Sir Von insisted as he readily stood and carried his belongings in a leather purse attached to his belt where his sword is hung as well.
"I'll be going then." He said as he exits the hall.
"How about laborers?" Ryvna asked sir Philip.
"If we journey to all the towns tonight to talk to each mayor to make the announcement right away first thing in the morning, we could have laborers before noon. We just need to make sure our message of urgency is delivered." She nodded making sense of what is about to happen.
"But of course, we can never reach each town in time. You'll go north, I'll go east. And the rest, we will run in some letters that will be sent from one town to another." he continued.
"Of course sir, as I head back to the palace to get change, I will ask Queen Vana to make letters, I'll be the one to send out letters," Ryvna responded undoubtedly.
"I'll see you at noon tomorrow at the borders then Ryvna." Sir Philip bid his goodbye to Ryvna as they divided their task for tonight.
"You too sir." She said and hurriedly went for the door.
For what seemed to be a good and smooth plan, at least for now, both went separate ways. Ryvna went back to the palace and Sir Philip drifted off to the east riding his horse.
"I'm not writing a letter!" The Queen Council Vanameryth said as she rebuked Ryvna's request.
Well, that was fast.
Ryvna was not expecting she would change her mind this quickly.
She looked at her in confusion and it angers her how the weight of her decision will affect Acairè. Although she expected such a rebuttal, it's rather far too soon.
"Queen Vana, you're a Queen. Are you going to risk the life of your people just so your brothers will not hate you even more?" Ryvna snapped.
She could not control her disbelief at the Queen. She might be a wise and brave queen, but her family keeps holding her back. Although Ryvna completely understands the situation the Queen is in (somehow), it does not change the fact that a Queen is a Queen.
Her duty as a ruler is far heavier than her as a sister, at the very least that's what Ryvna thought. She failed to see that knighthood is giving service to the crown and not to the people.
"Your brothers do not even feel the same way about you. They have abandoned you a long time ago. It's about time you let them go too."
Queen Vana looked at the knight with immense displeased. How can this knight ever disrespect her? How can she have such audacity to talk to a Queen like that, Vanameryth thought to herself.
"You think I don't know that?" Queen Vana said and stood from her seat.
"You think the only reason why I don't want to do this is that I can't possibly hurt my brothers? You are right Ryvna. My father warned me about this, and he doesn't want us to turn our backs on each other despite letting us fight for territories, it's ridiculous yes — but is that the only thing that I can come up to? I did not claim victory over this land for nothing." The Queen took a deep breath as she continues while Ryvna is already feeling remorse as she held her hand into a fist and her lips lightly curled inward.
"You have underestimated me." The Queen beamed unhappy with her gaze.
"My brothers are raging war at me. They pick petty fights all these years because they want me to be angry and concede to their bigger plan. As much as I don't want to fight back — I can never." The Queen said her voice decreasing as she goes.
She tried to calm down, walked into the window a few inches beside her table, and looked over at the gloomy night.
"I went to their castles and visited some of their towns. Along the way, I saw symbols marked on woods and some houses. I even glanced at a vase in the palace of Takèif with the same symbol I saw in a portrait in the palace of Xuediv... I don't know what those symbols mean, but one thing is for sure, they have already conspired with each other. With the demeanor I've faced when I went there is... uncanny." Silence then deafened Ryvna.
It's only going to be a matter of time before the whole kingdom knows the mistake of the lady knight.
"You should have... told me." Ryvna stuttered as she finally uttered some words for a while.
"Told you?" The Queen looked at her with a questioning smile. Seems like knights these days are doing things on their own now. A ridiculous thing to the queen.
"What reason would I have to tell you? I make decisions with my council and pass orders to you. What you do is executant Ryvna. I know we grew up together but I am your Queen. Now halt your plan."