(Sent Maecaite 24)
Both Jacob and your gift have reached me.
He means to send a letter of what he knows of you to Etney and her daughter. I have warned him of the dangers of doing so, but he is obstinate. I would intercept it myself, but I am not in a position to do so without compromising my work here.
Do what you will.
From this point onward, our letters will be read by my close allies here. Put on a good show.
-Pistil
(Sent Maecaite 25 Included in Jacob’s letter sent to Etney, which she expected to be intercepted and read by Reynard)
Dear Etney,
If rumors have reached Lagalla by this point, yes they are true. I consumed the Avalon. The book has been effectively destroyed and all the knowledge and power of it is now part of myself, for lack of a better explanation. I am Avalon. I don’t think I’m human anymore.
There isn’t enough parchment to write all the reasons why I did this, but I will do my best to explain the most important ones. I needed to end the cycle of death and bloodshed that has plagued this country from its very inception. Avalon has been the keystone that has allowed the nobility to consider themselves greater than all of us, the Haventrees especially. The information contained within the Avalon will now be able to be access by all people, rather than just those of one bloodline. By doing this I have broken the cycle. There will never be a Gandr nor an Emperor decided by this tome. No descendants of the Haventrees will be able to use this tome to undo the changes. Assuredly they will find something else in time, but this is a powerful weapon that they have been deprived of.
Connor will likely want to end my life when he finds out what I’ve done. It will delay what changes he wishes to make, but I hope in doing so I have spared him from the blades from the magisters should he not cooperate. That and he will have a bigger target to draw their ire should he wish it.
No doubt this will have a number of negative repercussions. If you wish to cut ties with me for the sake of the Sons and Daughters, I understand. But should you still have me I will use what is now at my disposal to aid the Rebellion, and bring forth a new age for Lagalla. I am already in the process of rewriting the knowledge aspects of the book, and I should be done with it by the time I return.
I now have the power to do things with my own two hands. Regardless of what comes, I will use this to do good. I will try to do good.
-Alstroemeria
(Received Drydara 8th)
(This letter is presumably the final letter written BEFORE word that the rebels would be reading his correspondence, and certainly before he learned of Avalon’s fate..)
Pistil,
I am not surprised to hear of Connor’s plans, though I believe he sorely underestimates the scope of Hightower’s influence. He will learn soon enough.
You have done well working towards securing the support, as tenuous or conditional as it might be, of the leadership amongst Zodia, Lagalla, and and the Confederacy. I will continue to leave these matters in their entirety in your capable hands.
This brings me to our next move.
I trust you see the implications of your twin’s presence in Lagalla. Between her, the tome you hold, and Seasil at your back, you could sew chaos amidst the Lagallan faithful - something that we may need.
Overall, the war swings in the Loyalist’s favor, albeit not in a decisive manner. Your return home, doubly so should you wield these weapons, will most certainly serve to redouble morale across the board. You’ve a difficult task ahead of you, to balance the loyalties of a foreign prince, a local one, and the people who follow you, but I trust you will be able to do so. Such doings can be discussed of at a later date, in person.
Undoubtedly, these “Dragonstones,” are items that cannot be allowed to be wielded against us, especially given how potent they would be in the hands of powerful magi, and how effective they would be against them. Secure the stone that belongs to your sister, if you have not done so yet, and any others you can do so safely and bring them to me. If Jacob is as obstinate as I believe him to be, I trust he will attempt to involve himself in your doings. As such, further correspondence will be difficult. I shall adjust appropriately.
When you come home, bring what Dragonstones you can secure and meet me where it began. I need not say that you must come alone. I trust we shall both find the answers we seek there
It will be good to see you again.
~Reynard
(Received Drydara 26th)
Pistil.
To say that I am disappointed in your recent decisions would be a gross understatement. I entrusted Avalon to your care with the belief that you would use it to its fullest potential; not destroy it at the first opportunity.
Without the tome, you have deprived the magistrate of a key component in their plans. You understand that, without the tome, Millicent can indefinitely bar the prince’s attempts to claim authority - which only makes them a greater force to be reckoned with. It is no secret that she is the real power in Lagalla, and you have given her the greatest weapon with which to combat us.
I see now that it was a mistake to entrust you with such responsibilities without proper supervision. By now, you know that Prince Connor has returned, and has already begun to unravel everything that we have begun. Should we find ourselves able to withstand the onslaught of a magistrate unbound by an Emperor for the months before your arrival, we will discuss what you can begin to do to make up for this significant blunder of yours.
I do hope that your excursion to Zodia was relaxing, for the difficulty of our goals has grown threefold in your absence.
Return to Brimrad. We have much to discuss.
~Reynard