《For Queen and Country [An Interactive Novel]》Week 1 Part 3
Advertisement
Mother’s Legacy
A Proof of Wisdom
This proof has been the most difficult for me considering I had to contract Mother’s vast list of accomplishments. I’d like to thank the royal historian, Edworth, for providing me with his own list of gathered anecdotes he thinks future generations will look to when remembering Mother. Reviewing his list helped give me confidence in my own selections for this proof.
Prodigy Child
Before she had reached fifteen years of age, Elaine was already helping the Duke of Corm strategize against Multis. The two of them were able to end the most recent war with Multis before her coronation.
Master Archer
For the three years leading up to her coronation, Elaine won every archery contest for young adults in which she participated.
The Millenium Queen
Elaine’s coronation was postponed from her fifteenth birthday until shortly after her eighteenth birthday. This was done to align her crowning with the 1000th anniversary of Vallis’s founding. Her coronation marked the end of the Vallisian Dark Age.
Friend of Oremaris
Rededicating Vallis to the Unified Pact, Elaine reestablished historical trade agreements and alliances with Oremaris.
Benefactor of Nordenheim
Elaine had the foresight to see the value in supporting the burgeoning Kingdom of Nordenheim. Aiding Nordenheim in maintaining a firm grasp over its territories, she was able to establish favorable trade agreements for precious metals.
The Reformer
After her coronation, Elaine relieved the nobility from their antiquated military duties. While she allowed most to keep their lands, their governing powers were stripped from them. Free movement was established for all citizens and tenants of nobles’ lands who had suffered poor conditions were offered work in cities and other territories. As retribution for past misdeeds, some nobles even had their now private lands stripped from them. Her last major reform was giving up the crown’s ability to impose taxes and bestowing it upon Parliament.
Advertisement
Lover of a Common Man
Before their marriage, Elaine’s King Consort, Lawrence, had been managing a trading company from a young age. It is said of their first meeting that Elaine was deeply impressed by his competence. As he was born a commoner, their union further closed the gap between the nobility and the common folk.
Patron of Knowledge
During Elaine’s time, many advancements in agriculture and medicine were made on the back of her funding.
Mother of Vallis
Elaine created a kingdom wide orphanage system which replaced and reformed local orphanages. Every time she visited a territory she would visit its orphanages.
The Sun Queen
This “accomplishment” is only listed among the others as it is likely to be remembered by future generations, despite it’s lacking factuality.
Elaine was crowned on the Founding Day in winter, yet on that day the sun shone like summer. Since then, the lands of the valley have been graced by an abnormal amount of sunny days. It is speculated that her rule has had the most sun-filled days out of any in Vallisian history. Our subjects thought so favorably of her that many of them claimed that Elaine was the cause of this phenomenon.
In Consequence...
Diane has become interested in writing a proof about the Vallisian Dark Age. She is also interested in writing proofs about Oremaris and Nordenheim.
Lucille's Letter
With the work of the week finished, it was time to review the letters Eliza had finished sorting. As to be expected, Eliza’s work was fantastic. She delivered to me only the letters worthy of a direct response and marked only the sections I need read for context. For the rest of the letters, she made template responses for the other staff to copy and the letters that ought to be ignored were disposed of by her. Just thinking about having an employee so competent makes me feel relaxed.
Advertisement
Having said that, after she had done all of this meticulous work sorting these letters, you can imagine my surprise when I found such an out of place letter in the stack she delivered to me. It was a letter from Lady Lucille, a baronetess and owner of the capital’s most prominent theaters. I’ve never been to one of her theaters, but her troupe has performed in the palace from time to time when guests were present. Mother didn’t want me seen by the public until my debut, so she had me dressed as a maid and sitting with the staff during the performances.
You could tell that she was an expert playwright from her letter. From the way she waxed on about the loss of my mother, it felt as though I should be the one giving condolences. It wasn’t until this act was over that her true intentions were revealed. As eager for my favor as the rest, she invited me to her theater so we could share in our grief.
Honestly, if it was another maid who’d given me this letter, I wouldn’t have been surprised, but Eliza wasn’t sentimental enough for such an error. “Eliza,” I said when I saw her next. “Did you give me this letter by mistake?”
“May I see it?” She asked. I handed her the letter and she took a quick glance over it. “I’ve made no mistake, Your Highness. Lady Lucille is a prominent figure in high society.”
I wondered if that meant much anymore. Though Mother has maintained good relations with the new aristocracy, they had none of the direct political power of the old. Outside of formal events, I didn’t feel much need to associate with that lot.
“There is merit in responding to her.” Eliza said.
“Very well.” As long as Eliza could explain her reasoning it was fine. In the end, the decision of whether or not to respond was mine to make.
Advertisement
Cybernetic Dragon
Idea Seven, or Inter Dimensional Explorer Automaton Unit-7, has had a bit of an accident. Hijacking the egg of a dragon rather than its intended target of a bird egg, it isn't fully in control of its host brain. Rather the two, dragon and cybernetic AI interface, must work together to survive in a hostile world of magic, dungeons, beasts and adventurers. The AI must deal with being a machine from a world of science trying to carry out its mission of exploration, while the dragon, Rex, must deal with being a cyborg living with symbiotic nanotech that sets him apart from other dragons. What adventures await them? Author Note: I tagged this story GameLit because it contains concepts like levels, classes, and dungeon/beast cores. But, it isn't tagged LitRPG because no one has status screens, other than occasionally Idea Seven who likes to organize data into blue boxes. It isn't a natural function of the world to display level ups or skill ups with an announcer voice. I mention this to set expectations, because otherwise I feel like LitRPG fans might be disappointed by my lack of LitRPG elements while others might be turned off thinking I have a lot of LitRPG elements. I think that if you approach the story with an open mind you will appreciate the gradual way in which the main character learns and expands his understanding of how the world works, but the game mechanics aren't meant to take center stage to the actual story.
8 402All I Need is Power
Kira, in her previous life, was a fan of reading adventure and fantasy books. Never in her wildest dreams could she have thought she would be reborn in a time where monarchy exists, along with dragons and magic.
8 171Ascendant: Online | Book Two | Crash Through
Ascendant: Online isn't just a game. For Antonious King, it's his life, literally. His soul torn from its body and flung fifteen hundred years into a bleak future for mankind into an augmented body made in his image, but not his own... Tony is one of three hundred humans in the Ascendant Program. One of three hundred humans left. After being confronted by The Archon, Tony finds himself back on Arach to make things right with Jorogu and drive back the Padinus Swarm, but is captured and forced to entertain through gladiatorial combat. In the face of waning powers Tony must take drastic measures to escape the grasp of the Padinus Queen, Serketzi, to fulfill the Oath sworn to avenge mankind before all of his powers are stripped away. Meet your enemies head-on and Crash Through in Ascendant: Online!
8 129I am the Night
Wayne Bruce is an average guy with a boring life as a low-level employee at a nationwide chain of bookstores who wishes for a life of adventure. On his way to see a movie at a theater downtown, he walks into a crime scene just as a couple is being mugged and shot at. He never thought he would be the kind of man to do it, but he jumps in front of the couple taking a bullet meant for them. As everything fades to black he hears the EMTs arriving and the couple describing what had happened to a police officer. When next he wakes everyone is calling him Bruce. Bruce Wayne. The Batman.
8 205Thorin's Bride
8 188Anything for you (Obsessive bf x F reader)
He's obsessed with you, that's what you want right?⚠️ Not my cover , just for representation
8 139