Hi everyone!
It's time for another Herald! But wait, it will not contain any thing related to any sort of prolonged postponement due to my ever shifting workload.
No!
This time, I posted this herald in honor of the release of Her Majesty, Anastasya Feodorovna Snezhnaya! The Tsaritsa of all Russ- I mean Snezhnaya!
I'll be honest folks, I was totally surprised by how she was portrayed as a character by the trailer.
She appeared to be a woman who's life had been unjustly tempered by powers at be, and is now on the war path towards those said powers…
But most surprising of all, is that she appeared to be a MOTHER!
Well, probably 'was' a mother as far as we can tell, but a mother nonetheless!
Oh the possible implications to the lore of the story! Artoria, it seems, is not the only motherly deity in Teyvat, but unlike her who also suffered the loss of her child and found a second chance in life, Anastasya had took a far different route. Probably the opposite to that of Artoria!
Two Mothers of the same kinship by virtue of their positions as Archon, but different on how they perceive the world.
One, just wanted her family, people and realms to be left alone. Mostly ignoring the machinations of the world.
While the other, wanted to bring down the world order, at the cost of her own people and nation!
Also, appearance wise, she's an original character and not another Bronya copy, though I couldn't help but see her as a cross between FGO's Morgan and Anastasia. Heck, I couldn't help but sense a bit of 'Morganese' on her on how she acts coldly throughout the trailer!
Anyways, since the release of her Majesty, I've been hyped up to see what sort of interaction she and Artoria would have in the future....THUS I WROTE AN ENTIRE SCENE DEDICATED TO THE TWO OF THEM! I even tried to replicate Anastasya's image using AI in order to get a usable model for this story.
This is a special Author's Herald, since it will contain the first Vignette of this story.
For all of those who didn't know, a Vignette is a short and descriptive piece of writing that captures a brief period in time that focuses on a character's mood or portrayal rather than a traditional plot. It is similar to that of an Anecdote, which focuses on a short, usually amusing or biographical account of a real incident.
This vignette may or may not be canon for the time being since it is set far into the future, and certain unexpected elements may develop that may affect its current content as both the story and the in game lore progress. That being said, I did include some concepts in this brief story that I'm planning to use in the future, hence it may act as a sort of spoilers.
With that said, unlike the other Heralds which will be deleted after the release of the next chapter, this one (including its corresponding Vignette) will be moved on another section, entitled Volume 0: Extras which will contain future Vignettes and even Omakes!
Yes, you've head that folks, Omakes! I've already started making one and the plot is also set in the future…..
....
….
Wait a minute, would that also make it into a sort of Vignette? Dear God I'm so confused right now!
Without further a do, here's this Herald's brief story. Enjoy!
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(The Lioness of Mondstadt Vignette: A Midsommer's Persiflage)
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"I must say, you're quite different from the way the reports have described you, Anemo Archon. It is almost as if I'm speaking to a completely different person, rather than the one who managed to bring an entire nation and its Archon to its knees with an invasion force the likes of which this world has never seen in millennia."
Anastasya Feodorovna Snezhnaya, the Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon of Snezhnaya, calmly sipped her tea as she addressed the fellow monarch, the fellow god, sitting right across her.
"Oh you flatter me Cryo Archon. Those reports were overly exaggerated to say the least. I myself only considered it as a mere minor squabble between neighbors." Artoria, replied in a pleasant tone as she took another sip from her own tea.
"I mean, my so called achievements pale in comparison on how you put down the old bureaucracy of your old predecessor, the Belyi Tsar, and unite the fractured denizens of this land, both humans and fae alike, under one banner....though your methods were, to say the least, 'strenuous' as the history books would state." She added as she mildly scrunched up her face at the bitterness of the brew she was drinking.
"Would you care for a few more cubes of sugar, your majesty?" Artoria offered, as a small pot of sugar cubes suddenly began hovering above the table.
"Thank you, your majesty. Perhaps a single cube would suffice." Anastasya politely replied as one of the sugar cubes hovered gently and dropped into her tea cup.
The two Archons were currently inside a small and quaint room at the very heart of the Zapolyarny Palace. The room itself was decorated with various Snezhnayan tapestries and furniture that all screamed luxury. The room's centerpiece however was a beautifully carved table made of birch wood, currently occupied by the two divine queens along with the various tea sets, cakes, and a wooden chess board situated right between them.
This was their first encounter face to face, but the two monarchs had already been communicating with one another via letters (mostly diplomatic) for several years now. Even before the occurrence of 'Day of the Four Moons' where the true nature of the occupant of the Anemo Throne was revealed to the rest of the Teyvat and the entire world order was subsequently turned upside down, the two had already been corresponding with one another as heads of state; as the Tsaritsa and as the Grand Master of the Knights of Favonius.
The two had been cordially exchanging 'pleasantries' for almost an hour now, all the while enjoying tea over a game of chess. The diplomacy and trade agreements can wait, this was after all, a state visit between the two ruling Archons of arguably the two most powerul realms in all of Teyvat, a little social banter is a must.
"I must say Artoria, you have truly brought the most worthwhile gifts I've ever received for the last hundreds of years. I still couldn't even believe that you'll include your very own 'gnosis' as a part of it." Anastasya said as she eyed the small, opened ornate box at the side of their table. which contained the Anemo, Geo and Electro gnoses.
The embodiments of the Heavenly Principles' authority and control over the world's knowledge and order.
Created through sacrilegious rites….
"Please Anastasya, it's common courtesy to bring a gift or two to our host whenever we are invited, especially if the said host is our fellow Archon. Besides, I never had a need for mine to begin with. I see it as nothing more than a mere trinket, a liability of sorts, or if you prefer, an integral piece to a 'puzzle' that you so desperately wanted to 'solve'." Artoria casually said as her white queen began to gracefully dance across the board, gracefully taking out one of Anastasya's rooks.
Check.
Anastasya was silent for a moment before looking straight into her fellow Archon's verdant green eyes and briefly bowing her head.
"I thank you then for your generosity and understanding." She said as she elegantly captured one of Artoria's pawns with her bishop.
"I will have them properly secured. Your gifts will be greatly beneficial for my plans." The Cryo Archon added before continuing.
"Though I must say, you had done more than any of my Harbingers had ever done in this past year. None of them had ever managed to procure 2 gnoses let alone 3. I'm starting to wonder if I should fire them and hire you instead."
Artoria couldn't help but chuckle at the Tsaritsa's remarks.
"Oh, I don't think that would be necessary my dear. Besides I'm quite busy with my own duties, both personal and political, so I'll have to politely decline your generous job offer. Besides what would the people of my nation think of they heard that their Archon had abandoned them in favor of a 'better paying' job here in Snezhnaya?"
Both goddesses let out a small laugh, though for different reasons. For Artoria, it was genuine amusement, for Anastasya, it was a more... hollow laugh.
"I see, I guess my offers have their limits as well." Anastasya remarked. "Shame that Rosalyn couldn't be with us anymore. She's the one who's supposed to deliver these gnoses to me. She's usually very reliable and I do occasionally enjoy her company and 'societal remarks'." She added with a hint of nostalgia in her tone.
"You don't have to worry about dear Rosalyn. I'm sure that she's already at peace right now. For all she had done, she had earned her eternal respite through the last acts of her life." Artoria assured with a subtle warmth present in her eyes, as she conjured a crimson butterfly that slowly fluttered towards the Cryo Archon.
Anastasya's gaze softened as she extended her slender pale finger, allowing the conjured insect to gently land upon it.
"I know...and sometimes I truly tend to forget what manner of being you are. That you could give people this sort of comfort....unlike others." She whispered the two last words with a hint of disgust.
A solemn silence filled the room, as the conjured butterfly slowly vanished into wisps of crimson light, leaving only the two goddesses and the faint smell of summer breeze that came outside.
"Heh. It's been so long since this land experienced such warmth and light. I can still hear their cheers and sense their jubilations ever since this morning when you arrived and performed that little magic trick of yours." The Cryo Archon said as stared towards a nearby window that looked out into the entire capital, Snezhnograd.
It was quite a remarkable sight for the locals. For the first time in hundreds of years, they could clearly see the sun.
The permanent grey overcast that usually covers the skies above Snezhnaya was now gone, replaced by a bright blue cloudless sky, much to the shock and awe of the populace.
The snow was still there, but now it seemed to shimmer and sparkle in the sun as if they were made of diamonds.
Artoria let out a sigh.
"Your people gathered along the station and streets of Snezhnograd in droves so early in the morning just to see me. And at the moment I stepped out from the train, I couldn't help but sense their struggle against the cold. It's only natural to help them."
"You and your natural kindness. If only the laws that govern this world share your sentiment." The Tsaritsa commented as she looked back at their ongoing game. She slowly moved her knight, skillfully countering the previous check made by Artoria's white queen.
"Unfortunately...."
Anastasya moves her other knight, putting Artoria's king in a perilous position.
"This world doesn't exactly run on kindness or sentiments. It never has and it never will. It's an unending game, overseen by the whims of the heavens and the laws they have imposed upon the mortal realm."
She then lifted her head, her piercing blue eyes now fixated upon the Anemo Archon.
"To achieve what is needed for the good of all, one must be willing to sacrifice. One must be willing to do what is necessary, no matter the cost."
The unspoken meaning behind her words hung heavily in the air as the two monarchs stared unblinkingly at one another.
"The Heavenly Principles....spoiled my love. I almost doubt whether it was ever true at all."
The temperature around the entire room suddenly began to plummet as frost began to form under the Tsaritsa's heels. Her demeanour shifted from that of a friendly host to that of a cold-hearted executioner.
"One should not throw fragile driftwood to a drowning person. Nor give the illusion of warmth to those freezing to death."
Small spires of cryo began to form around the Tsaritsa's chair as her raw divine power began to leak out.
"Death is not the enemy of Love."
Narrowing her eyes, she looked at her fellow peer with a gaze as cold as the deepest winter in Snezhnaya, as if daring her to respond.
"The real enemy is the blessing given by those deluded gods." Anastasya sneered the last words with utter contempt.
In response, Artoria simply muttered.
"Checkmate."
As the Tsaritsa heard those words, she finally broke her gaze from the Anemo Archon and looked towards the chess board. She blinked, surprised to see the board in a state she did not anticipate.
Her opponent won.
She had let her emotions briefly cloud her judgement, and the more she looked at the pristine state of her opponent who doesn't seem to be even bothered by the slightest display of her power, the more she realized just how vastly different they are.
"Heh, good game." Artoria gently said as she took another sip of her tea. Her eyes closed as she tried to savor the vegetal taste of her brew.
"Still...I do hope you truly understand the nature of the game you're playing at, Anastasya." The Empress of the Unified Realm slowly opened her eyes as she gazed towards her peer with a calculating look.
...
.....
There was a bit of pause before the Cryo Archon slowly let out a sigh as the frost forming around her slowly receded.
"I apologize for my outburst, your majesty. It seems that even after all these years, my emotions still tend to get the better of me at times." She calmly said as she gestured her hand, and a small teapot hovered over them.
"Would you like to care for another serving?" She offered.
"I would love to, your majesty." Artoria replied with a warm smile as she presented her cup for a refill.
(The End)
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There you have it folks.
Hope you all enjoyed this special edition of our usual Herald, and I'll see you all in the next chapter which may drop either tomorrow or Monday.
Crossover_Passerby signing out!