Go have a picknick

“How about we just have a pick-nick instead. The weather is too nice to eat inside the castle.” Liandra offered Kendra.
The Baroness thought about it, then agreed.
Liandra told her to wait for her in the garden at the gazebo. Soon Liandra was back with a basket full of food and a bottle of wine.

“Could you tell me more about your homeland?” Liandra suddenly asked.
“Well, did you know Nocternia was once Luxian territory.”
“Yes, until they rebelled against us.”
“That is only part of the truth.” Kendra explained. “Our history records say that the religious order **** many antiquated traditions onto our people, such as virgin sacrificed, for example.”
Liandra’s heart cringed. She was a virgin herself. If she had lived then, she might have been viewed of as a viable sacrifice.

“It was the religious order my ancestors rebelled against, not Luxius. But Luxius protected the priests, so the clash became inevitable. After all the fighting, we were free to be our own nation. The leaders of the rebellion became the new royal family, naming their family “Nocturne”. They freed us from religion and made us free to explore what the priests had previously forbidden, like dark magics.”
Liandra was shocked.
“But that is blasphemy.” She said.
“We don’t believe it is. If it really was against the will of the gods, they would not have created it. It is merely a dangerous art, but we are well protected. In fact it is one of the things that has made us strong. Over time, we took over many territory. Sometimes from Luxius, sometimes from other nations, but mostly we expanded into the forbidden lands which other nations have abandoned.”
Liandra placed herself closer to Kendra. She felt safe to be around.

“Nowadays, our young emperor Kendal, has assured in a golden age of scientific development. Under his leadership, scholars in both magic and technology have made much progress.”
At that point Kendra leaned over to whisper to Liandra “And he is still single.”
Liandra knew it was meant as a joke, but she was interested in neither her betrothed prince nor the Nocternian emperor. Men were boring. She much more preferred to stay with Kendra.

“However this has also gathered unwanted attention. Many surrounding nations are now afraid we would conquer them and **** them to abandon their religion.”
“Would you?” The princess asked.
“We do not seek expansion through war. But if other nations attack us, we will fight back.”
The ring told her it was true. She came to believe that Nocternians were not as scary as she has been made to believe.