C8(2) "History"

"History"
(WC 1313)

In truth, though, the king's real reason for naming his daughter had nothing to do with the protector herself. You've heard me mention the ancient book, well, it's the real reason the king chose to name her so.
“Years ago, before Tiala was even born, King Solonom discovered an ancient manuscript buried deep within the King's vault. It was apparent to him that nobody had read or even seen this book for a very long time, so he was naturally very curious about it. Through studying it, the King was able to discover many facts about our past which were quite different than what tradition would tell us. Now, normally nobody would know about this book or what it holds, because the King has kept it hidden away for years in fear of what the scholars might say about it but Tiala here, being a true daughter of the King, caught sight of this book one day and was also overcome by curiosity.”
Jaltizhetobek winked slyly at Tiala, who giggled lightly. “She stole the book away from the King for a time and delved into its secrets. And then she shared it with me, which was a great privilege and honor,” He bowed slightly before continuing.
“The book says many fantastical things. Much of it is difficult or impossible to read, but there are newer sections which chronicle many of the events surrounding the creation and demise of the Ancient Kingdom. Now, to be fair, there really isn't very much that's known about the Ancient Kingdom. We have our traditions and our opinions, sure, but true facts are few and far between.
“I think this is because there are so many different sides to the issue. Each of our three kingdoms has its own opinion about the Ancient Kingdom and tradition holds that the kingdom split because of these differences. Our ancestors couldn't see a way to live all together as one kingdom with so many different ideals floating about between them. That's why there was no great war or cataclysm which caused the separation of the Ancient Kingdom. All we know is the nobles came together in Calugress and mutually agreed to go their separate ways.
“The Jaltikij wanted nothing to do with the mages for some reason. Something about the dealings of Dour Gujhest had angered that entire faction, so they wanted to create a kingdom free from mages, a place where people could live and grow and develop without the influences of magic. It's a tradition that still continues today, as you know well, which is why poor Mesyth here has never set foot in our fair city and why she must be subjected to the noble's endless inquiries
“The Ortakij weren't particularly upset about anything, it seems. They were the faction that most desired to see the Ancient Kingdom continue. The Ortakij claimed to have the true King as their leader and wanted things to stay the way they had been for years. But it was not to be. Seeing that their beloved Ancient Kingdom would last no longer, they clung to the second prophecy as a vision of their future. They choose to believe that one day the true King – whose very heir rules over their lands – will reunite the three kingdoms once again in a new age of peace and prosperity.
“The Sinzakij did not trust the claims of the Ortakij and they did not like the way the Jaltikij shunned the mages. It was the Sinzakij, I think, who felt most strongly that a split in the Ancient Kingdom would serve everyone's interests best. I don't think the Sinzakij ever really wanted to see the kingdom divided, but they were able to recognize the vastness of the gaps forming between the three factions. There is a certain sense of wisdom in their call to draw up border lines and allow each side to take some time and 'clean their wounds' so to speak.
“But the ancient book sheds some more light on what happened at Calugress. Not a lot more, mind you, there are still many things left unsaid but it does give a deeper sense of why it was so important for these three groups to separate. You see, there was actually some kind of conflict that erupted within Calugress between the nobles. I don't know if it was just a friendly row or if more serious things were going on behind the scenes, but the ancient book says that many nobles were lost or killed almost over night because of this great argument. So, the truth is the nobles came together after this tragedy and decided they had to do something to prevent any more people from dying. It seemed the very heart of the kingdom was torn out overnight when they stopped working together and started attacking each other instead.
“Anyway, that's not really the point I was trying to get to. The really interesting thing the ancient book speaks about is the name of the Ancient Kingdom. Have you ever wondered why we are always calling it that? 'The Ancient Kingdom.' It seems so formal and nondescript. Well apparently naming the kingdom had become a big issue with the nobles back in those days. Something had happened which caused their king to decree that they would no longer use their true name – which was the Philosus. I don't know what it was, the book doesn't mention the event specifically, but there was something that happened which grieved them so much they were willing to give up the name which was their birthright. So, for many years they had no name and they sort of seemed to drift aimlessly. The book makes a point about how lost the kingdom was without a name to unite it. This continued until King Machal decreed that the kingdom would be known as Tiala – a new name to unite its people under a common cause.
“Apparently this Tial had done something for the Ancient Kingdom – stepped in somehow and saved it. Because she had done so much for them, King Machal wanted to honor her name and her legacy. There is even talk of an enormous temple which was to be constructed in her honor, so the people could come together and worship Tial, but they must have thought better of it, because there is no temple or even remains of a temple for Tial. It's all for the best, I suppose, since Tial isn't really a deity she probably wouldn't care much for people worshipping her anyway.
“But that's the real reason why Solonom named his daughter what he did. He, like many Kings before him, longs to see the three kingdoms reunited as one, setting aside their differences. He simply took the name King Machal had chosen and gave it to his daughter as an expression of the longing in his heart. It was also a very clever name to give to the daughter who would one day unite the Sinzakij and Jaltikij kingdoms through marriage. With two of the kingdoms linked as they will be, who is to say what the future may hold? Perhaps we will see the second prophecy come true after all.”
Jaltizhetobek stood abruptly after saying this and peered out his window. Mesyth was unsure why, since it was too dark outside to discern anything anyway. But he seemed contemplative, so neither one of the girls wanted to interrupt him. Then he yawned and turned back toward them.
“It is late, ladies, and you should be tucked away safely within the castle. Come, I will escort you back.”
Tiala looked a bit disappointed and Mesyth wondered how many stories she had hoped to hear that night. Neither one of them offered any objection, though. Silently, they stood and followed the burly blacksmith out the door and back to the castle.