Unbelievable. That was perhaps the best word to describe that day.
Just as it seemed negotiations would conclude successfully, my brother escaped from prison and attempted a coup. During the chaos, one of our guests intervened and was nearly killed. My kingdom found itself in a very difficult position. From a diplomatic perspective, our position had been weak from the start, but now, metaphorically speaking, we were pinned to the floor. From this negotiating position, mercy was about the best we could hope for. Fortunately, Queen Grimwood seemed inclined to forgive our blunder in exchange for us meeting her demands. It wasn’t as though we could stop her from doing what she wanted regardless. By agreeing, we lessened the tension between us, and sought to maintain peaceful relations.
I’d heard the reports about the battle that took place outside the conference room. Just one of her subordinates had laid waste to the entirety of Baron Sedestin’s forces. With a single blow, nearly half of them were killed, while my men were spared. Hearing that was enough to send chills down my spine, but my brother had been able to gain the advantage over that same individual with the treasured sword passed down through our family. And yet, that same sword was unceremoniously plucked from his grasp by Queen Grimwood. She had spoken as though she were a mother disciplining a naughty child.
After that, the treasured sword had vanished, and nobody had seen it since. In our private meeting afterward, she offered to replace it with a sword that would be “more suitable,” which meant she had no intention of returning the treasured sword, since it posed a danger to her people. However, if the sword she presented was sufficient, it would certainly be possible to just claim the new sword was the one our family had always treasured, and leave it at that. Since most of the public had never had the opportunity to see the sword, in time, that story would become the truth.
Luckily, it seemed Queen Grimwood didn’t have a tyrannical or selfish disposition. If someone as strong as she was decided to be a despot, every human on the continent would suffer. Such was my estimation of her abilities. We were incredibly fortunate that she was so kind and gentle. I’d realized she was capable of incredible things when I heard the first reports, but with this latest incident I was forced to revise my evaluation of her. With her size, I must admit it was quite easy to underestimate Queen Grimwood’s strength. From what I’d gathered, despite her power, she didn’t rule through fear. Rather, her subordinates all shared a sort of fanatical devotion. I’d heard she didn’t even pay them, and when she tried to get them to take time off from their jobs, they thought it was a punishment.
When I met with Worgin privately, he’d told me that Queen Grimwood described her followers as “children trying to impress their parent.” She stressed that her underlings weren’t literally her children, but when I thought of it that way, their behavior made sense to an extent. The fact that she was concerned about things like wages and time off made me think that her mindset was closer to a human’s than her underlings’ were. While I found it interesting, it was probably best not to pry.
No matter how I thought about it, there were certainly some unusual circumstances related to Queen Grimwood’s sudden appearance. It was, perhaps, a nest of problems best left undisturbed.
“One of Queen Grimwood’s personal guards intervened,” I began, “and likely saved my life. He was nearly killed in the process, and Queen Grimwood confiscated the treasured sword from my brother. She doesn’t intend to return it, but has offered to replace it if we agree to her terms. Considering our worsened position, I believe she’s still being quite fair and reasonable.”
“This is why I was in favor of executing the duke,” the minister of defense complained. “I can’t believe what a headache this has become.”
“Please, we’ll have another meeting to decide my brother’s fate later,” I assured him. “Treason in deed is far more serious than in words alone.”
Many of the advisors in the room had wanted my treasonous brother executed when he was first arrested, and they certainly hadn’t changed their minds now. In fact, I was sure there were many more calls for his death following the incident that took place the day of this meeting. I was truly thankful for Queen Grimwood’s benevolence. If her voice had been among the ones asking for his head, my brother Finlaud would have been put to death for certain. It was a struggle to get the baying howls for my brother’s blood under control.
“I think the fates of Duke Finlaud and Baron Sedestin are intertwined with this thorny issue,” said the minister of finance. “I see no problem with discussing the two together, rather than separately.” He was certainly one for efficiency. He made a strong point.
This was a heated meeting with my ministers and advisors. The purpose of it was to hash out the details of our agreement with Queen Grimwood, but it was difficult to get the ministers to focus on the matter at hand. I felt it was very important to reply to Queen Grimwood while she was still feeling amicable. If we dragged these debates out, her mood could worsen, and she might ask for additional terms. She was certainly capable of being sweet-tempered, but she was also more dangerous than a mother armed bear protecting her young. I wasn’t very interested in finding out what would happen if we tested her patience.
“Right now the priority is reaching a consensus that we can deliver to Queen Grimwood quickly,” I reminded my ministers. “I shudder to think of what could happen if we anger her by keeping her waiting too long.”
This seemed to get the room to quiet down a bit.
“Your Majesty, you’re referring to her as a queen now?” Yomas observed.
I hadn’t realized until it was pointed out, but after she diffused that precarious situation, I’d subconsciously started treating her with more respect. Her performance must have left quite the impression.
“I don’t know exactly when, but at some point, I couldn’t see her as anything but a queen in my mind,” I admitted. “It would be rude, and possibly dangerous, to look down on her. I’d like to convey as much to the nobles as well. She’s agreed to the idea of taking over the Grimwood region in exchange for keeping the monsters contained, so the sooner we begin treating her like foreign royalty, the better.”
The mood in the room became more somber, and decorum was restored.
Once I’d set the tone for the discussion, I explained the situation regarding the tower route from the royal capital to Finnelbraugh. I’d thought there would be more resistance to the idea, but apparently, my words earlier had made it clear enough that we had very little room to negotiate. Once the situation had been adequately explained, I sent for Queen Grimwood. She arrived a few minutes later, with Worgin, or “Gin,” in tow.
Worgin and I had discussed his future when we talked privately earlier, and we’d decided that he would remain here for now, where he’d be treated as an ambassador from the Grimwood. To his old colleagues, Worgin would be dead, and the Sprigian, “Gin,” would stay in his quarters for a while, to research some of the documents in Worgin’s keeping. Queen Grimwood predicted that he’d be viewed with suspicion by the people in my castle and thought he’d be better off in the Grimwood, but I thought it best to at least give him some time here to put his affairs in order.