Arch-Duke Jean-Baptise Dervau closed his eyes, feeling the roll of the ship beneath him and letting the spray of the sea wash over him. The sun had made a rare appearance over the channel, and Jean-Baptiste could feel the warmth of it on his face. It had been too long since he was last at sea, he missed the freedom of it. Even though, the weight of ruling the empire weighed less on his shoulders, and for a moment, he was just a boy again. But it was only a moment, and as he opened his eyes again, the significance of his position came rushing back. The coastline of Kehsi stretched out before him, drawing closer with every passing moment. Jean-Baptiste had envisioned taking this voyage before, but back then he had been a reckless teenager, envisioning himself at the head of a fleet. Turning away from the approaching shore, Jean-Baptiste allowed himself a smile at how far reality was from his fantasy. 

'[i]Tigre[/i]' was a formidable ship in her own right, but she was taking the journey alone, a flag of diplomacy flying from her mainmast rather than one of war. Jean-Baptiste had grown up hearing stories of the countless wars between Grimhout and Kehsi, and yet now he stood upon a ship sailing into the very heart of Kehsi. If his journey was successful, those wars would remain firmly in the past, and perhaps both nations could finally begin to heal those old wounds. The Archduke found his gaze drifting back towards the distant shoreline of his own nation, and for a moment, he questioned his own actions. He was proud to call Christophe his son, and he was under no illusions about his own mortality, but leaving his son as the de facto ruler of the Empire in his absence... Was it too much to thrust upon the young man's shoulders?

As if on cue, Jean-Baptiste heard the man standing next to him shift on his feet, and felt a hand on his shoulder. Tearing his eyes away from the shores of Grimhout, Jean-Baptiste glanced into the face of his brother, and saw a wry smile on the other man's face. 

[b]"I know that face. You shouldn't worry so much. Christophe is a good man, and besides, Roseline will keep him in line. She has plenty of experience with that!"[/b]

Jean-Baptiste felt the worry lifting off him as he smiled. It had been Roseline's idea to bring Marc-Antoine with him on the diplomatic mission, and he was already glad that he had listened. The brothers had grown up together, and they always seemed to know what the other one was thinking. While Charles was the care-free charmer, Marc-Antoine had always had his head screwed on right, and Jean-Baptiste had found himself coming to his youngest brother for advice more times than he could count. His mission was taking him into uncharted territory, and he could think of few men that he would rather by his side. 

[b]"Thank you, brother. But it is not only Christophe I am worried for."[/b]

For an instant, the smile on Marc-Antoine's face faltered, and he turned to look towards the coastline of Kehsi. There was a brief moment of silence as the two brothers both watched the ancient enemy draw closer. The task that lay before them was one that their ancestors had always fallen short of. Could they succeed where so many others had failed?