From Their Royal Highnesses

Greetings unto the people of this Great Kingdom,

Winter is now full upon us, and the King Hagen and Queen Ellis have ushered in a time of peace and happiness. It is a time of feasting, revelry, and togetherness. It would fill me with great joy if this prosperity could last eternally, however, it will not be so. This time of comfort and merriment that our Great King and Queen bring us is doomed to end. For it is the way of man to seek war, and peace is but a pleasant wind felt in a moment of calm.

Already there stir rumbles of a great war to the east and those who seek our aid and friendship have approached Us. Their Highnesses of the East have traveled all the way from their distant homeland many times to be among the people of Northshield, so that they may better understand those they would ask to ally with them. By now news of our announcement at Boars Head has spread; We have pledged to stand besides Prince Konrad and Princess Brenwen, no matter who should threaten Their domain.

We understand that many of Our people have mixed feelings regarding this choice. We would like to take a moment to explain what led to Our decision this year.

First, we will be fighting along side the Royal household of the East Kingdom, and as such, We can guarantee there will be no more action-packed place for our army to be. We would also like to take a moment to state that we are subordinate to No One. In fact, we will be given direct input to the battle plans and some command responsibility beyond ourselves. We are allies, and I can say with absolute certainty, that our opinions and our sovereignty will be respected.

Second, I have been assured by my royal cousin, Prince Konrad, that he seeks a fair war in all ways, and as such, he will do all he can to even the sides. This is a decision that I greatly respect, and I have been given no such assurance from the other royals involved.

Third, in the spirit of fairness, We have informed Our royal cousin, that We will be declaring the rapier fighters independently to insure that their numbers are every bit as even as we can influence. We want the rapier community to know that We came to this decision because several of your members have informed us that often the numbers on the rapier field are quiet different than those on the heavy, and we want your vacation to be every bit as enjoyable as Ours. We also secured 3 Rapier Champion positions, boasting that there is no ally with greater skill then Northshield.

Forth, it is Our opinion, that spending some time fighting and celebrating with people you are traditionally against will humanize them, and deepen the respect for Our and other cultures. This is something that is greatly needed at this war however it is up to each of us to choose to be open to the opportunity.

If there remain any paramount concerns, please feel free to speak with Us.

In Service
Lars and Mary
Prince and Princess of Northshield