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Natahn
Blah blah blah blah. Aristocrats never stop talking, Natahn thought, restlessly shifting in his elaborate chair. He crossed and uncrossed his legs, leaned first on his left elbow, then shifted to the right. Yet the stupid, vapid talking popinjay across the table would not stop talking!
"Enough," he said abruptly, cutting the man off mid-sentence. The man stopped, his eyes widening in surprise at the Prince's rudeness. Natahn waved his hand, absently noting that his nails needed buffing again. He turned his eyes back to the man who had been speaking; surprise had finally turned to outrage; not very bright, the man had begun to sputter.
"I said...Enough!" This time, Natahn's voice brooked no disobedience and the man fell, wisely, silent. "I do not care about this, I do not care about that. The Province of Vuur has broken the last treaty, has insulted us and has defiled our temples for the last time. I will not stand on this 'diplomatic' resolution any longer!"
"But Your Highness," Gerrid began again, but paused rather abruptly as he saw the smouldering anger in the Prince's eyes. He bowed his head in defeat, acknowledging the Prince's authority - at last. "As you wish, Your Highness."
"Good," Natahn said, straightening. "First, after we take Vuur and show them a lesson, we shall give it a new name. When the fires burn down to nothing, there is nothing but ash and cinder." Switching easily to the Ancient Tongue, Natahn smiled simply at the table and the assemebled aristocrats.
"Let Vuur be known for what it is; Let it be known henceforth as Kolen."
The only son of the ruling family of Ijs, Natahn was raised to become King. Educated in every aspect - art, science, medicine, mathematics, war and religion - the Prince took head of the Royal Armies at the age of 17. Tensions were rising between Ijs and Vuur; the Vuurites insulted Ijs and their Goddess, Dyr; desecrated several of Dyr's temples, and finally broke several key treaties. Ijs had taken enough abuse; with his parent's blessings, Natahn led the armies of Ijs and resoundingly defeated Vuur's armies, annexing the entire province. In revenge for their desecration of Dyr's temples, Natahn decreed that the Province of Fire become known as the Province of Cinders.
As the armies of Ijs marched back towards their home province, word reached Natahn that the armies of Aarde had invaded Ijs. Realizing that he was in a key position to cut the army of Aarde in two and capture land of the greedy Aardians, Natahn led his army against the Province of Aarde.
That brought him to Valourdown.