Year of the Emperor 278, Frostnacht
Reinolt,
The air in the North grows thinner. Lord Viktor of Haus Hohenfels has requested another audit of our iron yields. It is a subtle pressure, but the weight of our liege lord is a stone that will eventually crush us if we do not find a counterweight.
You have established yourself well in the capital, but being agreeable is no longer sufficient. We require an anchor in the South. Look to Haus Rochefort. They are foundational, insulated by ancient wealth, and far removed from the asceticism of our northern masters. Lord Otto and Sir Alaric are too entrenched, but the second son, Sir Lorenz, is said to be seeking his own footing in the courts.
Become indispensable to him. If Froste is seen standing within the shadow of Rochefort, Hohenfels will think twice before reaching for our throats. Build this bridge, Reinolt. Use whatever mortar is required.
Sigrid
Year of the Emperor 279, Late Beltane
Aunt Sigrid,
The bridge is built. Sir Lorenz and I share the same table at all major banquets, and he has brought me into the confidence of several vital southern magistrates. The Hohenfels envoys here have noticed; their glares are significantly less venomous.
You assessed Lorenz correctly, though perhaps you underestimated his depth. He is not merely a political asset. Yesterday, during the Emperor's parade, we retreated to the quiet of the aviary. We spoke of the crushing expectations of our respective bloodlines. It is a rare thing, Aunt, to find someone in this capital who understands the specific suffocation of carrying a house's survival on one's shoulders.
He is fiercely loyal. I believe this alliance will hold far beyond mere political convenience. He has invited me to hunt on his family's southern estates next season. I intend to accept.
Reinolt
Year of the Emperor 280, Early Sonnenhoch
Reinolt,
Cancel the hunt. Burn the bridge.
The news has reached Frosthof, and it will be common knowledge in the capital by dusk. Sir Alaric Rochefort has committed the ultimate heresy. He has fled to the West with the exiled Alendrian princess. It is treason. It is Errbruch.
The Emperor’s eye is turning toward Haus Rochefort, and the Wundenbund Inquisition will follow. Lord Otto is already sending Lorenz to the West to hunt down his own brother—a desperate, bloody bid to save their house from complete excision.
Do you understand what this means? Anyone standing in Rochefort's shadow when the hammer falls will be crushed alongside them. Your "fiercely loyal" friend is now a walking corpse. If you are seen extending a hand to him, Haus Hohenfels will use it as an excuse to purge Frosthof entirely.
Sever the tie. Immediately. Give them nothing but ice.
Sigrid
(After the Princess Elara Scandal)
Year of the Emperor 280, Sonnenhoch
To Lorenz of Haus Rochefort,
I acknowledge receipt of your letters.
In light of recent developments, I must advise discretion regarding future appearances—particularly as Erntzeit approaches. The climate in Konigsheim has grown sensitive, and association with your house invites scrutiny I am not in a position to absorb.
There is no ill will. But prudence compels distance.
For your own sake, I urge you to remain away from court until matters concerning your brother are resolved.
With respect,
Reinolt Froste
Year of the Emperor 280, Sonnenhoch
To Reinolt Frost,
Your letter arrived without surprise. I had already begun to suspect the shape of your silence.
I understand the necessity of distance. I understand the weight of legacy, the scrutiny of court, the cost of association. I was raised beneath those weights. I know how they press.
Still, I would have preferred a colder letter. Instead, you wrote with restraint. And restraint is the language of care in Hesan.
I will not return to Konigsheim. But I will remember Horn’s Light. I will remember the way you flicked crumbs from my sleeve like they mattered.
Yours,
Lorenz of Haus Rochefort
Year of the Emperor 280, Sonnenhoch
Aunt Sigrid,
It is done.
I have sent a letter to Lorenz advising him to remain away from the capital. I made it clear that associating with him is a risk I will not take.
I saw him across the courtyard today before the courier departed. He looked exhausted. I did not meet his eye. I turned and engaged Lord Steinlaut in a conversation regarding Alendrian marble prices.
The scaffolding holds. Haus Froste is safe from the blast radius. You have your ice.
Reinolt
Year of the Emperor 280, Late Sonnenhoch
My Son,
Sigrid has shown me the correspondence.
At Drachenburg, I watched men scream as the molten slag poured over the sapping lines. I did not run to save them. I turned my maul against the granite gates and shattered them, because the men behind me would have killed me if I fled. I saved this house by destroying something unyielding, out of pure, calculated terror.
You have just done the exact same thing. You broke a man to save your blood. It is a terrible, hollow thing to survive in this Empire. But you have survived.
You have proven you possess the necessary iron. Come home to Frosthof.
Your Father, Fridrich