Zonna sat on her bed and held a letter in her hands. A letter from her beloved Enzo, who was staying in Bazionia. She missed him, but in a year she would see him again, and when she graduated from the Academy they would marry. She opened the letter and began to read it.
"My beloved, it has been a long time since we have seen each other and I miss you very much. I wish I could embrace you in my arms, feel the touch of your skin, taste your lips. I can't wait for the moment when I will see you again and be by your side. Nothing can express my longing for you. If I could, I would go to you to be by your side."
Enzo's words filled Zonna with incredible happiness and joy. She wasn't the only one who wanted to be by the side of her dearest. He felt the same. She wasn't the only one suffering from longing.
"You don't even know how frightened I was by your last letter in which you described your meeting with Raksa. Nearly I would have gone to Raalo to see if you were okay. It wasn't until Anze, the diplomat leading our delegation to Bazionia, convinced me that everything was fine with you since you wrote your letter to me. That doesn't make me worry any less about you, but he was right. I only noticed it after a few days. However, please write again if you are okay."
A smile appeared on Zonna's face due to the concern Enzo had for her. He wanted to see her when he found out that she was in a dangerous situation. She didn't want to worry him, but just his concern for her wellbeing made her heart grow warmer.
"Probably as you know your father sent me to Bazionia to observe and advise Anze. However, we were lucky and met Princess Riza Griff on the way to the capital. She became interested in my reforms in the county and we made acquaintance quite easily. We had an audience granted to King Raizon thanks to her help."
Progress on Enzo's side was going better than she thought. In Raalo, the diplomats neglected to network with the magnates, admittedly through no fault of their own, as they did not receive instructions. In Bazionia, on the other hand, the delegation had already gained access to the king at the outset. Zonna was curious to see how the situation developed further.
"Our meeting with the king went very well, he even accepted our offer of friendly relations with his country in exchange for giving them access to my reforms. What's more, he offered a three-year security guarantee for Balmaszeglodia for them."
Now this was something she didn't expect, but she was actually incredibly happy. In such a short time, a short-term solution to their problem with their aggressive neighbors had been found. In addition, her Enzo had contributed quite a bit to this achievement! His reforms gained the interest of the princess and made King Raizon give such a generous offer. She couldn't wait to see what else the young count wrote in his letter.
"Unfortunately, this offer had a condition attached, which I thought about intensely even later, after the decision was made. I still believe that there was no choice but to accept it. You can't put your happiness above the fate of the whole country. The condition I mentioned was my stay in Bazionia for the next three years. Only then will I be able to see you. It gloats..."
She was no longer able to focus on the words that were written in the letter. Her initial joy turned into shock and disbelief. She won't be able to see Enzo for another three years. It hurts, it hurts a lot. She was with him a few days after a year of not seeing each other, only to be separated from him again. She knew it would be another long separation, but after a year they were supposed to get back together! Now that too was taken from her.
In Zonna's eyes , full of still unshed tears, there was a sudden determination. The past weeks had hardened her spirit. First, she barely escaped with her life from the deadly Raksa. Then she lost her dream of becoming a mage. In both cases, she couldn't stand it and had to rebounded by crying.
She had had enough of that! She won't cry again when something happens. She is a princess, a future queen, and she can't afford to break under adversity and hard luck.
It's not a tragedy that she and Enzo won't see each other for another three years. She was full of concern about how this would affect their relationship, but she had faith in her beloved and herself. She will not cry about it. Of this or any other adversity. It may be hard for her, but she knows that she can afford a lot. At this moment, she decided to herself that the only tears she will shed next in her life will be those of joy.
Zonna finished Enzo's letter, which contained his own anxieties and doubts over this decision. However, he knew he was doing the right thing, because as her future spouse, he must be willing to make sacrifices for their country. She herself shared these convictions. This sacrifice of their time together would give Balmaszeglodia three years of security.
The young princess began to think hard. Initially, her plans to stay in Raalo were to study at the Academy and try to join the Alliance of Ardea. Now she thinks that this is far too little! She needs to do more! Those stronger than you will take away your valuables or your right to choose. Just as happened with her time with Enzo. She must become strong herself so that no one will ever take anything from her again. The young Nordic woman finally got out of bed and sat down at her desk. She began to write down what she came up with.
First of all, she must not neglect her studies. This must be her priority. She is in a place with the best professors on the continent and if she squanders this opportunity it will be unforgivable. She must make the most of her opportunity. True, she is only fourteen and has plenty of time to progress, but the world will not wait for her. Her main asset is her intelligence, and she must arm herself with the knowledge to put it to good use.
Secondly, she should absolutely take her sword-fighting training and her body in general seriously. She was in shape, but in no way ready to face danger. Her father's words and running away from Raksa made her realize that she was vulnerable. It can't go on like this any longer! Realistically speaking, she has no chance of being a mage, but a warrior she can become. She is a Nord, their bodies have better stamina and are more durable. She must take advantage of this asset.
The next item on her list was the Alliance of Ardea. Simply seeking support for the idea of her country joining the alliance among Raalo leaders is not enough. She must not only enlarge her efforts to gain the support of the leading Maji of the other members of the Alliance. She should also be prepared to fail in this matter. Three years of Balmaszeglodia's security must not be lost. Deepening relations with other countries is also important to receive their possible support in the future.
Momend and Norvolonetel are the countries they should turn to for help. However, not in a request to give security guarantees, as now to Bazionia, but to build an alliance against Kahaberthia, Balumegradvia and Nyirgyar. If Momend and Norvolonetel tied up the forces of the first two states then Balmaszeglodia would have any chance against the latter. What could tip the scales in their favor could be Sangeria's involvement in the conflict. Trying to convince King Tomaz should be easier than the other two possible allies.
The last thing she should do is recruit talented Maji who could support her in the future. They didn't have to become her subjects, but they should stand by her side in a possible war. She even already had four candidates. They were Marzee, Sirius, Segga and Hanes. Each could contribute something that could help in the eventual victory.
Marzee was her friend and servant, her support is certain. Her organizational skills would be an invaluable help. What she needed to work on was becoming a mage as soon as possible. Sirius, on the other hand, could train soldiers and, if he wanted to, take part in battles himself. Segga can gather information and has a huge network of contacts on the continent in the form of merchant friends. Access to it would be fantastic. A way to make better weapons could be purchased from Hanes, he also could be hired to apprentice the blacksmiths of Balmaszeglodia.
That was all she could come up with for now. Zonna looked at the plan and was satisfied with it. It was time to go to bed, with busy months ahead of her starting the next day.