The Letters That Ended A War
I can say with a respectable level of certainty that the war would've ended much later if it wasn't for the secret alliance between Queen Izmali of Asharia and Queen Alenia of Kupria. It all started with a few letters...
It was the year AE 2088. The Kuprian-Asharian War had been going on for 56 years, since AE 2032 when the Asharian army invaded Kupria. Everyone was getting tired of it by this point, and it was definitely gnawing on the economies of both countries.
However, as the war had started with murdered kings on both sides, there was a definite feeling on both sides of being "right." None of the nations wanted to step back until the other side had at least given them a decent apology despite not being willing to apologize themselves.
The Letter That Started It
To say that Queen Izmali of Asharia did something incredibly risky by sending a letter to the queen of the enemy is probably an understatement. Yet, the Asharian queen still remembered a time before the war, and wanted her children to experience peace as well. She had some personal spies inside the Kuprian royal castle, and while she didn't know for sure, she had a small feeling the enemy queen felt the same about the longevity of the war.
The Asharian Queen knew she was risking a lot by sending this letter. If the secret was revealed before there was peace, the consequences could be anything from social repercussions to execution for treason. She knew that Queen Alenia could tell someone who could make it really dangerous for her, but the thought of the war going on for much longer was a worse fate.
The Reply That Set It In Action
Queen Alenia of Kupria was surprised when one of the kitchen workers handed her a letter, and even more surprised when she saw who it was from. Not only was she relieved that it revealed that the Asharian queen was just as tired of this war as she was, she knew how risky this letter was. She knew she should send a reply, but she knew the risk. She had to be very careful, especially since she knew how few things that could be kept a secret in the Kuprian royal castle. The king's head of security, a perceptive man named Arun Voston, took his job very seriously and kept an eye on everything that happened in the castle.
It was a good thing Queen Alenia sent the reply, despite the risks. This made Queen Izmali see that she wasn't alone, and that her work of pursuing her husband to try to end the war wasn't in vain. And even though there wasn't any more letters sent between the two queens, their work towards the kings were definitely a huge factor in how soon the war ended.
In fact, most historians agree that if these letters weren't sent, the war might have lasted for another decade before the nations finally made peace.
The Secret Revealed
The first one to find out about the secret letters was King Ilmonar of Kupria, as he noticed a glance between the queens when the peace was announced in AE 2091. Nobody else knew anything until a few years later.
King Erelim of Asharia was not happy, but after cooling off a bit he was understanding, and even a bit grateful. Arun the Kuprian head of royal security was disappointed that the queen had done something this risky (and quite bothered about the fact that it had happened just behind his back without him noticing), but as it was now years ago and it had worked out, he couldn't really say too much.
Rumors about the secret letters did escape the castle not long after. During the decade that passed after the letters were sent, it was a well-known story among common folk. Both letters were donated to historians in both nations - Izmali's letter was given to the Asharian historians and Alenia's letter was donated to the Kuprian historians. A copy of each letter was made to make sure both sides had both letters, to make sure the historic entries weren't one-sided.
The Letters That Ended A War
The Letter That Started It
Queen Alenia,
I know this letter is rather unconventional, and that many people might find it highly improper. Maybe you are one of these people. Still, I hope you will read my proposal anyway.
I won't assume to know where your heart lies in this matter, but I, for one, think this war has gone on for too long. My children deserve to know peace in their time, and so do yours. I am currently trying to sway my dear husband's mind towards peace, a task much more difficult than I wished it was. If you share my weariness of this war, I do hope you will try the same towards your husband.
I feel rather silly about this whole letter, and I know I went back and forth for quite a while about whether I should write it. Although I know it's out of my hands now, I do hope you'll find it in your heart to not share this letter if you decide to disregard my plea for help, as I will be in dire trouble if any nobles in Elmazar gets word of my decision to send this letter. However, I do understand that you do what you want.
Queen Izmali of Asharia
The Reply That Set It In Action
Queen Izmali,
Your letter filled my heart with relief. I, too, am weary of the war, and can barely remember the times before it. And I agree, our children do deserve to know the peace we all long for. I have been subtly and carefully trying to nudge my husband into considering it for some years, but now that I know you're doing the same I will, of course, increase my efforts.
I pray we are both successful.
One word of warning, however - my husband's head of security has a way of finding out things. We should probably keep the correspondence to a minimum.
Queen Alenia of Kupria
Interesting story that confirms that behind a great man there is always a great woman.