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Altina began to write.
Dear Duchess Agustria,
A worried conscience is what prompts this letter that I am sending to you. I will cut to the chase: I cannot help but be filled with gnawing dread at the news that the Wizard Queen intends to pursue Athius. Those waters are largely unexplored, for good reason — and yet, at this juncture, Evelyn Koeve shows an uncharacteristic willingness to poke at its depths. One can only hazard a guess as to why, but all the same, I am not foolish enough to simply wave it away.
I am sure you see the cracks. They are starting to show. More than that, I reckon the illusion of calm will soon rupture, if it has not already. The people have wizened up, the nobles peeling the scales from their eyes. They are aware of what has been taken from them in broad daylight. The parties, the galas, the merry-making: these follies will soothe their ache no longer.
You are a learned woman, Duchess — more learned than I in matters of finance. I assume you are not blind to what has been happening. The Wizard Queen has set her machinations in place since her coronation. The taxation, her growing military, the takeover of the Glasic Fields: all moves to eat away at the integrity of Arrowfell, and by extension, its very cities. The Wizard Queen gets to stuff her stomach, while the rest of us slowly languish.
With word of Duke Rhinecliff’s rebellion having already reached her ears, she is no doubt set on snuffing it out. Should the duke fall, so do our hopes of freeing ourselves from the manacles of despotism. I cannot allow that. And so, I plan to aid Duke Rhinecliff in his cause.
…Which is also why I seek an audience with you, Duchess. I know of your friendship with Duke Rhinecliff. Moreover, the Duke of Rockhold has informed me of a secret meeting between you and the Wizard Queen. I wish to know the details of your discussion with her.Her thoughts now completely laid out on paper, she contemplated briefly to crumple the parchment up, to start over, to resort to her usual tactics. But she would remind herself this:
I must be transparent with people I will soon call allies. Thus, she would choose not to dilute the sincerity behind her words.
Delivered by her finest eagle, which was enchanted by wind magic, the letter would arrive at the Caelin’s duchess’ doorstep within the day.
—
Duchess Agustria briefly recalled the letter as she settled into her seat across from her fellow duchess. She had burned the document after reading, naturally. Things were moving very fast now, and normally, risking a meeting like this was too risky for her to entertain. But with the knowledge that she was furnished with by the Queen herself, and her pending arrival in the Grand Banks, keeping Altina in the loop instead of just Laurent was an acceptable risk. Sitting next to her was her ever present lady in waiting, Countess Minuette, who, as was often as of late, Mirie’s main facilitator for discrete travel through the crystal that she carried.
After the initial and typical pleasantries, the duchess got down to business. Given the timeline, there was not much time to spare, after all. “So, how may Caelin help Agrovia?”
Altina straightened herself in her seat, her tea cup dropping to the edge of the table between her and Duchess Agustria. The mere presence of the monarch was a shock to her, what with the last minute nature of her summons. Duke Dadreak's words proved correct after all: the Caelin duchess would indeed show her favor.
"Nay, ruler of the Grand Bank," Altina answered, wagging a finger in whimsical protest. "We will be scratching each other's backs.
I will benefit, and so will
you."
Noticing the urgency in the duchess' voice, she accented her own with a similar timbre. "The sea of Athius. I fear something lurks there that could endanger us all, in one way or another."
Her eyes would begin to travel to nowhere in particular, a sure sign she was deep in thought. "The stars have aligned, divining an inferno that can no longer be put out." The meandering lenses would eventually meet Duchess Agustria's. "That is to say, Duke Rhinecliff's rebellion."
Clearing her throat, "I will make my allegiances known here, so as to dispel any doubt: I stand by the duke."
She had made the fact obvious enough in her letter, but she also felt a need to express it in person. "The Wizard Queen must already know it, despite my posturing."
Her folded hands would land on the table, poised to once again grab at her tea. "And now she intends to gather us in one place, stranded from the safety of land. Like lambs to slaughter, no?" A slight tip of the head. "Which is why I must ask, Duchess, for your sake and mine: what does she seek to gain from Athius?"
Mirie’s reply was careful and measured. “Perhaps. The state of affairs will come to a head,” she confirmed. It was also her preference to draw out the prelude for as long as she could, but considering what had happened to the Corrin family, even she couldn’t stand idle. It was no secret that her agenda tended to favor a status quo, for many reasons that also remained private, but by merely being here, it was obvious it was time for her to make a move– as with the others, the Queen being successful here would be problematic for her.
It had also been obvious to the duchess that her counterpart had thrown in her lot with Rhinecliff, even before the letter, but she refrained from voicing it. “The Queen has been bold, but I’m not so sure her goal is to do that,” she continued, referring to her gathering of the high nobility on the high seas. “She will be there herself, as will the best of my fleet.”
She sighed. “Somehow, I’m not surprised that meeting did not remain secret. The Queen did not apprise me of the specific details. However, she made it clear that she has the means to properly reach Athius, and what she finds there would likely change the balance of power in the province –perhaps even further abroad. Did you receive a letter from our… neighbor?”
A soft chuckle, and then a sigh. "Well, you know what they say, Duchess. Even the walls themselves have ears."
Though the Caelin monarch’s answer left much to be desired, what with its ambiguity, Altina couldn't help but feel a sense of relief momentarily wash over her. Perhaps the recent events had turned her paranoid, causing her to jump to nonsensical conclusions.
…
She shook her head, her lips wrinkling into a smile.
The Wizard Queen will unveil her trump card, and I shall be there to witness it. A moment of introspection.
Was this to be an act of intimidation, flaunting a mighty weapon in front of her foes?
Regardless, even discounting any hidden schemes, Altina believed she could only stand to gain from them.
Information is vital, she would reiterate to herself.
And in the hands of wise men, it is a sword that rivals all others. The words lingered in her mind.
A sword that the queen will find lodged in her chest, if she is not cautious.
After taking a well-needed sip of her tea, Altina would speak again, addressing the Caelin monarch’s inquiry. "You mean the spectral King of Ravenfell," she clarified. "Why yes, I did indeed receive correspondence from him." Her face would inch ever closer towards the woman, her hands framing the roguish look upon it. "You wish to hear him out as well?" She asked coyly, knowing what lay between the duchess' veil.
Opportunities. One must pursue them with calculated relentlessness. She was of a similar sort, after all.
She recited the king's missive in her head, remembering his turns of phrase. "Quite the flatterer, that one."
"He seems to be keenly abreast of all matters in Arrowfell. Do you figure he shares a history with the Wizard Queen?"
“Yes,” Mirie answered simply. “I also received a similar letter,” she continued, shrugging at her counterpart’s following observations.
There were a lot of things to consider with the King of Ravenfell, and frankly, she didn’t have a high opinion of him. She hardly trusted him, for one, although she trusted his instinct for survival.
“Of course he does. I can’t guess as to what it was at this juncture, but I’m not surprised. More importantly, what the Queen did mention is this weapon she intends to retrieve–” she gestured in the air at that, “--Seems to meant to deal with him, too. Frankly, I don’t trust him either, but I would be remiss to not see what he has to say. If the Queen can take an entire king out of play, then I am truly concerned.”
Altina expressed her agreement with a nod. "We are of the same mind, Duchess Agustria."
Rising to her feet, "I shan't keep you any longer, Duchess. Time is precious, and the hour draws near."
She extended a hand. "I must thank you again, for entertaining this silly request of mine." A serious gaze. “Odonfield's flame will not fade; Arrowfell will weather the coming storm."
“Indeed,” the Duchess responded, returning the handshake. “I suspect we will be meeting again quite soon.”
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