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IGIWS: FIRST DRAFT: Ch.299: Baroness Ysandra’s Changing Allegiance
🕑 Added 2024-11-11 12:59:14 +0000 UTCLord Gawain was running through the hallways of the palace looking for Lord Brice. He was the highest ranking Royal Aide in the Royal Council's Chambers when the later about the emergency meeting happening within the hour. When Duval didn't want the King or Queen to show up to the meeting on time, he would have his men send the letter to the Council's Chambers and not directly to the King and Queen themselves.
So Gawain ran through the halls to get the letter to Lord Brice who would be able to deliver it to the King and Queen.
Gawain was getting his breaths as he saw Lord Brice leaving the library, and he waved his hand.
"Lord Brice!"
"Gawain? What's wrong, my friend?" Brice asked.
"It's an emergency letter from the Prime Minister's office. He's calling an emergency meeting with the Major Lords, and the letter was sent to the Council's Chambers instead of directly to the King and Queen's Palace Chambers," Gawain said as he quickly handing the letter to the Head of Fiafyr.
"Hmmm," Brice hummed, and his face twisted in displeasure as he opened the letter and read the contents.
"He must not want his Majesty to be prepared for this meeting," Gawain said.
"Yes... He's accusing Princess Rya of assaulting Prince Zane and using her demonic powers indiscriminately against his men," Lord Brice muttered.
"Demonic powers?! That's preposterous! He can't use that excuse again!" Gawain said with outrage.
"I think I heard some of the servants gossiping about Prince Zane threatening his sister... I need you to start asking the servants and guards in the palace what really happened. Then, I'll need you to bring those testimonies to the meeting and present them before the House of Lords. If Duval thinks he can manipulate us into doing something against the Royal Family and the Goddess's wishes, he has another thing coming!" Brice growled.
"Of course! I'll speak to Butler Cedric first, he'll know who to go to."
"I'm sure that Lady Rose has heard something by now from her maids. So, speak to her about the incident if you across her first. We need all the testimony we can get if we're going to stop Duval from starting a war with the Holy Alliance," Lord Brice said.
"Understood, Lord Brice! What about the Captain of the Guard? Do we know who is on duty?"
"I believe it is Captain Dresden... But if some of the Royal Guards witnessed what happened then they would have reported to one of the sergeants or lieutenants before the Captain found out. If I have the time I'll ask the Captain to look into it," Brice said.
"Understood. Good luck, my Lord!"
"Good luck, Lord Gawain," Brice said, and they went their separate ways.
Gawain went to the servant's quarters and asked around, and the servants told him everything they heard. If the rumors were true. Then he needed to get Princess Hilda to the House of Lords immediately.
***
The King Cyndre and Queen Rianna were having a good time talking with Baroness Ysandra Fairchild and Baron Zellin Coldforge. With Cyndre talking it up with Zellin while Ysandra was trying to impress Rianna.
"I must say, your Majesty. What's your secret for looking so young. I swear that over these past weeks since Prince Quinus as returned you seem to have a glow about you." Ysandra said, with a flirtatious smile.
Rianna kept her Royal demeanor, "Why thank you, Lady Fairchild. I can't divulge my secrets but it is a mixture of a healthy lifestyle, and my faith in the Goddess. The Divine have blessed me with a healthy family, and a happy marriage," she said with a straight face but her cheeks were blushing.
'Ugh! I can't tell the Baroness that Rya pushed out some toxic from my body! A-And Cyndre keeps finding ways into my bedchambers! I've lost the ability to resist him and he thinks he's out of the doghouse for not punishing Alaric or Leandra Revelia. But I'm the Queen, I should be the one in charge!' She thought, with her cheeks getting even redder.
"Oh?... You don't have to give me the same boilerplate answers that you give the other Ladies of the Court, my Queen. You can be honest with me," Ysandra said with a smirk on her face. She's never seen Rianna act like this before.
'She's hiding something! That's the look of a woman who has some juicy gossip but can't share it! I must know the secret!' Ysandra thought, with a mischievous look on her face.
Rianna's cheeks got even redder and she took a sip of wine. It was strange to her. Over the past week alcohol hasn't been tasting as good. Even after the toxic was expelled from her body and she started sleeping better, the taste has changed.
'What's happening? Why does the wine taste so bad?' She thought, and her face became flushed with embarrassment. 'Maybe it has to do with those weird mornings where I felt nauseous. But I've been feeling better than ever. My sex life has increased tenfold and Cyndre can't seem to get enough. I haven't had this much energy since I was a teenager. That stupid toxin that the Dark Elf pushed out of my body has had me feeling so much better. So, why am I not enjoying my favorite drink?'
"It seems that your Majesty is having trouble keeping her composure," Ysandra said with a knowing tone and her eyes twinkling.
"I-I don't know what you are insinuating. I'm just enjoying the wine," Rianna said and took another sip. It tasted worse than the last time.
"Well, that's the second time I've seen you grimace while taking a sip. Did something happen between you and the King? You can tell me, my Queen," Ysandra said. She couldn't let this juicy gossip get away.
Rianna could out maneuver any Lady of the Court when they tried to pry information out of her. But this was Ysandra. Ysandra could sniff out gossip like a bloodhound, and she wouldn't stop until she got the juicy details. Plus, Rianna was off her game. She's been feeling strange, and this was the first time in years that she didn't have a clear mind as her lower abdomen liked to flutter at the thought of Cyndre's cock being shoved inside her.
"I-I... It's nothing. I've been feeling a bit ill lately, and the wine isn't helping. Maybe I've been drinking too much and my taste buds are tired," Rianna said.
Ysandra just laughed. "The great Queen of Fiafyr is having issues with her alcohol. I think you have finally met your match, my dear friend."
Rianna couldn't help but laugh along. Even though she didn't find it funny. She was still trying to figure out why her favorite drink tasted terrible.
"Maybe you're pregnant?" Ysandra suggested as she studied Rianna's face closely
Rianna stopped laughing and felt a flutter coming deeper inside of her and her cheeks reddened.
"No, that can't be," Rianna said with a small voice. "I'm too old. And I'm infertile. You know how many miscarriages Cyndre and I went through."
"Hmm, you might be right. But then again, you have a glow about you that makes me feel like you are with child. But you have always looked younger than you really are. Unless you haven't been having some alone time with our handsome king."
Rianna squeezed her thighs together as she felt her pussy become a bit moist. Thoughts of this morning when Cyndre's thick, throbbing cock thrusting in and out of her tight pussy were still fresh in her mind. And then the thoughts of Cyndre's thick, milky cum filling up her womb made her even more horny.
"N-No, he hasn't been visiting my bed chambers lately. He has been very busy with the council, and the war preparations."
"Yes, it has been a very busy time for the King, hasn't it? But is he really that busy to neglect our perfect Queen?" Ysandra said, knowing full well that Cyndre had a healthy sex drive, and wouldn't miss an opportunity to ravish the sexy queen.
"Well, maybe he was a bit stressed and needed his rest," Rianna lied, trying not to make eye contact with Ysandra.
"Or maybe the queen is lying to me, and is just embarrassed because she has been keeping her husband busy in the bed," Ysandra said as she winked at Rianna.
Rianna didn't say anything as her cheeks burned even more.
"I'll just take your silence as an answer, my dear," Ysandra said as before drinking her wine.
Rianna couldn't believe that Ysandra saw through her lie, and the embarrassment was clear on her face. But the Baroness didn't seem like she was using this to gain leverage against her.
"Oh, stop worrying, My Queen... I know that you don't trust many of the other Ladies of the Court, which is very wise. But I am on your side. I won't let any of them take advantage of you."
Rianna didn't know if this was true or not. Especially since Ysandra is a ally to Duval, the Prime Minister. Rianna would have to keep her guard up around the Baroness.
"I appreciate your words, Baroness Ysandra, but please forgive me if I find that hard to believe."
Ysandra raised her eyebrows in surprise and amusement, "Your guard is up more than every I see... Good, that's what a Queen should do, and don't apologize for being cautious. I understand why you wouldn't trust me."
Rianna was getting curious about Ysandra. If all her years of moving to Fiafyr and living here. She's never had a close friend within the Ladies of the Court. At one point she thought she had some friends with Marchioness Isabella Wrightwood, and Countess Alexandria Ingham when they helped her to throw a party for her newborn son. But when Rianna found out that Duval was using Isabella and Alexandria to suede her to back a peace treaty with the Alliance of the Divine Three, she cut off any friendship with them. Especially after Duval talked Cyndre out of his brother's execution for hiring an assassin to kill Quinus.
And thinking upon everything that happened back then, Rianna had to laugh. Alaric hired one of the highest ranked assassins in Wina Daz and she could have easily killed Quinus without anyone knowing and they only found out that she was an assassin when she flipped sides.
Wina became so loyal to Sir Mathew that she swore fealty to Rianna. Since that day, Rianna's closes friends were her bodyguard Lady Nelumbo, Her maid Gretchen, Wina Daz, and a bunch of other servants within the palace. Rianna hoped that Wina and Mathew were doing well as she had to leave the kingdom after being attacked by other assassins. Once Alaric served his punishment, he told the Assassin's Society that Wina betrayed her client. And the society sent out a kill order on Wina's life.
Wina didn't want to put the Prince in danger so she left to deal with the Assassin's Society her self but Mathew joined her and they left their son in the Kingdom's hands. That was ten years ago, and Rianna hoped she was doing well.
Back in the present, Rianna was still intrigued by the Baroness. Could Ysandra Fairchild truly be a friend.
"And why is it that I don't trust you, Ysandra?" Rianna ask as she was about to take another sip of her wine but she stopped herself when she realized that she was doing it out of habit.
"Well, it's because I decided to ally with Duval and helped him to become the new Prime Minister... He promised us a lot, my Queen. And it seemed like he was going to come through on those promises... That was until cracks started to form in his strategies..."
Rianna was taken aback by what she was hearing. The Baroness was willing to admit that she was losing faith in the Prime Minister's abilities.
"I see... So, you have begun to doubt him... What was it that made you realize he was incompetent?"
"When he failed to wrangled in Alaric's hold over the Minor Nobles. He kept saying that he will bring them in line, but after six years... nothing. And then once I found out about the Duke's treachery after the assassination attempt, I thought that he was going to cripple Alaric's ambitions. But instead, the Duke slipped away like all the other times... And I finally saw how weak Duval was when he agreed to send the Crown Prince to stop the out in the West. All because he feared that Marcus Revelia would outshine Prince Quinus of he were to stay here. The Prince is the true heir to the throne so why risk his life just so Marcus can be the hero instead of him... That's when I knew that Duval wasn't fit to lead the Kingdom and the House of Lords..."
The Queen's eyes widened but she kept an emotionless expression as Ysandra continued.
"But it seems our Prince has fate on his side. Not only did he managed to stop the monster stampede and killed Marcus, but found the most powerful healer and mage this world has ever seen and she's fallen for him. The goddess has blessed him."
Rianna was trying to figure out if Ysandra was playing some type of game to make her yet down her guard, but the Baroness was genuine.
'C-Can I trust her... No. Not yet.'
"Yes. My son has done amazing things. And I am proud of him. But, Ysandra. Why haven't you brought up your displeasure with the Prime Minister earlier than this?"
Ysandra had a dry laugh before shaking her head slightly, "You know how the politic games are played, Your Majesty. I needed to see if there were others starting to show signs of being discontented with the Prime Minister. I had suspected that Baron Eamon would be one of them with how many of his proposed trade deals kept getting denied by Duval, but he didn't show any signs of disappointment... It was when I heard what happened at the emergency meeting where Duval and Alaric were completely outwitted and out maneuvered by Princess Rya was when I heard rumors about Duval losing his grip on Eamon and Thaddeus. I had to come to the capital to meet this, Dark Elf for myself..."
"Only yourself, Lady Ysandra?" Rianna inquired as she leaned forward in her throne.
Ysandra sighed, "Well... Maybe my sister was more intrigued to meet, Lady Rya. Thanks to the good word that her colleagues in Ironside have been spreading about her and the fact that she's a capable Mage, my sister couldn't help but ask me if we could have an audience with, Lady Rya."
The Queen was studying Ysandra for any deceit in her words or body language, but she couldn't find any. She relaxed a little bit and let a small smirk grace her lips.
'She's being honest with me... Maybe I can trust her... I can use someone by my side when I confront Leandra during her daughter's party. Plus, Ysandra is a power woman within the Ladies of the Court. Let's see where she stands with Leandra?'
Rianna straightened up her poster and looked at Ysandra.
"Well, what can I say... Quinus seems to attract powerful women into his circle of friends. I guess it runs in the family." Rianna smiled.
Ysandra laughed, "Indeed. He's definitely has all the positive traits between his father and mother."
"Yes... It's ashame that not that many Nobles realize it when they painted my son as the toothless lion of Fiafyr," Rianna said with a hint of annoyance.
Ysandra grimaces slightly, "I wish I could say that I was one of the nobles who didn't believe those rumors. But I'll be honest with you, Your Majesty. I didn't see how powerful your son was until we witnessed his strength during his fifth birthday when he handled the family heirloom, The Sun's Fury in front of everyone. No child that young could have possibly handled that sword with the same strength as he did."
The Queen smirked, "So you have seen my son's true potential at a early age? Interesting."
Ysandra smiled, "He was quite the charmer at a young age. I knew that he would do great things, and it seems like Lady Rya would make a great partner for him."
Rianna looked down at the table.
'Yes, they're very close... They could even be soulmates... But enough of that, I can't be thinking of that right now. I need to find a way to make her my ally in the fight against Leandra.'
Rianna looked up and gave a warm smile.
"Do you know who was the one who spread that rumor about Quinus' incompetence?"
Ysandra thought about it for a moment, "It's been so long ago that I can't remember... The only thing I do know was Leandra couldn't stop talking about it while talking up her son, Marcus, the heir to the Revelia's."
"What do you think about the Duchess? You must have some kind of opinion on her?" Rianna asked.
Ysandra looked around the room to make sure no one was listening.
"I... I have nothing good to say about her, your Majesty... All I can say is you're in the same room with her when she is surrounded by guests, then don't turn your back to her. If you're are alone with her then get out, and if you're alone with her and Alaric is their, then it's too late... Shrewd is an understatement when describing Leandra Revelia."
That was all Rianna needed to hear to trust Ysandra.
"Would you mind joining me during Yvette's coming of age party? I could use a friend that I can trust to stop Leandra from turning the Ladies of the Court against, Rya."
Ysandra smiled, "You think that Leandra is going to make a move against, Lady Rya?"
Rianna gave her a knowing look, "Ysandra, you think you know how bad the Revelia's are but, if you knew what I knew. You would understand why we need to help her. And if we are going to protect Rya then we are going to have to work together. Can I count on you, Ysandra?"
Ysandra smiled again, "I would be honored, your Majesty... But what makes you think that I've haven't seen the same things you have, Queen Rianna?"
Rianna leaned forward and motioned Ysandra to come closer. Ysandra leaned in and the two women put their heads close together.
"Do you remember come to my ceremony when Cyndre was named the next Heir and I became the Crown Princess?"
Ysandra nodded and remembered that day when Leandra bragged to everyone that her husband found the scarce tea leaf. Ysandra just became the Baroness of Frostweald, far up in the north at the time and she thought Leandra was being a bit pretentious and flaunting her wealth in a way to cope with her husband losing the right to the throne. But that was at the time when Ysandra thought Leandra was shallow and petty woman.
"Talk me, Ysandra... Are you familiar with Sterilith Bloom or Royal Blue?"
Ysandra pulled back and looked at Queen Rianna's face and then realized she wasn't joking. The Baroness has never heard of Royal Blue, but Sterilith Bloom. She's heard bad things about that toxin.
"I can't say I much about Royal Blue, your Majesty. But Sterilith Bloom, my father told me that it makes women infertile—"
Ysandra stopped herself in mid sentence as her memories came flooding back when Rianna was offered that rare tea leaf during the ceremony. Rianna drank the only cup and then the cup was taken away.
"Wait a minute... No... She didn't?!" Ysandra was stunned.
Queen Rianna nodded, "Yes, she did. Leandra tricked me into drinking so much Sterilith Bloom that I could have been infertile for a few lifetimes... Rya expelled the toxin from my body and I will make sure that Leandra will pay for killing all my unborn children..."
Ysandra felt sick. She should have known that Leandra did something nefarious to the future Queen at the time. But she didn't know that the Duchess was that heartless and evil until many years down the road. So that innocent offering of a prized drink of tea to her sister-in-law was forgotten.
"My Queen! I'm so sorry. If only I had known."
"Shhh, it's not your fault, Ysandra. You couldn't have known that Leandra did what she did. I didn't know," the Queen whispered to the Baroness.
Ysandra compose herself and she knew that she needed to help her Queen. Her time of staying by Duval's side was ending, and her allegiance was going back to the Royal family.
"What can I do to help, my Queen?"
"I don't know yet... But I want to confront her during the party. I think I'll use it to distract her plans that she has for Rya. We need to get her on the Ladies of the Court's side and if Leandra is focused on me, she'll ignore her. So, let's give her an opportunity to charm the other women in the Kingdom."
"You're a brilliant Queen, my Liege. I'm sorry for not being the loyal subject you've been to the Royal Family," Ysandra said.
"You can make up for it by helping me expose Leandra, and help Rya become Quinus' wife. You're a smart woman, so I think you can see the benefits of having a Dark Elf as part of the Royal Family. You've seen Rya's abilities, and I want you to see the possibilities," the Queen said.
"Hah... You sound like my younger sister, your Majesty—"
All the conversations within the throne room were halted when Lord Brice entered the room in a hurry.
Cyndre and Zellin looked at him with a curious expression while Rianna and Ysandra had a bad premonition.
"What is it, Lord Brice?" the King asked.
"Your Majesty, the Prime Minister is at it again," Lord Brice replied.
Cyndre's face sourd immediately and he stood up and walked over to Rianna to offer his hand.
"Let's go, Rianna... We have a future daughter-in-law to save," the King said.
The Queen's face beamed with happiness and she stood up and took her husband's hand.
Ysandra looked over at Zellin, "Well, I haven't been a part of an Energy Meeting in quite some time, Mr. Zellin... Shall we ruin the Prime Minister's fun and join them."
The noble dwarf was surprised by the Baroness's forwardness, but he accepted the offer.
"I thought you were an ally to Marquess Duval?" Zellin responded with a coy grin.
"I was. But the Marquess is a fool. And he's too close-minded to see the potential Rya brings," Ysandra said.
Zellin was shocked by the change in her. He feared that the Kingdom was more focused on becoming allies with the Divine Three over caring about the Dwarven citizens of Fiafyr. This was a pleasant change of events, and Zellin had no choice but to accept.
"Well then, Baroness Ysandra... Let's show the Prime Minister what a true Alliance looks like."
With that the group hurried over to the west wing of the Palace where the Prime Minister was getting ready to hold court.
Comments
Marek Gwalt
TFTC
Micheal Kennedy
Thank you for the chapter!
