To Altria's surprise, Morgan greeted her with a broad smile. "Knight Altria, you did well," Morgan said warmly. She was genuinely pleased that her sister had resisted King Leodegrance's temptation. Morgan wanted to pat Altria on the head in praise, but hesitated, feeling a bit awkward about her current appearance as a man. She decided against it, glancing at Lott instead.
"Really?" Altria asked, her happiness evident. "Don't worry, I would never betray you and Lott."
"Really? Even if Merlin himself ordered you to?" Morgan asked further, her tone serious. She knew that if Altria were to join Leodegrance, it would mean a significant loss of knights for Camelot, which would weaken Merlin's position.
"Yes, even if Merlin were to command me," Altria responded firmly. She had her convictions and was not easily swayed.
"Ah, very good," Morgan said, clearly relieved. As long as Altria remained loyal, the machinations of Leodegrance and Merlin would be futile. Morgan promised, "I'll remember this and reward you well when we return."
"Really!?" Altria's eyes widened with surprise and delight.
"Really," Morgan affirmed with encouragement.
Altria left with a smile, and Morgan and Lott also departed, leaving King Leodegrance and Guinevere behind, both visibly disheartened.
"Daughter, it seems this knight Altria is too loyal to Lott. We should give up on persuading her," King Leodegrance said to Guinevere.
Guinevere, still in disbelief, turned to her father. "Father, do you think I'm not pretty enough?"
"How could that be?" Leodegrance responded quickly. "You are the most beautiful girl in Britain. No one would dare say otherwise."
Even if he were not Guinevere's father, he could not deny her beauty. Yet, it puzzled him why Altria had rejected his offer despite Guinevere's beauty and the sincerity of the proposal.
King Leodegrance sighed and suggested, "Perhaps, daughter, you should choose someone else. I can find someone more handsome and stronger to be your suitor. How about that?"
"No, I won't agree to that," Guinevere said firmly, "I've set my heart on Altria."
King Leodegrance, seeing his daughter's resoluteness, could only agree reluctantly. It seemed there was no convincing her otherwise.
...
Back in the lounge, Morgan and Lott began discussing their next steps. Morgan, ever the strategist, wanted to extract every bit of ingenuity from Lott to resolve their current dilemma.
"What do you think, should we protest to King Leodegrance tomorrow?" Morgan proposed.
"Protest? How would that work? If we openly oppose the king, it could damage our standing. Who would come to us for support then?" Lott refuted the idea.
"True," Morgan agreed. "Then let's focus on ensuring Altria remains steadfast and doesn't waver at King Leodegrance's advances."
"Yes, our priority now is to reinforce Altria's commitment," Lott concurred.
Morgan reassured herself that Altria, unlike Lily, was unlikely to change her stance unless Merlin intervened significantly. Morgan had already warned Altria about potential manipulations by Merlin, so she anticipated no further issues.
Still, for added security, Morgan planned to keep a close eye on Merlin. To this end, she decided that Lott would need to monitor Merlin closely.
Morgan leaned against Lott and rested her chin on his chest, drawing circles with her finger. "You know, if Altria were a man, it might have been different. She could have married Guinevere, and we might have gained a lot from King Leodegrance."
Lott reminded of the 150 knights, felt a pang of loss. "Yes, it's distressing to think about losing them."
Morgan and Lott's thoughts aligned with their concern. Lott mused about the lost opportunities and the challenges ahead.
Morgan, sensing Lott's frustration, tried to comfort him in a gentler manner than usual due to her current condition. She gently traced patterns on his chest, finding comfort in the closeness.
As Morgan thought about their situation, an idea began to form. She suddenly sat up with a glint of excitement in her eyes. "Lott, I think I've got a plan."
"Huh? What is it?" Lott asked, looking at Morgan with curiosity.