Azur Lane: Kaiserin (Book 1)

Ch48: A Tale of Two Women (Pt.1)

Me: So tell me, what do you think of this war?

Elizabeth: What do you mean?

Me: Well, you attacked us but haven't really achieved much whilst suffering losses which could have been avoided had the status quo been maintained.

She's silent but I don't make any attempt to continue speaking. Instead, I lead us towards the nearby beach where we find some civilians enjoying the good weather. Seeing them puts a smile on my face. It's almost as though the nation isn't at war and they themselves hadn't been under threat mere hours prior.

Elizabeth: The war is necessary.

Me: Is it?

Elizabeth: It is. Your nation must be stopped.

Me: Why?

Elizabeth: You know why.

Me: On the contrary. Even with all the admittedly terrible things my nation has done, these were all within our own nation and did not concern you or your people whatsoever.

Elizabeth: That's-

Me: How would you feel if we had attacked you over choosing to put KANSEN in charge? Would we have been justified?

Elizabeth: They are not the same.

Me: Both are cases of militarily intervening in another nation's internal affairs, aren't they?

She goes silent once more and I take the time to sit us down on a bench under the shade of a nearby tree overlooking the beach. Beneath our feet, the sand is warm to the touch as we both remove our shoes and simply relax. I can tell she's deep in thought so I refrain from speaking but it isn't long before she replies.

Elizabeth: What would you have done had you been in our position?

Me: That depends on what position I were in and the situation in the world at the time. You may think it impossible now but eventually the prior policies would give way to new ideals and would result in the collapse of the state.

Elizabeth: Impossible. They-

Me: On the contrary. How do you think I was able to get so much change done in such little time? The roots were already there. Your attack simply gave the necessary push to see it all carried out. All it takes, most of the time, to inflict change is a single person being in the right position at the right time. Even without fighting, mere words spoken at the opportune moment are enough to shake the world.

Elizabeth: Your situation is the exception to the rule.

Me: Perhaps. Perhaps you'll be proven right in the end or perhaps we're both wrong. In the end, we'll never know what could have been but we can determine what happens going forward.

The sound of laughter pulls both our attentions back to the scene before us. It is easy to see just by looking at the children playing but change is already taking root. Here, children of varying ages and in some cases even race, are playing together and having fun whilst doing so. What's more, their parents don't attempt to separate them and though the parents themselves don't intermingle, it is still progress given where things were before.

Elizabeth: What is your offer?

Me: Peace. Whether it is temporary or permanent is up to you.

Elizabeth: You'll also have the navy stop attacking our convoys?

Me: The submarine raids? Sure but in exchange, you'll also stop blockading our naval movements.

Elizabeth: We'll continue aiding our allies with supplies.

Me: Of little concern. As long as your troops aren't fighting our own you'll have no arguments from me. However, you also cannot play host to any naval invasions against us. Doing that makes any agreement between us null and void.

Elizabeth: That's fair. What of our forces whom you've taken prisoner?

Me: As I'd mentioned, we're willing to release them all in exchange for the return of our own people.

Elizabeth: And the length of the peace?

Me: Up to you. My offer is for thirty days-

Elizabeth: I'd prefer two to three months.

Me: Acceptable but you will not intervene in our campaigns-

Elizabeth: If you invade the Eagle Union-

Me: Do I look like I currently care about that nation? They could kill themselves for all I care, as long as they don't attack us we see no reason to fight them. Have you forgotten we aren't the aggressors in this war?

Elizabeth: Even so-

Me: Tell you what. Let's not overcomplicate things. We won't attack you and you won't attack us. Three months and then we can return to our usual bickering if you so desire. You can keep supplying current allies but won't otherwise intervene in the war and in exchange we won't prevent you from doing so. Neither will we interfere in your war against the Sakura Empire which currently isn't an ally of ours anyways and you will remove your forces from the Northern Parliament to avoid conflict between our forces breaking this agreement.

Elizabeth: I-

Me: The day the truce ends, war will resume unless we come to an agreement before then on continuing peace between our nations on a more permanent basis. Agreed?

She sighs.

Elizabeth: Will your government agree to such?

Me: I wouldn't worry about that.

She gives me a suspicious look but doesn't comment further, instead, standing and making her way out into the sun. She's left her shoes behind so I know she's not going far but I still stand and walk after her. As I come up beside her, however, I get my answer.

Elizabeth: I agree to your proposal.

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A Tale of Two Women (Pt.1)
Curtis Walt
08.11.99

Once upon a time, there were two women. One was a recognised royal who ruled over her subjects with love and compassion, the other an informal leader seizing power within her nation. 

Both were fighting for what they believed in,
Both were engaged in war.
Neither could see what the other was thinking,
In fact, neither could see very far. 

Both met under a tree one day and asked the other why?
Why were we fighting? Why are we here?
I don't know why was the reply.

Despite many misgivings of the other's intentions,
Military thinking weighed against diplomatic retentions,
An unlikely agreement was met.

Tis the Tale of Two Women,
or rather a woman and her soon-to-be pet.