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Muu Alexius to Ren Kouen, His Imperial Highness of the Kou Empire, a humble greeting.
After your highness’s most recent visit to my beloved country of Reim and our following meeting, this one decided to take up the generous offer, from your highness, for communication between this noble one and his highness. This one hopes to hear of your acceptance for further future conference.
As a gift though, please accept this ancient scroll in Tran.
To Ren Kouen, First Imperial Prince of the Kou Empire, from Muu Alexius, principe and son of Claudius Alexius.
Hmmm, I furrow my brows in disappointment. Sighing aloud, I lean onto my right arm and place my face onto my fist. I’m genuinely disappointed that Alexius went from being so confident and straightforward with me in person to acting so reverent and short over letter. As my eyes glance over the scroll once again, I notice the corner starts to turn and separate.
I lean in and bring the edge closer to my face. It seems like Alexius put a secret letter underneath his official version to trick others. A chuckle escapes me, and the disappointment fades away into an unidentifiable feeling. As I gently peel the official letter away and set it aside, a scroll with much more text is revealed underneath.
Muu to Kouen, his highness, this one greets.
I am hoping this letter reaches his highness well, and in secret. I also hope you enjoyed the ingenuity of hiding secret letters. For all of our personal correspondence, should his highness wish to continue, I left the secret formula on how to hide potential letters at the end of this message.
Now then, during our last meeting, we discussed your interest in the Old World of Alma Torran. So, I found this gift for you. While I do not know the contents as I cannot read in Tran, I do hope you enjoy it, my friend. Apologies for not being able to continue writing anymore in this letter. Until the next letter.
To Kouen, my friend, from Muu, son of Claudius.
After the main letter, there is a bit on how to hide the secret letters, but I keep rereading the body of the secret letter Alexius sent me. Another chuckle rises out of me though as I end on his closing sentence.
To Kouen, my friend, from Muu, son of Claudius.
Of course, Alexius threw out propriety and immediately goes to a given name basis and calls me his friend. Hmmm, a friend? How absurd, but...I dare not analyze the feeling anymore.
Shaking my head in incredulity, I reach for my pen and two blank scrolls.
Ren Kouen, First Imperial Prince of Kou Empire, to Lord Muu Alexius, greetings.
This prince greets Young Lord Alexius. In response to your last letter, I am willing to continue correspondence between us both, and I even look forward to it.
This one does inquire about how Young Alexius is faring with the current summer weather, especially as you have mentioned your preference for the summer months due to the activities you prefer to take part in.
In one of our past meetings, I mentioned how, unlike in Reim, my country's people and I do not partake in the act of swimming for pleasure. While in our empire we may not swim for pleasure, we do bathe much like your people do in specific bathing houses with others. It was unfortunate that I was unable to visit any of your public bathhouses, so as to further understand both of our cultures, but I did appreciate the bathing areas supplied by your country during our visit.
Currently in our Empire, the harvesting season is about to start, and we will soon be hosting our harvest celebrations. This one would be very proud to introduce Young Lord Alexius to our raised lantern festival and allow you to enjoy it. This one is sure you would cherish the experience. Should we continue our correspondence, I may invite you to attend in a few years.
In addition, many thanks for the scroll you gifted me. It was an interesting read, even though I have a similar version already. Expect a gift in return in the near future.
I shall end this message here. This one hopes to read a swift response soon.
To Muu Alexius, principe, from Ren Kouen, his royal highness.
I finish reading the message aloud to His Majesty, and he nods in thought.
“Sounds like you both are beginning a long and sustainable correspondence. Keep writing and form an unbending bond, so we may gain an advantage and possible alliance in the future. Find more of these Tran scrolls to gift to his highness as well, he may reward you and further build your bond,” His Majesty speaks up before waving his hand dismissively. “Leave and write a response in a timely manner.”
“Yes, your Majesty,” I bow and leave with the letter in hand.
I walk past plenty of officials in passing as I leave the palace and head towards our main home. I can’t completely process my surroundings with my thoughts whirling about wildly. When I finally reach the confines of the Alexius family’s main home, I finally allow a smile to rise to my face.
Servants greet me as I continue further towards my personal office. I call for the servants to put together some writing supplies before dismissing everyone who accompanied me in and taking a seat at my desk. After ensuring no one is around, I carefully peel back the official letter to reveal the hidden letter from Prince Kouen and begin to read it fondly.
Ren Kouen, your correspondent, to Muu Alexius, many greetings.
This one greets Young Alexius. In accordance with the tone Young Lord Alexius wishes to continue from our initial meetings, this one will seemingly be throwing out propriety as well. This one shouldn’t have expected any less from you.
I greatly appreciated the scroll you sent alongside your previous letter. While I previously mentioned in the official letter that I had a similar copy, it is in fact slightly different in its perspective and speech pattern.
A snort escapes me at Prince Kouen’s cunningness and, in an admirable sense, gumption to have blatantly somewhat lied to anyone who would have possibly read the official letter and not had access to this version. As well as the playful mocking nature of being called Young Lord Alexius by his highenss.
It seems to be an unofficial recount from Alma Torran, and very opinionated. I would be very impressed if you managed to find more of these scrolls in Tran.
Days pass here more tediously as the day goes on. I dare not bore you with the details though.
I wonder how you happen to pass your days by during these months since we last met. I have heard news of you officially having started a Fanalis Corps since our meeting and wish to know more of your future plans. It seems like a gratifying experience to
My brow furrows as I realize that the text seems to have been carefully cut and reattached, but resume reading.
have gained more people with common and different understandings and experiences together. To be blatant, it reminds me of meeting my own siblings.
My father, to be blunt, has had many children with many women. So, over the years I have learned to accept each of them and their differences. My most recently acquired brother is quite violent, but I think you would be able to keep up with him in a spar. I think, should you ever visit our empire, that you would enjoy meeting my family, as I did yours.
To Muu Alexius, my correspondent, from Ren Kouen, a fellow correspondent.
I shake my head fondly at the final address and how Kouen puts some distance between us. Sighing, I lean back and think about what to write. When the idea hits, I lean forward with a smile and begin to write the newest letters to his highness.