The Two Sovereigns
The Two Sovereigns is the tale of the founding of the Jirithkaen empire through the marriage of the Othkaen Prince Somlek-Adul and the Jirian Sovereign Yuvraj Motwani. It is a very popular story across the empire, and the events are celebrated every year on Sovereigns' Day.
Summary
For centuries, the Othkaen Federation of city states had been at war with the Jiri Sovereignty. Sometimes one or the other would win territory along the border, but neither side could ever claim true victory.
Finally, tired of the endless pointless bloodshed, the young Prince Somlek-Adul of the Othkaen Federation journeyed to Jiri to make its ruler an offer. He traveled alone and in secret, knowing that the leaders of his city states would not approve of his mission.
When he finally arrived at the Jirian capital, Somlek-Adul entered into the royal palace gardens under the cover of darkness. There, he hid until he saw the young sovereign of Jiri walking alone.
It was then that Somlek-Adul approached Yuvraj Motwani and revealed himself as the Othkaen prince. He offered Motwani a proposal that would finally end the constant wars.
The prince asked for the sovereign's hand in marriage so that the two could join their nations together into a single empire. The constant bloodshed would cease, and the two nations could become stronger together.
The Jirian sovereign too believed that the wars had dragged on for too long and wanted what was best for his people. He accepted the prince's proposal, and the two returned to the palace together.
The next day, the two men appeared before the Jirian royal assembly where Sovereign Motwani formally announced that the two nations would no longer be at war. Instead, the marriage of the two royals would mark the birth of the new Jirithkaen Empire. It would be an empire that would lead all its citizens, Othkaen and Jirian alike, into a new age of prosperity.
Somlek-Adul and Yuvraj Motwani were bound together in a traditional Othkaen marriage. Somlek-Adul took on the Jirian title of Sovereign, and the two ruled their homelands as the East and West Provinces of the combined Jirithkaen Empire. For the rest of their lives, the two sovereigns worked together to unify their people and bring a new age of prosperity, art, and science to the land.
Historical Basis
The marriage of Somlek-Adul and Yuvraj Motwani and the joining of their nations was a real historical event, but the tale has been romanticized over time. Although the two sovereigns spent their lives promoting peace and unification between their two peoples, it was a long and messy process. Even after their deaths, unrest from the centuries of war lingered on.
It was only after Jirithkae was subjugated by the Old Thurnetorrian empire that the old tensions began to subside. During the Legrandian War, Othkaens and Jirians banded together to defeat their conquerors and win back their shared nation. In 1758, the Old Thurnetorrian empire was defeated and the Jirithkaen empire was officially reestablished as the peacefully unified empire that Somlek-Adul and Yuvraj Motwani had always wanted it to be.
Variations & Mutation
Nothing is actually recorded about Somlek-Adul's travels, so storytellers are free to imagine their own adventures and challenges for the prince to encounter.
In some stories, the prince helps a witch escape from a wild tiger. In return, they later help him to sneak past the Jirian guards and into the royal gardens.
In other tales, the prince enters a sprawling maze of underground tunnels, but only after solving the labyrinth's puzzle can he discover the path that leads to the royal palace.
Sovereigns' Day
Sovereigns' Day is a Jirithkaen holiday that commemorates the founding of the empire. On the 14th of Aster, the marriage of the two sovereigns is celebrated with fireworks, parades, and lots of food.
People typically spend the evening outside enjoying the festival activities, such as eating holiday fruit pastries sold from street stands and making colored sand paintings. Some cities will also open hedge mazes for children to explore.
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