And now heading towards an even more complete AU.
It's all like a huge, elaborate joke. If only the punchline were funny instead of so damn pathetic.
Natsuki Kruger thought as she sipped her tea and looked out over the skyscape of Windbloom's capitol. What was left of Windbloom.
The rest of it had been ... 'liberated', supposedly.
Nagi dai Artai, Grand Duke of Artai, had gone and announced that the newly crowned Queen wasn't the rightful successor - that she'd been an impostor all along, ever since that night years ago when 'forces unknown' had attacked the Castle that was home to Windbloom's Royal Family and slain all of them, save one - the infant daughter.
Then he'd gone on to proclaim that he'd found the rightful Queen.
That course of events in and of itself would have merely been more politicking, not something Garderobe ever got too involved in outside of acting as mediators.
When Nina Wong ... or, should that have been, the contesting Mashiro blan de Windbloom, who'd been slated as a candidate for Garderobe before the 'revelation' the Grand Duke had so skillfully pulled off, was murdered, things became far more complicated.
It's always disconcerting, seeing yourself on video feed.
Especially when you know it's not you.
For instance, Natsuki Kruger was damn sure she'd not left Windbloom in a while, and hadn't visited Artai in years. Close to a decade, actually.
And she was also certain that she hadn't shot a black haired girl in the back from point blank range recently either. As in, ever.
There was something horrifyingly fascinating for her in that recording. Sort of like watching a train wreck.
Of course, Windbloom stood firm in its belief in Garderobe ... or so she'd have liked to believe, if it weren't for a nagging little voice in the back of her mind telling her some of the nobles were also quite happy with the pretender being eliminated.
After all, the current Queen was much to their liking.
Easily manipulated.
Aries, long standing allies of Windbloom ... well, relatively long standing, at least ... remained with them.
Which was when Artai and Cardair had declared war.
A bloody, ugly, no-holds-barred war. One they were losing. Because, while Garderobe Otome fought alongside Windbloom and Aries forces, the enemy matched them not with quality, but with quantity.
Of Slaves. Among other, even more unexpected, forces.
-Griever
ETA: nothing to see here.
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm
It's all like a huge, elaborate joke. If only the punchline were funny instead of so damn pathetic.
Natsuki Kruger thought as she sipped her tea and looked out over the skyscape of Windbloom's capitol. What was left of Windbloom.
The rest of it had been ... 'liberated', supposedly.
Nagi dai Artai, Grand Duke of Artai, had gone and announced that the newly crowned Queen wasn't the rightful successor - that she'd been an impostor all along, ever since that night years ago when 'forces unknown' had attacked the Castle that was home to Windbloom's Royal Family and slain all of them, save one - the infant daughter.
Then he'd gone on to proclaim that he'd found the rightful Queen.
That course of events in and of itself would have merely been more politicking, not something Garderobe ever got too involved in outside of acting as mediators.
When Nina Wong ... or, should that have been, the contesting Mashiro blan de Windbloom, who'd been slated as a candidate for Garderobe before the 'revelation' the Grand Duke had so skillfully pulled off, was murdered, things became far more complicated.
It's always disconcerting, seeing yourself on video feed.
Especially when you know it's not you.
For instance, Natsuki Kruger was damn sure she'd not left Windbloom in a while, and hadn't visited Artai in years. Close to a decade, actually.
And she was also certain that she hadn't shot a black haired girl in the back from point blank range recently either. As in, ever.
There was something horrifyingly fascinating for her in that recording. Sort of like watching a train wreck.
Of course, Windbloom stood firm in its belief in Garderobe ... or so she'd have liked to believe, if it weren't for a nagging little voice in the back of her mind telling her some of the nobles were also quite happy with the pretender being eliminated.
After all, the current Queen was much to their liking.
Easily manipulated.
Aries, long standing allies of Windbloom ... well, relatively long standing, at least ... remained with them.
Which was when Artai and Cardair had declared war.
A bloody, ugly, no-holds-barred war. One they were losing. Because, while Garderobe Otome fought alongside Windbloom and Aries forces, the enemy matched them not with quality, but with quantity.
Of Slaves. Among other, even more unexpected, forces.
-Griever
ETA: nothing to see here.
When tact is required, use brute force. When force is required, use greater force.
When the greatest force is required, use your head. Surprise is everything. - The Book of Cataclysm