Prediction is knowing when what have passed will occur again

Alfron felt a migraine coming from all the stress of waiting in his father's chambers. Like a student brought into the principal's office after being caught with alcohol, Alfon twitched his thumbs after being summoned out of the blue. He has an idea of the reason, it was his unsightly relationship with his maid and being a royal it was not a good act as everything he did would directly affect his father.

Alfron however knew that this was something he had to do, Sarah is not just some maid and what he felt was something more than just puppy love. It was not the possible renouncing of the throne, the fact he was betrothed to a noble girl whom he never met, nor the judgement he and Sarah shall face that resulted in Alfron hiding his relationship but the look of disappointment from his father that Alfron feared the most and now it might just be what he is about to get, after all the progress they had in their relationship to think it would be this that destroys it.

Rexcarius walked in along with his guards and his advisor Eleanor and Alfron stiffened. Rexcarius sat on his throne and he stroked his beard looking at Alfron with all seriousness while beside him Eleanor stood poised giving Alfron a soft smile when their eyes met. Not being able to bear the silence it was Alfron that broke the ice.

"Father, you have summoned me?"

"Yes, this is quite a personal issue therefore I can make Eleanor and the guards leave should you request it"

"You don't have to my liege, I am not ashamed of what you are about to discuss with me today"

"Very well, I will go straight to the point. Your relationship with your maid is inappropriate and as the king I am forced to punish you for it"

There it was, the look of disappointment, the stern glance, the visible frown amid his beard, and the unnerving tapping of his fingers that resounded in the silent wide room. Alfron winced but tried to make it as subtle as he could and he gulped fearing what punishment he may take but as his son. Alfron must portray a similar unshakable character so he looked back at his father with similar intensity.

"I am ready for any punishment it may be but if it is possible Father, leave Sarah out of this. It was my initiative that started our unruly engagement"

Eleanor almost broke character under this thick tension that could be sliced with a bull's horn but through her self-control she remained graceful not showing how uncomfortable she felt or how much she wished Rexcarius made them leave the room. She has not felt this embarrassed for a person since her daughter's dance recital.

"You shall be spending all your free time under Sir Ironblade and shall train with him and follow all he may command you. As for Sarah in accordance to your request I shall be giving her minimal punishment but effective immediately she is no longer your maid. I shall leave it to Eleanor to find where she is most suited to serve"

Alfron felt relief knowing his punishment was very light. He has trained under Lacquer Tidelode who was as strict as he was reliable, no one could amount to the training he had under the greatest magician he has ever met, not even the sadistic Charles Ironblade can break the steel resolve Lacquer has instilled in him and by the end of his service, it shall be he who is laughing and Charles shall be the one exhausted and on his knees.

"And our relationship father? Do I have your blessing?"

Despite the tensions slowly fading, Alfron simply could not back out just yet. He still needed permission to keep seeing his lover.

Rexcarius simply looked at Alfron with his unreadable expressions and he sighed.

"As a king, I cannot allow such a distasteful relationship to continue-"

Alfron was about to speak out in justification but he saw Eleanor as she slightly raised her hand, a que to wait for Rexcarius was not yet finished.

"but I am your father above all else therefore I shall trust your decisions my son. You have made your choice now and I must allow you to see it through, I shall not impose"

Alfron smiled brightly at his father, his strength invigorated. With his father's permission there is nothing else holding him back.

"You have my deepest gratitude father, you will not regret this"

Alfron then gleefully walked away seeming as if he could leap from joy at any moment. As he left and the doors closed, Rexcarius showed the dissatisfaction he has been hiding and Eleanor felt a chill in her spine as she saw his demeanor.

Not even she could conceal her feelings that well.

"My lord, is this truly the right choice? This decision shall greatly affect the boy's chances at taking the throne as well as sullying the great name of Valhalien and the kingdom you rule"

Eleanor was terrified as she waited for the King's reaction. It is never right to provoke an already agitated person and yet as the King's advisor she must make him see reason.

"That is all Eleanor, leave me be"

Eleanor had left having no other choice and as she left she had similar disappointment to the King who as time passed seemed to have become soft.

This was not the Rexcarius Valhalien she once knew who swept her sister off her feet and murdered all rival suitors who dare impose, the cold king who forced even the Emperor of the Heidcheyser empire to early retirement and went on to chip off all the neighbouring country's territory and made it his own.

Where has that greedy yet noteworthy king gone? Perhaps by the loss of his right hand and new found fatherhood made him weak and no longer fit to be king, as the second in command Eleanor must see to it that all sacrifices shall be made for the glory of Cebunilla.

She called the higher powers of the kingdom to meet her in a secret meeting, she knew very well the risks of doing so and as she was sending the invitations for the gathering she knew full well the execution occurring upon those who dared betray the king but unlike Lacquer, Eleanor had no impositions like loyalty and attachment to the king, relative to her love for the kingdom that is and another advantage was that the king is completely unaware of her tactics and methods which Eleanor speculated was what led to his anticlimactic fall.

Around the meeting hall of her mansion came 6 esteemed guests. First to arrive was the ever elegant Lorelei Vasileia whom upon the fall of Lacquer became the strongest magician in Cebunilla. Always one for punctuality, this woman and as true born royalty she always had an unspoken conflict with Eleanor who despite being born of minor nobility now stands in the royal palace. Among all the invited Eleanor doubted Lorelei's cooperation the most.

Then all coming at the designated hour was Lucile Magendrab, the wealthiest merchant in the whole country who Eleanor first hand became this way by double crossing business partners and manipulating the market in whatever way fit him and stood to disadvantage his colleagues, then came Darius Hasterdon, a well known and powerful bureaucrat who wasn't above breaking the laws he enforced when he saw fit, then came Hannibal Sckotach a foreign trader who the higher ups know control majority of the dealings in the black market, and finally was Walter Havenward, a consul from the country Harayla and among those with intent to support her cause, this man would have most reason. Walter was first sent as a spy who worked with the intent of crashing the stock market but Rexcarius soon thwarted all his plans and stranded him in Cebunilla to work as a double agent. Walter was very loyal to Harayla and to be tricked by Rexcarius into making him betray his own homeland destroyed him but Rexcarius wasn't so easy to let go as he continued to grab hold of Walter for reasons nobody but the two know.

It wasn't until an hour later, amid the proceeding when Charles Ironblade arrived, late but unapologetic he looked at the people present and grinned curiously. Eleanor is certainly up to something interesting as some of the most powerful gathered there, powerful but disloyal to the king, another attempt perhaps?

Eleanor upon everyone's presence began as she walked towards the stone table and nothing but her heels stomping the tilled floor could be heard for upon the people present, certain unspoken conflicts were inevitably present.

First from the two wealthiest business man who although held separate fields in the market knew very well one was after the other's, then was from the stoic and soft-spoken Walter and from the ever patriotic Lorelei, both inexplicably despising the other for the nationality there of.

Charles remained silent as he eagerly waited for Eleanor to begin, for he knew very well what was about to happen. He had once witnessed the threatening of Rexcarius' downfall by his very own comrades, Charles' only desire is to be part of it when it inevitably occurs again.

"First I must begin with thanking you all for your presence knowing how important your time is, therefore I shall go directly to the matter. King Rexcarius though mighty in his time has now grown weak from age and dull from inactivity, therefore it is up to us the hidden powers of Cebunilla to rule in his stead"

Not even a gasp was heard in the silent halls, only the piercing gazes of all who were present. Some were joyous and curious and others defiant, the most defiant of them all was the first to speak.

"You are arrogant as you are fake Eleanor! Have you not learned from the downfall of Sir Tidelode that any resilience to the king would mean sure death? Or do you think you can equal his wits and power? How absurd, you will never come close. This whole gathering is poppycock, and I shall be leaving, those of you who have working heads would be wise to do the same"

Lorelei left with obvious agitation in her flushed face. No one however followed and everyone looked with great interest to Eleanor.

"Don't mind her, she is only upset that her unrequited love for the Grim Srategist remained unrequited to the very end" Charles spoke insultingly towards Lorelei upon her leaving.

"How exactly do you propose to do so oh fair and wise Lady Revonah?" Hannibal asked as he insincerely complimented Eleanor.

"Forget how she'll do it, I want to know how the power would be divided. I will take nothing less than whole control of the Filgras village" Lucile interrupted Hannibal as he dronned on with the empty compliments.

"If I may intrude, how shall you keep this allegiance from the ever watching eye of King Rexcarius?" Upon the end of Lucile's suggestions, Darius interjected courtly.

Only Walter remained silent althrough out the whole meeting even as everything became much livelier with everyone spurring out demands and suggestions one after another, Walter only stared intently and listened to Eleanor as she tended to everything, he had been tricked once before and that forever made Walter cautious.

Although still a lot of work to be done towards this unlikely allegiance and much poisoned thorns adorned her path as she worked with deserters, murderers, and sadists alike, Eleanor could see a clear path ahead. One that would surpass Lacquer's futile solitary attempt, one supported by the very backbones of Cebunilla, and more importantly, a path that could only lead to Rexcarius' destruction whether he defeated them or not, for what is a country without it's merchants and law makers? In addition, what is a king without his subjects to rule but only a man who would prove easy prey to neighboring countries and nationwide rebelion.