The Queen of Tristain was somewhat relieved. As Henrietta had mentioned, Tristain had always maintained good relations with Albion, and she had indeed intended to send aid to the Albion royal family.
However, before she could make a final decision, they received news that Prince Wales had been killed by the rebels.
With Prince Wales being the last remaining member of the Albion royal family, his death signified that the kingdom of Albion was now under the control of new leaders.
If Tristain had sent troops to support Prince Wales at that time, they might have become a thorn in the side of Albion's new rulers.
When the Queen shared this information, both Henrietta and Wood were taken aback, their faces showing disbelief.
Henrietta was in shock that her betrothed, Prince Wales, had died, while Wood was surprised that the plot had once again deviated!
"Do you understand now? Although Prince Wales was once betrothed to you, that was never made public, so it holds no weight.
Now that Albion's royal family has undergone a complete change, our priority should not be provoking them but figuring out how to establish a new friendship with them."
Henrietta, upon hearing of Wales's death, collapsed to the ground, her body limp.
Was Henrietta's relationship with Prince Wales really that deep?
Not exactly. Henrietta's interactions with Prince Wales were limited to a few brief meetings during their childhood.
As shown by the fact that Louise was her only childhood companion, Henrietta's childhood was incredibly lonely.
During that time, the handsome and charismatic Prince Wales suddenly entered her life, and the young, impressionable Henrietta couldn't resist his sweet words, leading her to pledge herself to him.
Even though they had little time together and no significant experiences, Henrietta still saw Wales as her beloved. Learning of his death was a heavy blow to her.
Seeing her daughter's state, the Queen felt a pang of heartache but kept a stern expression.
"You are the sole heir to the throne of Tristain, destined to be the next queen.
I don't need to tell you how heavy the burden on your shoulders is. Sometimes, personal feelings must be set aside for the good of the kingdom."
As the Queen was reprimanding Henrietta, Wood stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, instead of reprimanding the princess, I believe it would be wiser to prepare for what is coming.
If what you say is true, that Prince Wales is dead, then Albion will soon attack Tristain."
Hearing someone interrupt her while she was scolding her daughter, the Queen of Tristain looked displeased, especially when she saw that it was Wood. She even considered punishing him.
However, as she pondered Wood's words, her expression shifted to one of disbelief, and she stared at Wood intently.
"What do you mean by that? Even if Albion is now ruled by new leaders, there's no reason for them to suddenly attack Tristain."
The Queen of Tristain thought it was simple—while Albion's new rulers might not be as friendly as before, there was no bad blood between them, so why would they suddenly wage war on Tristain?
"Has Your Majesty considered why Albion suddenly fell into chaos and why the royal family was slaughtered, leaving only Prince Wales?
Let me be frank. As a familiar summoned to this world, I possess a certain ability to foresee the future, allowing me to glimpse brief moments of what is to come."
"Princess Henrietta knew Prince Wales was in danger because I foresaw it.
And just now, I saw a new vision of the future. A hidden mastermind is using the legendary 'Ring of Andvari' to grant the deceased Prince Wales a false life and command him to order an attack on Tristain under the guise of royal authority."
Given Henrietta's current state of shock, it was unlikely she could provide any proof of his powers, so Wood had no choice but to directly confess his fabricated ability to the Queen.
In theory, a commoner suddenly claiming to have such abilities in front of a nation's ruler would be considered insane and thrown out.
But with Henrietta's example and Wood being an unprecedented human familiar, the Queen of Tristain couldn't help but wonder if there was truth in Wood's words.
"If Albion were to attack Tristain, they would likely target the harbor first, giving them a strong foothold for a landing operation.
Albion is renowned for its aerial forces. I believe their scouts are already over Tristain.
While Tristain might not have a dragon knight corps, you do have airships, but I suspect they've already lost contact."
Seeing how Wood analyzed the situation so thoroughly, the Queen of Tristain, despite her doubts, immediately summoned General Gramont, Guiche's father.
When the portly middle-aged man heard why the Queen had summoned him, he burst into laughter, confidently assuring her that the aerial forces were perfectly fine and urging her not to listen to the ramblings of an unknown person.
To further prove his point, General Gramont attempted to contact Tristain's aerial forces in front of everyone.
However, he quickly found himself in an awkward position when he realized that they had suddenly lost contact with the forces monitoring Tristain's borders.
"It must be that they're busy with something important or that communication is disrupted due to the distance..."
"I think they've probably been taken out. If they want to catch Tristain off guard, they first need to blind Tristain.
Albion is likely already mobilizing its army. Once their forces are gathered, can an unprepared Tristain withstand their assault?"
Wood knew that in this upcoming battle, Albion would throw everything it had at Tristain in a desperate gamble.
The one controlling Prince Wales and issuing the orders was Sheffield, the 'Mind of God.' She cared little for what would happen to Albion after defeating Tristain.
In fact, her mission was to bring down both Albion and Tristain.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 200+ at patreon.com/Betek.