Kingsley Family/Alyssa/The River War

The War with Eponllyn

Fear

Alyssa stepped back and forth across her study in the Palace. She idly tapped the pommel of the sword at her hip as she did, her face scrunched in consternation as she considered her next moves. Maron, her royal herald, sat lazily in a chair by the room's mantle, strumming quiet melodies on his lute, and looking up at the ceiling with a bored expression.

"You are pacing, Your Majesty."

Alyssa ignored the comment and continued in deep thought.

Maron took a deep sigh and continued. "If I may advise you, Your Majesty..."

"I don't recall you holding the title of Councilor, master herald." She snapped back at him icily. He merely smiled.

"You have never been adept at bluster, Your Majesty. And you should know by now that scorn shall never defeat my desire to see you succeed."

She shook her head. "I do not mean to snap at you of course, you are not the cause of my worries. But this situation sits upon a razor's edge and relies on a number of things outside of my control." She stopped and turned to look directly to the bard draped over the chair. "There could be war."

"Ah yes, but Your Majesty, there can always be war. Even for no reason. You should know that better than anyone perhaps. As for control, well from where I'm sitting you have quite a great deal of control. You hold the singular power in the realm to declare such a thing yourself, so I think if your intention is to avoid conflict, that should be quite easy for you."

Alyssa glared at him again. "There are other factors. You know very well what the Eponlli would be capable of with 5 cities."

Maron smiled a smile that Alyssa had often seen, the one he gave when she fell into his verbal traps. "There it is, of course. What Eponllyn would be capable of. What Eponllyn would be capable of."

"Yes. That is what I said."

"So," Maron continued with a scoff. "You are still pretending this is about Eponllyn and Perdan, and not you and Aila?"

"This situation is about Kalmar, not Aila Storme." Alyssa's face grew tense and if her look were given force Maron would be seven floors below.

"No, it's not. Because if it were, you would have nosed off quite some time ago, and gone back to Brive to water flowers and make tender looks at Isana Everlight. No, you can't let this go, Your Majesty." He sat up straight and leaned forward, meeting her eyes sharply with a challenging gaze. Her expression did not falter.

"You're afraid of her."

"You're wrong." she replied, holding icy blue eyes locked against his own. Maron laughed.

"Again, never adept at bluster. If you're not afraid of her, then simply do nothing."

"I cannot, sitting idly by while Eponllyn provokes us and takes through scheming puts more than just Perdan at risk."

"If you truly believe that, then do something yourself. Send an army to Kalmar."

"I cannot! We must give diplomacy a chance!"

"So you can't do nothing, but you also cannot do something. Aila has you exactly where she wants you. Off to the side where you are insignificant to her plans."

Alyssa closed her eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to calm herself from the impudence on display.

"You are so beautiful, Alyssa, in the passion of your fury." Maron said gently.

"Leave, please. I need to think." Alyssa asked calmly as she opening her eyes.

"Of course, my Queen is wise to-"

"Leave, Maron."

He bowed his head reverently and stepped towards the door, pausing as he set his hand on the knob.

"When was the last time you used that sword?" He asked, daring to peek his head around at her. She glanced at him with a hint of worry, but he said nothing and closed the door behind him, leaving Alyssa alone with her thoughts.