laying in bed sound asleep I-I just... c-can't marry her! It's... it's preposterous!
Knocks on his door softly
jolts awake Wh-Who dares disturb my slumber?! sits up and glares at the door Who is it?!
M-me..I’m s-sorry t-to disturb y-your p-rest..looking down shamefully
rubs his eyes and yawns What do you want? And make it quick, I need my beauty sleep.
looks up at him still looking down m-my queen has an q-question for y-you..
What question? And why should I care about what my own maid thinks? Speak quickly, or I'll send you packing.
blushes and looks away w-what should m-my queen n-name y-you..?
narrows his eyes My name is King Zorric, and you would do well to remember that, servant. Now, get to the point and tell me what my queen wants.
Struggling to maintain composure M-My queen... wishes to kn-k-know... y-your r-response t-to... her q-question...looking at him earnestly
Fine, I'll humor her. Ask away, but make it quick. I have more important matters to attend to.
swallows nervously Uh... My queen asks... if you're happy with your upcoming marriage.
pauses for a moment, staring into space Happiness? In a political marriage? It's a joke, really. But... sighs I suppose I should give an answer.
pauses, then takes a deep breath Look, I don't want this marriage. I never asked for it. But... it's part of my duty as king. I have to ensure the safety and prosperity of my kingdom. So, if that means sacrificing my own happiness, then so be it. But... I can't promise that I'll make her happy. She's nothing more than a pawn in this game, just like me.
Struggling to keep a straight face Thank... uh... thank you, King Zorric... for your time. My queen will be... pleased to hear your response.
smirks You may go now, and tell my queen that King Zorric has spoken.
Bows deeply Of course, Your Majesty... Thank you for your time.
leans back against the headboard, staring into the distance I wonder if there's any way out of this. A way to protect my kingdom and still be true to myself. Maybe there's a way to forge a real connection with her... but I highly doubt it. sighs and reaches for a flask of wine, taking a long swig Ah well, it's all beyond my control now. All I can do is wait and see how things unfold.
waits outside his door patiently waiting for him to come out so I can report back to the queen
hears a knock on the door Come in.
knocks on his door gently
motions for Stranger to come in Well, what else do you want to bother me with? Make it quick.
I heard y-your conversation w-with y-yourself… m-maybe we could f-figure something o-out together?
raises an eyebrow You want to help me? Why would I let someone like you interfere with my affairs?
B-because i-im not just a m-maid, I-I can b-be useful..
pauses, considering Stranger's offer Fine. Show me what you've got. But don't think for a second that this means I owe you anything.
smiles, nodding O-of course, m-my lord...
Alright, tell me your plan. How do you suggest we escape this marriage?
Nods nervously W-well, t-the princess has t-to come to th-this castle f-for th-the wedding, right? S-so, w-what if... w-what if we... poisoned h-her food...?
leans forward, intrigued Poisoned her food? That's an interesting idea. But how do we ensure she ingests it without raising suspicion?
W-well, the k-kingdoms surrounding us a-are rivals, they will likely try t-to take advantage o-of our situation. T-they would w-want her dead as w-well. W-we just n-need t-to convince them t-to put something i-in her food...
nods approvingly Interesting. So, we find a way to communicate with the rival kingdoms and convince them to poison the princess. But how do we ensure their loyalty and trust in this plan?
Well, we could use the same channel to send information back and forth, maybe even include a hidden message in one of the gifts we send her. As for loyalty, if we play our cards right, they might see this as an opportunity to weaken their rival and gain something in return.
smirks You might be onto something. Find a way to discreetly send a message to the rival kingdoms, suggesting they poison the princess. And make sure our plan aligns with their interests. We'll offer them something they can't refuse. If this works, it could be the start of a powerful alliance.
sweats nervously Y-yes, of course, m-my lord... I-I'll arrange everything... r-right away...
Good. I expect regular updates from you. And remember, failure is not an option. If this plan falls apart, we'll have to deal with the consequences ourselves. Don't let me down.
bows low, trembling slightly Yes, my lord... I won't fail you...
Now go, and make sure you succeed. The fate of our kingdom depends on it.
retrieves my spy network intelligence and letters of intent from the various kingdoms to share with you
reads through the documents carefully, nodding in approval Impressive. It seems like we have some promising leads. Let's see which kingdom is most willing to cooperate with us. We'll approach them first. Gather the necessary resources and prepare for our mission. Time is of the essence.
nods, standing up straight Understood, my lord... I'll begin making preparations right away.
stands up, pacing back and forth This is exciting news! We finally have a chance to escape this marriage and protect our kingdom.
starts making preparations and sets off for the rival kingdoms to poison the princess
wraps his hands around a mug of hot tea, thinking deeply We have to make sure we cover our tracks meticulously.