☀️ Arselia and Akonia

Alaria had been familiarizing herself with the list of imperial wives and husbands while sitting next to Erefir. If she was going to write an essay, every available crumb of information was important. Besides, why deny it, she was simply curious to learn more.

Raula
Spouse of Torvik.

"It's even a little surprising that no portraits of Torvik himself have survived anywhere, yet the story turned out differently for his spouse. But those are details; their story itself is very romantic. Essentially, it was the simplest and most loving family, with hardly any ambitions to found one of the greatest empires of the modern age. And they lived simply, even after achieving royal status, never forgetting who they were and where they came from. Their life clearly possessed that warmth and harmony that ruling dynasties are so often deprived of. This is very noticeable in comparison with other descendants. And you can't deny Raula's diligence either, even if her deeds aren't celebrated as actively as her husband's exploits. But that's often the case, alas. Great deeds are frequently the sum of many factors, but how often do songs glorify the heroism of parents who raised a noble child? The talents of the blacksmith who forged the legendary hero's sword? Their friends and loved ones who served as their support? The role of the individual in history is great, but the full scope of that history can only be understood by looking at the conditions that shaped it, the people who surrounded it. Because everything in the world is interconnected, no matter how you look at it. Nothing arises out of thin air; that's just the way it is."

"It would be amusing, of course, to imagine myself as the foundress of some royal dynasty. But I'd rather be a warrior queen, even if I'd have to temper my fervor somewhat after the birth of heirs. On the other hand... though the example of Torvik and Raula warms the heart with the warmth of family love, great hopes were still placed upon their descendants. By fate's will, they found themselves bound by duty to their subjects. Would I want such a thing for my children? Probably not. I would want every path in life to be open before them, whichever one their hearts desire. I would want them to have a sufficient degree of freedom, not to be shackled by the decisions of my own life's path. If they wish, they should have the opportunity for a quiet and peaceful life, as much as that is possible in the chaotic realities of our universe. But it is precisely for that reason that I would want to raise my children to be strong and strong-willed, to teach them my skills. So that they could defend their place in the world. So that they could protect themselves and each other, if I happen not to be there. However, I'm not likely to become a queen or empress anyway, especially since times are a bit different now, and one can have a worthy dynasty without that. What's more, it's not even certain that family happiness is in my cards, given my life's path. But if fate somehow twists in a very tricky way... perhaps then there will be a reason to recall the example of Torvik and Raula, who combined royal duty with domestic comfort."

Meirin
Spouse of Arual.

"In my opinion, no matter what views you hold, you shouldn't mix royal duties with such a calling, otherwise you're not far from Tanarsis. And even in Welveyn, Tanarsian notes still flicker occasionally. One can probably only be glad that His Eminence is currently in charge of all this."

Patricia
Spouse of Lanigiros.

"I can't understand her. Self-improvement together with a loved one, where each pushes the other to strive for new heights, is one of the most romantic things I can imagine. I'm not saying their personal life was bad in itself and that they didn't receive warmth and support from each other, but if such a loafer had latched onto me, we'd hardly have gotten along."

Lidica
Spouse of Delsahid.

"And here is the first confirmed example of what I was discussing a bit earlier. The life of kings and emperors is not very conducive to romance, even if exceptions do occur. I don't know, really, whether Lidica married Delsahid out of love or out of a sense of duty to Margel. But the woman is iron-willed, credit where it's due; she did no less for her kingdom than her husband. Hmm... perhaps, in some ways, she even reminds me of Elrin. I hope that Lidica, too, had loyal friends nearby capable of giving her the support she needed."

Ranos
Spouse of Hatea.

"A person so insignificant that not even his face has been preserved on the pages of history. He had a duty, and he fulfilled that duty, and nothing more was required of him. Some might pity the poor fellow, but for Hatea, this was also a forced step. She would clearly have preferred to avoid it, had such an opportunity existed."

Ixia
Spouse of Floris.

"What a name, my goodness. It reminds me of that distant island country with very strange customs. That's what it was called, wasn't it? Good thing the coincidence is only in terms of the name. But again, an atypical example of warm romantic love, full of harmony, which gave Margel a wise ruler in the person of Sa..." — Alaria frowned, — "... I see. A very interesting coincidence that Ixia's own son married his relative. It makes one think that this simple girl's roots might indeed trace back to my native world. If she had red hair, there wouldn't be any doubt at all."

Arrosa
Spouse and third cousin of Saikam.

"A rather immodest outfit for a royal personage! And that tattoo on her lower abdomen is curious... magical, perhaps? To boost fertility? Though, with those proportions, it's hardly needed. Or maybe she also overindulged in unusual sweets, like the Reim ones, and discovered some other side effect? Well, that's getting into conspiracy theory territory, ha-ha! I wonder if Arrosa is one of the main reasons why curvaceousness is so highly valued in Welveyn? Probably some telepathic mage would answer me 'no, that's just nature.' In any case, whether it's nature or Arrosa, someone like me has no right to complain."

Innocentia
Spouse of Sillion.

"It sounds like someone deliberately tried to erase this person from the pages of history, but the only question remains 'why?'. Is she considered some kind of stain on the empire's history? Hardly, though I can imagine such an argument from some Arsellan inquisitors, if they were behind this. But it could also have been someone else, just as influential, like Sillion himself. But then the same question arises again, since otherwise his wife was, presumably, the most ordinary woman. Except that this passage itself is a lie, which only raises more questions."

Lorencia
Spouse of Flanaravi

"A poor woman, punished by fate for developing her talents and following her own path. Perhaps someone less romantic and freedom-loving than I wouldn't see a particular tragedy in her fate. I wouldn't be surprised if, after the wedding, her creation took on a new, melancholic shade. One must express one's emotions somehow, even in such a veiled form. I hope that at least Lorencia's surroundings were understanding, and that she found some moral support among friends, or even servants. Otherwise, to an outsider, certain malicious tongues could portray her as a villainous temptress who decided to rise above being 'merely' a beauty and a singer."

For some reason, perhaps due to the combination of Lorencia's profession and a recent conversation with Beata, Alaria recalled a certain Tanarsian song. It had no relation, however, to the fate of the captive queen. But it looked quite interesting in the context of the impending conflict with Nephiria, especially considering the worship of Arseidia common there. It had an awful lot of strange intersections.

"It might sound strange in the context of the described fate, but I should finally work on improving my singing skills too. Especially in the context of Beata's plans to make use of my vocal cords."

Welveyn was not married according to Arsellan rules

Raidark was not married according to Arsellan rules

"It's funny, then, that according to these rules, Sillion turns out to have been married to his hypothetical homunculus. If the rumors are true, he really elegantly flipped them the bird, which only makes me respect him even more! But this isn't about him, is it? I'd be interested to read about the paramours of these two gentlemen, at least the most notable ones. And as for not marrying... honestly, I don't see a particular problem with that. They walked their own path, and there's nothing wrong with that. It even evokes a certain amount of respect, considering the reaction this could have caused in society. But it's amusing to observe that Welveyn's descendants, in their struggle for the throne, were outmaneuvered by Raidark, who was so similar to him in many aspects."

Crystallia
Spouse of Sellun.

"I wonder why they chose her specifically? Because of the similarity of their characters, in the hope that the emperor would have an additional distraction in the form of his love interest? Despite the unusual acquaintance, it's a rather sweet story. Perhaps for Crystallia herself, such a serene and comfortable life was an escape from another, less desirable, fate. Well, even if he wasn't much of a monarch, Sellun at least proved to be a worthy husband. Good for him."

Kanade
Spouse of Shinalun.

"Hmm... I recall Erefir once persistently hinted to me that Rinze is capable of sending Reimians to this world. Could it be that Kanade is also my 'countrywoman' from the future? If so, then my approving assessment of Shinalun makes more and more sense, because it turns out he brought Welveyn closer to Reim! Had I read this book earlier, I would surely have lamented again that I was summoned to the wrong era. It would be interesting to talk to this Kanade. But now that I know two 'Reimian women' whom I respect and would like to meet have been summoned here... well, I'm glad I was summoned here and now. I wonder if Ayano and Sonata even know about each other? Both are connected to Naria, just like me. But... my own example is hardly a guarantee that one knows about the other, ha-ha! I will definitely meet them — like the Crydeans, we need to stick together. Perhaps we'll figure out some monument to our home world, in honor of the dear people we left behind there. And I'll definitely make Sonata a semifreddo. And Ayano... hmm... well, I know a couple of Nihon dishes, but wouldn't it be disrespectful for a Tanarsian-Reimian to feed a Nihonka her own national dishes? I'll probably have to ask about that when we meet."

Emerardo
Spouse of Kermaria

"And Julian was also a fair-haired entrepreneur, hmm... true, I'm not Kermaria either. What kind of sweet side could I possibly have, really? None. Had I one, I'd be called Ria, which sounds very wrong... Although Julian might fab... ahem... what was I even thinking about?" — the Tanarsian woman, flustered, re-read the chapter about the empress's spouse, — "Ah, right, any similarities are still superficial anyway. He's hardly the same cunning scoundrel. He doesn't give that impression at all, even if it would make sense given his line of work. And my... person's hair is longer."

Bertali
Spouse of Shen.

"And why, pray tell, did she get married? Couldn't she have taken an example from more competent comrades, in the persons of Raidark and Welveyn? Though, what am I saying, of course she couldn't — we're talking about Shen. She probably married him precisely so she could cheat on the poor fellow. There are such cruel people in the world, alas. The poor man, what else can I say?"

Naer was not married according to Arsellan rules

"Nothing else was expected from Raidark's successor. Although... shouldn't the successor to such an odious figure exceed all expectations? A very complex philosophical question! Jokes aside, I have nothing to add here — I'm not surprised."

Mercia
Spouse of Abeas.

"Sounds like a suitable spouse for someone as volatile as Abeas. Though she could have used a bit more firmness to protect her husband from the mistakes he made."

Zamia
Spouse of Hartrain.

"What's this secret village? Now I really want to go there someday and find this mysterious place. Perhaps when I'm done helping Klin with Crydear's restoration... I'll have to think about it. I suspect our highlander might know or have heard something about it himself. And Zamia and Hartrain's story itself is very sweet and heartfelt. In a way, they and his spouse were like Torvik and Raula, even if their characters are different. One couple founded Welveyn, and the other revived it."