The Lion and the Stag

[Syrixia]

Wednesday
Pataliputra, Syrixian Empire

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting was a resounding success. However, the Empire's bimillennial extravaganza was far from over. Next, for the Emperor, were the meetings with delegations from various nations. He was not obliged by any means to hold these meetings, but they were meetings he wanted to hold regardless. He had not chosen who to meet with without reason.

Today was Wednesday, April 17; there were four meetings tomorrow- April 18- and four today. Of those four, the first was perhaps the one he was looking forward to the most. Just as he was a mysterious figure to King Tobias III of Prydania, so was Tobias to him. The Empire had funded the FNU efforts in the Prydanian Civil War, and as an avid student of history he personally knew a fair deal about Tobias' life story. Yet despite this, Rajesh was one of the few prominent world leaders to have not yet met the famous Boy-King of Prydania in person.

Rajesh sat on the Jade Throne thinking on this, while reading a small copy of the Mahabhaglia, when suddenly an aide entered the room. "Your Majesty, King Tobias III of Prydania is here." the aide said, briefly.

"Very well," the Emperor replied, "Open the doors.”

 

[Prydania]

The morning had begun early and, for a change, it was on his terms. Tobias had awoken before they would have come to wake him to prepare for his trip to the Golden Palace. He spent the time reading up on what he knew of the Syrixian Emperor. Which wasn't much, honestly. He'd brought an old text book from his childhood with him, one William had insisted he read as part of his studies. It was a world studies book that included an entire section on Syrxia, though it was published before Rajesh III's ascension to the Jade Throne.
Still, he found it more informative than the files his foreign ministry had prepared for him. They told him as much about Rajesh as you could gather if you just paid attention to news coming out of Syrixia.

So he read from an old, worn, out of date textbook, detailing Syrixian history and the general structure of the Empire's government. Stuff he'd read before of course, but it was a helpful refresher. And sitting in an old chair in the corner of his bedroom in the embassy, the sounds of the Imperial capital's busy streets outside, he began to get an appreciation for the city. It's noise was almost rhythmic in the early morning. The sounds of buses and cars ushered in the sounds of the street in the early dawn as he read.

The King lost his sense of time as he read, sinking into the chair contently. Then came a knock.
"Come in" Tobias replied, not looking up.

"Your Majesty" Bjarne Dall, Prydania's ambassador to Syrixia, said as he opened the door.
"A pleasant surprise to see you up."

"Have stories of my tendency to sleep in reached Pataliputra?" he asked with a slight smile.

Dall just chuckled, a bit nervously.
"I was merely informed to wake you early if you needed the extra time, Your Majesty. I see you've beat me to it though."

"What can I say? I slept well. The sounds of the city's nightlife were surprisingly comforting."

"And which uniform should I have prepared for you, for your audience with Emperor Rajesh?"

Tobias closed his book, setting it aside on a small table next to the chair.
"The red one, with the oaken pipes" he said as he stood.

"I'll have it set out Your Majesty."

"Thank you" he said to the Ambassador, who replied with a slight bow before leaving.
Tobias stretched before making his way into the bathroom, preparing a shower. The water was warm and comforting and he appreciated having woken up early. It allowed him a few moments to relax under the water before stepping out in his bathrobe, only to see his uniform laid out before him. He ran a hand over the embroidery.
The striking blacks and golds against reds. The small bunches of oak wood pipes strung together with fabric adorning the breasts. The golden aiguillette on the right side...and a gold stag on each side of the black collar. An outfit that mixed the eras of Prydania. He felt his nerves bunch up again before he began to dress.

---

The drive to the Golden Palace was interesting. The city outside, at ground level, seemed so bright. How we was going to great Rajesh kept poking its way into his mind, however. He was an Emperor. He outranked him, technically. Still, he wouldn't bow. He was sure of that. Whatever else you could say, they were equal as sovereigns. And he wouldn't subordinate Prydania like that. He hadn't bowed to Alexander or Marten either.

The gold of the Golden Palace was truly remarkable. It was perhaps the grandest building he'd ever seen, looking up as he stepped out of the limousine, squinting at the glare before making his way inside. He made pleasantries with the aides and Sentinels before being escorted to the throne room, his eyes wandering at the Palace's interior and how it all seemed to vivid compared to the mostly muted tones of Absalonhöll. He took his time to appreciate his surroundings before they arrived at the door to the throne room.

"His Majesty the Emperor will see you now" the aide said to him.

"Thank you" Tobias nodded, entering the throne room, and seeing Rajesh seated upon the Jade Throne. The throne itself was attention-grabbing as the green danced under the light, but it was the man in it he'd come to see.

 

[Syrixia]

"Meet this transient world with neither grasping nor fear, trust the unfolding of life, and you will achieve true serenity!"

These were the words, recorded in the Mahabhaglia, of Lord Rudra to Yudharashtra the Great, King of Angad, the night before he went into battle against Vishwadhana, King of Haryanka. The great god told the king in a dream that he must do his duty and not disobey the flow of life. Of course, Rajesh knew that the dream-vision was really the doing of Prajapati- indeed, later versions made it out to be just such- but the Emperor always had a fascination with the study of ancient mythology and the old gods and had personally asked for one of the older editions.

The Emperor had also applied these words to politics. His view was not one of ideology like that of his father; his was metamorphic, pragmatic, and staunchly neorealist. When adherence to a norm or tradition was a liability, he ignored it. When political circumstances whether near or far presented an opportunity for his empire, he took it. And if Congress dared to assert any sort of right that would challenge his influence? He made sure they knew upon whose shoulders the foundations of that legislature and of the state as a whole sat.

Indeed, meeting the Boy-King of Prydania was not just a personal curiosity to him. Like King Yudharashtra nearly three thousand years ago, it was his time to do his duty; his duty to himself and to his empire. Tobias presented an opportunity, and a mutual one at that- if all went according to plan the boy would receive a new personal friend amongst the monarchs of the Crowned Lands whilst he would, in turn, receive greater influence on him by way of that personal contact. Alternatively, he could emphasize relations with Norsia, or perhaps both. But whatever the case, this meeting would be the first step for Rajesh to, slowly but surely, achieve his ultimate goal when it came to Prydania- the Golden Lion seiz- no, that wouldn't do- delivering the Stag from the talons of the Striped Lion.

The Emperor looked up from his book and put it on one of the arms of the Jade Throne. "Your Majesty!" he said cheerfully. "Welcome to the Golden Palace!"

Tradition dictated that visitors, whether they would bow or not, would stand before the Jade Throne during an audience. Rajesh was not a man of tradition, and he would say so. He wanted to make it clear to Tobias that the stone-cold attitudes of most audiences would not be present here. He nodded towards the corner of the room and an aide, standing there with an exquisite chair for the King, delivered it to Tobias.

"Tradition dictates that visitors stand before the Jade Throne during an audience." the Emperor said, before pausing briefly, and then smiling cordially. "I am not a man of blind tradition. We are both sovereigns here. In that respect I believe we can speak candidly."

"Your Majesty, I am a student of history. I have been my whole life. That's part of why I invited you here." he continued. "Your story is simply remarkable. I don't want to bring anything up you may find troubling, but I think we can agree that you've been through many hardships. And yet, Your Majesty, despite this? You sit here triumphant. You, for the past two years, have stood and no doubt will continue to stand as a living example of the ultimate triumph of freedom and sanity over reckless hate. Nations united around you- Goyanes, Andrenne, and Dax all sent military aid to help your cause, and we ourselves sent financial and humanitarian aid. And so have your people."

"I thought, after two years, it was about time I finally met the Lord Uniter in person." the Emperor said with a chuckle.

 

[Prydania]

"Seventeen years is a long time" Tobias thought as he sat and listened to Rajesh reference his past. He smiled politely as he tried to not think much about that. Instead he thought back to Max Hveiti, head of the ÖSU. He knew little about him, only that he worked in black ops during the Civil War. He'd only met him once- just before departing for this trip. And he was a character. Unkempt brown hair, inquisitive grey eyes, a beard that was perhaps a bit out of control, and a preference for Skandan-style shirts under his sports jacket.

"The Syrixians are chess players, Your Majesty" he'd told him.
"They're a lot like our Malorian friends in that regard, and so they tend to view each other suspiciously. Each one assumes the other wants the worst for the other, because they're on some level planning for that contingency."

Tobias had asked if this meant that he should be weary of Rajesh, but Hveiti's response had taken him by surprise.
"No, it's good to be courted" he'd said.
"It gives all of us options."

He also recalled what he'd read about Rajesh on the plane over. That he used to be a university professor. That was itself both impressive and intimidating. His own education had been rather...informal. Still, he could see it. The way he talked. He seemed authoritative yet approachable. A bit of a paradox given what he knew about the traditions surrounding the Syrixian Empire and how unapproachable the individual was. Here though, with those restrictions loosened? Tobias could see how affable the Emperor was. And then Rajesh said it.

It was about time I finally met the Lord Uniter in person.

Tobias couldn't help but smile.
"I've kind of grown numb to my titles being repeated so often" he said grinning, "but a good friend of mine is keen to remind me that I may be the first Prydanian monarch in nearly a thousand years to actually come close to earning the title 'Lord Uniter.' I'm not sure I agree with him, but thank you, Your Majesty. It's an honour to meet you, and to be here in one of the world's grandest cities. It's humbling, but in an inspiring way."

 

[Syrixia]

"In the Empire, we never had feudalism." the Emperor promptly, yet cordially, responded. "But, we still had titles; many titles. Titles exist to denote meaning, Your Majesty. That is universal; something that transcends cultures, whether your culture prefers one title with many meanings like mine, or a list of unique titles. A ruler must be proud of their titles, because it makes them who they are."

"You, Your Majesty, in my humble opinion, have definitely earned yours, especially the one which proclaims you as the man that brought your country together. The world watched as the people in the street began to muddle in their singing. The song was not merely over, though. You were there, in the midst of it all. I have no doubt you remember the words. The Emperor paused briefly, trying to remember the words.

"For the King to Valhalla, 'O Valley of Plenty, 'O Valley of Plenty."

"Your Majesty, the song was changing; it changed from an ode to the nation you united to an ode to you. To your deeds. That is why you hold that title. I would say it is the title which holds immense meaning amongst those you possess, second, of course, to the kingship itself."

"That is another reason why I wanted to meet you. We inspire each other. You are inspired by the grandeur of this city of two thousand years, second to none, of which I am immensely proud, for it is the legacy of my ancestors; and I by the story of a man who lived through the exact opposite of all of that, but said, 'we will overcome', and, together with his people, did so. I believe there is and can be more to our relationship than meets the eye. There is much we share, more than there seems to be."

"I am reminded, Your Majesty, of an ancient tale, that of a man whom our chroniclers called Yarnavana. He was a mysterious man; a visitor from a foreign land, his original name is lost to time, and he was, though most likely false, a man without age. An immortal man, if you will. The accounts, though they vary, generally tell that he had white skin, and hair only slightly darker than your own. They say he held great wisdom, but also a deep sadness that he took great care to hide."

"Yarnavana came to the Empire during the reign of my ancestor Kunthunatha, and rose almost inexplicably through the court. He warned Kunthunatha of a coming storm. But, of course, Kunthunatha 'the Blind' was just that, as well as a sickly old man. There was nothing he could do. And so he died; and when he did the Great Crisis began. The Empire split into many pieces governed by opportunistic generals, courtiers, and other such people, but my family maintained control of this city, because Yarnavana took charge of its defense."

"He led the defense of the city for many years, so the chronicles say, outliving officer after officer and appearing none the older. After Prince Bhupranatha finally reunified the Empire, ending the crisis, Yarnavana crowned him; a unique honor. Then, he disappeared, and the chronicles say, Your Majesty, that he ventured to a land of gray skies and endless forests, where he spent the rest of his days. We don't know where he is now, if he was even real, but that land is almost certainly Prydania."

"I mention this story not just because small links like that may or may not exist. I mention Yarnavana's story because said links represent potential. There is potential for Prydania's relationship with the Empire to grow stronger and shine brighter, now that Syndicalist tyranny has been thrown off. That is something both I and my Government steadfastly wish to pursue."

"That, in turn, is yet another reason why I wanted to meet you. We are both sovereigns here, as I said, and for countries to form a bond of friendship, their sovereigns must lead the charge."

 

[Prydania]

Tobias was shocked Rajesh knew the words to For the King, to Valhalla and added the bit that always stuck in his head.
"At our edge of the world, fight the Syndie horde, that bashes and breaks you and brings you to mourn..." he said, somewhat softly though definitely above a whisper.
"That's my favourite part. It's one of the few parts of the song that doesn't talk to me. It's supposed to be a call to action. Fight the enemies of the people. Rise up...people always told me that I inspired this or that. William was the political leader of the rebellion, Stig led the warfront, but people gave their lives for me" he paused and looked back to Rajesh. He remembered back to what Max Hveiti had told him in preparation for this meeting.

"It would be wrong say the Syrixians worship their emperor. That being said, they revere him. In many ways beyond how other nations revere their heads of state."

"It's something I haven't quite managed to grapple with" he said looking to Rajesh. Surely he must know what that's like. Surely the Emperor of all of Syrxia and beyond...surely he'd understand.
"But I like that part of the song. It says it wasn't just me because it wasn't. Do you know who wrote it?" he asked. "The song...it was a man named Knud Buch. I met him in Markarfljot, during the war. His daughter died in a Syndicalist artillery strike. After losing his wife to our cause too..." he paused.
"He didn't waver. He wrote that song" the King said softly.

He listened to Rajesh's story. "Yarnavana" immediately caught his attention. It sounded a lot like "Yyornelvan," who was said to have been the herald of Jägdar who bestowed Jægerblað to Æschere Loðbróki back in ancient Andrenne. Tobias became more interested as the Emperor's story continued though. And what once only appeared to be a similar name now seemed to have a deeper meaning. He listened as Rajesh described a man who never aged. Yarnavana...Yyornelvan...could it be that they were based on the same mythical figure? Some connection deep in the past that linked two seemingly disparate cultures? But then...

"...he ventured to a land of gray skies and endless forests, where he spent the rest of his days. We don't know where he is now, if he was even real, but that land is almost certainly Prydania."

Yyornelvan...there had never been any mention of Yyornelvan in Prydania. Legends held that he had come to Tobias' distant ancestor back when his people were still with their brethren in Andrenne. And wouldn't leave for at least a thousand years...Yyornelvan was a mysterious figure from Prydania's ancient past, long before there even was a Prydania. And now...a land of endless forests and grey skies...a man who never aged. Tobias thought back. He was only twelve at the time, that afternoon fishing on Kings' Lake...

"My name's Jörn."
"Mine's Toby."

He thought back to when Jörn gave him Jægerblað...just like Yyornelvan gave it to Æschere...and he never aged. Tobias had never realized it. He'd been a kid when he met him, and like all children he'd carried an idealized version of the world in his head. Everyone was as they were, and it was never any different, even though he knew that wasn't true. A child always has a crystallized image of those that are important to them in their minds that they carry into adulthood. But William...William had aged. Axle had aged. So had Caleb, and Toke. But Jörn...he had last seen him the day of his coronation...only two years ago but he still looked like he did back in 2007...

All of this flashed through his head in a moment as Rajesh finished his story. Should he say what had just shot across his mind like lightning, what Rajesh had unintentionally made him realize? Or at least consider?
"No" he thought, "no..." he wouldn't say anything to anyone. Not until he could speak with Jörn again. He thought for a moment...
"A friendship" he said with a slight nod, "
"The aid provided during the Civil War was generous" he said in a soft-spoken way, "but between the two of us?" Tobias chuckled for a moment. He leaned forward. Not much, just enough that Rajesh could tell he was doing so.
"I've never met a Professor before. And I'm very glad I've met one now. If you wouldn't mind, Your Majesty, I'd love to hear about some of your past in the classroom. I think I would have liked archaeology, had I been afforded the opportunity to attend school" he said with grin.