The Flower Of Finland

[Margrave]

"The Bloom of Finland"

Two weeks before the nuclear strike on Helsinki...

[i]The City of New-Murmansk, founded by the veterans of a long distant war, was a leftover of the first Marchar holdings in Finland. Founded and built by the remnants of the Camberlain Royal Marine Corps, it had quietly thrived as a Finnish-Marchar outpost in the northernmost part of Finland. It's founders were long in the grave, but their descendents had maintained their home-and their honor-since before the Tintagyl fled for sunnier climes. And in this city of honor and oaths, a secret that would change the face of Europe quietly flowered under the watchful eye of an ancient order...The Marchar Guards...[/i]"Garnet..."
The old Marchar sighed as he tried to reason with his young charge, a young woman just blooming into her twenties. The soft light of the overhead bulbs cast slight shadows against her face, making her appear more angry than she truly was; he knew that in a second. But he was still too old for this! Playing hand-servant to the daughter of the oath-line would do what Chinese and Cultist guns could not; put him straight into his grave.

"my dear "Regulus", you know perfectly well that the time of my emergence is drawing near. Would it really be so aweful if a sighting or two heralded me to the nation? I am impatient to gather the people, Regulus. Even now the rebels to the south of us raise a hue-and-cry against Helsinki, and the government's control has not reached but a hundred miles away from the coastlines...and the Gem of Finland sits dull in the hands of our poor cousin. What of your man in the city? What does he say?"

Regulus shook his head tiredly. "He has not sent any word since the last message, my lady..and that was, as you know, perfectly beautiful in its brevity: "Wait." And that is what we SHALL do, my lady, righteous fury or no. It is that man who helped your family remain as obscure as they wished until one was born who would willingly take up the burden you have. It is better that you bide your time and train as you can; your ancestor would not take kindly to you showing up in the capitla half-cocked and under-prepared, "Garnet."

The young woman smirked at his use of her codename; even here they were only mostly safe, after all. "My ancestor was young and unguided when they took up this "Burden", Regulus; I am already much more prepared. But to business; I have recieved the missive of Arch-Bishop Mikelson of Helsinki, and he has promised us his endorsement when the time comes. With that, we also have the Police Chief of Turku, the CEO of that security firm in the south...and now a letter has come from a woman who is the daughter of the Lilians, and has trained over women quite secretly to give life back to her tradition. With all of this, and the support of the Guards, what worries should I have?"

The man called Regulus knocked against the concrete wall they stood by. "This substance is quite thick...but not as thick as your head, on occasion. It would also never stand up to a proper bunker buster, the kind the Slavs, the Germans, and the Dalmatians have access to. So we will be patient, and wait, and before you realize, you will face the whole world as the Flower of Finland."
*Three days after the Strike On Helsinki*
"My Lady...All has been made ready."
Outside of the fortified compound that the girl had called home for too long, a small army stood silently at attention; men of the North who had put down arms long before had rallied to the brief radio message flying all over Finland : "Hold to Hope; Rally At New Murmansk; the Valkyrie has Risen." And in the Marchar Underground, another message went out; "The Oath to the Rose stands; the Flower of Finland blooms once more; Rally in the city of the survivors!" It was these words that had rallied farmers, warriors and soldiers of the Finnish Army...Even a reserve tank battalion had joined their ranks; ready to save Finland from those who wounded it.. .and the bandits who currently plagued the North.
The young woman turned to them, speaking loudly and clearly without the aid of a microphone. a Hanseatic Banner flying behind her, she pointed to the masses of men and women ready to fight for her cause:

"Brothers and Sisters! I will not waste you here, listening to long-winded speeches. But I will tell you this; we are not a revolution, we are the SOLUTION! What we do now, we do for Finland! We shall cleanse the North of the bandits and evil men taking advantage of our government; and once the deed is done, we will rescue the government from the rebels who would destroy all we hold dear! Are you with me?!"

The roar of the crowd answered that. The men readied for the long march to the south; and Garnet took her place at the head of the column. Regulus settled next to her with a sigh, her Guards surrounding her, she looked every bit the princess...and a [i]Tintagyl[/i].
"Now! Forward...March!"

And the Liberation Army did...for glory, for honor...and for [i]Finland[/i].