#It's this weird amalgamation of time and fashion like Mercy is in really nice blue Greek robes half of the time with her long hair pinned up

[writinanon]

The Empire Of Hope

So this is based off a weird dream I had after my pain killers finally kicked in. I’m about to crash again but I though you guys might like this it’s a weird fantasy sort of AU thing.

Dakota and Diane belong to @wafflii

Ben belongs to @yanderedad

• The Empire of Hope consists of three separate Kingdoms combine together with their rulers working together and autonomously within their regions for the betterment of their people. • The Four Rulers are: o The Wise Emperor Benjamin Robert Lee, know amongst his people as the Compassionate King he looked to solve problems with words not just with other rulers but amongst his people. Trade flows from the small cities and towns that dot his lands and be it food or luxury items anyone can get anything within the Valley. Once the Empire is established he uses his wealth to expand the trade routes and to expand the education systems, often partnering with Queen Mercy to achieve a balanced system and bring in new teachers. o The Scholarly Empress Mercy Stein, known by all as the Warrior Queen, she took control of a very bloody and powerful kingdom that rarely hesitated to use force to solve its problems and things like trade and workers were becoming a problem. When Mercy took the throne, it was believed she would continue the tradition of conquest and take the Valley lands but instead after meeting with King Ben she agreed to become part of the Empire. With the boon to people and the release of tension on the armies she succeeds in finally brining actual peace to her Kingdom. She establishes medical codes and practices to be universal and works with King Ben to introduce sciences and arts to the Empire allowing not just her people the knowledge that they didn’t have to only be a farmer, merchant, or soldier. There have been a few attacks and rebellions but Mercy quickly smothered them, the only time she had to actually ride back into battle she had her fellow Empress-Queens beside her and the Emperor-King was holding the other Regions steady for them. They have had no other rebellions after that. o The Stone Empress Dakota Rook, so known for ruthlessly cutting down any threat to the Empire and its people. She is known fondly as the Common Queen by her people, and soon by the people of the Valley and the River, because she was easily found walking amongst her people without guards listening and learning. She makes it a point to travel to the other regions once they’re fully opened and the Empire is completely safe from internal struggle, finding herself deeply enamored by the South rather than the Valley as her younger twin is. It holds no candle to her beloved mountains but Dakota spends a fair amount of time in Mercy’s lands when she wants away. o The Benevolent Empress Diane Rook, while she is the most carefree and relaxed of the group, more likely to crack a joke or run off with to cause trouble with the bear gifted to her by the cousin of King Consort Sharky, she is usually the one seated on the single throne that the group has for informal meetings. She lives up to her title of Adventuring Princess as she traveled around and was the one to bond with Ben and suggest the merger of their Kingdoms without the need for marriage.  In formal meetings they all have their thrones with Ben and Mercy seated on the outside with Dakota next to Mercy and Diane next to Ben • The Whitetail Mountains, so named for the numerous deer within the region, belong to Queen Dakota Rook and her younger twin sister Princess Diane. • The River Lands and Floodplain belong to Queen Mercy Stein, she has the largest standing army as well as the most farm land. • The Valley belongs to King Benjamin Robert Lee, he has farm lands as well but more importantly he has access to the best trade routes. • Queen Dakota has strong hardy people that take defense of their lands very seriously but no standing army and no proper trade routes. She is the one to propose an alliance with Ben after Diane befriends him and spends much of her time in his Kingdom. • Ben agrees easily and happily but suggests that they try to bring the Warrior Queen of the South in, not only for protection from her legions but because they’d need her fields for food. • Luckily for them Mercy is the one to take the throne and not her brother Peter so she agrees to become a member of the Empire, not just for the trade routes but also to bring her people the easy peace that seems to permeate the lands of both Dakota and Ben. • They name the small town of Fall’s End their capital. • They decide to name their Empire Hope after what they want it to represent for them and their people. Hope for the future. • Since their regions had lived in relative harmony with each other the now fully open boarders are welcomed and this is how the fire fly pain in the neck that Mercy had confined to a small piece of land comes to meet a King and proceed to try, and somehow succeed, to woo him. • The Marriage of Charlemagne Victor Boshaw to King Benjamin Robert Lee is a spectacle of love and pyrotechnics. o Sharky argues that his title should be Emperor Consort not King Consort but Ben and Mercy remind him that Sharky holds no power in the other regions only Ben does. o It should be noted that Mercy and Sharky have a somewhat tense relationship because while she likes him and finds him funny she has to punish him for the fires he creates when they damage property or hurt people. Sharky’s marriage to Ben calms him down a little bit and Ben is able to keep Sharky from starting uncontrolled fires. • Everyone is at relative peace until a new religious movement starts. A Priest from a far away land brings his Brothers to the Empire of Hope and begins to preach his message. It isn’t long before he suddenly gains a sister (though the description of her changes until it settles on a blonde woman with blue eyes). • Dakota and Diane have to return to the North to deal with wildlife disappearing as well as some of the retired soldiers that had moved into the mountains once the Empire was established. • Mercy sends her master of information Wheaty with them as well as one of her generals Eli. Better safe than sorry as she and Ben work to figure out why so much land is being bought be a ‘peaceful’ religious group that already has a church and no plans to build a new one have been brought before the Courts.