Fleet resolutions
"What's wrong?" He asked, following her quietly.
Mircea didn't reply to his question, she simply kept walking until they reached her chambers. She let go of his hand and closed the door on the guards faces. Mircea then walked to her desk and plopped in her chair sighing for the nth time.
Athos finally registered the presence of the papers. "What are those?" He asked again, staring at the papers.
"Find out for yourself." She shoved the papers toward him, resigning from the straight posture that she had for days long. After a long moment of silence she got up "I need water." She massaged her temples looking for the orange steel jug that she always had in her study.
Athos took his sweet time going through the papers. Mircea had relaxed back in her chair thinking about ways she could prevent this from happening. She had a plan up but she knew she needed a back-up plan. Saints! She needed at least three back-up plans if she didn't want her people and her soldiers to suffer.
Even if she married Gyyza's prince and got them to back-up they could come back after the war was over and take over the throne. Therefore that was out of question.
"Who is the king of Cetus?" Athos asked Mircea looking up. Mircea glanced at him like he had lost his mind. She couldn't find it in her to answer his stupid question. "Stop making that face, would you?" He stopped himself from groaning.
"It's fucking written in the letter Athos!" Mircea exclaimed.
"A queen shouldn't cuss." He murmured gazing back at the papers.
Mircea couldn't stop the grunt that came from her. Cussing was the last thing on the list of problems right now. Athos flipped through the papers looking for the letter that he had kept for last. His eyes skimmed quickly through the letter.
"Fuck." He exclaimed after a minute or two.
"That's what I thought." Mircea said, glancing at the papers.
"What have you decided?" Athos looked up to her with a glint in his eyes. A glint that hinted there was more to this than there was told in the paper. After the recent events Athos thought that it was his duty to protect Mircea foremost regardless of what was going on and what will happen in the future.
Anyhow she didn't need to know that.
"Will you do it with me?" She mused more to herself than ask him what she wanted from him.
"Whatever, you want. I am here." Athos stated in a serious voice.
"Are you sure about it?" Mircea raised her eyebrows at him.
"Have I ever been hesitant?" He retorted.
"No." It doesn't take her a second to say that.
Mircea stared at the blank space of her study thinking about if her plan would work. She wondered what was the probability of her getting killed while doing it. She also wondered what the council would do if they got their hands on the buried secrets that her father had managed to keep under the ground for so long. She wondered what her father would do if he was here.
Although it was this or war or getting help from Gyyza which meant handing over herself and the kingdom to the second prince. Whoever that bastard was, Mircea thought irritatedly.
Okay here's what is the best for everyone, "It's time we paid a visit to Cetus." Mircea didn't glance at Athos to know his reaction. But the "NO!" was instant.
"I'm not asking you." Mircea leaned back in her chair, reasoning more about their current situation and what she was about to do.
"No" Athos called out one more time as if Mircea didn't hear it the first time he exclaimed.
"Shut up Athos. Just mere seconds ago you said you would do anything. If you don't want to come, I won't force you. But I think I want to know what King Kirill really wants."
"He wants a war. The old fart is bored. He should just already hand over the kingdom to his son." He replied with a salty tone.
"His son?" Mircea finally glanced at him. His face had tightened into a weird expression she was not sure she understood. However, that was not important.
"Yes, he has a son who must be older than the dead king. King Kirill is way older than he looks, Mircea. Going into his realm and chatting him out of a war is not something I would suggest you do."
"I'm not going there to talk him out of the war, I just want to know his reasons." If he talks himself out of a war after her visit then that is just cherry on the top. But the chances of that happening are slimmer than a strand of her hair.
"I know what you are thinking Mircea, don't try to fool me."
"I'm not fooling anybody." She mutters
"Yes, no one but yourself." He says sarcastically. Athos then leans in closer to her. "See what I am trying to tell you here is, werewolves are dangerous. They have developed their powers more than any other kingdom ever could. Even witches fear a war with them. And vampires are simply a coward. You are basically setting a trap for yourself and then stepping in it."
"I know Athos, I know!. Saints! But you know, I want to hang on those almost nought chances and take a leap to save my kingdom. I don't want help from Gyyza. I don't want to whore myself and the kingdom out so I could go save whatever war there is to come."
She continues "The witches aren't exactly forgiving or even slightly any nicer than the werewolves are. However, we will have to do something."
Mircea's chest rises and falls as she gazes at the stunned man in front of her. His face slowly hardens again and before he could speak again, Mircea remarks in a soft voice "I'm scared of war Athos, I'm scared to lose more people."
Mircea palms her face before rubbing off the sadness. She glances at Athos back with new determination.
Athos stares at her-he stares at her with a look she can't pinpoint before he opens his mouth, "You do know unlike last time, we have to send him a letter and wait for a reply before we can start our journey?"
"Yes, I don't want to get eaten by hungry wild wolves on our way there."
Athos chuckles at her response. "So you know how to write a letter or should i help you with that too?"
The tension in the room that had risen unnecessarily high and created a bile in Mircea's throat began to descend. Mircea's heart had started beating normally now that she knew Athos was going to be there with her.
She shakes her head simpering. Athos hums in response, and then "Send it as soon as possible. Wait, what about the council?" A wave of confusion washes over his face at his own question.
"What about them?" Mircea opens the drawer beside her and takes out a fresh letter roll.
Athos gives her a dirty look before speaking, "What if they say no to your plan?"
"They will say no when they get to know." She inks the pen.
"And how will you keep your visit to Cetus a secret? They are going to come asking for you, if they don't see you for ten hours and your visit will take… what? Four days?"
"Our visit." Mircea corrects him.
Athos holds back rolling his eyes at her response, "Out of all things I said you catched up on that?"
"I don't know Athos, maybe I will lie about going to visit the front army?" It comes out more of a question for both of them. She hadn't thought of that, she didn't need to. She was going to wait for King Kirill's response and then worry about other things like the ones Athos was pinpointing.
"However, I need to call a council meeting. Moreover I need to meet the front army. War or not. They need to be ready." Mircea added.
Athos nods at her dumbly.
"Okay do one thing. Call a council meeting first thing in the morrow. Then see if Carsten is here or at the border control. I need to talk to him." She orders Athos and starts writing the letter.
Mircea keeps the letter short making sure not one word hurts his pride. She hadn't gotten the chance to meet him face to face and she was lucky it was that way. However she needed to size her enemy without riling him up further.
The main question here was
On what basis her father and King Kirill had formed an alliance?
She needed to find out. Perhaps if she could fix that then the war that was knocking on Slyve's door would vanish.
Mircea had to hang on that loose thread on which the alliance was built. She believed that the root of it would give her a way out of this war King Kirill was so eager to have.