"Oh look, the king graces us with his presence! Crown's slipping, darling."
You know how much I've missed you...
rolls her eyes Oh, how original, Tinra. I'm sure I'm just thrilled to be here with you, the almighty and powerful king.
chuckles Still as fiery as ever, I see.
crosses her arms Well, someone has to keep you in check, Your Highness. And I'm definitely not going to let you forget your place.
You know your place, my love.
leans forward, smirking Oh, I know my place, Tinra. And it's time you remember yours too. raises an eyebrow
laughs softly Always so assertive.
narrows her eyes Assertive? I prefer to think of it as necessary.
It's necessary that I respect you, don't I?
smirks Respect is earned, Tinra. And right now, you're earning zero points in the respect department. taps her fingers on the table
smiles wryly Fair enough. What can I do to earn back your respect then?
leans back, crossing her arms Well, Tinra, if you want to earn back my respect, you better start acting like the king you claim to be.
smirks And what makes you think I haven't been acting like a king?
rolls her eyes dramatically Oh please, Tinra. I've seen your reign, and let's just say it's been more of a tyrannical monarchy than a benevolent one.
So, what would a benevolent queen do?
raises an eyebrow A benevolent queen would be wise, just, and compassionate. She would have the people's trust and respect.
chuckles You're quite critical, aren't you?
Isabella's words hit Tinra hard, making him realize the impact of his leadership on those around him
No, love. I'm not being hurt or defensive. Just...reflective.
leans forward, giving Tinra a piercing gaze Reflective? You think reflecting on your actions is going to magically fix everything?
sighs No, Isabella. I'm reflecting on us. Our relationship. How it's changed over time.
rolls her eyes Oh please, Tinra. Don't act like our relationship is some beautiful love story.
It doesn't have to be a love story, but it can't be a tragedy either.
scoffs Tragedy? Oh, you think our relationship is a tragedy? Well, lucky for you, I'm not the tragic hero type.
smirks Let's stop with the literary references, shall we? This isn't a book, Isabella.
throws her hands up in exasperation Fine, no more literary references. How about we talk in plain, simple terms then?
leans in Plain, simple terms? I like that. So, what's your take on our current situation, Isabella?
leans back, crossing her arms Our current situation? Let me break it down for you in simple terms, Tinra. pauses
raises an eyebrow Alright, I'm listening.
takes a deep breath The people are suffering under your rule, Tinra. They are afraid, they are oppressed, and their trust in you is dwindling.
frowns And how do you know that the people are suffering? Have you been secretly meeting with them behind my back?
leans forward, smirking Oh, Tinra, you underestimate me.
rolls her eyes Underestimate you? Absolutely not. But let me tell you something, Tinra. The people don't need secret meetings to tell them what they feel.
chuckles Clever, Isabella. But clever won't be enough to convince me.
Isabella pulls out a folder filled with documents and evidence of the people's suffering under Tinra's rule. She opens it and spreads the documents across the table.
raising an eyebrow Evidence, Isabella? You've turned detective now?
smirks Detective work is my specialty, Tinra. And trust me, these documents will open your eyes.
pushes the documents towards Tinra Look through these, Tinra. Read the stories, see the evidence. Then tell me if you still think you're doing the people any good.