant the mantle (and the burden) of rulership was about to fall on Demetri's shoulders.

Continuing to walk along with him, she took in his questions and comments quietly, thinking them over. "They're already there, yes. Three Lintenese nobles that are connected in some way, two men and a lady. I've not met them formally, but I've seen them around the court. And a member of the Treniatan royal family is here, one of their Grand Dukes. We might want to make a friend of him as well. He seems a shrewd fellow."

Anastasia looked up at him curiously. "After the tourney, do you suppose it might be a good idea for the three of us to talk? Form a strategy if we can?"

Prince Demetri Fyodorov

[Prince Demetri Fyodorov]

Demetri hummed, deep in thought, as he considered his sister’s question. There was no doubt to what possibility Anya was referring to, and he was not above himself as to consider he was ready for what was coming, especially if such was indeed the case and his father would inform them of changes. “We shall have to wait and see, Anya love, for even I can’t say whether I am ready for such a change and can only judge once I am faced with it,” he said finally, glancing toward his sister. It was something to keep in mind, and perhaps, think about, though he would wait for official word from their parents about it first.

“Indeed, I do wonder how they would be connected to the ongoing fracas. If we could secure their alliance, however, it could be of some benefit to us, given that both Linten and Treinata have opportunities for us to develop further.” That was once the threat of hunger was removed, or at least, resolved to a point. Still in communication with their parents, Demetri was certain that should there be need, their father would arrive himself, and negotiations would be easier to handle. And to that end, he would need all knowledge the three of them possessed, as well as the presence of all alliances, preferably confirmed ones.

To that point, he gave a quiet nod to Anastasia’s words. “Yes, we shall, we have a lot to catch up to. I would keep an eye out for possible allies during the tournament itself, but as tis too late for myself to enter this tournament, I shall watch from the sidelines.” Giving his sister an amused look, he glanced back to the sea. “Hopefully our words will hit as true a target as the arrows of our younger sister tend to do,” he mused, waiting to see what his sister would have to say on the matter. There were several possibilities they could discuss, and Katya’s input would be needed for any matter the two of them might’ve missed. There was, after all, only so much they could do on their own.


Princess Anastasia Fyodorov