Epilogue: Nessantico
A NOTHER KRALJIKI SAT on the Sun Throne, bathed in its golden light-yet another relative of the great Kraljica Marguerite. The Holdings were unified once again, with the new Kraljiki also holding the title of Hirzg of Firenzcia. A new Archigos sat on the throne in the Archigos’ Temple, where Archigi had sat for centuries, but this was an altered Faith and a weakened Faith, and many who walked Nessantico’s streets were no longer believers.
In the far west, across the Strettosei, there was a new Tecuhtli, with a young Nahual beside him.
A child who had become a powerful young man had become little more than a child again. And the White Stone had vanished once more, perhaps to return or perhaps gone to oblivion entirely.
Nessantico-the city, the woman-didn’t care. Such movements didn’t trouble her. The story was not done. There would be more strife, more conflicts. Thrones would pass. Victory and defeat, the rival twins of war, would contend against each other with new players.
She didn’t care. The story was not done because the story never ends. It could not.
The people moving in her streets had been born and would die to be replaced by others. The Sun Throne would feel the weight of dozens of future Kralji yet unborn, and they would be good leaders or bad, but in time they would all-no matter how good, no matter how bad-eventually pass from the long, endless tale.
But she never would. She had been in the tale from the beginning. The tale was hers, and it would not end until she ended, and she…
She was deathless.
Her fortunes had risen again. From a shattered kingdom, a new and stronger one would arise. The face that the A’Sele reflected back to her would change. Perhaps even one day the line of the Kralji itself would vanish. Perhaps.
But not her. Never her.
She would continue. Nessantico would stride into that long future: living, breathing, eternal, the central character of the land’s story. Her face would be rewritten, her old lines stripped away to be replaced by new ones. She would age; she would be renewed, again and again.
The tale would not end.
That tale could not end until she herself was gone.
And that, she told herself, could never happen.
APPENDICES
(alphabetical order by rank, then family name):
Varina ca’Pallo [Vah-REE-nah Kah-PAHL-low] A’Morce (Head) of the Numetodo, and member of the Council of Ca‘. Wife of Karl ca’Pallo.
Sergei ca’Rudka [SARE-zhay Kah-ROOD-kah] Advisor to Allesandra and Ambassador to Frirenzcia.
Allesandra ca’Vorl [Ahl-ah-SAHN-drah Kah-VOORL] Kraljica of Nessantico; Jan ca’Ostheim’s matarh.
Brie ca’Ostheim [Bree Kah-OHST-hime] Jan’s wife and Hirzgin of Firenzcia
Jan ca’Ostheim [Yahn Kah-OHST-hime] (nee ca’Vorl) Hirzg of Firenzcia, son of Allesandra.
Nico Morel [NEE-koh Mohr-ELL] A former teni, now defrocked and the charismatic leader of a fundamentalist movement.
Rochelle Botelli [Row-SHELL Bott-TAHL-lee] The half-sister of Nico Morel, operating as the “White Stone,” an assassin-for-hire.
Niente [Nee-EHN-tay] The Nahual (chief spellcaster) of the Westlanders.
(alphabetical order by rank, then family name):
The Ca’:
Karrol ca’Asano [CARE-ohl Kah-ahh-SAH-noh] The Archigos in Brezno.
Valerie ca’Beranger [VALL-err-ee Kah-BEHR-enn-jer] The A’Teni of Prajnoli.
Audric ca’Dakwi [AHD-ric Kah-DAWK-whee] Kraljiki from 544-548.
Simon ca’Dakwi [See-MOHN Kah-DAWK-whee] member of the Council of Ca’.
Armen ca’Damont [AHR-mehn Kah-DAH-mon] Starkkapitan of the Firenzcian Garde Civile.
Anais ca’Gerodi [Ahn-ahh-EES Kah-ger-OH-dee] Member of the Council of Ca’.
Edouard ca’Matin [EDD-ooh-ard Kah-Mah-TEEN] Member of the Council of Ca’
Karl ca’Pallo [Karhl K- PAHL-low] (nee ca’Vliomani) A’morce, head of the Numetodo in Nessantico; husband of Varina.
Caelor ca’Ostheim [KAY-lohr Kah-OHST-hime] Third child (son) of Jan and Brie, age 8.
Elissa ca’Ostheim [Eh-LISS-ah Kah-OHST-hime] Jan and Brie’s firstborn, a daughter, now 11.
Eria ca’Ostheim [EHR-ree-ah Kah-OHST-hime] Youngest child and daughter of Jan and Brie, age 3.
Jan ca’Ostheim [Yahn Kah-OHST-hime] Second child (son) of Jan and Brie, age 9. He is usually referred to as “Kriege” rather than Jan.
Soleil ca’Paim [Soh-LAY Kah-PAYM] A’Teni of Nessantico.
Jager ca’Schisler [YAY-ger Kah-SIS-lehr] Ambassador of the Coalition to the Holdings in Nessantico.
Ana ca’Seranta [AHN-ah Kah-sir-AHN-tah] Former Archigos of Nessantico
Henri ca’Sibelli [AHN-ree Kah-Sah-BEHL-lee] Member of the Council of Ca’.
Eleric ca’Talin [EHL-eh-ric Kah-TAHL-inn] Commandant of the Garde Civile in Nessantico.
Erik ca’Vikej [AIR-ick Kah-VEE-kahg] Claimant to the throne of West Magyaria, and suitor to Allesandra.
Stor ca’Vikej [STOHR Kah-VEE-kahg] Vatarh of Erik and self-proclaimed Gyula of West Magyaria, killed in the War of Union (561-562).
The Cu’:
Eris cu’Bloch [AIR-ess Koo-BLOCK] Commandant of the Garde Brezno.
Cu’Brunelli [Koo-Broon-ELL-ee] A famous architect in the Holdings, responsible for the design of the great dome of the Old Temple.
Talo cu’Ingres [TAH-low Koo-AHNG] Commandant of the Garde Kralji in Nessantico.
Josef cu’Kella [YOH-seff Koo-KEHL-lah] An ambitious businessman in Brezno who hires the White Stone.
Mavel cu’Kella [Mah-vehl-ah Koo-KEHL-lah] Daughter of Josef cu’Kella, mistress of Hirzg Jan.
Colin cu’Mullin [KOHL-inn Koo-MUHL-linn] Son of Karl ca’Pallo (nee ca’Vliomani), living on the Isle of Paeti.
Armond cu’Weller [ARRH-mohnd Koo-WEHL-lerr] A chevaritt and a’offizier in the Firenzcian Garde Civile.
The Ci’:
Aaros ci’Bella [AHR-roos Kee-BEHL-lah] A suspected spy held in the Bastida.
Sinclair ci’Braun [Sin-CLAHR Kee-BRAWN] A goltschlager (maker of gold foil) in Brezno.
Rance ci’Lawli [Rahns Kee-LAWH-lee] Chief secretary and aide for Hirzg Jan in Brezno.
Talbot ci’Noel [TAHL-bott Kee-no-ELL] Allesandra’s chief aide.
Edouard ci’Recroix [EDD-ward Kee-reh-KROI] A famous artist.
Pierre ci’Santiago [Pee-AIR Kee-Sahn-tee-AHH-goh] An a’offizier in the Garde Kralji.
Paulus ci’Simone [PAHL-us Kee-See-MOHN] Rance ci’Lawli’s assistant.
Timos ci’Stani [TEE-mohs Kee-STAH-nee] A war-teni and Morelli sympathizer.
The Ce’:
Johannes ce’Agrippa [Yoh-HAHN-ess Keh-Ahh-GREEP-ahh] A Numetodo magician.
Ancel ce’Breton [ANN-cehl Keh-Breh-TAHN] A follower of Nico Morel.
