Demavend looked at Lann and seemed surprised that this young man could express his ideas so clearly.
However, any issue that went against Henselt seemed to motivate King Demavend to participate more enthusiastically.
"The Scoia'tael are your problem, Henselt. But escalating this into a war would just be another tactic by Nilfgaard to weaken us. If we focus on the Scoia'tael and let the real enemies pass, we're missing the point. And Nilfgaard doesn't stop at just the Scoia'tael."
Demavend stood up and looked around, stopping for a moment on the faces of Vizimir II and Foltest.
"The Scoia'tael are but a small stone in an avalanche. There are greater threats at hand."
"Vizimir, Foltest, your kingdoms frequently trade with the south. I'm sure you've noticed similar situations as well."
"It is rumored that in the territories occupied by Nilfgaard, peasants and artisans live better, with more freedom and prosperity. The merchant guilds enjoy more privileges..."
The kings of Redania and Temeria, who have many port trading cities, nodded slightly. They have heard of such rumors a long time ago.
"Our markets are about to be flooded with Nilfgaard's products. It is said that in Lower Sodden, Nilfgaard's currency has already completely replaced our own. If we do not act, we will be relegated to a corner of the North, destined to slowly perish. Because—listen carefully—Nilfgaard will block any expansion to the south, and if we do not grow and expand, our children will have nowhere to live."
The room fell silent. Vizimir sighed deeply and picked up a glass of wine, drinking in long sips.
During that long silence, the rain beat against the windows and the wind howled, shaking the shutters.
"Nilfgaard's methods are far more than that." Foltest said: "In my lands, a group of priests, preachers and fortune tellers have appeared, speaking of the end of the world. Their message: a savior will come from the south. From the south! Beyond the Yaruga!"
"The White Flame." Demavend murmured. "I've heard that before. It's a distorted version of the prophecy of the elf Ithlinne Aegli aep Aevenien. I arrested one such preacher in Vengerberg. I asked him politely how much gold Emhyr had paid him... but he spoke only of fire and the White Queen until his dying breath."
"Be careful, Demavend." Vizimir warned with a frown. "Don't make martyrs of them. That's what Emhyr wants. You can arrest all the Nilfgaardians you want, but don't touch the priests. The consequences would be unpredictable. They are still respected and have a lot of influence over the people. We don't want riots in the cities, nor a war with our own peasants."
"Damn it!" Henselt slammed the table. "Let's not do this, let's not do that...? Are we here to talk only about what we can't do? We must first decide what we can do!"
"That's exactly what I've been saying all along." Vizimir stood up. "I propose we take action."
"What kind of action?"
"What can we do?"
Silence fell again. The wind roared, shaking the castle windows.
No one wanted to be the first to speak. First they looked at Lann. Then at Queen Meve.
"What are you all looking at me for?"
"We are admiring your beauty, Meve." Henselt muttered as he drank the wine in his glass.
"I agree." Vizimir added with a smile. "Meve, we all know that there is no problem you can't solve. You have a woman's intuition, you are a wise..."
"Stop flattering me." Meve interrupted.
"Let me summarize: Henselt wants to remove the Scoia'tael from his territory. Demavend, Vizimir, and Foltest are concerned about rumors and trade in their lands, but the root of it all is Nilfgaard."
"And I have my own problems, too. My kingdom is in constant conflict with Nilfgaard, and I long to put an end to it."
"We all have demands, too many things we want to do. But if we organize our priorities, I think we should remember one thing: when did all this start?"
This sentence turned everyone's attention back to Lann.
"After the fall of Cintra."
Lann knew that it was time for him to speak.
"Everyone has expressed their demands, only you have remained silent." Foltest sneered. "Although we know your purpose without guessing, I still want to hear you talk about it - how do you want to persuade us to support you?"
Lann took a deep breath, looking at Vizimir II, who sat seriously; at Henselt, who looked visibly annoyed; at Foltest, who looked mocking; and at Meve, who looked at him with concern.
"Your Majesties each have your own problems, and you all expect solutions. But all of these complications actually come from one source: Nilfgaard."
"And although I am not a monarch like you, I know that when one part moves, the whole body is affected. If you decide to confront Nilfgaard directly, then losses will be inevitable in any case. The soldiers, who not long ago fought in the Battle of Sodden Hill, need to rest, recuperate, and regain their morale."
Lann continued: "But Cintra is different. We have always been Nilfgaard's staunchest opponents. We were once the gateway to the North, and now we are ready to be the vanguard to drive the Nilfgaardians back to the South."
"But Cintra now only has Brokilon. Although we seem to be on good terms with the dryads, those green-skinned women will not leave their forest to fight for us."
"We have other alliances and full confidence in the restoration of Cintra." Lann continued. "Of course, I hope to gain your support in terms of military strength, just like in the Battle of Sodden Hill. But if that is not possible, I hope to at least gain financial, technical, or equipment support. Or, if it is feasible, that you divert Nilfgaard's attention to other fronts so that they cannot respond to our counterattack."
"At least you should issue a joint statement or call for resistance against Nilfgaard to become the common wish of the entire North."
Vizimir II intervened at the right moment: "Gentlemen, we need Cintra. A free, independent and strong country. One that can be the steel gate that serves as a barrier to the north of Nilfgaard, instead of a wasteland where your knights can gallop at will."
Henselt frowned. "Is it possible to rebuild a Cintra like this? Calanthe is no longer here."
"The Lioness is dead, but now we have a Lion." Meve added, supporting Lann. "Stop testing the young man, he has already proven himself on the battlefield."
With the clear support of Vizimir II and Queen Meve, and the approval of the King of Aedirn, half of those present were already on Lann's side.
Henselt stroked his beard, deep in thought.
At this point, Foltest, who had been looking out of the window, finally returned to his seat. He coldly asked two questions: "Lannister, answer me this: Who will rule Cintra in the future? And where is the missing Princess Cirilla?"
Foltest glanced around before saying: "Nilfgaard is our enemy, that is indisputable."
"Temeria alone could take on Nilfgaard, but if we could have a barrier to keep them out, that would be much better. And that's not up for debate either."
"But what about after that? After retaking Cintra? Who will rule Cintra?"
Foltest raised a key question: "Lannister? Or the missing Cirilla, who has not been seen for over a year?"
Lann frowned, understanding where the conversation was heading, but replied: "Naturally, it will be Princess Cirilla. She is the granddaughter of my aunt Calanthe, first in line to the throne."
"Perfect, if that's the case, then there is a second question."
"Thanks to the story of the 'knight and the princess', everyone in the North knows of the relationship between the Lion and the young Lioness, but..." Foltest paused, looking at Lann. "You're no longer a knight, you're now a witcher, right?"
Lann's lion eyes locked with Foltest's. "Yes, I have never denied this."
"Then, as I said, Everyone knows about your relationship, so what should we do about Princess Cirilla's marriage when she grows up? As far as I know, witchers are infertile. "
Foltest shook his head. "We can't spend so much effort to support Cintra, only to see Cintra collapse again because of the lack of heirs decades later? What should we do then? Hold another meeting and support Cintra again?"
His words struck a nerve. Not only Henselt, but King Vizimir II, Queen Meve and Demavend also showed doubts on their faces.
Vizimir II frowned, but still said: "That is something we must consider in the future. Right now, the problem of Nilfgaard is our priority."
"But it is something we must consider, sooner or later." Foltest replied.
The other kings had no choice but to admit that it was a matter worthy of discussion.
"If you ask me, there is only one solution." Henselt laughed. "Let's marry that Princess Cirilla to the son of one of those present. Foltest, isn't that your plan? I've heard that you have several illegitimate children."
"If I'm not mistaken, Henselt, you have no heirs either, and you don't seem to be interested in having more either." Demavend suddenly intervened.
Henselt slammed the table and stood up.
Lann looked at Foltest, realizing that the king had not yet given up on his initial plan. It seemed that Adda had failed to convince her father to provide more support to Cintra.
Lann knew that he had to make some promises at this moment.
"Princess Cirilla is only twelve years old this year, and she is far from the age of marriage." Lann said slowly. "But I can assure you that Cintra will have an heir with lion's blood."
"Not only that!" Henselt added, stroking his beard, always looking to create chaos. "That heir must have blood ties to one of us here today. After all, we're helping Cintra, shouldn't we get something in return? And for the record, I'm not thinking about myself, because I have no children!"
Vizimir II fell silent, and Demavend stopped arguing with Henselt, turning his gaze to Lann.
It was a solution that benefited all the kingdoms of the North.
Only Queen Meve lowered her gaze. "My two sons are not made to be kings, or princes, and I don't want them to ruin another kingdom."
Foltest pretended to praise her: "That's why your beauty and kindness are legendary in the North, Meve."
Lann endured everyone's gazes, returning each one's gaze.
However, in his mind, he was going beyond this meeting. If he remembered correctly, everyone present, except Queen Meve, would die prematurely.
When and how would they die? Could the process be sped up? The Northern Kingdoms were too numerous...
Lann said meaningfully: "I am not one to fail to understand the bigger picture. If your majesties insist, then the future ruler of Cintra will be related to your heirs."
"I also know that it is best for Cintra. But the princess is young, and the matter of marriage still needs to be discussed."
"Great." Foltest nodded with satisfaction, as if he had won. "Our help to Cintra is also based on this agreement. If Cintra breaks the contract in the future, we also have the right to withdraw our help!"
The threat was clear, and Lann looked directly at him.
"Of course. Rest assured, I will not give you the chance to withdraw your help."
Lann joked, and the kings present responded with smiles, albeit with varying intensity.
Then Lann smiled too.
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