[Lindah]

I had rejected you when I first met you in person. I did not like that Lord Regulus became wed to you. My first impression of you was of a bloodthirsty monster, who had shed blood on the day of her wedding in Messaris. You were dead to me the day your skin turned blue, and even before then too. You were promiscuous in that you bore multiple children of multiple spouses, but spent little to no time with any of them. I was already fine with lacking a mother then and for the rest of my life.

I saw you as a warmongering witch, harbouring ill intents of fighting Ilburg, Theria, and later on Osrona City itself. But then, I'd see how Regulus always stood by your side, calming you in times of distress, even advising you and successfully take off the crown on your head. I saw how good this relationship was for you, the love between the two of you. And though you had your priorities as High Lady, you reparated some lost time and became a mother to me again. And soon, I accepted that I was truly your son. Although, I doubted your judgement for a while until last year:

It turned out that you were right all along. I did not want to jump into political conclusions once you had that certain incident in the throneroom of Osrona, but now I know better, that you were right to suspect King Alexander and in particular his witchcraft-practising wife! It seemed that you'd always see what many did not. Between shifting alliances, you did not kneel even when the whole country was bamboozled by the Petrakis. You were an amazing woman...

To you, the end justified the means, at least that is what I think you thought. I'm certain that you, as a person, would never have liked what your people had done after your honourable death, though. When word got out that the High Lady had been slain, it seemed that many in Myllenoris's ranks went into an emotional frenzy. I regret that this happened. Teraphims can be very emotional at times. I truly hope that once all of this ends, we can all join together and mourn all of our losses.

I went to Osrona some time after the battle, crossing the river via the bridge of Starfall Tower. To think that this place, and the bridge, were a symbol of Osrona-Myllenoris alliance, which was shattered in just three years. I saw... portions of the walls destroyed, potholes and craters dotting the streets. Smoke was still in the air, and occasionally the smell of burnt bodies. I myself was a war orphan, you'd know, but I never saw what the aftermath of a war would look like in an urban setting.

I was surprised to see entire buildings collapsed, rubble all over the place. The beautiful city was descecrated, but at least much of the foundation and key structures remained standing. I dare not to imagine the night of that battle, the peak of all the bloodshed... Even you would not have approved of it all.

History has been made - Osrona has never been conquered outright before. But sadly, I don't think that it will last. Mother, I truly want to hope that your sacrifice was not in vain, but I have little hope in the future led by new figures and old. And I, personally, have a hard time moving on with my own life and future, when it is a future without you and Regulus in it. I don't think Esshar will ever see figures like you two again, not for a long while. I myself definitely can't compare! If Myllenoris was an outright monarchy, then I would be dethroned in an instance.

I fear that Osronans who have fled the city will repeat their mistakes. I hope for them to reflect on why this war started in the first place. I, without my mother, am only another citizen of another family. If it were up to me, though, then I would gladly welcome back all displaced refugees. I know that most Osronans still have faith in the Petrakis bloodline and want the status quo to be restored, but there are a lot of things that need to be discussed civilly.

My mother's will was for Marie Petrakis to be the rightful ruler of Esshar, but that has since been thrown out of the window, by a witch who had at her height became the queen of Esshar. It is the fact that a witch was somehow able to join the high society of Esshar that my mother the High Lady had issue with. My mother saw right through the mask of that witch, but by then, the King was already under her influence. He may still be so, and in fact, there may be some other top figures too.

I'll personally advocate for the return of displaced Osronans as long as they denounce their current leader figures. And in time, hopefully the expelled nobles and Petrakis can return uninfluenced, on top of agreeing to pay reparations to House Grimmore. Lord Regulus Grimmore was, and always had, the best interests of Osrona and his noble house in mind. He did not deserve to be expelled and die a cruel death outside of his own home city.

The marriage between my mother and Regulus, my effective stepfather, was both out of love and with hope that a mutual alliance between Osrona and Myllenoris could be forged. I still believe in that vision. They always had peace in their minds, and I hope that one day this country can recover. Yet, I know, another war will soon plague the next generation as it did mine.

- Pan Hargrave